Microsoft sorry for Amy tweet

By Dan Whitworth
Newsbeat technology reporter Amy Winehouse was found dead in her Camden home on Saturday Microsoft has apologised after being accused by Amy Winehouse fans of trying to make money from her death.

It's after Xbox360's official Twitter account, tweetbox360, posted a message urging people to pay tribute to the star by using Microsoft's online store to buy her album.

It read "remember Amy Winehouse by downloading the ground-breaking 'Back to Black' over at Zune".

One response came from Simacco: "Talk about cashing in on someone's death!"

'Crass' and 'vile'

Another, from iamjovic, said: "It's very insensitive and whoever had the idea of tweeting it had no taste."

Following other replies from fans which labelled the post "crass" and "vile" Microsoft was quick to say sorry.

"Apologies to everyone if our earlier Amy Winehouse download tweet seemed purely commercially motivated.

"Far from the case we assure you."

After the initial apology Microsoft went even further to try to appease Amy's fans.

There was another post shortly after the apology tweeting: "With Amy W's passing, the world has lost a huge talent.

"Our thoughts are with Amy's family and friends at this very sad time."

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Pope Benedict sends first tweet

29 June 2011 Last updated at 09:50 GMT The Vatican has suffered from poor communications Pope Benedict XVI has sent his first tweet to launch a Vatican news and information portal on the 60th anniversary of his ordination.

His message read: "Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI."

The Pope, 84, tapped an iPad to activate the portal and send the tweet.

Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are all now being used by the Vatican to spread its Christian message.

Its Twitter account has more than 33,000 followers but "follows" nobody.

Images released by the Vatican showed the Roman Catholic leader seated at a table with officials standing by to help him use the tablet computer.

'News.va, The Vatican Today'

The launch took place on Tuesday GMT but was aimed to coincide with the feast day of St Peter and Paul on Wednesday, which is also the anniversary of Pope Benedict taking Holy Orders.

The tweet went out on Tuesday GMT

An article on the ordination led Wednesday's News.va news page, recalling how Joseph Ratzinger, then 24, was ordained on a "radiant summer day" along with 42 other young men.

Under a logo which reads "News.va, The Vatican Today", the new portal offers "an exclusive, multimedia presentation of all the other communications websites of the Holy See", including Vatican Radio, the newspaper l'Osservatore Romano and the Misna missionary news agency.

Pope Benedict's six-year papacy has been bedevilled by poor communications.

Embarrassing clarifications had to be issued over such thorny issues as his 2005 speech about Islam and violence, and his stance on condoms and HIV.

Earlier this month, the Vatican announced plans to set up a new e-learning centre to help safeguard children and victims of sexual abuse by clergy, as part of its efforts to deal with damaging scandals.

Last month the Pope issued new orders to bishops, making clear that any suspected abuse by priests must always be reported to police.

Reacting to the first papal tweet, some Twitter users joked about the iPad, asking if the Pope had a sponsorship deal.

A tweet from another user, Shanna Quinn in Chicago, read: "The pope is on twitter...this probably means my mom will be on twitter very soon."

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