News Topic - Kanye West

Kanye West visits veterans on home turf
Reuters - Kanye West has joined forces with MTV for the documentary "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming," the next installment of the "Choose or Lose" campaign, which tells the stories of war veterans and the difficulties they face once they return home.
Yahoo!  –  Jul 24, 2008 03:11 AM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Entertainment

Kanye West, MTV have surprises for vets
Kanye West has teamed with MTV for the documentary "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming," the next installment of the "Choose or Lose" campaign that tells the stories of war veterans and the difficulties they face when they return home.
The Hollywood Reporter  –  Jul 23, 2008 12:00 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Entertainment: Television

Kanye West and MTV making vets' dreams come true
Chicago rapper Kanye West has joined forces with MTV for thedocumentary ‘‘Choose or Lose & Kanye West present: Homecoming,''the next installment of the ‘‘Choose or Lose'' campaign, which tellsthe stories of war veterans and the difficulties they face once theyreturn home.
Chicago Sun Times  –  Jul 23, 2008 10:00 AM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Local: Illinois: Chicago

Kanye West, MTV Prep War Veterans Documentary
Kanye West has joined forces with MTV for the documentary "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming," the next installment of the "Choose or Lose" campaign which tells the stories of war veterans and the difficulties they face once they return home.
Billboard.com  –  Jul 23, 2008 04:00 AM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Entertainment: Music

A Good American Boy
Rap superstar Kanye West and MTV VJ Sway Calloway recently gave three young vets who just returned from the Iraq war the surprise of their lives!Kanye and Sway dropped in unexpectedly at the homes of the vets to listen to the soldiers' stories and express gratitude for their service.MTV was there to capture the visits [...]
PerezHilton.com  –  Jul 22, 2008 9:30 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Entertainment: Celebrity Gossip

BSkyB and Universal to launch digital music service
BSkyB is to break into the digital music market with a new business, launched in conjunction with Universal Music, that aims to take on Apple's iTunes in the UK. The new as-yet-unnamed venture, in which BSkyB is the majority shareholder and Universal is an equity partner, aims to launch by the end of the year. The service, which is likely to be Sky branded, will offer a monthly subscription service as a counter to iTunes track-by-track purchasing. The subscription will give users unlimited access to streamed tracks plus a set number of download-to-own songs, initially to Universal Music's catalogue of hundreds of thousands of songs from artists including Amy Winehouse, U2, Kanye West, Duffy, Rihanna, Eminem, Elton John and Abba. Downloaded tracks will work on any device that can play MP3s including iPods and mobile phones. BSkyB, which several years ago registered the brand name Sky Tunes, is in negotiations with other music companies to join the venture and to potentially take equity. Pricing of the subscription packages, and the numbers of tracks that will be made available to download for each tier, will be revealed closer to the time of launch. "We think that there is a considerable un-met and untapped demand in the digital music market," said the BSkyB chief operating officer, Mike Darcey. "There is a desire among consumers to consumer, discover and purchase music online." He added that not all those needs were met by the current legal services and that some offerings were "not well marketed". "We have considerable expertise in customer-focused subscription services, content aggregation, packaging and marketing," he said. "We have strong broadband services and online assets and we have contact with one in three UK households. No one has brought that to bear." The new service will compete against music download stores from companies including 7digital, HMV and, in the near future, Amazon UK. Mark Mulligan, a vice-president at analysts JupiterResearch, said that the service would compete directly against existing subscription offerings from the likes of Napster and eMusic. He added that music companies are keen to see a wider range of distribution services for their music and more competition for iTunes, which accounts for more than 70% of the UK digital music market. "The music industry is still trying to knock Apple down to size," he said. "People are realising that people are not buying digital music in the numbers they should be. The decline in CD buying is greater than the rate people are buying digital music." Mulligan said that BSkyB's announcement was the first of a "second coming" of music subscription services that failed to take off a few years ago. "Sky is trying to be the first music service targeted at families, they have relationships with households, while offerings such as Apple have been more about young, tech-savvy one-to-one relationships." There was a political dimension for Sky, which runs an ISP service, supporting legal music services. "It is very important for the music industry to help find legal solutions," said Darcey. · To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332. · If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".Related StoriesPaul Lewis on why Bluetooth technology is raising fears about privacyNetbytes: Girl Power blogger takes Singapore by stormAnother view: Roboticist Noel Sharkey on Wall-EDas Wikipedia - online resource goes into printNaomi Alderman: Why Microsoft makes us want to scream 'Exterminate!'
The Guardian  –  Jul 22, 2008 12:57 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Technology

