Monthly Archives: October 2009

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Find Out the Image Type without Checking its Extension

My colleague called up with a query. His application accepted images to be uploaded to a central server. Later the application processed the images and separated them according to the Image Type. They determined the image type by checking the extension of the image uploaded –- a very common practice of detecting the image type.

The issue here was that some images which were actually gif’s were renamed as jpeg’s and then uploaded, which led to faulty image processing. The requirement was to determine the correct image type in the simplest possible way even if the extension was renamed. Here’s what I suggested:

C#

try
{
Image imgUp = Image.FromFile(Server.MapPath("~/images/abc.jpg"));
if (imgUp.RawFormat.Equals(ImageFormat.Jpeg))
Response.Write("JPEG");
else if (imgUp.RawFormat.Equals(ImageFormat.Gif))
Response.Write("GIF");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
}

VB.NET

Try
Dim
imgUp As Image = Image.FromFile(Server.MapPath("~/images/abc.jpg"))
If imgUp.RawFormat.Equals(ImageFormat.Jpeg) Then
Response.Write("JPEG")
ElseIf imgUp.RawFormat.Equals(ImageFormat.Gif) Then
Response.Write("GIF")
End If
Catch
ex As Exception
End Try

The Image.RawFormat property is extremely useful in this situation to get the file format of the image.

Note: Alternatively you can also use Magic Numbers

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Musician Making A Living With Forty Committed True Fans

A year and a half ago, we wrote about Kevin Kelly’s theory that to be a success as a content creator, you just need 1,000 “true fans.” These were the ultra-committed fans. The fans who would follow you to the end of the world and purchase whatever you came out with. And — more importantly — they’ll help bring more fans into the fold. The point isn’t that these are your only fans, but the most committed. At the time, I wasn’t sure if the 1,000 number was really accurate, but certainly agreed with the idea of more closely connecting with your biggest fans. My guess was that 1,000 wasn’t really enough. But, perhaps I was off in the wrong direction? Ariel Hyatt has been blogging about the concept of 1,000 True Fans and has an interview with musician Matthew Ebel, an up-and-coming musician who makes a living from his music, and breaks down the details — including pointing out that he makes 26.3% of his net income from just 40 hard-core fans.


Music Sales:

  • CD Sales – 4.1%
  • Digital Music Sales – 13.9%
  • Subscription Site – 36.9%
  • Live Shows – 18.1%
  • Cover Gig Fees/Cover – 9.8%
  • Original Gig Fees/Cover – 6.2%
  • Tips (Including UStream) – 2.1%
  • Works For Hire & Voiceovers – 8.2%
  • Affiliate Sales (typically for my own albums/tracks) – 1.1%
  • Licensing – 13.2%
  • Independent Film – 6.6%
  • Internet – 6.6%
  • Web Design – 4.6% (I include this because I’m doing a website for a friend… it’s something I choose to do, but it is part of my income this year.)

Now, first thing I’ll point out is that I’m still not sure the numbers fully add up. Matthew doesn’t give a total amount earned, but in a comment says:


Suffice it to say that I’m renting a house in Wellesley, MA with a couple of room mates… I’m not starving, I can still eat sushi from time to time, and my car (neither a Pinto nor a Bentley) is paid off.

So, he’s making a living wage, but not raking it in, which is to be expected (and is certainly a hell of a lot better than many musicians). Now, of course, the other number that stands out above is the “subscription site” with the single largest percentage of his revenue. That would be his MatthewEbel.net site, where he offers a $5/month subscription offering. It actually looks quite a lot like the music business model I suggested back in 2003, so it’s nice to see someone making it work directly. Basically, it’s people paying for access to Matthew (he even admits that in the description, saying it’s like a permanent “backstage pass”). While subscribers will get regular access to new music as soon as he creates it, the selling point is special invitations and access to the artist.

