Napster

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Napster Founder Parker Throws $9M Wedding

Ties knot with Alexandra Lenas in Big Sur, but no costumes

(Newser) - Napster co-founder Sean Parker married singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas last night, in what was reportedly a $9 million ceremony—one of the priciest to come out of Silicon Valley. Parker and Lenas celebrated "with 300 family and friends in a romantic, magical setting" at Ventana Inn & Spa in Big...

'Bored' by Facebook, Sean Parker Debuts Airtime

But things don't go smoothly at the NYC launch

(Newser) - Napster co-founder Sean Parker, who became Facebook's first president, launched a new service yesterday, saying he had become "bored" by Facebook. The Airtime service, created with fellow Napster founder Shawn Fanning, allows video chats and file sharing with friends and strangers. Its star-studded NYC launch wasn't boring,...

Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Using Pinterest

After copyright concerns raised, site wants to avoid becoming 'next Napster'

(Newser) - Pinterest quickly racked up millions of users, all of whom love sharing Internet finds by "pinning" images to the website. But one Pinterest user, who also happens to be a photographer and lawyer, delved into copyright law and the site's terms of use—and discovered that Pinterest protects...

Chatroulette's Big Problem: Genitalia

New software could scan the site for penisrs

(Newser) - You only get to make one first impression, and Chatroulette has made a pretty dirty one. The site gets up to 1 million visitors a day, but Michael Arrington notes that it may die a slow death unless it gets rid of its "parade of penises"—and unless...

Facebook Movie Paints Zuckerberg as 'Sex Maniac'

Dramatized account of website's early years depicts founder as 'conniver'

(Newser) - The screenplay for a forthcoming movie about the origins of Facebook depicts founder Mark Zuckerberg as a "borderline-autistic conniver" and "sex maniac," the Times of London reports . The Social Network dates the start of the website to February 2004, when—according to the "highly dramatized" script—...

100 Defining Moments of the '00s

 100 Defining 
 Moments 
 of the '00s 

pop culture
Oct 30, 2009 12:45 PM CDT

100 Defining Moments of the '00s

The iPod, Guitar Hero, Twitter—and some serious moments, too

(Newser) - From the tragic (World Trade Center attacks, Hurricane Katrina) to the seemingly trivial (Stephen Fry's first Tweet), the Telegraph lists the top 100 defining cultural moments of the decade so far:
  • April 2000: Metallica sues music-sharing service Napster.
  • October 2001: The iPod is released.
  • February 2003: Sacha Baron Cohen hits
...

5 Sites Keeping You Tuned Into Online Music

Streaming music gets a foothold among listeners

(Newser) - The wide world of online music now offers a range of ways to stream your tunes, from pay sites to musical social-networking services. It’s hard to tell which will stick around, but experts say they may help save the music industry, CNN reports. A sampling:
  • Napster: It’s back
...

To Combat Digital Piracy, Try Stealing

Composer pitches real-world thievery to help raise awareness

(Newser) - A Hollywood composer wants you to stop illegally downloading music, and he's willing to put his freedom in jeopardy to make his point. Because the public doesn't seem to equate swapping digital files with stealing, Richard Gibbs is pushing for people to swipe other products in a nationwide "day...

Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format
Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format
Jan 7, 2008 3:30 PM CST

Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format

Site ditches DRM in blow to digital music copyright proponents

(Newser) - Bad news for digital music copyright advocates: Napster plans to sell music downloads as MP3s and stop selling DRM-protected songs, the digital music retailer said today. Digital rights management blocks consumers from illegally sharing music but is unpopular with users because DRM-protected songs will often only play on certain players...

Snocap Cuts 60 Percent of Staff
Snocap Cuts 60 Percent of Staff
Oct 12, 2007 10:52 AM CDT

Snocap Cuts 60 Percent of Staff

Napster founder Shawn Fanning's music- licensing company on the rocks

(Newser) - The fortunes of Snocap, the follow-up project of Napster founder Shawn Fanning, continue to wane: the company has laid off 60 percent of its workforce and appears to be for sale. A spokeswoman for the online music-licensing company says that Snocap "has received interest from several companies and is...

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