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Australia

Minister’s letter reveals details of allegations against opposition leader

Minister's letter reveals details of allegations against opposition leader

Munz told News Corp: “I do not know how many people received this unsolicited and unwanted email, but when I got it, I rejected it out of hand.”

Guy told nervous MPs in the Liberal party room that the swift resignation of his top adviser would clear the decks and allow the Coalition to continue criticizing the government’s record on integrity, which the opposition was planning to make a central campaign issue before the November election.

Mitch Catlin.

Mitch Catlin.Credit:Tash Sorensen

However, some MPs expressed concern about the political impact of the revelations and in a meeting of Coalition MPs former leader Michael O’Brien spoke up about the importance of integrity.

Addressing the media on Tuesday morning, Guy said Catlin offered his resignation even though the contract was never signed, and he denied forwarding the email to the donor.

Credit:Matt Golding

Guy also committed to introducing a code of conduct for his advisers, which Dr Catherine Williams from the Center for Public Integrity previously flagged as “a gaping hole in Victoria’s integrity framework”.

“I value integrity,” Guy said. “We didn’t do this. We didn’t agree to this. Nothing was signed. There was nothing signed.

“We value integrity, which is why Mitch has resigned today despite signing and agreeing to nothing.”

Asked whether the proposed payments were linked to Catlin’s employment as his chief of staff, Guy said “of course that was part of the discussion”.

“But the point is that it was not considered transparent enough… and nothing was ever [acted] on,” he said. “Mitch and I believed it was better to have everyone employed through the [regular] budget, which is what it is today.”

The Age on Tuesday reported details of a proposed agreement for a donor, who rejected the proposal, to pay $8,333 a month to Catlin’s private marketing company, Catchy Media Marketing and Management, for services as a contractor described as “supporting business interests”.

“Hey MG. Attached is the proposed agreement between [the donor] and Catchy Media Marketing and Management,” Catlin wrote in an email, obtained by TheAge, to Guy’s private Hotmail address. “It’s as per the original email agreement between you and me. Can I leave you to forward onto him?”

Speaking under parliamentary privilege on Tuesday, which protects MPs from defamation action, Pearson claimed Guy and Catlin had conspired to subvert the state’s strict donation laws.

“[It was a] scheme designed to donate to the Liberals through sham contracts … This person cannot be trusted,” he said.

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“It’s up to the authorities to investigate this matter and do their job.”

In addition to IBAC, the government asked Victoria Police, the Victorian Electoral Commission, the Victorian Ombudsman and the Australian Federal Police to look into the matter.

Guy said the government’s request for authorities to investigate the matter was a “desperate attempt from a tired, corrupt and arrogant government to distract from its own integrity failings”.

He said he would fully co-operate with any investigation and “will not waste taxpayer money to block the work of integrity agencies and cover-up the truth. Unlike Daniel Andrews, I will increase, not cut, the funding and powers of the ombudsman and the IBAC.”

In Pearson’s letter to Redlich, he asks that IBAC consider whether Guy and Catlin’s proposal could have constituted corruption as outlined in the IBAC Act of 2011 if it:

  • Adversely affects the honest performance of the function of a public officer;
  • constitutes or involves the dishonest performance of functions as a public officer;
  • Constitutes or involves a public officer knowingly or recklessly breaching public trust;
  • Constitutes a conspiracy or attempt to engage in such conduct

Further, Pearson wrote that the proposal may have breached the Electoral Act of 2002, which prohibits “entering into” a scheme to circumvent donation laws.

The Victorian Electoral Commission posted on social media on Tuesday that it was “aware of recent issues raised regarding political donations being potentially disguised as alternate payments or funding to political entities”. It did not name any individual MPs or staff.

“We take the regulation of political donations very seriously and have commenced preliminary inquiries into these issues. In the lead-up to state election, we’ll continue to monitor and follow up on activities that may constitute an offense against the Electoral Act, including where a person appears to have entered into a scheme to avoid donation disclosure and reporting requirements.”

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Integrity experts told The Age that if the proposed contract was acted upon and was determined to be a donation, it could breach the state’s $4,210 cap on donations.

