Want to stop contributing to global warming every time you drive the car or turn on the computer? It may not be as hard as you think.

A growing number of Mainers and other Americans are buying their way to more "carbon neutral" lives. Less than $150 can cancel out the pollution produced to power the lights and appliances in a typical Maine home for one year. Another $75 a year might cover the climate damage done by the average car.

Businesses have been doing it for years, but only the most savvy environmentalists have known that regular folks can, too. The idea is basically this: Pay to reduce a certain amount of carbon dioxide pollution anywhere in the world and neutralize the damage caused by your house, your furnace, your car or even your family vacation.

While the carbon offset market is growing fast, it also is unregulated, and some purchases may do more to ease a guilty conscience than actually fight global warming. And some fear the system may even make matters worse by leading people to believe they can simply pay to make climate change go away. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is the primary target because it is the pollutant most responsible for trapping heat around the earth.

There's no way to know how many Americans or Mainers are buying carbon offsets to help slow global warming, but the concept is getting a lot of exposure.

The band Coldplay and Ford Motor Co. are among those promoting offsets. Expedia.com, an online travel agency, asks customers if they want to "buy back" the carbon dioxide emissions from their airline flights. In Maine, they're used by college campuses and businesses, such as ski resorts that offset the emissions produced to operate their chair lifts. Even the lights on Portland's Christmas tree are considered carbon neutral.

Now individuals are buying into offsets. "They are making their way into the mainstream of things you do for the environment," said Leslie Taisey of North Yarmouth.

Taisey works for Maine Interfaith Power and Light in Brunswick and was busy last week mailing out carbon offset certificates, called Green Tags, in time for Christmas. The nonprofit got about 85 orders for tax-deductible Green Tags last Christmas, and interest has grown between 30 percent and 40 percent each year, Taisey said.

"It's not uncommon now to get someone to send in their money and say, 'Here's six people on my gift list, please send them Green Tags saying here's to a more renewable future."'

Van Tingley of Yarmouth said he became an instant fan when he heard about offsets a few years ago. Now the retired management consultant tries to spread the word in his church.

Tingley, who used to work in the coal-mining industry, said he bought $200 worth of Green Tags from Maine Interfaith Power and Light to offset his house -- $20 for each 1,000 kilowatt hours he uses.

"It just gets more pounds per year of CO2 out of the atmosphere than any other way I can think to spend $20," he said.

The idea is simple enough. Tingley pays for someone else to take the same amount of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere that he put in to light his house. Because global warming is indeed a global problem, it doesn't matter where the emissions are reduced.

It's the market system that carries out that trade that can get really complicated.

The first step is to figure out, or guess, how much carbon dioxide you are releasing by driving your car or lighting your home. An average car produces about 6 tons of carbon dioxide a year, and a typical Maine home contributes 3 tons.

If, for example, you want to offset an average car, you would buy 6 tons worth of carbon offsets from a retailer -- usually a nonprofit group or company that promotes renewable energy. The purchase is often tax-deductible. The retailer typically passes the money to an organization that finances projects such as wind farms.

By helping create the wind farm or keep it operating, your money would put renewable energy into the electricity pool and reduce the amount of power put into the pool by power plants that burn coal, oil or gas. If it works the way it's supposed to, the carbon dioxide that those plants do not produce cancels out the carbon dioxide released by your car.

Meanwhile, you get a certificate that says you have kept 6 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the Earth's atmosphere. Your car gets to wear a "carbon neutral" bumper sticker. Bob Sheppard of Kittery used offsets to make his family's recent vacation more "carbon neutral."

Sheppard, his wife and two children flew to Tuscon, Ariz., then rented an RV for three weeks. As deputy director of Clean Air-Cool Planet, a nonprofit in Portsmouth, N.H., that helps businesses, colleges and communities reduce their carbon footprints, Sheppard knew the vacation would carry an environmental cost.

The family calculated the carbon dioxide produced by the plane flight and the 12-mpg RV and bought $85 worth of carbon offsets. "It's a good feeling to know you're helping to deal with climate change," Sheppard said.

The system is far from foolproof, however. The market is unregulated, and there is no single standard for what is a legitimate offset. "It can be a real challenge for consumers," said Laura Kosloff, vice president of Trexler Climate + Energy Service Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based consultant in the offset market.

There are more than 30 organizations offering to sell offsets on the Internet, with a wide range of prices and carbon-saving solutions. It can be tricky to sort out whether they will truly offset emissions the way customers expect. "They don't in all cases," Kosloff said.

