Marketplace

Does Tony get whacked or what?

The final episode of The Sopranos airs this Sunday. Wanna bet what'll happen? A lot of people have and they're placing those wagers on sites like Bodog.com. (Vegas won't take odds on something that's already happened, if you were wondering.) According to Forbes, Bodog handled more than $7 billion in online bets in 2005, and 95 percent came from the U.S. — where online gambling is now a crime. As for our star crime boss Tony Soprano, the odds right now are 1 to 3 that he lives, 2 to 1 he dies. We're staying out of it.

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It's a Bollyworld after all

Disney wants to break into the Indian entertainment market. The company is expected today to announce that it has commissioned one of India's oldest film studios to turn the musical magic of Bollywood movies into lucrative full-length cartoons.

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Tough critics in China

The third "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie has passed the $500 million mark at the world box office and it just opened in China last Tuesday, taking in more than a million dollars on opening day alone. The Chinese version is a little shorter than the original though. Censors there didn't think the Chinese pirate in the movie was funny -- so they cut a few of his scenes.

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That's show business...

Forbes Magazine is out with its list of the 100 most powerful celebrities. It's based in large part on how much money they bring in. Oprah is No. 1. Actor Johnny Depp made a big move up to No. 6 with the Pirates of the Caribbean cash cow. And something we can all be thankful for: Paris Hilton was dropped from the list.

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A Blockbuster decision

If you've been holding off on buying one of those next-generation DVD players, waiting to find out which format will win the war, there's news from the electronic industry's front lines this morning.

Blockbuster is expected to announce today that it will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format when it expands its offerings next month at 1450 rental outlets. That's a major setback for the rival HD-DVD format.

In explaining this decision, a Blockbuster executive tells The Associated Press consumers who've been renting limited releases so far have been choosing Blu-ray more than 70 percent of the time, a message he says the rental giant can't ignore.

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Sorry, we really did try

We've tried to be a "Paris Hilton-free" zone here at Marketplace, but now they're talkin' money and that's what we're all about. Apparently a whole lotta people are anxiously awaiting that first post-jail interview with Paris Hilton when she's released next week. At least the networks think so. The New York Times reports that ABC offered $100,000 for the privilege, but says NBC made a substantially higher bid, possibly more than $750,000, and will get the first crack.

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Evan just-alrighty

Evan Almighty drifted to the No. 1 slot at the box office with $32 million in opening weekend ticket sales, but the movie about a modern-day Noah's Ark was one of the most expensive comedy productions in Hollywood history with a price tag of about $175 million.

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Starbucks gives Hollywood another shot

With another shoutout to the issue of climate change, Starbucks will promote the National Geographic documentary "Arctic Tale" this summer. It's the story of a polar bear and a walrus adapting to environmental changes because of melting ice.

Starbucks hopes its customers will actually see the movie this time around. Last year the company linked with Hollywood to promote "Akeelah and the Bee," a film about an inner city girl who makes it to a national spelling contest. It got a lukewarm reception at the box office in spite of fun vocabulary-word flash cards from Starbucks.

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Movie marketing d'oh

Over the weekend, 7-Eleven turned a dozen of its stores into Kwik-E-Marts. It's part of a campaign to promote the Simpsons movie, which comes out in a few weeks. You can buy Buzz Cola and Squishees, just like in the show. Even though the Simpsons makes fun of 7-Eleven, the company is paying for the promotion.

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Wouldn't ya like to be a Powergeek too?

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is a Powergeek — no, make that the top Powergeek. The father of the iPod has been named the undisputed king of the online music revolution by Blender magazine. The magazine's Powergeek 25 is a list of behind-the-scenes players reshaping the way people listen to, buy and watch music. The creators of MySpace are second and the YouTube founders round out the top three. Perez Hilton was No. 13, which we mention only because he has the entire list on his website.

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GTA IV stuck in the shop

Virtual car thieves are in for a long wait. Take-Two Interactive is postponing the release of Grand Theft Auto IV because the video game's just not ready. It was due out in two months, but now the release has been pushed back to Spring '08. Analysts say this could create ripple effects for the entire video game industry during the holiday selling season. The latest edition of the wildly popular series was expected to drive sales of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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Oh no you didn't, AT&T

Pearl Jam isn't happy. Portions of the band's set — part of a Lollapalooza concert sponsored by AT&T — were cut for the version broadcast on the Internet because their lyrics talked about President Bush. The company says the censorship was a mistake made by an overly-zealous Web content person. The band believes this points out the need for Net neutrality, so broadband providers don't have so much control over content.

