Springsteen Offers New Single Free ... But Just Today

Governor's approval ratings fall to 43%

(NEWSER) - Chris Christie's approval ratings have dived and the Republican would be dead even with his favorite Democratic rock star in a hypothetical 2013 contest for New Jersey governor, according to a new poll. Christie—who has clashed with the Boss over spending cuts —and Springsteen both scored 42% in the poll, reports the Los Angeles Times . Newark Mayor Cory Booker would beat Christie by 47% to 43%, the poll found. More»

Governor's a fan, but doesn't like Bruce's 'liberal' politics

(NEWSER) - A New Jersey feud is playing out between a man many consider to be a political rock star—Gov. Chris Christie—and a man everyone considers to be a real rock star—Bruce Springsteen. It began when Springsteen wrote a letter to his hometown Asbury Park Press praising a story on poverty. The article highlighted “the contradictions between a policy of large tax cuts, on the one hand, and cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions, on the other," wrote the Boss. More»

Tim Berners-Lee blasts those chipping away at its 'egalitarian principles'

(NEWSER) - Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British engineer credited with inventing the World Wide Web, has a message for us: Social networking sites, app developers, and other entities, if left unchecked, will ruin his creation—which now belongs to all of us. "The web evolved into a powerful, ubiquitous tool because it was built on egalitarian principles," he writes in Scientific American , but "some of its most successful inhabitants have begun to chip away at its principles." His complaints:

• Social networking sites: They are "walling off information posted by their users from the rest of the Web," making each site "a closed silo of content, and one that does not give you full control over your information in it."
• Smartphone apps: "It is better to build a Web app that will also run on smartphone browsers," rather than a "closed" smartphone app, he writes, adding that he is especially wary of the iTunes store, which is not an "open marketplace."

At least five sites can help

(NEWSER) - Sure, you can listen to the hundreds of gigs of music you have on your computer—but why limit yourself? Mashable lists the top Web sites and applications to help you really utilize your audio library:

• Last.fm: One of the Web’s most popular music social networks, the site’s best feature is Scrobbler, which analyzes your listening habits and gives you recommendations based on your own tastes.

Streaming music gets a foothold among listeners

(NEWSER) - The wide world of online music now offers a range of ways to stream your tunes, from pay sites to musical social-networking services. It’s hard to tell which will stick around, but experts say they may help save the music industry, CNN reports. A sampling:

• Napster: It’s back and it’s legal, and for $5 a month, you can stream 7 million songs and download five.