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Sony Masterworks received two Grammy nominations for 2008

Sony BMG — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:39:46 +0000

Best Musical Show Album
(Award to the Album Producer(s), and to the Lyricist(s) & Composer(s) of 51% or more of a new score. (Artist, Lyricist & Composer names appear in parentheses.))

South Pacific
David Caddick, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast With Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot & Others)
[Masterworks Broadway]

Best Chamber Music Performance
(Award to the Artists.)

Right Through The Bone — Julius Rontgen Chamber Music
ARC Ensemble
[RCA Red Seal]

FREE Yo-Yo Ma Music Video available at Starbucks

Sony BMG — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:28:57 +0000

Yo-Yo Ma is iTunes Pick of the Week at Starbucks! Anyone who visits a Starbucks beginning on Tuesday November 4th will be able to pick up a free Yo-Yo Ma download card redeemable for the music video "The Wexford Carol" featuring Alison Krauss. So, don't forget to visit your local Starbucks next week and get your card and maybe one for a friend while supplies last. Offer ends 10/11.

Kristin Chenoweth’s New Christmas CD a Lovely Way to Spend Christmas!

Sony BMG — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:07:51 +0000

(Sony BMG Masterworks/NY) On October 14, 2008 Sony BMG Masterworks will release KRISTIN CHENOWETH's new Christmas CD A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS. For her third album, Chenoweth covers a wide range of Christmas songs from "Christmas Island," popularized by The Andrew's Sisters to Kristin's personal favorite "Come On Ring Those Bells."

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studio's legendary Studios A & B where Sinatra, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole all etched their Christmas standards, A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas is an eclectic combination of full orchestral arrangements, along with big band, a bit of tropical island flavor, pop and country.

In addition to well-known Christmas classics such as "Silver Bells" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas," Chenoweth reinterprets Louis Armstrong's modern standard "What A Wonderful World" and children's favorite "Sing," (originally written for Sesame Street's loveable Big Bird) into a Christmas songs with the help of acclaimed producer Robbie Buchanan (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow) and Executive Producer Jay Landers (Streisand, Midler, Manilow, Celine Dion and Josh Groban).

The album also features new compositions of "Home On Christmas Day," co-written by Grammy Award winning producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion) and Jay Landers and "Born On Christmas Day," with lyrics by Grammy winning pop/soul singing legend Peabo Bryson.

On choosing to record a Christmas album Chenoweth says "From the minute I signed with Sony Classical eight years ago, I wanted to record a Christmas album. I grew up listening to Barbra Streisand's Christmas album, and that was such an inspiration to me. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I am blessed and excited to be able to do my own Christmas album."

This fall Kristin will be featured in a new comedy Four Christmases directed by Seth Gordon and starring alongside Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. She also continues her role in ABC's Pushing Daisies for which she was recently nominated for an Emmy. Kristin can also be heard as the voice of the fairy, Rosetta, in Walt Disney Picture's Tinkerbell this fall and she just wrapped filming the independent film, Into Temptation, directed by Sundance filmmaker Patrick Coyle opposite Jeremy Sisto.

Track Listing:
1 I'll Be Home For Christmas
2 Christmas Island
3 The Christmas Waltz
4 Do You Hear What I Hear?
5 Marshmallow Ride / Sleigh Ride
6 Sing
7 Silver Bells
8 Come On Ring Those Bells
9 What Child Is This?
10 Home On Christmas Day
11 Born On Christmas Day
12 Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World

For more information please contact:
Kristen Foster – PMK/HBH, Kristen.Foster@pmkhbh.com, 212-373-6108
Angela Barkan – SONY BMG, angela.barkan@sonybmg.com, 212-833-8575

Man From Memorex Say Yes: Budget Blu-ray Player On The Way

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:00:53 +0000

We read an interesting titbit today about an upcoming new Blu-ray player from Memorex. Interesting because only yesterday it seemed as if the Blue Ray Association (BDA) was digging its heels in and promising no price reductions for either the players or the media in the foreseeable future. The Memorex MVBD-2510 will ship in the US for a rather palatable $270 and while we're still trying to find out if it'll make it over here, these sorts of moves tend to have a ripple effect that suggests budget priced devices could well be on the way. £150-ish is far more acceptable as far as we're concerned, and as well as support for the HD format this player comes packed with audio processing technology for the latest Dolby standards and up to 7.1 surround sound. It also upscales DVDs to 1080p and supports rewriteable CDs and DVDs. The 2510 should be available from November, and if we hear about a UK release in the meantime we'll be sure to let you know. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] Blu-ray HD budget

Acer CEO Underlines The Calamity That Is Windows Vista

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:00:58 +0000

Vista has taken another kick in the teeth recently following a rather amusing faux-pas by Acer's CEO, Gianfranco Lanci. He's been quoted as saying that "Vista today is quite stable - it's almost done" after suggesting that when the software was initially launched it wasn't 100% ready. It is shocking that the world's largest software company can release an operating system that still 'isn't really ready' over a year and a half later, and Acer's reluctance to install the OS on its Aspire One netbook is proof of its failure to impress. The recent swathe of adverts featuring Mr.Gates are unlikely to have an impact since Vista isn't even mentioned, so we can only assume that Microsoft wants to get the OS into a comfortable position before it breaks out with the "everything's ok now, we promise" campaign. We doubt many would believe it though, and if industry CEOs are highlighting its faults with comments like this it certainly won't help. Thank goodness we can still rely on XP - this Vista debacle is almost frustrating enough to make you want to buy a Mac. Just kidding, of course it isn't. - Paul Lester [T3] Microsoft Vista Acer

