Barry Willis

We were saddened to learn of the death of inventor and audio engineer David Blackmer. The founder of dbx and Earthworks Audio Products, Inc. died at his home in Wilton, NH on March 21. He was 75.

Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, audiophile recording label Delos International is not abandoning the DVD-Audio format. A quick call to the Hollywood, CA–based company cleared up some confusion created when a few people noticed that "DVD-A" doesn't appear anywhere on the Delos homepage.

The numbers are looking better for MP3.com, the music-archiving site under attack by the Recording Industries Association of America and its allies. Despite the legal pressure, MP3.com has seen its revenues surge as the popularity of downloadable music continues to grow. On April 20, the San Diego–based company reported that its revenue increased to $17.5 million for the first quarter of 2000 compared to $666,000 for the same period a year earlier. MP3.com now has 10 million registered users, according to CEO Michael Robertson.

Not all Washington lawmakers are on the Hollywood payroll. Some even risk offending Big Entertainment by upholding their sworn duty to protect their constituents' interests. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is such a legislator.