Record producer and critic John Marks, whose writing has appeared from time to time in <I>Stereophile</I>&mdash;his March <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/208/">"As We See It"</A> triggered a deluge of letters&mdash;has started <I>John Marks Recommends</I>, a free e-mail newsletter on music and the arts. "Talking about my own work will be the exception rather than the rule," says Marks. "I tell people about great recordings, books, and videos, recipes, and an occasional wine recommendation."

The legal molasses in which <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A&gt; is mired got thicker and deeper in mid-March, when MPL Communications launched a lawsuit against the Internet music company. MPL, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's publishing house, joined the attack begun months ago by the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industries Association of America</A>. McCartney's firm filed suit in a New York US District Court against the San Diego&ndash;based startup over copyrights on intellectual properties owned by MPL, whose catalog includes McCartney's solo work, as well as the works of Buddy Holly, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn, and other songwriters and performers. MPL was joined in the suit by Peer International, which owns the work of the late Latina star Selena.

Time magazine has chosen Albert Einstein as the Person of the Century. As the great man said, everything's relative, so in this installment of "Fine Tunes" I'll cover a few relatively inexpensive tips for homeowners, or those building their own audiophile domiciles.

One of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers is making a move into digital audio. <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced March 16 that it has acquired Toccata Technology ApS, a small, privately held company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toccata is "one of the leading developers of digital audio amplifier technology and board solutions," according to a TI press release, and will become part of TI's Digital Speakers Business Unit, continuing to operate from Denmark.

Last week, the <A HREF="http://www.emplive.com">Experience Music Project</A>, described as an "interactive museum devoted to creativity and innovation in American popular music," announced that it will open its doors to the public on Friday, June 23, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, with a multi-day celebration featuring events in and around the museum, and live performances by a wide variety of musicians. EMP said it expects more than a million visitors during the course of its first year.

As the boundaries between audio, video, and information technologies continue to blur, so will the corporate boundaries between <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com">Sony Electronics</A>' audio, video, and information-technology divisions. Last week, Sony announced the creation of a new organization that the company says integrates its A/V and IT companies into one overall "Consumer Electronics Group," or "CEG." Sony adds that the new structure combines the company's Consumer Products Marketing Group and its Personal Network Solutions Company into one organization. Fujio Nishida was named president of CEG; the new organization will become effective April 1.

Regardless of what the skeptics claim, Jonathan Scull is a firm believer in resonance-control devices. For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/210/">"Fine Tunes" #15</A>, Scull investigates some products he has found useful. "<I>Pssst</I>," Scull whispers. "Hey you. Yeah, you . . . we know you're a tweaker. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You just wanna make it better, right? Even as everyone around you wants to know when enough's <I>enough</I> already.</I>"

On day two of Revel's early-March press junket, <I>Stereophile</I> and <I>Guide to Home Theater</I> writers and editors were treated to a discussion and demonstration of some superb audio and video equipment at Kevin Voecks' spacious home in the San Fernando Valley. Voecks spoke at length about the extensive research his company has done on the perceived realism of reproduced sound, under the leadership of Dr. Floyd Toole.

The courtship between two music-retailing giants is over. <A HREF="http://www.cdnow.com/">CDnow</A&gt; and <A HREF="http://www.columbiahouse.com/">Columbia House</A> have decided to call off a merger that had been in <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10496/">discussion</A&gt; since last summer. The official explanation from executives close to the deal was a sharp decline in Columbia House's profitability over the past several months.