A for-profit company using offsets to finance windmills could sell the carbon reduction from the same windmill over and over, racking up profits but not reducing carbon dioxide. Or the money could go into a wind farm that was going to be built anyway, even without the money from offsets.

In either example, the unwitting buyers don't really get what they pay for. A legitimate offset is retired and never resold, and it has to provide funding that is truly needed for a wind farm to operate and replace fossil fuels.

Kosloff's company wrote a report released by Clean Air-Cool Planet last week that serves as one of the first consumer guides to the offset market. There is talk of government regulation or the creation of a single standard to give the market more credibility. In the meantime, experts said, consumers can look for offsets that are certified by one of several independent auditing organizations. Interfaith Power and Light, for example, relies on established companies that are certified by a group called the Center for Resource Solutions.

Even if consumers get what they pay for, however, some critics say the system will do more harm than good for the Earth. London-based New Internationalist magazine published an edition in July calling offset markets around the world a big "carbon con."

"Rather than stop the flow of oil, coal and gas, the offset industry tells us that we can continue as normal," editor Adam Ma'anit wrote. "Carbon offsets are at best a distraction and at worst a grandiose carbon laundering scheme."

In effect, he said, someone driving a gas-guzzling SUV will simply keep pumping out carbon dioxide, but with a clearer conscience. That doesn't worry Erika Morgan, president of Maine Energy Investment Corp., a proponent of clean energy in Brunswick.

"I think people should be taking responsibility for the decisions they make," she said. "If that makes you feel better about your Hummer, then that's great."

Offsets will show people the costs of their choices, Morgan said, and the market will gradually promote a shift to clean energy.

But it would not be fair for the planet's wealthy to simply buy offsets while the poor of the world bear the burdens of climate change, according to Anne "Andy" Burt of Edgecomb.

"I think offsets are important, but the bottom line is that somebody's got to be actually cutting back," she said. Ultimately, everyone will need to change lifestyles, she said.

Burt, who is the environmental justice coordinator for the Maine Council of Churches, has solar panels on the roof of her home and does not buy any electricity made by burning fossil fuels. She and her husband sometimes run a backup generator and drive cars. For those things, Burt buys carbon offsets.

"It's not just that some of us who can afford to are paying to have a guilt-free ride that some other people can't afford," she said. "Part of this is really about becoming mindful and taking responsibility."

Source: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/061210carbon.html

In their most recent issue, In Touch has listed who they think the luckiest kids in the world are. ere’s a recap:

#10~ Sam Sheen, the daughter of actors Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, is a girly girl who gets whatever she wants, including makeup and a pony!

#9~ Brooklyn Beckham, the oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham has always been given the royal treament including his godfather… Music royalty Elton John…He and his brothers have a $200,000 fort in their backyard and Brooklyn has a $100,000 toy Ferrari and a $400,000 lighting system in his bedroom that imitates the sky at night!

#8~Apple Martin, the daughter of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay rocker Chris Martin, travels the world with her parents, attending the hottest concerts and staying in various homes in LA, New York, and London.

#7~Coco Arquette, the daughter of actors Courteney Cox-Arquette and David Arquette is surrounded by some of Hollywood’s top stars, many of which are in her family. She also is god-daughter to Jennifer Aniston and is always dressed as a fashionable little lady.

#6~ Kingston Rossdale, the son of pop star and fashionista Gwen Stefani and rocker Gavin Rossdale, is a seasoned traveler, spending much of his time either on the road with his parents or in one of their homes from LA to London. He is always seen in some of the most stylish baby clothes on the market, many of which are designed by his own mom. Kingston, at six months old, already has an electric guitar and a $6,200 gold bracelet, not that he’s even aware of them!

#5~ Leni Klum, the daughter of supermodel Heidi Klum and rocker Seal, is constantly with her parents attending major Hollywood events and going to the some of the most popular hotspots. Leni is following in her mother’s footsteps, not only in the looks department, but also in her love of the best that fashion has to offer.

#4~ James Broderick, the son of actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, is very well connected to the New York scene. He is constantly attending shows, with limitless access and spends the summers in the Hamptons, like a real socialite. His father also reportedly bought him a $6,000 14-karat gold bracelet.

#3~Maddox Jolie-Pitt, the son of A-listers Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, never stays in one place for too long, constantly traveling from country to country with his parents. Being the very first priority in his parents life, along with his two sisters, Mad never wants for anything. He has a motorbike, an ATV, and visits some of the most interesting museums, zoos and events. He is also a young fashion icon, usually sporting a mohawk, screen tees and cargos pants.

#2~ Barron Trump, the youngest son of real estate mogul Donald Trump and his third wife Melania, is already guaranteed a lucrative job with his father and, at 8-months-old, has his own floor in his parents $100 million triplex.