Kanye West And Choose Or Lose Give Young Veterans A Surprise 'Homecoming'
Kanye West and Choose or Lose give young veterans a surprise "Homecoming" on new MTV News special.
VH1.com  –  Jul 21, 2008 8:52 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Entertainment: Music

Celebrity Squares: WALL-E directing animator Angus MacLane
What's your favourite piece of technology? Well, the first thought I had was maybe, like, the wheel? If you think about it, we use the wheel all the time, so I use that more than any other piece of technology. But probably functionally, I use the Wacom Cintiq tablet, which is an input device for Macintosh or PC, for Photoshop. [As an animator] I do a lot of drawings in the computer, and I can input them directly. How has it improved your life? Well, it gets the drawings into the computer faster, and that is huge. As far as how the wheel has improved my life, it gets me to a lot of places a lot faster than the alternative. What additional features would you add if you could? I think, actually, the additional features and the things that it needs [it] already has. I have an older version of the Cintiq, [but] the new one is fabulous. As far as the wheel goes, I would definitely have spikes - just in case you were nearby other cars that were dangerous. When was the last time you used the Cintiq, and what for? Probably about a week ago, and it was to do some storyboards for a future project. The last time I used the wheel? Yesterday - I was in a taxi. Do you think the Cintiq will be obsolete in 10 years' time? Well, the one I have will be obsolete, but no, I think that it's only going to get better. And certainly, the wheel's going to be around for a while. What one tip would you give to non-Cintiq users? I would get one, if you draw at all. It takes a long time to get used to the input device of it, and drawing on the piece of plastic. But once you get over that hump, it's really a terrific piece of work. Do you consider yourself to be a Luddite or a nerd? I'm kind of a "nerdite" in the sense that I have cutting-edge technology, but it's always a little bit old. I have the same Nokia phone I've had for years. It doesn't do anything except for make phone calls. So I'll get maybe an iPhone two years from now or something. I'm always right behind the times, but I'm not unwilling to try new technology. What's the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned? It would have to be my car - the Volvo 850 T5 from 1997, which is the best automobile that Volvo ever made. It has a computer, so I think it still counts as technology - the computer tells you what the temperature is outside and what kind of crappy gas mileage you're getting. Mac or PC? Mac. As an artist, there's really no debate. I think the Mac has always produced a superior-looking product and I'm happy that the operating system now matches. What song is at the top of your iPod's top 25 most played? Probably Roscoe by Midlake. Or Now by Mates of State. Will robots rule the world? I don't know. I think this is a bigger issue in the UK. Apparently, the Dalek Cult of Skaro tried to take over one time by bringing the Genesis Arc and creating a whole host of new Daleks to take over all of London. But then I think that they reversed the Time Lords' Genesis Arc so that it sucked them all back in. And then there was that Cyberman thing. But I think a bigger thing to worry about is dragons. What piece of technology would you most like to own? I think a new CD player for my Volvo. They're kind of expensive, and mine broke, and I feel kind of stupid buying a new CD player on eBay for it. But it says "don't steal me" - it's gigantic, and it fits right in there, and there really is no other use for it. WALL-E is released in UK cinemas today to rave reviews. The Guardian's Xan Brooks likes it too. Sort of.Related StoriesRussia: Get computer-savvy or get out, Medvedev tells staffThe Friday Interview: Former dotcom poster child finds her lucky voiceOnline sales boom as shoppers desert high streetEditorial: In praise of ... Free Our DataClick to download: Festival highs and lows from T in the Park to Kanye West
The Guardian  –  Jul 18, 2008 07:17 AM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Technology

