Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with downloads

The Past Decade's Changes in the Music Industry

manos_frias — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:47:10 -0800

Do you think this is a good overview of the changes in the music business in the last 10 years (for someone like me, who could charitably be called a non-musician)? Do you recommend other sources?

Why do large file downloads stall (with no error message or any feedback)?

bradn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:49:42 -0800

Why do large file downloads stall (with no error message or any feedback)? I am not sure how to troubleshoot this.

Pertinent info: Win7 (also had the problem with previous OS, Server 2008), Firewall disabled, Gigabyte motherboard with LAN (Nforce 570 SLI), Asus router with DD-WRT installed behind an AT&T U-verse 2Wire RG.

I can't seem to download a large file. Anything in the single MBs is fine, but larger files stall out in both Firefox and IE. The progress meter remains still, "x minutes remaining -- xx of xx MB (xx KB/sec)" remains still, no error message or timeout of any kind. It will stay this way for days. Incedentally, there is no issue with torrent downloads in Vuse. I am also having trouble with Netflix Watch Instantly (via WDTV Live) giving me "Your internet connection has slowed" errors, and think that it might be related.

I did a few random trials: Foxit Reader (5.1MB) downloaded fine. Batman Arkham Asylum Demo (2.0 GB) currently stalled at 62.9MB, and two attempts at XBMC for Windows (81.1MB) stalled at 25.9 and 26.7.

I tried disabling the firewall and AVG antivirus. I updated the Nforce drivers.

Any other ideas?

How resistant are consumers to downloading stuff?

beagle — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:41:01 -0800

I am looking for recent survey results or other data points on consumer resistance to, or acceptance of, downloading browser add-ons and other downloaded apps. In other words, to what extent is the download step itself a barrier to consumers acquiring add-ons and apps, because of perceived risks like viruses and privacy issues. Extra points for data that sorts this out across age and other demographic groups.

How to save streamed programs permanently?

Inner Universe — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:13:27 -0800

Can you save downloaded programs from 4oD onto your computer permanently? My sister (who lacks internet connection) is a big fan of Derren Brown, and hasn't seen a certain series of his work due to missing it when it was first broadcast. The particular series she wants to watch hasn't been released on DVD, and looks like it never will be either.

Being the kind sister that I am, I looked on the 4oD database to find that the entire series is there, and have offered to burn the series to DVD for her if I can. I know that to do such a thing is illegal, but none the less...

Is there any way to either copy the programs as they're streamed to my computer, or else to convert the temporary downloaded programs into something more permanent? I've tried file converters with no success (which I find unsurprising).

Blackberry Storm Downloads/App's

Direwolf — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:17:07 -0800

What are some cool downloads/applications for Blackberry Storm? I would prefer that they are free, but if they cost a little thats ok too. I don't have very many app's on my Blackberry yet and would like to get some good ones. I guess I would like to get good app's that provide music streaming, connections to resourceful news contacts like NPR, maybe some games, maybe some cool art, etc... Any ideas or suggestions would be great. Thanks!

How Do You Deal With An .SCR File That's A Likely Virus?

ProfLinusPauling — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:12:11 -0800

I downloaded a .scr file that was probably a virus. I was at least smart enough to trash the file instead of opening it, but is it likely that my computer is infected, anyway; that the file is executed merely by downloading it? (NOTE: This happened on a Macbook Pro.) Tragicomically Stupid Aspect, Offered For Your Amusement, You Helpful Ones:

I just got out of a bad relationship, and this .scr file was from a very dumb, desperate and ill-conceived foray into craigslist casual encounters.

Musical background advice

cameronfromedinburgh — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:26:25 -0800

Anyone point me towards some music that I can download and use to accompany the photographs that I'll be taking at my son's school sports day? I intend selling copies of the disc for a few pounds each to raise some money for school funds, so either copyright free or some sort of UK waiver would be essential. The music should be upbeat and appropriate for a sporting theme.