And, of course, Ebel seems to certainly recognize the CwF (connect with fans) part that has to go along with this RtB (reason to buy). In the interview, he discusses the importance of really connecting with those fans. First, he notes that one of the nice side effects of his “subscription” offering is that he promises fans two new songs and one live concert recording every month, and that keeps him top of mind:


Little did I realize that new releases every two weeks would be better than any good album reviews or press coverage. Giving my fans something new to talk about every two weeks meant exactly that: they talk about me every two weeks. They’re not buying an album, raving about it, and losing interest after a few months, they’re constantly spreading my name to their Twitter followers, coworkers, pets, etc. Regular delivery of quality material is damn near my one-step panacea for the whole industry.

And, of course, he uses social media to connect as much as possible:


Good music is barely enough to get fans to hand out 99¢ anymore; they have to be emotionally invested in the artist if that artist wants their loyalty. Don’t get me wrong, there can still be a “fourth wall” during a live concert or video, but real, meaningful connection with the fans is what keeps me in their heads after the show’s over (heck, even your “character” can interact with fans in-character). I chat with my fans via Twitter, Facebook, matthewebel.com and matthewebel.net, and as many other channels as possible. The more I interact with them between performances, the more I stay fresh in their minds and the more inspiration I draw from them.

Yet another musicians showing how CwF+RtB works. Now, I’m sure some will complain that this isn’t a “real” success because he’s not selling out stadiums or something (of course, those are the same people who would say that those selling out stadiums don’t count because they can afford to do crazy experiments). But given how many musicians we’re hearing about these days making exactly these types of things work to the point where they can make a living doing it, you have to begin to realize that something’s working.

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Firebowls, Copyright And Crowdfunding (Oh My)

A bunch of people have been sending in John T. Unger’s story, claiming that someone who copied his artwork is now suing him in federal court over copyrights. The general sentiment from the submitters, it seems, is to support Unger’s position. I avoided writing about this for a while, because the story is actually a lot more complex, and since I think Unger is going too far, I thought it might upset some folks. Plus, the story is pretty complex. Thankfully, the good folks over at Consumerist actually really did an excellent job laying out a pretty balanced look at the issues that doesn’t automatically side with Unger.

Here’s the summary of the situation:

  • Unger makes “firebowls” — decorative metal bowls that you light a fire in (I had no idea such things existed).
  • He copyrighted the design of his firebowls.
  • He then discovered that Rick Wittrig was making firebowls that look remarkably similar, but are a bit cheaper.
  • Unger got angry and sent a cease-and-desist
  • Wittrig filed a lawsuit to claim that Unger’s registered copyrights are not legitimate, as there shouldn’t be any copyright on utilitarian objects.
  • Unger writes up his side of the story (small artist being ripped off!) and asks people to fund his legal defense using popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter

As Consumerist notes, it’s easy to quickly side with Unger without understanding the full story, saying that he’s an artist who got “ripped off,” but that’s not at all clear. Yes, it does seem pretty likely that Wittrig copied Unger’s designs (they match quite closely and at no point does Wittrig deny copying the designs). But it is a pretty big question as to whether or not Unger’s work really is covered by copyright (or should be). Now this whole story is the type of thing that people often bring up when I write about why copyright isn’t needed. This — they say — is a perfect example where copyright is necessary. Unger is mad because this other guy is “ripping him off” and passing off Unger’s designs as his own. Except, again, that’s not clear at all. Copyright was designed as an incentive to create — not a system to block all competition. In the fashion world, as we’ve noted repeatedly, knockoffs are quite common, and have helped the industry thrive. It actually helps make the brand name originators of the design worth more, because people want the “real” original kind.

So, without copyright, what can Unger do? Well, he’s actually already doing it. He put up a site that points out that Wittrig copies him, get lots of attention for it, and a lot more people now know about these kinds of decorative firebowls. My guess is that Unger is suddenly selling a lot more than he was before — and that’ll be true whether or not Wittrig gets the copyrights tossed out. And, in the meantime, having Wittrig around as competition should be good for Unger, pushing him to continue innovating and coming up with new designs.

Separately, I have to admit to some fascination over the use of Kickstarter’s crowdfunding platform to fund a “legal defense” rather than just as a way to sell products. Even if I don’t think Unger should have much of a legal argument, I think it’s a cool use of the platform, which also drives more interest and attention to his own bowls.