Former opposition leader Michael O’Brien, an ex-barrister, said during the meeting of Liberal MPs on Tuesday that opposition MPs and staff often took pay cuts to be involved in politics because it was a service to the public.

On Tuesday afternoon, O’Brien tweeted: “Sick of dodgy politics? So am I. It’s why I’ll fight for more power and more funding for our anti-corruption watchdogs.”

Coalition MPs expressed nervousness about the potential political damage that could be caused by the episode. In particular, they were worried that Guy was susceptible to attacks on political integrity because of the “lobster with a mobster” dinner, where he dined with an alleged mafia boss, and scandals as a planning minister in the Baillieu-Napthine government.

Federal Liberals were also worried if Guy could withstand any further revelations about his involvement in the proposed arrangement with Catlin.

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Categories
US

Alex Jones Has a Really Crappy Day at His Sandy Hook Defamation Trial

Alex Jones Has a Really Crappy Day at His Sandy Hook Defamation Trial

For a man so up in arms about being thrust in front of a “kangaroo court,” Alex Jones appears to be trying his hardest to make a mockery of the ongoing defamation suit brought against him by Sandy Hook parents.

The final afternoon of testimony in Jones’ two-week trial got off to a rocky start on Tuesday, with the judge presiding over the Austin case reprimanding the notorious conspiracy theorist as he appeared to chew something in court.

“Spit your gum out, Mr. Jones,” said Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, eyeing Jones grimly from behind the bench.

“It’s not gum,” the far-right broadcaster retort immediately. Jones claimed that he’d had a tooth pulled late last month, and that he was massaging the hole in his mouth with his tongue.

“Would you like me to show ya?” he asked, leaning in.

“…I don’t want to see the inside of your mouth,” Gamble said, admonishing him to “sit down.”

The terse exchange came after a morning of emotional testimony from plaintiff Neil Heslin, the father of 6-year-old shooting victim Jesse Lewis. Heslin and Lewis’ mother, Scarlett Lewis, are seeking at least $150 million from Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, in compensatory damages. (Free Speech Systems filed for federal bankruptcy protection last week, according to the Austin American-Statesmanthough this is not expected to impact the trial.)

The parents contend in their 2018 lawsuit that Jones baselessly claimed the massacre was a hoax orchestrated by the government, dragging them—and other Sandy Hook families—through years of harassment and pain.

“I can’t even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,” Heslin said.

Jones was not present in court during Heslin’s testimony, the Associated Press reported. Heslin criticized his absence from him, calling it “cowardly.”

“Today is very important to me and it’s been a long time coming… to face Alex Jones for what he said and did to me. To restore the honor and legacy of my son,” he said.

Jones went so far as to take potshots at the families from afar, calling them “pawns” in an episode of his Infowars show that aired Tuesday, according to Media Matters for America.

Later in the episode, an aggrieved Jones blasted Gamble and the lawyers representing Lewis’ parents, calling them “caricatures of what you would imagine in some alternate universe of dwarf goblins.”

“It’s demonic,” he added. “They all act demonically possessed. The judge, the lawyers. It’s surreal to be around them. And it makes you feel sorry for them because these people are committed to occult ideology of the new world order.”

Footage from the episode was introduced by the prosecution in court later that same day, while Scarlett Lewis was on the stand. She was asked how the clip made her feel, and she leveled her gaze at Jones, who had arrived at the Texas courthouse at that point.

“It’s horrible. Horrific. Horrific,” she said, according to the Independent.

Jones, who has attempted to spin the complaint against him as an attack on his First Amendment rights, had rolled up to the courthouse after the morning session. A piece of duct tape covering his mouth had the phrase “Save the 1st” plastered across it.

To reporters outside, Jones raged against Judge Gamble, accusing her of rigging the trial. “All I did was speculate and ask questions—I have a right to do that,” he smoked.

Jones is expected to testify as the defense’s only witness later on Tuesday.

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Categories
Business

Appen (ASX:APX) shares sink to lowest point in almost five years

Appen (ASX:APX) shares sink to lowest point in almost five years

“Longer term, we’re banking on what we believe is a very strong trend around AI and a very strong need for AI training data,” Brayan said.

