So Apple scored a coup by securing the exclusive rights to distribute the Star Wars: Episode I trailer in QuickTime-only format, right? At least, that's what we've been hearing, and that's what implied on Apple's download page: "This online version is available exclusively in QuickTime, Apple's industry-leading digital video software." Unfortunately, it looks like exclusivity can be tough to enforce.

As pointed out by faithful viewer Charles Dorner, when he downloaded the finally-final version of Real Networks' competing streaming video product Real Player G2, he found himself transported to a page of links to RealVideo media to try. Says he, "I was extremely surprised to find links to unreleased trailers for Episode I, and the other trailers in Real Player format." Well, perhaps we're just a little jaded, but we can't say we're exactly surprised that Real's fighting back. True, they may not have infringed any copyrights themselves, since they weren't the ones who re-encoded the trailers and reposted them for download, but it's at least noteworthy that they're directing their customers toward illicit data. In Charles' words, "I find it extremely appalling that this company would knowingly provide access to illegal materials." Again, though we're not so much "appalled" as we are "unfazed," we do find it interesting that Real is taking this approach to fighting QuickTime's increased popularity and the ten million downloads of the Episode I trailer.

Now, you may have heard that the producers of the movie recently sent a warning letter to some 700 ISPs warning them about the possible repercussions of hosting copyright-infringing material; the New York Times has an article about that, if you missed it. Their focus is on hopefully preventing people from sneaking camcorders into the theaters, taping the movie, and then posting the taped footage on the 'net, but one would imagine that they might be interested to know that unauthorized versions of the trailers and commercials are already available. On the other hand, we tried to view several of the Real-format videos, and we were unable to get any of the five or so we tried to work, so maybe the point is moot; we never had any difficulty viewing the official trailers at Apple's site. Just one more reason for Real to be worried?

Man, we admit it-- not being Big Business™ type people makes following all these mergers, buyouts, and investments a real trial. Case in point: MediaOne Group, Inc. MediaOne is a cable television provider that also provides broadband cable modem Internet access under the name of "MediaOne Express." Now, down at the AtAT studios, our cable provider isn't MediaOne; it's Time Warner Cable. MediaOne covers most of the surrounding cities, but our little burg gets Time Warner. Time Warner is rolling out cable modem access in our area under the Road Runner name, so that's what we've got. So far, that's not all that complicated.

But Time Warner and MediaOne recently inked a deal that has all local MediaOne Express customers soon to be using "MediaOne Road Runner" instead, so something's going on there. In addition, communications giant ComCast was poised to buy MediaOne outright, but instead, AT&T jumped in at the last minute instead. So AT&T is buying MediaOne, who has some kind of deal with Time Warner regarding high-speed Internet access, at least in our vicinity. And now here's the kicker: according to a Reuters story, Microsoft is close to investing about $5 billion in AT&T, which would give them a "2 or 3 percent stake" in a company who's now a huge player in the high-speed 'net access game.

Which apparently all means that, if we follow the trail of corporate money, AtAT's Internet access may soon be partially controlled by Microsoft. A 2-3% stake in AT&T doesn't sound like all that much to us, but at least some analysts think otherwise. Scott McAdams, for instance, says "this is for all the marbles. If they get AT&T -- and it sounds like they're going to get in there -- then they've won." That means Windows CE in cable television set-top boxes and Microsoft's hooks in broadband access. Could be spooky, and trying to follow all the connections makes our collective heads spin. In the meantime, we're going to enjoy our cable modem before somebody screws it up. You just gotta love being able to download the 22 MB Q3TEST in three minutes.

Just about six months ago we pointed out a feature story on Apple's site about Revelation Records, a relatively obscure record label that holds tremendous personal importance to the AtAT staff, and which just happens to be run on Macs. Apple Computer and hardcore music? We sure didn't expect to see such a bizarre confluence of two disparate aspects of our personal lives again, but half a year later, what do we see on Apple's servers but an interview with Tony Hawk of Birdhouse Projects?

If you're wondering who Tony Hawk is and feeling tremendously ignorant and out of touch, don't worry-- we don't expect very many viewers to have heard of him. If you were privy to the world of skateboarding, though, you'd know that Tony Hawk is one of the best ever, sort of that scene's Michael Jordan-- though Hawk still competes. Birdhouse Projects is his own skateboard company that he started back in 1991, and which he apparently runs with the help of a handful of G3s, iMacs, PowerBooks, and 9600s. Behind every colorful board graphic and every video transition is the smiling face of the Mac OS. The Birdhouse web site includes short video sequences of pro skaters, so if you'd like to see what Hawk and his teammates can do, all you need is a web browser and QuickTime; the team files and the trick tips are especially cool.

Okay, okay-- so most of you couldn't care less about this skateboarding stuff. But considering that AtAT first went live back in September of 1997 when Yours Truly was laid up with a skating-related broken ankle, this show owes a strange debt to that whole scene. (Of course, you can also curse the activity for the broken hand that took AtAT off the air for a week last year, so we suppose it's a double-edged sword.) In any case, we're happy that Apple continues to show us that companies we like are run by Macs. It gives us a happy.