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Filed under: Audio, Internet, Apple

Universal to launch online music store

Universal Music Group
It's no secret there's bad blood between Apple and Universal Music. While Apple's iTunes is the premiere online music store at the moment, some of the biggest artists are signed to Universal. You could argue that the two companies need each other. But Universal has decided to let is contract with Apple expire. And Universal began offering DRM-free tracks for download this year, the label went with Amazon, Wal-Mart, and RealNetworks rather than Apple.

Now it looks like Universal is gearing up for a frontal assault. Business Week reports the company is planning to launch its own digital music store, possibly with support from Sony BMG and Warner Music Group. Pretty much the whole goal is to bust up Apple's near-monopoly on the digital music distribution business. Right now, record label execs think that Steve Jobs and friends have too much power. Apple has pretty much set the price for music distributed online.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Universal's proposal wouldn't necessarily cost you more. Not if you're a major music downloader, anyway. The plan is to offer a $5 per month subscription service that would let you access a huge library of music. You wouldn't actually own the music and it would all disappear if you cancel your service. But $5 per month is about as cheap a subscription model as we've seen anyone propose. And Universal is hoping to partner with cellphone companies and hardware makers to cover the costs. Of course, that's not really how the world works, and rather than getting free music with your next handset, you'll probably see a new $5 to $10 fee on your phone bill.

[via Techmeme]

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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