Analysts, including Citi’s Siraj Ahmed, flagged potential negative surprises last month, citing digital advertising weakness and Facebook, Appen’s largest customer, transitioning to a new AI engine.

Wilsons Equity Research analyst Ross Barrows said the downgrade was worse than its below-market forecasts.

“Today’s downgrade again reiterates Appen’s ‘Achilles’ heel’ – high levels of project-based work from a small number of concentrated clients, noting that it was a tailwind in its early years,” he said.

“Today’s result and the second-half outlook suggests visibility remains challenging, and with no full-year guidance provided today, direction for the stock will be difficult between now and the full-year result in August.”

RBC Capital’s Garry Sherriff was also downbeat about the clouds around its immediate outlook.

“The de-rating of Appen is likely to continue in our view given multiple material downgrades and questions on revenue visibility and strategy.”

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Categories
Technology

AMD reference Ryzen 7000 system demoed with PCIe Gen5 SSD based on Micron 232-layer TLC memory

AMD reference Ryzen 7000 system demoed with PCIe Gen5 SSD based on Micron 232-layer TLC memory

PCIe Gen5 storage on AMD platform

At 2022 Flash Memory Summit AMD and Phison have demonstrated PCIe Gen5 SSD running on Ryzen 7000 platform, reports Tom’s Hardware.

This is not the first time Phison is showing off the speed of next-gen SSD storage. Around May this year, the company showcased its PS5026-E26 PCIe controller attached to ASUS X670 Hero ROG motherboard. There, the SSD offered up to 12 GB/s of sequential read and up to 10 GB/s write speed.

AMD Ryzen 7000 system with Phison PCIe Gen5 SSD, Source: Tom’s Hardware/Future

The new demo at Flash Memory Summit does not have any PCIe riser card, it is straight up connected to the M.2 slot and running off the available PCIe Gen5 lanes from the CPU. Furthermore, it is based on Micron 232-layer B58R TLC technology which is still in the tuning phase. For this reason the read and write speed is actually lower than in previous demos (reaching up to 10 GB/s).

This new TLC flash memory is currently running at 1600 MT/s, however it should reach 2000 MT/s, which should eventually enable 12/11 GB/s sequential read/write speeds.

AMD Ryzen 7000 system with Phison PCIe Gen5 SSD, Source: Tom’s Hardware/Future

It is said that the AMD Ryzen 7000 reference platform that pictured above featured an undisclosed Ryzen CPU with OPN code of “100-000000593-20_Y”. As it turns out, we already know what CPU this is thanks to this leak. The CPU was Ryzen 5 7600X 6-core Raphael CPU with Zen4 microarchitecture.

AMD X670 and B650 motherboards will both support PCIe Gen5 M.2 storage. The company is also set to launch X670E and B650E chipsets which will additionally enable Gen5 interface for GPUs. For now, no Gen5 storage and gaming GPUs are available, however this is likely to change in the fourth quarter as both Intel and AMD release their new platforms.

Source: Tom’s Hardware



Categories
Entertainment

Full Trailer: “Star Wars: Andor”

Full Trailer Star Wars Andor

Full Trailer Star Wars Andor
lucasfilm

Lucasfilm has released the full-length trailer and official poster for its new “Star Wars: Andor” series, along with announcing a slight delay.

Instead of premiering with the first two episodes on August 31st as originally planned, the series will now debut with three episodes on September 21st on the Disney+ service.

The series will focus on “Rogue One” character Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire, a time five years before the events of ‘A New Hope’, and how people and planets became involved.

It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero. Genevieve OReilly, Stellan Skarsgard, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough and Kyle Soller also star.

Tony Gilroy is the creator and showrunner and executive produces alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. The show’s first season will consist of twelve episodes with a second season of another twelve episodes already in the works.

Categories
Sports

Former recruiter calls out Crows criticism, claims they’re “way better” than competition thinks

Former recruiter calls out Crows criticism, claims they're “way better” than competition thinks

Former AFL recruiter Matt Rendell believes Adelaide has been underrated by the footy media and is far better than their current ladder position.

