My beagle, Clarence, is notorious for escaping the fenced yard.

The Flip is a very basic, pocket-sized video camera designed to be “everywhereable,” according to the company’s marketing campaign. I keep it in a pocket in my bag for easy access and pull it out for all the expected video camera reasons: when I see something funny, good times with friends, etc. During my brief time with the Flip, I have already created and posted more personal video to the Web than I ever thought I would.

Smaller than an iPod, the Flip is remarkably easy to use. It has a lens on one side and a 1.5-inch LCD screen on the other, where the recording and zoom buttons are located just underneath. Once you have your recording, you can browse and play clips on the Flip or a TV with the composite-stereo cable included with the camera.

The Flip is not a high-end video camera, costing only $149. The resolution is 640×480 pixels, which is comparable to a standard 4:3 television. It won’t look great on a high definition TV, but is fine if you’re uploading video to the Web. I have posted some sample clips online.

Getting video onto your computer is just as simple. All the necessary software comes loaded on the Flip. Slide the switch on the side, and a hidden USB connector pops out the top. Once you plug the Flip into a computer, install the video codec, and launch the included application. Within minutes of doing this, I had the Flip working on both my Mac and Windows computers.

I am able to edit my videos, save them to my computer and post them online without any additional software. Because the Flip installs a basic video codec, videos work outside of the Flip Software. By using Internet Explorer on Windows or iPhoto on Mac, I can import, manage and watch videos from the Flip on my machine. Then I edit the videos with Movie Maker on my Windows machine and iMovie on my Mac, giving me more control and features than what I get with Flip’s native software.

While the Flip is not the best camera on the market, it is made for the Web, where content is king. I recently worked on a video project with employees from an experienced Web video production company. They streamed the Grammys and Live 8, a series of concerts around the world whose goal was to end poverty, and then studied viewer tendencies on the Web. The company has found quality does not matter to viewers. Companies that publish higher quality video to the Web do not necessarily see higher viewership, only higher bills for bandwidth.

I have also found myself using the Flip often for business reasons. Most commonly, I pull out my Flip when I run into problems I cannot explain. When working with proprietary products and software, I’ve found with errors coming up that shouldn’t happen, tech support is often far too skeptical of the user. It’s easier to provide tech support with a video, than try to explain the issue in an e-mail. It’s amazing how quickly problems are solved when the tech can watch the problem. Once the tech watches, I usually hear, “that shouldn’t happen,” and that’s when support becomes helpful.

When the company I work for upgrades, we often sell the old equipment online. Since we got the Flip, we’ve started posting video to our auctions and have received increased interest because bidders feel confident. Although it means showing a machine boot in our world, this would be a great product for anyone competing for online or out-of-area sales.

As a service company, we have found several ways to use the Flip to help promote our business beyond eBay. On our new site, we used the Flip to create a tech tip video blog, which we then post on Facebook and YouTube. We also are editing clips of our work to post online: before and after clips of projects, odd challenges we have faced and other problems solved.

As video becomes the new medium of Internet communication, the Flip will become a necessary tool of business, quality video to compliment a well-designed Web site and marketing plan. The Flip, with its convenient size, simple interface and low price, is a great entry point for many businesses to get video content on the Web.

If the files are being moved off the computer hard drive to make space, the solution is to find a way to make the file redundant on other devices. This can mean buying two external hard drives to copy files onto, but that leads to a manual process, more cables on your desktop (I hate cables), and fewer available ports on your computer. Plus, when they fill up, there is no easy way to upgrade.

So, now we are looking for a product that automatically makes redundant copies of files, does not take up too much space, is easy to use and is user upgradeable. Sounds complicated, but it isn’t. I already have one.

In our service room, we have been using this product for over a year. When we store or back up data in the office, we need to know it is secure and redundant, and we already have plenty of cables running around, so the fewer wires the better.

To accomplish this, we use a Drobo (starting at $349) from Data Robotics Inc. It’s a sleek, black, shoebox-sized device we connect via USB or FireWire 800 to computers in the backroom.

