Celebrity photos, from babies and breakups, to weddings and wild flings, have long generated huge price tags.

Last year, Julia Roberts and her photographer husband, Danny Moder, sold a family photo to People for a reported $150,000. The money was donated to an environmental group. The first photo of Britney Spears' baby captured $500,000. The proceeds were given to a Hurricane Katrina charity.

A photo of Apple, the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, sold for $125,000.Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas sold the first photo from their wedding for more than $1.6 million.

The most profitable paparazzi photos to date are of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed 10 days before they died. The photos made more than $500,000.

The photo of presidential front-runner Gary Hart with then-mistress Donna Rice perched in his lap went for $75,000. The famous 1977 photo of Elvis in his coffin was bought by The National Enquirer for $18,000.

Whatever happens, experts say the magazine that publishes the images of baby Shiloh is in for a good day at the newsstand.

"That baby is going to sell a lot of copies," said Debra Birnbaum, editor in chief of Life and Style Weekly.

More on this here

Rock legend David Bowie is among an amazing galaxy of stars appearing in the new series of Ricky Gervais’s hit show Extras, The Sun can reveal.

Hollywood A-list hunk Orlando Bloom, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe also have roles in the comedy. In one episode Ricky — as TV and film extra Andy Millman — even puckers up for a Gay Kiss with Da Vinci Code actor Sir Ian McKellen.

Ricky, 44, had a host of celebrities begging for bit parts — playing themselves — in the second series of the show. He wanted to keep the names under wraps until filming finishes in late summer — but we got hold of the top-secret cast list. Bowie, 59, has already filmed his episode — in which he sings.The singer, famed for hits like Ashes To Ashes and Starman, is shown in a private members’ club — where Andy (Ricky) is desperate to meet him.

He bribes his way into the VIP area, but is asked to leave as Bowie bursts into song. In the gay kiss scene, Sir Ian tells terrified Andy to smooch with him for a play — and later calls a flunky to bring him Vaseline. Hunky Pirates of the Caribbean star Bloom, 29, plays a character desperate to date Extras’ unlucky-in-love Maggie (Ashley Jensen) — but she spurns him.

An insider said last night: “Orlando demands she kiss him — but she refuses and he’s incensed. He’s not used to being treated like that. It’s brilliant — Orlando totally sends himself up.”

The series even includes a dance sequence — and insiders reckon it could be as funny as Ricky’s hilarious jig as David Brent in The Office.

In other storylines Chris Martin asks to star in a sitcom Andy is making — mirroring Ricky’s real-life requests from stars. Daniel Radcliffe plays a yob and TV newsreader Moira Stewart is in a cocaine plot. Other stars with roles in the series include Jonathan Ross, Richard and Judy, Diana Rigg, Richard Briers, Ronnie Corbett, feminist author Germaine Greer, Stephen Fry and the cast of Holby City.

Madonna asked for a part — but had to pull out when filming clashed with her world tour. And Tom Cruise was also in talks to appear but is thought unlikely to sign now after the birth of his baby. However, insiders say one more big name is being lined up. Ricky began filming on Monday in Hertfordshire with co-creator Stephen Merchant, who helped write The Office.

The insider said: “Ricky had dozens of people ask for a part. But the names he’s got are fantastic and Ricky’s chuffed to bits. Orlando Bloom, Bowie and Chris Martin are amazing signings. Ricky feels a bit awestruck to be working alongside such big names, but he’s had a ball so far. The first series was a huge hit and Ricky was nervous that this series might not be as good. But he’s been really careful to cherry-pick the right stars.”

More on this here

Keane are hoping their new album, out on June 12th, will finally shake off the comparisons to fellow UK act Coldplay.

Singer Tom Chaplin has come out to say he finds the constant references as "grating", but does admit that the Chris Martin fronted band had been an inspiration. Chaplin said: "Even though we probably share a lot of influences, Coldplay have never been a real direct influence on us. We find it grating. But I suppose they have been an inspiration - at the beginning people called them 'Sissy bed-wetters' and now they're rock gods."

'Under The Iron Sea' is released next week, pre-order your copy now through our links below (HMV and 7Digital).

More on this here [thanks Ondes Martenot]

Chris Martin's drab media image has been dismissed by Embrace frontman Danny McNamara, who insists the singer is the most charismatic man he's met.

The pair became firm friends after Coldplay supported Embrace at a UK gig in 2000, and McNamara [pictured] is furious journalists keep portraying his pal as a geek. He says, "The perception of Chris is so far from the truth, it's hilarious. People think he's dull but he's the most exciting man I've ever met. He's always switched on. You feel like you should pay a ten quid (pound) entrance fee just to see him.

"If I was like that, I'd need 15 hours sleep a night. He's just not boring."

Rock supergroup Coldplay have leaped to the defence of pals Embrace, insisting their World Cup soccer anthem for the England team is brilliant.

World At Your Feet has attracted a barrage of criticism from other musicians including Sham 69, The Darkness star Justin Hawkins and Richard Ashcroft - who have all recorded rival tunes - as well as New Order.

But Embrace frontman Danny McNamara is happy with the tune, especially after glowing feedback from Chris Martin. He says, "Chris likes it. I played it to him yesterday, actually. He'd already heard it because I'd sung it to him down the phone a while back, and he remembered it word for word, which is pretty cool. I suppose that means it's good to sing along to."

A duet with Chris Martin was dropped from Nelly Furtado's new album Loose over fears the Coldplay frontman sounded "too rocky".