The Crows upset Carlton in Round 20 to the tune of 29 points to move into 15th on the ladder with six wins after seven victories last season.

Given the lack of improvement year on year for the developing list, the Crows have faced criticism throughout 2022.

David King recently described the list as “more than poor” when suggesting Matthew Nicks won’t see out the club’s rebuild.

The North Melbourne champion also described Carlton’s loss as an “arrogant” performance, but Rendell believes that doesn’t give Nicks’ men due credit.

“I read that about broken tackles and all that from their (Carlton) senior players,” Rendell began.

“I’m not sure about the arrogance… but the Crows have been playing like this for quite a while.

“High tempo, lots of pressure, numbers around the ball, they are a dangerous side to play against.

“The Swans even felt it last week. They kicked nine goals to two in the first quarter, it (the margin) got back to three goals and the Swans were panicking.

“I think Kingy, because he’s potted their list unmercifully, I think he’s underestimated the Crows.

“I reckon they’re way better than their position on the ladder.”

Rendell also paid tribute to the development of key defenders Jordan Butts and Nick Murray, who played on Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow respectively in the win.

The Blues duo kicked three goals between them and largely didn’t influence the contest, with Rendell going as far to suggest Murray was a “future All-Australian*.

The former recruiter further paid homage to Ben Keays’ role on Adam Saad, with the rebounding Blue having minimal impact due to the tag.

“Adelaide did something to Carlton that no one has done all year, and it really bamboozled them,” Rendell added.

“They put Keays onto Saad… Saad had no idea how to play on Keays.

“Keays is really fit and a runner, Saad’s endurance is not his strength… a really interesting move, I’m going to watch and see if other clubs do this.

“Keays was virtually best on ground I would have thought.”

Adelaide plays three winnable games to finish the season, starting with West Coast in what will be Josh Kennedy’s final game.





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Categories
Australia

Brush turkeys are spreading across Sydney but how the bird crossed the harbor is a mystery

A close-up of a brush turkey

After a decades-long absence, brush turkeys are reclaiming Sydney’s inner-city and southern suburbs, but not everyone has welcomed the distinctive birds back.

From the odd sighting south of the Sydney Harbor Bridge a few years ago, brush turkeys are now widespread.

Research ecologist Matthew Hall told ABC Radio Sydney it was only a matter of time before the native birds returned to the areas they once inhabited before hunting, land clearing and introduced species threatened their survival.

“They’ve been slowly coming back. But we’ve been taken by surprise just how fast they’re spreading into the city,” Mr Hall told Cassie McCullagh on Mornings.

A brush turkey walks across a fence in Summer Hill in Sydney's inner-west.
Brush turkeys are thriving thanks to their ability to adapt to the urban environment.(ABC Radio Sydney: Rosemary Bolger)

On the brink of extinction in the 1930s, some birds took refuge in national parks in the north and north-west.

Since hunting brush turkeys were outlawed, their numbers have increased steadily on the northern beaches and surrounds.

But many residents south of the Sydney Harbor Bridge are seeing the birds in their backyards and parks for the first time.

How did brush turkeys cross the harbour?

Researchers may have predicted the population would expand, but one question has them scratching their heads.

Given the harbor separates the city’s north and south, how did the brush turkey get to the other side?

“It truly is a mystery,” Dr John Martin, research scientist at Taronga Zoo, said.

“These birds do not fly very well, so flying hundreds of meters across the harbor or across the [Parramatta River] is just not something they are capable of.”

Brush turkeys cross the road in Gladesville in Sydney's Lower North Shore.
Brush turkeys cross the road in Gladesville on Sydney’s Lower North Shore.(Supplied: Paula Marchant)

One theory is that residents in the north wanting to rid their backyards of the pesky bird may have captured them, driven them across the bridge and released them into new territory.

They may have come down from existing populations in the Blue Mountains or up from Wollongong, which may explain sightings on the city’s southern fringes.

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Categories
US

Grieving father erupts at Parkland school shooter’s trial

Grieving father erupts at Parkland school shooter's trial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A grieving father erupted in anger Tuesday as he told jurors about the daughter Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz murdered along with 16 others four years ago, his voice rising as he recounted her “infectious laugh that I can only get to watch now on TikTok videos.”

