the virtual interrogates the real

We’ve been talking a lot around the notion of the real and the virtual (in my grad class ‘children, technology and play), and this past class we were looking at a number of Mimi Ito’s papers on edutainment and children’s gaming. The ability for the virtual to influence the real is something that has always fascinated me… this morning on CityTV there was a band who was covering the old A-Ha song “Take Me On” from the mid-80s, and it struck me that that must have been one of my earlier experiences with the virtual/real liquidity. And here it is.

Slashdot | Dell Colludes With RIAA, Disables Stereo Mix

According to Slashdot | Dell Colludes With RIAA, Disables Stereo Mix

“Details of Dell’s surreptitious collusion with RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) have emerged. Apparently, the computer manufacturer disabled the Stereo Mix/Mono Mix/Wave Out sound recording function on certain notebooks to assuage RIAA. The hardware functionality is being disabled without any prior notice and one blogger has even alleged that he was asked by Dell’s customer support staff to [shell] out $99 if he desired the stereo mix option. Gateway and Pac Bell are the other two manufacturers to have bowed to RIAA at the expense of their customers’ satisfaction and disabled stereo mix without warning.”

And there’s more at Dell Allegedly Colludes with RIAA, Stereo Mix Disabled without Forewarning | Maximum PC

It is interesting as this also means that it appears that there’s an effort to stop people creating their own music, not merely doing things with other people’s music. More forms of expression under threat by technology.

Science and Our Children: Louisiana Passes Intelligent Design Law

Slashdot | Louisiana Passes Intelligent Design Law: “The US state of Louisiana has passed the ‘Science Education Act,’ a piece of legislation that could allow Intelligent design to be taught in schools. From the article: ‘The act is designed to slip ID in “through the back door.” More at

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