WTF do these internet download numbers mean?

arniec — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:56:04 -0800

Help me try and figure out how many times my podcast is being downloaded. I have requests, unique hosts, bytes downloaded, etc. but while I understand what each mean individually, I'm not sure which to "trust". Preface: I'm using Dreamhost and these stats are coming from their panel stat application, which is running Analog 6.0

For a specific example, let me focus on one of my recent podcasts (a single MP3 show, not a series of shows). This show is showing 11613 requests in my stats. This is a LOT higher than most of the shows in that domain (the more "regular" shows are about 200 requests give or take), and I expected this surge as the most recent show is about the new Star Trek movie and given that movie's popularity it makes sense this show would have more traffic.

But I had been assuming a request was able to be equated to a listener...give or take, I knew it wasn't exactly 1:1 given Google bots, etc. but I thought it was a close approximation. For example, when most shows have 200 requests and this one has almost 12,000 I figured I could take that as a 5000% boost in popularity...

But then I looked at distinct hosts served and I'm only seeing a number of 3,216. Given how drastically different 3,216 is from 12,000 I thought something was up and dug deeper.

In the stats it then shows me the total data transfer for that domain for the month (144.27 GB) and it shows that the Star Trek episode has drawn 27.9% of my bandwidth for the month, so about 40GB. Dividing that 40GB by my file size (45mb) I figure I've only gotten about 917 downloads... again a HUGELY different number than 12,000.

However for one of the shows with 200 "requests", the math shows about 100 downloads... So I don't get why most of the shows would be off by 100%, but the show that should be most popular DOES have the most popular requests, but that number is off by 1300%.

Any ideas?

BSG SD Good Enough for Me

whitewall — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:03:11 -0800

How do clear purchased but unwanted items off my iTunes "Downloads Available" list? Ever time I launch the application, it automatically starts downloading unwanted HD versions of tv episodes. Macworld's forums has a good formulation of this exact question. As a note, I've tried deleting/fiddling with the "list.plist" file in the "Downloads" folder; every time I restart iTunes, though, the file just recreates itself.

OSX, if relevant.

Thank you, brainy/techy ones!

How do I get iTunes to stop downloading?

chinese_fashion — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:42:55 -0800

How can I remove unwanted downloads from my iTunes queue so they won't get in the way of the stuff I do want? Every time I buy an HD version of a TV program from iTunes, I get saddled with the SD download as well. It's very considerate and all, but I actually don't want those versions. Now, every time I connect to the store to try and get a different program, the store automatically resumes all the TV downloads I keep trying to stop. It's getting to where I can't clear those out of the way and iTunes is telling me that my disk is full.

How do I stop this? I just wanna get some copies of Mad Men to watch with my gf tonight, and would like the Lost episodes I've already seen to step out of the way.

Help with stopped downloads.

Beaufort — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:36:50 -0800

My Mother-in-Law's computer stops downloading files at about the 2.5 -3.MB point no matter what the size of file. Example, she attempts to download Picasa from google and the first 2.5-3 MB downloads, but then the rest of the 9MB file quits. It is not just Picasa, but any file over 3-4 MB. This happens in FireFox, Explorer and Outlook express.
She uses Windows XP and has plenty of free hard drive space. Any solutions?
Thanks!.

Or should I just torrent it and throw coins at them on stage?

nowonmai — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:15:48 -0800

How much money does an artist get when I buy their music online? What amount of money goes to an artist if I buy an album on eMusic, iTunes or Amazon? How does it compare to what they make from a CD sale? Assume the artist is a moderately unpopular rock band signed to a small but well-meaning indie label; will they get more or less of my money than than somebody on a major label?
Do artists get anything at all from subscription services like Rhapsody? Or if I just play their tracks on Last.fm?
Is buying the music from MySpace any better?
I'm hoping somebody here might be on the receiving end of such payments and let me know whether it would negatively impact them if I downloaded their music without paying rather than acquiring it legitimately from eMusic or Rhapsody, where it's so cheap I can't imagine them getting much for it.

Ecommerce Solution

Nonce — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:39:41 -0800

What is the simplest option for selling access to a bundle of files and/or section of a website? I don't mind if I have to pay, but I want something where people can purchase access to a collection of web pages and/or files.

Thing GOG, where you purchase the game and have immediate access to the game download, the .pdf manual, some extras like a wallpaper or two, etc.

