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Editor's Note: Stereophile's new release, Bravo!, is available for order through the Recordings">https://secure.stereophile.com/stereophile/record.html">Recordings page of this website.

Last week Microsofthttp://www.microsoft.com">Microsoft; entered the Internet audio fray by announcing the release of their Windows">http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia">Windows Media Technologies 4 platform, which the company claims introduces a "new standard for CD-quality audio" on the Internet. Windows Media includes Windows Media Player, Windows Media Services, Windows Media Tools, and Windows Media Audio SDK.

While all of the attention was on SDMI and watermarking earlier this month, Diamond">http://www.diamondmm.com">Diamond Multimedia, the http://www.riaa.com/"> Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) quietly announced the settlement of all pending litigation related to Diamond's Rio portable Internet music player. (See previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10324/">previous story.) All three parties say they have dismissed their legal actions, and have announced the mutually satisfactory resolution of outstanding legal issues.

Last week, GlobalNet Systems announced that violinist Itzhak Perlman has joined its subsidiary On-Line">http://www.OEN.com">On-Line Entertainment Network as consultant and advisory boardmember. The company says that Mr. Perlman will consult on its acquisition and production of live classical-music events and the licensing of master catalogs of recorded classical music. He also joins an advisory board that will advise on future trends and opportunities for the company. The company intends to add other major artists to its advisory board in coming months.