And number one is (drumroll please) … Miss Lourdes Leon, daughter of pop icon Madonna and her ex Carlos Leon, and stepdaughter to film director guy Ritchie, has a wardrobe to rival Hollywood’s biggest clothes hounds and even has her own stylist. She also reportedly has a credit card with a $10,000 limit.

The thing I love about these parents is that these kids aren’t just given the lap of luxury and then pushed aside by their parents, as in the “Mommy Dearest” superstition of Hollywood parents. These parents absolutely adore their children, who are evidently the lights of their lives, and only want to provide them with the absolute best, in many cases because they themselves come from meager backgrounds. I just love that!

Source: http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2006/12/in_touch_top_te.html

NEW YORK - EU regulators on Friday opened an antitrust probe of Universal Music Group's plans to buy BMG Music Publishing for about $2.1 billion, saying the deal could damage "the already concentrated music publishing market."

Officials in Brussels announced they would issue a final decision on whether to block or allow the deal by April 27.

BMG - owned by German media company Bertelsmann AG - has the rights to more than a million songs by recording artists such as Nelly, Maroon 5 and Coldplay, as well as classic hits by the Beach Boys, Barry Manilow and other entertainers. Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group is the world's largest music company.

EU approval was the last hurdle for the deal which was cleared by the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department in the United States last month.

The European Commission said its initial investigation raised "serious doubts" that the deal could erode fair competition in the music publishing market.

"Universal is the strongest player in music recording. After the proposed merger it would become also the largest music publisher in the European Economic Area," it said in a notice published on the Web site of the EU executive.

Regulators said their probe will focus on whether Universal's leading position and a shrinking number of players in the market would have "a negative impact" on fees for publishing rights or conditions for European song writers.

The same five companies - Universal, BMG, EMI, Warner and Sony - control most of recorded music and music publishing in Europe, they said.

EMI and Warner, a unit of Time Warner Inc., suspended takeover talks after an EU court ruled in July that regulators were wrong to clear a deal between the music units of Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG.

That deal - reducing the number of music majors from five to four - must now be re-examined and analysts warned that it could raise the stakes for similar combinations. The Commission has already said that it had to watch the music sector closely to check that antitrust rules are not being broken.

Source: Various

They may not believe in Father Christmas but the youngsters at a West Hampstead school did believe in a thing called love on Saturday – when the Darkness’ former frontman dropped by.

Justin Hawkins, who had a number one hit with I Believe in a Thing Called Love three years ago, lived in West Hampstead until recently.

He was on hand at Emmanuel School in Mill Lane to help the auction go with a bang as he sold off his band’s memorabilia. He said: “I lived near the school for years and it’s an important part of the community. I wouldn’t miss this for anything, it’s a seasonal big thumbs up – it rocks.”

At Beckford School’s Winter fair in Dornfell Street, West Hampstead, similar auctions were taking place.

Pupils raised £80 from selling handmade Beckford bear biscuits and glove puppets as part of enterprise week. The children chose to donate the money to Oxfam.

At Fleet school, in Fleet Road, Gospel Oak, it was more a case of follow that celebrity as the Gospel Oak primary held a packed auction.

The school raised just under £4,000 from a host of prizes including a signed Arsenal banner, a DVD signed by Gwyneth Paltrow and CDs signed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The cash will go towards holidays at the primary. Head Pat Hollister said: “The parents they have the contacts.”

New End school in Hampstead enjoyed its Christmas bazaar on Sunday. Top prizes in the raffle drawn by comedian David Baddiel was an Arsenal shirt signed by star striker Thierry Henry, plus two tickets to a match, as well as computer consoles.

Source: http://www.thecnj.co.uk

According to popular vote on Facebook.com, the top five music artists for USU students were Jack Johnson, Dashboard Confessional, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie and Fall Out Boy.

Read more on this here

A music company that has been used by top stars such as Britney Spears, Coldplay and Shirley Bassey is plagued with an embarrassing problem... a nasty stench wafting into its offices.

Music hire and production company John Henry's caters for a glittering roll call of the biggest names in the music business. But the company in Brewery Road, Holloway, also has to contend with a pungent cooking whiff wafting in up to four times a week.

John Henry's alleges the smell may be from the next-door kitchen of trendy organic food business Fresh & Wild and has been complaining to Islington Council for five years. A senior employee, who did not want to be identified, has even been keeping an on-and-off "smell diary". He said: "It's a pungent cooking smell. We have had bank managers and high profile artists here and they have all commented on it. It's embarrassing."The people who come here are the people you see on television every week. You can't expect them to come and rehearse here and be assaulted with the stench.

