What Adam Curry is reading

Patty baalt van mislukte sprong
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:22
  zo 26 aug 2012, 14:54
  van onze redactieAMSTERDAM - Patty Brard baalt ervan dat haar sprong van de duikplank in het programma Sterren Springen op Zaterdag niet helemaal perfect ging.
  "Ik vind het verschrikkelijk dat ik niet heb kunnnen laten zien waar ik zo hard voor getraind heb", vertelde Patty zondagochtend aan Eva Jinek.
  Patty klapte tijdens de sprong met haar gezicht tegen het water. "Ik ben nog niet helemaal over de schok heen. De lippen zijn er niet mooier op geworden. En de nek en de rug, die moeten even bijkomen. Er moet een masseur komen om ernaar te kijken."
  Ondanks de harde klap, is Patty vastberaden door te gaan met het programma. "Ik moet een beetje rusten, maar morgen ga ik gewoon weer trainen. Het is hartstikke leuk om de kans te krijgen om iets te doen wat ik normaal gesproken nooit zou doen."
  Proefabonnement, 10 weken '‚¬ 30,-!(C) 1996-2012 Telegraaf Media Nederland | Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlPrivacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
Prozac? Zoloft? Paxil? Did one of these drugs drive the Empire State shooter?
  Link to Article
  Source: Infowars &Acirc;&raquo; Featured Stories
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:11
  Jon RappoportPrisonplanet.comAug 26, 2012
  Jeffrey Johnson, a disgruntled ex-employee of a Manhattan company, Hazan Imports, is accused of killing a former co-worker before engaging police in a shootout that left two people dead and nine wounded at the Empire State Building.
  In assessing possible reasons for the attack, police and FBI will omit one glaring possibility: Johnson's festering resentment was ignited and driven over the edge by an SSRI antidepressant: Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.
  On September 14, 1989, in Louisville, Kentucky, another disgruntled ex-employee, Joseph T Wesbecker, entered the premises of his former company, Standard Gravure, killed eight people, and wounded 12. He then killed himself.
  A month earlier, Wesbecker had started on a course of Prozac. Eventually, the people he wounded, and families of the deceased, filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, claiming that the drug had pushed Wesbecker into murder.
  At the time, Lilly was facing a number of potential lawsuits on this very issue, and the Wesbecker case was crucial to establishing a precedent. Lilly knew Prozac could induce violence. If they lost the Wesbecker case, they would face a flood of similar court actions and a loss of business and reputation.
  An instructive article, ''Protecting Prozac,'' by Michael Grinfeld, in the December 1998 California Lawyer, describes the astonishing Wesbecker trial.
  Grinfeld details a set of maneuvers involving attorney Paul Smith, the plaintiffs' lead counsel.
  A d v e r t i s e m e n tAfter what many people thought was a very weak attack on Lilly by lawyer Smith, the jury came back in five hours with an easy verdict favoring Lilly and Prozac.
  Grinfeld writes, ''Lilly's defense attorneys predicted [their victorious] verdict would be the death knell for [anti-]Prozac litigation.''
  ''Rumors began to circulate that [prior to the trial] attorney Smith had [illegally] made several oral agreements with Lilly concerning the evidence that would be presented, the structure of a postverdict settlement, and the potential resolution of Smith's other [anti-Prozac] cases.''
  In other words, the rumors said: This lawyer made a deal with Lilly to present a weak attack, to omit evidence damaging to Prozac, so that the jury would find Lilly innocent of all charges. In return for this, the case would be settled secretly, with Lilly paying out monies to Smith's clients. In this way, Lilly would avoid the exposure of a public settlement, and through the favorable verdict would discourage other potential plaintiffs from suing over Prozac.
  The rumors congealed. The judge in the case, John Potter, asked lawyers on both sides if ''money had changed hands.'' He wanted to know if the fix was in. The lawyers said no money had been paid.
  Judge Potter didn't stop there. In April 1995, Grinfeld notes, ''In court papers, Potter wrote that he was surprised that the plaintiffs' attorneys [Smith] hadn't introduced evidence that Lilly had been charged criminally for failing to report deaths from another of its drugs to the Food and Drug Administration.''
  Judge Potter alleged that ''Lilly sought to buy not just the verdict, but the court's judgment as well.''
  In 1996, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an opinion on all this: '''... there was a serious lack of candor with the trial court and there may have been deception, bad faith conduct, abuse of the judicial process or perhaps even fraud.''
  After the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the state attorney general's office, the whole matter dribbled away, and then resurfaced in a different form, in another venue. Finally, the original judgment in the case was allowed to stand. Lilly had won the battle.
  It's important to note that the violence-inducing effects of Prozac apply, as well, to the other SSRI antidepressants, such as Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, and Lexapro.
  After commenting on some of the adverse effects of the antidepressant drug Prozac, psychiatrist Peter Breggin notes, ''From the initial studies, it was also apparent that a small percentage of Prozac patients became psychotic.''
  Prozac, in fact, endured a rocky road in the press for a time. Stories on it rarely appear now. The major media have backed off. But on February 7th, 1991, Amy Marcus' Wall Street Journal article on the drug carried the headline, ''Murder Trials Introduce Prozac Defense.'' She wrote, ''A spate of murder trials in which defendants claim they became violent when they took the antidepressant Prozac are imposing new problems for the drug's maker, Eli Lilly and Co.''
  Also on February 7, 1991, the New York Times ran a Prozac piece headlined, ''Suicidal Behavior Tied Again to Drug: Does Antidepressant Prompt Violence?''
  In his landmark book, Toxic Psychiatry, Dr. Breggin mentions that the Donahue show (Feb. 28, 1991) ''put together a group of individuals who had become compulsively self-destructive and murderous after taking Prozac and the clamorous telephone and audience response confirmed the problem.''
  Breggin also cites a troubling study from the February 1990 American Journal of Psychiatry (Teicher et al, v.147:207-210) which reports on ''six depressed patients, previously free of recent suicidal ideation, who developed 'intense, violent suicidal preoccupations after 2-7 weeks of fluoxetine [Prozac] treatment.' The suicidal preoccupations lasted from three days to three months after termination of the treatment. The report estimates that 3.5 percent of Prozac users were at risk. While denying the validity of the study, Dista Products, a division of Eli Lilly, put out a brochure for doctors dated August 31, 1990, stating that it was adding 'suicidal ideation' to the adverse events section of its Prozac product information.''
  An earlier study, from the September 1989 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, by Joseph Lipiniski, Jr., indicates that in five examined cases, people on Prozac developed what is called akathisia. Symptoms include intense anxiety, inability to sleep, the ''jerking of extremities,'' and ''bicycling in bed or just turning around and around.''
  Breggin comments that akathisia ''may also contribute to the drug's tendency to cause self-destructive or violent tendencies '... Akathisia can become the equivalent of biochemical torture and could possibly tip someone over the edge into self-destructive or violent behavior '... The June 1990 Health Newsletter, produced by the Public Citizen Research Group, reports, 'Akathisia, or symptoms of restlessness, constant pacing, and purposeless movements of the feet and legs, may occur in 10-25 percent of patients on Prozac.'''
  Akathisia can also occur after taking a non-SSRI antidepressant, Wellbutrin.
  California Lawyer magazine, in its December 1998 article, ''Protecting Prozac,'' mentions highly qualified critics of Prozac: ''David Healy, MD, an internationally renowned psychopharmacologist, has stated in sworn deposition that 'contrary to Lilly's view, there is a plausible cause-and-effect relationship between Prozac' and suicidal-homicidal events. An epidemiological study published in 1995 by the British Medical Journal also links Prozac to increased suicide risk.''
  There are other studies: ''Emergence of self-destructive phenomena in children and adolescents during fluoxetine [Prozac] treatment,'' published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1991, vol.30), written by RA King, RA Riddle, et al. It reports self-destructive phenomena in 14% (6/42) of children and adolescents (10-17 years old) who had treatment with Prozac for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  July, 1991. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Hisako Koizumi, MD, describes a thirteen-year-old boy who was on Prozac: ''full of energy,'' ''hyperactive,'' ''clown-like.'' All this devolved into sudden violent actions which were ''totally unlike him.''
  September, 1991. The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Author Laurence Jerome reports the case of a ten-year old who moves with his family to a new location. Becoming depressed, the boy is put on Prozac by a doctor. The boy is then ''hyperactive, agitated '... irritable.'' He makes a ''somewhat grandiose assessment of his own abilities.'' Then he calls a stranger on the phone and says he is going to kill him. The Prozac is stopped, and the symptoms disappear.
  In the current case of the Empire State shooter, why don't police and district attorneys immediately check on the accused's psychiatric-drug status? Why isn't that right at the top of the list?
  Because, in a crime of murder, how many cops and prosecutors want to go to war with ''psychiatric experts'' and drug companies?
  As time passes, fewer and fewer.
  It may appear that the days of accusing psychiatric drugs of inducing murder are over, because ''we have better knowledge now,'' or ''the newer drugs are safer.'' That's what the drug companies would like you to assume. But the truth is, the drugs are just as dangerous. The law-enforcement community has decided to take a pass, though. They would rather keep blinders on.
  However, the configuration and unfolding of the James Holmes case in Aurora is going to ignite new fires, despite the police and FBI wanting to leave the lid on.
  Warning: Sudden withdrawal from any psychiatric drug can be highly dangerous to the patient. See www.breggin.com for advice on this subject.
  Jon RappoportThe author of an explosive collection, THE MATRIX REVEALED, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world.www.nomorefakenews.com
  About the author:The author of an explosive new collection, THE MATRIX REVEALED, Jonwas a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District ofCalifornia. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as aninvestigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics,medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine,Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jonhas delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic,and creative power to audiences around the world.www.nomorefakenews.com
  Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036949_Empire_State_Building_shooting_psychiatric_drugs.html#ixzz24ebA9joM
  Tags: Pharmaceutical
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VIDEO: 'Scores of bodies' found in Syria
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:07
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Two Pussy Riot members flee Russia
  Link to Article
  Source: The Guardian World News
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:40
  A Pussy Riot protest performance in January: two activists have now fled Russia and are 'recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new protest actions'. Photograph: Denis Sinyakov/Reuters
  The Russian punk band Pussy Riot says two of its members who were being sought by police have left the country.
  Five members of the feminist group took part in a provocative performance inside Moscow's main cathedral in February to protest against Vladimir Putin's rule and his relationship with the Russian Orthodox church.
  The women wore their trademark balaclavas and only three were identified and arrested. After a controversial trial, they were sentenced on 17 August to two years in prison.
  Days later, Moscow police said they were searching for the others, in what was seen as a warning to the group to stop its anti-Putin protests.
  Pussy Riot tweeted on Sunday that the two activists had fled Russia and are "recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new protest actions".
HIS TELEPROMPTER'S VOICE!
  Link to Article
  Source: VENITISM
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:39
  Teleprompter is the nickname of Obama! Obama cannot speak without histeleprompter. Obama's speech is his teleprompter's voice, delivering wordswritten by his speech writers. This is cheating, pure and simple! Moreover, theteleprompter is seen as a nuisance, something that hinders Obama and his soul.With teleprompters to his left and right, Obama never looks directly ahead. Hishead shifts from side to side, like watching a tennis match.Teleprompter is not able to handle the truth that we're going broke. There aremyriad suckers in the electorate. Robin Hood Democrats, promising pseudofreegoods provided by the rich, are betting that Americans are too stupid to seethrough their many scams. Their cynicism is as boundless as their politics ofpersonal destruction. In June 2009, and often since, Teleprompter assured us:"No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you likeyour healthcare plan, you will be able to keep your healthcare plan. Period. Noone will take it away. No matter what." Obama has already broken that promise.
  In Iowa Teleprompter announced that the federal government will purchase over$150 million in meat and fish to help ranchers survive the drought, and thatfood is going to be spent by folks over at the Pentagon and other places!
  USA is going broke. Nevertheless, Teleprompter says Romney will take away fromseniors, women, students, and the middle class. Teleprompter is counting onseniors being too senile, women being too emotional, young people beingunexperienced, and the middle-class being too focused on their mortgages tounderstand his smokescreens and hoodwinks. Romney won't push folks over thecliff, Obama 's head-in-the-sand will.
  The burden of federal spending in USA was down to 18.2 percent of gross domesticproduct when Bill Clinton left office. But this progress didn't last long.Thanks to George Bush's reckless spending policies, the federal budget grewabout twice as fast as the economy, jumping by nearly 90 percent in just eightyears This pushed federal spending up to about 25 percent of GDP. Obamapromised hope and change, but he has kept spending at this high level ratherthan undoing the mistakes of his predecessor.
  Teleprompter is a failed president. Bill Clinton referred to Barack Obama as aChicago thug during the 2008 presidential campaign. Obama's stupidity is enoughto make you think that years of flying around on Air Force One, surrounded by anadoring staff of socialists telling you what a great job you are doing inspreading the cancer of socialism is enough to make you a lot out of touch.