Bosses at Martin's record label EMI took the decision to stop the Canadian singer releasing the original version of Good Things (Come To An End) because they didn't want to alienate Coldplay fans.

Furtado says, "Chris' label didn't want his voice sounding so rocky, so they said we couldn't use the song. Now it's on the album with just me singing it."

More on this here

Nokia today announced that US shipments of the Nokia N91 multimedia device started. Optimized for mobile music consumption, the Nokia N91 provides an unparalleled experience, with a 4GB hard drive, 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, wireless LAN support, dedicated music keys, and easy PC synchronization with Windows Media Player.

* The Live8 content available on the Nokia N91 includes the following tracks: Paul McCartney and U2, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", U2 "Beautiful Day", Coldplay "Fix You", Dido & Youssou N'Dour "7 seconds", R.E.M. "Everybody Hurts", Green Day "American Idiot", Kaiser Chiefs "I Predict A Riot", Annie Lennox "Why", Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved", Sting, "Driven To Tears", Good Charlotte "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous", Dreams Come True "Love Love Love", Travis "Why Does It Always Rain On Me", James Brown & Will Young "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", Faithless "We Come 1", Placebo "Twenty Years", Paul McCartney and George Michael "Baby You Can Drive My Car".Enjoying your digital music collection is simple, as the Nokia N91 supports a wide range of digital music formats. A new feature of the Nokia N91 is the possibility to share your playlists with friends by text message or Bluetooth wireless technology. The Nokia N91 will initially be available exclusively online at www.nokiausa.com for $599.

As an added bonus, the stainless steel-encased Nokia N91 comes preloaded with exclusive content from the series of Live8 concerts that were held in July 2005. An estimated three billion people watched Live8 with one message in mind - make poverty history. People who buy the Nokia N91 can enjoy videos of the Live8 performances by a range of world-famous artists.*

"The second Nokia Nseries flagship device to hit the US, the Nokia N91 is ready to rock the US audience. It combines a high-fidelity music experience with all the benefits of a multimedia computer," said David Watkins, Director, Multimedia Computers for Nokia North America. "The Nokia N91 delivers on the Nokia Nseries promise in a very compelling way. Its multiple connectivity and powerful performance in all areas, truly makes it the world's best mobile connected jukebox."

The February 2006 issue of Vibe magazine cites the Nokia N91 as "fully functional, easy to handle -- everything you need is here" and Popular Science included the device in its 2005 'Best of What's New' annual round-up.

A revolutionary feature of the Nokia N91 is the possibility to share your playlists with friends by multimedia message, email or Bluetooth. The Nokia N91 serves up to 10 hours of great sound via the included stereo headset with remote control. Enjoying your music collection has never been easier, as the Nokia N91 supports a wide range of digital music formats including MP3, M4A, WMA, AAC, AAC+ and eAAC+.

Packed with multiple connectivity options, such as GSM/EDGE, WLAN, Bluetooth wireless technology and USB, and even WCDMA for international roaming, the Nokia N91 makes it easy for you to find and enjoy music when and where you want. Drag and drop your personal music collection from your PC to your Nokia N91 or synchronize your recent music purchases with your PC. You can also create and manage your playlists directly on your Nokia N91, or shuffle songs around to build your optimal listening experience.

In addition to being the first truly connected mobile music player, this powerful Nokia Nseries device with the latest multimedia technology boasts a two-megapixel camera, push email support, Internet browsing, RSS-feeds and Nokia PCSuite inbox for easy personal computer synchronization. The Nokia N91 also includes a new feature which helps you transfer contacts, calendar and gallery files between compatible Nokia devices, without having to use a PC.

For more information about Nokia Nseries including the Nokia N91, please visit www.nokia.com/nseries.

Source: noticias.info

Phoenix FM ran a number of top 20 shows in 2005 and broadcast the most popular ones on the internet. They are running more polls this year, with the most popular ones having another show on the station in the coming months.

As last year, some of the most popular polls will be counted down in a special radio broadcast, streamed live, by Phoenix FM in the summer of 2006. The Coldplay poll promises to be the biggest poll undertaken yet.

To select your 10 Coldplay songs, visit http://www.redpenguin.net/top10/coldplay.php

How to vote: Click the link above and scroll down the page and you'll see the voting form. We need you to choose your TOP TEN songs in order. The votes will then be added up (1st=10pts, 2nd=9pts etc) and a full chart will be shown on this page after the show - on which PhoenixFM be playing the top 20 as voted by YOU.

The poll closes on 14 June 2006.

Coldplay wants to live in Norway. The boys, who lives in London, are planning to buy a house in Kristiansand, Norway.

We love this country. The air is so clean, the water so clear and its so beautiful here. Last time we played at Quartfestival Guy remembers how fell in love with this place. We stayed up all night, we had a bath in the sea and saw the sun coming up. I was burned by a sea nettle.

Now they got serious plans about buying a house here. We have been thinking about buying a house here, a studio, where we can make music.

More on this here [thanks leeds113 for the 2003 article]

Coldplay, Geldof and Tutu are among 20,000 supporting the Observer/Amnesty campaign

Chris Martin, Martha Lane Fox, Bob Geldof and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among nearly 20,000 people who have backed the Observer and Amnesty International campaign to end repression on the internet. This remarkable response to the launch of irrepressible.info last week included support from around the world.