"In a week, you get the smell maybe three or four times. In the summer, it's absolutely unbearable. It's been 30C and we have had to shut the windows rather than suffer the stench. It's obviously damaging the business and there is also a health and safety issue. All we are asking Islington Council is to investigate and take action."

Fresh & Wild, whose Brewery Road kitchen supplies six outlets, has pointed out that it is not the only kitchen in the area.

Spokesman Frank Shank said: "There were some complaints more than 13 months ago and environmental health folks came out. They didn't conclude anything but we voluntarily put new scrubbers on the extractor fans. Since then we haven't been notified of any complaints. The problems could be from another kitchen.

"But we will take any necessary steps to ensure we are a good neighbour and that means investigation. We are looking into the situation but until now we hadn't been informed there was a problem."

George Allan, Islington's executive councillor (Liberal Democrat) for customer focus, said: "We have investigated the complaint and visited the premises on several occasions but we have not been able to witness the smell. No other residents or businesses in the area have complained about it. We have advised on what action can be taken to deal with the problem.

Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow has reportedly denied making negative comments about her home country.

The actress apparently said the British are "much more intelligent and civilised than the Americans" in an interview in Portugal.

Her comments sparked anger in the US with many Americans calling chat shows and radio shows to express their disgust. But the Hollywood actress has hit back and issued a statement saying she was "deeply upset" over the article. She added: "I never, ever would have said that. I feel so lucky to be American. I feel so proud to be American."

"This is what I said. I said that Europe is a much older culture, and there's a difference. I always say in America, people live to work, and in Europe, people work to live. There are positives in both."

The LA-born actress has been living in London for the past three years with Coldplay singer Chris Martin. They have two children, Apple and Moses.

Gwyneth Paltrow is under fire for some statements she made regarding the intelligence of Americans. Paltrow a 34-year-old Oscar winner, who has lived in London since marrying Coldplay frontman Chris Martin three years ago, said: 'I love the English lifestyle; it's not as capitalistic as America.

'People don’t talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner. I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans.'

That hasn't sit well with many Americans, many who wrote in to tell the actress to stay in Europe once Cathy Beers pointed out her comments over the weekend. The Daily Mail UK points out that as her comments were reported in here in the US, Americans called chat shows and radio phone-ins to express their disgust at her 'betrayal'.

'If she feels that way we are far better off without her,' said one commentator. A disgruntled caller added: 'She sounds like she thinks she’s better than us. We are better off if she stays across the Atlantic. We don't need her here.'

That's been the sentiment here as well. Cathy Beers also pointed out that this is not a first for Gwyneth. In February of this year she basically said the same thing, writes Beers. She said at the time: "I love living in the UK! Brits are far more intelligent and civilized than Americans. "I love the fact that you can hail a taxi and just pick up the pram and put it in the back of the cab without collapsing it.

She then added, "I really don't think I'm stuck-up. And neither do the people who know me. "I can be picky and super-critical about things, and I have certain stand.

Paltrow isn't making any new fans in America with this type of talk.

Source: http://www.nationalledger.com

LONDON -- EMI Music UK, part of EMI Group, the world's largest independent music company, and BT, today announced the conclusion of a video-on-demand agreement for BT’s next-generation TV service, BT Vision.

The deal covers all available music videos from EMI’s extensive back catalogue and a selection of long-form programming. This will make available, on-demand, video content from EMI artists including Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Gorillaz and KT Tunstall, amongst others.

The videos will also be available to buy on PC from the BT Vision download store at http://www.downloadstore.bt.com.

Mike McMahon, SVP Commercial & Digital Media, EMI Music UK, said: “This agreement with BT Vision heralds our first TV on demand deal in the UK. The more ways in which our music videos can reach music fans, the better. This service gives consumers the flexibility and freedom of choice of when to watch our latest releases as well as view our rich back catalogue.”

Dan Marks, CEO of BT Vision, said: “We are delighted to announce this agreement with EMI Music UK. BT Vision’s choice of entertainment for devoted music fans is further strengthened by this partnership with one of the most famous names in the business. It will provide music videos from many different genres, as well as concerts by a wide range of well known artists from EMI’s fantastic roster.”

American actress and now British resident Gwyneth Paltrow has shared her thoughts on the differences between the UK and USA, and feels the Brits win hands down in the scintillating dinner talk department, among other things.

"I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner," she told "NS," the weekend magazine supplement of daily Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias on Saturday.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans," the 34-year-old added.

