With EMI, another player enters the web music fray
As if the digital music market wasn’t already scrambling for elbow room, EMI says it’s going to start marketing music by its artists, including Coldplay and Kylie Minogue, directly to fans via the internet. Going head to head with MySpace Music and Apple’s iTunes, EMI.com is expected to open its virtual doors before Christmas. EMI.com will offer audio and video content that can be purchased by users for download. While some elements of the site are expected to be free, EMI isn’t offering a lot of details at this point. The record label does, however, hope to make EMI.com the web site music lovers turn to when they want to discover a new artist. The new online site is being directed by the head of the Terra Firma private equity group that purchased EMI. Last year EMI reportedly had a 13 percent share of the global music business compared with Universal Music, which had 28 percent, Sony BMG with 17 percent and Warner Music 15 percent.
EwwTube: Hackers using faux video sharing pages
Beware of a must-see YouTube invitation that pops up in your inbox. Hackers are using fake YouTube pages from the popular video-sharing web site to get unsuspecting victims to make their computers vulnerable to malicious software. More and more hackers are infiltrating social networks to spread malware, including Facebook and MySpace, where friends and family share trusted links. In the latest scam, hackers using the YouTube attack send links that appear to be on the Google-owned YouTube but are only replicas of YouTube pages. Users are then directed to update software to watch the video. The update instead allows the hacker to install software that can take over remote computers or allow data to be stolen, all without the victims’ knowledge. Computer users are being urged to access YouTube only by going directly to the site.
EBay thwarts Cubs fan's attempt to sell team loyalty
You can’t sell a broken heart, at least not on eBay. That’s what a disgruntled Chicago Cubs fan found out this week. Days after the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs, Scot Moore was trying to sell his team loyalty via the online auction giant, which put a halt to the auction on Wednesday. Moore, a 30-year-old living in Minneapolis, promised to root for the winning bidder’s favorite team forever. Moore planned to give the money from the winning bid, which had reached $7,100, to a pair of Minneapolis theater companies, Cromulent Shakespeare and the new Prufrock Theatre, that provide performances for low-income audiences. But eBay said the listing violated policies that allow only tangible items to be sold or charities that eBay has vetted to be promoted. Moore, who grew up in Wheaton, Ill., plans to relist his loyalty auction, possibly in conjunction with a fielder’s mitt.
Spout.com: Top movie product placement is Reese's
What are some of the best product placements in movies? Spout.com thinks it knows. The movie-focused web site has released its list of 10 best product placements in movies, though you’d have to be a real film buff to recognize some of those cited. Coming in at No. 1 is Reese’s Pieces in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.” The second-best product placement, according to Spout.com, was the DeLorean DMC-12 in “Back to the Future,” and the third was Nintendo in “The Wizard.” Rounding out the top five are White Castle in “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and Pizza Hut, Doritos, Reebok, Nuprin and Pepsi in “Wayne’s World.” Starbucks, Apple, J. Crew and L.L. Bean in “Best in Show” captured the sixth spot, and Coca-Cola’s placement in “Good Bye Lenin” came in seventh. Another soft drink, Pepsi, grabbed the eighth spot in “One, Two, Three” and the New York Herald Tribune came in ninth in the foreign film "Breathless (A bout de soufflé)." American Express, Lexus and Guinness came in 10th place for product placement in another Spielberg film, “Minority Report.”