  Four years ago, Bill Clinton compared voting for Barack Obama to a roll of thedice. After four years of mounting debt, fewer jobs, and policies that arehostile to jobs creators, it's clear that the gamble didn't pay off. Obama'sstupid economic policies lead to depression by increasing regulatory costs,increasing uncertainty, ballooning the budget deficit, and constantlythreatening higher taxes consistent with a political ideology which isantithetical to economic prosperity and spreads the cancer of socialism. USAnow suffers Obamageddon!
  Teleprompter tries to paint a happy face, arguing that all manner of headwindsare thwarting his plans for prosperity but that, nevertheless, he will vacuouslyassert the country is headed in the right direction. But take a step back andremember where Obama promised Americans would be. Under his trillion-dollarstimulus, he said, unemployment would never rise above 8 percent. He was wrong.
  Obamunism might deteriorate America to the miserable level of Greece, the landof kleptocracy, 23% VAT, persecution of dissident bloggers, and kangaroojustice. Mike Brownfield points out Obama's ideological heart lies insocialism. Teleprompter is at his core a dyed-in-the-wool socialist who seesthe federal government as the answer to all of America's problems. And he ischarging full steam ahead on this far-left course toward Election Day 2012,despite the total failure of his big-government policies and an American peoplewho have flatly rejected the message he is trying to sell.
  Teleprompter is a great orator. Brownfield notes that Teleprompter deliversflowery speeches and flexes his rhetorical muscles. It's a talent that won himthe presidency, but unfortunately it hasn't won the future for the Americanpeople. And that's because the President's underlying philosophy is terriblyflawed. After four years of a massive expansion of government, the enactment ofObamacare, hundreds of billions of dollars in failed stimulus spending,government ownership of General Motors, a Big Labor/pro-unionization onslaught,threats of even higher taxation, the promulgation of more unnecessaryregulations, and a total failure to confront the entitlement challenge, theverdict is in on Obama's record and the soundness of his socialist philosophy.Deficits are soaring, the economy is stagnant, 14 million Americans are out ofwork, and job growth is flat.
  Brownfield muses that instead of confronting the reality of America under hiswatch, Teleprompter hearkens back to the days of Bull Moose progressive TheodoreRoosevelt, citing him as his model of good governance, quoting his 1910 "NewNationalism" speech and calling for fairness in America '' along with moreinfrastructure spending, more federal education programs, more regulations, andhigher taxation on job creators to redistribute wealth and pay for his biggovernment programs. And in order to raise the temperature of his rhetoric '' andinflame the passions of his audience '' Obama falls back to his class warfareways, demonizing the haves in order to win over the have-nots while painting apicture of an America where unfairness reigns and opportunity cannot be found.
  Teleprompter's reliance on class warfare and his perverted view of fairness isso contrary to what America is really about. There are no class distinctions inAmerica. That's why Steve Jobs could start as an adopted child in a broken home,start Apple in a garage, and become a billionaire eight times over. The realdistinction here is caused by the rise of a new governing class of experts,bureaucrats and political elites who insist on ruling us to enforcepseudofairness rather than letting us govern ourselves under the rule of law.
  Indeed, the new pseudofairness inevitably leads to bureaucratic favoritism,inequalities based on special interests and undue political influence. The realclass warfare is caused by a class of governing elites, exploiting the politicsof division to pick winners and losers in our economy and determine ourdestinies for us.
  Ironically, Teleprompter's conception of America '' that it is a land of noopportunity '' stands in stark contrast to his own personal story. Telepromptercame from meager beginnings and now sits in the Oval Office. There are countlessstories of other Americans who have risen and found success on their own meritin this fertile land. But speaking to America's rugged individualism and thenotion of achieving success without the helping hand of the government would notserve Obama's socialistic agenda. In his world, the government is the giver ofall things, the defender of the middle class, and the architect of prosperity.Likewise, success is not something to be championed but to be demagogued in thename of the expansion of the state.
  Over the last four years, we have seen Teleprompter articulate many ideas andcloak himself in many different philosophies. Of late, he has even calledhimself a tax-cutter and posed as a deficit hawk, all while calling for massiveamounts of new spending. But now he has emerged in his truest incarnation '' ahard-line socialist to the core. The Obama 2012 campaign has come to therealization that it will lose white blue-collar voters by large margins and isconcentrating instead on cobbling together a coalition of culture elites andracial minorities. The abandonment of the middle class '' or, rather, the factthat the middle class has abandoned him '' puts in context this latestincarnation of Teleprompter as he runs for re-election.
  Brownfield asserts this is not the way to lead America to prosperity, to standthe economy on its feet, or to put the millions of unemployed Americans back towork. Rather than make government bigger and more intrusive, now is the time tomake it smaller and more responsible so that entrepreneurs can achieve whatWashington cannot manufacture: new jobs, new ideas, and a better America forfuture generations. But that America is quite different from the oneTeleprompter envisions.
Dome of our nation's capitol Is threatened by cracks and crackpots!
  Link to Article
  Source: Dvorak News Blog
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:38
  To the myriad indignities suffered by Congress, including stagnant legislation, partisan warfare and popularity on a par with petty criminals, add this: the Capitol's roof is leaking, and there is no money to fix it'...
  The dome has 1,300 known cracks and breaks. Water that has seeped in over the years has caused rusting on the ornamentation and staining on the interior of the Rotunda, just feet below the fresco ''The Apotheosis of Washington,'' which is painted on the Rotunda's canopy.
  Like most of what the federal government is on the hook to fix '-- highways, bridges and airports '-- the dome is imperiled both by tough economic times and by a politically polarized Congress. While Senate appropriators have voted to repair the dome, which has not undergone major renovations for 50 years, their House counterparts say there is not money right now. In that way, the dome is a metaphor for the nation's decaying infrastructure.
  ''The dome needs comprehensive rehabilitation,'' said Stephen T. Ayers, the architect of the Capitol, whose office oversees the building's physical state. ''It's a public safety issue.''
  The skirt of the dome '-- the section around the base of the original sandstone foundation '-- was fixed up recently at a cost of about $20 million, but an additional $61 million is needed to repair and restore the rest of the structure's exterior'...
  ''This is not a 'bridge to nowhere' we're talking about here,'' said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the leader of the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees the architect's office. ''This is basic upkeep to the United States Capitol building. There is a time and place to debate spending levels and the proper role of the federal government, but when your house has a leaky roof, you pay to fix the roof.''
  It's easiest for everyone to malign Congress as a whole. But, everyone knows who is responsible for getting absolutely nothing accomplished since the 2010 elections. The pantywaist populists and Republican Party honchos who think they're being the best beancounters in the world by putting a halt to any task Congress may attempt '' rely on blaming everyone but the people who say ''NO'' to everything.
  Including fixing the roof.
Ayn And The Apologists
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT &gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:37
  I've been getting some pushback from earnest souls over my Paul Ryan/Ayn Rand column. Why can't we just talk about substance, they ask?
  So, two points in response.
  First, I've taken on Ryan over substance many times, at great length. I had him pegged as a fiscal phony long before it was considered acceptable to say it in polite company.
  But people '-- Very Serious People '-- didn't want to hear it. He can't be what you say, they insisted; after all, he comes across as such a nice, serious, reasonable guy.
  So what the VSPs were doing was relying on a character judgment to dismiss hard evidence about the reality of Ryan's proposals. That is, I've often argued, something you should never do '-- the truth is that we're not that good at the character-sniffing thing (remember how Bush was a bluff, honest guy?), and in any case policy proposals should be evaluated on the merits or lack thereof. But since this is the way people work, it becomes very relevant to point out that the serious, reasonable guy is in fact in thrall to the ideas of a very unserious, unreasonable novelist.
  By inclination, I much prefer to do the policy thing; numbers and economic analysis are my comfort zone. But it would be a dereliction of duty on my part to refuse to venture beyond that zone when circumstances demand it.
Copying Works: How Samsung's Decision to Mimic Apple Paid Off in Spades
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:30
  In the fall of 2008, just a year after it released the iPhone, Apple became the most profitable phone maker in the world. The milestone wasn't much remarked upon by the press. At the time, Apple was still selling only a tiny number of phones compared to its rivals, and it wasn't clear that it could ever become a global juggernaut in the phone business.
  Still, because rivals couldn't match Apple's average sales price and profit margins, they were falling behind. In the fourth quarter of 2008, Nokia, which had long been the phone industry's profit leader, sold 113 million devices worldwide, about 15 million of them smartphones. It made about $1.2 billion in profit on all those phones. That same quarter, Apple sold just 4 million iPhones. But that single device earned Apple a profit of $1.3 billion.
  These numbers'--which Asymco's Horace Dediu has helpfully archived here'--provide the backstory to an industry in panic. If you were a phone maker watching the iPhone's sudden rise in 2008, you had to make a quick decision. A storm was blasting through your business and your survival depended on how you reacted.
  One option was to do nothing. A lot of firms opted for this path'--Nokia and RIM, for instance, seem to have decided that the iPhone was a blip, a cultish device that would never reach mass appeal, so why bother taking it on?
  Another option was to try to leapfrog Apple. You could spend many months, maybe even years, working on devices that aimed not just to match the iPhone's innovations, but to beat them. This was Palm's idea. Belatedly, it's what Microsoft began to do, too.
  Then there was a third choice. You could just copy Apple. You could borrow the iPhone's key ideas, make a half-hearted attempt to dress them up in your own brand, and bake them all into your product line-up.
  On Friday, a federal jury decided that Samsung was guilty of doing just that. But you don't need this decision, nor any of the damning internal documents uncovered during the patent case, to realize this. Just look at the devices Samsung released in response to the iPhone'--for instance, the 2010 Galaxy S, pictured above. If that's not copying, the term has no meaning.
  It's tempting, after such a sweeping verdict in Apple's favor, to conclude that Samsung's decision to mimic the iPhone was a terrible mistake. The firm will now be on the hook for at least $1 billion in damages, and the judge could triple that amount. Samsung will likely face sales injunctions on many of its products, and will be forced to quickly design around Apple's patents in its current and upcoming devices, if not to pay a steep licensing fee. Other companies that took inspiration from Apple'--including Motorola, HTC and, at the top of the chain, Google'--will also be stung by this decision.
  But if you study what's happened in the mobile industry since 2007, a different moral emerges. It goes like this: Copying works.
  Of the three paths open to tech companies in the wake of the iPhone'--ignore Apple, out-innovate Apple, or copy Apple'--Samsung's decision has fared best. Yes, Samsung's copying was amateurish and panicky, and now it will have to pay for its indiscretions. But the costs of patent infringement will fall far short of what Samsung gained by aping Apple. Over the last few years, thanks to its brilliant mimicry, Samsung became a global force in the smartphone business. This verdict will do little to roll back that success.
  The other two strategies, meanwhile, haven't panned out. Ignoring Apple ended in disaster for RIM and Nokia. Nobly attempting to beat Apple also didn't work. Palm spent so much money and time coming up with an answer to the iPhone that, by the time it released the Pre in the summer of 2009, it needed the thing to be a mega-blockbuster. When that didn't happen, it was curtains for Palm.
  Now Microsoft is facing a similar problem with its completely different and really amazing Windows Phone. Why is Redmond having a hard time getting folks to look at its wonderful OS? I suspect it's because while tech pundits like novelty, most consumers appreciate familiarity. When people around the world close their eyes and picture a ''smartphone,'' the iPhone is what springs to mind. The iPhone's interface and design have become embedded in the culture, as familiar, now, as the mouse pointer or the steering wheel. Departing from the iPhone's template, even for something better, isn't something many people want to do.
  Perhaps that's why, since 2007, only two handset makers have consistently booked strong, growing profits: Apple and its doppelganger Samsung. Apple's profits have, of course, been historic'--since the release of the iPhone, it has made at least $70 billion from that device alone. But Samsung's numbers aren't anything to scoff at. Over the same period, Samsung has collected about $25 billion in handset profits. If the patent trial ends up costing the company $3 billion of that, it would certainly be a hit. But it wouldn't be catastrophic compared to the money Samsung did make from copying.
  And copying Apple didn't just result in monster profits. It also helped Samsung earn a reputation, among consumers and tech reviewers, as a company that can make compelling devices. Yes, it was clear that many of Samsung's ideas weren't original. But customers don't care about originality'--if they did, Windows wouldn't have won the PC world, and we'd all be using Friendster instead of Facebook.
  While Samsung's ideas weren't novel, its phones did work well enough for many people, and unlike some of its other competitors, Samsung was able to offer the kinds of technical upgrades'--better screens; lighter, thinner devices; better batteries'--that customers demanded every year. It also got the basics of phone production and distribution. It produced the best alternatives to the iPhone at the lowest cost, and sold them in more markets, at better prices, than any other rivals. Now, this verdict notwithstanding, Samsung remains better positioned than any other company to make gains on Apple.
  Samsung's decision to copy Apple has also been inarguably good for consumers. If it weren't for Samsung and Google, Apple would have faced no meaningful competition in smartphones'--which would have been great for Apple shareholders but terrible for everyone else, including for Apple's customers. After all, if it weren't for fierce competition from Samsung, would Apple have decided, for instance, to make its year-old model available for $100 off every year? Would it have added the costly Retina display without increasing the price of its phone? If it didn't see competition from Android, would it have turned MobileMe into iCloud? We can't know for sure, but the fact that Samsung and other Android makers were moving so fast had to have factored into Steve Jobs' and Tim Cook's decisions.