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Latest Tinseltown deal: Terminated

Yet another casualty of the clampdown on credit: Hollywood. Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank were working on a deal with MGM to finance movies — up to a billion dollars. They were talking about backing a new Terminator film and maybe the next James Bond flick, but the Financial Times reports the banks have pulled out.

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Nothing goes with a good wine like... nudity?

A few Napa Valley winegrowers are taking off their clothes to raise money to protect Napa's dwindling farmland. The men of the Napa County Farm Bureau pose among the vines without much else on in the new Napa Uncovered calendar. Clos Du Val vineyard manager Al Wagner is Mr. July. He appears in a cowboy hat, boots and an apron. Wagner says some of the guys had misgivings about the calendar, but in the end they got a good laugh about their naked stand for the land.

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Get a Quarterlife

A couple of television's most creative minds are turning to the web.
TV veterans behind shows like "Thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life" are launching a Web-based program about a group of recent college graduates.
The show, called "Quarterlife," aired once in 2005 as a pilot on ABC but it was pulled because of creative differences between the network and creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick. Herskovitz and Zwick hope the show's next premier, on the Internet, will give them the creative freedom they want. Quarterlife debuts on MySpace.com in November.

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Music industry hoping not to croak

Something called "Spiral Frog" is hopping onto the music scene in the U.S. and Canada today. It's an ad-supported website that allows visitors to download songs and videos free or charge. Spiral Frog.com has set up deals to pay record companies a cut of its advertising revenue. To deter users from posting copies of songs and videos they get from Spiral Frog, the service requires users to register and log on at least once a month on the site. Otherwise, the content locks up and you can't play it.

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Halo 3 debuts stronger than movies

Microsoft is absolutely glowing about the first-day sales of video game "Halo 3."
Alien-shooting fans helped set an opening day sales record of $170 million. That's not only more than any other video game, but it also beats any movie debut.
To put that into context, even a superhero can't beat that. SpiderMan 3's box office record was $59 million.

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Bugs Bunny learning Arabic

Abu Dhabi has done a billion-dollar deal with Warner Brothers. The entertainment company is going to be a giant theme park and theater complex in the Persian Gulf emirate -- and it's created a fund to make Arabic language movies and video games there.

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What's Radiohead worth to you?

Radiohead's known for creating innovative music. But this time, the band's drumming up buzz about what will be lacking when the album "In Rainbows" comes out on the 10th. There's no record label and there's no retail price. You'll only be able to buy "In Rainbows" as a digital download through the band's website. And when you start the on-line purchase process a question mark will pop up where you'd normally see a price. Instead, the words "it's up to you" will show up. Really: If you don't want to pay anything at all, "it's up to you."

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When the cookie is no longer sweet

The fortune cookie with its optimistic messages has become a staple of the Chinese restaurant. One fortune cookie maker has started to reform those trite little bits of wisdom, with new messages like, "Today is a disastrous day." The maker of the less-cryptic treats is America's largest fortune cookie maker: Wonton Food. The company churns out 4.5 million cookies a day. The company reportedly hopes the cookies will "be a little bit more value-added" with messages like: "It's over your head now. Time to get some professional help."

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How do you say 'You're fired' in Malay?

The reality TV impresario Mark Burnett may soon be producing an Asian version of "The Apprentice." Burnett has formed a 50-50 joint venture with a gaming group in Singapore to produce game shows and reality TV in Asia. The partners plan to invest $20 million in the firm as part of a 10-year exclusive deal that covers all of Asia except Japan.

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Fox News is in business

The new addition to Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp debuts this morning. The channel is attempting to capitalize on a growing market for business news. The channel is set to air some 30 million homes in the U.S. and is attempting to compete with CNBC. Murdoch drafted Roger Ailes, who formerly ran CNBC, to help develop programming at Fox.

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Wii taking Sony's sales

It's pretty clear Sony is losing the battle against Nintendo's Wii. So, Sony's cutting the price of the Playstation 3 one more time. A $400 version goes on sale November 2. Is that something you might be interested in? Still, the Wii sells for $250. And the Xbox 360 goes for $300 to $400.

