MP3 Player Shopping Guide

MP3 players are definitely not a one-size-fits-all product. They come in a range of shapes and sizes, use different types of memory, and support different formats. You should choose the player that both meets your needs and suits your personality. A player can have every feature in the world, but if the design doesn't match your lifestyle or if the interface is impenetrable, you still won't enjoy it.

Though the first MP3 player used flash memory, it was the hard drive that really drove the digital audio player up the ranks of the digital jukeboxes. The cost per megabyte for hard drives today is still far cheaper than flash memory.

MP3 players come in two major storage flavors--flash memory and hard drive. Common sense would tell you to get a hard drive version if big storage is what you crave for, and flash if something small swings to your beat. More advanced models have integrated video inputs and support real time encoding, making them a potential VHS recorder replacement. Others have a similar feature set to a palmtop computer or PDA thanks to their operating system and application support. These portable media players are really more than just an mp3 player.

Most likely, a high-capacity, hard-drive-based player can accommodate every song you've ever purchased. Hard drives run from 10GB on up, and large players such as the 60GB Apple iPod can hold around 17,000 songs, assuming an average file size of 3.5MB per tune.

Display
Most MP3 players display title and artist information about the song that's playing. Most have a backlit LCD for reading in the dark. Many high-end hard disk players have a colour TFT LCD screen for song info and for viewing your digital photos.

Storage Space
MP3 players have good storage capacity and we can store audio files according to their memory capacity. The following are some of the standard memory units used by most of the players.

Battery
Hard disk MP3 players have a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which typically last up to four years, though this varies from make to make. Other types of player use AA or AAA batteries, and some have an internal rechargeable cell.

Key features:-
• If the intention is for the MP3 player to double as a mass storage device as well, it makes sense to get a player with a built-in USB jack.

• There are huge differences between mp3 players in terms of size and weight. Players range in weight from around 40 grams for small integrated memory players to over 300 grams for a large multimedia player.

• What's the battery life like? Batteries would ultimately have to be replaced in the end. So it's best to buy an MP3 player with a long playback time. A good bet would be in the realm of 18 hours or more. Sony's MP3 players are renown for a rated battery life of up to 50 hours.

• A remote control offers usability advantages, especially for hard drive and multimedia players which are usually impractical to take in and out of your pocket. The remote controls for MP3 players can either be compact and limited to just the essential functions, or feature rich and equipped with a small LCD screen displaying track information.

Optional Extras
• Radio: FM radio reception is more common on Flash MP3 players than in the more common hard-drive models. Some even feature FM recording and presets.

• Remote control: A control area in the middle of the headphone cord is useful for larger hard disk MP3 players that you can keep in a bag. Some players come with a infra-red card remote control

• Voice record: Some MP3 players have a small internal microphone - great for conversations or lectures, but not for high-quality music recording. These can be used as dicta-phones. The analog voice is compressed in any of the audio compression formats and stored in the player.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinay ChoubeyContent Writer
For more details on MP3 Player visit us at, www.ShoppingSoLow.comFor information about colleges in India visit; www.FindCollegesIndia.com

How Jumping Higher Will Ruin Your Game

There are many ingredients that are required to become a solid basketball player. The total player is a combination of knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Today's player often looks for a short cut along the way. Ask any good player at the college level about short cuts and they'll laugh at you. Yet, many players get trapped into gimmicks that promise great results. One of these is increasing your ability to jump. Unfortunately, every second spent on become a fantastic leaper will rob you from being the player you need to be.

One fundamental truth has remained the same for many years and is very evident today. There is one and only one path to becoming a good basketball player. Hard work! This truth has been proved over and over for the past century and remains a proven template for basketball players.

Young people are besieged by products, gimmicks and advertising that proclaim secrets to success. Our society as a whole would rather use the drive up window to pick up dinner than get out of the car. Our world attempts to take every task and make it easier. Certainly there are benefits of the microwave oven and more efficient cars. The problem lies in an athlete's approach to athletic success as they grow up in this fast food world.

I am often amused by the ads for jumping shoes or machines. These ads claim incredible results and rapid increase in vertical jump. I don't doubt that these products and claims are legitimate and sound. What strikes me about it is that jumping is one of dozens of skills a player must have to excel or just to reach his potential. Of these dozens of skills, I would rate explosive jumping ability at the bottom of the list.

The following list will explain why players waste their time pursuing the goal to be a great jumper.
1. Joey Johnson is a household name in basketball, isn't he? No, of course he isn't. In fact, I doubt whether you've ever heard of him. I saw video of Joey in high school and he is probably the greatest leaper in the history of high school and college basketball. His problem was that jumping defined his game and led to average ball skills, knowledge, and shooting ability. Show me a player who is described as a great leaper and I'll bet the rest of his game is lacking.

2. In my 18 year college coaching career I recruited hundreds of players. Not one of them was recruited because of his jumping ability. Unfortunately, I saw many players who could jump but could not play and never made it to the college basketball arena.

3. Steve Nash has been the NBA's MVP for the past two seasons because he knows how to play and has an incredible desire for the game. You won't see him on the list of great leapers anytime soon.

4. According to fans of the game, leaping ability will enhance rebounding and shot blocking ability. This is a fallacy. Great rebounders will tell you that position, balance and lower body strength are the keys to getting the ball around the basket. Charles Barkley proved that for years at Auburn and in the NBA. The art of shot blocking is one of the most overrated skills a player could have because most blocked shots end up out of bounds.