The campaign - 45 years after a powerful article in this newspaper led to the founding of Amnesty International - recognises the internet as a new frontier in the struggle for human rights. It demands that governments stop censoring websites, blocking emails and persecuting and imprisoning bloggers. It also calls for major corporations to stop making it easier for them to do so.A remarkable 18,790 people have pledged their support so far. Among them is Martha Lane Fox, who became a star of the first ‘dotcom boom’ when she co-founded the online retailer lastminute.com. She said: ‘I was lucky enough to have my horizons expanded and my business life transformed by the web - I wholeheartedly support The Observer’s Irrepressible campaign.’

More than 1,000 blogs are already linked to the irrepressible.info website, and the campaign has been welcomed by bloggers who have suffered under oppressive regimes.

Hossein Derakhshan, an Iranian now living in Canada, whose blog Hoder.com has been censored in Iran, said: ‘By censoring the internet and specifically blogs, governments are depriving themselves of amazing sources of information about what their population thinks of them and what they are are up to.

‘If blogs were around at the time of the Islamic Revolution [in Iran] in 1979, the former Shah would have probably predicted the massive uprising and could have changed his attitude towards running the state. Reading blogs for an official now is like when kings used to go out at night in disguise to see the ordinary lives of ordinary people. I am pleased to support the irrepressible.info campaign.’

In an article to launch the campaign last week, Kate Allen, UK director of Amnesty International, highlighted the case of Shi Tao. The Chinese journalist was sentenced to 10 years’ hard labour for using the web to reveal that his country’s newspapers were being restricted in their coverage of the anniversary of the democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. Information from Yahoo was used as evidence for his conviction.

As well as inviting people to sign the campaign pledge for freedom of speech, the irrepressible.info website - which has had 81,563 unique visitors, almost half from America - encourages people to write to the Chinese authorities and Yahoo to urge Shi Tao’s release. In the past week 3,128 emails have been sent.

There was a further blow to Yahoo when the National Union of Journalists advised its 40,000 members to boycott the firm’s products and services, accusing it of providing ‘information to Chinese authorities that helped identify and prosecute several journalists and pro-democracy writers’. The union cited the case of Shi Tao as well as those of Jiang Lijun, jailed for four years for articles calling the Beijing government ‘autocratic’, and Li Zhi, sentenced to eight years for discussing democracy in a web forum and emailing pro-democracy campaigners.

‘The Chinese government has an atrocious record of censorship and free expression,’ said Jeremy Dear, the union’s general secretary. ‘The NUJ regards Yahoo’s actions as a completely unacceptable endorsement of the Chinese authorities. The NUJ will be cancelling all Yahoo-operated services and advising members to boycott Yahoo until the company changes its irresponsible and unethical policy.’

Mary Osako of Yahoo said: ‘The facts of the Shi Tao case are distressing to our company, our employees and our leadership. We condemn punishment of any activity internationally recognised as free expression, in China or anywhere else. We have made our views clearly known to the Chinese government.’

Amnesty International has uncovered internet repression in countries such as Iran, Israel, the Maldives, Tunisia and Vietnam. In Egypt last month at least six bloggers were among about 300 people jailed during anti-government protests.

Founding supporters of the campaign:

Bryan Adams musician

Margaret Atwood writer

Lord Avebury campaigner

Norman Baker MP

Joan Bakewell broadcaster

Beryl Bainbridge writer

Honor Blackman actor

Melvyn Bragg broadcaster

Michael Brandon actor

Rory Bremner satirist

Shami Chakrabarti director of Liberty

Eric Clapton musician

Baroness Frances D’Souza

Dr Shirin Ebadi Nobel Peace Prize winner

Peter Gabriel musician

Paul Gambaccini broadcaster

Bob Geldof musician and campaigner

Richard E Grant actor

Lord (Raymond) Hylton

John Kampfner editor, New Statesman

Charles Kennedy MP

Baroness (Helena) Kennedy QC

Glenys Kinnock MEP

Lord (Neil) Kinnock

Peter Kosminsky film director and writer

Martha Lane Fox internet entrepreneur

Simon Le Bon singer

Helen Lederer comedian

Maureen Lipman actor

Roger Lloyd Pack actor

Joanna Lumley actor

Art Malik actor

Chris Martin and Coldplay musicians

Robert Ménard secretary-general, Reporters Without Borders

Henderson Mullin managing director, Index on Censorship

Lembit Opik MP

Gordon Prentice MP

Dave Stewart musician

Desmond Tutu archbishop

Xu Wenli head, overseas exiles branch, Chinese Democratic party

Ken Wiwa campaigner

Derek Wyatt MP

Source: observer.co.uk

The third album from Canadian singer Nelly Furtado is a complete change in direction.

Thanks to hip-hop producer Timbaland and The Eurythmics, the singer/songwriter has turned her back on pop for a sexier dance sound influenced by her favourite Eighties bands. Chatting to SFTW, she says: “Timbaland came to the studio with loads of CDs and music.

A standout track on Loose is All Good Things, which originally started off as a duet with Chris Martin. Label politics from Coldplay’s EMI meant it was removed from Loose at the last minute. “I’ve been friends with Chris Martin for a while and bumped into him at the MTV awards in Miami last year. I told him to come down to the studio as he loves Timbaland and Timbaland loves Coldplay so I knew they would get on. Chris came to the studio and we just jammed for about five hours and came up with All Good Things. It is such a beautiful song. We wrote it together. “Who knows if we will perform the song together one day?”

