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Sunday, July 24, 2011

China officials find 5 fake Apple stores in 1 city (AP) : Technet

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China officials find 5 fake Apple stores in 1 city (AP) : Technet

China officials find 5 fake Apple stores in 1 city (AP)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 09:08 PM PDT

– 28 mins ago

BEIJING – Chinese officials have found five fake Apple stores in the southwestern city of Kunming, and ordered two of them to suspend business while they're investigated, a local government website said Monday.

Officials couldn't do anything about the other three stores — which prominently displayed Apple signs and logos — because they did not find any fake Apple products for sale, according to a report by a local newspaper posted on the Kunming city government's website.

The investigation follows a blog post last week by an American woman who lives in Kunming in Yunnan province, who stumbled across three shops masquerading as bona fide Apple stores in the city. She took photos and posted them on her BirdAbroad blog.

She said they were modeled on the company's iconic stores right down to the winding staircase and the staff wearing the customary blue T-shirts.

After the blog appeared on Wednesday, the Kunming Trade and Industry Bureau inspected more than 300 electronics stores in Kunming and found the five fake Apple stores, the city government's website said.

Calls to the Kunming Trade and Industry Bureau rang unanswered Monday.

The maker of the iPhone and other hit gadgets has four company stores in China — two in Beijing and two in Shanghai — and various official resellers.

The proliferation of the fake stores underlines the slow progress that China's government is making in countering a culture of a rampant piracy and widespread production of bogus goods that is a major irritant in relations with trading partners.

Comic-Con 2011: So what’s the deal with cosplay, seriously [Video] (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 10:07 AM PDT

Etsy's Unofficial Music Scene Takes Off (Mashable)

Posted: 23 Jul 2011 11:02 AM PDT

Sarah Kessler Sarah Kessler – Sat Jul 23, 2:02 pm ET

As Lady Gaga stormed the web with promotions for Born This Way this summer -- Farmville knockoff, Starbucks virtual scavenger hunt and Gilt Groupe deal included -- her presence on one unlikely platform went largely unnoticed. Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods, hosted a sale of posters inspired by the album. The pop star commissioned three Etsy artists to design the posters and then signed each one, giving the profits to VH1 Save the Music.

[More from Mashable: Sesame Street Takes on the Beastie Boys [VIDEO]]

Though Lady Gaga is no stranger to trail blazing, her presence as a musician on the craft site fit a trend. Etsy has been gaining steam as a platform where artists promote themselves, sell their merchandise and connect with fans.

"We have been doing little music projects for about four years at Etsy," explains Matt Stinchcomb, Etsy's European director and one of its first employees. "Only now are we really beginning to think about how we can develop that further."

[More from Mashable: Listen & Spin in the Mashable Turntable.fm Room With Up-and-Coming Singer-Songwriters]

Artists ranging from independent garage bands to international pop sensations have helped create Etsy's unofficial music scene. Here's how.

Original Merchandise

I'm From Barcelona member Anna Froderberg poses with her book, which is for sale on the band's Etsy store

Is music a handmade good?

At Etsy, the official answer is yes. "People work hard to create the content [in MP3s] and it seems in the spirit of Etsy and handmade to allow the output of these types of endeavors to be delivered in digital format," explains Etsy Marketplace Integrity Specialist Mark Shaw. "Also, a file physically does exist. It isn't ephemeral, it is stored data, somewhere in the world."

Hundreds of musicians sell or give away their MP3s or CDs on Etsy.

But more of them sell other merchandise, like handmade tote bags and t-shirts. Etsy takes a smaller cut of these sales (3.5%) than a record label would, and the site provides a sales platform to little-known bands who have neither a label nor a website with checkout capabilities.

Even when a band is more established, an Etsy store can have its advantages.

"It's something that's real, it's something that's physical, and it's something that's limited really," Stinchcomb says. "There's a deeper connection that comes with it."

The Avett Brothers, for instance, include original photos taken by their stage manager on their Etsy store. They're donating profits to a small charity called Often Awesome.

"They are a caring group of individuals who have come together in support of a dear friend, Tim LaFollette," the band writes about the charity. "Tim is battling ALS and has amazed and inspired so many of us. "

The personal tone of The Avett Brothers store is present in the Etsy stores of other well-known bands as well. Twenty-nine-member I'm From Barcelona sells typical band merchandise on its website, but offers personal items like hand-drawn broaches and a picture book on its Etsy Store. Chaz Bundick, whose band is called Toro Y Moi, sold a limited edition tote bag that he designed himself and packaged with digital download cards of the new album.

