MP3s

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Now OK in Prison: MP3 Players
 Now OK in Prison: MP3 Players 

Now OK in Prison: MP3 Players

Many inmates to get OK to carry devices, pick songs from pre-approved list

(Newser) - The music industry will soon have another chart to keep track of: jailhouse rock. The Bureau of Prisons plans to allow many of its 200,000+ federal inmates to own MP3 players and pick their own soundtrack to prison life, USA Today reports. The devices will be sold in prison...

Teens Get High on 'Digital Drugs'
 Teens Get High 
 on 'Digital Drugs' 
in case you missed it

Teens Get High on 'Digital Drugs'

Should we be concerned about 'i-dosing'?

(Newser) - The latest drug trend sweeping the nation has nothing to do with pharmaceuticals. Kids are getting high on MP3s, Wired reports , pointing to an Oklahoma News 9 report (at left) on the phenomenon known as “i-dosing.” Supposedly, just by putting on headphones and listening to music—which is...

Watch an Ad, Get an MP3 Download: Genius or Goof?

Free All Music is innovative, but still might not work

(Newser) - A new site thinks it has the answer the music industry’s woes: Free All Music will allow users to download a high-quality mp3 with no copy restrictions in exchange for watching a 15-second video ad of their choosing. The site then takes a user’s handle and uses it...

Gadgets Have Consumers Crying for Help

Buyers frustrated by problems with cell phones, internet access and computers

(Newser) - Digital technology plays a key role in the lives of most Americans, but it's often too complex, frustrating, and prone to failure, a study by the Pew Research Center finds. Nearly half of consumers said they regularly need help setting up a device, learning how to use it, or solving...

Musicians Plug Upgrades to Flat-Sounding Digital

'Unacceptable quality compromises' key move to improved downloads, CDs

(Newser) - Musicians dissatisfied with the sound of digital media are releasing albums as higher-quality downloads, on high-definition DVDs and even on vinyl, USA Today reports. Last year, Amazon and iTunes agreed to boost the quality of their MP3s, but some groups are using even better versions to eliminate what Neil Young...

Audio Books Lose Copy Protection
Audio Books Lose Copy Protection

Audio Books Lose Copy Protection

Major publishers' downloads can be played on all devices

(Newser) - Some major book publishers are planning to remove anticopying protections from digital audio books, allowing customers who download them to transfer the files between their computers and portable players. The world’s biggest publisher, Random House, will offer all its audio books as unrestricted MP3s this month, reports the New ...

Labels Want to Beat iTunes but Feds Say, Slow Down

Justice Department begins inquiry into 'Total Music' plan

(Newser) - The latest music industry initiative to beat iTunes, Universal’s Total Music plan, is facing a Justice Department inquiry before it’s even out of the concept stage. Universal and Sony have gotten DOJ letters of inquiry, reports the Wall Street Journal. It’s uncertain what aspect of Total Music...

A Good Day for EU File Sharers
A Good Day for EU File Sharers

A Good Day for EU File Sharers

Telecoms don't have to turn over personal data of illegal download suspects: court

(Newser) - The EU’s high court ruled today that telecommunications companies are not obligated to turn over the personal data of individuals suspected of illegally sharing copyrighted material online, the AP reports. The European Court of Justice said member nations could create laws allowing for the disclosure of file-sharers’ info in...

RIAA Boss Clarifies Lawsuit
RIAA Boss Clarifies Lawsuit

RIAA Boss Clarifies Lawsuit

Says industry has never prosecuted anyone for ripping CDs for personal use

(Newser) - RIAA chief Cary Sherman says the recording industry has never prosecuted anyone for  ripping or copying CDs for personal use, Engadget reports. Sherman appeared on NPR and characterized media reports about a recent high-profile suit as inaccurate. The legal action, he said, is against a man who ripped CDs not...

Nokia Divides Itself to Focus on Mobile Net

New corporate structure emphasizes services and software

(Newser) - Furthering its plans to transform into a mobile Internet company, Nokia has announced a corporate reorganization into three divisions: devices, software and services, and markets. It’s the focus on software and services, Fortune writes, that’s exceptional for the world’s largest phone manufacturer, and signals the seriousness of...

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