Or The Intergalactic Medicine Show, where you can log in and read the stories in a given issue after you purchase it.

I've messed around with ZenCart, and it's stupid difficult (or at least it seems that way to me), and it's not set up to allow access to webpages, either--just some very clunky file download options.

Something that would integrate easily with Wordpress would be awesome, but that's not necessary.

Does Expression Engine's simple e-commerce module allow for functionality like this?

Simplicity and theming are important. Free is not important. I'd be wiling to pay a small amount--under $200--for software or programming. Recurring costs, though, should be minimal or nonexistent. Paypal is fine as sole or primary payment mechanism.

Is there a solution that's ready to go?

Offline computer games to bring to exotic places

mateuslee — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:07:35 -0800

Where can I find some downloadable offline games for young people? I’m looking for simple, fun games I can download to a laptop which are easy to learn, do not require much RAM/memory, and are easy to play on a laptop. For example, Tetris, Bejeweled, etc. Please no card games or games relating to gambling.

I’m preparing for a trip to Peru in just a few weeks where I will be doing some fieldwork with indigenous populations. Many of the young people there travel every so often to nearby cities and so know what a computer game is, last time I came there they asked if my laptop had anything fun on it (it didn’t, aside from mindsweeper which, let’s face it, is not so entertaining). As I am bringing some solar cells this time, I thought it may be interesting to download some games. It will help those young people and teens feel more comfortable around me and give me a chance to get to know some of them better. I think it’ll be a sort of ice-breaker.

Please don’t judge me for this approach. I’m not damaging their culture or anything, rather sharing an aspect of our society with them. I’ll also bring documentaries, books, and so on. This is just one component!

Googling keywords just brings up way too much noise…

Thanks!

10th Accident font?

catatethebird — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:34:40 -0800

Help me find this font! I reinstalled Windows XP a while ago and just realized I lost all of my fonts. The one I'm looking for is (I am almost positive) called 10th Accident. Haven't been able to find it anywhere.

Here's what it looks like:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a346/thea_na/10thaccident.jpg

I downloaded it years ago from the creator's website, I believe his first name was Tom.

Anyone have this font or know how to find it?

How to do pay per .pdf

jabo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:30:30 -0800

How can I set up pay per .pdf on our website? We currently sell items on our website using Paypal and are contemplating selling digital instructions via .pdf files that a customer could download after purchasing. I would prefer something that is easy to implement since I'm not a programmer.

I've found Payloadz.com which seems to fit the bill but I'd like to learn more. Is there anyone else that offers this service so I can compare? How hard would it be to set up myself? Is there a good web reference / tutorial that can educate me on how this works?

Finally, is there any way to prevent unauthorized copying and selling besides a stern warning?

Free Wii Downloads?

doorsfan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:51:26 -0800

Has anyone tried Feed My Wii? Seems to good to be true. Seems to good to be true. If Nintendo sends out a software update will it brick my wii or remove feed my wii? Has anyone tried it? I can't seem to find concrete reviews online.

How to download website directory?

abdulf — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:01:03 -0800

I'm trying to download from links en masse, any software solutions? I'm trying to download files and links from a website "directory". It sorta looks like this. I guess it's directory made with html links.

Wish I could just drag and drop the folders.

I found a website copying program but it doesn't handle spaces in the address very well. Any ideas besides having to manually click each link by hand?

How common are pay for download warez scams?

figTree — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:01:49 -0800

Are warez sites that are a "one time payment for unlimited downloads" basically all a scam? I was bumping around the net yesterday and was running into a lot of warez sites that all want a one time payment of about 5 bucks for unlimited downloads from their database. I'll skip any example links, but im sure anyone could find this type of thing.

So what is the deal with these types of warez sites? Are they any more or less "safe" than a normal piratebay type torrent site?

I assume they just charge more than they say they will for whatever small print reason - I mean, why would anyone have trust in such a site? But i would also assume that they actually deliver some sort of product.