Collaboration With Etsy Artists

In 2009, Etsy started inviting artists to perform in its space. At a series of events called "Rock n' Shop,"It would stream these performances live (rock) in its Virtual Labs, and the artists would curate a selection of items from Etsy (n' shop).

The events were one of the first examples of bands collaborating with Etsy artists to establish a presence on the site.

Three years later, bands that don't craft are still using Etsy. Like Lady Gaga, indie rock band The Walkman teamed up with established Etsy sellers to launch a pop-up store on the site in anticipation of its latest album release.

Why Etsy?

Etsy's music roots go deep. Stinchcomb used to be in a band with Etsy's "office ecologist," Josh Wise. Two more employees are still working together in a band called Neighbors, and several others are DJs. Etsy's social media specialist, Dave Brown, ran an independent record label for more than 15 years. And when new employees start at the company, they are given a $50 budget for headphones.

Music plays a big role in the lives of many Etsy's employees, and the theme seems bound to have leaked into the product that they're creating.

At some point, for instance, Brown started a Twitter tradition of highlighting a band on "Music Mondays." At another, the video team decided to profile the band Tuneyards (the video will be posted on the Etsy site in Mid-September). Asking to speak with people who have worked on music projects at Etsy gets you a meeting with representatives from merchandising, customer support, community, editorial, international and office ecology teams.

Now, Stinchcomb says, the company is just starting to consider what a more formal format for Etsy music might look like. He could personally, he says, imagine a licensing platform where bands can collaborate with Etsy artists to make fan art.

His guess is that Etsy's costumers overlap with the music scene as much as its employees.

"We have 25 million people coming to Etsy every month, and they are looking for unique and special things," he says. "And I feel like they're the kind of people who also want to find unique bands."

Thumbnail image courtesy Etsy user IHeartThis

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Egypt's revolution not just about tweeting: bloggers (AFP)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:10 PM PDT

– Sun Jul 24, 4:10 pm ET

CAIRO (AFP) – Six months after they launched a revolution that ousted the regime, Egyptian bloggers have acknowledged that it takes more than a Facebook page on the Internet to overthrow a dictator.

"The Internet played a key role but it was not the only tool. The revolution really belongs to the people," said Wael Abbas, a veteran Egyptian blogger who has been posting his thoughts in cyberspace since 2004.

The 18-day revolution that brought an end to the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak and his regime was largely played on the street, but bloggers do not underestimate the importance of Facebook and Twitter.

"The Internet helped to speed up things," said Hossam al-Hamalawy, who is known in cyberspace by the nickname "3arabawy" or the Arab.

"But the revolution would have taken place without it," he said.

It is true that bloggers used the Internet to mobilise thousands of people, but Egypt's was not only a "Facebook Revolution" or a "Twitter Revolution," bloggers like Hamalawy say.

Millions who have no Internet access nevertheless swarmed the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other Egyptian cities to vent their rage through rallies and strikes.

"For days the Internet was cut off and yet the revolution did not stop," said Rami Rauf, a 24-year-old blogger, of the Mubarak regime cutting access to the Internet and mobile phone connections.

On January 25, following in the footsteps of the revolution in Tunisia that overthrew an autocratic regime, bloggers in Egypt turned to social networks to mobilise thousands of people.

The venue was Tahrir (Liberation) Square in central Cairo.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters swarmed the square around the clock for 18 consecutive days until they shook the Mubarak regime so hard they forced it into submission.

One of those who administered a Facebook page that helped spark the uprising against Mubarak was Wael Ghonim, a Google executive who became a national hero after he was arrested by the former regime's security forces.

The 30-year-old gave an emotional television interview shortly after he was released from 12 days in police custody that is credited with re-energising the protest movement just as it appeared to be losing steam.

Opposition groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, banned during Mubarak's reign, joined the bandwagon of the uprising after monitoring streams of Twitter messages.

But Hamalawy is adamant that "it takes more to oust a dictator than a Facebook page."

"One must explain the profound reasons behind the revolution," he said.

The 18 days of popular street protests that unseated Mubarak have their roots well planted in a movement called "Kefaya" ("enough" in Arabic) which emerged in 2004.

Kefaya launched the first protests, bloggers say.

And they insist that Egypt's prominent bloggers, those whose words served as the motor that led to change, were militants on the ground striving for democracy even before they turned their focus to technology.

"The strength of Egyptian bloggers lies in the fact that we have one foot in cyberspace and the other on the ground," said Hamalawy.

