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News

• Cadillac updates car controls with touch, voice

  Cadillac wants to let drivers have natural conversations with their cars and get physical feedback from a touchscreen in some models coming as soon as next year.

• Microsoft says no more Zunes, it's all about the phone now

  Microsoft will make no more Zune music players, building its future music strategy on applications incorporated in its Windows Phone and Xbox platforms, the company has confirmed.

• Grand jury indicts alleged video download site operators

  A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, has indicted five people allegedly involved with video download site NinjaVideo.net on conspiracy and copyright infringement charges, the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.

• Pirate politician calls for block on EU copyright extension

  A member of the European Parliament (MEP) has made a last-ditch call to block plans to extend the copyright protection time for music recordings from 50 to 70 years.

• Netflix expands into Latin America, Caribbean

  Netflix will roll out its streaming movie service in 43 Central American, South American and Caribbean countries, beginning with Brazil, the company announced Monday.

• Apple again rumored to be preparing TV release

  Apple is again rumored to be preparing to release a television set.

• Google TV to Launch in Europe

  Google TV isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. It will launch in Europe early next year despite a shaky start in the United States.

• RIM starts trial of music service, launching later this year

  Research In Motion is testing a cloud-based music service around its BlackBerry Messenger, that it plans to offer commercially later this year.

• MP3tunes wins some, loses some in EMI suit

  In a decision that has implications for online locker services, a federal judge in New York gave on Monday a partial victory to MP3tunes, a company that runs an online music storage service.

• RIM planning a music service on BlackBerry

  Research In Motion is planning a music service for users of its BlackBerry device, according to media reports.

• EU wants more films available online legally

  The European Commission has put forward plans to make it easier for Internet users to legally watch films and television programs online.

• RealNetworks' purchase of TidySongs causes confusion

  When RealNetworks purchased the music software TidySongs earlier this year,<strong> </strong>some customers who paid for TidySongs before the sale complained that their service was cut off.

• Court OKs Dish's $1.375 billion buyout of TerreStar

  Dish Network will acquire satellite mobile operator TerreStar Networks for US$1.375 billion under an agreement approved Thursday by a bankruptcy court.

• HP tests personalized video delivery to consumers

  Hewlett-Packard's research organization in Bangalore has developed an application that will help consumers create personalized channels of online video content on their Windows computers.

• Sony's Qriocity back everywhere except Japan

  Sony began restoring full service on its Qriocity entertainment network to users in most countries on Thursday, a month and a half after the service was forced offline by a hack of its servers.