They’re the most successful band of all time and they’ve topped the charts all over the world. Liverpool’s own fab four, John, Paul, George and Ringo (the Beatles) could be headed to a video game in the near future; but a video game that allows for the download of their music.

Discussions are currently going on to bring the Fab Four to a video game in a deal that could be worth millions, and utilise the extensive back catalogue of the Beatles.

The two video game companies who are interested in producing this game already have a great record of success with music based video games. Activision, who produced the hugely successful ‘Guitar Hero’ franchise, and MTV Games, who’ve made the equally successful ‘Rock Band’.

Both of those games allow the players to download new music for use within the games, although they cannot take the music from the game and transfer it to their computers, iPods or MP3 players.

If the Beatles game does go ahead it will allow the game company to take advantage of the huge Beatles’ back catalogue, which is still half owned by Michael Jackson.

LATEST: KID ROCK has backtracked over his recent controversial comments encouraging people to “steal” his music, insisting he was only joking.

The star - real name Robert Ritchie - posted a bizarre rant on video sharing website YouTube.com last week (ends20Jun08) after announcing he is boycotting paid download website iTunes until they give him more money to sell his music.

In the video footage, Kid Rock claims he is happy to let fans download tracks for free because he’s “rich”. He then urges kids to steal laptops, MP3 players, cars and gas from retailers - because big businesses can afford the loss.

He said: “The whole debate on downloading music has gone too far. There are record companies suing kids. You can illegally download my music, steal it if you will. Because I’m f**king rich…

“What I would encourage you to do? Let’s level the playing field. Steal everything. If you want a new MP3 player or a computer… Do you know how much money Apple and Microsoft have? Go in there, get a new laptop and run. You need a new car? Go steal a Toyota.”

But the 37-year-old is adamant his rant was meant in jest.

It may surprise you to know that MP3 players aren’t just used for entertainment purposes or as educational tools. A hospital in Singapore is using MP3 players to allow patients suffering from asthma to cope with their condition more easily.

Controlling asthma requires a combination of medical treatment and for the patient to be sufficiently educated so that can control their breathing using a form of self-management.

SingHealth are the largest healthcare group in Singapore, and they recently ran a program called ‘Telecare for Asthma’, which was designed to evaluate how MP3 players could be used to help treat asthma sufferers. The pilot scheme was launched last year on World Asthma Day and ran for 6 months.

The idea of projects such as these is to use technology to help educate asthma sufferers to ways to cope with their condition, while overcoming the problems of illiteracy.

The initial trials were performed on two different groups of asthmatics, patients with poor literacy and energetic asthmatics.

Of the patients who had the poor literacy skills, many of them found that by using the MP3 players to educate them on the ways to cope with the condition they were able to better understand it.

Only one of those patients said they couldn’t operate the MP3 player, even though they were given full instructions.

This research shows that using MP3 players and other types of technology in the treating of illnesses is a great way forward for medicine.

Gone are the days when pupils at schools were taught useless subjects that they’d never use in the real world. These days schools are moving with the times and embracing technology, and moving with the times. The NCFE, which used to be known as the National Council for Further Education, is to offer a GCSE qualification in the art of podcasting!

That’s right, pupils will be taught to record their own podcasts on computers, edit them, and upload them to sites such as iTunes for download to MP3 players.

This is the first time that a qualification of this sort has been offered in the UK, and will show students how to record and broadcast their works on the Internet. The new course is set to begin this year, in September.

The course is set to run at level 1, which offers GCSE grades D-G, and will demonstrate the art of planning, preparing and recording a podcast for broadcast or download to MP3 players.

David Grailey is the chief executive of NCFE:

Podcasting is fast becoming a part of everyday life - vicars are delivering sermons via podcasts, police departments are launching ‘crimewatch’ video podcasts and schools and colleges are recording lessons via podcasts. It’s therefore vital that we offer people both an understanding and the skills to utilise this technology.

With the popularity of MP3 players, iPods and MP3 downloads, it’s something that pupils should have the opportunity to learn at school; there is a great demand for the skill set.

These days, politicians will use anything to win votes, whether that is their ‘love’ of football, their association with rock stars or the music on their iPods. US presidential candidate Barack Obama is no different. Like some well oiled political machine, the music on his iPod has been carefully selected to appeal to those voters he’s trying to sway, which means everything except for Garth Brooks.

Maybe he’s not aiming for the Garth Brooks fan’s vote?

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Barack Obama’s iPod collection suggests that he’s aiming at those Americans who were born between 1946 and 1964, the age group typically thought to prefer his presidential rival in the election. This represents some 80 million American voters, a sizable chunk who could be won over by an iPod.

Among the artists from that time frame are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. He’s also added other artists such as Elton John, to make sure he wins the gay vote.

The only sector Barack Obama seems to be missing is the music that is aimed at the followers of his former Democratic rival, Hilary Clinton. This being the white working class voter. The absence of artists such as Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney could pose a serious chink in Barack Obama’s iPod armour.