The device is available preconfigured with hard drives or comes empty; we ordered an empty one and used some old drives pulled from dead computers we keep around the office. Once powered and connected to the computer, we took the front panel off and slid four standard computer hard drives into the four bays. The Drobo then takes over, turning our four individual drives and creating one big disk from them. Drobo has an instructional video on its Web site, www.drobo.com

The Drobo makes a very complicated system very simple. Fundamentally, it is a hardware RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). It takes many smaller disks and formats them in a way that allows computers to view them as a single disk. The redundancy comes in because RAIDs can be constructed in different ways, each providing different amounts of redundancy.

A mirrored RAID is when two drives are mirror images of one another; if one disk fails, the other keeps working with no data loss. A RAID level five, which requires three or more drives, keeps data redundant in a way that allows a single drive to fail without data loss. In a RAID five, the final drive size is about two thirds of the total capacity of the drives.

What makes the Drobo great is its BeyondRAID technology. Typically RAIDs are very complicated and take expertise to manage, but the BeyondRAID system requires no management at all. The Drobo handles everything. Moving between RAID levels is typically a complicated process that usually puts data at risk, but the Drobo does this safely, with no risk to data, on the fly as drives are added or removed.

With two disks, the Drobo creates a mirror; with three or more, the Drobo changes to RAID level five. If a drive fails, software on the computer and the lights on the Drobo notate which drive died or is dying. Replace it with any drive of equal or larger capacity, and the Drobo rebuilds the RAID with zero data loss. Need more space, just plug in a new drive into an available bay. Drobo full? Just pull out the smallest drive and replace it with a drive of larger capacity.

The Drobo can also offer a file storage solution to a small office. With the DroboShare ($199), a Drobo can be plugged into the local network. Using standard file sharing protocol it can be used in a multi-platform environment to provide scalable, redundant network storage that can still be directly connected to a computer when necessary.

The Drobo solves the problem of backing up and storing files on an external hard drive. It is redundant, easy to use, easy to manage and easy to upgrade. With no configuration or management needed, it can work for anyone. Since it uses standard drives, if you have ones lying around, like we did, there is no additional cost for initial implementation.

Though the cost of entry is higher then a basic external hard drive, the investment is worth it. Data loss is more expensive and time consuming than deploying a proper backup solution. With a Drobo, moving your files off your computer might be the best thing your can do for your data.

I was not surprised. At the newly subsidized prices of $199 and $299, getting the new iPhone, for some (even here in Columbia), merited camping out at the AT&T all night. I was only so bold as to wake at 5 a.m., be in line at 6 a.m., and wait for three hours outside the AT&T store. But, alas, my early attendance failed me; the supply trickled dry just as I walked up. I placed a fulfillment order and two days later, I had a new iPhone 3G.

The iPhone 3G is not very different from the old iPhone. The name corresponds to its ability to use the faster third generation (3G) data service from AT&T. 3G capability and GPS are really the only new features of the updated hardware, unless you consider the new color choices of black or white (white only in 16GB). The storage capacity remained the same at eight and 16GBs, and the few buttons are all unchanged. It is worth pointing out the headphone jack is no longer recessed, allowing for all standard headphones to be used.

Adding the two new features did make the iPhone 3G slightly thicker than the previous generation, but it doesn’t show. With the new beveled back, the iPhone 3G actually feels thinner than its predecessor.

Corresponding with the release of the new iPhone 3G, Apple pushed the new iPhone 2.0 operating system (OS) upgrade. The new OS is loaded on the iPhone 3G and can be installed on older iPhones via iTunes. Along with several general fixes, improvements and small updates, The 2.0 software changes the game for the iPhone by adding Exchange and Application.

The iPhone is now business-worthy. Integrating Microsoft Exchange and VPN services, the iPhone can work in almost any network environment, pushing e-mail, contacts and calendars among the iPhone, server and other computers over the Internet. For smaller businesses, without the need for Exchange, Apple offers MobileMe, a $99 annual service that synchronizes email, contacts, calendars and bookmarks over the Internet in a similar fashion.

Having lived a year of physically connecting the iPhone to my computer for every little change, wireless sync is a paradigm shift. Not only is there no need to worry about plugging the phone in, there is no need to worry about syncing. The system is automated, so changes on one device sync without intervention. Music and video transfer do require a wired connection, but since the music I want on my iPhone does not change by the hour, my day no longer revolves around which calendar is up-to-date and the location of my sync cable.

