New York - LimeWire, the developers of peer-to-peer software that runs on the Gnutella network, have launched a DRM-free music store that offers both a la carte purchases and a range of subscription plans for its catalog of 500,000 songs. Individual songs -- all of which are independent label tracks -- cost 99 cents, while subscriptions range from $10/month for 25 songs to $20/month for 75 songs. LimeWire plans to eventually implement active links to its new store alongside search results within the LimeWire file-sharing client.

Los Angeles - The Black Crowes have announced that they have partnered with independent music distributor Nugs.net to offer recordings of performances from their 2008 tour, as well as other previously unreleased live and archived materials. Nugs.net, which offers a range of formats and concerts within 96 hours of performance, provides similar services for artists including Metallica, the Grateful Dead, Phish and Dave Matthews. The Black Crowes stated that they will also continue to welcome fan taping at their shows.

Los Angeles - Former Universal/Interscope recording artists Giant Drag have placed a PayPal button on their MySpace page asking fans for donations to put toward the recording of a new album, in the wake of the band being dropped by their major label, Wired.com reports. "So if you feel like giving up a buck or a million of them I'd be very grateful!" singer Annie Hardy writes on the site. "Even if it's just because you are riddled with guilt from illegally downloading the first album and you feel the need to repent, any reason will do and every penny counts."

New York - Web entertainment site Heavy has announced the launch of an online, male-focused online video network. The Heavy Men's Network initially includes Heavy.com, BNQT.com, Newgrounds, Quincy D. Jones III's QD3 and Vidshadow. The network will employ the company's Husky Network video ad units.

Cleveland, Ohio - OverDrive, a distributor of digital books to online retailers, libraries and schools, announced on Tuesday that it has added DRM-free audiobook titles in the MP3 format to its offering. The titles, from publishers including Random House Audio, Blackstone Audiobooks, Hachette Book Group and Books in Motion, will initially be made available through Borders.com's audiobook store, with a limited selection also to be offered through OverDrive's library partners.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) said on Tuesday that it has extended its deal with Microsoft's (NASD: MSFT) in-game advertising unit Massive, and will continue to provide in-game ads on Xbox 360 and PC titles from EA for the next two years. The deal includes the rights to serve ads on EA titles like "Madden NFL" and "Need for Speed."

Redmond, Wash. - Nintendo of America said on Tuesday that its "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" for the Wii has become the fastest-selling game in the company's history, moving more than 1.4 million units in the U.S. since its launch on March 9. Nintendo calculated that this means the game sold more than 120 units per minute between launch and March 16. The game features a range of Nintendo and Sega characters, including Mario, Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake.

Irvine, Calif. - Independent video game developer Foundation 9 Entertainment announced on Tuesday that it has named James North-Hearn as its new CEO. North-Hearn, who was previously managing director at Foundation 9 Europe, replaces former chairman and CEO Jon Goldman, who will serve as non-executive chairman for six months. "After 14 years building this business, I am delighted to pass the reins to James," said Goldman, adding, "I've accomplished what we agreed to do and now it's time for me to actually enjoy some of the fruits of that success." Foundation 9's studios have collectively developed more than 500 titles since 1992.

Dallas - Video rental giant Blockbuster on Tuesday announced the launch of a free online promotional game inspired by the Stephen King film, "Mist," from The Weinstein Company. Players who win the game will get a sneak peak of an exclusive interview with King and the film's director, Frank Darabont, the full version of which will be available on the DVD version of the movie.

San Francisco - The Web 2.0 investment boom may be peaking, according to a new report from Dow Jones VentureSource. While venture capitalists pumped a record $1.34 billion into 178 Web 2.0 deals in the U.S. last year -- up nearly 88% from 2006 -- social network Facebook accounted for 22% of that funding.

Mountain View, Calif. - VoloMedia, a developer of advertising, metrics and reporting tools for downloadable media, said on Tuesday that it has raised $3.5 million in venture capital from Leader Ventures.

Minneapolis - The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's injunction that overturned a law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors in Minnesota, the Associated Press reported.

Los Angeles - An Italian government body responsible for privacy protection has ruled that an anti-piracy firm breached the country's privacy laws when it gathered the IP addresses of Italians suspected of illegal file-sharing, according to reports. The Garante della Privacy said that an earlier ruling by an Italian magistrate authorizing Swiss anti-piracy firm Logistep to collect IP addresses of P2P users was incorrect.

New York - Despite reporting sales of 4.4 million CDs in its North American stores last year, an annual increase of 22%, Starbucks (NASD: SBUX) only sells about 2 CDs per day at each of its stores, according to an estimate calculated by The New York Times.

New York - Broadband provider Verizon (NYSE: VZ) will not be policing its own network for illegal file-sharing and reports that a recent test it conducted revealed that the new P4P protocol provides a significant boost in download performance while simultaneously reducing network congestion.

New York - ROO Group, a provider of online video broadcasting and related services, announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Kamera, a Sweden-based provider of technology that lets partners deliver IPTV channels over mobile and online networks.

London - MobiVentures, a provider of mobile applications, announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Move2Mobile, a U.K.-based mobile and wireless business accelerator, for $4.2 million.

Arlington, Va. - Following two months of testing, PBS on Tuesday launched "PBS Kids Play," a subscription Internet service designed to help children ages 3-6 learn through interactive games.