Dr. Ilan Alhadeff’s emotional testimony about his 14-year-old daughter Alyssa marked a second day of tears as families, one after another, took the witness stand to give heartrending statements about their loved ones who died at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

He and his wife, Lori, described Alyssa’s role as captain of her soccer team, the friend others always turned to for advice or a shoulder to cry on, and her plans to become a business lawyer. He cried as he recounted how he will not dance with his daughter de ella at her wedding de ella or see the children she would have had.

“My first-born daughter, daddy’s girl was taken from me!” yelled Alhadeff, an internal medicine physician. “I get to watch my friends, my neighbors, colleagues spend time enjoying their daughters, enjoying all the normal milestones, taking in the normal joys and I only get to watch videos or go to the cemetery to see my daughter.”

He said one of Alyssa’s two younger brothers was too young to comprehend her death when it happened, but now “asks to go see his sister at the cemetery from time to time.”

“This is not normal!” he said angrily.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder in October; the trial is only to determine whether he is sentenced to death or life without parole. Over the two days of family statements, he has shown little emotion, even as several of his attorneys wiped away tears and Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer’s voice broke when she gave directions. He mostly stars straight ahead or looks down at the table where he sits.

As one family testifies, others sob in the gallery while awaiting their turn. When finished, they stay to lend support. They exchange packets of tissues, shoulder rubs and, when breaks come, hugs. Some jurors wipe away tears, but most sit stoically.

Some families had statements read for them. The mother of 14-year-old Martin Duque wrote that while he was born in Mexico, he wanted to become a US Navy Seal. The wife of assistant football coach Aaron Feis wrote that he was a doting father to their young daughter and a mentor to many young people.

The mother of 16-year-old Carmen Schentrup wrote that she was a straight-A student whose letter announcing she was a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship arrived the day after she died. She wanted to be a doctor who researched amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Shara Kaplan sobbed as she told the jurors of her two sons’ sadness that they weren’t there to protect their little sister, 18-year-old Meadow Pollack.

Luke Hoyer’s mom, Gina, said the 15-year-old was her “miracle baby,” her “Lukey Bear.” She said he yelled down that Valentine’s Day morning to thank her for the card and Skittles she’d placed in her bathroom. The gifts stayed there for a year. His father, Tom, said he never saw his son that morning, but he yelled up “Have a good day” as he hurried to work. “That is the kind of exchange you have when you think you have tomorrow,” he said.

Fred Guttenberg, who has become a national advocate for tighter gun laws, said he regrets that the last words he said to his 14-year-old daughter Jaime weren’t “I love you” but instead, “You gotta go, you are going to be late” as he pushed her and her older brother out the door that morning. He said his son is angry with him for telling him to run when he called in a panic to say there was a gunman at the school instead of having him find his sister, even though it would have made no difference.

His wife, Jennifer Guttenberg, said that while her daughter was known for her competitive dancing, she volunteered with the Humane Society and with special needs children. She planned to be a pediatric physical therapist.

Annika Dworet, her husband Mitch sitting somberly at her side, told the jurors about their son Nick, who was 17 when he died. A star swimmer, he had accepted a scholarship to the University of Indianapolis and was training in hopes of competing for his mother’s native Sweden in the 2020 Olympics. His younger brother of him, Alex, was wounded in the shooting.

“He was always inclusive of everyone. On his last evening with us, he spent time speaking to the younger kids on the swim team, giving them some pointers,” she said.

But now, she said, “our hearts will forever be broken.”

“We will always live with excruciating pain. We have an empty bedroom in our house. There is an empty chair at our dining table. Alex will never have a brother to talk or hang out with. They will never again go for a drive, blasting very loud music. We did not get to see Nick graduate from high school or college. We will never see him getting married.

“We will always hesitate before answering the question, ‘How many kids do you have?’”

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Categories
Business

Interest rate rises push property prices lower by up to $250,000

Interest rate rises push property prices lower by up to $250,000

House prices in Melbourne’s inner east dropped $107,500, while the median in Brisbane’s west fell $50,000.

