“New data discs that store 10,000 times more than DVDs could be on sale in five years. The discs could usher in an age of three-dimensional TV and ultra-high definition viewing, scientists say. The ultra-DVD is the same size and thickness as a conventional disc, but uses nano-technology to store vast amounts of information.”
Tag: 05.21.09
Arthur Erickson, Canadian Embassy Architect, Dies At 84
Canadian architect Arthur Erickson has died. “His projects include the Canadian Embassy in Washington, Kuwait Oil Sector Complex in Kuwait City and Kunlun Apartment Hotel Development in Beijing.” He also designed the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash.
School Gets Right To Object In Google Book-Scanning Deal
“In a move that could blunt some of the criticism of Google for its settlement of a lawsuit over its book-scanning project, the company signed an agreement with the University of Michigan that would give some libraries a degree of oversight over the prices Google could charge for its vast digital library.” Under the agreement, the university could “object if it thinks the prices Google charges libraries for access to its digital collection are too high, a major concern of some librarians.”
Selling A Trilogy: No, You Don’t Have To See All Three
“Despite a raft of positive reviews and seven Tony Award nominations, this spring’s Broadway revival of ‘The Norman Conquests’ — Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy of interconnected comic plays — has proved to be one of the biggest business challenges of the season, starting with deep losses at the box office that have only just begun to turn around. The plot is like a puzzle, and so too has been the challenge of marketing the show to theatergoers.”
Why DVD-Copying Software Is Hollywood’s Ally, Not Enemy
“Hollywood is suing yet another company for creating a product that allegedly violates copyright law. This time the defendant is RealNetworks, whose RealDVD software enables people to copy DVD movies onto their computers despite the discs’ electronic locks. … Rather than reflexively battling such companies, the studios should be working with them to find a legitimate way for people to free the movies they’ve bought from their shiny plastic prisons.”
At Auction, Two Of Hirshhorn’s Three Eakins Paintings Sell
“The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden gained $461,000 from the sale of two paintings by Thomas Eakins yesterday at a public auction conducted by Christie’s in New York. The museum had placed three works by the 19th-century American artist up for auction to build up cash in its acquisition fund. The third painting, a study for ‘Portrait of Mrs. Charles L. Leonard,’ did not sell.”
Tony Awards Jilt Longtime Accountants In Publicity Bid
“In a triumph of image over substance, accounting giant KPMG LLP has replaced the small firm that has tabulated Broadway’s Tony Awards votes for more than half a century. The change was made in the hopes of bringing a higher profile to the Tony Awards telecast, according to Alan Wasser, an executive with the awards.”
More Madoff Damage: Arts Scholarships For Young Israelis
The America-Israel Cultural Foundation used to give out about $2 million annually in study grants to promising musicians, dancers and visual artists. “But this year, disaster looms. The foundation’s endowment of about $14 million was in the hands of Bernard L. Madoff and evaporated in his Ponzi scheme. … [The AICF] expects to give around 350 scholarships next year, down from about 800.”
For Charities, Hopes On Stimulus Funds Mingle With Fears
“Charities across the country have been eyeing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides billions of dollars to projects in areas like the arts, child care, health, homelessness, special education, and job training — a seeming oasis in a desert of economic hard times. … Others, however, worry that organizations are building up false hope, saying the stimulus money will bypass most of them and will not resolve the economic distress afflicting the nonprofit world as a whole.”