Turntable turned off: Technics nixxed

Even the sort of wedding dj who pretends that they're Fatboy Slim seems to have stopped using turntables in favour of digital decks, so it's perhaps no surprise that Panasonic have announced they're ceasing production of Technics turntables.

The big question: If DJs now turn up with all their choons on a memory stick, what has taken the place of 'carrying one of the big plastic boxes of records' as the time-honoured way of sneaking into the venue without paying?

Brazil proposes DJ licence

In Brazil, you already need a licence in order to pursue a trade as a journalist or radio announcer. Now, there are plans to introduce a licence for DJs as well. There's also plans to introduce a quota which will insist that any event which has DJ involvement will have to feature 70% Brazilian, licensed DJs. (Or two locals to every Pete Tong, in other words.)

Lost in the vagueness of the legislation is some sort of quality threshold which would need to be passed in order to get your papers. The idea of the state acting as some sort of guarantor of quality for someone playing records might seem laughable - but the next time you find yourself at a wedding, you might find yourself being a little jealous of the Brazilians and their minimum standards.