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Sydney’s eastern suburbs and the Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury region led unit declines in dollar terms, down $90,000 and $55,000. Prices also dropped more than $55,000 in Hobart and the Coffs Harbor and Grafton region.

Powell said price declines would continue to spread. The full impact of rate hikes had yet to be seen, and buyer demand would be further tested by an expected increase in homes for sale in spring.

Home buyer lending pulled back in June after the second cash-rate rise. The value of new owner-occupier loans dropped 3.3 per cent, and was 9.6 per cent lower than a year ago, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday show.

Lending to first home buyers fell 10 per cent and was down 29 per cent year on year, while investor lending fell 6.3 per cent in June but was up 17.3 per cent over the year.

Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan said the impact of rising rates in an already cooling market had been rapid. Areas with higher property prices had been most sensitive to increases, but the slowdown in prices was spreading and the full impact had yet to be seen.

Home buyer lending pulled back in June after the second cash rate rise.

Home buyer lending pulled back in June after the second cash rate rise.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascuí

Hassan expects the cash rate to peak at 3.35 per cent in February, and property prices nationally to decline 16 per cent from peak to trough, with Sydney and Melbourne to see falls closer to 18 per cent. Hobart and regional areas that had unprecedented growth throughout the pandemic, partly based on temporary shifts in population, may also be in for a hard landing.

Hassan said most households had substantial savings buffers that would put them in good stead to handle higher mortgage repayments. However, it would be a delicate balance for the RBA to slow demand and inflation while not triggering widespread problems for the housing sector.

Raine & Horne Lower North Shore partner Alex Banning said prices were correcting after a period of enormous growth and markets that had higher price rises had further to fall.

“The RBA gave people false hope when they said rates weren’t going to go up until 2023, 2024, so a lot of people just out took big loans… we saw exponential growth.”

The market had swung from one extreme to the other, he said. While prices were lower, most buyers were still having to compromise due to their reduced borrowing power.

Shore Financial senior credit advisor Greg Bishop was seeing more clients put plans to purchase on hold.

“No one really knows where the market is going to end up,” he said. “Prices have backed off … which is good for a lot of buyers, but they’re also facing increasing interest rates.”

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Some lenders were honoring existing pre-approvals, Bishop said, as long as there was no critical credit change such as an increase in the loan to value ratio. Others were reducing borrowing capacity for pre-approved clients.

He urged those with pre-approval to check with their lender before purchasing a home as some buyers were finding out afterwards that their new borrowing power had fallen short.

Categories
Technology

The iconic Winamp media player is back from the dead

Winamp with visualizer

Participants in the MP3 revolution will remember Winamp fondly. The independent media player and library, initially released in the late 90s, was the go-to choice for anyone who didn’t care for more marketed options like iTunes or Windows Media Player. The license to Winamp was passed around a bit before landing at its current owner. The last stable release was way back in 2013, but the new Winamp 5,999 is now available as a release candidate after four years of new development.

Download and install the new version from the official Winamp forum (spotted by Bleeping Computer), and you might just feel yourself transported back in time to 2001. The player still feels like an old-fashioned media library manager, and yes, still launches with a shock jock-style declaration of “it really whips the llama’s ass!” Changes to the program are almost entirely under the hood, with a code base update from Visual Studio 2008 to VS2019. Unfortunately that means you’ll need Windows 7 or later to run it.

Time hasn’t been kind to the plucky little player. Loading it up on my Windows 11 desktop, the strict segmentation of the tools seems like something that belongs in a museum. The tool’s iconic but antiquated “skins” mean that icons and menus look absolutely tiny on my 1440p monitor…but then again, my eyes aren’t as good as they were when I was ripping CDs by the dozen in a musty dorm room.

“The groundwork has now been laid,” say the developers, “and now we can concentrate more on features.” The transition to modern systems hasn’t been seamless: a long list of known issues is included in the blog post, and there’s no indication of when version 5.9.0 will arrive. Once a final version of that release is done, the developers will begin adding native support for more advanced audio formats, replacing outdated tools like Gracenote, and “tons more.”