175,000 people will be attended the music festival at Glastonbury this weekend, revelling in the water and mud that will the fields. While listening to their favourite rock bands, drinking large quantities of alcoholic beverages and perhaps indulging in the odd ‘happy pill’, many of the revellers will also have their MP3 players and iPods with them to carry on the music once the live acts have finished for the night.

This is a great idea, but with so many people in attendance and only a tent to secure your possessions, it’s worthwhile ensuring that you have your equipment insured.

Therefore you should ensure you check your home insurance policy documents before you set off, because your home insurance may cover your items while you’re away… then again it may not. Glastonbury, like many other music festivals, is a big attraction for thieves due to the level of technology being left virtually unguarded in nothing more secure than a tent with a zip.

You’re also at risk from pick-pockets during the festival, so if you keep your MP3 player on you the whole time, make sure you secure it in a pocket with a zip or have it attached to your person, either round your wrist or your neck.

The recent decision by high street retailer Woolworths to stop selling CD singles has triggered the doom merchants to sound the death knell of the CD. The reason given for the demise of CD appears to be the boon in music downloading, for use on iPods and MP3 players. Whether the music is being downloaded legally or illegally seems to make no difference, it’s largely responsible for killing off the CD.

Music downloading has been around for some time now, but hasn’t been as prevalent as it is now because of the lack of penetration of broadband. As broadband suppliers have become more competitive in their pricing structures, and have begun to offer cheaper, unlimited download packages, users are beginning to make use of their broadband connections to stock their music libraries.

NME believes it’s the widespread use of broadband that has sounded the end for the CD. Paul Stokes is NME’s music editor; he believes CD singles could become something you’ll only find in specialist shops. He also mentions how the inclusion of music downloads in the top 40 chart has further promoted the download service.

So many people listen to music on iPods and MP3 players anyway then why bother going out buying a CD single ripping it onto the iPod and playing it when you can click on it and have it straight away in your player?

It’s been one of the most publicised divorce cases in the history of divorce, and Heather Mills divorce from Sir Paul McCartney has made her one of the most hated women on the planet.

Now it appears she’s done what most women would do after a bitter divorce, delete all of the music that reminds her of her ex-husband. However when your ex-husband is one of the Beatles, you’ll have to delete an awful lot of music!

Delete his music she has though, as Heather Mills has apparently deleted all of Paul’s music from her iPod.

Heather’s personal fitness trainer, Ben Amigoni, said that Heather would use some of Paul’s up-tempo tracks to dance to for her workout routines. Tracks such as Twist and Shout, Live and Let Die, Lady Madonna and Day Tripper would help Heather keep her figure in the shape it is today, but not anymore according to Ben.

He claims Heather has deleted all of Paul’s music from her iPod. Instead of Paul McCartney’s music, Heather now uses a selection of dance tracks to help her through her workout.

Heather received a whopping £24.3 million in her divorce settlement earlier this year.

Many music artists are angered at the illegal download sites that exist all over the Internet and allow music fans to access copies of their albums without having to pay a penny. Madonna once uploaded fake versions of her albums to music sharing sites with a personally recorded message to people that stealing music is wrong.

Kid Rock on the hand takes the opposite stance to illegal music downloads.

In a bizarre twist, Kid Rock is boycotting sites like iTunes because he feels they should pay him more to offer his music for download. In retaliation, he has urged his fans to steal his music by downloading illegal copies whenever they want. Kid Rock says that because he’s rich, he can afford to let his fans have his music for free.

He’s also urged fans to steal other things too, not just MP3 music tracks from download sites. He’s urged fans to steal electrical items such as MP3 players, and even to steal cars.

Kid Rock says:

The whole debate on downloading music has gone too far. There are record companies suing kids. You can illegally download my music, steal it if you will. Because I’m rich.

How can I bitch about you downloading a song or two. I can’t.

What I would encourage you to do? Let’s level the playing field. Steal everything. If you want a new MP3 player or a computer… Do you know how much money Apple and Microsoft have?

Go in there, get a new laptop and run. You need a new car? Go steal a Toyota.

We of course urge fans of Kid Rock not to steal anything and ignore his advice.

If you’re looking for an alternative to iTunes for your MP3 downloads in the UK, one of the biggest players in online retail may just be about to provide it. Amazon, who originally started out just selling books but branched out to music, DVD, toys, groceries (in fact, just about everything) are planning to offer MP3 music downloads on their UK website.

In fact, it could be available before October, according to the most recent reports.

Amazon’s MP3 store Execs were apparently in London last week discussing the deal with British record firm chiefs.

Amazon’s US service launched last year, and offered MP3 tracks that were DRM free, which meant they could play on a larger range of MP3 players.

This move by Amazon means that Apple’s iTunes will now have another rival for the UK market, along with Tesco and HMV.

With the proposed launch of Amazon’s UK download store approaching, artists such as the Snow Patrol and the Scissor Sisters are believed to be among the first offerings.

After the UK launch, Amazon plans to roll out its MP3 download service worldwide.