Under Mubarak's rule the media was controlled by the government.

The Internet proved a "tool for freedom," Rauf said.

By the end of 2010, days before the Arab Spring began to bloom, Egypt had 23 million regular Internet users out of a population of 85 million.

After the demise of the Mubarak regime, "it is no longer necessary as before to turn to the Internet," says Amr Gharbeya.

"Now we can count on the strength of the street" and the power of the people to protest and make their voices heard, said the 32-year-old.

But as the transition from Mubarak's regime to full democracy inches its way forward, with the country now ruled by an interim military council, bloggers say they are more determined than ever to "inform" their fellow Egyptians.

The country is hoping for legislative and presidential polls later this year, and organisers of the revolt are demanding that the current rulers on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces push harder to punish Mubarak and his cronies.

Many ex-regime cabinet ministers are facing trial and the country is holding its breath for August 3, when Mubarak, 83, and his two sons Alaa and Gamal are due to go on trial on murder and corruption charges.

The media "is still controlled by businessmen or people from the old regime," said Abbas.

"The Internet is still a useful tool to spread messages."

Will Apple Launch a White iPod touch? (PC Magazine)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 09:03 AM PDT

Leslie Horn - PC Magazine Leslie Horn - Pc Magazine – Sun Jul 24, 12:03 pm ET

Apple caused a frenzy with the long-postponed white iPhone 4, and now it's rumored that the company will also offer a white version of the iPod touch when it launches the fifth-generation MP3 player.

9to5Mac posted leaked images of the rumored white device, and cited Concord Security analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who has claimed Apple will launch a white model in addition to the regular black version. Kuo also says the form factor of the device will be relatively similar to that of the fourth-generation iPod touch.

Any tweaks to the fifth-gen device will be "more about internal changes," 9to5Mac says citing iOS SDK data. The iPod touch could get a dual-core A5 processor as well as an upgraded camera, the site notes.

According to 9to5Mac, Kuo has been correct about details of forthcoming Apple products in the past. However, the site added that it's possible that Apple could be toying with the idea of a white model, but never actually release it.

Apple finally launched the white iPhone 4 at the end of April. The iPhone 4 was supposed to be available in both black and white when it launched, but the white model was delayed for about 10 months. Apple said a white model proved "more challenging to manufacture than expected."

"It's not as simple as making something white," Apple's Phil Schiller told All Things D in April. "There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it and how it holds up over time… but also in how it all works with the sensors."

But considering Apple now offers both a white iPhone 4 and a white iPad, it would be possible for the company to produce a white iPod touch, too. Apple will likely launch its fifth-gen iPod touch this fall.

Analysis: Apple juggernaut to see more China gains (Reuters)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 09:19 PM PDT

By Lee Chyen Yee and Huang Yuntao Lee Chyen Yee And Huang Yuntao – 17 mins ago

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Apple (AAPL.O) is set to exponentially grow its China business as the country's No.1 and No.3 telecom operators jostle to stitch up deals to sell iPhones in the world's largest mobile phone market, home to more than 900 million subscribers.

China Unicom (0762.HK) is the sole operator offering Apple's sleek feature-filled smartphones but it is only a matter of time before No.1 operator China Mobile (0941.HK) and No.3 China Telecom (0729.HK) (CHL.N) -- follow suit, analysts said.

"The biggest winner will be Apple. While the operators may be forced to subsidize the iPhone to users, Apple will still get the price it wanted from all the operators no matter what," said Alex Chau, a senior research manager at research firm IDC Asia Pacific.

Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said last week that the maker of the iPhone and iPad was merely "scratching the surface" in China. Smartphones still account for a fraction of the total market.

China's voracious appetite for all things Apple was on display last week when an American blogger living in Kunming, in the country's isolated southwest, unearthed an elaborate fake Apple store.

Asia Pacific -- which now accounts for about one-fifth of its total revenue -- and Greater China in particular, helped Apple's revenue surge 82 percent to $28.6 billion in April-June.

"We believe the success in China, and other emerging economies, has been fueled by iPhone growth," PiperJaffray analysts said in a note.

"Apple is succeeding with the iPhone in markets where they have not found great success with the Mac; moreover, we expect the company to extend this success with the iPad as the product line matures."

Though China has a massive growing mobile market, only 80 million are 3G users, with the rest low-end 2G subscribers who mainly own cellphones to make calls only. As of end-June, China had 907 million mobile phone users, bigger than the entire population of Europe.

