In the past, the Beatles have been notoriously tight with releasing their catalog online and licensing their songs — try finding them on iTunes — but Apple, keeper of the Fab Four's name, has been loosening up lately.

The newest twist comes courtesy of the Financial Times, which reports Beatles reps are in talks with Activision, makers of Guitar Hero, and MTV Games, distributors of Rock Band, to create a video game similar to both. The deal could be worth several million dollar.

Many industry experts see this move as the next step down the path towards the inevitable licensing of Beatles music across a wider spectrum. "To my view, it's only a matter of time before we see Beatles songs that are the original recordings in motion pictures, in television work, and yes, maybe even one day in a commercial," Martin Bandier, chief executive of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which controls more than 200 Beatles copyrights, told FT.

$1 billion-plus in sales is certainly enticing.

In honor of this weekend's friendly (that's exhibition for those of you unschooled in the rhetoric of the beautiful game) between the United States men's national soccer team and Argentina's, we bring you a story written by Barry Yourgrau in the current issue of Culture and Travel. In it, the spoken-word poet tells of taking in a game between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid at the latter's Vicente Calderón Stadium. It's not Bill Buford's Among the Thugs, but it paints an accurate portrait of a game in Europe.

Live soccer is one of the great spectacles, but unless you're down in the club president's box, details are tough to follow. No TV replays or commentary — even the reporters alongside us were checking the Internet coverage to keep informed. The stunned crowd buzzed and bayed. Atleti found some equilibrium and started to attack, but Robinho kept dazzling down the left side for Real. Then Atleti surged, time and again they swarmed Real's goal, young Kun Agüero lashed thrilling shots — but either Casillas, the goalkeeper, inhumanly saved them or the ball hit the woodwork. Close to halftime, while I was looking down at my notes, Real managed a corner kick. When I looked back up, Real players were rushing around deliriously. Two-nothing.

Entertainment Tonight is not retracting its report (gleaned from a "source," possibly an imposter, inside the delivery room) that Angelina Jolie has given birth to the golden children, despite the fact that Brad Pitt's representative has denied it to the AP. The executive producer of the entertainment show apparently wants to "see how this story plays out." Which is an interesting approach since eventually she'll have the babies, we guess (kind of like, one day this election season will have to be over), so maybe ET is trying to edge its way in to the prediction market.

Anyway, the report apparently sent every celebrity magazine in town into a state of "pandemonium," though in the end People, US Weekly and OK magazines (talk about celebrity mag holy trinity) concluded the rumors were indeed false — no flowers and no grand-parents were what tipped them off. It all sort of begs the question: why hasn't someone at the CIA considered putting the paparazzi on the Bin Laden case?

Sex and the City. All the time. Everywhere. Can't get enough. (And seriously, if you really can't get enough you should check this out).

In the meantime, in the midst of all this talk about print vs online we wondered: if Sex and the City were to take place in New York City 2008 where do you think would Carrie Bradshaw would be working? Tell us what you think, after the jump.

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Great news, lambs! Newly slim and semi-recently unbatsh*t pop star Mariah Carey will bathe Manhattan in lavender, pink and white light this weekend when the Empire State Building ignites in those hues to honor Carey's new album, E=MC, a sure scientist fave. We couldn't say it any better than a friend of the 'bowl, who writes: "I love that someone like Mariah Carey has taken the work of a genius, Einstein, and corrupted it for the title of her little album, E=MC. And now we all get to bask in the dim glow of her celebrity. Thanks for nothing, Mimi."

Specifics, should you wish to take your pink, lavender and white sign to tomorrow's lighting ceremony, where Carey will hopefully only flip the switch (not flip out), after the jump.

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1. The specialty media discovery. In Radar's April issue, a piece runs on celebrity inspired blow-up dolls. Focusing on the creations of blow-up doll baron Nick Orlandio, mention is made of a Sarah Jessica Parker model, "Sarah Jessica Porker Loves Sex In Her Sh***y":

The most recent one [is] Sarah Jessica Porkher. The dolls are all about the box and artwork, because if you've seen the dolls, they're miserable-looking. The SJP doll is funniest. We were able to take existing copy and have fun with it.

Keep in mind that Radar mentioned a variety of celebrity inspired dolls, folks. Not just Sarah Jessica Parker.

2. Around 1.5 weeks after the Radar piece hits newsstands, the New York Post discovers
the SJP blow up doll:

The Chatsworth, Calif., sex-toy company's Web site touts the doll with mock laudatory newspaper reviews, like this one from "USGay Today": "From laptops to lap dances, this high-class piece of a — is gonna show you her Lower East Side!"

"I would think HBO would make an effort to stop this on the basis of trademark infringement," Brian Brokate, a Manhattan intellectual-property attorney, told The Post.

3. Blogs discover it.

OMG JORDAN!

Since we pretty much considered our girl-cousins on both sides dead to us in the late '80's when they fell like Bear Stearns stock for the New Kids on the Block, there was no way in hell we'd go anywhere near midtown on this Day of the Historic NKOTB Reunion. Liz Daniel felt differently as of 5 a.m. today, so for your high-pitched squealing pleasure, we offer her on-the-ground breakdown of the Kids' reunion appearance live on the TODAY show, featuring Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg and those other two no one ever remembers.

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26-year old US News & World Report Associate Editor Alex Kingsbury appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. They talked about his reporting on the Iraq War. ''When are you going back,'' Stewart asked at the conclusion. ''My family hopes not soon, so we'll see'' came the reply.

The Sex and the City: The Movie viral marketing season has officially started.

You see, we picked up our morning papers today to the news that Sarah Jessica Parker was royally peeved over a Maxim poll naming her the "Unsexiest Woman Alive."

The only problem? The poll was released back in October. Five months ago. It was an "unsexy" list that contained Madonna and Sandra Oh as well. Here's what Parker told British celeb weekly Grazia in an interview this week:

"Do I have fake boobs, Botox and big lips? No. Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men's magazine? Maybe not. Am I really the unsexiest woman in the world? Wow! It's kind of shocking when men... It's so brutal in a way, so filled with rage and anger, so it was surprising to me that more people didn't talk about the providence of it, that it's coming from these men. [...] It's condemnation, it's insane. I guess you can't please all people. But I played a lot of parts, women that are really interesting and attractive to me. Obviously someone thinks I'm palatable to some degree."

So, the question remains, why were Parker and the interviewer bringing up the five month old Maxim interview? It's simple: By feigning anger at the poll, Parker got free press in (among others) the New York Post, the New York Daily News and Fox News for the upcoming Sex & The City movie. Friggin' genius.

Not to mention the fact that, we hear, her publicist was sending around the same excerpt from the same UK i'view to various publications.

So, that's how Sarah Jessica Parker handles stealth marketing for movies. As for her co-star Kristin Davis, she apparently prefers sex tapes. It's funny how they leaked online just before the movie...

Remember 1980s heavy metal band Twisted Sister? It turns out they're still around... and politically inclined. Twisted Sister guitarist (and New York native) Jay Jay French just recorded a remake of the band's song "I Wanna Rock" with the title "I Want Barack." Something tells us that the song won't be as popular as will.i.am's "Yes, We Can," however.

The only problem? It turns out Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider supports another candidate for president, so the song is being released under the monicker "Jay Jay French and Friends."