Even with my newfound syncing freedom, the best part of this update is third-party application support. The App Store opened July 11, with hundreds of free or cheap applications, ranging from games to business tools, only a tap away. So easily accessible from the iPhone and iTunes, downloading applications has been come a new hobby.
The first app I downloaded was Remote from Apple. The simple app makes the iPhone a remote control for iTunes over a wireless network. Much more than pause/play/next, Remote allows navigation via playlist, artists and albums, while displaying album art. The app is amazingly robust and surprisingly free — a must have.

Within an hour, I downloaded applications to manage my eBay account, PayPal, check Facebook, get the latest sports scores, read the New York Times, mobile banking, current weather, movie times and info, Jott for iPhone (a free speech to text service, jott.com), AIM, Bloomberg market/stock monitor and several more. All for free. I even picked up a few cheap games: Tetris, Sudoku, Mahjong and Bejeweled, all to keep me entertained as I watch progress bars (I watch a lot of progress bars).

The App Store is the first single location a company has developed to distribute Smartphone applications. There is no one place for Blackberry or WindowsMobile software. There are sites that track software, but they are not complete lists, and there is no confirmation the applications are not malicious or buggy. Apple puts all apps through testing to confirm security and stability before upload for sale along with all other applications.

No more hunting.

Apps for musicians, doctors, lawyers, astronomers, astrologers and bartenders are all in one easily searchable location.

Other than activation issues release weekend (now fixed), the new iPhone is great. Apple has raised the bar a notch higher. I love the look and feel of the new design. But are the new features worth the upgrade to current iPhone owner?

Not likely.

The changes are not drastic — slight bumps only. Plus, the first generation iPhones can be upgraded to run the 2.0 software and the software is what makes this phone. I ran my old iPhone with the updated software for several days and it worked great, it has all the same capabilities as an iPhone 3G, sans 3G and GPS.

While it’s difficult for me to recommend current iPhone owners upgrade, current AT&T customers ready for an upgrade or people on other carriers looking to get an iPhone should go for it. One million people made the purchase launch weekend. The new hardware works great; the new software makes it shine; and the subsidized price is easy on the wallet. It is hard to find a reason not to upgrade.

Samsung’s Instinct

Made by Samsung, the Instinct is similar to the iPhone in shape, size and design. It has minimal physical buttons and a large touch-sensitive display. (www.instinctthephone.com)
When it came to hardware, faults are hard to find. The black phone has a sleek design, a 2.0 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS, EV-DO (Sprint’s 3G data connection), a standard stereo headphone jack and a USB connector. It does lack WiFi, necessitating an EV-DO connection to access the Internet at any reasonable speed.

I disliked the hold button’s location on the top of the phone. It is not in a place for easy one-hand access. Plus, it requires double click and hold to unlock the phone, a major hindrance when just trying to make a phone call. The phone also cannot be used in direct sunlight; the screen completely washes out.

Beyond hardware, software is what can make or break a phone of this nature. The Instinct makes a great effort but falls short.

The Instinct’s software looks good, but feels like it was rushed to the stores. The Instinct Calling works very well, almost exactly like the iPhone. The system layout is designed well; any finger can negotiate screen buttons. However, Instinct poorly implements the iconic iPhone finger-flip scroll.
The iPhone uses a capacitor-based system, which requires a finger to complete a circuit. A typical stylus will not work with an iPhone. The Instinct is a pressure-based system; any screen contact interacts with the phone. While I tried to scroll though lists, it became clear that the pressure-based system did not handle as well as the capacitor-based system.

The Instinct can check e-mail, including Microsoft Exchange; however, it lacks push mail or the ability to use ActiveSync to update contacts and calendars. It actually will not sync calendars at all. It will only sync contacts via Outlook when using Sprint’s very crude and difficult-to-use Windows-only software. It was actually easier to get my contacts on the phone by uploading a vCard via Bluetooth from the Mac side.

I was very pleased with the tactile response to interface; the phone vibrates slightly when touched to confirm selections. It is very subtle but makes the system much easier to use.

Verizon’s Dare

The second attempt at an iPhone killer I tested was Verizon’s Dare. Since the phone is only available online until later this month, the demo I had was running beta software. Also, my time with it was very brief, so it was hard to judge the software design. However, even with the beta software, the phone seemed to work well.

The Dare is smaller than the Instinct in height, but slightly thicker. Again, it has minimal physical buttons in exchange for a large touch screen. The hold button is on the side in a much more comfortable position and does not require a strange holding pattern to unlock.

