7-14th Jan

Music:
An unsigned band make UK chart history, entering the top 40 on download sales without being signed to a label (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6260995.stm see also (16th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1991104,00.html

Video games:
A US woman dies after a water-drinking contest to win a Wii - a 'hold your wee for a Wii' game! (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6261509.stm

Mobile Phones:
A man is awarded damages after the wrong phone number is given on TV: a Chinese man who received thousands of text messages when his mobile phone number was accidentally used in a TV series has been awarded compensation (13th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6258939.stm

Internet / Video games:
An article on Second Life and its virtual economy (11th Jan): http://media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/comment/0,,1988163,00.html

Internet:
Myspace launches a French service (11th Jan): http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/11/myspace.france.reut/index.html

Music:
A new download store taps the boom in interest in classical and jazz (11th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1987312,00.html

DVDs:
Warner officially announce the launch of their dual format HDDVD/Blue-ray discs (10th Jan): http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5659

Mobile Phones/Music:
Apple announce the production of the iphone (9th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6246063.stm Other articles on the phone and its features can be found at (10th Jan): http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1986895,00.html and (11th Jan): http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1987514,00.html

Mobile Phones:
Yahoo! announce their new 'Go' mobile service with a new internet interface (9th Jan): http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8466/52/

DVDs:
News on the current state of the format war between HDDVD and Blu-ray (9th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6243383.stm

Radio:
An article on a new, popular US radio station called 'Jack' described as like an Ipod shuffle - another great example of how old media rejuvenate themselves either by beoming new media (going digital), including new media in their content (discussing new media) or simulating new media (taking on their features and benefits such as by imitating the music player shuffle function) (9th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6214080.stm

Television:
An article on a new technology called ShapeshifterTV that allows users to influence story lines by texting the programme as they watch (8th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1985078,00.html

Internet:
A journalist announces that he isn't interested in audience feedback and participation. An interesting corrective to Web 2.0 hype (8th Jan): http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,1984740,00.html

Music:
Changes to the UK singles chart mean that all downloaded tracks now count towards the chart (8th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6239415.stm

Internet /Video Games:
Creators of the online game Second Life open source part of their code for game users (9th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6245599.stm

Internet:
A survey on myspace use and attitudes among young people (8th Jan): http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/08/myspace.teens.reut/index.html

Internet/Mobile Phones:
Mobile Phone company Vodaphone becomes the latest company to offer a UK broadband service (8th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6240851.stm

Music:
An opinion piece on why digital rights management (DRM) in music may be dead soon (8th Jan): http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,72412-0.html I don't buy it myself. Actually what we're seeing is an extension of DRM as television and cinema look to implement their own DRM systems as they explore digital/net delivery so it's going to become an even bigger part of the consumer model of the future. The music industry similarly will not give up DRM, seeing it as the only way to retake control of their product. What's holding back the spread of music DRM at the moment is the online industry's own competition. Inflated prices aiming to maximise profits from a poorer quality product (the download), proprietal formats and hardware restrictions designed to secure the maximum monopolistic market position through consumer-lock-in and convoluted DRM imposing arbitrary restrictions on transferral, playing and copying are all working against the success of the digital music sector. Cheaper pricing and an industry agreed interoperability would improve the customer experience and the industry could use this to smuggle through a single set of DRM standards that would normalise restrictions such that the majority of consumers would accept them as necessary and intevitable. Luckily for us the music industry is too competitive and greedy to move in this direction. If they do we're going to see the massive development of DRM, or, more rpecisely, to give it its real name, increased 'digital user management'.

Internet:
A comment piece on the ruling that Youtube has to take down a video of a model taken by a member of the public (see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6233693.stm ). The article explains how difficult it is to destroy or take down all copies of videos on the net and the issues facing Youtube (8th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6242817.stm