Horizon highlights – Missed opportunities edition
Our regular roundup of sci-tech stories from across the Web includes: Why Hollywood's red tape keeps it from launching an iTunes for movies. Why ITV's inaction meant that it lost tons of money on the Susan Boyle video. And why now is not the best time to buy a computer. Let’s kick it off:
Cry Me a River: ITV, YouTube and Simon Cowell miss out on Susan Boyle windfall
"The Scotswoman’s performance on ITV’s 'Britain’s Got Talent' has been watched more than 75 million times on YouTube in a fortnight, but the television network is insisting that no advertisements be shown against the clips while it negotiates with the Google-owned video site." [via Times of London]
Red tape: Why Hollywood has no iTunes for movies
"Almost anyone living in an apartment or home equipped with a fast Internet connection has the ability to download an hourlong TV show in 10 minutes, a movie in about 15. But there's no current service that allows an enthusiastic consumer to make use of all that bandwidth." [via LATimes]
Bad timing: Computer buyers have to consider system upgrades
"If you’re shopping for a computer now, there’s an added factor to consider. Later this year, both of the major computer operating systems, Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard, will be replaced with major new versions: Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard. And that affects what PC hardware you should choose." [via All Things Digital]
Grimy green: Could your trashcan solve the energy crisis?
"Heat from garbage-fueled incinerators can generate steam that drives a turbine that in turn drives an electrical generator. Now fears over energy security and climate change, combined with the rising cost of dealing with the world's waste, are raising the possibility of disposing of household trash using higher-energy methods once reserved for hazardous materials such as medical waste and asbestos." [via New Scientist]
AI Archaeology: Artificial Intelligence cracks 4,000-year-old mystery
"An ancient script that's defied generations of archaeologists has yielded some of its secrets to artificially intelligent computers. Computational analysis of symbols used 4,000 years ago by a long-lost Indus Valley civilization suggests they represent a spoken language. Some frustrated linguists thought the symbols were merely pretty pictures." [via Wired Science]
Politics 2.0: The Twitter revolution that wasn't
"The story of Moldova's technology-driven uprising was too good to be true." [via Slate]
