SFGate.com reports that appearing in iPod ads has been good for a Canadian band named Feist.
The Canadian band Feist was quick to realize the benefits of its Apple partnership. Headed by singer-songwriter Leslie Feist, it released "The Reminder" on May 1, a well-reviewed collection of alternative and folk songs. The record sold decently - 31,000 its first week and 21,000 the next, according to SoundScan. On Sept. 9, when its song "1234" was paired with Apple's new iPod video Nano, the band was averaging 6,000 record sales weekly for a grand total of 216,000.
During the next four weeks, as the catchy ad beamed into millions of American living rooms, weekly sales for Feist improved to 14,000 the first week, 19,000 the second, 28,000 the third and 20,000 four weeks into the ad campaign.
Apple has announced (hat tip The Daily Mac) that more than three billion songs have been purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store at www.itunes.com. The iTunes website contains the following according to Apple.
5 million songs
550 television programs
500 films
"We'd like to thank all of our customers who have contributed to this incredible milestone," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. With the praise the music portion of the iPhone has received Apple should be able to sell plenty more songs over the coming years.
The BBC reports that doctors in Vancouver, Canada have determined that wearing portable music players during storms is a risky endeavor.
In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, they describe burns and hearing damage suffered by a patient hit by lightning while using his iPod.
The man, who was jogging in a storm, suffered burns to his chest and on his leg where he was wearing the player.
Doctors say the man's sweat and metal earphones helped channel the current.
Medical experts say electronic devices, such as music players or mobile phones, on their own do not attract lightning.
But in the Vancouver man's case, "the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient's head," wrote Drs Eric J Heffernan, Peter L Munk and Luck J Louis of Vancouver General Hospital.
In the Vancouver man's case the doctors say having the music player made getting hit by lightning even worse.
When the victim was brought to Vancouver General Hospital, doctors found that along with second-degree burns on his chest and left leg, the man also suffered substantial burns in the area around his metal earphones. In addition, both his eardrums were ruptured, resulting in severe hearing loss, and his jaw was cracked.
The man was wearing an Apple iPod at the time he a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree.
Apple has announced (hat tip 