News

On April 16, the US Copyright Review Board (CRB) denied an appeal of its decision to restructure the royalty fees for Internet radio. As we reportedhttp://stereophile.com/news/031907internet/">reported;, independent Internet broadcasters and the NPR called it a "stunning, damaging decision," predicting that it would price small operators and public broadcasting, which do not receive widespread commercial underwriting, out of business.

Iconic audio manufacturer Linn Products announced April 18 that the Scottish firm will "realign" its business strategy to create "a more focused range of even higher quality products, specifically aimed at the premium end of the consumer market."

If I were to tell you that four months into 2007, I already had a nomination for the year's best-sounding record, you might think me daring. If I told you that it features bandoneon—a chromatic accordion—and cello, you'd probably think me barking mad.

The website www.appleinsider.com revealed on April">http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/04/12/apple_inc_scores_trademar… 12 that it had discovered filings with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) showing that record label Apple Corps had granted computer manufacturer Apple, Inc. far more than the right to use the word "Apple" in conjunction with music in February's trademark settlement.

Show attendees at Home Entertainment 2007, the High Performance Sound & Imaging Show of the year, will be treated to several educational seminars and clinics that will help guide and inform them about the choices confronting contemporary music and film lovers looking for better home entertainment experiences.

Billing itself as a "personalized gateway for music discovery," MOGhttp://www.mog.com">MOG; (a port manteau combination of "music" and "blog") has come out of beta testing and announced "the launch of your favorite new way to waste time on the Internet," MOG 2.0. Since my email tagline is "Waste more time: Read my blog,&quot">http://blog.stereophile.com/wesphillips/">blog," John Atkinson reckoned that I was the logical reporter for this new development.

The announcement went out on April 1: Apple Computers and EMI Group had scheduled a press conference for April 2 and the announcement was going to be "historic." It was April 1, after all, and there had been rumors swirling about for months that Apple Computers and Apple Corp. had settled their trademark differences as a first step to a bigger display of collaboration. I forwarded the announcement to Jon Iverson under the heading "April Fool's Joke or Genuine Press Release?"

With buds and 'phones in hand, headphone enthusiasts from around the US and beyond are about to plug in in San Jose, California. Their destination is the Radisson Hotel, where the Second Annual International Head-Fi Meet takes place on April 21 and 22. Organized by Head-Fihttp://www.head-fi.org">Head-Fi;, an online discussion board boasting 53,907 members and a whopping 2,810,005 posts annually, the meet promises two very full days of interactive panels, DIY demos, and vendor exhibits.

Exhibitors at Home Entertainment 2007), the High Performance Sound & Imaging Show, are gearing up for one of the most important international events of the year! HE 2007 will take place May 11–13, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt New York, conveniently located in Grand Central Station in New York City. This historic centrally located venue will provide the perfect setting to showcase the latest in home audio/video entertainment products, and this year's event marks the show's seventh visit to the Big Apple.

Tweeter Home Entertainment Group announced a massive "restructuring" of its operations on March 22. The chain will close 49 stores, including all operations in California, New York, Alabama, and Tennessee, and trim its workforce by 20%. The chain's remaining 104 stores will be remodeled to conform to the chain's current "CE playground" theme.