  Now, to its credit, Samsung is moving away from straight mimicry. Its latest devices don't look like rip-offs, and the company seems genuinely interested in building legitimately innovative things. With the world's patent authorities watching, of course, Samsung has no choice but to do so'--and in the long run, innovation, rather than Xeroxing, will pay off for the firm.
  But you can't get to the long run without paying attention to the short run. Samsung's decision to ape Apple wasn't the most graceful strategy in tech history. But faced with an emergency'--a ''crisis of design'''--copying was the best Samsung could do. And it paid off handsomely.
Deadbook, the Long-term Facebook
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:28
  There are approximately 7 billion people in the world. The average life expectancy is somewhere around 67.5 years, a bit higher in the developed world, lower in other parts (with Angola a shocking low at 40 years!).
  So in the next 67.5 years 7 billion people will die. 67.5 years * 365 days is about 25,000 days. That's about 280,000 deaths per day average. Right now that number is lower at about 155,000, but as the population ages that will catch up with us.
  Facebook has appromiximately one billion users. Most of those are in the developed world so the average lifespan will be a bit higher, perhaps as high as 75 years. One billion users living 75 years long still works out to an average of 36500 people or thereabout dying every day.
  In the beginning, when facebook opened, obviously everybody that was a member was still alive, a place full of vibrancy and colour. But at the rate they were growing it probably didn't take very long before the first facebook member died. Given the fact that facebook initially was aimed at college students I figure that chances are that wasn't a peaceful death of old age. More likely an accident or some terrible disease.
  As time passes the frequency with which people on facebook are dying will go up. The reason for that is that the average age of 'facebookers' that joined in the past will creep up, one day at the time, and that older people are joining facebook as well in ever larger numbers.
  Sooner or later facebook will reach a stage of equilibrium, just like the world population, where the number of people dying will balance (and will possibly even exceed for a while) the number of people joining.
  And in the very long term there will actually be more dead people on facebook then there are people living on facebook. I'd estimate that crossover to be around 50 years into the future, possibly a bit later.
  That steady state will be a cross between a place to meet the living and one to remember those that came before, and in the very long term the living will only be a very small fraction of the people on facebook that are dead!
  I wonder at which point the atmosphere on facebook will change, from photo sharing website to digital graveyard, a place where we come to worship our ancestors.
  To combat some of these 'chilling effects' (to put it mildly) Facebook has a procedure they call memoralization, this will limit the access to facebook pages to 'confirmed friends'. Eventually those will pass away too and the moment when facebook's last friend-of-a-friend passes away would be the moment the profile has finally lost value for facebook.
  So presumably, that's the moment they'll finally remove your browsing history, and that silly photo of you passed out drunk after the party ;)
  But that's assuming that people actually report you to be dead. Another way to combat this is to set a practical limit to the age that facebookers can have, say 150 years. That way even if all your 'friends' forget to report that you kicked the bucket you will still be cleaned up by the digital grim reaper.
  life expectancy by country
  how many people die every day
  Facebook help page on deceased people
Keep in mind as you put together your Neil Armstrong packages tonight'... Charles Apple copydesk.org
  Link to Article
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:20
  OK, Neil Armstrong is dead. Clearly, that's a page-one story for most of you.
  Here's one thing I do not want to see on page one tomorrow: Arguably the most famous picture taken in the history of mankind.
  One reason I don't want to see it: That's not Neil. That's Buzz Aldrin.
  The second reason I don't want to see it: Because NASA manipulated that photo before it was released to the public, back in 1969.
  Evidently, Neil shoots pictures the same way my wife does: He cuts off people's heads. Here's the actual, unedited frame of that picture, which NASA calls AS11-40-5903:
  NASA retouchers added black sky to the top of the picture. That might not seem like a big deal to you '-- especially when you're on deadline tonight '-- but, believe me, it is. Many newspapers have ethical guidelines in place that specifically warn against using handout pictures that were manipulated by the source.
  In fact, now that you know this picture was manipulated by the source, I'd urge you to have it removed from your photo archives. Permanently.
  Read more about that picture and its history straight from NASA itself here.
  In fact, if you're hoping to use a picture of Armstrong on the moon tonight: Rots of Ruck to you. Armstrong and Aldrin only walked on the moon for about two-and-a-half hours that night in 1969. Most of the time, Armstrong carried the primary camera. Aldrin carried a camera but was assigned to shoot specific, technical things.
  The result: Lots of pictures of Aldrin. But hardly any of Neil.
  There's this one, in which Neil passed in front of Buzz as Buzz was shooting the solar wind experiment.
  Nice shot of Neil's ass, perhaps. But nothing you'd want on page one tonight.
  Here, Buzz was shooting the landscape immediately in front of the lunar lander. Neil happened to be retrieving equipment from the storage pods.
  That's Neil. On the moon. But hardly a picture you'd want to use.
  One of the more famous visuals that came back from Apollo 11 was a time-lapse video '-- one frame per second '-- of Neil and Buzz raising the flag on the surface of the moon. If you freeze the frames and zoom way, way in, you can see Neil. Here he is, raising the gold-coated sun visor of his helmet'...
  '...and here he is, a moment later. This is the only picture we know about in which you can see Neil Armstrong's face while he's on the moon.
  But again: The quality sucks.
  One idea: Use this picture of Neil shot immediately after his historic walk on the moon.
  The official NASA archives caption to that picture says:
  Buzz took this picture of Neil in the cabin after the completion of the EVA [the moon walk]. Neil has his helmet off but has not yet doffed his ''Snoopy'' cap. The circuit breaker panels are illuminated, and a small floodlight is on at the lower right. A circuit breaker chart has been fixed up on the wall with gray tape, below the rendezvous window in the cabin roof.
  Find the high-rez version of that picture here.
  Another idea: Use this picture of Armstrong taking during training at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston on April 22, 1969. You can clearly see Neil through his visor.
  That picture is a NASA shot '-- therefore, it's free to use '-- and available via the Apollo archive web page. Find the high-resolution version here.
  If you can get by with a black-and-white shot from July 11, 1969 '-- just five days before liftoff. this has long been one of my favorite pictures of Neil Armstrong, also practicing for his moonwalk. You can just about see him thinking: Damn'... That IS a long step.
  In 2003, Armstrong said via e-mail about this picture:
  I really don't have the foggiest idea of what I was doing. I don't think it had anything to do with simulation. If I were simulating a mission phase, I would have the helmet on and suit pressurized. On the other hand, if it was only five days before flight, I would not be wearing the suit unless it was for a purpose.
  Find the high-rez version of this picture here.
  '--UPDATE '' 6:10 p.m.
  I've already found a few people using the famous NASA picture of an Apollo 11 footprint on the moon.
  The pictures are from this sequence. Here are the unedited frames:
  If you use this, be advised: 1) The original is a black-and-white picture. So any color version you see has been manipulated. 2) The sun is at the right of this shot (look for the shadow along the leg). So the shadow should be in the bottom (heel) portion of the footprint. The most common version I see of this on the wires has the shadow at the top. Which is upside-down.
  And 3) That's not Neil Armstrong's foot. That's Buzz Aldrin's.
  For more information: Look for pictures AS11-40-5876 through AS11-40-5880 on the Apollo 11 image archive.
  '--UPDATE '' 7 p.m.
  Also: The whole ''Good luck, Mr. Gorsky'' thing? Never happened.
  '--
  Find NASA's extensive Apollo 11 photo archives here, here and here.
  This entry was posted5:24 p.m. Aug. 25and is filed under Photojournalism.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
NYT Carbon Tax Would Have Many Benefits
  Link to Article
  Source: bertb news feed
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 07:09
  DON'T expect to hear much about climate change at the Republican and Democratic conventions.
  Yes, there will be plenty of speeches about unemployment, budget deficits and other immediate problems. But the threats posed by global warming are decades away '-- or so we have been told repeatedly in recent years.
  Many climate scientists, however, are now pointing to evidence linking rising global temperatures to the extreme weather we're seeing around the planet. The United States has just endured its hottest 12-month period on record. The worst drought in a generation has parched the nation's crop belt. Floods that happened once a century now occur every few years.
  With distressing images of weather-related disasters saturating the news media, climate change no longer seems such a distant and abstract worry '-- except, perhaps, in Washington. In 2009, President Obama persuaded House Democrats, then in the majority, to pass a bill aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Facing a Republican filibuster in the Senate, however, the legislation died. And its prospects dimmed further when Republicans took control of the House in 2010. Mr. Obama has remained relatively silent on the issue since then.
  Mitt Romney, for his part, has been equivocal about whether rising temperatures are caused by human action. But he has been adamant that uncertainty about climate change rules out policy intervention. ''What I'm not willing to do,'' he told an audience in New Hampshire last summer, ''is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to.''
  Climatologists are the first to acknowledge that theirs is a highly uncertain science. The future might be better than they think. Then again, it might be much worse. Given that risk, policy makers must weigh the potential cost of action against the potential cost of inaction. And even a cursory look at the numbers makes a compelling case for action.
  According to the respected M.I.T. global climate simulation model, there is a 10 percent chance that average surface temperatures will rise by more than 12 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. Warming on that scale could end life as we know it. Smaller increases would be less catastrophic, but even the most optimistic projections imply enormous costs.
  The good news is that we could insulate ourselves from catastrophic risk at relatively modest cost by enacting a steep carbon tax. Early studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that a carbon tax of up to $80 per metric ton of emissions '-- a tax that might raise gasoline prices by 70 cents a gallon '-- would eventually result in climate stability. But because recent estimates about global warming have become more pessimistic, stabilization may require a much higher tax. How hard would it be to live with a tax of, say, $300 a ton?
  If such a tax were phased in, the prices of goods would rise gradually in proportion to the amount of carbon dioxide their production or use entailed. The price of gasoline, for example, would slowly rise by somewhat less than $3 a gallon. Motorists in many countries already pay that much more than Americans do, and they seem to have adapted by driving substantially more efficient vehicles.
  A carbon tax would also serve two other goals. First, it would help balance future budgets. Tens of millions of Americans are set to retire in the next decades, and, as a result, many budget experts agree that federal budgets simply can't be balanced with spending cuts alone. We'll also need substantial additional revenue, most of which could be generated by a carbon tax.
  If new taxes are unavoidable, why not adopt ones that not only help balance the budget but also help make the economy more efficient? By reducing harmful emissions, a carbon tax fits that description.
  A second benefit would occur if a carbon tax were approved today but phased in gradually, only after the economy had returned to full employment. High unemployment persists in part because businesses, sitting on mountains of cash, aren't investing it because their current capacity already lets them produce more than people want to buy. News that a carbon tax was coming would create a stampede to develop energy-saving technologies. Hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment might be unleashed without adding a cent to the budget deficit.
  SOME people argue that a carbon tax would do little good unless it were also adopted by China and other big polluters. It's a fair point. But access to the American market is a potent bargaining chip. The United States could seek approval to tax imported goods in proportion to their carbon dioxide emissions if exporting countries failed to enact carbon taxes at home.
  In short, global warming has a fairly simple and cheap technical solution. Extreme weather is already creating enormous human suffering. If it continues, politicians will have a hard time ignoring the problem when the 2016 conventions roll around. If the recent meteorological chaos drives home the threat of climate change and prompts action, it may ultimately be a blessing in disguise.
  Robert H. Frank is an economics professor at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
VIDEO: Chavez orders blast investigation
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 07:09
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_dress
  Link to Article
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:58
  Trade dress is a legal term of art that generally refers to characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging (or even the design of a building) that signify the source of the product to consumers.[1] Trade dress is a form of intellectual property.