Paltrow lives in London with Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin. Neighboring American and now transplanted Brit, Madonna, 48, who married British film director Guy Ritchie six years ago, offers Gwynnie good advice. "She's like an older sister. Everything I have gone through, she went through ten times worse and ten times longer. She gives me good advice about how to say no and take care of myself," said Paltrow.

Several American actresses have declared their love for living the British life, including rocker Courtney Love, who recently made an announcement she was thinking of relocating permanently to Britain.

Oscar-winning US actress Gwyneth Paltrow feels dinner talk is far more interesting in her adopted homeland Britain than back in her native country, she said in an interview published Saturday in Portugal. "I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner," she told "NS", the weekend magazine supplement of daily Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans," the 34-year-old added.

Paltrow, who won a best actress Oscar for 1998's "Shakespeare in Love," lives in London with British band Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin whom she wed in 2003.

She said having US pop star Madonna, 48, who married British film director Guy Ritchie six years ago, nearby was another advantage to living in London.

BANGALORE: Digital technology is today enabling advertisers to provide personalized and situation- relevant ads and information to consumers.

Take the recent campaign at the London Tube station where a dynamic digital display ad of the band Coldplay also allowed for what is called “Bluecasting.” In this, an individual with a Bluetooth enabled PDA or smart device, standing close to the display got a chance to download a sample song on his mobile.

Retailers, fast food restaurants, post offices and train and airport stations in the West are turning to digital signages to woo consumers. And now this technology has entered India.

UK based Dynamax Technologies, a provider of digital signage and point of purchase in Europe, has tied with an Indian partner Morphosis, to bring its technology to the country. The company provides digital signage software solutions that can schedule and broadcast a client’s dynamic content to a chosen audience, allowing multiple combinations of what can be delivered, where and to whom. “This is intelligent advertising that has proven success. In terms of footfalls in the retail environment, it has translated into a 15-40 per cent increase,” said Tim Harvey, consultant and product manager, Dynamax Technologies.

Dynamax’s software termed “PointOfView” is offered along with an enterprise server that allows a user to manage content, scheduling and distribution across a digital signage network of 10 to 100,000+ screens from a single central location. The company, which has been in existence for the last seven years, clocked revenues of £2 million last year. “This technology did not exist seven years ago. Our software can be used in other areas such as schools and colleges and even call centers where statistics on call-responses and other data can be screened on LCD displays,” said Harvey.

PointOfView allows the user the flexibility to upload content of his choice to specific areas and could be changed according to the situation. For example, during rains, a retail store could run ads on comfort food like soups.

SP Rao, director, Morposis said that the Indian railways had shown interest in the technology and hopes to display the PNR status at stations. The company is also targeting the huge retail market in India.

Source: http://www.ciol.com

Tango magazine had called a relationship expert and an oddsmaker to stake odds on various celeb marriages.

And in the issue just hitting newsstands, they had given Pam Anderson and Kid Rock’s marriage a 20-to-1 chance, noting “Any couple that has wedding ceremonies in Beverly Hills, Detroit and Nashville is focused on making a statement in the public, not creating a lasting union.”

But Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ marriage is even a longer shot, with 30-to-1 odds. Comment the pros: “Compatibility is what happens when two people are alone. When the cameras stop rolling, my guess is that they have little in common.” Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin scored best, with 1-to-1 odds.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com

British music group EMI said it has received an informal takeover approach but did not name the suitor.

“EMI announces that it has, this morning, received a preliminary approach for the company which may or may not lead to an offer being made,” the music publisher said in an official statement to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

EMI, whose artists include Coldplay, David Bowie and Janet Jackson, added that a further announcement would be made if required.

The Financial Times reported Tuesday that US investment group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and investment bank Goldman Sachs were in talks over a possible EMI takeover worth about 2.5 billion pounds (3.7 billion euros, 4.9 billion dollars).

Earlier this year, EMI put a halt to its pursuit of US peer Warner Music, which itself had looked to buy EMI.

Source: Various

Nelly Furtado has so many guests on her latest album, she’s trying to see if they can all make it to her world party. The singer’s in the midst of organizing her upcoming Get Loose Tour, and if it all works out, she’s going to have surprise guests tailored to each continent the tour visits.

In Europe, for instance, Coldplay’s Chris Martin “should get an invitation” to join her for their duet “All Good Things (Come to an End)”. In Latin America, she’d like to sing with Juanes on their collaboration, “Te Busque.” And if their paths cross on their respective world tours, she’d like to hook up with Justin Timberlake, with whom she’s recorded several unreleased tracks.