Many of the features of the Instinct are found in the Dare: Bluetooth, headphone jack, tactile feedback, GPS, etc. Verizon will also release visual voicemail within the next couple months. The Dare does feature a higher quality 3.2 megapixel camera with “flash” (it is an LED that flashes, not an actual flash strobe).

The software was straightforward and put together pretty well, considering it was unfinished. Though my time was limited, the design of the software seemed better suited for a pressure-based touch screen. I unfortunately did not get an opportunity to try and sync the phone to a computer.
Neither of these phones claim to be a smartphone, which is good because it was hard to find anything that made them smart. They are both good phones, but there is little new about them. Both are simply media phones. Design, not function, is the only thing that separates either of these from a basic flip phone.

These phones are great options if you are stuck to Sprint or Verizon via contract or coverage. However, if you need a smartphone, both providers offer many better options. Both phones try hard to be the iPhone, but do not pull it off. If contracts and service area are not an issue, wait and see what happens with the iPhone update. It does most everything the Dare and Instinct does and more.
The new iPhone and iPhone 2.0 software upgrade were released July 11. Current users can upgrade their iPhone’s software to get all the newest features. The price of the iPhone dropped to $199 from $399, so a whole stream of new users will be surfing the Web on their new iPhones this weekend.
I’ll write a review of the new iPhone and the software upgrade in the next CBT Tech Advice column.

The image above is from a great blog called Indexed and reminded me of how often I complain about people not backing up, and that I was probably due for another rant.  Backing up is something people don’t do.  I get it.  It takes time.  It boils down to how replaceable is the data.  If your computer replaced with a brand new one, what data would have to be transfered? Any?  Could you just start fresh or are you going to need something from that old machine?

Backing up is simple.  Make a copy, put it on another disk.  Any kind of disk: usb flash drive, CD, DVD, external HD.  The key is MAKE A COPY!!!  Moving a file to a separate disk is not making a copy, it’s moving a file.  If that drive is lost, the file is lost.  I hear all too often, “I put the file on my external hard drive, so it’s ok.” No it’s not.  External hard drives are just as susceptible to failure as internal hard drives. 

I’m a huge fan of Apple’s new Time Machine system in Leopard (OS 10.5).  The system can be used with any external or internal hard drive (different than the boot drive), and can be used with network volumes, such as AirDisk in the new Extreme Basestations, Time Capsule (Apple’s new wireless router with built in network disk), networked volumes on other computers, and other network drive systems like Drobo.

Every hour the system backs itself up with no user involvement after setup. Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month.  The system is smart and easy to use.  We have implemented it for all of our server, desktop machines and laptops in the office.  When there is no need to think about it, backups actually happen.  When backups happen people have no need to worry or break down when their hard drives crash. 

In our office, a file does not exist unless it is in two places.

UPDATE: Just found this clip of the Carolina Chocolate Drops from the Roots ‘n’ Blues ‘n’ BBQ Festival of them covering Hit ‘em Up Style.

So what is net neutrality? The net has always been neutral; anyone can connect anything to — and connect to anything on — the Internet without restriction. The users of the Internet control what content they view. It is the job of Internet service providers (ISPs) to transfer data requested by the users without interfering with that data. Right now if you open a browser point it to www.google.com it quickly loads the familiar multi-colored logo. You can do the same with Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. Neutrality makes this work; one site loads just as quickly as another.

However, ISPs want more control. After much lobbying and a Supreme Court ruling, in 2005 the Federal Communications Commission removed nondiscrimination protections and handed control of Internet traffic to the telephone and cable companies.

The largest ISPs (AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner) in the U.S. want to eliminate net neutrality and act as gatekeepers for the Internet, controlling the content, speed, and availability of their networks. They see profit potential from corporations.

Currently users pay for service to their homes, but ISPs want to tier that service and charge companies service guarantees. Their plan involves speeding up the sites of the highest bidder while slowing down, blocking, or even redirecting away from competitor sites.

Imagine, in this ISP-controlled world, going to google.com and nothing comes up, or you are redirected to yahoo.com or a specialized ISP search engine, because you haven’t paid for Google access. If you use the ISPs control web searches, they control the results.

