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Stevie Wonder-India.Arie version of “The Christmas Song” first Grammy nominee to be recorded as a commercial: Executives at Target Corp. thought they were nailing a few firsts when they hired Stevie Wonder to record “The Christmas Song” for the retailer’s seasonal TV ads. But the notion that a Grammy nomination …

Amidst reports of very good sales news for musical instruments and products, the 101st NAMM Show opened today: the 101st NAMM Show opened today, bringing together a record 1,309 exhibiting companies, a record number of international attendees and thousands of retail buyers for the music products industry’s largest annual event …

Though her brilliant, timeless-sounding Come Away With Me was released ELEVEN MONTHS AGO, it hit number one last week. This is quite remarkable on several levels: the long slow climb to the top of the charts, the commercial clout of a jazz vocal album, Jones’ youth in a genre that …

A friend & colleague considers Rick Altergott's The Doofus Omnibus.

I haven’t come to any conclusions about the Pete Townshend debacle, but taking Pete at his word, when does “autobiography research” cross the line into criminality? Dave Marsh, who is admittedly biased, spoke to USA Today: ”Yes, Tommy reflects an interest in this issue, and other things Pete has written …

Microsoft is using FM radio band to transmit messages to retrofitted objects like watches, magnets, your butt (just making sure you are paying attention): It feels so retro, this wireless wristwatch from Microsoft. While most technology firms were chasing the Next Big Thing, the Redmond software giant spent the past …

The agreement to maintain the status quo is further explored in the Washington Post: Key players in the computer, software and recording industries this week announced that they now see eye-to-eye on how to stem the rising tide of electronic piracy, but their accord raises questions about where the groups …

TiVO may be even more of “God’s machine” than the FCC’s Powell or anyone else realized. Richard Shim reveals all in CNET: A hidden feature on remote controls for TiVo digital video recorders lets viewers skip ads more easily. The “Easter egg” –industry jargon for a feature that is revealed …

More on the Supreme Court’s decision against Eldred, Lessig, et al. DigitalConsumer.org Statement on Eldred Case: Digitalconsumer.org today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Eldred case: Today’s Eldred ruling is bad for consumers, bad for innovation and ultimately bad for America. It is another in …

The tectonic conflict between the defenders of intellectual property (and its defense mechanisms – copyright, DRMs, etc.) and the forces of free expression is generating news headlines almost daily (just scan our front page) and will shape our vision of knowledge into the next digital era. Every citizen should be …