Apple only has four stores in China, from where it sells iPhones and other products, besides selling through more than a hundred resellers, and China Unicom.

Chinese industrial and commercial authorities in Kunming have started to inspect all of the southwestern city's electronics shops after last week's media frenzy on the fake Apple stores, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

"China is a potentially huge market for Apple products like iPhones as more people are able to afford such high-end smartphones," Jane Wang, a Beijing-based analyst from UK research firm Ovum.

Morgan Stanley said in a report that Apple's China sales could exceed $9 billion in the year ending September 2012, up from just $2.9 billion in the previous fiscal year, as more Chinese snap up iPhones and iPads to play games, write weibo -- Chinese for microblogs, and make friends online.

Apple has about 9 percent of China's smartphone market, ranking behind Nokia (NOK1V.HE), China's Yulong and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Gartner said.

"BIG THREE" WRESTLE FOR 3G

Apple's iPhones sell at the higher end of the smartphones market compared to some models from Nokia and Samsung. Some lower-end smartphones are selling at less than half the price of an iPhone 4, which costs 4,999 yuan ($769).

China's telecom operators are stepping up efforts to sell iPhones, which will in turn help lift their margins and ARPU (average rate per user).

China Unicom signed a three-year contract with Apple in 2009. China Telecom is likely to be next, sources told Reuters this month.

China Mobile is expected take longer, only after it unveils its more advanced 4G LTE (long-term evolution) technology in late 2012 or early 2013. Analysts said Apple was unlikely to make an iPhone that supported China Mobile's current technology.

"Even though China Telecom is the smallest player in China, it still represents a significant number of subscribers," IDC's Chau said.

Even as 3G users grow with the launch of iPhones, that may not boost profits of telecoms operators significantly.

China Unicom is positioned as distributor and its contract with Apple is not based on a revenue-sharing deal, something which China Telecom and China Mobile hope to change.

"Apple will be pretty tough in negotiations and it will not give in that easily," said Gong Juntao, a telecoms analyst with CITIC Securities.

But even as Apple ramps up sales of iPhones in China, the market is still expected to be dominated by smartphones running on Google's (GOOG.O) Android operating system.

IDC expects Android phones to take half the market in 2015 as there are simply too more vendors pushing out Android phones covering all price categories.

(Editing by Anshuman Daga)

Social Media Background Checks Are Going to Be Popular (ContributorNetwork)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 10:37 AM PDT

Jason Gallagher Jason Gallagher – Sun Jul 24, 1:37 pm ET
Contribute content like this. Start here.

COMMENTARY | While the concept of a social media background check is something that privacy advocates everywhere will want to take a shot at, what the practice really does is hold people accountable for their actions. Companies today want to know if an applicant has posted odd videos on the Internet or blog posts that contain racist or unsavory content, and every company deserves a chance to really know who exactly is applying for a job.

Of course, social media background checks cannot be the only tool companies use when deciding who gets a job. If someone over the legal drinking age posts a few pics of them hanging out with a cold beer, really what is the big deal? Just like many social network consulting firms are already stating, companies are looking for red flags. Those red flags include: references to drugs, inflammatory racist statements, and sexually explicit photos or messages.

The bulk of the argument for the practice is that all the information being gathered is publicly available anyway. However, when a company is making a buck by putting someone's social network life into a little dossier pack to hand over, the practice does seem unsavory. However, if the applicant put it out there, they should be ready for the consequences.

The news is filled with stories about folks being fired for Facebook posts or Twitter updates. So the natural question is: why not check potential employees out prior to giving them a job? Every human being on the planet, and definitely in America, should know that if you put it online then it does not exactly go away anytime soon.

Yes, people should not be judged by what they do when not away from work, just like books should not be judged by their covers. Then again, what impact does a credit report play in the hiring process? The social media background check is just a natural extension of the technology in regular use by millions of people.

Folks need to figure out privacy settings and pay attention to who they are friending or who is following them. The bottom line is pretty simple actually: If you don't want to see it later, don't put it on the Internet.

Jason Gallagher is a former travel professional and long time Pennsylvania resident. These experiences give him a first-hand look at developing situations in the state and everything included in the travel industry from technology to trends.

Interview: Entourage actors Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara still have game (Digital Trends)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 04:45 AM PDT

John Gaudiosi John Gaudiosi – Sun Jul 24, 7:45 am ET

Need-for-Speed-Kevin-Dillon-Jerry-Ferrara

Before filming the eighth and final season of HBO's hit TV series, "Entourage," actors Kevin Dillon (Drama) and Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) reprised their characters in a series of viral videos for Electronic Arts' Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit game. With the seventh season now on Blu-ray and the final season airing on HBO, the Entourage stars still have game. The actors talk about their love of fast cars and video games.

