AOL Open Sourcing Audio & Video Technology 224
daria24 writes "BetaNews says that AOL is open sourcing Winamp AVS and Milkdrop, two popular Winamp plug-ins, and its Ultravox streaming media platform (the successor to Shoutcast). 'Despite helping to launch the Mozilla Foundation and releasing the code to its AOL Server software, America Online has never been synonymous with open source. But a number of new initiatives could change AOL's proprietary image, as the company strives to reach a broader audience on the open Web.' The next-generation AIM release will also be an open platform, which AOL says 'could rival even Mozilla due to its scale and the massive AIM user base.'"
You BASTARDS! (Score:3, Funny)
TWW
Leaks from other topics? (Score:2)
The other replies to "You BASTARDS" seem to belong to the article regarding IE memory leaks.
Maybe it's just my browser.
Re:Leaks from other topics? (Score:2)
Re:Leaks from other topics? (Score:2)
It must be evil.google.com acting up again.
Re:Leaks from other topics? (Score:2)
Re:Leaks from other topics? (Score:1, Interesting)
tmegapscm
Mod Notification Leaks (Score:2)
Re:Mod Notification Leaks (Score:2)
Re:Leaks from other topics? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:You BASTARDS! (Score:2)
Re:You BASTARDS! (Score:1)
Re:You BASTARDS! (Score:3, Interesting)
Pixie-dust projects (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Pixie-dust projects (Score:1)
Re:Pixie-dust projects (Score:3, Interesting)
Not like anything could come of that kind of airy fairy pixie dust project, eh?
Taking this guy seriously, it's not hard to see that all of the classes of projects he describes do indeed exist. However, if you go the other way, from the important projects to the c
Huh? (Score:4, Funny)
But... it just feels wrong somehow...
Re:Huh? (Score:1)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
It's never been half good either.
Re:Huh? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Re:Huh? (Score:1)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
But we can still hate AOL users right?
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
Did you think you could always point and click your way across the internet?
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Props to them (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Props to them (Score:2)
Unless they truly use some concoted scheme for the other logic, only the way in which the vis is rendered is an issue.... I never used the winamp plugins, but writing software all day, if my boss plunked that on my desk that would be my first thought..
Re:Props to them (Score:2)
Re:Props to them (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Props to them (Score:2)
Re:Props to them (Score:2)
Re:Props to them (Score:2)
It already is (Score:3, Informative)
It already is. From the projectM home page:
5/6/05 - projectM 0.97 Released!
Nullsoft released the Milkdrop source code so I have fixed the behavior of waveforms 2, 3, & 5, zoom, and custom shapes (tex_ang and tex_zoom). I also added the Darken, Brighten, and Solarize filters. Things look much better with these added features. We also have some stability patches for xmms-projectM in th
XBMC (Score:2)
The XBMC team came up with a port in about a week, so assuming the xmms core visualization code is solid, porting this wont be hard.
Does it really matter? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Does it really matter? (Score:2, Interesting)
AIM has an obscenely diverse user base. It's available on all platforms, and virtually everyone (except for Jabber guys who refuse to friend anyone not on Jabber) uses it.
Granted, there will be some people who don't care about open source, but there's definitely quite a few people who would be willing to switch to something less RAM hungr
Re:Does it really matter? (Score:2)
i use gaim. it's alright, although it does use a lot of ram (but so does the official aim client). i don't have a lot of hope for what they're going to release... the're really just opening the protocol, probably meaning they're not gonna harass 3rd party clients.
Re:Does it really matter? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Does it really matter? (Score:2)
I'd love to use an open-source IM client, because there are some extra features I'd want to implement. I've tried to mod AIM, but at best it's not easy -- you have to use obscure hacks -- and at worst it violates the ToS. I would use Gaim, but a) my friends aren't, so pat
yes, it does (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Quality Reporting (Score:2)
And always...twirling, twirling, TWIRLING!
Good (Score:2)
AOL does contribute to open source software (Score:5, Interesting)
Quote: The primary purpose for version 3.2.0 is to add support for ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN. The new ADD COLUMN capability is made possible by AOL developers supporting and embracing great open-source software. Thanks, AOL!