Source: MTVAsia

The year 2006 has seen the coming of babies to many big name celebrities. Coincidentally Hollywood saw the coming of 5 new baby boys and 5 new baby girls !

Donald Trump and Melania Knauss - baby boy

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin - baby boy

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - baby girl

Brooks Shields and Chris Henchy - baby girl

Don Johnson and Kelley Johnson - baby boy

Shaquil O’Neal and Shaunie Nelson - baby girl

Adam Sandler and Jackie Tittone - baby girl

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - baby girl

Mira Sorvino and Chris Backus - baby boy

Rachel Weisz and Darren Aronofsky - baby boy

Source: http://allmyviews.typepad.com/

EMI Music UK is kick-starting a mobile marketing strategy that will involve the launch of a promotional drive for all its record labels, including Parlophone, Blue Note, Virgin and Manhattan.

The world's biggest independent music company will use wireless technology to target music fans with campaigns built around competitions, artist information and special access to events. It also plans to offer exclusive mobile content as well as sales discounts.

EMI is keen to use the SMS activity to drive consumers to mobile websites promoting artists such as Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Lily Allen. Each WAP destination allows users to access the latest news, buy ringtones and download music.

The activity comes as the company prepares to relaunch its main mobile presence, The Raft, next year. Mobile specialist Flytxt has been appointed to assist EMI marketers across its four UK record labels to integrate wireless promotions into their existing internet, email and CRM campaigns.

Flytxt's Neon platform will enable them to increase response rates, capture additional consumer data and track visits to other EMI mobile destinations. 'We want to improve our relationship with consumers by using mobile marketing to be as innovative as possible,' said Shai Eilon, CRM manager at EMI Music UK.

EMI's wireless marketing initiative is the latest phase of a long-term digital strategy as it seeks to generate new revenue streams from emerging platforms. Since Barney Wragg was appointed as head of digital in August to head the initiative on a global scale, EMI has tied up with T-Mobile to trial mobile ad-funded content.

Source: http://www.brandrepublic.com

Shares of record company EMI Group PLC, whose artists include Coldplay and the Beatles, rose more than 10 percent Tuesday after the company said it received an approach about a possible takeover of the business.

EMI did not say who the potential bidder was.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the deal, said European private equity firm Permira Advisors Ltd. made a preliminary takeover offer. A spokesman for Permira of London declined to comment.

Earlier the Financial Times, also citing unidentified people familiar with the situation, reported that companies including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. may be prepared to pay 2.5 billion pounds ($4.85 billion) or more for the company. The discussions remain at an early stage and may come to nothing, the FT said.

Dow Jones Newswires cited a person familiar with the situation as saying that KKR wasn't interested in bidding.

EMI shares gained 10.4 percent to close at 289.5 pence ($5.61) on the London Stock Exchange.

The company was in takeover talks earlier this year with U.S. rival Warner Music Group Corp. about a $4.6 billion deal, but those talks were clouded by a European court ruling annulling earlier approval of the 2004 merger of Sony Corp.'s Sony Music and Bertelsmann AG's BMG -- casting doubt on whether an EMI-Warner deal would receive regulatory approval.

Ask any KISS fanatic, and they’ll give it to you straight. KISS isn’t just a rock band, it’s a phenomenon.

About 1,200 diehard fans stood in line for hours Nov. 4 to meet the super group’s front man, Paul Stanley, who made an appearance at the Parisian department store in Rochester Hills.

Cameras clicked and fans howled as the “Starchild” casually rode down the escalator to greet the enthusiastic crowd. The rocker was in town to promote the latest in KISS merchandise, a cologne packaged in “his” and “hers” scents.

Mingling with fans never gets old. “It’s a chance to really say ‘thanks’ for an amazing life they have given me,” said Stanley, who signed autographs and posed for pictures.

Fans also got to “shout it out loud” when Stanley performed Nov. 5 at the Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens. He’s on tour to promote his new solo album, “Live to Win.” Backed by TV’s “Rock Star: Supernova” house band, Stanley was in top form, playing new stuff while mixing in several standard and rare KISS numbers.

Sure, he’s a rock star and all, but Stanley, too, is a music fan, favoring The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, while keeping up with the current scene. “My Chemical Romance, that’s one of the most interesting things I’ve heard recently,” the self-taught musician said. “I like Coldplay. I think the Killers are great.”

While it’s too soon to tell if Stanley has passed on the musical gene to his 2-month-old son, the rocker’s 12-year-old son isn’t too shabby on guitar. Meeting Stanley was a family affair for the McCowns of Clinton Township. Dad Shawn, 39, still has a vinyl copy of KISS’s first album, and he hooked wife Barbara on the band. “It’s classic, and they don’t have a lot of bad language,” Barbara, 41, said.

