November 16, 2006

Lexicon -- which has named high-profile products such as Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry, the Pentium chip from Intel Corp. and Subaru's Outback -- started with as many as 4,500 candidate names, whittling them down over the course of three months early this year. The company, based in Sausalito, Calif., has spent thousands of dollars in linguistic studies of languages around the world and usually charges about $150,000 to come up with a brand name.

Zune was selected because it has a familiar sound, says Mr. Placek. "From tune to zune" was the expression some inside Lexicon used. The letter "U" also has a full sound and makes one think there is a lot packed into a little word -- and product.

Lexicon hopes Zune will catch on as a verb, much as "googling" has for searching on Google Inc.'s Internet search site. Someone might "zune out" (listen to music) or "zune you" (send you a song wirelessly), says Mr. Placek.

November 15, 2006

Annapolis, Md.: Is Apple doing anything to make the iPod more sturdy? It seems like everyone complains about how easy it is to scratch them up. I must admit that I don't currently have an iPod, but would it get that scratched up just keeping it in my purse or do you have to purchase one of those covers?

Steven Levy: Once I used an iPod to record an interview with Steve Jobs and he saw that I had one of those plastic skins covering it. He was appalled, and insisted that iPods, like people, only gain more character with the occasional ding and scratch. I'm not sure about that (especially if the screen is affected) but for those who worry, there are plenty of cases. By the way, in the small print in packaging of the new iPods, there is a disclaimer explaining that like fine denim jeans, iPods can go through a weathering process. Classic Apple explanation--wear and tear makes iPods cooler!

November 14, 2006

November 10, 2006

November 08, 2006

"They're bad with money," said Barry Feldman, who became an adviser with New York Life Insurance Co. this year after three decades as a record executive. "By the nature of what they do, they don't want to talk to finance and insurance people. They're running from it."

David Steinfeld, an adviser with Raymond James Financial Inc. in Nashville, tells of one client who sold a farm, then bought it back at a higher price six months later because he changed his mind.

"People in the music industry are not always logical people. They run off of feelings," he said.

November 07, 2006

What about digital music?

A trend now is for couples to create their own playlists on their iPod, and use it for the music and dancing at the reception. I think this would work if it's a smaller, intimate wedding. But I think if you have a large crowd and you really want to have some fun, there is nothing better than having a live band or a DJ. It's much more interactive than you could get from an iPod.

But don't wedding bands and DJs play the same things at every wedding anyway?

There's probably a standard list of songs that are crowd pleasers. But you can work with your band leader or DJ and say, "Look, I really don't want you to play "The Macarena.'"

The wedding industry is often accused of trying to keep people spending lots of money on weddings. Some of the examples you have cited, such as using an iPod, are ways that people can keep costs down.

I think they are OK if you have a very limited budget and you want to have music at your wedding but it's not that important to you to have a DJ or a band. If it's going to be cost effective, then by all means do it. But think of what's important to you, and the kind of atmosphere you want. I certainly don't think couples should go into debt, or take out loans, to pay for a wedding.

November 06, 2006

November 02, 2006

It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Only a few years ago, the Internet threatened to blur boundaries of genre and culture making it easy for listeners to fill their iPods with whatever caught their fancy.

But listeners of all sorts like having what Mr. Christgau called a shared experience. That's why the old monoculture flourished in the first place. And today's indie-rock fans have something that's smaller yet similar: a mini-monoculture. That is, a robust infrastructure of Web sites and blogs, along with a (necessarily vague) consensus about what indie-rock sounds like.

Even more than usual downtown Manhattan is full of bands most people have never heard of, hoping to emulate the success of other bands most people have never heard of.