Read the full article here

From the stool of a piano Coldplay serenaded the world and it fell in love. All Australian Coldplay fans will remember Monday 10 October 2005 – in just over 2 hours tickets to the band’s three east-coast concerts had sold out, second shows were announced, and Adelaide and Perth had been added to the itinerary. Third shows soon followed in Sydney and Melbourne, and by the time all ten shows on the Twisted Logic Tour had gone on sale, the total tickets sold was over 100,000.

There's an incredible light show, two levels of panoramic video screens, live footage and computer graphic projection, strobes, pillar-mounted spot lights, balloons, Chris gets out-there amongst the audience on a special stage thrust, and even fireworks maybe?

These tickets are now very close to being sold out, only a small amount remain, but we here at musichead have nabbed a prime double pass to the SECOND Coldplay show in Sydney and are putting them up for grabs, and all you have to do is submit your answer to the question below.Prize 1 (x1): 1x DOUBLE pass to see Coldplay's 2nd Sydney (Section 12, Row H) at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, 1x CD copy of 'X&Y' Australian Tour Edition & 1x CD single copy of 'The Hardest Part'

Prize 2 (x10) 1x CD copy of 'X&Y' Australian Tour Edition.

Question: In 25 words or less, tell us your most tragic memory from the 80's (the most creative/funny answers will win)

Duration: 26th May - 22nd June

Disclaimer: Please make sure that your address details are correct in your profile to be eligible for entry. NB: The prize winner will recieve tickets to the Sydney show only, you must make your own way to the venue.

To enter, click here

Keane - bland middle-class crooners or tub-thumping, stadium-filling songsmiths? Rock journos Vs the great CD-buying public - the debate continues. Keyboard player Tim Rice-Oxley tells Brian Boyd how success brought its own issues for the bank and how the new album came from a darker place.

THE four members of Coldplay are sitting in Slattery's pub on Capel Street thinking of a new name for their band. They've a gig on in the Mean Fiddler (now The Village) in less than an hour and the promoter needs to have the new name. The singer mentions a kind old lady he used to know - her name was Cherry Keane. That will do.

But no one at the gig hears the name properly and for one night in Dublin a four-piece band with an Irish guitarist who used to be called Coldplay are known as Cherokee."Our founding member and guitarist, Dominic Scott, is from Dublin, so we used to spend a lot of time there," says Tim Rice-Oxley, the sole songwriter in the band now known simply as Keane. "We spent years on the overnight Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire sailing and it was after one of those trips and precisely in Slattery's of Capel Street that we came up with our new name, Cherry Keane. She was this really nice old lady who used to look after Tom, the singer in the band. We though the Coldplay name was too depressing so I ended up giving it away to a guy I knew at college - Chris Martin. I believe he's still using it. After a while we dropped the Cherry part of the name - because of the whole Cherokee confusion - and Dominic left the band [ their song Everybody's Changing is about Scott leaving].

"He was just exasperated at us going for years and getting nowhere. It was all very amicable. We're still in touch. He was at a gig we did with U2 in New York last year. I introduced him to the Edge. That meant a lot to the both of us because, when we began as a four piece with Dominic, we used to play U2 covers".

Because Scott was such a central part of Keane (apart from his guitar work, he also wrote songs and did backing vocals), they didn't replace him when he left. They also dropped their other guitar part - singer Tom Chaplin was their rhythm guitarist - and contented themselves with a drum kit and a keyboard.

If Rice-Oxley sounds nostalgic about Keane's Dublin roots, it's because, he says, those days are such a contrast to the "madness" surrounding the band now. "It also gives me a chance to tell the real story of the band," he says. "To talk about those seven years when we were going nowhere. We couldn't get a record deal, couldn't get a single out and it was a struggle."

When they did eventually get an album out, it was always a constant source of band merriment to hear themselves described as the "new Coldplay" because only they knew they were the original Coldplay. The band now known as Coldplay also found the comparisons amusing because only they knew that they once asked Rice-Oxley to join them as a keyboard player but he turned them down.

Keane also find it funny that the first single off their new album, Is It Any Wonder?, has already been described in hundreds of publications as "having a U2 guitar sound". "First of all, remember our background in playing U2 covers and second, there aren't any guitars on the track," he says. "It's just effects-laden keyboards. People are so obsessed with guitars, but there's a whole world of sounds available to you if you go looking. We could easily have put guitars on this album - Tom is still a good guitar player - but we've been a guitar band before and we're not going back to that sound. Most of the bands we love are guitar bands, but we just found that when Dominic left and we got Tom to take off his guitar, we found we had more space and melodies on the songs. We never really filled in the blanks where the guitar should be; we just left it to Tom's voice to connect with people. Anyway, I truly believe that regardless of how you arrange a song, it's really about atmosphere and the meaning and the way it affects people. It's nothing to do with what instruments you use."

The guitar-free debut, Hopes and Fears, was the biggest-selling UK album of 2004 - or it was for 364 days of that year. On the final day, the Scissor Sisters album sold 502 copies more, nudging Keane into second place. Perversely, Keane's success after what they refer to as "the wilderness years" broke them up. "We did break up - sort of," says Rice-Oxley. "Myself and the drummer, Richard, certainly thought it was over. It got to the stage where I was actually thinking what I was going to do next. To suddenly realise that everything was disappearing was really scary.

