The lighting of the Olympic torch in London this summer is 100 days away. To mark the occasion, MSN and FOXSports.com are launching a special section (http://msn.foxsport​s.com/olympics) devoted to coverage of the London Games. 

 

The section will feature articles, current and former Olympian profiles, videos and photo galleries.  FOXSports.com award-winning contributors including Jason Whitlock, Mark Kriegel, Jen Floyd Engel, and Bill Reiter will be updating the site from London for the entirety of the Games.   In addition, U.S. Olympic heroes Maurice Greene (track & field), Amy Van Dyken (swimming), Dominique Dawes (gymnastics) and Christian Laettner (basketball) have been recruited to bring their unique perspective with special video features.

 

To kick things off, Maurice Greene, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in the 100-meter dash, shares “Train like a Champion” a video series in which he’ll explore the dedication it takes to be an Olympian. 

Amy Van Dyken, a six-time Olympic gold medalist provides her take from with interviews with stars of swimming.  Olympic gymnast and gold medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Games, Dominique Dawes, offers “up close” interviews featuring various sports. 

Christian Laettner, member of the 1992 Barcelona Games “Dream Team,” reports and analyzes USA Basketball’s hope to repeat as Olympic champions.

We are thrilled to partner with FoxSports.com to offer comprehensive coverage of the upcoming Olympics on MSN.  We hope our hundreds of millions of customers will enjoy commentary and coverage from notable experts and past Olympic heroes, as well as breaking news and trend coverage on the MSN homepage and our new msnNOW site.

 

- Rob Bennett, Executive Producer MSN

  

Today, Spotify unveiled the Spotify Play Button which allows you to launch and listen to songs from any website that has a Spotify Play Button.   MSN and BermanBraun Interactive are pleased to be a part of the experience with Wonderwall (www.wonderwall.com) serving as the official entertainment and celebrity launch destination for the button. Now when you visit Wonderwall, you will be able to listen to entire songs while viewing galleries.  If you are a Spotify user, you simply click the play button to go dive into the full artist experience. If you don't have Spotify installed, you will be invited to download and try the free experience.

 

Check it out and let us know what you think.

 

-       James Fitch, MSN Entertainment and Sports

 

 

Following the critically acclaimed November release of Ceremonials, Florence + the Machine is kicking off the US leg of the tour in Santa Barbara, California this Saturday. As our goal is to “keep you in the know” about what’s happening in your world of music, supporting the tour is a natural fit.  To help celebrate, we are rolling out exclusive content and the chance for one lucky fan and friend to meet Florence in person.

Win a Chance for You and a Friend to Meet Florence in Las Vegas

Starting at 12 p.m. PT today, we will be tweeting a Florence related tweet from the @MSN twitter handle.  Those of you who retweet will be entered into a sweepstakes (one entry per handle) for you and friend to see Florence + the Machine in Las Vegas.  The grand prize includes airfare for two to Las Vegas, two nights' accommodations, tickets to the Florence + the Machine concert including the after party where you can meet Florence in person.  For contest details please click here.

 

Watch Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Footage  

Check out exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Florence + The Machine at music.msn.com/Floren​ce.

 

Download Wallpaper and Screensaver

Personalize your desktop, with Florence + The Machine wallpaper and screensaver pack.   Click here to download the pack and see Florence Welch in high definition.

Check Out and Share Florence + The Machine Posters on Facebook.com/MSN

As a part of the tour, MSN has commissioned both famous and up-and-coming artists to create 7 original posters based on Florence +the Machine lyrics.  Starting next week, each of the unique posters, will be featured exclusively on the MSN Facebook page.  You can visit the page, judge the posters and share your favorites with friends.

 

-          Erika Sommer, MSN

-          Ingrid  Comacho, MSN

  

Starting today, MSN will host the exclusive, worldwide premiere of four cutting edge independent films on MSN Movies.  With the intent of driving the theater experience onto the web, MSN has partnered with some of the world’s leading independent film auteurs to bring these very special films to audiences worldwide.  From the depths of suburban horror, to one man’s journey to be with the woman he loves, MSN hopes these films will enlighten, entertain and even inspire.

 

Swim for Love

Based on ‘actual’ events and starring Anthony Ervin, an Olympic Gold Medalist must choose to swim in the Summer Games or swim across the Atlantic Ocean in order to be reunited with his true love.  Trailer Link

 

I Will Never Close My Eyes

A terrifying tale about a mother whose sanity is tested by a haunted, relentless force. Trailer Link

 

Wranglers of Death

In a last-ditch effort to save their family, a group of cowboys drive a dangerous herd to Hollywood. Trailer Link

 

As yet untitled

A terrifying force is slaughtering a once-peaceful American town. Trailer Link

 

To watch the trailers, click here.

