Dylan Album Out Early—if You've Got a Citi Card

Company aims to have service up before iTunes Match

(NEWSER) - Google is pushing further into the entertainment business with an online music store that it aims to have up and running within weeks, sources tell the New York Times . Music industry execs say the MP3 store will probably be linked to Google's Music Beta cloud service. Google wants to have the store open before Apples iTunes Match service is rolled out, the sources say, although it's not clear whether the company will be able to cut deals with record labels in time. More»

Even so, the 'beloved iconoclast' puts together an interesting collection

(NEWSER) - With the announcement of Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart, “smirkers got smirkier”—you try picturing Dylan singing the lyric, “How’d ya like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?” without smirking—but in the end, the collection is interesting, if a bit silly; “a surreal and occasionally rousing collection of gooey holiday ballads,” writes Amanda Petrusich for Pitchfork. More»

Microsoft player is best yet, but purchasing media is a drag

(NEWSER) - Microsoft's Zune music player has long been the iPod's dowdy stepsister, but the new, fourth-generation Zune HD is finally "a portable media player that you can be proud to carry around," says Katherine Boehret of the Wall Street Journal. The new device features a "stunningly vivid" touchscreen, impressive graphics, a web browser, and a radio receiver. Unfortunately, Microsoft's Zune makeover didn't extend to its online store, which is far more confusing than Apple's. More»

Composer pitches real-world thievery to help raise awareness

(NEWSER) - A Hollywood composer wants you to stop illegally downloading music, and he's willing to put his freedom in jeopardy to make his point. Because the public doesn't seem to equate swapping digital files with stealing, Richard Gibbs is pushing for people to swipe other products in a nationwide "day of sharing," reports the Christian Science Monitor. More»

(NEWSER) - Soon iPods will seem as outdated as Walkmans—the only question is whether iTunes goes out the door with them, Kevin Maney writes in Portfolio. Consider how old-fashioned the iPod already is: You pay for downloads, fill up a hard drive with them, and cart them around, "like keeping a cow so you can eat your favorite cheese." Now consider the alternative. More»