Los Angeles - Uber.com, a social network and blogging platform that had raised at least $7.6 million from investors including Universal Music Group and Discovery Communications, announced on Monday that it is shutting down, effective immediately.

London - Universal Music Catalog on Wednesday announced the launch of Lost Tunes, a new U.K. MP3 download store that aims to promote the major label's deeper catalog fare. Powered by independent retailer 7digital, the store at launch offers 134 albums, and will add some 500 more by year's end. The store will mine tracks from Universal's Trojan, Fiction, Decca Verve, A&M, Motown and Stax labels, among others, and offer a range of exclusive downloads. Currently featured on the store are albums from Link Wray, Nick Drake, Jimmy Cliff and Lightnin' Hopkins.

New York - Apple (NASD: AAPL) is in talks with some of the major labels on offering a wider selection of ringtones and a mobile music delivery service, while at the same time the labels are pressing Apple to budge on its 99-cent song pricing at the iTunes Store, The New York Times reported. Apple is reportedly very interested in offering ringback tones, as well as over-the-air song downloads to the iPhone -- both of which are traditionally priced higher than regular ringtones and PC-based song downloads, respectively.

Los Angeles - Uber, a social networking start-up co-founded by former Friendster CEO and NBC Entertainment president Scott Sassa, has received $5.5 million of a $7.6 million second round of venture capital financing, PEHub.com reported, citing a regulatory filing.

Los Angeles - Ovation TV, a pay-TV network that features a range of visual and performing arts, announced on Monday that it has acquired the International Music Feed (IMF) channel from Universal Music Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. IMF, a 24-hour music TV network that offers a mix of U.S. and international artists, will be added to Ovation's mix of programming related to theater, dance, opera, literature, film, visual and fine art, music, design, photography and architecture.

Codemasters today announced the addition of three gaming and entertainment industry veterans to its U.S. operations based in Burbank, Calif.  Former Konami Digital Entertainment COO Geoff Mulligan will lead the U.S. management team as president of Codemasters, Inc. Mulligan will report to CEO Rod Cousens.  Catherine Fowler, previously senior vice president of sales and marketing at Konami and director of sales at Mattel, Inc., will serve as senior vice president of publishing. Joining as vice president of marketing is Charles Bellfield, formerly holding vice president titles in marketing and communications with Sega of America and Capcom.
http://www.codemasters.com/

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, an organization of the interactive entertainment industry, announced the election of Michael Capps, President of Epic Games, and the re-election of Don Daglow, president and CEO of Stormfront Studios, to its Board of Directors. Board member Bruce Shelley of Ensemble Studios will be concluding his tenure when the new term begins May 1.
www.interactive.org

According  to The New York Times and bloggers covering the story, there are some major drawbacks associated with the free SpiralFrog service, due to launch in December, supported by Universal Music Group and possibly some other major record labels.