| NY runners hit sound barrier
RUNNERS in the world's largest marathon face a major question as they pound the streets of New York today, and it has nothing to do with hitting the wall after 20 miles. Will Beyoncé be there to push them to the finish? Will they be able to call upon Bon Jovi for support when there is no one else to turn to? .
The Zune Universe Expands, Where's The Bling?
If Microsoft wants to even catch a sliver of iPod's market share, it's going to have to build up its base of third-party accessories for its Zune music player... Oh, wait. That's just what they did this week. Microsoft on Tuesday touted 60 new accessories made by nearly two dozen partners for its second-generation Zune. Most of the items will be on store shelves starting Nov. 13, Microsoft said. Some of the fashion items include: Speaker docks from Altec Lansing, iHome, and Kicker Cases from Belkin, Case-mate, DLO, Incipio, and Speck Cables, FM transmitters, and car kits from Belkin, DLO, Monster, and Kicker Is that it? What a snore-fest. The look and style of these add-ons are just about as exciting as the Zune itself. I mean, really, how does Microsoft expect to sell Zune without some serious bling bling to add on to it? Apple's iPod wasn't always a fashion statement.
Here, listen to this
It's another Thursday and it's time for another installment of "Here, Listen to This," Preview's weekly exercise in subjecting some local to a few tunes. This week, we get input from local producer Buttaz, aka Brice Lampkin. With a foot firmly planted in the world of hip-hop, Lampkin has been making head-nod-worthy beats for more than a decade. To hear some of his tracks, visit his Myspace page, www.myspace.com/b73music. If you're a fan of good hip-hop , you will not be disappointed. Now, let's hand the turntables and the headphones over to Buttaz. Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud — "Girls I Got 'em Locked": Underrated emcees. Definitely. They're using part of Wilson Picket's "Engine Engine No. 9." I'm about to catch a flashback. You're stealing my fire. For an 1988 flashback, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM8FkbmsjEs, or use the keywords "Super Lover," "Rud" and "Girls." Quincy Jones — "Summer In The City": This and "Tampin' " by Rhino Oaks were the first thing I ever sampled when I was making instrumentals by looping from tape to tape.
Revenge of the record labels: Is it Apple's turn to knuckle-under?
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has had a knack for getting entire industries to knuckle under to his demands. It was just over a year ago that the four major record labels — all of whom wanted more control over the pricing of downloaded songs from their artists — knuckled under to Jobs' one price (99 cents) fits all policy. With more decision making control over song pricing, record labels could have charged more than the standard 99 cent fare for songs from their current chart toppers and less (as little as 10 cents) to boost sales of older or less popular music. For music fans like me, I'd be buying a lot more music from the 70's if I could get it at a lower price. But it's not so important to me that I'd be willing to pay 99 cent per song for it. That archive of music represents a potentially great revenue source for the record labels who can use any new source of revenue they can find these days, particularly given how piracy has taken a bite out of their profits.
On the Web: Name-your-price album may cost too much On the Web
Earlier this month, the British rock band Radiohead released its latest album.While this is hardly news in the general sense, the manner of the album’s release is drawing media attention.Earlier this month, the band released its seventh studio album, "In Rainbows," via the Web (www.inrainbows.com) at any price someone is willing to pay.This means you can get the album for the usual amount you’d pay in a store if you’re honest, or for free if you’re honest with yourself. How much did I pay? Absolutely nothing.A bit of history: Radiohead first appeared on the radar in 1992 when the group released its first single, "Creep." Following the band’s debut with two successful albums, it looked like the group was the 1990s successor to the U2 throne. After a three-year break between albums, the band traded stadium guitars for synthesized noises for its turn-of-the-new-century pair of releases, "Kid A" and "Amnesiac," which won the band new acclaim, but divided fans.
|
