Apple is threatening to terminate its iTunes service if the Copyright Royalty Board increases publisher compensation to 15 cents per digital download. The National Music Publisher Association is seeking a bigger share for its members after the expiration of the 10-year agreement that pegged royalty rates at 9 cents. 

If the rate hike passes and record labels do not absorb the premium, Apple contends that their service will steep into unprofitability which clearly is not cool for Steve Jobs and crew. Well, why not raise prices? Apple is convinced that their 99 cent flat pricing scheme is a large part of their service’s allure. Though it’s a nominal difference of 6 cents, 99¢ compared to $1.05 is a considerably different price point in the minds of consumers. Though their per-sale revenue will increase, the volume of sales will likely decrease which will send their break-even business into the red. Also likely is that the measure will have the counterproductive effect of sending consumers back to peer-to-peer communities for pirated music.

The Board will reach a decision later today. We’ll see what happens. 

It’s a rewarding road from the laundromat to the apartment or house big enough to accommodate a washer and dryer. For most 20-somethings, that space can’t quite handle a full sized set of appliances, so you may want to check out your space-saving options. Whether it be a vertical unit that places your dryer on top of your washer or an even more compact single unit that doubles as both, I’ve got you covered with my combo best-of list: Laundromats Suck: Best Washer/Dryer Combos. ]]>Politics, Election 08http://blog.thisnext.com/blog/how-to-vote.htmlVMA2008-10-01T20:33:02Z2008-10-01T20:33:02Z

This is clearly the first nonpartisan political post I’ve ever written. I can’t say for sure, but it might even be the first nonpartisan statement I’ve ever made. Nonetheless, I’m making it for a good cause. You know, the greater good of humanity. It’s at the vulgar request of Jonah Hill, the innocent plea from Natalie Portman and the genuine concern from a myriad of other celebrities that just want you to do one thing, get out and vote. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong.

Given, everyone knows you should vote and most people would encourage it. However, what some young people don’t know is that you have to register first. In some places the last day to do this is as soon as Friday. If you need to figure out where to register, click here and they’ll hook you up with all the relevant information. But for now, here’s the Celebrity Voting PSA. Send this to your friends and get them registered too…

What if you’re registered, but not at the place you currently live? Simple solution, go to Go Vote Absentee, put in your home zip code and they’ll fill you in on the rest.

Bottom line is if you want to vote, figure out how today — right now.

LA has been a bit unseasonably warm this September; it was 100 degrees this past week! This has caused me to wonder whether it’s global warming or if it’s all the hot air spewing this election season. And then I started to think how cool weather signals Fall and Fall signals… HALLOWEEN! - the caps signify my enthusiasm for my favorite holiday. And so, I’ve decided that if I can’t make Mother Nature comply, I’ll just have to force my Halloween fanaticism upon everyone so the season can become comprehensible again. Unfortunately or fortunately (there are lots of factors to weigh), Halloween falls around the time of the presidential election. Believe it or not, some vendors even claim they can forecast the election results based on how well a candidate’s merchandise sells.

This ThisNexter certainly isn’t trying to tell you how to vote or which politician’s mask to buy. Merely, I would like all of you to get out there in a few weeks, show your support for your society, your country - and TRICK OR TREAT! Oh yeah, you should probably vote too! But back to Halloween, here’s a list full of ideas on how to dress up as your favorite candidate, running mate, or political figure in this years Election Soap Opera:

Imagine a car packed with enough artificial intelligence to be able to avoid accidents entirely.  Well, Nissan is working on it and following the baby steps methodology, they just announced their RB23C - a robotic mini-car that represents the first generation of crash-avoidance. Inspired by the bumblebee (whose impressive range of vision allows them to fly uninterrupted), the “car” uses a laser range finder to detect obstacles up to 2 meters away in a 180-degree radius. Within a split second, the car is able to instinctively react and maneuver to avoid collisions. Though these capabilities are far from commercial use, Nissan’s objective by 2015 is to reduce automobile accident fatalities in theirs cars by 50% (compared to 1995’s numbers).