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 ]
A movement supported by nonprofit groups and libraries is creating literary spaces in places where children find themselves with time on their hands. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-07-02 09:00:13 UTC ]
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Microsoft has closed its ebook store—and will soon make their customers' libraries disappear along with it. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2019-06-30 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Brand offers financial support to help restore parks, libraries and leisure centres. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2019-06-28 09:22:56 UTC ]
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An agreement between publisher Springer Nature and Sweden's Bibsam consortium - made up of institutional libraries and funders - will see the two share the costs of publishing in Springer Nature's Open Access journals. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-27 01:33:22 UTC ]
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Writers say a lack of funding and cuts to libraries mean children from disadvantaged backgrounds are missing out when it comes to school visits, after a new report shows that independent schools are far more likely to have welcomed an author in the past year than state schools. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-26 04:33:29 UTC ]
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The libraries cited unsustainable costs in ending the service. Cinephiles took to social media with their reactions. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-06-24 23:21:19 UTC ]
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As she celebrates a series of career milestones—which coincide with the 20th anniversary of her publisher, Dafina Books—the author starts a new chapter by revisiting classic characters in the long-awaited sequel to her first novel, My Brother’s Keeper. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Reynolds earned a standing ovation for an intensely personal keynote that touched on family, religion, his closest friends and relationships, the power of narrative, and the central, “sacred” role libraries play in people’s lives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the week's headlines: the 2019 ALA Annual Conference kicks off in Washington DC; Librarians cry foul over Hachette's new digital terms for libraries; and the DPLA wins a major grant. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In Weare, New Hampshire, a small town about 45 minutes from the state’s southern border with Massachusetts, the local newspaper Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-06-20 19:15:00 UTC ]
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The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative takes translations to the ALA Annual Conference and administers a YA prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the stories making news this week: veteran bookseller and library advocate Tim Coates releases a reader-focused survey; more drama over Drag Queen Storytimes; and what to expect from all the talk of antitrust action in the tech sector. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline imprint Tinder Press will publish a new novel by Maggie O'Farrell in April 2020, inspired by William Shakespeare's son, as the author celebrates her 20-year career. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie Oliver’s first cookbook celebrates its 20th anniversary this year: Michael Joseph is reissuing The Naked Chef along with a raft of the celebrity chef’s other works to mark the occasion. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne is marking the 20th anniversary of the ‘That’s Not My…’ baby books with partnerships with organisations such as the National Literacy Trust and The Creation Station. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A tour of former Children’s Laureates and a celebratory anthology are just some of the plans being put together to mark next year’s 20th anniversary of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate role. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven models of the spiders from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be unveiled across the UK at the end of the month to mark the novel’s 20th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The BBC will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter with “rarely seen documents from J K Rowling’s archives, revealing her magical inspirations” in the run up to the British Library’s exhibition next month. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan imprint Boxtree is publishing a new unauthorised oral history of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its spin-off "Angel", called Slayers and Vampires, to mark the 20th anniversary of the original cult '90s TV show. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshops around the country are unveiling a host of magical events — including Quidditch Pong, Harry Potter Bingo and Horcrux hunts—to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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