  [edit]United StatesIn the U.S., like trademarks, a product's trade dress is legally protected by the Lanham Act, the federal statute which regulates trademarks and trade dress.[2] Trade dress protection is intended to protect consumers from packaging or appearance of products that are designed to imitate other products; to prevent a consumer from buying one product under the belief that it is another.[3] For example, the shape, color, and arrangement of the materials of a children's line of clothing can be protectable trade dress (though, the design of the garments themselves is not protected),[4] as can the design of a magazine cover,[5] the appearance and d(C)cor of a chain of Mexican-style restaurants,[6] and a method of displaying wine bottles in a wine shop.[7]
  [edit]Statutory sourceUnder section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, a product's trade dress can be protected without formal registration with the PTO.[8] In relevant part, section 43(a) states the following:
  "Any person who, on or in connection with any goods or services, or any container for goods, uses in commerce any word, term, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, or any false designation of origin, false or misleading description of fact, or false or misleading representation of fact, which(A) is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive [...] as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of his or her goods, services, or commercial activities by another person, or(B) in commercial advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geographic origin of his or her or another person's goods, services, or commercial activities,shall be liable in a civil action by any person who believes that he or she is likely to be damaged by such an act."[9]This statute allows the owner of a particular trade dress ("container for goods") to sue an infringer (a person or entity who illegally copies that trade dress) for violating section 43(a) without registering that trade dress with any formal agency or system (unlike the registration and application requirements for enforcing other forms of intellectual property, such as patents). It is commonly seen as providing ''federal common law'' protection for trade dress (and trademarks).[10]
  [edit]Formal registrationTrade dress may be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in either the Principal Register or the Supplemental Register.[11] Although registration is not required for legal protection, registration offers several advantages. In the Principal Register, a registrant gains nationwide constructive use and constructive notice, which prevent others from using or registering that registrant's trade dress (without contesting the registration).[12] Further, a registrant in the Principal Register gains incontestable status after five years, which eliminates many of the ways for another party to challenge the registration.[13] Registration under the Supplemental Register allows the registrant to protect its trade dress in foreign countries, although the protections are much more limited than protections under the Principal Register in the U.S.[14]
  [edit]Legal requirements[edit]FunctionalityTo gain registration in the Principal Register or common law protection under the Lanham Act, a trade dress must not be ''functional.'' That is, the configuration of shapes, designs, colors, or materials that make up the trade dress in question must not serve a utility or function outside of creating recognition in the consumer's mind.[15] For example, even though consumers associated a distinct spring design for wind resistant road signs with a particular company, the spring design was not protectable for trade dress purposes because the springs served the function of withstanding heavy wind conditions.[16]
  What is considered ''functional'' depends upon the specific product or thing sought to be protected.[17] For example, the color red in a line of clothing may not be functional (and thus part of protectable trade dress) whereas the same color on a stop sign would be functional because the color red serves the function of putting drivers on alert (and thus would not be part of a protectable trade dress).
  [edit]DistinctivenessTo gain registration in the Principal Register or common law protection under the Lanham Act, a trade dress must be ''distinctive.'' This means that consumers perceive a particular trade dress as identifying a source of a product.[18]
  Claimed trade dress in the product design -- as opposed to product packaging -- context can no longer be ''inherently distinctive''; it must acquire distinctiveness through ''secondary meaning.'' Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc., 529 U.S. 205, 120 S. Ct. 1339, 146 L. Ed. 182, 54 USPQ2d 1065 (2000). Distinctiveness through secondary meaning means that although a trade dress is not distinctive on its face, the use of the trade dress in the market (the ''good will'' of the trade dress) has created an association between that trade dress and a source in the mind of the consumer.
  Although the law is evolving, as it stands now, product packaging (including packaging in very general terms, such as a building's d(C)cor) may be inherently distinctive.[19] However, product design, that is the design or shape of the product itself, may not be inherently distinctive, and must acquire secondary meaning to be protected.[20]
  [edit]Protection for electronic interfaces and websitesAlthough the exact parameters of protection are still uncertain, courts are beginning to allow trade dress protection for the overall ''look and feel'' of a website. In Blue Nile, Inc. v. Ice.com, Inc., the plaintiff sued the defendant for copying the overall ''look and feel'' of plaintiff's retail jewelry websites, including the design of plaintiff's search pages.[21] Although the court ordered more factual development before it could rule definitively on the issue, the court did hold that it was possible for the look and feel of the websites to have trade dress protection if the plaintiff's copyright claims did not already cover those parts. In SG Services, Inc. v. God's Girls, Inc., the court denied trade dress protection for the plaintiff's website because the plaintiff did not demonstrate that the website was non-functional or distinctive.[22] This case shows the court's willingness to consider trade dress protection for a website, even though the court did not find protection in this case. It is notable, however, that the SG Services court did not look at the overall ''look and feel'' of the website, but rather, at specific characteristics (such as color) of the website that the plaintiff claimed were infringed.
  Although the future of trade dress protection for websites is still very unclear, much thought has been given to this area and it will likely continue to be actively developing area for courts and litigants.[23]
  In view of the recent developments in trading and commercial practices and to give effect to important judicial pronouncements, a need for simplification and harmonization of trademark management systems was felt. The new Trade Marks Act, 1999, which came into force in September 2003 is the result of this realization.
  The new legal definition of a trade mark under the Act consists of the shape of goods, packaging or combination of colors or any combination thereof. A package is now protected under the Act, which includes any case, box container, receptacle, vessel, casket, bottle, wrapper, label, band, ticket, reel, frame, capsule, cap, lid, stopper, and cork. Thus, the new definition of trademark in India broadly encompasses almost all the elements of trade dress under the US law.
  Under the Indian trademark law, any distinctive and identifying mark, which is capable of distinguishing the goods and services of one owner from that of another, may be utilized as Trademark and such marks are afforded protection under the law. The Trade Marks Act, 1999 is a reproduction of the UK's Trade Marks Act 1994 as India follow the English Trade Mark laws from the beginning. Unlike the United States Lanham Act, 1946 the English Trade Marks Act, 1994 and the Indian Act, 1999 do not have provisions like section 43(a) (of Lanham Act) to protect un-registered trade dress or allow registration of trade dress which qualifies the tests of distinctiveness and source identifier.
  [edit]United KingdomMain article: Passing offTrade dress can be protected as getup under the law of passing off in the UK. Passing off is a common law remedy for protecting an unregistered trademark. Getup, packaging, business strategy, marketing techniques, advertisement themes etc. can also be protected under passing off.
  [edit]See also[edit]References^Merges, Robert P.; Menell, Peter S.; Lemley, Mark A. (2007). Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age (4th rev. ed.). New York: Wolters Kluwer. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7355-6989-8. ^The Lanham Act, http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/ch22.html^Merges at 29^Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Bros., Inc., 529 U.S. 205 (2000), http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-150.ZS.html^Reader's Digest Ass'n v. Conservative Digest, 821 F.2d 800 (D.C. Cir. 1987), http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/821/821.F2d.800.86-7004.86-5495.html^Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, 505 U.S. 763 (1992), http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-971.ZS.html^Best Cellars Inc. v. Grape Finds at Dupont, Inc., 90 F. Supp. 2d 431 (S.D.N.Y. 2000), http://pub.bna.com/ptcj/9912254.htm^Merges at 650, Lanham Act 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)^15 U.S.C. § 1125^Merges at 650^PTO website, http://www.uspto.gov/^Lanham Act § 7(c), 15 U.S.C. § 1057(c)^Lanham Act § 15, 15 U.S.C. § 1057(c)^Menell at 696^Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc., 514 U.S. 159 (1995), http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/93-1577.ZS.html^TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., 532 U.S. 23 (2001)^Karen Feisthamel, Amy Kelly and Johanna Sistek, "Trade Dress: Best Practices for the Registration of Product Configuration Trade Dress with the USPTO," 95 The Trademark Reporter 6, Nov.-Dec. 2005, http://home.comcast.net/~jlw28129/TradeDress101.pdf^See generally Two Pesos^See generally Two Pesos^See generally Wal-Mart Stores^Blue Nile, Inc. v. Ice.com, Inc., 478 F. Supp. 2d 1240 (W.D. Wash., 2007), http://www.internetlibrary.com/pdf/blue%20nile.pdf^SG Serv., Inc. v. God's Girls, Inc., non-reported case, 2007 WL 2315437 (C.D. Cal. 2007), http://www.websupp.org/data/DOR/3:05-cv-01526-28-DOR.pdf^Nguyen, Xuan-Thao N. (2001). "Should it be a Free for All? The Challenge of Extending Trade Dress Protection to the Look and Feel of Web Sites in the Evolving Internet". American University Law Review49 (6): 1233''1277. http://www.wcl.american.edu/journal/lawrev/49/vol49-6_nguyen.pdf?rd=1.
United States Patent: 8245924
  Link to Article
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:51
  Improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates to be downloaded. In the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and other metadata.
  Beyer Law Group LLPParent Case TextCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
  This application is a continuation of and claims priority to and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/477,820, filed Jun. 3, 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,020,762, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/166,331, filed Jun. 25, 2005, which in turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/683,056, filed May 21, 2005, and entitled "TECHNIQUES AND SYSTEMS FOR SUPPORTING PODCASTING," each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
  This application is related to: (i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/166,333, filed Jun. 25, 2005, and entitled "UTILIZATION OF PODCASTS ON PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICES" [Att. Dkt. No. APL1P405], which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and (ii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/166,332, filed Jun. 25, 2005, and entitled "ACQUISITION, MANAGEMENT AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF PODCASTS" [Att. Dkt. No.: APL1P427], which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
  ClaimsWhat is claimed is:
  1. A portable media player, comprising: a communication port adapted for communication with an external device other than the portable media player; and a processor coupledwith the communication port and adapted to update a podcast having episodes by accessing episode information for the podcast and then updating the podcast with a new episode if it is determined that there is a new episode of the podcast.
  2. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising: a storage device that stores the podcast having episodes.
  3. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine whether the podcast is active.
  4. The portable media player of claim 3, wherein said determining whether the podcast is active includes determining whether a user of the portable media player is interested in the podcast.
  5. The portable media player of claim 3, wherein said determining whether the podcast is active includes determining whether an episode download count is greater than a threshold amount.
  6. The portable media player of claim 3, wherein said determining whether the podcast is active includes determining whether a threshold number of days have elapsed since a date of an initial episode download.
  7. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the communication port is adapted for bi-directional communication with the external device.
  8. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein said episode information is included in a portable subscription file that is stored at the client device.
  9. A computer program product executable by a processor for updating a podcast stored on a client device, comprising: computer code for accessing at the client device episode information for the podcast; and computer code for updating thepodcast at the client device with a new episode if it is determined from the episode information that the new episode of the podcast exists.
  10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising: computer code for determining whether the podcast is active.
  11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer code for determining whether the podcast is active includes computer code for determining whether a user is interested in the podcast.
  12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer code for determining whether the podcast is active includes computer code for determining whether an episode download count is greater than a threshold amount.
  13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer code for determining whether the podcast is active includes computer code for determining whether a threshold number of days have elapsed since a date of an initial episodedownload.
  14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said episode information is included in a portable subscription file that is stored at the client device.
  15. A method of automatically updating a podcast, comprising: accessing at a client device episode information for the podcast; and updating the podcast at the client device with a new episode if it is determined from the episode informationthat the new episode of the podcast exists.
  16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: determining whether the podcast is active.
  17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of determining whether the podcast is active includes determining whether a user is interested in the podcast.
  18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of determining whether the podcast is active includes determining whether an episode download count is greater than a threshold amount.
  19. The method of claim 15, wherein said episode information is included in a portable subscription file that is stored at the client device.
  20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: passing subscription information through a data network from the client device to at least one other client device without interaction with a host device, thereby allowing the oneother client device to subscribe to the podcast.
  DescriptionBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  1. Field of the Invention
  The present invention relates to podcasts and, more particularly, to acquiring and playing podcasts on a portable media device.
  2. Description of the Related Art
  A media player stores media assets, such as audio tracks, that can be played or displayed on the media player. One example of a portable media player is the iPod.RTM. media player, which is available from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino,Calif. Often, a media player acquires its media assets from a host computer that serves to enable a user to manage media assets. In managing media assets, a user can create playlists for audio tracks. These playlists can be created at the hostcomputer. Media assets within the playlists can then be copied to the media player. As an example, the host computer can execute a media management application to create and manage media assets. One example of a media management application isiTunes.RTM. produced by Apple Computer, Inc.
  Podcasts are typically used to share content from websites. Podcasts are associated with Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds which use a lightweight XML format. A podcast can be organized into episodes much like a radio or televisionprogram. An interested person can subscribe to receive podcast episodes that are subsequently published. This is achieved by the interested person using their computer to access a podcast website that hosts the RSS feed. The interested person can thensubscribe the RSS feed such that their computer occasionally re-visits the podcast website to check for any new podcast episodes. Typically, if a new podcast episode is available, it is downloaded to the computer. Thereafter, the interested user canplay the podcast episode at their computer in the same manner as other audio files (e.g., MP3 files). A utility program can be used to download the audio files to a portable media player (e.g., MP3 player). One example of such a conventional utilityprogram is "iPodder" which is a small program that runs on one's computer to download audio files to one's portable media player.
  Unfortunately, podcasts are conventionally not easily managed on host computer. Podcasts often dynamically change as new episodes are released. Management of such dynamic media assets is complicated. Additionally, to the extent that the hostcomputer desires to support a portable media player, the host computer needs to manage the transfer of podcast data to the portable media player.
  Thus, there is a need for techniques to manage and use podcasts on computers.
  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  The invention pertains to improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts.
  According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates. When updates to the podcasts are available (e.g., new episodes), the updates can be downloaded to the clientapplication. However, in the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. Theportable subscription files are portable and transferable across networks, thereby providing a convenient way to facilitate subscription to podcasts. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and othermetadata. The segment links and time indications can be provided for each of the segments. A client application that present a podcast to a user can provide an improved graphical user interface through use of the segment elements and other metadata.
  The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, system, device, apparatus (including graphical user interface), or computer readable medium. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
  As a method for subscribing to a podcast, one embodiment of the invention includes at least the acts of: receiving a portable subscription file that is used to facilitate subscribing to the podcast; accessing the portable subscription file toobtain podcast information; and subscribing to the podcast using the podcast information.
