mertz

Member since: Jan 25th, 2006

mertz's Latest Comments

Blog Activity

Blog	# of Comments
Engadget	13 Comments
Download Squad	8 Comments
Engadget HD	1 Comment

Recent Comments:

Arrested Development chooser - Mac Time Waster (Download Squad)

Aug 11th 2008 4:42PM YOU'RE DRUNK!

RedLasso: we're invited to the beta, you're invited to our first-look (Download Squad)

Jun 24th 2008 11:39AM Don't blame your shortcomings on the MacBook Pro. :P

Microsoft bringing ads to your Zune: everybody panic (Engadget)

May 22nd 2008 3:53PM and please forgive my subject/verb agreement problems. It's that doldrum/coma part of the workday afternoon, and I'm pretty clearly out of it.

Microsoft bringing ads to your Zune: everybody panic (Engadget)

May 22nd 2008 3:51PM First and foremost, I agree that if I am going to sit through commercials with my music, I'll listen to radio.

However, for the sake of argument if I was going to buy a Zune and go along with this plan, the question to ask is cost/benefit... as in who is getting a benefit, and who should pay for it?

Obviously, celebrities have to see some kind of benefit to creating these playlists, or they wouldn't take the time to create them. There is a benefit. They get more exposure.

The listener gets free music, so there is a benefit.

But who should be the one "paying" for the free music? Should it be the customer, who is sitting through TWO forms of advertising (one promoting the celebrity, one in the form of the proposed commercial) for one benefit?

Or should it be the celebrity have to foot the bill to advertise themselves? And the way they foot the bill is paying distribution costs to freely distribute these songs they, or one of their assistants, has chosen?

If someone wants to watch or listen to adverts instead of getting their music without it, then that's their choice. But by tying this to celebrity PROMOTION, it seems odd that the consumer has to listen to two sets of ads.

This would be more palatable to me if it was "Listen to Death Cab for Cutie's Playlist," I have to sit through promotions about DCFC's new album, but DCFC foots the bill to pay for the rights to free distribution of their songs.

I feel like I'm not articulating this exactly as I would like, but it seems like double billing for the listener, and nothing but profit for the labels and the artists.

Interesting idea, but I don't think it's quite there yet. It'll need revisions. But isn't that the story of all of Microsoft's ideas? :-)

Hungarian student throws eggs at Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (Download Squad)

May 20th 2008 1:27PM I don't think Ballmer would have gotten the same response if he had just limited this talk to "developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, DEVELOPERS... (gasping for breath)... developers, developers, DEVELOPERS!!!!!"

There is no CEO in the world that gives off the image of being a total farce, or just flat out exudes incompetence like Ballmer. If egg throwing really is a common occurrence in Hungary, it's a shame that the entire audience didn't pelt Ballmer back to Redmond.

All you MS fanboys want to improve your company's products, power in the marketplace (which is slipping), and the company's overall image? Get rid of the giant, sweaty, out of breath, out of touch, out of his mind albatross around MS's neck... that weight is Ballmer.

As corrupt as this deal might have been with the Hungarian government, I can't imagine anyone but Ballmer actually being pelted with eggs. Would never happen if Gates was the one talking.

As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon."

Microsoft gives away free developer software to students (Download Squad)

Feb 19th 2008 10:47AM Developers Developers Developers!

Roll your own Dj turntable on your pc with "Scratch" (Download Squad)

Dec 21st 2007 4:09PM I've been a DJ for close to six years now, and in your attempt to use DJ terminology, you have completely lost me on what this software does. If you've lost someone immersed in DJ culture, I can't imagine how confused the general populous must be.

Jam/Jock? No one in the DJ world talks like that.

Any chance of a rewrite that explains what this software actually does?