U.K. e-reader company to offer free public-domain books online through Google partnership

SAN FRANCISCO — Interead, a British company that sells the COOL-ER e-book reader, is adding more than 1 million free public-domain books to its online bookstore. The texts are available from Google Inc. through its book-scanning project.

Alive? No way, but German hoax video of Michael Jackson video creates stir online

BERLIN — A hoax video purportedly showing Michael Jackson emerging from a coroner’s van was an experiment aimed at showing how quickly misinformation and conspiracy theories can race across the Internet, German broadcaster RTL said Tuesday.

As Internet turns 40, barriers threaten the openness that spawned e-mail, YouTube and Twitter

NEW YORK — Goofy videos weren’t on the minds of Len Kleinrock and his team at UCLA when they began tests 40 years ago on what would become the Internet. Neither was social networking, for that matter, nor were most of the other easy-to-use applications that have drawn more than a billion people online.

Thousands attend Michael Jackson birthday bash hosted by Spike Lee in New York

NEW YORK — Thousands of Michael Jackson fans danced the rain away in a Brooklyn park on Saturday at a party hosted by filmmaker Spike Lee, marking what would have been the 51st birthday of the late pop star.

Spike Lee throws Michael Jackson a birthday bash in Brooklyn

NEW YORK — Thousands of Michael Jackson fans are dancing the rain away in a Brooklyn park at a celebration hosted by filmmaker Spike Lee.

Blockbuster shares jump after rental chain sells Irish retailer Xtra-vision

NEW YORK — Shares of Blockbuster Inc. jumped Friday after the chain said it sold Irish entertainment retailer Xtra-vision Ltd. in a deal valued at up to $45 million.

Big screen vs. small: Cinemas get a remake to compete for growing ranks of online video fans

CHICAGO — Today, young movie-watchers look increasingly like Molly O’Connor. A junior at the University of Dallas, she still goes to the cinema occasionally, but is often just as happy to hunker down on a bed or a couch with friends to watch a downloaded movie on a laptop that’s perched on a nearby desk or a chair.

Beyonce to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards; Wale to be part of house band

NEW YORK — Beyonce (bee-AHN’-say) is set to give a dreamy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Paramount agrees to trial deal to supply movies to $1-per-night DVD kiosk operator Redbox

SAN FRANCISCO — Movie studio Paramount Pictures is following the lead of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Sony Corp. by agreeing to supply films to $1-per-night DVD rental kiosk company Redbox.

Royal Opera House to release recordings of Wagner operas from Bayreuth Festival on DVD

BERLIN — Germany’s Bayreuth Festival has agreed to enter a deal with a production arm of Britain’s Royal Opera House to produce and sell DVD recordings of composer Richard Wagner’s operas recorded at the annual festival.

YouTube hopes to sell more video makers on the virtues of ads as site strives to make money

SAN FRANCISCO — YouTube hopes to convert more amateur videographers into capitalists as it strives to show more advertising on its Web site and end years of uninterrupted losses.

Sony announces $399 e-book reader with wireless connection, taking on Amazon’s $299 Kindle

NEW YORK — Sony Corp. plans to offer an e-book reader with the ability to wirelessly download books, injecting more competition in a small but fast-growing market by adopting a key feature of the rival Kindle from Amazon.com.

Jet Li returns to Chinese film after 3 Hollywood productions

Jet Li returns to Chinese film after 3 US movies

Upcoming IREX e-book reader to include wireless access to Barnes & Noble e-bookstore

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — IREX Technologies Inc. said Monday that its upcoming electronic reader will include an application for accessing Barnes & Noble Inc.’s e-bookstore.

Sci-fi fans thrilled by worldwide previews of James Cameron’s much-anticipated ‘Avatar’

LOS ANGELES — Fans wearing 3D glasses clapped as soon as James Cameron’s face appeared on screen. The filmmaker, shown in 3D, invited moviegoers to enjoy a 16-minute peek of his anticipated sci-fi epic “Avatar,” which was screened for free around the world Friday.

Movie theaters cut back on printing show times in newspapers as more moviegoers go online

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Filmgoers who have long turned to the local newspaper to find theaters and show times for movies may have to start looking elsewhere as theater chains rethink the value of paper and ink in a digital age.

US F1 team lands YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley as primary investor for 2010 debut season

VALENCIA, Spain — The new US F1 Formula One team has landed YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley as its primary investor for its 2010 debut racing campaign.