Google for “ice cream, columbia, mo”, and of the top 10 results, three are for Sparky’s on Ninth Street. When businesses have to pay for their ranking, who will be in the top three of AT&T Search?

Suddenly the Internet is like cable television with packages and tiered systems. You want CNN.com? Sorry, that’s a part of your ISP’s Gold package and you’re a bronze subscriber. Please enjoy E! News.

What if telephone providers could manage call service the way they want to manage the Internet? You call in an order to Shakespeare’s Pizza for pickup, but an automated response picks up to inform you Domino’s is the official pizza provider of your phone company. The electronic voice tells you to press the number one on your touch-tone phone to connect to Domino’s or press two to connect to Shakespeare’s — and then you wait a few minutes while all of Domino’s guaranteed calls are connected first. Small businesses could find their email, Web site, file transfers, podcasts and videos all slowed or blocked because a competing corporation paid more.

You may have seen the National Cable and Telecommunications Association “PSA” describing net neutrality as mumbo jumbo (http://tinyurl.com/3momgy). This vague ad is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. The ISPs claim the “multi-billion dollar Silicon Valley tech companies” are trying to get you to pay more. In fact, it’s the multi-billion dollar ISPs that are trying to make more off the services they provide by controlling access to the Internet. They could even go so far as to restrict or block specific operating systems and/or types of computers.

Though net neutrality is at risk by from ISPs, measures are being taken to preserve it. In February, U.S. House of Representatives Resolution 5353, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 (http://tinyurl.com/6hgu5e), was introduced to establish broadband policy. This law would prevent ISPs from destroying the Internet by requiring the FCC to stand up for consumer rights.

The Internet was intended for everyone, and net neutrality keeps it that way. No company has a home field advantage, and no company can restrict access. The distance is the same from my computer to any site out there. When site access is based on a pay scale, the public loses. Innovation comes to a halt. Small companies with great ideas can’t get them off the ground because they can’t afford to get users to their site.

Please visit http://www.savetheinternet.com and do your own research on net neutrality. It’s an important issue that deserves our attention. It has the potential to change the face of all Internet based-communication. Call your representatives in Congress to let them know your views on net neutrality and HR5353.

After he spent a couple of minutes trying to describe how ridiculous “Fred and Sharon’s Movies” (fredandsharonsmovies.com) were, I suggested we just watch them.

I turned on the TV and quickly hopped over to AV2 where I have a Mac mini hooked up. The computer takes up the space of a few stacked CD jewel cases on the shelf, and it fills the TV screen in full high definition. Surfing YouTube, we quickly found and watched the video, which instigated an involved discussion of other videos we should watch.

For the next 20 minutes (our friend was really late), we eagerly stared at the screen as the keyboard was passed around and each of us brought up another video. Some we had seen; some we had not.

Some were good; some were bad. Some were very bad. Nevertheless, our impromptu, interactive, cooperative “TV show” was a great time.

This YouTube Party got me thinking about how much video content I get from the Web instead of my TV. I first though about my viewing habits when I reviewed IP-TV from CenturyTel and it became clear I used my computer for most of my personal video viewing. I’d realized I use it all day long at work–downloading from iTunes and video podcasts, videoconferences, WebEx, and making or watching training videos. Much of my work uses video content and requires me to share it.

As Web-based video continues to grow, it is hard to estimate how much traffic is actually video. One study by Ellacoya Networks estimates that YouTube alone made up 10 percent of Internet traffic in 2007. This means YouTube used more bandwidth in 2007 than the entire Internet in 2000. Jim Cicconi, vice president of legislative affairs for AT&T, said last month that the company estimates that “video will be 80 percent of all traffic by 2010.”

While video content continues to grow as a tool, being able to present it on large screens is becoming more important. While projectors have been the resource of the past, flat-screen TVs are becoming more popular because of how simple they are to set up and use without the common troubles of projectors (light levels, throw angles, line of sight, etc). Flat-screen TVs continually grow larger and more affordable, and — because of the new FCC digital change — they are digital, making it easier than ever before to connect them to computers.

Most computers now come with DVI video connections standard (or have an upgrade option) and almost all high-definition TVs come with HDMI connections (a modified DVI connection). With a single cable, the two can be connected together, most often with little to no configuration needed.

