Gather ’round, children, and let me tell you a story about the old bugaboo we used to call DRM. Digital Rights Management was the beast under every gamer’s bed in the mid-2000s, an invisible bit of software baked into game discs that dictated and tracked player behavior under the guise of preventing piracy. DRM software, like SecuROM, limited the times a game could be downloaded and forced players to regularly connect to the internet for authentication checks, at a time when less than half of American adults had reliable broadband connections. DRM features soured the releases of BioShock, Mass Effect and Spore, and by 2010, anti-piracy software had rendered Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter-Cell: Conviction unplayable. When Microsoft attempted to release the Xbox One with always-on DRM features in 2013, intense vitriol from fans forced the company to reverse its plans at the 11th hour. There were lawsuits. DRM was a curse word. Meanwhile, Valve was building out Steam. When it landed in 2003, the digital PC storefront was designed to streamline the patch process for games like Counter-Strike and make it easier for Valve to implement anti-piracy and anti-cheat measures. Steam was made to be a DRM machine. In 2004, with the release of Half-Life 2, Valve made Steam a requirement for every player, and even those who’d purchased new, physical copies of the game had to boot up the launcher first. There was some low-level grumbling, but PC players were used to being lab rats, and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-04 16:30:21 UTC ]
Curious about the most popular books in libraries that maybe are under the radar? Dig into the data that Panorama Picks offers up for Spring circulation. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-08-28 10:33:14 UTC ]
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Octopus imprint Hamlyn has bagged a book of anecdotes, laugh-out-loud moments and uplifting life lessons from ITV panel show “Loose Women”, marking its 20th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-20 04:41:45 UTC ]
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Awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-08-19 10:30:38 UTC ]
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Why the tension between libraries and publishers is ramping up in the e-book market—and why we must tamp it down. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Foyles is entering the housing sector by partnering with property developer Elysian Residences for specially curated libraries in their retirement homes. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-11 13:23:15 UTC ]
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If you needed yet another reason to love libraries: they help during heatwaves. Libraries in Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, California, ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-07-28 10:31:48 UTC ]
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Amazon has struck a deal with The Trade Desk and Dataxu, two sources of online advertising, to deliver commercials to Fire TV. On Friday, Amazon announced the new arrangement developed for media companies that stream video on Fire TV. The video publishers can now set up what are known as... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2019-07-27 00:05:42 UTC ]
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Critical Linking is a daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web sponsored by Libro.fm. “This ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-07-21 10:30:01 UTC ]
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As library e-book issues gain urgency, the OverDrive funded effort to measure the impact of libraries on authors and publishers taps industry vet Guy LeCharles Gonzalez to take the project to the next level. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Canongate has joined forces with audio publisher Bolinda to make its audiobooks available to libraries in a new partnership. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-18 10:30:26 UTC ]
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Both the United States-based Rakuten OverDrive and the UK-based Nielsen Book are named today as new partners for CILIP in Libraries Week 2019. The post Nielsen Book and Rakuten OverDrive Named Supporters of the UK’s Libraries Week appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-07-17 08:10:12 UTC ]
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Nielsen Book has joined forces with library and information association CILIP to sponsor its reading campaign alongside National Libraries Week in a new two-year partnership. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-16 17:15:51 UTC ]
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In his op-ed for Forbes last year, Panos Mourdoukoutas, a professor of economics at LIU Post in New York, suggested that Amazon stores should replace libraries to save taxpayers money. Following the backlash this preposterous suggestion created, Forbes took the article down. But the outpouring... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-12 08:48:09 UTC ]
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A coalition of some 44 public libraries across Washington state is organizing a six-month boycott of Blackstone Publishing's digital audiobooks after the publisher announced last month that it would withhold new release audio titles from libraries for 90 days. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The digital content market for libraries is about to get even more unsettled; Elsevier cuts off researchers at the University of California; and librarians gear up for the 2020 census. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A National Libraries Conference, due to take place later this month, aims to ensure the service’s “continued survival” in a digital age, organisers say. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-11 05:47:50 UTC ]
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From oldest to largest, most popular to smallest, explore the planet and update your travel plans with this list of the best libraries in the world. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-07-10 10:39:02 UTC ]
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Essex County Council has announced it is ditching plans to close its libraries and their future is secure for the next five years following a huge community campaign, supported by authors including David Walliams and Jacqueline Wilson. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-09 00:31:48 UTC ]
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Library campaigners are calling on Essex County Council to launch a new consultation on the future of its libraries in a new bid to save the services. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-08 10:24:45 UTC ]
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Critical Linking, a daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web, is sponsored by Book Riot’s ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-07-07 10:30:45 UTC ]
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