Sons Alex McCown, 11, and Matt Schiller, 16, also are KISS devotees; they have even learned some of the band’s music on guitar. “The first song I learned was ‘Detroit Rock City,’” Alex said. “It’s kind of hard. I can’t play it all.”

Many fans in line hadn’t even been born yet when KISS first appeared in the ‘70s. Nick Hudson, of Eastpointe, has been listening to Paul, Gene and the boys since he was born. And he’s only 15. Ashlee Bohning, in a red KISS T-shirt her mom bought at a 1977 concert, said meeting Stanley was “mind-boggling.”

“I was so nervous,” the 23-year-old Wyandotte resident said. “I just kept hugging him. I didn’t let go. He was very cool.”

KISS has always been there for her. “They’ve helped me through so many things in my life. Their lyrics … it’s very positive. It’s upbeat.”

After a long wait, Heidi Lichtenstein and Lori Baker got up close and personal with Stanley. Baker’s first-ever concert was the 1975 KISS show at Cobo Hall. The evening went down in KISStory as much of the show made it onto the band’s “Alive!” album. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” Baker, 45, of Sterling Heights said. “The lights. The makeup. It was just amazing. Nobody compares to KISS when it comes to a live concert.”

Lichtenstein, 48, of Rochester Hills, first saw the band in 1974 opening for Rush at the defunct Michigan Palace. She’ll never forget the experience. “It was like a masquerade party,” Lichtenstein said. “It changed my life.”

Kim Rolfe and Kristine Connell drove from Ontario to meet Stanley. They brought friend Gus Griesinger, who traveled from Buffalo, N.Y. The trio — which has worked with others to get KISS inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — love everything KISS. “Their music isn’t angry,” said Rolfe, 40, who forgot to show Stanley her KISS tattoos. “It’s just happy music. They’ve taken me through so many happy times.”

“Love Gun” was probably the first KISS song Griesinger, 35, heard. “I wasn’t really a major fan until I was a teen,” he said. Since then, Griesinger has been to at least 40 KISS concerts, including Detroit, Las Vegas and New York City.

Source: http://www.candgnews.com

Digital entertainment service provider Jamster has signed a deal to make mobile phone realtones and music videos by EMI artists available to its customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The agreement will also allow Jamba Music customers in Germany access to EMI's digital catalog of around 250,000 full music tracks for downloads or via subscription.

Jamster develops, markets and provides digital content and services directly to mobile devices via SMS text messages, WAP or the Internet. The company operates in more than 30 countries. The pact with EMI covers music from artists including Corinne Bailey Rae, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Queen, the Rolling Stones, KT Tunstall and Robbie Williams, as well as Bebe (Spain), Tiziano Ferro (Italy), LaFee (Germany) and Diam's (France).

"More and more consumers are using their phones to listen to music, or using music to personalize their mobile phone," said Jean-Francois Cecillon, chairman and CEO of EMI Music Continental Europe. "This deal is a cornerstone in our European mobile strategy, and demonstrates our commitment to this fast moving sector."

Jamster's managing director, Markus Bergerde Leon, added, "Working with EMI means that we have joined forces with a very important major music label. We are extremely pleased to be able to present our customers an even more diverse selection of music, ringtones, and videos from great EMI artists."

EMI Music UK is the first major music company to sign a deal with the PSP-Playlist to allow artists' music videos to be downloaded onto the Sony PSP handheld device.

The contract with HiFi Entertainment makes EMI's entire back catalogue of promotional single videos, including hits from Robbie Williams and Coldplay, available to UK PSP users.

Videos will cost from £1.89 to £2.19 and can be downloaded from the PSP-Playlist site straight onto Sony's Universal Media Disc (UMD) format, which plays on PSPs. To date 20m PSP consoles have been sold worldwide, with 1.5m registered to customers in the UK.

Graeme Rogan, commercial manger of digital media at EMI Music, said, "This deal will give users of the PSP access to videos from EMI Music UK's rich back catalogue, generating incremental sales for our artists."

Bela Molnar, MD of HiFi Entertainment, added, "The quick downturn of the UMD market has left many of the big believers in the format disappointed. We know the PSP market is huge but it needs a different platform to provide content to users. We believe that PSP-Playlist will provide a new way of communicating with PSP users."

Former ‘Friends’ star Jennifer Aniston has revealed that regular yoga sessions helped her purge herself of the trauma she suffered following her divorce from actor Brad Pitt.