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The new competition goes wireless-less

Here's one more way to get video from your computer to your TV. SanDisk is entering the competition today. But unlike Apple or TiVo, no wireless home networks involved here. SanDisk will offer an online video service and a USB flash drive that will do the trick. You plug the USB drive in your computer, drag the videos you want into it, and walk over to the TV. The drive connects to the TV through a small dock. Sort of like the way you may carry documents form work to home on a USB stick? The only little problem: for now, the SanDisk service only offers about 85 TV tittles.

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Wii got money

Looks like Nintendo's plan to take over the video gaming market are working so far. It's first half of the year profits nearly tripled form a year earlier. The Japanese company is also revising its forecast for the year to about $3.7 billion. And of course, the Nintendo Wii is responsible for all these profits. The latest sign of the console's dominance came earlier this month when the developer of "Monster Hunter," one of those blockbuster games, said it's offering a Wii version. Before, you could only get it for the Sony Playstation.

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Life in Wal-Mart's check-out lane

The Eagles are flying and they have Wal-Mart to thank. The rock band is selling its new album exclusively through the retail giant. Billboard put the Eagles at the top of the sales chart this week.
The two-disc set, "Long Road Out of Eden," is the second-biggest debut of the year -- behind Kanye West's "Graduation" -- with more than 710,000 copies sold last week. Perhaps the bigger deal is Billboard reversed its policy of albums being sold through one retailer as ineligible for published charts.

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Hollywood looking for a few good aliens

Who says you have to be beautiful to make it in Hollywood? If you have say, a long neck, large head, or bug eyes, this could be your big break. Paramount Pictures is holding an open casting call tomorrow in Burbank, California for background actors to appear in the new "Star Trek" film. Casting directors are looking for people with unique and interesting facial features.

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Looks like the news is gonna be reruns, too

TV and radio news writers at CBS could soon be walking the picket line with other writers.
About 500 unionized news writers are expected to approve a strike authorization tomorrow.
The CBS News employees are represented by Writers Guild of America East. They've been working under an expired contract since April 2005. Drama and comedy writers are entering the second week of the entertainment industry strike that's shaken network and cable television.

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Clothing may not actually have seaweed

A popular yoga clothing retailer may be stretching the truth. Lululemon is a high-end shop with workout gear made of unusual materials like soybeans, bamboo and silver. But the New York Times reports today at least one of the funky ingredients may not be present. The Times commissioned a lab test on a fabric Lululemon says is made with seaweed. The mineral levels of the tested shirt were the same as a cotton t-shirt. Lululemon's been a Wall Street darling since it went public this summer.

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The Internet can be a royal pain

Apparently pop music start Prince doesn't like the Internet so much anymore. He was the first major artist to distribute an album exclusively online. But the piracy thing is getting to him.
Within the next few days, Prince is expected to start a legal campaign against the website The Pirate Bay. The site is based in Sweden and is best known for helping users find copies of music and movies -- illegal copies, of course. The funny thing is that Prince just gave away two million free copies of his latest album in the U.K. -- with the newspaper.

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Don't mistake it for the real Vuitton

Britney a counterfeiter? Not quite her, but someone did counterfeit at Sony BMG. Luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton has won a lawsuit that accused a Britney Spears music video of violating counterfeiting laws. The video showcases a pink Vuitton "Cherry Blossoms" design on the dashboard of a pink Hummer (we're guessing it wasn't the authentic "Cherry Blossoms" Louis Vuitton dashboard). Both Sony BMG and MTV online have to pay a fine of $117,000. They could have bought a couple of Vuitton bags with that money...

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Red Hot Chili Lawsuit

There's a new series on Showtime called "Californication." But that's also the name of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song and 1999 album.The Chili Peppers don't think that's cool. Yesterday, the band sued Showtime for using the name Californication. The show also features a character named "Dani California." That happens to be the title of a Chili Peppers song that came out last year.

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Strike talks resume on several stages

Striking TV and movie writers are set to resume talks with studios and networks today. The Writers Guild of America went on strike November 5 over payment for work that airs on the Internet. Writers want more money when movies and shows are sold to sites like Apple's iTunes. Talks for another showbiz strike are already underway. Broadway stagehands resumed negotiations with theater owners and producers yesterday -- 26 theaters have been dark for more than two weeks. It's estimated the Broadway strike has cost New York City $2 million a day.

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Can Jackie Chan's magnetism stop piracy?