Apple Approves Another Pointless iPhone Application

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:00:28 +0000

We're not quite sure how Apple decides which iPhone applications are worthy of being included on its store. We know farting has been banned for "being of limited utility" yet the ultimately pointless sonic lighter has slipped through the net. New app Private-I is a form of security designed to encourage someone who has pinched your phone to run it with promises of untold wealth. Well, actually it's just a big icon displaying the word 'Private', which when selected pretends to access pictures on your device while all the time broadcasting its location to your email address using the in-built GPS. At first glance this might seem to be a bit of a stupid system. It is. Putting aside the fact that it needs to be opened from the home screen, with the right phone version, by a thief that isn't smart enough to have removed the SIM card, chances are the offender will be miles away by the time you get your email and reach the location with SWAT team in tow. You're more likely to get it back by simply heading to the place you lost it and hoping he's curled up in a seat giggling at farting noises. Also, the more news coverage this application gets and the more websites that report on it, the more likely is it that a thief will know about it and avoid like the plague. Whoops. - Paul Lester [TechCrunch] iPhone Appstore security

Christmas Nintendo DS Bundles Revealed

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:06:32 +0000

Christmas is coming and there's not a stocking big enough to hold all the gadgets and tech on my hugely optimistic wish list but, Nintendo is hoping for a spot with new DS Christmas bundles. The company is quick off the mark, announcing 5 festive bundles that aim to part you from your cash. This is what you can expect from October 27th onwards.* White Nintendo DS Lite console and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? software at the estimated retail price of £120. * Black Nintendo DS Lite console and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? software at the estimated retail price of £120. * Red Nintendo DS Lite console and Big Brain Academy software at the estimated retail price of £120. * Pink Nintendo DS Lite console and Nintendogs Labrador and Friends software at the estimated retail price of £130. * Blue Nintendo DS Lite console and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What To Eat? software at the estimated retail price of £130. So, whether you're a budding genius, chef or pet-lover, Nintendo thinks you're covered.-Martin Lynch [Nintendo] nintendo consoles games

Toshiba Joins Netbook Party With The ‘Quality’ NB100

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:00:28 +0000

Toshiba knows a thing or three about making great laptops which is why its entrance into the growing netbook arena has be hotly anticipated. It might be a little late to the party but the company has finally announced its first netbook, the NB100. Pushing the quality, rather than the cost angle, the NB100 can, according to Tosh, "be used as either for primary or secondary computing purposes, with a strong feature-set and high build-quality build making it an impressively versatile product." Powered by the Intel Atom chip, it comes with either Linux Ubuntu 8.04 or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. It has an 8.9in widescreen TruBrite display [1024x600] which uses LED backlighting to conserve power. By the way, Tosh rates battery life at an unusually precise 3hrs 47 minutes. It offers Wi-Fi, an Ethernet port, 3 USB ports, an integrated 0.3MP webcam, and up to 120GB HDD - no SSDs here. Weighing under 1Kg, it comes in "Cosmic Black, Champagne Gold and Bright Silver" and will cost around £260 when it ships next month. That makes it cheaper [just] than Dell's new Mini 9.-Martin Lynch laptop toshiba news

Star Wars Phone Flashers Show Just How Far The Empire Has Fallen

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:00:55 +0000

Is your Force on the blink? Can't you sense people desperately trying to contact you? Having trouble catching those vital calls or texts because it's just too damn noisy? Then what you need is little spinning heads from Star Wars with lights attached. Huh? Meet the Star Wars Phone Flashers, small key ring thingies inside of which is the head of Darth Vader or a Stormtrooper. Said heads spin and lights flash whenever a call or text comes in so that even while you're in the middle of assaulting the Death Star, you can talk to Mom. The indignity of it all. You can see how far... ...the Empire has fallen with these products. If it wasn't for goofy Skywalker & Co. the makers of these tasteless little devices would have been undergoing a very slow and horrible death in the belly of the Sarlacc. Frankly, I can't see them working, especially if you've attached one to your belt or to your phone, which is in your pocket. Maybe, if you used it as a nose-ring... Yours for a £5 here, rebel scum. Martin Lynch star wars gadget

‘I’m A PC’ Microsoft Advert: Please Bring Back Bill & Jerry

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:00:12 +0000

After the two surreal Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld ads [well, the second one] for Microsoft and Vista I thought things were actually starting to look up. Until now, that is. Above is the new MS ad in the Windows image overhaul campaign: 'I'm a PC'. No Bill, no Jerry, no fun at all, just a bunch of regular folk saying 'I'm a PC', the inference being that people from all walks of life use PCs - even celebs, shark divers, fishmongers, teachers, rappers and writers. It's obviously - from the chunky geek in the suit at the start - a stab at Apple's Mac Vs PC ads, saying so what if PCs are boring, the people who use them are not. Right On Bill! We're with ya, buddy! Or we will be, just after we finish this game of Dungeons & Dragons, recompile some code and rearrange the sock drawer. But then, we're with ya! Mom, where's my inhaler?-Martin Lynch microsoft comedy vista