Muxtape, the popular online MP3 sharing 'mixtape style' service was recently closed down by the RIAA, for committing the crime of hosting millions of music files of questionable origin (ie tunes that Muxtape users were not the legal owners of).
Yet while Muxtape's days were always numbered, particularly once its popularity went through the roof, there is another similar service ready to take its place. Say hello to OpenTape or, as we refer to it in the office, 'the new Muxtape'.
OpenTape lets users host their own mixes – which means the responsibility for legally owning the tunes you share falls fairly and squarely on the user's own shoulders (thus cleverly avoiding the crucial mistake made by Muxtape).
Muxtape behind OpenTape?
It's not clear yet who is behind OpenTape, with online gossip initially suggesting that the guys behind Muxtape may well have a hand in it.
It's also not clear yet if the RIAA has shown any interest in OpenTape. TechRadar has contacted both OpenTape and the RIAA for further information.
[UPDATE: the guys behind the site informed us today that they built OpenTape because they thought: "Muxtape was a fantastic service and that there must be a way for that kind of media usage (sharing your music taste with others - what if making a mixtape for a girl in your class was illegal?) to exist legally."
The also added that "they are not affiliated with Muxtape" and "have not heard from the RIAA and we don't have anything against them (unlike some stories would have you believe)" and add that, as this is an open source project, they do not intend to make money with it.]
In the meantime, if you have a spare £20 in your pocket, then you might want to give your loved one (or lusted after one) one of these rather cool, tastefully retro USB Mixa Tapes.
Jumpers for goalposts
"Back when we wore short trousers and sported ridiculous hairstyles, the deepest and most heartfelt way to express your love for another person involved a tape deck, anything between 1 to 12 hours to spare on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and most important of all, a C60 cassette tape," reads the product blurb on iwantoneofthose.com (hang on though, we still wear shorts and sport questionable barnets??)
This 1GB mixtape styled flash drive with its 'nice action' little flip-out USB port is the cool kids' USB stick of choice, described as "the ultimate in nostalgic data storage and transfer that even a computer luddite can get their head round."