Here's the latest message from movie makers to the people of China: If you buy legal DVD's instead of pirated ones, we'll give you a refrigerator magnet. The Motion Picture Association plans to distribute hundreds of thousands of magnets bearing a message from actor Jackie Chan.
It says, "Thank you for Purchasing Legitimate DVD's. Your action determines the future of the film industry." Chan says he hopes the magnets will encourage people to tell their children that piracy is wrong.

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Shanghai Disneyland may come soon

Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy could soon have yet another home. Shanghai is hoping for mainland China's first Disneyland. Reports say the city is waiting for approval of the project by the central government. Walt Disney Company happens to have a sleek new Shanghai office complex.
But company reps have repeatedly said for now the focus has been developing its theme park in Hong Kong which opened a couple years ago. A Shanghai Disneyland could come in time for the city to host the World Expo in 2010.

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Nokia's sounding like a good option

Nokia hopes this is music to your ears: free downloads for a year. The company has struck a deal to offer free songs from Universal's entire catalog with the purchase of certain Nokia phones. The service will work through an online music store Nokia started last month, yet another rival to iTunes. It's the next step in Nokia's goal of becoming an Internet company like Google. Universal will get a cut of the phone sales but it's still not clear when the new offer will start.

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Wii don't want no strokes

Wii are feeling a little better. That's what some stroke patients are saying after playing the top-selling Nintendo game system. The Ohio State University Medical Center is among rehabilitation centers prescribing Wii-time for people recovering from a variety of traumatic injuries.
The gaming system requires the use of your body, while holding a controller, to determine movement in several games. An occupational therapist at Ohio State says the idea came from a rehab hospital in Alberta, Canada using the Wii with patients.

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It's been a long time . . .

Led Zepplin played its first concert in 19 years last night in London. The show was a not-to-be repeated charity benefit for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. Ertugen, who died last year, signed Led Zepplin to Atlantic Records in 1968. Billboard reports rampant speculation of additional shows in the New Year. It's estimated Zepplin could rake in $3.2 million per night.

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China wants U.S. movies screened

Hollywood big-wigs and government officials think China is plotting against American movies. The New York Times reports there's suspicion that U.S. films aren't getting permission anymore to be shown in Chinese theaters. No formal ban has been announced by the Chinese government, but there's speculation the action could be in retaliation to an intellectual property rights case.

The U.S. filed with the World Trade Organization last year to put pressure on China when it comes to pirating U.S. movies, and to give U.S. companies more access to China's markets.

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Little town of . . . lucky slots

It's the company that helped build hundreds of U.S. warships, the Golden Gate bridge, and New York City's skyline. History buffs have wanted to explore the massive ruins of Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania for years. Now, they could have a chance thanks to an $800 million casino going up on the site. About 5 million people a year are expected to visit the the slot-machine complex being built by Las Vegas Sands. That could help provide the economic support to preserve the former steel giant's historic buildings for public display. Sands has already saved 20 buildings from the wrecking ball.

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The new 'straight to video'

The latest Jackass stunts are bypassing the movie theater. The movie sequel Jackass 2.5 will be one of the first Internet films ever distributed by a major studio. Paramount will release the flick on the web for free from December 19 through 31. But if you're itching to spend some cash, DVDs will go on sale the day after Christmas. The Jackass movies are a spin-off from a former MTV series co-starring Johnny Knoxville and his buddies. They basically run around performing gross-out pranks.

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Writers: Breaking negotiations is a violation

Striking writers in Hollywood have filed an unfair labor practices complaint against studios.
Union leaders claim the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers violated federal law by breaking off negotiations. The Writers Guild of America is also demanding that studio heads return to the bargaining table to stop the six-week strike. Talks broke down December 7, when producers refused to bargain further unless writers dropped several proposals. One included the authority to unionize writers on reality shows and animation projects.

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Writers going straight to the source

The union representing striking Hollywood writers has told its members its going to try something different. Instead of dealing with the umbrella organization for studios and producers the W-G-A says it will now go directly to individual companies. Talks broke off between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers December 7th.

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And the award for stopping the show goes to . . .

Seven weeks of the Hollywood writers' strike, a few weeks of watching re-runs on TV . . . I bet you are looking forward to some classic award shows with fancy red carpets and hilarious jokes by the hosts. Guess what? Someone writes those shows, too. And the Writers Guild of America just said it will not allow its members to write for the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards.

Jon Stewart is set to host this year's Oscars. And he's a member of the Guild. And if that's not enough to ruin the party, the Guild also denied the use of clips from movies and past awards programs for the upcoming ceremonies.