So, in the end, I think Wittrig should be free to make these firebowls and to sell them in the marketplace and compete with Unger. At the same time, though, I think Unger should be free to draw lots of attention to his own firebowls combined with the sympathy-inducing story of how he originated the designs that Wittrig copied. In the end, then, they’d both be better off, as it ends up getting both of them a lot more attention for the bowls, and those who feel sympathy for Unger, or who just want to support the “original” artist, will pay up for his versions of the bowls, whereas those who would rather save some money will pay Wittrig. In the end, both of them end up being better off, and no copyright battle needs to happen. Unfortunately, in an age where so many content creators have been taught to use copyright as a crutch, that’s not what we get.

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Anti-File Sharing Lobbyists/Lawyers Shove Each Other Aside To Blame P2P Rather Than Dumb Guy For Congressional Leak

A couple years ago, some entertainment industry lobbyists hit on a new idea for trying to get Congress to legislate against file sharing software: figure out ways to blame it for stupid employees. More specifically, figure out a way to blame it for stupid employees… in the government. So, those lobbyists have worked hard to highlight every single time some sort of sensitive government information was leaked via file sharing programs, and then even got Congress to investigate file sharing programs, rather than government security policies or how the government deals with stupid employees who put sensitive information on home computers that also have file sharing software installed improperly (set to share everything). The latest is that they were even able to get a ridiculously poorly thought-out law proposed that would cause problems for nearly every software you use online. Brilliant.

So, of course, as the news broke that there was a leak of a Congressional ethics investigation, because a staffer put the document on his or her home machine that had file sharing software on it, the usual crowd of folks wasted no time at all in highlighting the use of P2P software and presenting file sharing as if it (rather than dumb employees and bad government security) was a huge national security threat and (of course) to urge Congresss to pass laws against file sharing programs. The one thing in common? All of those calls come from people who get paychecks from the entertainment industry.

Funny, I don’t see them calling for laws that would lock down and secure laptops, even though government employees lose thousands of laptops every year — many with sensitive information. I don’t see them calling for laws against email software, though I would bet that a lot more sensitive information is leaked by people simply emailing it to the wrong party. They don’t call for laws against the telephone, even though people leak info over the phone. What? No laws against dining in restaurants where you might hear some info from folks at the next table? This has nothing to do with file sharing software. It has everything to do with poor security setup and dumb government employees. The claims that this happens so often are misleading. The federal government employs nearly 3 million people. We hear about these sorts of “leaks” once every year or so. Out of 3 million people, if anything, I’d be amazed there are so few leaks.

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Mozilla releases first beta of Firefox 3.6

Those keen to try out Mozilla’s latest browser–and its new process to update the software more frequently–now can try Firefox 3.6 beta 1 for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Among the features in the new version, according to Mike Beltzner, Mozilla’s director of Firefox, and Mozilla evangelist Chris Blizzard:

• Personas, which lets people customize the browser appearance. Personas has been available as an add-on, so there are plenty of Personas skins to choose from.

• Faster execution of Web-based JavaScript programs, better browser responsiveness, and faster startup time. Mozilla has been working on JavaScript performance for many months, but the urgency of that and other performance improvements increased with the arrival of Google’s Chrome browser.

• The ability to drag and drop files from the computer to the browser. This is useful for uploading files to Web sites, as will a feature not in the beta but planned for the final version, support for the multiple-file input tag so more than one file can be added in Web forms.

• Expanded support for geolocation technology so it can provide a Web site with an approximate physical address of the user, not just latitude-longitude coordinates.

• The ability to detect the computer’s orientation for machines that offer accelerometer support.

• Video built into Web pages with the HTML5 “video” tag now can be viewed full-screen.

Mozilla also released a full list of Firefox changes developers should know about with more details.

Firefox is at the vanguard of the second generation of browser wars. Although it competes with Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari, and Opera, all those browsers are also allied in a way against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which though dominant is relatively slow at some tasks and only now complying more fully with Web page standards of yesteryear. The rivals, meanwhile, are pushing ahead with new features in HTML5 in development right now.

Mozilla released the alpha version of Firefox 3.6, code-named Namoroka, in August.

