Technologizer

Kaleidescape Loses in DVD-Copying Battle, Too

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

For years, the high-end consumer-electronics device known as Kaleidescape has provided good reason to wish you were filthy rich. Starting at around $8,000 but mostly going way, way up from there, the systems let you store DVDs to hard disks and browse and watch them from multiple TVs around your house. But the DVD-copying aspect–which [...]

RealDepressing: RealDVD Loses a Round in Court

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

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The New York Times’ Brad Stone is reporting that U.S. Federal District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel has ruled against RealNetworks in the lawsuit filed by the movie studios against RealDVD, its software for copying DVDs to your hard drive. Judge Patel granted the studios a preliminary injunction against Real selling the software, which seems [...]

5News for May 18th, 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

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How’s your Monday so far? Napster launches a $5 service. What’s with the oldest Twitterer? Iomega updates external hard drives. Microsoft patents the magic wand. Windows 7’s virtual Wi-Fi adapters. Walmart ramps up electronics sections. Firefox 3.5 due in June. Trying to buy Verizon’s MiFi, RealDVD headed for legal oblivion?

5Words for April 30th, 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

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Google data barges? Love it! Apple’s becoming a chip company. Palm’s first post-Pre phone, Peewee’s convertible laptop for kids. Google data centers…on boats? Real’s Glaser testifies on RealDVD. XP for netbooks isn’t disappearing. Amazon hikes Kindle document charges.

RealDVD on Trial

Friday, April 24, 2009

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RealDVD, the DVD-copying application from Real which I reviewed back in September during the brief period it was available before Hollywood stepped in and convinced a court to yank it, is fighting for its life in a San Francisco court. Wired has a good report on the proceedings so far. Maybe I’m just being pessimistic, [...]

5Words for April 24th, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

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How’s your Friday so far? MySpace has a new boss. New Windows 7 hits BitTorrent. The ObamaBerry is almost ready. Hollywood vs. ReadDVD: trial underway. Google Toolbar knows your location. “Movie Cowboy?” Love that name! Facebook users approve new policies. T-Mobile sells one million G1s. The economy hits the Apple Store. Hands on with new Ubuntu.

RealDVD Fails to Leave Limbo

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

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This just in: Judge Marilyn Patel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ruled to extend the restraining order that prevents Real from selling its new DVD-copying software until another hearing can be scheduled. Bummer. More details when we have them…

RealDVD: Still in Limbo

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

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Here’s a ZDNet story which nicely summarizes what’s up with RealNetworks’ RealDVD DVD-copy software, which was released last week only to instantly become the subject of legal warfare between Real and Hollywood. The basic question: Does RealDVD’s copying, which duplicates a DVD’s contents to a PC’s hard drive while maintaining all copy protection and adding [...]

The T-List: RIP, iPhone NDA

Sunday, October 5, 2008

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Last week was one of comings and goings. iPhone NDA? Gone! Windows Cloud? On its way! RealDVD? Here, then gone! Windows XP? Six more months before it might be gone! And iTunes? Still here, thank heavens!

RealDVD is in Real Trouble. No, Really.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

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Why is the woman in the above image from RealNetworks RealDVD site smiling? You’d think she’d look just a tad glum given that the software, launched just last week, has been pulled off the market. According to NewTeeVee, a court has told Real to stop distributing the company’s DVD copying software until Tuesday while it [...]

RealDVD Giveaway Winners

Friday, October 3, 2008

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We have winners! Our giveaway of ten copies of Real’s RealDVD software is now complete. The software was released earlier this week and has already inspired legal warfare between Real and Hollywood–I know who I’m rooting for–so it’ll probably stay in the news for awhile, and its fate remains unknown. But the following lucky Technologizer [...]

Labels Plan to Sue Real over RealDVD, But Real Strikes First

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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The Associated Press and CNET are both seperately reporting that the major movie studios are set to file suit against Real over its DVD copying software, apparently ready to ask for a temporary restraining order to prevent distribution of RealDVD. But as Harry pointed out bright and early this morning, Real has landed the first punch. [...]

RealDVD Now Available; Ten Free Copies for Technologizer Community Members

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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[UPDATE: RealDVD is already the subject of legal wrangling--Real announced today that it's suing the Hollywood studios to protect the product against charges that it's illegal. Press release here.] RealNetworks is announcing that its RealDVD software is available for download and purchase today. It is, for the moment at least, unique: It’s the first software for [...]

A Real Review of RealDVD

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

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[NOTE: A court has ordered Real to stop distributing RealDVD for the time being--details here.] In one sense, there’s nothing the least bit new about software that can copy DVDs to a PC’s hard drive. Folks have been using applications such as DVDShrink and Handbrake to do the job for years–and the same people have moved [...]

More on RealDVD

Monday, September 8, 2008

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I blogged about Real’s RealDVD ripping software last night, and now the company has done its demo here at DEMO. The basics are as I mentioned last night: It’s legal, runs on Windows, costs $30, retains copy protection and lets you watch DVDs on up to five PCs but not iPods or other devices. The most [...]

Real DVDs Ripped to Your PC. Legally. Really?

Sunday, September 7, 2008

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Have you ever ripped a commercial DVD to your PC? If so, you’ve probably used a product like Handbrake whose legality is at best sketchy, since it breaks copy protection and therefore violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Chances of the copyright police breaking down your door and hauling you away are slim. But starting [...]