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Ticketmaster gets NFL-specific

You'll have a new way to get your hands on NFL tickets next season. Ticketmaster is launching a website in 2008 where people can resell their tickets. The multi-year deal with the NFL will mean you'll be seeing the pro-football logo and promotions on Ticketmaster's original site.

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Jigga-bye

Rap superstar Jay-Z said yesterday he's stepping down as president of Def Jam Recordings at the end of the year. His contract was up. And the New York Times reports Jay-Z's wanted a renewal that was more lucrative. Universal Music Group, the parent of Def Jam, said no. Jay-Z will continue to record for the label, he owes Def Jam at least one album. His next move is unclear. There's speculation he might strike a deal with the concert giant Live Nation.

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Apple having a sweet time

It's a juicy time for Apple. Shares of the company hit the $200 mark for the first time yesterday.
At the same time, there's word today Apple's signed a deal with 20th Century Fox that could change the way people pay for movies online. The agreement will allow you to rent the latest Fox DVD releases for a limited time through downloads on iTunes. The new Apple-Fox partnership is supposed to be announced at next month's Macworld show.

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Long live Las Vegas

Recession worries, the housing slump, and high energy prices are doing a number on many business, but not on the Las Vegas strip. The New York Times reports in October alone, gambling revenues for some of the biggest casinos were up nearly 20 percent over the same time last year.
But gambling halls in other parts of the U.S., that rely mostly on middle-class consumers, aren't doing so well. In some places, revenues are actually down by more than 5 percent. In Vegas, one key factor for success has been China's hot economy with Asian high rollers spending record amounts of money in VIP lounges.

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Hammer goes web

MC Hammer put his parachute pants away a long time ago. He's now choreographing a new career at a web start-up. Hammer, also known as Stanley Burrell, is co-founder and chief strategy officer for a website called DanceJam.com. The site is scheduled to launch mid-month.
DanceJam will feature dance videos and competitions. Hammer and his crew want the site to upstage YouTube. The plan is to make money by grabbing a piece of the growing Internet advertising market.

Hammer lost his "U Can't Touch This" fortune when he went bankrupt in the mid-90's.

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The best of drawn-out late-night TV

Some had writers, some didn't -- and you could tell.
Late night TV shows came back with fresh material last night two months into the writers' strike.
David Letterman has an agreement with the union to let writers work on his show and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. But what got Letterman the most attention last night was his beard. Robin Williams wouldn't stop teasing him about it.

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien went on without writers. O'Brien, also appearing with facial hair, showed off Christmas cards and tried to see how long he could spin his wedding ring. Leno took questions from his audience.

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Bidding storm looms over Weather Channel

There's a lot of forecasting going on right now about the Weather Channel.
Reports say some big media companies may be willing to pay more than $5 billion for it. The Channel's parent company, Landmark Communications, is expected to announce today it plans to sell everything it owns, including nine daily newspapers. The Weather Channel is a hot commodity because it's one of the last privately owned cable channels. And since the ever-changing weather is mostly immune from Tivo and other DVRs, advertisers love it. The channel's website, weather.com, will probably heat up bidding too. In November, it had more users than Facebook and CNN.

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Netflix's future might be online

Netflix is trying to embrace the future. The DVD-by-mail company has been offering its customers the chance to watch movies online at no extra charge. Now Netflix is starting a partnership with LG electronics to make it easier for people to watch online content directly on their TVs. A set-top box will do the bridge between the computer and the television. Netflix's CEO said yesterday that eventually, he wants to see 100 different devices out there capable of connecting to Netflix -- from video-game consoles to high-definition DVD players.

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Fox Business hunts for ratings

When the Fox Business Channel made its debut, a reporter appeared on the screen standing outside the headquarters of CNBC. The correspondent declared it was "hunting season."
But in the hunt for ratings, CNBC is well ahead of the game. Early numbers from Nielsen Media Research show on any given weekday Fox Business has just over 6,000 viewers. CNBC, its main competitor, has 283,000. That measurement was taken from mid-October to mid-December, the first two months Fox Business was on the air. The New York Times points out the new channel is so far available in about 30 million homes. CNBC can be seen in 90 million homes.

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SAG wins best supporting union in WGA strike

There's a good chance NBC's Golden Globes ratings will be a bit lower this year. There won't be any ceremony this Sunday, just a news conference to announce the winners. NBC still plans to air that live. The writers on strike might be picketing outside while that's going on. The ceremony was cancelled because actors planned not to show up in order to support the writers. George Clooney said he belongs to six unions, and doesn't plan to cross any picket lines.