She says that working with celebrity trainer Mandy Ingber, she developed a routine that helped her bring her mind and body back in shape. According to Self magazine, Aniston said that she had "emotions she needed to move" before starting yoga, adding, "I was in need of being scooped up."

She also gave credit to musicians like Seal, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, and Alicia Keys, whose tunes inspired her while doing yoga. "I was crying through moves. It's good to get that stuff out. You feel like you're having a therapy session," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“Whispers around the sport are Mick Jagger has been courted by series broadcaster Channel 9 to make a cameo appearance at at least one of the five Test matches between Australia and England,” reports the Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential.

On a day for big name dropping, Shane Warne reveals his friendship with Coldplay’s Chris Martin during the Australian launch of his latest book.

Alex Brown becomes the Sydney Morning Herald’s music reporter for a minute.

"We bumped into each other in a lift in England during the 2001 Ashes series and became very good friends," Warne said. "I went over to his house for dinner in London, we spoke all the time on the phone and hung out a few times. He's a really good guy."

In cricket news Warne speaks about England being a better team in the Daily Telegraph.

Andrew Ramsey, writing in The Australian, reports Kevin Pietersen was surprised by his first look at Mitchell Johnson and Ben Dorries takes a similar shock theme in The Courier-Mail in a story on Sajid Mahmood.

Source: http://blogs.cricinfo.com

Officials from Amazon.co.uk have revealed that the company sold out of its allocations of the Wii console just seven minutes after opening pre-orders.

The British website of the successful American online retailer announced that it would begin taking pre-order sales of the Wii, at a price of £179.99 ($342), from November 21st. The company had elected to wait until it was provided full details of its stock allocation before allowing pre-orders.

“We expected a high number of people to visit the site today but the response was phenomenal. It is the fastest selling pre-order item we have ever encountered – even eclipsing Harry Potter and Coldplay,” said Amazon.co.uk’s console and video games manager, James Schall. “It is very rare that we sell out of any item, let alone in only seven minutes.”

No indication was given of how many consoles Amazon.co.uk had available for pre-order but the company has indicated that it expects to receive more stock when the console goes on general release in the UK and Europe on December 8th.

“There are a limited number of these consoles available and had we taken pre-orders before knowing our initial stock, we would have run the risk of not being able to fulfill the orders when the release date arrived,” said James Schall. “We would not want to let down our customers in that way - everyone who pre-ordered the item at Amazon.co.uk today will receive their Wii the moment that it is available.”

They were the words used to farewell Australian rock icon Michael Hutchence at his funeral.

Timeless INXS classic Never Tear Us Apart has taken top spot as Australia's all-time favourite lyric. The hit, released in 1988, was voted Nation's Favourite Lyric by viewers of pay TV music channel VH1. Edging out Jeff Buckley's sorrowful ballad Last Goodbye by a mere ten votes, Never Tear Us Apart had proved a sentimental favourite, said Nation's Favourite Lyric host Billy Thorpe.

"That song is particularly dear to most Australians so it's no surprise it has come out on top," Thorpe said. "It was a wonderful song before Michael's death but those lyrics became particularly sad and poignant after his death since it was the song they played at his funeral. It added a whole new meaning to the song after Michael's death and I think Australians remember him when they hear that song."

You're Beautiful by James Blunt rated third amongst viewers, thousands of votes ahead of Wonderwall by Oasis in fourth, and Coldplay's Yellow in fifth [seen performed live in 2006, above].

Kasey Chambers and AC/DC continued the Australian showing in the top ten, with 35 Aussies taking spots in the top 100.

Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' was the oldest entry, from 1964, and Pete Murray's recent hit Opportunity was the most recent.

Midnight Oil, U2 and silverchair were the most nominated bands, each getting three nods.

Washington, Nov 19: A New York based house that was shared by actor Brad Pitt and actress Gwyneth Paltrow while they were dating, has reportedly been sold by the latter’s mother, Blythe Danner.

‘The Greenwich Village’ is said to have fetched Danner 1.8 million dollars, reports Contactmusic.

According to society magazine Gotham, the two-bedroom apartment, which was used by Pitt and Paltrow when they were engaged in the 1990s, faces Washington Square.

Paltrow broke her engagement to Pitt in 1997, as she felt that they could not maintain a healthy marriage while pursuing acting careers.

In December 2003, she settled with ‘Coldplay’ lead singer Chris Martin, with whom she has a two-year old daughter, Apple, and a son, Moses, born in April this year.

On the other hand, Pitt is in a relationship with Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie, and is joint legal guardian of her two adopted children, Maddox and Zahara, and father to her daughter Shiloh Nouvel.