Duluth, Minn. - Two days into the first-ever copyright infringement jury trial for someone accused of music file-sharing, the record industry rested its case and the defense called no witnesses, setting up closing arguments for Thursday morning. [more..]

Brussels - The European Commission has approved the merger of major record labels Sony Music and BMG, concluding its second review of the deal found no threat to competition. [more..]

New York - Verizon Wireless on Wednesday introduced three new handset models, including the LG Voyager, a touch-screen phone the company is positioning as a competitor to Apple's iPhone. [more..]

London - Fans of U.K. rock band Radiohead looking to pay whatever price they chose to pre-order a download of the band's new album crashed the site on Monday, but most are deciding to pay close to retail price band spokesman Murray Chalmers told the BBC. [more..]

New York - While 85% of high-definition TV owners are satisfied with the picture quality of HD televisions, only 39% could say the same for HD programming selection, according to a report released Wednesday by The Nielsen Company. [more..]

Universal City, Calif. - Universal Studios Home Entertainment on Wednesday introduced a new website that will link directly from HD DVD discs, so users can download bonus scenes, create online profiles and buy movie- and TV-related items from a U-Shop store. [more..]

Atlanta - Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting announced on Wednesday that it has signed a one-year deal with Kaneva to build and test virtual world extensions of its entertainment properties. [more..]

Sausalito, Calif. - The editors of popular digital culture blog Boing Boing announced on Wednesday that they have partnered with Federated Media Publishing and digital entertainment studio DECA to launch a daily Web video report, Boing Boing TV. [more..]

San Jose, Calif. - Venture capital, technology and media firms have invested more than $1 billion in 35 virtual worlds companies over the past 12 months, according to a report from Virtual Worlds Management, a producer of trade events and media for the industry. [more..]

American Fork, Utah - Move Networks, a developer of video streaming technology, has raised $34 million in a new round of venture capital financing, led by Disney's Steamboat Ventures and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, PEHub.com reported. [more..]

San Francisco - Justin.tv, a live video blog site created by "lifecaster" Justin Kan, announced on Wednesday the launch of a free live video blogging service. [more..]

London - Sportingo, a sports fan site that lets users contribute their own match reviews, has raised $3.2 million in new funding from Ingenious Media Active Capital. [more..]

Jay Baage blogs about some of the take-aways from the first panel at DMW's Digital Music Forum West called "State of the Digital Union".
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Jay Baage blogs about initial reactions to Microsoft's new Zune music player - do they have what it takes to take on Apple's iPods?
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Guy Kawasaki blogs about a study entitled “Fast Forward: Designing for Constant Change” which includes thirteen essays and research that explore how consumers’ digital media habits affect the ways that companies should design user experiences and digital brands. [more..]

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New York - Time Warner Cable, the nation's second-largest provider behind Comcast, on Wednesday launched two digital music services for subscribers powered by MediaNet Digital's MusicNet and Synacor. [more..]

Los Angeles - Film studio Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury distribution unit plans to test the waters with a TV simulcast of "The Tom Green Show," a weeknight, Web talk show hosted out of the former MTV star's home in the Hollywood Hills, Variety reported.
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Research Triangle Park, N.C. - Sony Ericsson on Wednesday released its W580i Walkman phone in the U.S., which will be sold at AT&T stores as well as from Best Buy, RadioShack and Amazon.com. [more..]

New York - Slacker, a provider of personalized Web radio and a complementary portable player, said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Spin magazine on a custom radio station for the cover story of its October issue on punk music. [more..]

Orlando, Fla. - ClearSky Mobile Media, a provider of mobile entertainment services for wireless carriers, announced on Wednesday that it has spun-off Red Planet Media as a separate entity. [more..]

Los Angeles - The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has established an inaugural Videogame Writing Award, which will be presented for the first time at the 2008 Writers Guild Awards in Los Angeles in February. [more..]

Santa Monica, Calif. - Activision on Wednesday shipped its "Spider-Man: Friend or Foe" title, based on the Marvel Comics character and related motion pictures. [more..]

Atlanta - Iceland-based game developer and publisher CCP Games said on Wednesday that it has established its North American headquarters near Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Ga. [more..]

Los Angeles - Capcom Interactive and Fox Mobile Entertainment on Wednesday announced plans to release a mobile game based on the Fox game show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" [more..]