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The economy killed the radio star

The Buggles sang "Video Killed The Radio Star," but it might be the economy that really does radio in. Station operators are already suffering from a deteriorating listener base. And analysts say a recession could really hurt local advertising, the lifeblood of most radio stations. Some estimates say local ads account for about 80 percent of radio broadcasters' revenue.

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Papa Smurf looks good for his age

There's nothing like a good birthday party, especially when there's Smurfberry cake around.
The Smurfs are turning 50 this year and the party's already underway in Europe.
The characters first appeared in a Belgian comic strip in 1958, created by late cartoonist Pierre Culliford. The blue crew's debut on U,S. television in 1-81 made the Smurfs a household name.
To mark a half-century of Smurfdom, organizers plan on including Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Handy and the others in a 3-D animation feature film and new comic book collections. And of course, the 80s cartoon series will be re-mastered and released on DVD.

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Another industry benefitting from the writers' strike

There's not much to watch on TV because of the writers' strike. Ah, just throw in another DVD. Maybe that attitude explains why the people at Netflix are in a good mood. The DVD rental service reports fourth-quarter earnings rose 6 percent. The company says subscribers grew nearly 20 percent year over year. That's about 7.5 million people getting their movie fix with Netflix.

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Grammy awards on

The Grammy awards will go on. Striking Hollywood writers will be allowed to pen the ceremony for musicians. The Writers Guild of America says it's giving Grammy organizers an "interim agreement."

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Who better to forecast on the economy than a pig?

Instead of reports on jobless numbers, perhaps investors should look elsewhere for the state of the economy. Maybe Greenville, Ohio? Darke County Dave will be delivering his economic forecast this morning. What qualifies him? He's a pig. In an event sponsored by the Darke County Realtor's Association, the pig will be presented with two troughs: one filled with sawdust. The other with sugar. If he dips his nose in the sugar, America will surely pull out of this financial slowdown. If he choose sawdust . . . well, just pray he doesn't.

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Two winners on Super Bowl Sunday

The Giants won the Super Bowl, and it looks like Coke may be top dog in Super Bowl ads. A spot playing on the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade seems to have captured the most attention. Classical music plays as huge inflatable balloon characters of Stewie from the Family Guy, and Underdog battle above buildings for an inflatable bottle of Coke. In the end, another inflatable character floats up to grab the bottle -- a big, smiling, Charlie Brown balloon. Advertisers paid as much as $2.7 million for 30 seconds of air time.

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Writers' strike nearing an end?

In Hollywood this morning, there're reports of an end to the writers strike. The was a major move forward over the weekend in talks between the Writers Guild and top studio exes. Variety calls it "driving to the end zone." We could have a deal this week. Now the challenge is restarting the stalled production machine and getting TV series back on the air quickly.

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Can't leave DOJ totally in the dark

Sony BMG and Universal Music Group have been talking about launching an online music service to rival iTunes. And now, the U.S. Department of Justice wants to know exactly what they're up to.
The idea behind "Total Music" involves offering fans access to unlimited digital music for a period of time. The cost would be built into the price of the electronic device playing the downloads. Reports say both Sony and Universal received letters from the Department of Justice. Past deals between major recording companies have been closely watched by the government.

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Sony wins another battle in the HD format war

Chalk up another victory for Sony's Blu-Ray format. Officials for the Netflix DVD-by-mail service announced they will stop offering Toshiba's competing high-definition format, called HD-DVD. Netflix had been stocking both formats, but the company says this battle appears to be over, since four of the six major movie studios are going with Blu-Ray. And the format wars may soon be moot, anyway -- Netflix subscribers can now download high-def movies directly to their computer hard drives.

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In House of the Future, house organizes you

It'll look like a typical suburban home on the outside, but inside, it's the House of the Future.
Disneyland is bringing back "The House of the Future" this May. It was a popular attraction at the Southern California park in the 1950's. Back then, it showed visitors futuristic gadgets like hands-free phones, wall-sized TVs, and even electric toothbrushes. In 2008, the future means kitchen counters that can identify groceries and make menu suggestions, and closets that provide fashion tips.

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A sale that's very hush-hush

The world's largest collection of silent movies is up for sale. The Rohauer Collection has 700 silent and classic films put together over three decades. Some of the films feature stars such as Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. The collection was bought in 1995. Now the company that owes it, Douris U.K., needs to raise cash for its creditors. It already signed a distribution deal for 21 of the films with a French company for $500,000.

