Get Softball Back Into the Olympics

The softball community was stunned when the International Olympic committee voted (by one vote!) to abolish softball from the 2012 Olympic Games. Fastpitch softball first became an Olympic sport in 1996, and thousands of young girls all over the world worked hard for the opportunity to represent their country at the highest level the sporting world offered.

While there won’t be a softball event in London in 2012, Team USA and other international teams will still represent the sport at Beijing in 2008. The International Softball Association, the ASA and the U.S. Olympic Committee have all been working hard to convince the IOC that fastpitch softball enjoys international support.

The International Softball Federation has introduced the “Back Softball” campaign, aimed at securing the reinstatement of softball by the 2016 Olympics. Right now there are 128 National Softball Federations in the world. The ISF hopes to increase that number to 150 by October 1, 2009. The ISF is also trying to increase the world-wide participation in the sport to 10.5 million women by the same day. Once that goal is achieved, the ISF will push for another 25% increase before the 2016 games.

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E-Swarm

Everyone loves a great bargain, and there is no surer way to save money than to buy in bulk. Of course, if you’re in the market for a new iPod, buying in bulk is impractical, to say the least, unless you have a way to join with like-minded friends.. That’s where the power of the Internet comes in. eSwarm.com, a new website based on the web phenomenon of “swarming,” groups people together to harness the power of volume buying to save money. The demand-side model puts the power to set prices in the hands of consumers in much the same way a reverse auction works.

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Wal-Mart to Sell DRM-Free MP3s!

As more and more and digital music customers are revolting against the restrictions inherent in DRM-protected downloads, Wal-Mart announced today that DRM-free MP3 tracks are available on the Walmart.com online music store. Individual tracks sell for 94 cents, while complete albums retail for $9.22.

Previously, Wal-Mart only offered DRM-protected WMA files for 88 cents a track. The file format restricted the number of times the tracks could be burned to a CD, the number of computers the track could be stored on and the types of players the tracks were compatible with. The industry leading iPod can’t play WMA files. By offering DRM-free MP3 tracks, Wal-Mart will have access to the 80 percent of media player owners who have an iPod.

“As we consistently strive to help our customers shop smart at Wal-Mart, our new ‘DRM-free’ MP3 digital tracks give them the ease and flexibility to play music on virtually any device at a great value,” said Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart’s senior director and divisional manager for digital media.

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