Walking Dead publisher drops DRM | Tech Culture The publisher of the Walking Dead, Saga, Witchblade, and the Savage Dragon announced on Tuesday that it's closing the book on digital rights management. New books from Image Comics are now available for digital download from its online store without DRM. Readers can purchase new books from ImageComics.com in several platform-agnostic formats: PDF, EPUB, CBR, and CBZ. Previous publishing agreements haven't changed, so people who prefer to buy from proprietary apps such as Comixology, Amazon, and Apple will still be able to do so. Ron Richards, Image Comics' marketing honcho, told the comics news site ComicBookResources that the DRM-free books would benefit comics creators the most. "There's no cut for Comixology or Apple or any other piece getting taken out," he said. One of the first comics available DRM-free is Scatterlands, a collection of the free webcomics by writer Warren Ellis, a noted futurist and anti-DRM advocate, and artist Jason Howard.
9 Ways to Get Things Done When Everything Is Going Wrong Ever have one of those days where nothing goes right? From the first thing you do, everything seems to go sideways. How do you stay productive when nothing is going your way? Some Days Nothing Goes Your Way Some days just don’t cooperate. Everything seems to be out-of-order. From your first step out of bed things go wrong. Your clothes aren’t clean. Makes you ready to turn around and head back-to-bed, right? Turning It Around How do you get things back on track when nothing seems to be going your way? You can fold and surrender to the day. “When things aren’t going your way, it’s your choice to give up or turn things around.” Sometimes it is that choice that makes the difference between a bad day and one that is productive. Here are 9 Ways to Be Productive When Everything is Going Wrong: Bring a Positive Attitude – A positive attitude can make all the difference. Turn Your Day From Wrong to Right We all have days when we want to just to give up until tomorrow. The key is to keep going.
vanityfair Crain was more than an agent, Lee would tell friends years later; he was her friend, critic, business adviser, champion, and marketer. He may have been even more. “About Nelle. I am rather worried about her,” Capote wrote in a 1961 letter to friends in Kansas. ‘When Maurice became ill, he asked Elizabeth Otis, who was the president of McIntosh & Otis, if she would take on—given the authors’ approval—his list, which McIntosh & Otis did,” Julie Fallowfield, Lee’s beloved agent there until 1996, told me. Steinbeck felt so indebted to M&O that he reportedly gave it a percentage of the money he was awarded when he won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature. “During its decades of representation, M&O acted appropriately and in Harper Lee’s interests, handling the kinds of activities that are the business of a literary agent,” Lee stated in her lawsuit. Valuable Estates Today, Thomas and Gail live in a rented house, having lost the case and most of their money in the lawsuit.
How Science Supercharges Creativity When a creative idea takes root, it’s a highly empowering (Eureka!) experience. And if you’re in an industry that’s known for being powered by creative ideas--advertising, marketing and media for instance--it can be the life and death of your success. But in today’s content-driven industries, being creative on its own isn’t a sufficient skill anymore. It may seem like a stretch of skills at first, but actually it’s a natural extension. So if you’re a creative type in your company, and you’ve been tasked to warm up to these disciplines, do not fear. Before: Target the right people (Computer Science) Much of the beauty of art is that it speaks to people in very different ways. That’s easier said than done. During: Ask the right questions (Psychology) In order to target the correct audience, creative developers also must put on the hat of a mind reader--but better yet, make statistically sound predictions. After: Clearly measure impact (Mathematics)
We are all in this together - The Hill's Congress Blog Earlier this month, Netflix made history with its original series “House of Cards” by garnering nine Emmy nominations, including best drama series – the first time that television’s leading award has recognized a program delivered exclusively online. Many media outlets interpreted this nomination to mean that we had finally ushered in the Internet television era now that an increasing number of consumers access programming through the Internet. Just a week after the Emmy nominations, the House Judiciary Committee held the first of a series of hearings to better understand the role of copyright and technology. During the first hearing entitled “Innovation in America: The Role of Copyrights,” the committee heard from the content community. While there was some recognition of the Internet’s benefits to users, the call for stronger copyright protection dominated the discussion. The market is working. Consumers crave online content that is creative and cutting edge.
Kindness and Leadership Today I’m thrilled to share a guest post written by Jon Mertz of Thin Difference. Jon is passionate about dispelling the myth of a generation gap and uniting leaders across generations to share experiences and learn from one another. In reading Susan Mazza’s Leading Made Simple Report, there are certain “rubber ball” ideas, meaning they keep bouncing around in my thoughts. Purpose is at the center. In the middle of self-absorbed and purpose-driven is learning, growing, and doing. Self and purpose are tightly bound, and we need to keep these ties in place. Within this enters a key bouncing idea from Leading Made Simple. “Could committing an act of leadership be as simple as committing an act of kindness?” In its simplicity is its power. Kindness equals leadership, and leadership equals kindness. Being kind does not mean weakness. It may be the “iron fist in a velvet glove” approach to leadership. This is where kindness equals leadership. Being a leader does not mean being unkind.
Five-Minute Film Festival: Copyright and Fair Use for Educators I absolutely love it when teachers and students create, remix, and mash up media; it's a fantastic way to encourage deeper learning and media literacy. But one issue that complicates digital freedom of expression is copyright law. While many would argue that copyright law is outdated and badly in need of an overhaul, it's still critical that adults and kids alike have a basic understanding of what's legal and ethical while playing with other people's intellectual property. Here's a list of videos I collected to help you navigate the murky waters of copyright law in educational settings. Video Playlist: Understanding Copyright and Fair Use Watch the player below to see the whole playlist, or view it on YouTube. Understanding "Fair Use" in a Digital World (06:14) This excellent video by Common Sense Media and Teaching Channel shows students evaluating video remixes during a lesson in fair use. More Resources for Teaching Copyright and Fair Use
Summer Learning Series-TED Talks For Learning Sometimes, in a group it can be hard to get a conversation started. You need that one focal point for everyone to rally around to get things moving. Videos and images are a great way to get your message out there and get folks talking. The same is true in the classroom. I can be helpful to start a unit or a topic off with some kind of visual stimulant that gets those creative thoughts moving. That is why I love the TED videos. Below are some of my favorite videos to spark a conversation. Derek Sievers: How To Start A Movement-This is hands-down my favorite one. Rob Reid: The $8 Billion Dollar iPod-Understanding data and how it can be manipulated is important. Renny Gleeson: 404, The Story Of A Page Not Found-How the 404 Page can build relationships. Thomas Suarez: A 12 Year Old App Developer-If you give kids a chance, they can do some pretty cool things. And lastly Mark Bezos: A Life Lesson From A Volunteer Firefighter-Why you shouldn't wait to be a hero. Those are my 5.