5. Developing into a good player is still about passing, dribbling, and shooting. If this is the case, why does todays player work so much on dunking the basketball.

What is most disturbing about young players is their inability to grasp the true elements of the game that need attention daily. If a young man wants to increase his jumping ability I'm all for it. Too often, though, it comes at the expense of working on the fundamentals of the game. Good players have balance and have mastered the pivot. They can handle the ball in every game situation without turnovers. They don't leave the floor to pass and make sure passes that arrive safely at their destination. Shooting is worked on daily hundreds of shots at a time. The good player is a devoted viewer of video tape to critically analyze his own game and how it can be improved. Footwork is an anchor for all good players and must be worked on daily. Reading screens, penetrating, sealing to rebound, cutting, and communication are cornerstones of the game.

Players become good because they have a game plan and put that plan in action. Hard work is the only thing between any player and the end result. Today, just being a good high school player does not guarantee a college scholarship. Hundreds of excellent, hard working players are passed up every year for the opportunity to play in college. If your goal is to become the best high school player you can be, then go for it. If college basketball is your desireBusiness Management Articles, set a goal and persevere until your goal is reached. Work only on the skills that will truly make you better. Avoid the quick fix method to basketball success. The temptation is there for those who are not willing to work for their goals and dreams. Stay true to yourself and work your dream everyday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Randy Brown has dedicated his life to the game of basketball. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Coaching positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio fill his resume. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona, he learned the game from the best. At 39, Randy became the head coach at Division I Stetson University in Deland, Florida. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. His passion for mentoring young coaches and developing youth programs is known and respected throughout the country. Over the years he has authored over 50 articles on coaching basketball and has taught over 24,000 young players in summer camps and clinics. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. He is also an author and public speaker. For free articles and questions, Randy can be reached at coachrandybrown@yahoo.com.

MP3 Players - Buying Guideline

The articles describes the main types of MP3 player and some guiding points of choosing an MP3 player: which are the main features of an MP3 player, what should one pay attention to when choosing a player and other issues.

MP3 is today one of the most popular acronyms, the complete name of which not many know. At the same time it is the most popular audio formats for the time of traveling. Many, many people buy new MP3 players and get rid of their old CD MP3 players. Why does this happen? Because the new players, based on flash cards, mini hard disks or had disks are more 'portable' and in most cases are able storing more information, i.e. more music and more hours listening to your favorite tracks.

So what should one pay attention to, when buying an MP3 player? There's actually not much to know about, but there are some key moments everyone should mind.

There are three main types of MP3 players, which are distinguished by the type of storage they have:
* Flash-based;
* MicroDrive-based;
* HDD-based.
A Flash-based MP3 player means the gadget has an integrated flash memory with a fixed amount of memory. However, some devices are equipped with a slot for additional flash cards of a certain type, whether SD (Secure Digital), MMC (MultiMedia Card) or any other multimedia flash cards, compatible with MP3 players.

The storage of such gadgets starts with 128 megabytes (this is not the minimum of a flash card, but having less megabytes is absolutely useless for an MP3 player). This is however very little for today and it is a rarity. You can only store about 20-30 files (depending on the quality and length of the tracks). Maximum storage is limited only to what the manufacturer of the player limits it to. On the other hand the storage is limited to the capacity the gadget is able to read. For example today many manufacturers start producing 8 GB and more Secure Digital flash cards, which would not be read by every device. So when buying any device with flash cards slot, be aware of what is the storage limit of the gadget.

Such a device would be perfect for working out, as there are no movable parts within and the player doesn't need any buffering, as the old CD players did.

An MP3 player with a Micro Drive will store, in most of the cases, more files, i.e. up to 6-10 gigabytes, but the ability to store files is more convenient, and it would be rather enough to have all the favorite tunes at hand.

HDD-based MP3 players are able storing a great amount of files, which is actually not that necessary. A person can hardly have so much favorite music: such a gadget can store from 20 to 60 gigabytes. This is rather much for a media player, which is able to play only audio files. Yet there are players, like iPods, which can playback video files and show them on the small screen. This function of the media player is rather useful for traveling long distances.

Since the HDD and the Micro Drive based players are actually based on hard drives, it is strongly not advisable to use them during workouts, as there are movable parts inside the hard drives and they could be damaged when shaken.

All the MP3 players, whatever their storage is, have a USB compatibility with the PC, as there should be a place to copy music from. However, some players are able downloading music from the internet via a wireless connection.

It should be also taken into consideration the power supply of the gadget: the flash-based devices will be delivered with disposable batteries, mainly AAA or AA (but a pair of rechargeable batteries can be always found), whereas the other two types of players would be delivered mostly with a rechargeable battery, compatible only with this particular model.

Modern MP3 players are not limited only to playback of MP3 files, as some can also playback WMA files, audio tracks from WMV files, AAC files, and other formats. So be sure to find out he exact list of formats the player you chose can playback.

Be careful to choose a gadget, which suits your lifestyle. For example if you like to travel a lot, then a micro drive player (or even one with a HDD) is the one for you, because so you can store all your important files near you. But if you often work out and music is an important part of the exercise, the flash MP3s are right for you.

Once again, be careful what you choose. Even if an MP3 for someone is a small thing, keep in mind that small things build up you lifeHealth Fitness Articles, so be wise when you choose them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author of this article is supporting the new gadgets' site www.usb4ever.com, which is eShop for, but not limited to, USB-based gadgets.