The organization plans to release the final version by the end of the year, with Firefox 3.7 in the first half of 2010 and Firefox 4.0 in about a year.

One complication of the upgrade is compatibility of add-ons that extend Firefox’s features; the new browser version makes some changes. Mozilla is debating whether to release Firefox 3.6 as a minor update automatically distributed to 3.5 users or as a major update that requires those users to actively retrieve it.

One major element of Firefox 4.0 is a new add-on technology called Jetpack that eases this compatibility problem.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

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Oregon Tries Claiming Copyright Over Gov’t Materials Again

You may recall last year that the state of Oregon tried to claim copyright in preventing others from republishing Oregon laws. Yes, that seems incredibly counterproductive, and eventually the state backed down. However, it looks like Oregon’s Attorney General is now also claiming copyright on the Attorney General’s Public Record and Public Meeting Manual. Yes. A government official claiming copyright over a document on the public record. Wonderful. Carl Malamud is trying to get the Attorney General to issue an opinion that such things will not be covered by copyright. But, again, can anyone provide any good reason why any government document should be covered by copyright?

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Senate’s Latest Shield Law Brings Back Protection For Participatory Journalists

It looks like the Senate has pushed back on the restrictions that the White House wanted on a journalism shield law. Not only does the new Senate version greatly limit the circumstances under which the White House could get around the law, it also goes back to covering amateur/freelance/citizen/participatory journalists as well. The White House had wanted the right to basically claim which stories wouldn’t count for shield law protection (meaning journalists would need to give up their sources). But the “compromise” bill from the Senate will only allow this in cases where the government can show (not just say) that the information is needed to prevent terrorism or substantial harm to national security. That seems a lot more reasonable. Of course, this is only the Senate version and the bill very well might change before it gets approved, but at least it’s good to see that it doesn’t just create a special class of “professional journalists.”

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Get cozy with comics on your iPhone

If you’re a fan of comic books, you should also be a fan of the iPhone. Apple’s smartphone is home to several neat comic-book apps designed specifically for those who want to enjoy harrowing stories of their favorite heroes in the Digital Age.

I’ve sifted through the many apps related to comic books and found a handful that you’ll want to try out. Whether you’re a DC Comics fan or you’re partial to Marvel, I think you’ll like what you find in these apps.

Get your comic on

Clickwheel Comic Reader if you plan to read comic books on your iPhone, the Clickwheel Comic Reader will be able to satisfy that desire.

When you start using Clickwheel Comic Reader, you’ll be able to sift through comic books and find one you want to read. The app doesn’t have many of the classics like those you would find from an app like Comics or iVerse Comics (see below), but it does have some comic books you might care about. Either way, the app displays all your favorite content in full color on your iPhone. And since it’s free, it’s probably worth trying out if you don’t mind reading a relatively small collection of books.

Clickwheel

If you want to read some comic books, Clickwheel might be your choice.

(Credit:
Clickwheel)

Comic Envi If you’re more into comic strips than comic books, we have you covered too.

With the help of Comic Envi, you can check out some of your favorite comic strips. You can check out old, well-known comic strips, Web-only offerings, and more. You have the option of viewing them in a slideshow or by moving them with your fingers. You can also check out the daily updated strips or some of the titles in the archive. It’s a neat utility, but beware that you will need to pay 99 cents to get it.

Comic Envi

Check out Comic Strips with the help of Comic Envi.

(Credit:
Comic Envi)

Comics If you’re a fan of comic books, you’ll want to try out Comics. The app currently has more than 450 comics for you to read right in the app.

Comics is packed with a lot of great content from Marvel, Image, Red 5, and other prominent comic-book companies. You can sift through all the books in the app, find the comic book you want to read, and you’re all set. Now, I should note that of the 450 comics available to read in Comics, you’ll only be able to access 70 of them for free. The rest you’ll need to pay for access. Regardless, the app is free, making it a great way to read some comics without dropping a dime. Check it out.

Comics

You can read 70 free comics in the Comics app.

(Credit:
Comics)

Comics Lib If you want to bring your entire comic-book library with you wherever you go, Comics Lib is the app for you.