TV meets magazine: CBS offers a video sneak peek at fall lineup in Entertainment Weekly

NEW YORK — An upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly’s print edition will be embedded with a video player that will run ads for CBS shows and Pepsi.

British film board bans sale of Japanese horror movie, saying it’s too brutal and sadist

LONDON — Britain’s film board banned the sale of a Japanese horror DVD, saying Wednesday its violence is so extreme that it could cause psychological harm to audiences.

Blockbuster to offer movies on some Motorola cell phones

NEW YORK — Blockbuster Inc. plans to offer movies that can be watched on Motorola Inc. cell phones. It marks the struggling rental company’s first step into mobile video and is its latest effort at chasing down the customers who have abandoned its traditional video stores.

Tourists can share 9/11 memories, look at memorial plans, buy DVDs at new ground zero center

NEW YORK — Tourists coming to ground zero to see the Sept. 11 memorial often peer through a fenced-off construction site for a glimpse and ask street vendors when it will be built.

Phones and PCs put e-book reading within easy reach, no Kindle needed

NEW YORK — A few weeks ago, Pasquale Castaldo was waiting at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a delayed flight, when a man sitting across from him pulled out an Amazon Kindle book-reading device.

Warner Bros. joins studios in calling for delay on shipments to Redbox, other cheap DVD kiosks

LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. on Thursday joined studios Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox in demanding shipments be delayed to $1-per-night DVD rental kiosks like Redbox in an attempt to preserve demand for higher-priced disc purchases.

Blockbuster 2nd-qtr loss narrows but misses analyst expectations

SAN FRANCISCO — Blockbuster Inc. said Thursday its second-quarter loss narrowed as the struggling video rental chain cut costs amid declines in revenue.

New audiobook line to feature Parker Posey narrating “Feminine Mystique”

NEW YORK — Actress Parker Posey and authors Gay Talese and Naomi Wolf will be among those participating in a new line of audiobooks dedicated to famous 20th-century books.

E-book of new Dan Brown novel coming Sept. 15, same day as hardcover

NEW YORK — E-book readers can relax: The electronic edition of Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” is coming out on the same day as the hardcover.

Roku Internet video box adds first live feed: Major League Baseball games

NEW YORK — Roku says its pioneering Internet video set-top box is adding its first live feed, from Major League Baseball.

Redbox sues 20th Century Fox in fight over timing of new release rentals

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Redbox, the DVD rental kiosk company, says it is suing 20th Century Fox over the movie studio’s attempts to keep its new releases out of the Redbox vending machines for a month after they go on sale.

IMAX expects gross proceeds of $50M from stock offering, to use funds to repay debt

NEW YORK — IMAX Corp., maker of large-screen movie-theater technology, said Tuesday it expects gross proceeds of about $50 million from its public offering of just under 5.9 million common shares.

Lions Gate signs 5-year distribution deal with $1 DVD rental outfit Redbox

LOS ANGELES — Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. became the latest movie studio to agree to supply $1-per-night DVD rental kiosk company Redbox, but the move still leaves Hollywood divided over the cheap rental service.

Netflix to hold sequel to $1M contest for improving its movie recommendation system

SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix Inc. has not yet announced a winner for its first $1 million challenge to improve its system of recommending movies that subscribers may enjoy. Already it is indicating there will be a sequel, though.

NYC sightseeing flight, shore trip end in tragedy for families from Italy, Pennsylvania

BLUE BELL, Pa. —For an Italian family it was supposed to be a joyous occasion — the celebration of 25 years of marriage. For a Pennsylvania family, it was a flight to the New Jersey shore that included a passing view of one of the world’s most renowned skylines.

Points leader Briscoe takes pole for Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio as he continues breakout season

LEXINGTON, Ohio —Type in Ryan Briscoe’s name on YouTube and “The Crash” pops up, right at the top in all of its fiery glory.

Pa. women’s zeal for fitness brings them to their last dance _ and an armed loner’s final date

BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. —Mary Primis had already taught several high-intensity fitness classes that day, putting dozens of students through their sweaty paces while barely breaking one herself.

Stockin’ up: Free e-books offerings are the latest craze

NEW YORK — James Patterson’s latest best seller, “The Angel Experiment,” is a little different from his usual hits. The novel isn’t new; it came out four years ago. Readers aren’t picking it up at bookstores, but mostly on the Kindle site at Amazon.com.