I am generally fascinated by the warez world as it is something that is quite paradoxical. Its hard to find any sort of valid theoretical discussion about them anywhere, yet they exist a dime a dozen. I guess its mostly young high school guys that keep most of it in motion - but thats only an assumption. So i guess my follow up question is if anyone knows of good resources that talk more theory and academic discussions on warez in general? Anytime I try to search for this sort of thing, all i get is actual warez download sites. Thanks!

Researching going legit with dubiously sourced music collection

superfurry — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:55:59 -0800

Legitimizing iTunes Library. I have *ahem* a friend. This friend has a reasonably large digital music collection being managed by iTunes on a Mac. He would like to understand the cost of ensuring this collection is 100% legal, having realized that the vast majority of it is not. Purely out of curiosity, this *ahem* friend, has decided that maybe it would be a worthwhile thing to look into the cost of legitimately purchasing all the music in his digital collection. When this friend thinks about the fact that his largely ill-gotten music is being managed by iTunes, and that the iTunes Store probably 'stocks' a large proportion of this music, there might be a cool iTunes plugin that can do some amazing trick to give him a very good idea what the cost would be of purchasing all this music. Seems like a great opportunity for Apple to develop something like this.

Is there such a thing ? No matter whether it uses the iTunes Store, Amazon, etc.

It should be a plugin for iTunes or some other clever techy thing rather than manually doing an album count and then working it out from there.

Would also be ideal if it were OS X compatible.

Selling MP3 Downloads

krunk — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:25:43 -0800

What's the best way to sell mp3 downloads? I run a website for an indie musician who'd like to setup a shop for his tunes. This question has been asked a couple times, but that was almost 2 years ago and I hope that things have improved since then.

I'm currently using 1-2-3 Music Store, but it is buggy, barely functional, has a horrible user interface, and isn't very customizable.

I've seen some shops for digital sales, but I'd like to be able to organize things specifically for music, with tracks grouped by album, for example.

Please suggest some great house music mixes.

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:01:16 -0800

Please point me in the direction of some outstanding house music mixes. I'm looking for full-set live mixes by DJs of various artists. My taste skews to artists from the late 90s and early 2000s with a heavy dose of French, and I like it really upbeat without being campy. My favorites include Etienne De Crecy, Cosmo Vitelli, Mylo, Daft Punk, Supa Channel, Dance or Die, Cassius, Kid Loco, Justice. I'm looking for mixes I can download for free, please. Thanks for any suggestions.

Good apps for the iPhone?

psmealey — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:55:00 -0800

What are some good downloadable apps for the iPhone and where can I find them? I just bought one 2 weeks ago and I love it, I haven't been too impressed with the apps I have found in the usual locations. Is it just too soon or have any of y'all found any gems? Entertainment, organization or business apps are all good.

I want my obscure 80's

pointystick — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:42:34 -0800

Sometimes I can’t find what I want at the local House o’ Used CD’s or on iTunes. What are your favorite sources for (legally) obtaining music? I’m a big fan of 70’s and 80’s music* Most of the music on my iPod is either ripped from my own CD collection or downloaded from iTunes but I want more. More disco, more new wave, more obscure soundtracks… Alas, I am far from expert about the ways of music downloading.

- I don’t mind paying – although cheaper is better, of course.
- IANAL but I’m presuming that even if a CD is out-of-print that doesn’t mean one can just download it willy-nilly.

I’m sure they’re other things to consider as well as finding sources so I bow to the superior knowledge of my fellow meFites.

* yes I like cheesy music- trying to be brave by not posting anon!

Is there more to TV online than iTunes?

dpcoffin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:28:15 -0800

I wanna download TV to watch on my TV; where do I learn... How?

OK, I’m liking iTunes for commercial-free TV viewing a LOT, and gonna go for an Apple TV (don’t really care about the movie rentals so far; Netflix working fine for that...) but hating how little seems to be available, how I can’t tell when or where any given show is going to be available, willing but not geeky or young enough to understand how to use bitTorrent or Usenet or even Unison, or make sense of any online “explanations” so far found, don’t know if there’s any way to get streaming episodes to be viewable or worth viewing on my HD TV...Sheesh, I guess I’m Lost. And on a Mac, btw.

Where’s my downloading for duffer dummies resource and/or my one-stop overview of legal options and offerings while I wait for this industry to get its act together?