"We just weren't communicating with Tom, the singer, at all. It was just a mad time. The first album did so well, far better than anyone expected. We were getting Brit awards, Ivor Novello awards, we were nominated for the Mercury, Tom sang on the Live Aid single, we played at Live 8, we played Radio City Music Hall. . . it was just insane. The highlights were amazing, but there were some ludicrous moments as well. It was the extremes of the differences - from playing Live 8 in front of billions of people to finding yourself the next day drinking a warm can of lager, waiting to go on morning television. A lot of it was down to exhaustion and mental unease and bad things being brought up between group members. I don't know, it's like that thing in Star Trek or Star Wars where they go into warp-speed, or whatever they call it. It was just moving so quickly. And not only were we breaking up, we were doing ourselves a lot of damage. What you're supposed to do in that situation is take some time off from each other but, bizarrely, we decided, even with things as bad as they were, to take all that negative emotion and go straight into the studio for the second album. Don't ask me why, we just did."

The resultant album, Under The Iron Sea, is, for Rice-Oxley, a "sombre and heavy bastard of an album". "Looking back now, I think Hopes and Fears has a slightly melancholy end-of-summer vibe about it, but because this was recorded at a bad time for the band, this is a lot bleaker," he says. "It was written just at the time that we were coming round to thinking about keeping the band together after all. A lot of the songs directly refer to the experiences of the past two years. The Frog Prince is about observing the behaviour of rock stars; Is It Any Wonder? is about how our generation react to events and I wrote Broken Toy about my relationship with Tom. I really believe we went to the darkest recesses on this album - going to a bad place, but getting good songs out of it, hopefully."

He knows the critics are waiting in serried ranks, sharpening their knives on a whetstone. "I was so naïve in the beginning that I really thought that we would be respected for being honest, respected for not pretending to be anything we're not," he says. "We get criticised for our whiteness and our middle-classness - I could tell you about a few bands out there - a few so-called rock'n'roll bands who are a lot more middle class than we are.

"The problem, though, is that a lot of rock critics are white and middle class also, so there's a bitterness there about us. I used to think that rock critics were people who simply enjoyed music, but some seem to have their own agenda when it comes to us. We don't play the rock'n'roll game - the whole leather trousers and drug thing. I like Paul Simon - so what? Should I change him for a cooler name?"

They've given up trying to be cool. "There's too much stacked against us in the battle to be cool," he says. "We're making the same sort of music we were making when we released 500 copies of our first single on the indie Fierce Panda label."

Although dismissive in the main about their critical reaction, he is furious about a story that emerged last year which said that Keane were styled and marketed from day one, with everything, down to what font they used on their album, dreamed up for them by a marketing team. It was alleged that a company called Moving Brands was tasked with giving Keane a "coherent identity" - from their CD covers and videos to their websites, posters and T-shirts.

"Yes I am furious about that story," he says. "We've come through so much to get here, we've done everything ourselves, we have total control over our band. This report that we weresomehow manufactured, styled and branded from the start is just the furthest thing possible from the truth. I think the whole manufactured band thing is a horrible idea. Look, when we signed our record deal, there was a big A&R chase on at the time. We could have signed to a few different labels for more money. As it happened, we took the deal which gave us complete creative freedom. People think there must be a catch somewhere - that someone else is writing all the songs or something, it's just not true. Do you honestly think we pay someone to look like this?"

Under the Iron Sea is released on June 12th

Source: http://ireland.com

As reported earlier, Gwyneth Paltrow has broken her husband Chris Martin's computer, almost destroying new Coldplay songs stored on it.

The actress accidentally knocked the computer over at their London home, reportedly causing the outer casing to be badly damaged and rendering it difficult to turn on. A source told the Daily Mirror: "The hinges broke and the screen was hanging off. It wouldn’t turn on. Chris does a lot of work on there and the computer is his baby."

Luckily for the 33-year-old star, and thousands of Coldplay fans, the saved files on the machine were left intact and nothing was lost.

TORONTO -- As reported on March 8th, when couples can't get no satisfaction, Jerry Hall thinks talking about sex, or the lack thereof, can help.

"I think conversation is a fantastic aphrodisiac," said Hall who, despite looking picture-perfect, couldn't stop fussing with her almost waist-length blond hair during an interview. "But if you're having problems over a long period of time ... it's probably a physical problem."

"I'm certainly of the age group -- if I'm dating men that are age appropriate -- that that sort of thing, you know, happens but I wouldn't be bothered by that at all," the 49-year-old said, adding that while she may occasionally date younger men, she prefers the experience age brings. "Yes. Sometimes there are difficulties, but there's a pill for that. Younger men make you listen to Coldplay, and there's no cure for that," Hall said as she sat on the edge of an oversized bed in a downtown hotel room. The former model and ex-wife of Mick Jagger was in the city yesterday as the poster girl for an erectile dysfunction campaign by Bayer HealthCare, makers of an impotence treatment. But she wasn't talking about her own sexual past with famous partners.

"I'm not really talking about my personal experience because I think erectile difficulties should be kept between the man, the woman and the doctor," she said.

"I love rock and roll. I still like the Stones. They are the best."

While she may joke about the pros and cons of dating older men, she is serious when it comes to the importance of discretion. "Women have to be sensitive and find a way to have this conversation with their partners."

But Dr. Jack Barkin, chief of urology at Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto, said often women don't really know what their partners are going through. "Yes, it's a partnership issue, but sometimes even the men are reluctant to tell their partners that they are having a problem -- they would rather hide it," he said.

Many women think that because their partners aren't having sex with them anymore they must be having an affair, he said, which puts the marriage under further strain. Since pharmaceutical companies took on erectile dysfunction in the late '90s, Barkin, director of the Male Health Centres in Toronto, said wives, husbands and doctors are now more willing to ask questions and want answers.