Re:AOL does contribute to open source software (Score:2)
From the project's page:
Re:AOL does contribute to open source software (Score:2)
As for being the backbone of the "largest and busiest production environments" that is rapidly changing. They re-released the webmail system using some other software (definitely not AOLserver) and most
Re:AOL does contribute to open source software (Score:2)
Ignore those (Score:2)
Re:Ignore those (Score:2)
Re:Ignore those (Score:2)
Jabber (Score:1)
Just use XMPP you retards.
Three letters (Score:2)
Jabber is "Not Invented Here". So that makes it worthless and crappy.
Just because they are open sourcing some of their tech does not mean that they are willing to give up on something they have invested *years* developing.
Re:Three letters (Score:1)
Network Effect.
The only way AOL manages to keep their AIM software popular is because that's the only program people can talk to their friends with, and they dont want to bother switching networks, as they'd lose all of their friends.
Jabber, if implemented, will allow the users to select a client, and server that is not AOL with ease. Aside from that, there's AOL's bad experience with Microsoft using AOL's own TOC protocol to allow
Reminds me of History (Score:2)
Personally, I'm very surprised that virus and worm makers haven't homed in on IM clients yet. I imagine AOL will be very hard hit when they do. Although, an open source AIM client that really was bigger than Mozilla might be ab
Re:Reminds me of History (Score:1)
Re:Reminds me of History (Score:2)
Re:Reminds me of History (Score:2)
What, you mean, be bought by AOL, found to be expensive to maintain and impossible to make money from, then released as open source to die a slow death or be resurrected through the hard work of people unrelated to the original product creating entirely new code?
It's possible, except with the bonus that they don't have to buy anything...
And no, unless by "AOL" you mean the AIM client and a Winamp plugin or two. That's all this is about. There's p
Finally... (Score:5, Funny)
Ah AOL... (Score:5, Insightful)
I just look at WinAmp and shake my head. There's a programme that could have been iTMS before such a thing even existed. It could still be iTMS rival now, two years too late. And the integrated NSV means it could deliver TV and VOD too with a little work. So why the hell isn't it?
Because AOL is run by a bunch of geniuses.
yay (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Doing a little dance!! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Hmm... (Score:1)
where's the aol client for linux then? (Score:1, Insightful)
My mother uses aol, and I have to spend ages fixing security issues in windows and generally keeping it going. I'd far rather she used Linux for the web, she'd be safe from 99% of all web exploits, and it would make admin easier for me. Plus I wouldn't have to keep cleaning up all the garbage windows collects on her system.
It took long enough to get her on the web, weaning her from aol is not something I can
Right here, on their download page. (Score:2)
Re:Right here, on their download page. (Score:2)
Re:Right here, on their download page. (Score:2)
Keeping Milkdrop from going stagnant (Score:1)
I remember when I first started using it my computer was a Pentium 233 with 64MB of RAM, but since I had a 3D graphics card it ran at a reasonable framerate and I have been hooked sinc
Milkdrop? (Score:3, Funny)
Reasons Why Milkdrop Kicks Ass:
It's time to learn how to port that sucker to the *Nixes (Linux, BSD, OS X)! I haven't been in Windows enough to enjoy it for a very long time.
Re:Milkdrop? (Score:2)
Same here. Now imagine when you have a few friends over for dinner, and a few of them happen to make a "special" mushroom omelette. Just for fun, I set my two Linux machines up running xscreensaver's and my windows machine running Milkdrop. There were some fairly ecstatic grins going around...
On a more serious note, I cannot frickin' wait until a MilkDrop variant gets ported to XMMS (or, even better, Beep Media Player), even if
recompilation/proting of Winamp code (Score:3, Interesting)
I know we have the likes of AmaroK, XMMS...but none of these does any video!
Re:recompilation/proting of Winamp code (Score:2)
As for video playback, XMMS certainly used to do it, I don't know the current status of the SMPEG plugin but it was good at the time. really though, who would want to play videos in a winamp style interface? if you need help finding alternatives head over to this page [gnomefiles.org], totem's nice.
Re:recompilation/proting of Winamp code (Score:2)
I may be wrong, but I think AOL is only open-sourcing Winamp's AVS and Milkdrop, not Winamp itself. Considering that one of the big draws to "upgrade" to the paid version of Winamp is a compiled-in limitation, AOL certainly seems to have a motive.
As far as Winamp on Linux, you might be surprised to hear that it work
Re:recompilation/proting of Winamp code (Score:2)
XMMS does video (Score:2)
But I miss AVS.