Though digital connections on both sides make setup easy, connecting older machines to TVs is not difficult. While not always possible (yes, your 1992 laptop is probably out), it typically can be accomplished with easily available converters and cables—at most, an additional video card.

Once connected, content management is simple. Both Windows and Mac have media center software designed to be used with a TV. Windows Media Center is included with both the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista. Front Row, Apple’s integrated media-management software, comes as a part of both the 10.4 and 10.5 operating systems.

Both media center solutions allow users to easily manage photos, movies, music, podcasts, DVDs, CDs and more with sleek format, using a simple remote control (not always included with the machine). With additional hardware, the systems can even record live TV from broadcast, cable or a satellite dish for later viewing or incorporating into a presentation. Through Front Row, content can be streamed from any computer on the local network.

While having a computer connected to the TV offers the benefits of a slick media center interface along with the ability to use the computer simply as a computer, room limitations might not allow for a direct connection. However, there are still ways to get the content to the TV without the computer or running cable through walls.

Microsoft offers extenders for Windows Media Center. These are devices, connected to a local network (wired and wireless), that stream media from a computer and display it on the TV as if the computer were directly connected. Microsoft offers this feature in its own Xbox 360 and licenses the technology to other companies (Linksys, D-Link, HP and more), which build the technology in the routers, in DVD players and directly into TVs. This gives the complete Windows Media Center experience without the computer in the room (it still has to be on the network).

Apple offers the AppleTV. An iPod for the TV, the AppleTV works with Windows and Mac, requiring only iTunes and a wired or wireless network connection. With HDMI and component video, stereo and optical audio–along with a remote (included)–the AppleTV can connect to almost any TV. An integrated hard drive allows content can be synced between one computer and the AppleTV, just as an iPod syncs, allowing content to be played without a computer. It also allows for any computer with iTunes to quickly stream content to it.

The Apple TV also has YouTube, Podcast library and the iTunes Store built in, allowing for the purchase of music, music videos and TV shows, as well as the rental of movies in standard definition and high definition.

The TV can do it all. In the office, it means no longer needing a TV for VHS and DVD and a projector to make presentations. In the living room, it means watching Netflix streams while reclining on the couch instead of huddling over a laptop. Whether video conferencing at the office (or even at home) or killing time with junk video, hooking up a computer offers all the tools and resources of the Internet with the clarity and availability of a TV.

After iTunes was a monumental success, Microsoft did a bit of catch up with MSN Music Store.  A few years later Microsoft played catch up again by releasing the Zune, their wannabe iPod.  At the Zune’s release, Microsoft dumped the MSN Music Store and opened the Zune Marketplace.  Rather than use the same file format and DRM system, Microsoft “upgraded” the entire system.  This would not be an issue however, they did not consider backwards compatibility with music purchased from the MSN store.  The music from the MSN store is unplayable using the new Zune computer software and the Zune player. 

While having to keep old software on a PC just to play music purchase legally is bad enough, Microsoft has taken the pitfalls of DRM to a whole new level.  Right now music from the MSN store can be moved to new computers, but when ever moved, the software checks in to Microsoft’s server.  Even if the OS is upgraded, the server must be contacted. While the server check in is handled in the background and not a big deal, Microsoft has decided to shut off the server. 

Come August 31st, 2008 Microsoft will shut down the PlaysForSure (ironic name for the DRM) server.  The MSN Entertainment and Video Services general manager Rob Bennett emailed a statement to MSN Store users, “As of August 31, 2008, we will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for the songs you purchased from MSN Music or the authorization of additional computers,” reads the e-mail seen by Ars. “You will need to obtain a license key for each of your songs downloaded from MSN Music on any new computer, and you must do so before August 31, 2008. If you attempt to transfer your songs to additional computers after August 31, 2008, those songs will not successfully play.” Basically, if you have music from the MSN Music Store, get them on the five machines you want by August 31st and never upgrade, never move them to another machine, and hope your hard drive never needs to be replaced (it will make the music think it’s on a new machine; therefore try to connect to a new server). 

How Microsoft can pull this off amazes me.  I’m surprised there was not a massive lawsuit from when the Zune was incompatible with the MSN Store music.  However, I do not know the actual number of songs sold through the MSN Music Store. It may not even be enough for a class-action suit.  And as Ars Technica suggests there is the option of burning to CD then ripping back onto the computer to loose the DRM, however there is a massive loss in quality.