EMI and Apple announced higher cost, higher quality DRM-free downloads. What I’ve seen missing in most analysis pieces I’ve read is what this does for the iPod and the AAC format.

1. It ensures that larger hard drives in iPods are need for the non-video crowd. That means upgrades in the near term, say over the next year or so.

2. It spreads adoption of the AAC format to other players, helping to push mp3 into the background and (tries) to marginalize WMA.

3. It sets up the iTunes Music Store for amateur content for sale.

Call me crazy…

Dave Winer’s [Scripting News](http://scripting.com) turns 10 years old today. The screen shot at the left is what you see today, a snapshot of the weblog on it’s birthday. Dave even took the time to refresh the links–some going to the [Wayback Machine](http://web.archive.org) and others still up and working.

Dave Winer has been a web leader, pushing people and technology in a direction that sometimes only he can see. While several people were working toward or on technology for weblogs, I list Dave Winer as the father of the modern weblog. He encouraged an older generation of technology professionals to build and maintain weblogs, helping to establish the credibility of the environment. In turn, services like Blogger and MovableType and WordPress reinforced his foundation.

Thanks Dave and Happy Birthday to Scripting News!