Retailers have survived the first digital coming, but what’s next?

By regular contributor Lloyd Gofton who tweets here

high street deathHMV’s recent demise was hardly a surprise. The writing has been on the wall for so long that it’s been painted over and graffitied many times since.

If we rewind ten years to 2003, the conversation around retail was focused on the importance of the web Continue reading

How humming can help children in the world’s most dangerous countries

The old joke says that when Elvis Presley was exhumed from his grave he didn’t sing much, but he hummed quite a lot.

In slightly better taste, Digital Giving has launched a music app called ‘Hum This’, an interactive game of charades that ‘challenges players to hum and guess song titles from an archive of thousands.

Supported by official partners HMV, O2 and Ticketmaster (!), a percentage of the profits will go towards supporting two chosen charities, Nordoff Robbins, which uses music therapy to transform lives, and War Child, which helps children in some of the world’s most dangerous countries.

The ‘Hum This!’ free app comes with 50 virtual notes with a paid-for app available for £1.49 with 1,600 virtual notes. Additional notes can be purchased in-app via the ‘Hum This!’ note store. The app is available to download now on iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android phones and tablets from the Apple app store or Google Play.

“From our inception, War Child has always pioneered using the power of music in innovative ways to raise funds for our vital work. We’re proud to partner Hum This! as it offers a fun new way for people to support charities,” said Ben Knowles, Director of Fundraising, War Child.

Similarly uplifting is seeing Ticketmaster doing something good for the world, instead of RIPPING US ALL OFF ON TICKET PRICE SURCHAGES. If he really was dug up, Elvis wouldn’t only hum a bit, he’d be spinning in his grave.