What are your memories of playing video games back in the day?

Kevin Dillon: Well, I'm an old guy so I started out playing Pong with my brothers, and Mario Bros. and whatnot. But we really got involved and got intense when Tecmo Super Bowl came out. That's when we really started playing video games and it got intense. And then it continues on. I mean, we still to do this day every time I go back to my Mom's for Christmas and whatnot, we'll fire up some video games and start battling it out.

Jerry Ferrara: It's a similar thing with my brother. That's how we decided who would get to play the video game. We would have a competition with a game and whoever won then got an hour of free game time where the other person couldn't bother them. I was a big Mike Tyson's Punch-Out guy. I still remember the code to get up to Mike Tyson — 0073735963. So it started there, and then obviously its evolved to this crazy place of multiplayer and Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. So now there's just competition everywhere.

What are your thoughts on how far games have come since then?

Jerry Ferrara: They're way more advanced than those older games. The graphics are so much better in these games. Those older games are great, but this is like taking it to a whole new level. In games like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit you really feel like you're in a car driving through cities and it's unbelievable.

Kevin Dillon: Yeah. If you handed one of the older games that we referenced to a teenager now, they would be offended knowing that this was out there and that we handed them something like that. It’s just that they don’t know the history. It’s a whole different world.

Need for Speed Kevin Dillon

What types of games to did you guys play on the set of "Entourage"?

Kevin Dillon: We did quite a bit of gaming. We played a lot of those war games, Medal of Honor and Call of Duty, in the trailers in between scenes. Call of Duty we kind of played with each other. You get to hunt each other down too, though. But next season we'll be doing Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Because this we can really battle on.

Jerry Ferrara: Well, that's the thing, too. It has to be a game that you can play a quick race on, because sometimes we only get a five-minute break. You don't have a lot of time, so you can jump in and play a quick race and then go back. It's tough to play those games with big story modes that you have to lock into. You don't want to play those two or three minutes at a time. So this is the kind of quick version gameplay that we can really enjoy on set next season.

What do you think it says about video games as an art form that they now have blockbuster opening numbers with Call of Duty and Hollywood-style commercials?

Jerry Ferrara: It's a big bank. There's a lot of money involved in video games. And you get a lot of bang for the buck if you think about it. If you buy a movie for about close to the same price, or maybe two movies, you can watch them probably once or twice. You can play video games over and over again. So you really do get a lot of entertainment for the money.

Kevin Dillon: And it just goes to show you how many people are playing video games that they put out box-office type numbers. It's a pretty lucrative business, and a lot goes into them. These games aren't just thrown together overnight, like "here you go." So I think it's kind of cool that they track numbers and it's done in like a box-office style, and publicity commercials. Because you are doing box-office type numbers, so it has to be paid attention to.

You guys worked with EA on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. What do you think of racing games in general?

Kevin Dillon: You know, I'm kind of new to the racing game thing. I've always been like a shooter game kind of guy. But working with EA actually brought me over into the racing side of it. Because it's a lot of fun.

Jerry Ferrara: Yeah, I've always been a fan of racing games. There's been so many over the years that it's hard to find one that you really can really lock into. And Need for Speed is one that you can really lock into.

Need-for-Speed-Hot-Pursuit

Need for Speed has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. What do you think the appeal is for this franchise with guys?

Kevin Dillon: I think there’s a fantasy element to it. Not everyone gets to drive around in a Maserati and Bugatti and whatnot. And they also can’t drive at 180 miles per hour and have an accident like that. Some of the accidents are some of the most intense thing I’ve ever seen in this game. Wipeouts are the best.

Jerry Ferrara: Yeah. You find yourself feeling really feel bad that you just wrecked the Maserati.

I better get a new one.

What was your very first car?

Jerry Ferrara: It was a '91 Thunderbird which I saved up all my money for. And I totaled it about three weeks later. I got into an accident. It wasn't my fault. Although, there are some other people who disagree with that.

Kevin Dillon: I also totaled my first car, which was a '67 Firebird convertible. Someone pulled out of their driveway and smashed into the side of me. I had no insurance, it was bad. Don't ask why I didn't have insurance. I should have had insurance. But we used to drive without insurance.

Need-for-Speed-Jerry-Ferrara

What's your favorite car that you've ever driven?