  As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code for subscribing to a podcast, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: computer program code for receiving a user selection of a portable subscription file that isused to facilitate subscribing to the podcast; computer program code for launching a media management application in response to the user selection; computer program code for parsing the portable subscription file to obtain podcast information; andcomputer program code for subscribing to the podcast via the media management application using the podcast information.
  As a portable subscription file, one embodiment of the includes at least: an application identifier; and a network address for a podcast feed.
  As a method for acquiring podcast information at a client application, the podcast information being acquired from a podcast hosting server via a network, one embodiment of the invention includes at least the acts of: accessing a podcast feedfrom the podcast hosting server via the network to acquire episode information for the podcast; determining one or more new episodes based on the acquired episode information; determining whether the podcast is still active at the client application; andreceiving, at the client application, the one or more new episodes from the podcast hosting server over the network so long as it is determined that the podcast is still active at the client application.
  As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code for acquiring digital multimedia asset information at a client application, the digital multimedia asset information being acquired from a digital multimedia asset hostingserver via a network, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: computer program code for accessing a digital multimedia asset feed from the digital multimedia asset hosting server via the network to acquire episode information for the digitalmultimedia asset; computer program code for determining one or more new episodes based on the acquired episode information; computer program code for determining whether the client application or a user thereof has shown adequate interest in the digitalmultimedia asset; and computer program code for receiving, at the client application, the one or more new episodes from the digital multimedia asset hosting server over the network so long as it is determined that the client application or a user thereofhas shown adequate interest in the digital multimedia asset.
  As a podcast feed, one embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of segment elements, each of the segment elements including a segment link for a multimedia element and a time indication associated with the segment elements.
  Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
  BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  The invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a media system according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIGS. 2A and 2B are flow diagrams of a podcast submission process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIGS. 3A and 3B are flow diagrams of a podcast publication process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an authentication process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 5A is a screenshot of a network address submission page according to one exemplary embodiment.
  FIG. 5B is a screenshot of a podcast preview page according to one exemplary embodiment.
  FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a media store podcast interaction process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an integrated podcast acquisition process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8A is a flow diagram a podcast update process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8B is a screenshot of a podcast base page according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8C is a screenshot of a podcast page according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8D is a screenshot of the podcast page having a subscribe confirmation dialog according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8E is a screenshot of a podcast availability page according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8F is a screenshot of a podcast availability page according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 8G is a screenshot of a podcast availability page according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a podcast subscription file creation process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a podcast subscription file usage process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 11 is a podcast subscription system according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a podcast update process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a podcast activity process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a reset activity variables process according to one embodiment of the invention.
  DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  The invention pertains to improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts.
  According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates. When updates to the podcasts are available (e.g., new episodes), the updates can be downloaded to the clientapplication. However, in the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. Theportable subscription files are portable and transferable across networks, thereby providing a convenient way to facilitate subscription to podcasts. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and othermetadata. The segment links and time indications can be provided for each of the segments. A client application that present a podcast to a user can provide an improved graphical user interface through use of the segment elements and other metadata.
  Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1-14. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as theinvention extends beyond these limited embodiments.
  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a media system 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The media system 100 includes a media store server 102 that hosts an on-line media store. The media store server 102 can off-load commercetransactions and/or delivery of purchased digital media assets to other servers, if desired. As shown in FIG. 1, the media system 100 includes one or more client devices 104 for use by end users. The client devices 104 couple to a data network 106. Additionally, the media store server 102 also couples to the data network 106. In one implementation, the data network 106 can refer to one or more data networks, typically, high data-bandwidth networks, namely, wired networks, such as the Internet,Ethernet, gigabit Ethernet, and fiber optic, as well as wireless networks such as IEEE 802.11(a), (b) or (g) (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMax), and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB).
  A computer program 108 (client or client application), typically a media management application (MMA) or other media player application, runs on the client device 104. One example of a media management application is the iTunes.RTM. application, produced by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The client devices 104 are, in general, computing devices. As an example, the client devices 104 can be specific or general-purpose personal computers (or even portable media players). The client device 104 can couple to a portable media device 109 (portable media player). One example of a portable media player suitable for use with the invention is the iPod.RTM., also produced by Apple Computer, Inc. The computer program 108 can beused by a consumer for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to, browsing, searching, acquiring and/or purchasing media assets (including podcasts) from the on-line media store provided by the media store server 102, creating and sharingmedia asset groups (e.g., playlists), organizing media assets, presenting/playing media assets, transferring media assets between client devices 104, and synchronizing with portable media devices 109.
  The media system 100 can also includes one or more client devices 110 for use by media programmers. The client devices 110 also run a computer program 112, typically a media management application (MMA) or other media player application. Thecomputer program 112 can be the same as the computer program 108, though the computer program 112 might offer additional functionality for support of the media programmer. As an example, the media programmer that uses the computer program 112 mightprovide additional functionality for creating and publishing podcasts.
  The media system 100 also includes a digital asset manager 114. The digital asset manager 114 is coupled to a media assets database 116. The media assets database 116 stores media asset information including metadata relating to digital mediaassets available for purchase at the on-line media store. The metadata can pertain to individual media assets (digital media assets) or media asset groups (digital media asset groups). Media assets can include, but are not limited to, music, video,text, and/or graphics files. One particular type of media asset or media asset group is a podcast, which often includes audio, graphics and text (but could also include video). In the case of music, a media asset group can be a playlist for the music. One specific example of a type of digital media asset group is referred to as an iMix.TM., which is a published playlist currently available for browsing and/or purchase on Apple Computer's iTunes.RTM. Music Store. Another specific example of a type ofdigital media asset group is referred to as an iEssential.TM., which is a published playlist created by a media programmer and currently available for browsing and/or purchase on Apple Computer's iTunes.RTM. Music Store. Still another specific exampleof a type of digital media asset group is referred to as a Celebrity Playlist, which is a published playlist created by a celebrity and which could be made available for browsing and/or purchase on Apple Computer's iTunes.RTM. Music Store.
  The media store server 102 enables the user of a particular client device 104 to acquire media assets (e.g., podcasts). Subsequently, the client device 104 can download the media assets from the media store server 102, or some other server, viathe data network 106. As will be understood by those familiar with data networks, other network configurations are possible. Furthermore, while the media store server 102 and the digital asset manager 114 are shown as individual and separate devices,it will be understood by those familiar with the art that other configurations are possible. As one example, each device can be implemented such that it is distributed over multiple server computers. As another example, these various servers and/ormanagers can be implemented by a single physical server computer.
  FIGS. 2A and 2B are flow diagrams of a podcast submission process 200 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast submission process 200 is, for example, performed by a client (e.g., application program). One example of a clientis a media management application operating on a client device.
  The podcast submission process 200 begins with a podcast being created 202. The podcast can be created during the podcast submission process 200 or can have been previously created. In one implementation, the podcast submission process 200 isperformed by a single application, such as the media management application. In another implementation, the podcast creation can be done in one application and the podcast publication can be done in another application.
  After the podcast has been created 202, a decision 204 determines whether publication has been requested. When the decision 204 determines that a publication request has not been made, the podcast submission process 200 awaits such a request. On the other hand, once the decision 204 determines that a publication request has been made, a network address (e.g., podcast feed URL) to the podcast is received 206. In one implementation, the user of the client would enter the appropriate networkaddress into a text entry box of a graphical user interface being presented to the user by the client. The network address to the podcast is then sent 208 to a server. The server, for example, can be a media store or some other server. Thereafter, adecision 210 determines whether a podcast review page has been received. When the decision 210 determines that a podcast review page has not been received, the podcast submission process 200 awaits the receipt of the podcast review page. Alternatively,when the decision 210 determines that a podcast review page has been received, the podcast review page is displayed 212. Typically, the podcast review page includes at least basic podcast metadata pertaining to the podcast. Once the podcast review pageis displayed 212, the basic podcast data can be changed (i.e., edited). In addition, the podcast review page can include one or more data entry fields that facilitate data entry pertaining to additional (or supplemental) podcast metadata that can beprovided by the user.
  Next, a decision 214 determines whether the user of the client desires to edit (change) the basic podcast metadata or provide additional podcast metadata with respect to the podcast preview page. When the decision 214 determines that the userdoes desire to edit the podcast metadata, the podcast metadata can be altered 216. As an example, the user can edit the basic podcast metadata or can enter additional podcast metadata using the data entry fields. One example additional metadata is toprovide a category classification for the podcast. The additional podcast metadata can also be referred to as supplemental podcast metadata. Following the block 216, or directly following the decision 214 when altering is not been performed, a decision218 determines whether the user has submitted the podcast metadata. Here, the submission of the podcast metadata indicates the user's acceptance of the podcast metadata, whether basic or additional podcast metadata, following any data alterations. Suchpodcast metadata being submitted can be referred to as final podcast metadata. Hence, when the decision 218 determines that the podcast metadata is to be submitted, the final podcast metadata is submitted 220. Typically, the final podcast metadatawould be submitted 220 to a server, such as the media store server illustrated in FIG. 1.
  An exemplary RSS feed for a podcast is provided immediately below. Note as discussed in greater detail hereafter the RSS feed provides categories for the channel (i.e., show) as well as for each item (i.e., chapter). For each item, an audiofile (e.g., MP3 or AAC format) is identified by a URL.
  TABLE-US-00001 Exemplary RSS Feed <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!-- must include xmlns:itunes tag --> <rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/DTDs/Podcast-1.0.dtd" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>AllAbout Everything</title> <itunes:author>John Doe</itunes:author> <link>http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/index.html</link- > <description>All About Everything is a show about everything. Each week we dive intoevery subject known to man and talk about everything as much as we can.</description> <itunes:subtitle>All About Everything is a show about everything</itunes:subtitle> <itunes:summary>All About Everything is a show abouteverything. Each week we dive into every subject known to man and talk about everything as much as we can. Look for our Podcast in the iTunes Music Store</itunes:summary> <language>en-us</language> <copyright>Acme News Corp. 2005</copyright> <itunes:owner> <itunes:name>John Doe</itunes:name> <itunes:email>johndoe@mac.com</itunes:email> </itunes:owner> <image><url>http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverything.j- pg</url> <title>All About Everything</title> <link>http://www.-.com/podcasts/everything/index.html</link> </image> <!-- the max size for rssimage is 144x400 --> <!-- iTunes allows images larger than that --> <itunes:link rel="image" type="video/jpeg" href="http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverything.jpg"&gt- ;All About Everything</itunes:link><category>Technology</category> <!-- categories can be nested for category/subcategory --> <!-- there can be multiple itunes categories. the first set is the primary category/ subcategory --> <itunes:categorytext="Technology"> <itunes:category text="Gadgets"/> </itunes:category> <itunes:category text="Politics" /> <itunes:category text="Technology"> <itunes:category text="News"/> </itunes:category> <item><title>Shake Shake Shake Your Spices</title> <itunes:author>John Doe</itunes:author> <description>This week we talk about salt and pepper shakers, comparing and contrasting pour rates, construction materials, and overallaesthetics.</description> <itunes:subtitle>A short primer on table spices</itunes:subtitle> <itunes:summary>This week we talk about salt and pepper shakers, comparing and contrasting pour rates, construction materials, and overallaesthetics. Come and join the party!</itunes:summary> <enclosure url="http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEpisode3.- mp3" length="8727310" type="x-audio/mp3" /><guid>http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEp- isode3.mp3< /guid> <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2005 11:39:59 GMT</pubDate> <category>Technology</category> <itunes:category text="Technology"><itunes:category text="Gadgets"/> </itunes:category> <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit> <itunes:duration>7:04</itunes:duration> <itunes:keywords>salt pepper shaker exciting</itunes:keywords></item> <item> <title>Socket Wrench Shootout</title> <itunes:author>Jane Doe</itunes:author> <description>This week we talk about metric vs. old english socket wrenches. Which one is better? Do you really needboth?</description> <itunes:subtitle>Comparing socket wrenches is fun!</itunes:subtitle> <itunes:summary>This week we talk about metric vs. old english socket wrenches. Which one is better? Do you really need both? Get all ofyour answers here.</itunes:summary> <enclosure url="http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEpisode2.- mp3" length="5650889" type="x-audio/mp3" /> <guid>http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEp-isode2.mp3< /guid> <pubDate>Wed, 8 Jun 2005 11:20:59 GMT</pubDate> <category>Politics</category> <itunes:category text="Technology"> <itunes:category text="Gadgets"/> </itunes:category><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit> <itunes:duration>4:34</itunes:duration> <itunes:keywords>metric socket wrenches tool</itunes:keywords> </item> <item> <title>Red, Whine, and Blue</title><itunes:author>Various</itunes:author> <description>This week we talk about surviving in a Red state if you're a Blue person. Or vice versa.</description> <itunes:subtitle>Red + Blue != Purple</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>This week we talk about surviving in a Red state if you're a Blue person. Or vice versa. Or moving to Canada.</itunes:summary> <enclosure url="http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEpisode1.- mp3"length="4989537" type="x-audio/mp3" /> <guid>http://www.itunes.com/podcasts/everything/AllAboutEverythingEp- isode1.mp3</ guid> <pubDate>Wed, 1 Jun 2005 10:21:04 GMT</pubDate> <category>Politics</category><itunes:category text="Technology"> <itunes:category text="Gadgets"/> </itunes:category> <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit> <itunes:duration>3:59</itunes:duration> <itunes:keywords>politics red bluestate</itunes:keywords> </item> </channel> </rss>
  Since shows and episodes can be associated with categories, improved user interfaces can be provided such that podcasts can be sorted, searched or browsed based on category.
