Music

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is known for being near the front of the line when a new Apple product is released, but it turns out that Woz himself was on the birthday wish list of... wait for it... hip-hop icon Kanye West.

Woz revealed to CNN's Piers Morgan this week that Kanye's girlfriend, babymama and fellow pop culture titan Kim Kardashian asked him to come up for a visit with West about their common interest in technology as a birthday present to the controversial rapper.… Read more

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- It's early April, and there's just over two months before Pixar's newest film, "Monsters University," hits theaters. For years, the filmmakers at this hit factory have been working like crazy, taking what was once a mere idea for a prequel to 2001's "Monsters, Inc." through every step on the way to the silver screen.

Thirty-two miles away, some of the "MU" team is still toiling away, mixing the film's sound at Skywalker Ranch, but here at the studio's headquarters, inside the Steve Jobs Building, it'… Read more

Windows 8 and RT users can now check out their favorite artists and music videos via the new Vevo app.

Debuting in the Windows Store on Wednesday, Vevo lets you view music videos and watch live concerts from an array of artists. The app offers access to more than 75,000 high-definition music videos, according to Vevo.

Tapping into the Windows 8 Search charm, you can track down your favorite songs by title to find related music videos. You can also hunt for your favorite artists and bands, and in return, Vevo displays links to their music videos, shows you … Read more

I guess it's safe to assume Adele and Coldplay are making decent livings in the music business, but I wanted to talk with an average band to see how they were doing. What sort of income did they see from Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube, vs. selling CDs or downloads? So I chatted with Phil Metzler, from Just Off Turner, and he was willing to share some income numbers. The band has been featured on soundtracks on shows from ABC, MTV, E!, and Oxygen; they've toured the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Australia, and the U.K.

They made three … Read more

Apple spent the previous days trying to restate its values and show that it is a company of principle, not one of fad or glut.

Some think the WWDC presentation was no revolution. Others believe it offered some sturdy indications of the right sort of obstinacy and of a consistency of design perspective.

In an attempt to reinforce that thought, Apple released a video (embedded below) that expressed its simple intentions -- not to confuse abundance with choice, for example.

I am grateful to The Loop for spotting that a wag who might have been positively moved by these thoughts … Read more

For some people, an ordinary old giant flat-screen television and Blu-ray player just aren't enough.

How much would you spend for the best of the best? Some hard-core videophiles and audiophiles dump incredible amounts of cash on home theater equipment (and fancy home theaters) that can cost as much as the average car or house. … Read more

We've seen an official Lego Sydney Opera House set before as part of the toy company's Architecture range, but let's be honest: an awful lot of detail got lost in the model's tiny size.

Lego's about to do something about that, though. On September 1, Lego fanatics will be able to get their hands on an insanely detailed 2,989-piece model of the iconic building designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon in the 1950s. And, at 11 inches by 25 inches by 15 inches, it's going to be huge.

The model is offering a few neat perks for Lego brick collectors: rare dark-tan Lego bricks, tiles, and sloped bricks, as well as the company's first-ever 48x48 stud baseplate in blue -- and the curved white pieces that form the Opera House's sails. … Read more

Samsung just got its hands on the holy grail of hip-hop. Actually, it's "Magna Carta Holy Grail," the new album from rap icon Jay-Z that will be made available for free to the first 1 million Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 2 owners who download a special app.

The app, which can be downloaded starting on June 24, is said to provide an "unprecedented inside look into the album personal stories and inspiration," and will also unlock the new album on July 4, three days before it officially goes on sale for the non-Galaxy owning world.… Read more

As the passions and justifications swirl around the revelations concerning the NSA, the rest of the world sits and wonders.

Is only the U.S. involved? Or might, perhaps, every government on Earth be rather keen to use all technological methods to protect its interests?

What do ordinary Americans think (apparently, we don't mind too much)?

But, more importantly, what does Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak think?

It so happens that Latin American tech site FayerWayer happened upon Woz as he sat at San Francisco airport.

So often known to be obliging and spontaneous, Woz offered his thoughts. Essentially, he … Read more