Universal sells unrestricted tracks

Universal Music Group said it will sell digital music from artists such as Sting, 50 Cent and Stevie Wonder without the customary copy-protection technology for a limited time, reports Washington Post.

Tracks from thousands of albums will be available for purchase on the recording artists' Web sites and through several established online music retailers, although Universal is excluding Apple's iTunes store, the number one online music retailer.

The songs, however, will play on Apple's market-leading iPods, as well as the slew of other devices compatible with the MP3 format.

President George Bush signed a major science and technology Bill yesterday at a White House ceremony, reports LA Monitor. The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science Act (COMPETES) is widely regarded as a landmark measure.

Just before it recessed last week, Congress passed the Bill calling for multibillion-dollar increases in federal support for science, maths and technology funding over the next three years.

Among provisions, the bill authorises doubling the budgets for National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the Department of Commerce National Institutes of Standards and Technology laboratories.

Back in May, rumours were afoot that four million Halo 3 pre-orders had been placed via US retailer GameStop alone, says Gamespot.

However, suspicions were raised when the staggering number was not confirmed by Microsoft, which has been waging an expanding publicity campaign for the Xbox 360-exclusive shooter before its late September release.

Today, Microsoft trumpeted Halo 3 pre-order figures for the first time, and while still impressive, they were a fraction of the previously rumoured amount. As of this week, one million pre-orders of Bungie's sci-fi shooter have been made

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL, and Ask.com are all currently battling it out to prove that each of them takes privacy seriously, and they are the top company regarding consumer protection, reports Monsters and Critics.

Privacy is a big issue both in the media and in politics as consumer groups and congressional leaders argue over what should be recorded and what should be anonymous.

The search companies are stepping up to the plate and each are offering their own brand of protection and touting it as the best to ease the fears of the average consumer.