[Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Happenings Speech

Sat Apr 28 15:43:23 CDT 2007

If I had known this a few days ago, I wouldn't have emailed my 
representatives about this. I thought I was doing a good thing, but if I'm 
going to have to buy a number of different players-I'd rather buy the audio 
books in the store.

Jen
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 2:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Happenings Speech

> Hello again Greg and listers,
>
>    Perhaps this is one reason why Congress is reluctant to appropriate
> funds for the digital talking book conversion program. Why should we ask 
> the
> taxpayers to fund the creation of an encryption  system which will be
> cracked shortly after DTBS become available to NLS patrons? I'm all for
> urging them to give NLS the needed appropriations for the DTB conversion
> provided that these books can be played on all players capable of handling
> DTBS.
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 9:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Happenings Speech
>
>
> I have been working with Apple on Daisy playback integrated into the
> MacOS and in iPod. There are some issues that will have to be
> addressed for the playback of NLS books. As I understand it it comes
> down to this:
>
> NLS books will be encrypted, both the SIML files and the audio
> itself. Because the players will only be issued to NLS patrons they
> will be able to decrypt the books. The problem with computers is they
> will have to be able to detect that the user of the computer is
> somehow an "authorized" NLS patron as opposed to to just a general
> user. There are several ways to do this. The NLS could issue a key
> file to patrons who request it. this is how the RFBD system is done.
> This keyfile could be placed at the root level of the filesystem and
> could even expire every year or so. Software could ask for an NLS
> password and then check against a database of NLS users on the net.
> Books could use some sort of public/private key system like PGP to
> verify the user.
>
> All this said as the author of DTBmaker for Macintosh which does not
> make encrypted books and never will,  I think the whole business of
> encrypting books is a fool's errand. It inconveniences the honest and
> does nothing to deter the criminal. I am willing to wager that within
> 6 months of wide release there will be a means of breaking the
> encryption on NLS books. As a result many thousands of dollars of
> development funds will have be wasted.
>
> Further it seems to be a solution looking for a problem. In all the
> years that we have had four track tapes which are simple to copy has
> there ever been wide speared duplication of NLS books? The reasoning
> has always been that you needed a special tape player to play NLS
> tapes but those players are widely sold and can be found on ebay even
> NLS issued one:
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270114582419
>
> Also anyone with good recording equipmetn could make a normal speed
> copy playable on any tape player. Finally while the NLS is spending
> time and effort encrypting books the publishers themselves are
> releasing those same book on CD in unencrypted format. I have been
> able to take these recording and produce Daisy recording will but
> small effort. If the publishers themselves don't care about
> encryption why should the NLS bother with it?
>
> Greg Kearney
> On Apr 27, 2007, at 21:42 , David Andrews wrote:
>
>> I believe that NLS has no plans to do a software player, whether or
>> not third parties do one is unknown to me.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 07:29 PM 4/27/2007, you wrote:
>>> Hello Dan and listers,
>>>
>>>    Are they going to develop a software player for those who don't
>>> have the
>>> NLS player when it's made available? It only makes sense to me for
>>> them to
>>> do so.
>>>
>>> Peter Donahue
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
>>> To: <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 6:11 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Happenings Speech
>>>
>>>
>>> The download project will not be usable by most patrons because
>>> you won't
>>> be
>>> able to play the downloaded books until you get a player.     As I
>>> currently
>>> understand it - there will be 200 players available for home  testing
>>> sometime
>>> early in 2008.  By the end of that year, there will be  5000
>>> production
>>> players sent to the various libraries (avg 100/library).   These
>>> will be
>>> distributed according to the state library affiliate.
>>>     The digital download site is already up and  running for the
>>> pilot
>>> program (we have modified Victor Readers) but it won't be  useful
>>> until you
>>> can
>>> play the books.
>>>       I hope this helps.
>>> Dan F
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ************************************** See what's free at
>>> http://www.aol.com.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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