He recounted a recent visit from an 86-year-old man, who hadn't had sex in 15 years. He had a new girlfriend, 77, who wanted to have sex. She told him to go see the doctor. "The interest in sex after the age of 80 has increased very significantly in the past 10 years," he said. "There are a lot of men and women out there who are very anxious to have sex -- even in their 70s, 80s and older."

Source: Various

Oasis' iconic debut album, Definitely Maybe, has been voted the greatest album of all time in a survey by the book of British Hit Singles and Albums and NME.com, reports 999today.

The 1994 album, which featured popular songs like Rock 'N' Roll Star, personic and Live Forever, held off the challenge from Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to claim the top spot.

Another Beatles album, Revolver, finished in third place. Other notable albums on the list included U2's The Joshua Tree (11th), Michael Jackson's Thriller (35th), Coldplay's Parachutes (52nd), Madonna's Ray of Light (83rd), Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run (84th) and The Eagles' Hotel California (100th).

Meanwhile, in another poll at 3VOOR12 reveals Coldplay were 25th with A Rush Of Blood To The Head [pictured], leaving X&Y without a poll result.

Two Estonian university students enjoyed a private 20-minute Skype call with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin yesterday.

Edging out 6,000 other hopefuls, the pair was handpicked by band members from a worldwide pool of contestants who left a message in Coldplay’s Skype voicemail to tie in with the release of “Talk,” the hypnotic hit single released from Coldplay’s multi-platinum third album “X&Y” a few months ago.

The contest was a joint promotion by Skype, the global Internet communications company, and EMI, the world’s largest independent music company. The promotion was open to all Skype users through a dedicated contest website at www.skype.com/campaigns/coldplay. The site also features a streaming video of the “Talk” single, directed by Anton Corbijn. The winning entry by 22-year-olds Kaisa Männik and Tiiu Laks, chosen for its originality and character, passionately highlighted the difference between the way bear sounds are impersonated around the world (“Rawwrrrggghhh!”), and the way it is done in Estonia (“Mõmm-mõmm!”).

“Turns out Chris Martin actually is as friendly and cool as he appears on the Web, TV and magazines,” Kaisa Männik said after the Skype conversation with the Coldplay singer. “There were no awkward moments. He was just the way we expected him to be: famous, but down-to-earth.”

“The next Coldplay album will be very interesting and experimental,” added Tiiu Laks. “Which is great, but we also got him to promise to meet us, should they ever play in Estonia. I told Chris I’ll be a lawyer soon and he better keep his word. He agreed.”

Skype allows anyone with an Internet connection to make free Internet voice and video calls.

Available in 27 languages, Skype is used by people in almost every country around the world, and Skyping has become a global phenomenon.

virtual-festivals.com have teamed up with with Carling, who are gearing up to bring almost 50,000 gallons of ice cold beer to give away at this year’s Nokia Isle of Wight Festival… you lucky souls!

This year’s Nokia Isle of Wight Fetival is looking like the best yet with headline appearances from Coldplay, Foo Fighters and The Prodigy.

Plus at the festival this year, Carling are so determined not to let warm beer ruin your weekend they’re bringing their Cold Beer Amnesty to the Isle of Wight – swapping any can of warm, unopened beer for an ice cold Carling – free!Tickets sold out in record time, but virtual-festivals.com have managed to lay our expert tent-erecting hands on a pair of VIP camping tickets for the whole weekend as well as 2 pairs of normal weekend camping tickets for runners up.

All you’ve got to do is answer the following question and text IOW followed by your answer to 80808. E.G. IOW A to 80808. YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO ENTER

What is the name of Chris Martin’s newborn son?

A. Moses

B. Jesus

C. Judas

Texts cost £1.50 and winners will be notified by phone no later than the 5th of June.

British artists such as Robbie Williams and Coldplay dominated the albums charts in Germany last year with a staggering 44% of chart sales.

Coldplay had two top twenty entries, with X&Y lifting 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' back into the limelight.

Top Selling UK albums in Germany for 2005 were: [read more]1. Intensive Care Robbie Williams

2. X & Y Coldplay

3. Greatest Hits Robbie Williams

4. Back To Bedlam James Blunt

5. Playing The Angel Depeche Mode

6. A Bigger Bang The Rolling Stones

7. Demon Days Gorillaz

8. Mind, Body & Soul Joss Stone

9. Beautiful Intentions Melanie C

10. Aerial Kate Bush

11. You Could Have It… Franz Ferdinand

12. Best 1991-2004 Seal

13. Dynamite Jamiroquai

14. Best Of Blue Blue

15. The Moment Lisa Stansfield

16. Back Home Eric Clapton

17. Push The Button The Chemical Brothers

18. Simplified Simply Red

19. Taller In More Ways Sugababes

20. A Rush Of Blood To The Head Coldplay

Source: albumvote.co.uk

Music firm overhauls information systems to keep up with soaring digital sales

EMI Music last month posted a 13 per cent rise in pre-tax profits, partly attributed to a doubling of digital music sales.

The announcement is further evidence that the music industry is in the throes of a digital revolution, with downloads increasing and sales of recorded music declining. Technology is a key part of strategies intended to capitalise on the digital market while combating a growth in piracy.EMI has recently overhauled its systems and improved its business intelligence and management information. Previously the company’s data warehouse used business intelligence tools from Hyperion, and contained only sales data.

‘We collected data in a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database and exported information into a Microsoft Excel document,’ said global programme director Richard Piercy.

