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Congress OKs Webcaster Bill

US lawmakers have honored their promise to address a languishing small-webcaster royalty bill that was put on hold prior to the fall elections.

On November 14 and 15, the Senate and House of Representatives approved legislation that will let copyright holders and small webcasters negotiate royalty rates for recordings played over the Internet. President Bush should sign the bill into law soon.

Specifically written to allow small webcasters to negotiate rates different from those to be paid by large commercial broadcasters, the bill was heralded by the Digital Media Association (DMA)…

New Device Said To Enable True End-To-End Digital Products

The Comdex trade show, taking place this week in Las Vegas, is flushing out scores of convergence consumer electronics products, in addition to the more traditional computer fare. Apogee Technology, formerly Apogee Acoustics, a name familiar to many Stereophile readers, is among the dozens of companies announcing technology for the modern consumer electronics marketplace.

Most audiophiles will remember the company for its exotic-looking ribbon loudspeakers, which held listeners' attention for roughly ten years, until the company folded the line in 1995. Recently, fans of the company's…

Klein Group Buys Adcom

Klein Technology Group and Adcom have announced an agreement for the sale of Adcom's consumer electronics business to Klein, according to a press release issued January 8, during the Consumer Electronics Show. The effective date of the merger will be February 15.

The merger is the outcome of a sustained partnership between the two companies. "The principals of Adcom and Klein Technology have worked closely over the last year on several exciting yet to-be-released products," Adcom president Alec Chanin stated. "As a result, we are confident that our distribution partners and consumers…

Traitors In Our Midst

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. This is especially true for music lovers who have begun to fear that record companies purposely corrupt the data on audio CDs in an effort to restrict their use as a source for copies or MP3 files.

Unfortunately, those fears are coming true: Last week, Midbar, the developer of Cactus Data Shield digital-music-use restriction technology, announced that more than 10 million Cactus Data Shield "copy controlled and revenue generating CDs" have been released in the US and Europe by major labels to date.

Midbar reports…

<I>NY Times</I> Rekindles Cable Debate with "Circuits" Story

Do high-end cables make an audible difference? Or are they cosmetic enhancements, like fancy wheels on high-performance cars? The New York Times, the nation's foremost newspaper, took up the issue in a December 23 piece in "Circuits," its weekly technology section.

Titled "A Spat Among Audiophiles Over High-End Speaker Wire," the story, by Times reporter Roy Furchgott, quotes National Symphony Orchestra musician and former Stereophile reviewer and musician-in-residence Lewis Lipnick as saying that anyone who can't hear the difference between cables must have "cloth ears." Lipnick prefers a…

New Hendrix Due Out on CD <I>and</I> Vinyl

For those of you who need yet another Jimi fix, Experience Hendrix/MCA will release a 2-CD collection of music from Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys concerts at New York City's Fillmore East, which took place on December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970. Drawn from the guitarist's four legendary performances, the new package will contain 16 tracks, 13 of which have never before been released in any form, with two additional tracks making their CD debut. Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Fillmore East will be released on CD and 180gm vinyl (three LPs) on February 9.

In 1969, Jimi Hendrix, owing an album…

Home Entertainment 2004 East

The Home Entertainment Show (HE2004), the largest and most comprehensive showcase of consumer electronics and imaging products in America, returns to New York City May 20–23, 2004 at the Hilton New York Hotel—the site of two popular HE Shows held in 2001 and 2002. Over 15,000 attendees are expected to visit the NY Hilton, optimized for the ultimate user experience. Unlike typical trade shows, HE2004 provides visitors with the opportunity of seeing and hearing the finest products in upscale hotel rooms, creating the best-sounding environments for demonstrating high-performance gear.

While…

PARA Conference to Emphasize Upscale Retailing

PARA, the Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association, is bringing its annual management conference to the Hyatt Regency in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this week. The five-day event, running April 22-27, will focus on improving retail strategies. Representatives from more than 600 retailers, suppliers, and industry publications are expected.

Last year's conference in San Diego focused on improving profits, with apparent success. (See related story on high-end sales in 1997.) "Last year we outlined basic strategies for doubling your profits in two years, and we did a survey of dealers…

Bad Year for Music Biz

The year 2001 was a bleak one for the music industry. Of the major labels, only Universal Music Group managed to turn a profit.

Sony Music reported operating losses of $91 million for the last two quarters. Bertelsmann's BMG Entertainment posted a loss of $70 million for the year. EMI was $77.6 million in the hole for the first half of the year, and is still reeling from an ill-conceived $80 million contract with pop diva Mariah Carey, whose film Glitter crashed and burned, as did the soundtrack recording. Even if the British music conglomerate can escape the contract, as it is…

CEA Survey: Consumers Want Free Content Online

The Consumer Electronics Association has at last quantified common knowledge: An overwhelming majority of Internet users download news stories, product information, pictures, graphics, audio files, and video clips—all for free. Furthermore, Internet users want and expect to continue getting all this content at no cost, and they are opposed to any kind of governmental regulation or interference that will prevent their doing so.

"Digital Download," the CEA's recently published study of consumers' online habits and attitudes, reveals that 89% of Internet users download multimedia content and…