There are some XMMS vis plugins that does something in the lines of AVS (a scriptable generic effect engine), but the real value of AVS is on the fantastic presets that comes with it.
Open source abandonware? (Score:5, Interesting)
Does this mean Freeamp can start using its own name again? AOL made them change their name to Zinf [zinf.org] or something like that, and they were never heard from again. Especially since one of those directory spammers took over their "freeamp" domains, and AOL did nothing about that.
Re:Open source abandonware? (Score:2)
Actually, the open sourcing of Netscape ocurred well before AOL bought them, and before they spun off the Mozilla Foundation into its own independent entity. I remember at the time of AOL's purchase of Netscape, there were some people in the community wondering what AOL's purchase of Netscape would mean for Mozilla.
On the other hand, if you are talking about the Mozilla Foundation, that'
Re:Open source abandonware? (Score:2)
Re:Open source abandonware? (Score:2)
Well, the reason they were never heard from again is because it never got any better. The interface needs much improvement, it needs to support many more formats, and it crashes regularly when I try to use it...
I would consider it one of the first adware open source projects... Several things in there they are getting paid to have in there, that you can't disable. I'll be sticking to XMMS.
if AOL really wants to live, they need to head ... (Score:3, Interesting)
AOL / Milkdrop (Score:1)
But I can't see how that anything to do with AOL, other than the fact that it was only a Winamp plugin before...
Open source Ultravox? (Score:2)
Screw Midge Ure! (Score:2)
That could be very clever (Score:2)
Which could be the cleverest thing AOL have done for a long time, depending on whether the company can muster the will to see if through to the end. MS lost money for years trying to destroy AIM and AOL. For their part, AOL lost the top spot in the messenger wars, but kept a large userbase.
By opening AIM, AOL stand to gain a lot of new users, and to
hi i am aol (Score:2, Insightful)
"let's buy netscape"
AOL buys them and now AOL has a deal with Microsoft for using IE.
later ...
aol head: "hmm that didn't work what should we do now?"
"umm. how about buy winamp for 100 million dollars"
Justin Frankel (winamp creator) resigns
5 years later ...
aol head: "we are still broke, whatever happened to that winamp stuff we bought?"
"um we are working on some cool plugins! hey maybe we could make it
Re:hi i am aol (Score:2)
You get the idea.
AOL Open Sourced Milkdrop? I think not... (Score:1)
see http://www.nullsoft.com/free/milkdrop/ [nullsoft.com] for more details.
I think it a rather poor show that AOL grabs the bragging rights. AFAIK, they had nothing to do with it!
Visualization plug-ins? (Score:1)
Re:Visualization plug-ins? (Score:2)
Other AOL Open Source (Score:3, Informative)
Hence, http://opensource.aol.com [aol.com]
Xbox Media Center (Score:3, Informative)
It looks purty.
See Here [xboxmediacenter.com].
Player Souce/API? (Score:3, Informative)
If you've got insights, how would you implement my playlist, which lets you click Artist - Title - Album "columns" in the display of song rows, sorting the clicked column, and restyling (eg. italicizing, bolding, underlining) the font of all text only in that column? It has to 1> get the click, 2> know which row was clicked, 3> get the data from that row, 4> resort the rows in the display, 5> restyle some of the text in each row. If I can't get the coordinates of the click, I can just rotate the sort column after each click. And if I can't restyle some of the row text, I can insert "***" characters or something. And if I can't make a plugin override the default playlist (make it appear instead), I suppose I can make it a MediaLibrary plugin or something. And for real wizardry, I'd like the plugin to use WinAmp's builting HTTP client to periodically retrieve and install plugin updates from my Internet server.
I don't need the algorithms to do those things, I need the API hooks to call the rest of WinAmp to do its part. I want to call them, but I also want to trace them for debugging, as the datapath "submerges" into the main app. If AOL won't open the source to WinAmp5 entirely, maybe some Slashdotter already knows how to do it "anyway".
Milkdrop's source has been available... (Score:1)
Re:Milkdrop's source has been available... (Score:1)
He released the source to one of his applications a while back I just can't find it now... oh well.
That's good... (Score:2)
More coasters? (Score:2)
Geiss (Score:2)
opensource AIM server and win (Score:2)
Re:Non-open source? (Score:2)