X

Zen without the (FM) harmony

Creative removes FM recording feature

Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
Molly Wood

Despite the cheerful existence of VCRs, DVRs, and DVD recorders, apparently the music industry still doesn't buy the whole "recording broadcasts is fair use" argument. And since they tend to have a lot of influence (if not friends), the RIAA has succeeded in getting Creative to disable an advertised feature of the Creative Zen Vision:M--namely, FM recording. The latest firmware update to the Zen Vision:M removes the FM recording feature of the device, and according to some forum users, tech support has responded thusly: "With regards to your enquiry, you may like to know that the FM recording feature is removed due to licensing issues." As is so often the case, technology marches forward, and industry marches backward.

(Photo: Creative Technology)