  FIGS. 3A and 3B are flow diagrams of a podcast publication process 300 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast publication process 300 is performed by a server and represents counterpart processing to that of the podcastsubmission process 200 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
  The podcast publication process 300 initially receives 302 a network address to a particular podcast that is to be published. For example, the network address can be provided by a user of the client and then sent to the server (e.g., blocks 206and 208 of FIG. 2A).
  After the network address to the particular podcast has been received 302, the server accesses 304 a podcast feed (e.g., RSS feed) to acquire podcast feed metadata. In other words, using the network address, the server connects to the podcastfeed for the particular podcast to acquire podcast feed metadata. Then, basic podcast metadata is obtained 306 from the podcast feed metadata. The obtaining of the basic podcast metadata can involve parsing of the podcast feed metadata according to oneimplementation. Typically, the podcast feed metadata would include tags or other markers (e.g., XML elements) to distinguish different fields of metadata being provided within the podcast feed metadata.
  Next, a podcast review page is created 308. In one implementation, the podcast review page includes the basic podcast metadata and requests additional podcast metadata. The podcast review page is then sent 310 to the client.
  A decision 312 then determines whether a final podcast metadata submission has been received. When the decision 312 determines that the final podcast metadata submission has not been received, the podcast publication process 300 awaits such asubmission. On the other hand, once the decision 312 determines that the final podcast metadata has been submitted, published podcast information is stored 314 at the server. The published podcast information includes at least the network address andthe final podcast metadata which are both associated with the particular podcast. At this point, the particular podcast has been published to the server. In addition, the published podcast information can be indexed 316 so as to facilitate searchand/or browse capabilities at the server, such as the media store server 102 of FIG. 1. Finally, the published podcast is rendered 318 available on the server (e.g., media store). Following the operation 318, the podcast publication process 300 iscomplete and ends.
  In another embodiment, a podcast publication process, such as the podcast publication process 300, can be modified to include an authentication process. The authentication process can be utilized to authenticate the person who is attempting topublish a podcast. The authentication can performed in a variety of different ways. In one implementation, the authentication can authenticate the person attempting to publish as being known to the server (e.g., account holder). In anotherimplementation, the authentication can authenticate the person with reference to the podcast host, creator, etc.
  Browsing or searching of media items available on a server (e.g., media store) can be performed much like searching for other types of media assets. For additional details on searching or browsing for media assets see U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/832,984, filed Apr. 26, 2004, and entitled "GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR BROWSING, SEARCHING AND PRESENTING MEDIA ITEMS" [Att. Dkt. No.: APL1P277X1], which is incorporated herein by reference. However, as to browsing, to facilitateefficient browsing of podcasts, a graphical user interface having a hierarchy of lists can be displayed for a user. In one implementation, a first list of selectable items will be a list of genres. The user will select the genre denoted "Podcasts". Once the selection is made a second list of selectable items will be displayed. The selectable items in the second list are denoted "Categories". The categories are different categories that podcasts can be assigned to. Then, in response to a categoryselection, a third list of selectable items will be displayed. The selectable items in the third list are denoted "Subcategories" and represent available subcategories of the selected category, to the extent utilized. After the various selections havebeen made those podcasts that match the selected category and selected subcategory (if used) are displayed in a media asset listing area.
  An application program window can be displayed by the client. The application program window can include a first sub-window and a second sub-window. The first sub-window includes a first region, a second region and a third region. The firstregion can display a list of available genre (genre list). After a user has selected one of the items within the genre list being displayed in the first region (namely, the podcast item), the second region can be populated with a list of podcastcategories that are associated with the selected genre from the genre list. The list of podcast categories is provided by the remote server to the application program that presents the application program window. After the user has selected one of theavailable categories of the second region, the third region can be populated with a list of subcategories that are associated with the selected category. The subcategories within the third region, if any, are those pertaining to the selected category. When the list of subcategories has a plurality of items, the user would select one of the items. Once the user has selected one if the subcategories (or categories if no subcategories), the second sub-window can be populated with a list of availablepodcasts that are associated with the category and subcategory (if any). The list of available podcasts can display descriptive information for each of the podcasts. For example, the list of available podcasts can be presented in a row and column(e.g., table) format with each row pertaining to a different podcast, and with the columns pertaining to podcast name, artist, description and price. Further, within the price column, each of the rows can include a "Subscribe" button that allows forease of subscripting to the particular podcast by the user.
  FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an authentication process 400 according to one embodiment of the invention. The authentication process 400 can, for example, be utilized in place of the block 310 illustrated in FIG. 3A. The authentication process400 initially determines 402 an e-mail address for an authorized user (e.g., authorized publisher). The authorized user, in one embodiment, pertains to an account holder on the server or client. In another embodiment, the authorized user can beobtained from the RSS feed (i.e., podcast data) associated with the podcast to be published. In either case, an e-mail address associated with an authorized user is determined 402. After the e-mail address has been determined 402, a publication messageis created 404 having a link to the podcast preview page. As an example, the publication message can explain to the recipient that they are presumably in the process of publishing one of their podcasts and to select the enclosed link to continue thepublishing process. In the event the publication of the podcast is not to be authorized, recipient can cancel the publication process.
  Thereafter, a decision 408 determines whether a request to continue the publication process has been received from the authorized user. When the decision 408 determines that a request to continue the publication process has not been received,the authentication process 400 awaits such a request. In one implementation, the request is a request to access a podcast preview page. The request can be made by the user by either selecting the link in the publication message or copying the link intoa data entry area provided at the client. When the decision 408 determines that a request to continue the publication process has been received, the podcast review page is sent 410 to the client. Thereafter, the processing proceeds to operation 312 andsubsequent operations of the podcast publication process 300 as previously discussed.
  FIG. 5A is a screenshot of a network address submission page 500 according to one exemplary embodiment. The network address submission page 500 enables a user to enter a network address, namely a feed URL, to an existing podcast that is to bepublished on a media store, which in this example is the iTunes.RTM. Music Store. The feed URL is entered into a textbox 502. In this example, the feed URL entered is: "http://www.mygarden.com/gardentalk_rss.xml".
  FIG. 5B is a screenshot of a podcast preview page 520 according to one exemplary embodiment. In this example, the title of the podcast being previewed is "Garden Talk". The podcast preview page 520 informs the user of how the podcast will bepresented at the media store. Here, the podcast metadata being previewed includes: artwork, name, author, short description, long description, category and language. In this example, much of the podcast metadata being previewed can be acquired from thepodcast feed itself. However, other metadata, such as category and language, that are not acquired from the podcast feed can be selected or otherwise entered by the user. Regardless, the user can be permitted to edit the podcast metadata beingpreviewed. Additionally, a selection can be made to enable the user (publisher) to indicate whether the podcast contains explicit content. Once the user is prepared to accept the podcast metadata being previewed, the user selects the "Publish" button.
  Once a podcast has been published, the podcast can become available on a media store (on-line media store). The media store can host or not host the podcast. If the media store stores all or most of the podcast content, then the podcast can beconsidered hosted by the media store. On the other hand, if the media store only maintains metadata for the podcast, then the media store does host the podcast. When the media server does not host the podcast, a third-party server can host the podcastand the media store accesses the podcast feed as appropriate to acquire any data it needs. A client would access the podcast feed from the hosting server to acquire podcast data it desires to store locally. Hence, in one case the media store holds thecontent of the podcast, and in another the media store does not hold the content of the podcast.
  The media store can be configured so that podcasts can be searched or browsed on the media store. The search or browsed functions can operate similar to searching for albums on an on-line music store. However, in the case of podcasts, thesearch or browse operations are with respect to podcasts that have been published to the media store. Typically, with music, browsing is achieved by a hierarchy of levels including artist, album and song. The corollary in the case of podcasts is ahierarchy of levels including podcast (or podcast category), show and episodes.
  A media store can also organize podcasts into different categories to facilitate their discovery by users interacting with the media store. Examples of categories include: Arts & Entertainment, Biography and Memoir, Business, Classics, Comedy,Drama & Poetry, Fiction, History, Kids & Young Adults, Languages, Mystery, and News.
  Still further, certain podcasts that have been published to the media store can be emphasized on a particular page of the media store. For example, certain podcasts can be emphasized over other using various criteria, such as randomly chosen,ratings, most active download, sponsorship, or the like. Similarly, "new shows" or "just added" shows that have been recently made available on the media store can be emphasized. FIG. 8B discussed below provides an example of a web page provided by amedia store wherein certain podcasts are emphasized.
  FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a media store podcast interaction process 600 according to one embodiment of the invention. The media store podcast interaction process 600 initially accesses 602 the media store. Then, at the media store, a usercan navigate 604 to a podcast of interest. The navigation can take various different forms. One example of navigation is a search process. Another example of navigation is a browse process. Still another example of navigation is a manual next entryof a network address (e.g., RSS feed URL). Regardless of how the navigation occurs, once the podcast of interest is identified, a podcast page for the podcast of interest is rendered 606. The podcast page can be rendered 606 on a display (displayscreen) associated with a client device, such as the client device 104 illustrated in FIG. 1. A podcast page can include information (e.g., metadata) pertaining to the podcast, including a description of the podcast, artwork and episodes information. The podcast page can also facilitate subscribing to the podcast or getting particular episodes. Still further, the podcast page could permit user ratings. The podcast page might also provide a link to facilitate a user reporting some sort of concern.
  After the podcast page is rendered 606, a user of the client device (client) can interact with the podcast page to make any of a number of different selections. These selection can initiate operations at the client device. Two particularoperations associated with podcasts are (1) subscribing to a podcast, and (2) downloading a particular episodes of a podcast.
  A decision 608 determines whether a subscribe selection has been made. When the decision 608 determines that a subscribe selection has been made, a subscribe process 610 is performed. A subscribe process 610 operates to subscribe the clientdevice (or client) with a host device for the podcast of interest. Alternatively, when the decision 608 determines that a subscribe selection has not been made, a decision 612 determines whether an episodes selection has been made. When the decision612 determines that an episode selection has been made, episode data pertaining to the episode selection is downloaded 614. Here, the episode data would be downloaded 614 to the client device. In one implementation, the episode data includes at leastan audio file and database content. The database content may be part of the audio file or a separate file or otherwise provided. On the other hand, when the decision 612 determines that an episodes selection has not been made, then a decision 616determines whether another selection has been made. When the decision 616 determines that another selection has been made, other processing 616 can be performed. Following the blocks 610, 614 and 618, as well as following the decision 616 when thereare no other selections, a decision 620 determines whether the media store podcast interaction process 600 should end. When the decision 620 determines that the media store podcast interaction process 600 should not end, the processing returns to repeatthe block 604 and subsequent blocks. Alternatively, when the decision 620 determines that the media store podcast interaction process 600 should end, then the media store podcast interaction process 600 is complete and ends.
  FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an integrated podcast acquisition process 700 according to one embodiment of the invention. The integrated podcast acquisition process 700 is performed by a client device, such as the client device 104 illustrated inFIG. 1. More specifically, the integrated podcast acquisition process 700 is performed by a media management application, such as the media management application 108 operating on the client device 104 illustrated in FIG. 1. More generally, the mediamanagement application can be referred to as a client or client application.
  The integrated podcast acquisition process 700 initially discovers 702 a podcast of interest. The podcast of interest can be discovered 702 through interaction with respect to a media store, such as discussed above with respect to FIG. 6. After the podcast of interest has been discovered 702, a user or client can subscribe 704 to the podcast. Once subscribed 704 to the podcast, the client can receive 706 at least data for a most recent episode of the podcast. Although the client couldreceive data for other episodes, given the large number of episodes that can be present, it may be more efficient and prudent to only initially receive the most recent episode. As discussed below, the user or client will be able to request to receiveother prior episodes if so desired.
  Next, a decision 708 determines whether synchronization should be performed between the client and a media device. The media device has typically previously been associated with the client. When the decision 708 determines that synchronizationwith the media device should be performed, the episode data (for the most recent episode) can be downloaded 710 to the media device. In one embodiment, the data received includes an audio file (e.g., MP3 file or MPEG4 file or AAC file) as well asmetadata pertaining thereto. At the client or client device, in one embodiment, the audio file can be stored in a file system and the metadata can be stored in a database. Following the block 710, or following the decision 708 when synchronization withthe media device is not be performed, the client can be configured 712 to update for new episodes. Here, the configuration for updating can be set-up for an individual podcast or for groups of podcasts, or for all podcasts. As an example, oneconfiguration parameter is how often to check for updates to the podcasts. Following the block 712, the integrated podcast acquisition process 700 is complete and ends.