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Believe it or not, they now hold the World Records

Guinness World Records brand is officially American. The Florida-based company behind Ripley's Believe It or Not, Ripley Entertainment, bought the Guinness brand for around $117 million. This according to the Guardian newspaper. The brand was owned since 2002 by U.K.-based HIT Entertainment. The Guiness Book of world records was first published in 1955.

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Oprah's e-book club

Oprah's been very good for bookstores. But it seems her magic touch goes beyond paper pages.
More than a million copies of Suze Orman's "Women & Money" were downloaded after Oprah Winfrey announced an e-book edition would be free on her website for 33 hours. Orman was a guest on Oprah last Thursday. And now the paper version of the book is getting a lift too. As of yesterday "Women & Money" ranked number six on Amazon.com.

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Martha's turning up the heat with Emeril

The queen of crafts and cooking is spicing up her media company. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia will "kick it up a notch" with the media and licensed properties of TV chef Emeril Lagasse. The Wall Street Journal reports the deal's closing for about $50 million in cash and stock -- bam! Martha will get rights to TV programs like "The Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live," as well as a dozen cookbooks and other properities.

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Wii gonna get in shape

Why join a gym or go outside when you can play a video game? Nintendo hopes to grab some new customers with that mentality. The company will announce a new product today that will ship in the U.S. this spring. The Wii Fit includes the Wii Balance Board, a white rectangle you stand or put your hands on that senses weight and motion. Nintendo has sold almost 1.5 million copies of Wii Fit since it went on sale in Japan last year. The game will sell for less than $100 in the U.S.

Other items showing at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco include a headset that lets you control what you're doing in a game by thinking about it. The $300 device comes from a company called Emotiv.

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...Actually, the winner of the DVD format war is everyone

Apparently there are no hard feelings between Toshiba and Sony after the end of the DVD format war. The two companies announced a joint venture today to start making advanced chips. The chips are used in Sony's PlayStation as well as digital items from Toshiba. Toshiba is paying $835 million for Sony's semiconductor operations. That gives Toshiba 60 percent ownership.

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It slices, it dices, it guides your way home

The Ginsu knife cut its way into American culture in 1978 with a TV informercial. Rhode Island native Ed Valenti is one of the brains behind the Ginsu. He and his partner gave the cheap serrated knife a faux-Japanese name and the rest was history. Now a Rhode Island lawmaker wants to name a quarter-mile road in the state, "Ginsu Way."

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On demand . . . with advertising

Can't get enough of Lost or Desperate Housewives? ABC's making the shows available "on demand" for cable subscribers. Don't get too excited. Guess what comes with them? Advertisements -- unlike usual video-on-demand programming, which allows you to fast-forward through commercials. The ABC shows come with ads you can't speed through. ABC is one of the first networks to attempt this kind of an offering. HBO and Showtime already have video on demand channels.

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Do you VooZoo?

Now that Facebook has you hooked on Scrabulous, it's serving up a new application:
Movie clips. Paramount Pictures will make clips from thousands of its movies available for use by Facebook members. It's the first Hollywood film studio to make clips widely available online. You can share moments on films ranging from Beverly Hills Cop to Breakfast at Tiffany's. The application, called VooZoo, goes live today. Paramount hopes to use the application to market its movies in the future.

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Gibson in dischord over Rock Band

Gibson Guitar is going after the video game Rock Band. The guitar company is claiming the Electronic Arts game violates its 1999 patent on technology that simulates musical performance. So it has filed a lawsuit. The company already has another lawsuit against Guitar Hero. No word on how much the company wants in compensation.

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Disarm you with a lawsuit

The Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record label of 17 years. The band says Virgin Records illegally used the Pumpkins name and music in a Pepsi promotion with Amazon.com. The lawsuit says Virgin only has permission to sell digital downloads of the band's songs. And that using the Smashing Pumpkins name to sell other things threatens their reputation for artistic integrity.

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Coming to the really, really small screen

Forget wasting time by text messaging everyone you know -- soon, you'll be able to flip your phone open and relax with the "Karate Kid." The movie, along with other titles like "Bugsy" and "Ghostbusters," will be among the first offered through a new service on certain AT&T phones next month. Sony Pictures Television says it will become the first Hollywood studio to offer full-length flicks by cell phone. The titles available will have already made their theatrical, DVD and TV runs. AT&T says it still doesn't know how much it will charge for the package.

