Karaoke Forums

Alan, the people that can (and will) hack this has more brains than you, me, chartbusters, and innvincon put together. What makes you think they need me for ideas?

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Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

Seriously, that is naive thinking. Heh, the hacker pirates need me for ideas. Your brilliance blinds me Alan.

Oh wait, that wasn't your brilliance, it was your Tin Foil hat. Man, that tin foil is shiny.

Well I have to admit that the idea is very interesting and ingenious... but very silly at the same time.

Hacking aside (which, I totally agree is completely possible, and probable) What would sell me on the idea is if CompuHost wasn't forced on you, and there was an alternate internal program that could unlock songs, with CompuHost as an option.

I just sent them a few questions, with the biggest asking if it's true that CompuHost isn't included... That still makes me wanna bang my head against the wall .

Well many of us are anxiously awaiting to hear how it goes and how you like it.

yeah, I'd realized we had gone past the limit, but a) I didn't think anyone was reading the thread anymore and b) I don't like being called ignorant for disagreeing with some one. Call me disagreeable, tell me why I'm wrong, but don't tell me I'm ignorant.

Just start a new thread when you report back on your experience with the new HD.

Alan, I'm sorry. I've decided for the greater good of the karaoke community, it should be I that wears a tin foil hat, since these HACKERS are running the mind control sattelites orbiting in LEO.

So to prevent THE HACKERS from reading my thoughts, I have constructed tin foil hats for myself, and my family (since they hear me talk about this stuff all the time, I didn't want to chance it)


My daughter has also volunteered for the cause. She's only 5, but she says "Our Father" every night before bed, and understands that THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.


Finally we come to my 2 year old (next week) son. He just likes mimicking what everyone else does for fun, but hey, fun and good for the karaoke scene right?


I'll follow this post up with pictures of the many stylish fashions we have created. For example, we have the "The Amish", which comes with a full chin guard and a wide brimmed hat. For the Cathlolic in you, we have "The Pope" and for the Hasidics out there, we have the "Yamaka and Curls" version.

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Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

I just read every post in the thread, didn't see the word ignorant anywhere.

_________________
Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

!!

That.... just made my day.

I guess you reread it too eh Krisk?

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Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

It is an interesting idea...I do have a couple questions on this....

A person has to use CH to unlock the songs... but after you've unlocked the songs do you have to use it as your software to play the songs?

After the songs have been unlocked can it be downloaded onto the HD of the computer or is it unlocked within the external?

Where can a person see a list all of Chartbuster songs or the 11,000? Couldn't find it on the website...

thank You

at the foil hats toqer!!!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Ya you got it right. You have to buy the hard drive, and buy compuhost to unlock the songs. Then you can transfer them off the USB drive to wherever, and run whatever software you want on them.

Point is you NEED compuhost, and need to PAY for this hard drive. Makes sense if you're already a CH customer (maybe)

What would make more sense (even though the entire auth scheme is garbage) would be to (edit)GIVE a seperate "unlock" program, completely seperate from CH. along with the hard drive.

toqer, re the tinfoil hats: You have way too much time on your hands. Oh, wait a minute, I just did the phonetics on your handle. hmmm, starting to get a glimpse ...



The word's not there but the sentiment is. such as "I'll save you the lecture on how private/public keypair encryption works."

"You have some general understanding..."

No big deal. I'm old and used to young whippersnappers with lots of gall. From the looks of your photo, I've been programming longer than you've been breathing. Which makes me a mainframer, not a PC nor security expert. Although, I did start using PGP for my emails around 1990 or so.

I would venture that ChartBuster and Compuhost spent more than 1000 times the man hours you and I have exploring these security concerns and solutions. I still hope they have it locked up tight. It doesn't have to be impossible to hack, as long as it takes 4 or 5 years. Only time will tell.

later -

Obviously using CH as the software would be in your best interest because if you were doing a show and someone requested a song you've have to unlock it through CH and then transfer it to your software (which might be a pain) to be able to play it for them on the spot... Hmmmm

Sweet, good thing I got those tin foil caps on, you're obviously some kind of mindreader, or a witch, we'll do the float test, if you float, you're wood, a duck, (neither of which you are obviously) or a witch!


In the words of Janet Jackson, What have you done lately? I've done autokdj in case you don't know. Nice of you to throw the age card down.



I don't know about that.

In the 90's the companies I worked for sent me to both blackhat (defcon) and whitehat training (MSCE, Netware, and Linux certs) I'm not the greatest programmer, but I have a keen skill at keeping systems running, scripting, etc.

Everything I've been talking about was developed by companies with way more man hours and dollars spent than CB or CH could ever hope to.

_________________
Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

Here's another thing to consider nylla..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_through_obscurity

Read that wiki article. It's a proven fact that security through obscurity always ends up a no-win situation.

_________________
Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

If you go to to Compuhost's site there is a more detailed explaination of how the drive works and BTW according to the FAQ section it will work outside of Compuhost in other programs. The HD is
500G

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

For me it is a great way to do song updates. I already use CH and instead of ordering custome disc and having top go pick them up (i live 20min for CB) or going to their retail location and picking up the monthly discs just to have 1 or 2 songs I need on each disc at a cost of $15 per disc and gas to drive there i can now jus with a few clicks have just the songs i need at my disposal. I will also use it as an on demand at my shows, only paying for the songs my singers ask for that I don't have.

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

I don't think they are forcing you to do anything. If this delivery system isn't to your liking then by all means continue buy the tracks (CDs) in the legal way you have in the past. Don't complain that CB is partnered with CH. That software has and is being used by many successful kjs. CB has found a solution to a issue many of us have, by not being able to legally purchase their branded product on a song by song basis.

I can answer the question you have asked CB. No, CH isn't included with the HD. You will have to purchase it seperate. Look at it this way, it is a cost of doing business.

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

I am guessing that people that want to do things the wrong way will continue to do things the wrong way. If someone is intent on stealing, they don't even need to purchase the hard drive and compuhost. Why bother going to that expense to buy it and time to hack it when it seems that they can get all the tracks they want already on the internet somewhere.

I don't doubt someone will hack it, though. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but i'm sure they will just to show how "smart" they are. So they hacked something they didn't need to to save themselves some money that they weren't going to spend anyway. Sounds like a productive use of their time to me.

They may be computer smart, but they could use a lesson on time management and opportunity cost. But plenty of people waste a lot of time to save a few bucks.

this appears to be a good way for someone that wants to do things legally at an affordable start up cost.