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Oracle will aquire Sun Microsystems, Don Henley files a lawsuit over YouTube, and OMG, it's a new T-Mobile Sidekick!
Its Earth Day! Get tips from the big tech companies and your fellow tech enthusiasts on how to save Mother Earth. Plus, find out which mobile phone carrier the pope prefers. And LG wants you to become a rock star. Find out why the electronics manufacturer has a Web-based social network.
There's something odd about Hot Chip. Some fracture between conception and actuality that makes them all the more intriguing. Ostensibly Hot Chip sign up to the Hip-Hop dream as espoused by MTV Cribs and presumably as lived by, ooh, Pharrell Williams? They just seem to have some problems translating it to Wandsworth, SE London, is all. In fact they seem to have trouble squaring it with the equal, but to some extent opposite, influence of, say, Bill Callahan from Smog. Or Lambchop. Or Crystal Gayle. So, instead of doing the obvious thing and working out what sort of band they are going to be, they conclude that they will be all of them at once. And then they'll make it all in a room smaller than the box room at your Mum's house. With whatever's lying around. That is, whatever's lying around - toy trumpets, kazoos, blah. This to conform to a cherished idea of Brian Wilson's that, in the studio, anything goes. "Whereas a band like Primal Scream simply want to BE The Rolling Stones for one album, then King Tubby on the next, and Royal Trux on another, we prefer to make references in miniature to the spirit of the records and performances we love and admire," says vocalist/keyboard player Alexis Taylor. Unlike most of their heroes and role models, however, Hot Chip prefer things to be slightly off or too loud or in some way odd, and set great store in the accidental nature of recording. Perhaps it is this that gives them the slightly homemade feel that permeates the whole "Coming On Strong," and makes it an album so high on charm.
Loaded: Edit your photos online
Want to edit your photos without having to download some messy software? We'll show you where you can check out the newest version of photoshop right in your browser. Plus, Peter Gabriel is launching a music service trying to compete with the likes of Last.FM, find out what it is and why the musician hopes to break into the dot-com world. And, YouTube is adding stats tracking to their site, find out what publishers will be able to know and how you can start tracking stats.
Amazon takes on Google's book project, YouTube wants to rent out movies, and if you are still apprehensive about Twitter, you can take a college class about it.
Loaded: Cheaper iPhones and BBC for Americans
The BBC lets Americans download shows. Find out where and how. The iPhone may be cheaper and will soon launch in Canada and Italy. Find out how much Apple wants for the 3G version. And the Church of Scientology has a new YouTube channel.
Loaded: Leave your house to download?
Intel is in big trouble with the EU for anticompetitive practices. Maybe Microsoft can show them how to get out of this one. Google has a lot to show and tell from the I/O Conference in San Francisco this week. Plus, you can now download movies from Blockbuster but not from the comforts of your own home. From the actual store. Does any one else find this less than convenient?
The FCC tells Comcast to stop blocking traffic, or else. Find out how the government group wants to fix the net. Plus, A new country surpasses the US in total number of internet users. Find out which country is on top. Also, Yahoo beats the street. See if their earnings can help them stave off a takeover.
Microsoft walked away from Yahoo this weekend in sheer frustration. Find out what is next for both big companies. Deutche Telecom may buy Sprint, which would make T-Mobile a much bigger force to reckon with. And iPhone users lose their free Wi-Fi just as fast as they got it.
T-Mobile becomes Android's first hit. Find out how and when you'll see Google's mobile platform first. Microsoft becomes your virtual storage in the sky with Microsoft Mesh. We also get a look at the Microsoft Surface. Plus, find out why you are getting so much Chinese spam!