 

-         - The MSN Movies and Multimedia Team

 

 

Today, we are rolling out StockTwit streams on MSN Money.  Now when you visit ticker pages on MSN Moeny you can see the real-time conversation about that stock alongside the financial highlights. The StockTwits stream includes real time ticker specific trade ideas, links and commentary from a wide range of investors, traders and financial professionals - as well as official updates from public companies.

Head over to MSN Money and check it out.

 

-          The MSN Money Team

 

 

Keeping up with the latest news (be it the Kardashians, Lindsay Lohan or March Madness) can be challenging, especially with more than 2.7 billion ‘likes’ and comments shared on Facebook and 864,000 hours of video uploaded to YouTube each day. To help you keep up with the latest and greatest, this Thursday, social media maven  and TV personality Kinsey Schofield  will share her tips and tricks for cutting through the clutter and filtering the overwhelming amount of information on the internet to find what you want to know. Find out the best ways to keep up with your friends on Facebook, follow tweets on Twitter, and see breaking news all in one place so that you can be the first to know. In this digital world, sometimes knowing what happened an hour ago is too late – you need to know right now! 

Kinsey Schofield was recently recognized as #25 in The 100 Greatest Women in Social Media so she knows a thing or two about how to filter the overwhelming amount of information out there on the web. A pop culture maven, nationally recognized writer, social media strategist, and TV personality, Kinsey is currently a host for Young Hollywood, and has been seen on several TV outlets including E! News, MTV, and Fox News.We know that your hands are often full and you’re mostly seen running with wet-hair to preschool drops, afterschool activities, the grocery store, daycare and all the million places in between. You simply don’t have time to filter through a stack of magazines or watch the nightly news for an hour (you’re making dinner!) to stay up on the latest trends – and ensure you can still hold an adult conversation beyond who’s having a good sale on diapers.

Join us on Thursday, March 22nd, from 12-1pm PT, to hear how to stay up with the latest while also talking celebrities, your favorite YouTube sensations and more. To join the fun, follow @msnNOW, @MomCentral and @KinseySchofield, and tweet out your questions and commentary with the hashtag #msnNOW. As an added bonus, two lucky participants will win a fifty dollar visa gift card.

- The msnNOW team

 

Following the critically acclaimed November release of Ceremonials, Florence + the Machine will be embarking on a 15 city tour presented by MSN.  As our goal is to “keep you in the know” about what’s happening in your world of music, supporting the tour is a natural fit. For those of you who can’t make to the shows in person, we’re pleased to bring you exclusive access to the debut of Florence + the Machine’s latest music video “Never Let Me Go,” as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the production and other videos and photos featuring the band and its charismatic front woman.Starting on April 14th at the Santa Barbara Bowl with stops at The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (April 15 and 22) and one show at New York’s Radio City Music Hall (May 8), Florence + the Machine’s U.S. tour stops are as follows. Go to http://music.msn.com​/florence for the latest updates.

Check out the video and let us know what you think.

 

-  Sam Sutherland, Senior Editor, MSN Music

  

Just in time for Super Tuesday, MSN Money is launching a new politics section today. Visit MSN Money & Politics to find daily political news updates, great election-related features and timely video.

 

Today, we have feature articles on the spending spree by Super PACs, Obama’s problem with rising gas prices, and the two political issues that could bring down the U.S. economy. Of course, we also have up-to-the minute coverage of the Super Tuesday races. Be sure to take our poll and check out our curated feed of some of the most thought-provoking headlines on Twitter.Why a section dedicated to money and politics? As election 2012 approaches, we’ve found readers are clamoring to learn more about how campaign proposals could affect their own personal finances. Will income tax rates rise? Will the U.S. budget deficit spark higher interest rates? Will the economy slow if the government cuts back on Federal stimulus?

 

The stock market has rallied so far this year in anticipation of a stronger U.S. economy, but many forecasters remain doubtful that robust growth is ahead. The actions of the upcoming election season could dictate if the US economy continues on a pace of recovery or starts slowing once again.

 

To stay on top of all these developments – and track the progress of candidates -- check out MSN Money & Politics daily. You can also follow us on Twitter @money_politics.

 

-      -  Amey Stone, MSN Money