  Interestingly, in one embodiment, a single client application (e.g., media management application) operating on a client device can carry out the operations in FIG. 7. More particularly, the client application can discover a podcast, subscribeto a podcast, receive podcast data (including metadata and content), manage podcasts, and transfer podcast data to (or remove from) a media device (e.g., a portable media device, such as a media player). Still further, in another embodiment, the clientapplication can also include a podcast creation or authoring capabilities. This high degree of integration enables improved operation as well as greater ease of user and greater user satisfaction.
  FIG. 8A is a flow diagram a podcast update process 800 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast update process 800 generally determines when and how any podcast is updated at a client so as to obtain any new episodes associatedwith the podcast.
  The podcast update process 800 begins with a decision 802 that determines whether a podcast update is to be performed. The podcast update can, for example, be determined based on the configuration 712 for update provided in FIG. 7. When thedecision 802 determines that a podcast update has not be performed, the podcast update process 800 is deferred. Once the decision 802 determines that a podcast update is to be performed, existing podcast subscriptions are identified 804. Here, it isassumed that the podcast update process 800 is commonly performed for a group or all of the podcasts residing on the client. Once the existing podcast subscriptions have been identified 804, a first podcast is selected 806. The podcast host for theselected podcast is accessed 808. The podcast host is typically a third-party server that provides the RSS podcast feed. However, the podcast host can also be the media store, if the media store is hosting the podcast.
  Next, data for any newer episodes of the podcast are received 810. The data for the newer episodes of the podcast can be received from the podcast host. For example, though examination of the RSS podcast feed, any newer existing episodes canbe identified and then downloaded. The client can maintain data indicating which episodes is already has received.
  Thereafter, a decision 812 determines whether there are more podcasts (i.e., identified podcasts) to be updated. When the decision 812 determines that there are more podcasts to be updated, the podcast update process 800 returns to repeat theblock 806 and subsequent blocks. When the decision 812 determines that there are no more podcast to the updated, a decision 814 determines whether synchronization with a media device should be performed. When the decision 814 determines thatsynchronization with a media device should be performed, episode data (new episode data) can be downloaded 816 to the media device. Following the block 816, or following the decision 814 when synchronization is not be performed, the podcast updateprocess 800 ends.
  FIGS. 8B, 8C and 8D are screenshots associated with presentation of podcasts on an on-line media store. In this example, the on-line media store is the iTunes.RTM. Music Store, which also provides capabilities to browse and search forpodcasts.
  FIG. 8B is a screenshot of a podcast base page 820 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. A source indicator 822 indicates that the podcast base page 820 is provided by the on-line media store. A selector 824 also indicatesthat "podcasts" is the type of media being presented. An emphasis area 826 contains artwork associated with three different podcasts by emphasized. The podcast base page 820 also includes a daily top download area 828 that identifies those top downloadpodcasts for the day. The podcast base page 820 also includes some grouping of podcasts, such groupings as New Shows 830, Just Added 832, and featured podcasts 836. These groupings can be displayed with a scroll window that can transition (e.g.,horizontally) in accordance with a transition effect. The podcast base page 820 further includes another emphasis area 834.
  Once a particular podcast is selected, a podcast page is presented. FIG. 8C is a screenshot of a podcast page 838 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The podcast page 838 includes a metadata region 840 and an episodelisting area 842. The metadata region 840 includes podcast artwork 844, podcast title 846, and other metadata information 848 (e.g., total episodes, category, language, and copyright information. A "Subscribe" button 850 is also displayed. Inaddition, the metadata region 840 also includes a description 852 for the podcast. The episode listing area 842 contains a list 854 of episodes of the podcast that are available. Each of the episodes in the list 854 includes a "Get Episode" button 856to obtain the corresponding episode. By selecting the "Subscribe" button 850, the user can cause the media management application to subscribe to the podcast. In this example, there is no cost to subscribe to the podcast. However, in otherembodiments, there can be a charge imposed to subscribe to a podcast. By selecting the "Get Episode" button 856, the user can cause the media management application to obtain the particular episode.
  FIG. 8D is a screenshot of the podcast page 838 having a subscribe confirmation dialog 858 that permits the user to confirm that they want to subscribe to the podcast.
  FIG. 8E is a screenshot of a podcast availability page 860 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The podcast availability page 860 includes an indicator 862 that indicates that podcasts are to be listed in a media asset list864. The podcasts are listed in the media asset list 864 can include sublistings of episodes. These podcasts listed in the media asset list 864 are resident on a client device. Typically, these podcasts were previously downloaded from the appropriatehosting server to the client device. Indicators 866 can be used to visually identify those of the podcasts being listed that are available from the on-line media store. For example, the indicators 866 can identify those podcasts that are hosted on theon-line media store. By selecting any of the episodes, the associated audio can be played for the user. A selector 868 indicates that the episode entitle "Additional Shopping" is being played for the user, with the associated artwork 869 of thepodcast, episode or chapter being displayed.
  FIG. 8F is a screenshot of a podcast availability page 870 according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention. The podcast availability page 870 includes a media asset list 871 similar to the media asset list 864 of FIG. 8E. In thisexample, the media asset list includes episodes 872 that are not able to be played because the episode data has not been downloaded to the client device. In this example, these episodes 872 are shown highlighted and with "Get" buttons 874. On selectionof a "Get" button 874, the corresponding episode 872 would be acquired from the appropriate hosting server.
  In general, when listing of podcasts provided by the media store or available locally via a client machine, the listing can be organized in a variety of different ways. One example of a listing organization is to sort the podcasts in accordancewith ratings. For additional information on use of ratings with respect to a media store, see (i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/114,914, filed Apr. 25, 2005, and entitled "PUBLISHING, BROWSING, RATING AND PURCHASING OF GROUPS OF MEDIA ITEMS";and (ii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/115,090, filed Apr. 25, 2005, and entitled "PUBLISHING, BROWSING AND PURCHASING OF GROUPS OF MEDIA ITEMS".
  FIG. 8G is a screenshot of a podcast availability page 876 according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention. The podcasts listed in the podcast availability page 876 are similar to those listed the podcast availability page 870illustrated in FIG. 8F. The podcast availability page 876 illustrates indicators 878 that visually identify those episodes of a podcast that in the process of being downloaded to the client device. Here, the episodes being downloaded are listed asexisting but not yet present on the client device. Once the download of these episodes begins, the indicators 878 are displayed. After the episodes are download, the indicators 878 as well as any highlighting are removed.
  As noted above, following initial subscription to a podcast, the podcast needs to be updated to acquire new episodes. To provide efficiency and intelligence in the manner of seeking such updates, the client (e.g., media management application)can use preference settings to bias or determine when updates are to be performed. These preference settings can be provided for all podcasts globally or on an individual podcast basis. For example, preference settings can indicate to check for newepisodes periodically (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly) or whenever the client is launched.
  Once the episodes of the podcasts have be stored at the client device, some or all of the episodes can be copied to a portable media player that can operatively connect to the client device. To provide efficiency and intelligence in the mannerof performing such copying (also known as synchronization), the client (e.g., media management application) can use preference settings to bias or determine when copying is to be performed (namely, automatically performed). These preference settings canbe provided for all podcasts globally or on an individual podcast basis. The preferences can vary with implementation. Some examples of preferences include: (1) remove episode after it has been listened to on client device, (2) remove episode after ithas been listened to on portable media device, (3) retain/download n most recent episodes, (4) retain/download up to n episodes, and (5) retain/download based on dates.
  In one exemplary embodiment, a synchronization preference screen can be available to a user. The synchronization preference screen enables a user to set certain synchronization preferences for copying updates to podcasts from a client device toa portable media device. In particular, as an example, a user can choose to: (1) automatically update all podcasts, (2) automatically update only selected podcasts, (3) manually manage podcasts (i.e., no automatic updating), and (4) delete podcasts fromthe portable media player after they have been played. Other criteria (not shown) that could be used includes download up to n episodes and/or download only those of the episodes not yet listened to. For example, if a particular episode was listened toat the client device, it is likely that the user may not want to download that episode to the portable media device.
  Note that by deleting those podcasts that have been listened to from the portable media player, the portable media player can maintain only those of the podcast episodes that the user has not yet listened to. Here, the removal of the episodesthat have been played is automatic. In one embodiment, an episode can be deemed played if substantially all of the podcast episode has been played. For example, an episode can been deemed as having been played if 95% of the episode has been played.
  Another aspect of the invention pertains to improved approaches to enable subscription to podcasts. In one embodiment, small, portable electronic files referred to as podcast subscription files can be used to facilitate easy subscription topodcasts. Indeed, in one implementation, by simply selecting or opening a podcast subscription file (e.g., double-clicking on it), subscription can be completely carried out in an automated manner.
  FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a podcast subscription file creation process 900 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast subscription file creation process 900 is, for example, performed by a client (client program), such as amedia management application. The podcast subscription file creation process 900 initially creates 902 a portable podcast subscription file. The portable podcast subscription file is an electronic file that contains information that facilitatessubscription to a podcast. After the portable podcast subscription file has been created 902, the portable podcast subscription file is made 904 available to others. The portable podcast subscription file can thereafter distributed, as desired, andthen used to facilitate subscribing to the podcast.
  In one embodiment, the portable podcast subscription file is an XML document (or other markup language type document) that includes podcast information that facilitates subscription to the podcast. As an example, the podcast information withinthe XML document includes at least a feed URL for the podcast feed. Additionally, the podcast information may include other descriptive information concerning the podcast, such as title and description. A representative example of a portable podcastsubscription file is as follows:
  TABLE-US-00002 <feed xmlns:it="http://www.itunes.com/ext/chapters/1.0> <link rel="feed" href="itpc://foo.com/podcasts/myfeed.xml" /> <title>My Podcast</title> <description>I talk about random things.</description> </feed>
  Note that the link named "feed" is associated with a URL (feed URL) that points to a podcast feed (e.g., "myfeed"). This portable podcast subscription file also includes a title ("My Podcast") and a description ("I talk about random things")for the associated podcast. The XML format is a markup language format using tags to distinguish the different data items within the document.
  FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a podcast subscription file usage process 1000 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast subscription file usage process 1000 is, for example, performed by a client, such as a media managementapplication, operating on a client device.
  The podcast subscription file usage process 1000 initially obtains 1002 a portable podcast subscription file (PPSF). The portable podcast subscription file can be obtained 1000 in advance of other processing performed by the podcastsubscription file usage process. That is, a decision 1004 determines whether a request to open the portable podcast subscription file has been made. For example, the request to open can signal an OpenURL event. When the decision 1004 determines that arequest to open a portable podcast subscription file has not been made, the podcast subscription file usage process 1000 simply awaits such a request.
  Once the decision 1004 determines that a request to open a portable podcast subscription file has been made, a decision 1006 determines whether a media management application (MMA) is running. Typically, the media management application wouldbe running on a client device. When the decision 1006 determines that the media management application is not currently running, then the media management application is launched 1008. Following the block 1008, or following the decision 1006 when themedia management application is determined to be running, the portable podcast subscription file is parsed 1010 to acquire at least a feed URL to the associated podcast. In one implementation, the request to open the portable podcast subscription filecan be a URL scheme ("itpc" or "pcast") that is recognized by the media management application as an XML document to be parsed and used to subscribe to a podcast.
  Next, the podcast subscription file usage process 1000 subscribes 1012 to the associated podcast. The subscription 1012 to the associated podcast can be automatically performed without any feedback or input from a user of the media managementapplication. However, if desired, additional processing can be performed to display descriptive information concerning the podcast and/or to query the user as to whether they want to subscribe. In other words, the user can confirm that they desire tosubscribe to the associated podcast and/or the user can receive additional information concerning the podcast (e.g., title, description, etc.) for which they are about to subscribe. Regardless, following the block 1012, the podcast subscription fileusage process 1000 ends.
  FIG. 11 is a podcast subscription system 1100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast subscription system 1100 includes a client device A 1102, a client device B 1104, and a podcast host server 1106, each of which operativelyconnects to a data network 1008. The client device B 1102 includes a media management application (MMA) 1110, and the client device B 1104 includes a media management application (MMA) 1112. The client device A 1102 creates or otherwise acquires aportable podcast subscription file 1114. The portable podcast subscription file 1114 can be transferred to one or more other client devices. In this example, the portable podcast subscription file 1114 can be assumed to be created by the mediamanagement application 1110.
  Once the media management application 1110 has the portable podcast subscription file, the media management application 1110 can transfer the portable podcast subscription file 1114 through the data network 1108. In this example, it is assumedthat the portable podcast subscription file 1114 is transferred through the data network 1108 to that media management application 1112 of the client device B. 1104. Hence, as shown in FIG. 11, the portable podcast subscription file 1114 is shown in adashed box within the client device B. 1104.