After you download Comics Lib, you can immediately start importing your library into the app. You can also create a wish list of comics that you don’t have yet, but hope to have eventually. The app even lets you check for upcoming releases of comic books, so you can track the titles you want. The app won’t let you read comic books in it, but at least it will help you determine if you already own a book you might have forgotten about. If you want to share with others all the comic books you own, Comics Lib is the best (mobile) way to do it.

Comics Lib

Carry your comic books with you in Comics Lib.

(Credit:
Comics Lib)

ComiXology If you’re looking to do a little more than read comics on your iPhone, ComiXology might be the way to do it.

After you download the app, which costs $1.99, you’ll be able to check out all the upcoming comic-book releases. You can also see recent covers, preview different pages, check out comic-book-related articles, and more. The app even lets you listen to ComiXology’s weekly podcast. A social element lets you see what other folks are checking out. It might not let you read full comics like some of the other apps in this roundup, but if you’re looking for a great way to stay connected on the comic-book scene, this app might be one of the best ways to do it.

ComiXology

If you're a comic-book fan, ComiXology is the service for you.

(Credit:
ComiXology)

iVerse Comics iVerse Comics is the arch-nemesis of the aforementioned Comics app. It allows users to read comics right on their iPhone.

iVerse Comics features several comic books for you to check out. The app added Marvel support on Friday. It also features books from Red 5, Image, and other companies. So far, there are a few dozen free comics to read. There are “hundreds” of other comic books available for download in the app’s store. The app features popular comics like Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman, and others. Like Comics, you can sift through its listing of available books and find the title you want to read right on your iPhone. If you’re a fan of Marvel comics, iVerse Comics is worth checking out.

iVerse

iVerse Comics lets you find the comic book you want to read.

(Credit:
iVerse)

My top 3

1. Comics: With so much great content, Comics is a great way to enjoy your favorite content.

2. iVerse Comics: If you’re a fan of Marvel comics, iVerse Comics is worth checking out.

3. ComiXology: ComiXology is designed specifically for the comic-book lover. And chances are, it will deliver quite an experience.

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But Wait, Wasn’t Muni-Fiber Supposed To Take Away Incentive For Private Fiber?

Over the past few years, there have been numerous lawsuits by telcos against various municipalities that have decided to launch municipal fiber broadband projects. Most of these lawsuits have failed — but the main argument from the telcos is that it’s unfair to have to compete against the government, and it would take away incentives for the telcos to actually invest in infrastructure to provide for those towns. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense. That would mean that any competition would decrease incentives to invest. One of the nastier legal battles took place in Monticello, Minnesota, where the local telco TDS fought hard (and lost) its battle to stop muni-fiber from showing up. But, now, suddenly TDS is announcing its own fiber broadband, giving people 50 Mbps service for $50/month. What’s the likelihood that TDS would have done this if it didn’t have competition from muni-fiber? The reason municipalities look to muni-fiber is because there isn’t enough competition and the telcos aren’t investing in infrastructure (or really serving customer needs). So the end result here is that by introducing more competition, consumers and citizens are better served. So what’s the problem with it again?

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But Wait, Wasn’t Muni-Fiber Supposed To Take Away Incentive For Private Fiber?

Over the past few years, there have been numerous lawsuits by telcos against various municipalities that have decided to launch municipal fiber broadband projects. Most of these lawsuits have failed — but the main argument from the telcos is that it’s unfair to have to compete against the government, and it would take away incentives for the telcos to actually invest in infrastructure to provide for those towns. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense. That would mean that any competition would decrease incentives to invest. One of the nastier legal battles took place in Monticello, Minnesota, where the local telco TDS fought hard (and lost) its battle to stop muni-fiber from showing up. But, now, suddenly TDS is announcing its own fiber broadband, giving people 50 Mbps service for $50/month. What’s the likelihood that TDS would have done this if it didn’t have competition from muni-fiber? The reason municipalities look to muni-fiber is because there isn’t enough competition and the telcos aren’t investing in infrastructure (or really serving customer needs). So the end result here is that by introducing more competition, consumers and citizens are better served. So what’s the problem with it again?

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