‘From there, employees had to build pivot tables manually to organise that information, create slides presenting the trends and then send them out. The whole process took two days.’

The growth in digital business meant EMI needed automated reporting to provide up-to-date information and to make local information available globally.

Working with IM Group, EMI has installed a data warehouse and front-end applications, including business intelligence, analytics and reporting, collaboration, document management and a portal.

It brings together the Microsoft business intelligence framework and uses SQL Server, Analysis Services, Reporting Services and SharePoint Server.

‘It was part of an overall change that began three years ago,’ said Piercy. ‘We needed a management information capability that could support and respond to new market pressures.’

The platform, called Pulse, delivers information on market and consumer research, sales figures, airplay details, charts and financial performance.

EMI employees can use the sales analysis functions to access detailed sales data from around the world and run customised reports. For example, all 6,000 corporate intranet users can compare physical and digital sales performance data from individual acts such as Robbie Williams or Coldplay. This can be broken down by geography, retailer, artist or by release.

The near real-time view of the information allows EMI to monitor the performance of campaigns worldwide.

This in turn allows EMI to meet release date deadlines, optimise sales and save management and analytical time.

Piercy says staff have welcomed the system, primarily because it is easy to use and requires no training. Pulse also unites structured and unstructured management information.

‘There is now a lot of management information rich text. It is not all just grids and numbers, so we needed a single portal that presented all data in a consistent manner,’ said Piercy. ‘A lot of people are talking about it, but no one is actually doing it.’

EMI digital… in 30 seconds

* EMI represents more than 1,000 artists, operates in 50 countries and licenses its music in a further 20 countries.

* Digital music sales have more than doubled in the past year, generating more than £112m compared with £46.9m last year. The strong demand for downloads helped EMI boost pre-tax profits by 13 per cent.

* Previously, its data warehouse contained only sales data and reporting on the status of the supply chain was semi-manual. It could take up to two days to access critical information on sales and performance.

* EMI has implemented Pulse, a management information and business intelligence system. Everything from airplay to sales data and chart position can be accessed by 6,000 corporate intranet users.

Source: vnunet.com

Playing the doting dad is taking its toll on poor Chris Martin.

The Coldplay frontman looks shattered as he takes his seven-week-old son Moses out for a stroll in North London yesterday. Last week the band’s bass player Guy Berryman told me Chris was feeling a bit run down coping with a new baby after being on the road for more than a year.

But now Chris and the boys have a couple of weeks off before the Isle of Wight Festival and the start of their world tour in Australia.

More on this here [thanks Mimixxx]

Coldplay's only UK date this year is on Sunday 11th June at the Isle Of Wight Festival. We are giving someone the chance to win 2 tickets to the sold out event.

Click here to enter. Closing date Midnight Sunday 4th June.

More on this here [thanks Nettie]

Thanks to Little Missy Clumsy for the following Australian information:

To any Australians with Foxtel or Optus or something, there is a show on Fox8 called CD Live and apparently they’re going to have Coldplay on this Saturday (3rd of June) at 6:30pm. That’s NSW time… I’m not sure if it will be different in other states/territories/New Zealand.

I don’t know if it’s an interview or performance or what, but all they said was that Coldplay would be on…

More on this here

The list ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America:

• 1. Cirque Du Soleil-''Delirium''; $1,154,153; $87.83.

• 2. Bon Jovi; $1,114,154; $75.80.

• 3. Coldplay; $1,035,743; $63.72.

• 4. Kenny Chesney; $900,093; $58.12.

• 5. RBD; $662,316; $60.42.

• 6. Queen + Paul Rodgers; $589,705; $81.14.

• 7. Nickelback; $351,936; $37.40.

• 8. Larry The Cable Guy; $321,191; $41.45.

• 9. Mötley Crüe; $318,680; $53.30.

• 10. Brad Paisley; $316,916; $41.83.

Source: montereyherald.com

Video your granny for MAX and win Coldplay tickets!

It's a physical challenge for both the entrant and the performer. But it could get you in the door to see Coldplay! If you can get your grandparent to dance, on camera, and email the mpeg video (less than 5meg please!), we will take all entries very seriously. We don’t think they’re bringing the 84-year-old dancer from their latest music video, but if you have some elderly people who can dance, you may be there to find out!

If you couldn't be bothered, enter by answering a question in the normal way. Each method wins double passes in each state. To enter visit the following links:

http://maxtv.com.au/Max/Article.aspx?ID=117

http://maxtv.com.au/Max/CompColdplay.aspx1.Entry into the MAX “Coldplay” competition (the “Competition”) is open to all residents of Australia. The Promoter is XYZnetworks Pty Limited (ABN: 71 066 812 119) of Level 1, 5 Thomas Holt Drive, North Ryde, NSW 2113 (the “Promoter”).

2.The officers, management and employees (or immediate family of an officer, manager or employee) of the Promoter, the agencies associated with this Competition, FOXTEL, AUSTAR, Optus TV and their related bodies corporate are not eligible to enter.

3.Competition begins at 2:00pm (AEST) on Monday 22nd May 2006 and closes at 11:59pm (AEST) on Monday 12th June 2006 (the “Competition Period”).

PRIZE

4.There are 20 prizes. Each prize is a double pass to attend a Coldplay concert, valued at $240 on one of the following dates below (the “Prize”). All dates and locations are correct at the time of publication. The Promoter is not liable for any variations to these dates or locations for any cancellations. The contents of the Prize will be at the Promoter’s sole discretion and cannot be exchanged.