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Filmmakers, Michigan has a deal for you

Michigan is looking to become the Hollywood of the midwest.

Today, the state is expected to announce a nice set of incentives to bring in film deals.

The Los Angeles Times reports Michigan would offer a 40 percent rebate on production costs for filmmakers. The rebate would cover salaries of crew and talent -- up to $2 million per person. The law would also cover 50 percent of on-the-job training expenses for Michigan residents who work in the crew.

The state has been hit by a declining auto industry and a rising foreclosure rate.

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Harrah's is changing its name

Harrah's is gambling on a new name. Seventy-one years after the casino company was founded by Bill Harrah, the company will now be known as Caesars Entertainment Corp. The company says Caesars is better known overseas. (Harrah's bought Caesars Entertainment in 2005 -- which included Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.)

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First ride on the Led Zepplin rollercoaster

What would you do with 1,800 bucks?

One South Carolinan woman is paying that much just to have the privilege of the first ride on the Led Zeppelin roller coaster in Myrtle Beach. Cindy Ennis will get four seats for her high bid -- one for her two children and a son-in-law. The roller coaster tribute to the rock band opens later this month. But Ennis will get her ride on her rollercoaster to heaven on Tuesday.

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Get your strange creature fix with 'The Hobbit' movies

If you didn't have enough of strange creatures and fantastic worlds with the Lord of the Rings movie saga, two movies based on the trilogy's prelude book, "The Hobbit," will soon be in production. Peter Jackson, who directed the Lord of the Rings films, is going to be the executive producer and Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will direct. He is the guy who recently directed "Pan's Labyrinth." The Lord of the Rings trilogy picked up about $3 billion in box office receipts worldwide.

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Welcome back, Buffy

The WB is back. The TV network that gave us the Jamie Foxx Show, Smallville and, of course, Buffy The Vampire Slayer will relaunch as an online video site. Owner Time-Warner says the Web site will offer reruns of WB classics and original programming. Network execs are hoping to attract the young viewers of i\Internet video sites like YouTube. The WB TV network lasted 11 years -- from 1995 to 2006. TheWB.com will start up next month. Long live The Frog.

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"Iron Man" blasts through first weekend with $100 million

A lot of people went to the movies this weekend to see "Iron Man." The film picked up more than $100 million in North America. Not bad for the first movie wholly produced by Marvel studios. "Spider-Man 3" still holds the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time: $151 million.

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Grand Theft Auto sales could run right over expectations

Take Two, the company that makes the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV, is expected to report first week sales today. And The New York Times reports that we could be looking at six million copies. That is $500 dollars. These numbers would exceed expectations. And that might mean more pressure for Electronics Arts to raise the price of its take over offer for Take Two.

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Ladies Love Cool . . . Sears

Remember the Softer Side of Sears? It looks like the retailer is now looking to dial up its street cred. Sears is adding a line of clothing designed by none other than LL Cool J.
The hip hop star will put his label on street wear and accessories. The line will be available -- just in time for back to school sales -- starting in September. Sears is also teaming up with MTV to produce a back to school movie, "The American Mall," airing on MTV Aug. 11. Hopefully teens won't be turned off by the prospect of also buying a tool set and a washer-dryer at the place they go looking for clothes.

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Chess Rules Everything Around Me

Attention, Wu fans: You're favorite hip hop band is launching a new Web site. But before you visit you may want to set up your chess board. Hip hop and chess? Why not. The Wu-Tang Clan wants to merge its two great loves: music and chess. Visitors to the site, WuChess.com can compete in hardcore chess tournaments or just play for fun. It'll cost you 50 bucks to join. Some of the proceeds from membership fees will go to the Hip Hop Chess Federation's scholarship fund.

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More like Hotplay

Coldplay are the new champions of digital media. The pop band now holds the record for the most downloads of its album in history. Viva La Vida has sold 354,000 digital downloads in two weeks. The previous record holder was John Mayer's Continuum, which sold 353,000 digital copies since its release in September 2006.

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This probably isn't what they meant by 'stimulus package'

The porn industry has gotten a nice boost from all those checks the government sent out to revive the economy. A company that tracks the online adult entertainment market says many sites report a 20 to 30 percent increase in membership since May. About a third of these members said the stimulus checks were a factor in their decision to join or renew. Proving perhaps that size, of wallet, does matter.

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