Kevin Dillon: That's tough because we've gotten to drive so many great cars on "Entourage." I'm going to have to go with the Ferrari California.

Jerry Ferrara: I will not discount the Ferrari California because you can't. But those Aston Martins are pretty cool, the Maserati was actually great to. Basically, every car I've ever driven besides the ones that I've owned has been on the show. Any one of those cars is great, we have fantastic cars on the show.

What would your dream car be if you could own anything?

Kevin Dillon: I've always wanted an old Vette..like a '67 Stingray is the car I'd want.

Jerry Ferrara: I wouldn't be too disappointed with the Ferrari California. I'd be happy with that. I'd rather the California from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Remember that one?

Kevin Dillon: That was sweet.

Jerry Ferrara: That was a good one.

Find bargains over your phone with DealNews for Android (Appolicious)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Amy Winehouse family pleads for "privacy and space" (Reuters)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:14 PM PDT

By Tim Castle Tim Castle – Sun Jul 24, 4:14 pm ET

LONDON (Reuters) – The family of Amy Winehouse sought "privacy" from the public eye on Sunday, one day after the young, beehive-haired soul singer's untimely death, which sent fans rushing to download her songs in remembrance.

The "Rehab" singer was found dead at her London home on Saturday, becoming the latest in a grim tally of music superstars who died at the seemingly cursed age of 27.

"Our family has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives," her family said in a statement. "We are coming together to remember her, and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time."

Police say it is too early to speculate on how Winehouse died and a post mortem will not be conducted before Monday morning, but Winehouse's struggle with alcohol and drug addiction were well documented.

Her best known song, the booming "Rehab," from 2006 album "Back to Black," bore witness to her doomed struggle to get clean. Other members of what has been dubbed the "Forever 27" club include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, who died at that age in different circumstances after chaotic lifestyles associated with rock'n'roll careers.

"The thing that links them together is the fact that all of them have been pop cultural shifters, all of them have helped push the sound of modern music to new levels, and some of them have pushed it on a very large scale, be it Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones," said Eric Segalstad, author of "The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll".

In many cases the musicians' posthumous fame has surpassed the success they enjoyed in their career, with their recordings still selling and enjoyed by a new audience.

That may be the case for Winehouse, considered by some as among the most talented singers of her generation, who leaves only a slim set of recordings showcasing her talent.

SALES SURGE

Winehouse occupied top slot on the iTunes UK download chart 24 hours after her death with "Back to Black," the album that won five Grammy awards in the United States and turned the troubled north London girl into an international star.

"Back to Black," knocked fellow female British vocalist Adele's "21" off top spot on the iTunes chart.

Winehouse, who was on the Universal Music label, also occupied third spot, with a package comprised of "Back to Black" and her 2003 debut "Frank," while a "Deluxe Edition" of "Back to Black" was number four.

Her death came too late to influence the top 40 chart of downloads and disc sales released by the Official Charts company Sunday, but she is likely to top the list next week.

Sales of Winehouse's albums increased by 37 times between Friday and Saturday, with track sales up by 23 times, the Official Charts Company said. "We would expect an even bigger impact to roll through over the coming days," said Official Charts managing director Martin Talbot.

The sales surge mirrors the 2009 example of Michael Jackson, whose songs leapt to the top of the charts after his death.

Jackson's estate is estimated to have generated more than $310 million from album sales and spin-offs since the "Thriller" singer died two years ago. Jackson also struggled with drug addiction during his life, and his death was caused principally by an overdose of a powerful anesthetic, propofol.

Winehouse slid from being a chirpy teenage singer from a north London Jewish family to someone who could barely walk at her final concert performance in Serbia.

She won critical acclaim after the release of her debut album "Frank" in 2003 before becoming a worldwide phenomenon with the success of "Back to Black."

"It was between the two albums that she went off the rails, partly in reaction against the fame. And I think she was quite scared of her talent," biographer Chas Newkey-Burden told British broadcaster Sky News.

While Winehouse had been regularly recording songs, she had not released a new album since "Back to Black."

Her spokesman said it was unclear what use would be made of her unreleased recordings. But a posthumous album would seem inevitable given her huge popularity.

"She constantly wrote music, that's what she did. There are lots of demos knocking around and all sorts," the spokesman said.

(Additional reporting by Keith Weir in London and Bob Tourtellotte in Los Angeles; editing by Todd Eastham)

Cataline HD tops iPad Games of the Week (Appolicious)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT
at 9:47 PM

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