Online sales boom as shoppers desert high street
Out of every £1 spent by British shoppers 17p is now going to online retailers, as consumers switch away from traditional shops in favour of picking and paying at their home computer. A new survey shows £26.5bn was spent on the internet in the first six months of this year - up 38% on 2007. The online total is roughly equivalent to half the UK's supermarket spending. The IMRG-Capgemini online sales index suggests online retail is proving far more resilient to the economic downturn than the high street, where cash-strapped consumers are hitting the shops less often, staying local rather than venturing to out-of-town malls, and trading down to cheaper goods. Figures from several leading retailers underline that trend. While John Lewis's department stores have been hit by the downturn its online operation has continued to grow rapidly. Online fashion store Asos has produced impressive sales figures, and Ocado, which delivers Waitrose groceries, is seeing sales up 25% on a year ago. Yesterday Mothercare highlighted a 28% jump in internet sales as one of the big drivers behind its 21% increase in group sales in the 15 weeks to July 11. The survey suggests online retailers at the bottom and top of the market are performing best. Visits to the Primark and Harrods websites, for instance, are up 12% and 14% respectively on a year ago, while visits to midmarket sites are down 6%. Online shopping is not immune from the credit crunch - a normal June dip in sales was more pronounced this year and sales of electrical goods are up only 20% this year compared with the 63% growth seen in the same period in 2007. But the index predicts online growth will remain strong this year as a result of tight household budgets, the cost of petrol and "a general desire to shift to more sustainable shopping patterns". According to IMRG 56% of people think buying online is more environmentally friendly than high street shopping.Related StoriesMan accused of blocking city's computersRussia: Get computer-savvy or get out, Medvedev tells staffThe Friday Interview: Former dotcom poster child finds her lucky voiceEditorial: In praise of ... Free Our DataClick to download: Festival highs and lows from T in the Park to Kanye West
The Guardian  –  Jul 17, 2008 11:10 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Technology

Consumer: Mobile content services face Brussels inquiry
Hundreds of websites across Europe offering "free" or "cheap" mobile phone services such as ringtones and wallpaper are conning young people into taking out expensive contracts, the European commission warned yesterday. The websites, including 39 in Britain, face enforcement action, including substantial fines and closure, after being suspected of breaching EU consumer rules, the EC said. "Far too many people are falling victim to costly surprises from mysterious charges, fees and ringtone subscriptions they learn about for the first time when they see their mobile bill," said Meglena Kuneva, EU consumer commissioner. She was giving the results of a unique EU-wide "sweep" last month by national regulators of 558 websites in the 27-nation bloc and Norway and Iceland. Around 80% or 446 - half of which target young people with devices such as cartoon or TV characters - are to be further investigated. In the UK, 39 out of 43 sites covered by the sweep are suspected of giving misleading information. Kuneva's warning of EU-wide enforcement action to track down each of the suspected traders comes just days after the EU telecoms commissioner, Viviane Reding, proposed wide-ranging cuts in the cost of sending mobile text messages when travelling within Europe. Their actions, plus measures to make it easier for customers to switch bank accounts and enjoy lower charges, are part of an EC drive to make the EU more popular as a consumer champion when it has fallen out of favour with its 500m citizens. Ringtones make up 29% of the European "mobile content" market and, growing at 10% a year, saw sales rise to €691m (£548m) in 2007. More than 495m mobile phones are owned by Europeans. PhonepayPlus, the UK regulator, said the UK market for mobile content was worth £460m and complaints rose to 4,500 in the first three months of this year. Its chief executive, George Kidd, told the BBC: "There is a clear lack of trust among many consumers about mobile premium services and this is small wonder when you consider the kind of harm that is being done to them by some providers." The EU sweep found almost half the websites offered missing or hidden information about the offer's price, with the customer only finding out via their bill. More than 70% lacked basic information on how to contact the trader and more than 60% had misleading information, including widespread use of the word "free". Kuneva cited the case of a consumer's nine-year-old daughter who ordered a "free" ringtone but found this led to expensive membership. The operator paid back €125 in unwanted messages but has retained €273.Related StoriesRussia: Get computer-savvy or get out, Medvedev tells staffThe Friday Interview: Former dotcom poster child finds her lucky voiceOnline sales boom as shoppers desert high streetEditorial: In praise of ... Free Our DataClick to download: Festival highs and lows from T in the Park to Kanye West
The Guardian  –  Jul 17, 2008 11:10 PM [GMT]  ¦  comment?
found in Technology