23rd June, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

24th June, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

26th June, Sydney Entertainment Centre

27th June, Sydney Entertainment Centre

28th June, Sydney Entertainment Centre

1st July, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

2nd July, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

3rd July, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

5th July, Adelaide Entertainment Centre

7th July, Burswood Dome, Perth

5.The total maximum Prize pool value is $4800 (20 x Prizes valued at $240). The Prize values are the recommended retail values as provided by the suppliers and are correct at the time of printing. The Promoter is neither responsible nor liable for any change in the value of the Prize occurring between publishing date and date the Prize is claimed. The Prize value is in Australian dollars.

JUDGING AND AWARD OF PRIZE

6.To enter the Competition and be eligible to win, entrants must either:

(a)Send a video clip of their grandparent dancing (like in the Coldplay video clip for the song “The Hardest Part”) via email to info@maxtv.com.au. Video clips must be in mpeg format and be no greater than 5 mega bytes for entries to be eligible; or

(b)Send an email to info@maxtv.com.au with a response to the following question “What special skill would you like to have when you are eighty four, and why?”

7.One double pass for each performance date (as listed in Clause 4) will be awarded to the best entries in Clause 6 (a) and 6 (b).

8.To be eligible, entrants must nominate the concert in the preferred venue that they would like to attend.

9.All entries must include the entrant’s name, address, postcode, daytime phone number (including area code), mobile number (if any), email address and date of birth to be eligible for entry. Incomplete entries or those with defamatory or offensive content will not be eligible to win. It is the entrants’ responsibility to inform the Promoter if their residential address, email address or phone number changes during the Competition Period.

10.The Competition will be judged on the basis of creativity at MAX, Level 1, 5 Thomas Holt Drive, North Ryde, NSW 2113 at 9:30am (AEST) on Tuesday 13th June 2006. Chance plays no part in the selection of the Prize winners. The Prize winners will be notified via phone on Tuesday 13th June 2006 and their names published on the MAX website from Tuesday 13th June 2006. The Prizes must be claimed within 7 days of the publication of the Prize winners.

11.The Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. The Prizes or any element of the Prizes cannot be exchanged for any other prize.

12.Only one Prize per person will be awarded.

GENERAL

13.All entrants agree to provide the Promoter or the Promoter’s authorised agent with proof of identity, residency, age and/or proof of entry validity if selected as the Prize winner/s or if reasonably requested by the Promoteror the Promoter’s authorised agent. Proof of age, identification, residency and entry considered suitable for verification is at the sole discretion of the Promoter. In the event that the Prize winner cannot provide suitable proof, the Prize winner will forfeit the Prize in whole and no substitute will be offered.

14.It is a condition of entry that Prize winners and their guests must be available to travel to their preferred concert on the date specified by the Promoter.

15.The Prize is only valid for the concerts at the Venues listed in Clause 4. Entrants from locations outside Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are eligible to enter the Competition. However, all costs incurred in taking and using the Prize (including but not limited to transport, spending money and accommodation costs) are the sole responsibility of the Prize winners and their guests.

16.No responsibility will be taken by the Promoter, Channel [V], FOXTEL, AUSTAR or Optus TV for any changes in dates, times or cancellations or other arrangements that may prevent the Prize winner from winning the Prize.

17.The Promoter reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, at any time before the awarding of the Prizes to cancel the competition or to vary, postpone or cancel the award of the Prizes including without limitation, circumstances where, in the Promoter’s opinion (which it shall form in its absolute discretion):

(a) a Prize winner does not satisfy the Competition entry requirements; or

(b) the Promoter cannot conduct the Competition for any reason beyond its control.

18.In the event that the Promoter cancels the Competition, postpones, varies or withdraws the Prizes it shall not:

(a)be liable to any person for any loss or damage (including loss or damage caused by any negligence) arising out of, or in connection with, such cancellation, postponement, variation or withdrawal; and

(b)be required to conduct the Competition at any other time.

19.No responsibility will be accepted by the Promoter for late, lost or misdirected entries and all entries are deemed to be received at the time of receipt of the entry into the Promoter’s database and NOT time of transmission by the entrant. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for outdated or incorrect contact details or contact details by which the entrant cannot be contacted during business hours on the relevant dates. If a Prize winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the Prize by the stipulated date, then the Prize will be forfeited and a substitute prize will not be offered in lieu of the Prize.

20.A decision of the Promoter in relation to the conduct of the Competition is binding and conclusive and no correspondence willbe entered into.

21. Entrants enter the Competition at their sole risk. With the exception of liability which cannot be excluded by law, the Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for personal injury suffered or sustained as a result of taking the Prize or entering the Competition. Subject to the foregoing, if the Promoter is liable for any claim by any Prize winner or an entrant including a claim arising from the Promoter’s negligence, the Promoter’s liability for any such claim shall not exceed $1,000.

22.All entries become the property of the Promoter and may be broadcast by the Promoter or used for promotional purposes, subject to the Promoter’s privacy policy which is available at www.maxtv.com.au. By entering the Competition, the Prize winner agrees to the use of their name, image, audio-visual recording and photograph/s, without compensation, and agrees that the Promoter will own copyright in any such images, audio-visual recordings and photograph/s and in all material incorporating the photograph/s.

If you require any further entry details please write to XYZnetworks Pty Limited (ABN: 71 066 812 119) at GPO Box 2692 Sydney NSW 2001.

[Thanks Luke]