  Thereafter, the media management application 1112 of the client device B 1104 can utilize the portable podcast subscription file 1114 to subscribe to an associated podcast. More particularly, if a user of the client device B 1104 were to "open"the portable podcast subscription file 1114, such as by a double-click action, the media management application 1112 would process the "open" request as a request to subscribe the media management application 1112 to the podcast. In this example, thepodcast resides on the podcast host server 1106. In particular, the portable podcast subscription file 1114 would be parsed by the media management application 1112 to obtain a feed URL to a podcast feed 1116 for the podcast which reside on the podcasthost server 1106. The media management application 1112 can then access the podcast feed 1116 to acquire and then store certain podcast information at the client device B 1104.
  It should be understood that, in general, a portable podcast subscription file (e.g., a portable podcast subscription file 1114) can be transferred to one or more other client devices in a variety of different ways. For example, the portablepodcast subscription file can be sent via an electronic-mail message to a user associated with a client device. The user can then open the portable podcast subscription file to activate the subscription to the podcast. In another example, the portablepodcast subscription file can be associated with a link on a web page. Then, when a user at the web site selects the link associated with a web page, the portable podcast subscription file can be downloaded to the client device associated with the userand then processed by the media management application to subscribe to the podcast. In still another example, the portable podcast subscription file can be transferred by a portable computer readable medium, such as a flash memory card on a floppy disk,or compact disc.
  Another aspect of the invention pertains to deactivating subscriptions to podcasts. More particularly, this aspect of the invention deactivates subscriptions that are deemed inactive. In one embodiment, the deactivation process can beautomatically performed. One advantage of deactivating subscriptions that are deemed inactive is that network bandwidth can be conserved. Another advantage of deactivating subscriptions that are deemed inactive can be that a host server hosting thepodcast is not burdened with download requests from client applications whose users having little or no interest in the podcast.
  FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a podcast update process 1200 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast update process 1200 is, for example, performed by a client, such as a media management application.
  The podcast update process 1200 begins with a decision 1202 that determines whether a podcast update is to be performed. When the decision 1202 determines that a podcast update is to not be performed, then the podcast update process 1200 waitsuntil a podcast update is to be performed. In other words, the podcast update process 1200 is effectively invoked when a podcast update is to be performed. A podcast update can be requested by a client or a user of the client. For example, the clientmight periodically automatically initiate a podcast update.
  On the other hand, when the decision 1202 determines that a podcast update is to be performed, then a podcast feed (e.g., RSS feed) for a particular podcast is accessed 1204 to acquire episode information for the podcast. Then, new episodes forthe podcast are determined 1206 based on the acquired episode information. In one implementation, the acquired episode information is an XML file that contains metadata describing characteristics of the particular podcast, including the various episodesof the podcast. The XML file can be parsed to obtain episode information (e.g., episode metadata). An examination of the episode information can serve to identify the new episodes of the podcast as compared to those episodes that are either older intime or already previously made available at the client.
  Next, a decision 1208 determines whether there are new episodes of the podcast to download. Here, the new episodes are available from the host server for the podcast and are thus available to be downloaded to the client. When the decision 1208determines that there are new episodes to be downloaded, the podcast update process 1200 determines 1210 whether the podcast is inactive. When the decision 1212 determines that the podcast is not inactive, then the new episodes are downloaded 1214 tothe client. After the new episodes have been downloaded 1214, the podcast update process 1200 is complete and ends with the client having received a podcast update. On the other hand, when the decision 1208 determines that there are no new episodes todownload, or when the decision 1212 determines that the podcast is inactive, then the podcast update process 1200 is complete and ends without having downloaded any new episodes.
  FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a podcast activity process 1300 according to one embodiment of the invention. The podcast activity process 1300 is generally utilized to determine whether a podcast is either active or inactive. As an example, thepodcast activity process 1300 can be utilized as the processing performed by the determination 1210 illustrated in FIG. 12, according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, at least a pair of variables is maintained for each podcast(that has been subscribed to) to facilitate the determination of whether the podcast is active or inactive. In this exemplary embodiment, the variables are an episode download count and a date of initial episode download.
  The podcast activity process 1300 begins with a decision 1302 that determines whether an episode download count is greater than an integer N. When the decision 1302 determines that the episode download count is greater then N, a decision 1304determines whether more than M days have passed since the date of initial episode download, where M is an integer. For example, the integers M and N can equal five (5). When the decision 1304 determines that more than M days have passed since the dateof the initial episode download, a decision 1306 determines whether the client has been active since the date of initial episode download. When the decision 1306 determines that the client has been active since the date of initial episode download, thepodcast is rendered 1308 inactive. Here, in this embodiment, the podcast is rendered 1308 inactive because the podcast activity process 1300 has programmatically determined that there has been insufficient activity with respect to the podcast. Consequently, it is presumed that the user of the client has little or no interest in the podcast. As a result, the download 1214 of new episodes by the podcast update process 1200 of FIG. 12 is bypassed, thereby conserving network and server resources.
  On the other hand, when the decision 1302 determines that the episode download count is not greater than N, or when the decision 1304 determines that there are not more than M days since the date of the initial episode download, or when thedecision 1306 determines that the client has not been active since the data initial episode download, then the podcast is rendered 1310 active. Following the blocks 1308 and 1310, the podcast activity process 1300 is complete and ends.
  FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a reset activity variables process 1400 according to one embodiment of the invention. The reset activity variables process 1400 is, for example, performed by the client operating on a client device. The clientoperates to reset activity variables at appropriate times during its operation so as to impact the podcast activity process 1300 described above with respect FIG. 13. In other words, at certain times, the activity variables utilized by the podcastactivity process 1300 can be reset to affect the operation of the podcast activity process 1300. For example, the activity variables being reset can include an episode download count or a date of initial episode download. Note that these resetvariables can directly affect the decisions 1302, 1304 and 1306 of the podcast activity process 1300,
  The reset activity variables process 1400 begins with a decision 1402 that determines whether a reset condition has been established. The reset condition can be established in a variety of different ways. The reset condition can be initiatedautomatically or by a user. In any case, when the decision 1402 determines that a reset condition does not exist, then the recent activity variables processed 1400 awaits such a condition. In other words, the reset activity variables processed 1400begins when an appropriate reset condition has been reached. Once the decision 1402 determines that the appropriate reset condition has been reached, the episode download count is reset 1404. Here, the episode download count can be reset 1404 to zero. In addition, the date of initial episode download is reset 1406. Here, the date of the initial episode can be reset 1404 to the current date. Following the block 1406, the reset activity variables process 1400 is complete and ends.
  Although the reset condition can be established in a variety of ways, when programmatically or user initiated, events occurring on the client can cause the reset condition. In general, the reset condition is programmatically triggered when theclient understands the client, or the user of the client, to have expressed interest in the podcast. Examples of events that express an interest in the podcast are: (1) user plays an episode of the podcast, (2) client (or portable media player)completes playing of an episode of the podcast, and (3) user downloads an episode of the podcast.
  Another aspect of the invention pertains to chapter enhancements to podcasts. The chapter enhancements can provide an improved user interface for use with podcasts. The chapter enhancements are enabled by podcasts containing chapterinformation. For example, the chapter information can be displayed in various ways to enhance the playback experience.
  The chapter information can include, but is not limited to: title, picture, url, description (e.g., in rich text, including embedded links), movies (audio & video), artist, album, and podcast subscriptions. All chapter information isoptional--e.g., some chapters may have titles and pictures and other chapters may only have a title.
  Podcasts can carry chapter information either embedded in the file (e.g., XML file) or carried in the podcast feed.
  To embed chapter information into a file, a m4a file format can be extended to support the additional chapter information. The track information is formatted according to ISO file formats. A track, marked as a chapter track, can contain thechapter information. The tracks can be name tracks, url tracks, picture tracks, description tracks, or other metadata tracks. At the start of any of the chapters, the chapter information included within the user interface can be changed so as tocorrespond with the chapter.
  To provide chapter information in the podcast feed, the podcasts, namely the RSS feeds for podcasts, can be enhanced to include chapter related information. This chapter related information can be specified by newly specified XML elements. (e.g., chapter tags). A client application, e.g., media management application, that understands these XML elements can retrieve the chapter related information from RSS feeds and thus provide an enhanced user interface at a client device (or a portablemedia device associated with the client device). The chapter related information can be text, audio, images and/or video. In the event that the client application does not understand the newly specified chapter elements, the RSS feed is still otherwiseuseable, though without the user interface enhancements.
  In one embodiment, the newly specified XML elements are: (i) a segment element which acts as a container element signaling a segment (i.e., chapter); and (ii) a link element--one or more of these defining multimedia elements (pictures, auxiliaryaudio, auxiliary video) associated with the segment. Each segment can have a start time, title, and URL to a multimedia element. For example, at the start time, the title and multimedia element are displayed. Each segment can also contain othermetadata for the segments of the podcast (e.g., author, track, related URL link).
  An exemplary RSS feed with three (3) chapters is:
  TABLE-US-00003 <segment xmlns:it="http://www.itunes.com/ext/chapters/1.0> <it:starttime>0</it:starttime> <it:title>Introduction</it:title> <it:link rel="enclosure" type="video/JPEG"href="http://foo.com/chapter1picture.jpg" /> <it:link rel="related" href="http://foo.com/infoAboutChapter1.html" /> </segment> <segment xmlns="http://www.itunes.com/ext/podcasts/1.0> <it:starttime>0:30</it:starttime><it:title>Music segment one</it:title> <it:link rel="enclosure" type="video/JPEG" href="http://foo.com/chapter2picture.jpg" /> <it:link rel="related" href="http://foo.com/infoAboutChapter2.html" /> <it:author>Some GreatBand</it:author> <it:track>My Great Hit</it:track> </segment> <segment xmlns="http://www.itunes.com/ext/podcasts/1.0> <it:starttime>0:30</it:starttime> <it:title>Music segment one</it:title><it:link rel="enclosure" type="video/JPEG" href= "http://foo.com/chapter2picture.jpg" /> <it:link rel="related" href="http://foo.com/infoAboutChapter2.html" /> <it:link rel="feed" href="itpc://foo.com/podcasts/myfeed.xml" /><it:author>Some Great Band</it:author> <it:track>My Great Hit</it:track> </segment>
  The user interface enhancements (for a client application or portable media device) facilitated by the existence of chapter information can include any of the following example. As one example, a chapter picture can be shown as related to thechapter of the podcast. As the podcast is played, the chapter picture automatically changes to correspond to the current chapter. The chapter picture may also change as the user jumps (e.g., scrubs) from chapter to chapter when navigating through thechapters. An another example, when a user selects a popup menu to select a chapter, each menu item in the popup menu contains a chapter title and also a thumbnail of the chapter picture. As still another example, when a user selects (e.g., clicks on) achapter picture, the client application links (hyperlinks) to a chapter URL. In yet another example, the chapter information can vary as the chapter changes. Here, chapter artist, show, description and other information can be displayed in variousparts of the user interface such that it can changes as the chapter changes. In still yet another example, a subscription link can be utilized as chapter information. If the subscription link is selected, the client application will automaticallysubscribe to the podcast feed. In one embodiment, the subscription link can point to a portable subscription file.
  Although the media assets (or media items) of emphasis in several of the above embodiments were podcasts, which include audio items (e.g., audio files or audio tracks), the media assets are not limited to audio items. For example, the mediaassets can alternatively pertain to videos (e.g., movies) or images (e.g., photos). More generally, podcasts can also be referred to as digital multimedia assets.
  The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the invention can be used separately or in any combination.
  The invention is preferably implemented by software, but can also be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computerreadable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, optical data storagedevices, and carrier waves. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.
  The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the written description and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention. Further, since numerousmodifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the invention should not be limited to the exact construction and operation as illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to asfalling within the scope of the invention.
  * * * * *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=gHbYJfwFgOU
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  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:26
Big Think | About Us
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Conflicting accounts on death of Haqqani chief by US drone
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  Source: DEBKAFile
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 05:55
  Pakistani military and intelligence officials say a US drone killed Badruddin Haqqani, commander of the jihadi network behind some of the most high-profile attacks on NATO and the Kabul government in Afghanistan, during a series of drone attacks last week on North Waziristan. One official said he fled the compound after it was hit by a missile, but was killed when a second struck his car.
  Pakistani Taliban and tribal sources said they believed Badruddin was killed in the drone attack. Afghanistan's Taliban movement, allies of the Haqqani network, said Badruddin was alive.
[I Want You to Shut the F#ck Up]
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  Source: Programs Recently Aired - C-SPAN Video Library
  Sun, 26 Aug 2012 05:52
  Barnes and Noble Booksellers
  Comedian D.L. Hughley presents his thoughts on the political and social issues of the day and argues that America is in need of a "wake-up call." The author presents his thoughts on a range of topics, from education .. Read More
  Comedian D.L. Hughley presents his thoughts on the political and social issues of the day and argues that America is in need of a "wake-up call." The author presents his thoughts on a range of topics, from education and economics to President Obama, political parties, and former and current civil rights leaders. D.L. Hughley speaks at Barnes &Noble in Los Angeles.
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