The way we listen to music has forever changed thanks to the MP3 revolution. If you are late in jumping in on this bandwagon it really is a great time to be considering your first player. The main problem you may have is deciding which type of player is right for your needs. One trip to your local computer superstore and you will find a lot of different types of portable players. How are you supposed to figure out the model you need You have so many different choices such as whether to purchase a hard drive or flash memory model. Would an MP3 CD player better suit your needs This article will take a look at some of the features available on the many different types of MP3 players and help you pick out what is right for you.
The first thing you must decide is what type of storage space do you need. The first players such as the iPod had a hard drive much like the hard drive in your computer. You can buy these in all different sizes with some available as large as 60 GB. Some of the bigger models will more than likely store all the music you will ever want to store. If you cannot fit all of your music on one of these models you own a lot of music. On the other side of the coin are flash memory models.
MP3 players with flash memory generally will not hold as much music as one with a hard drive. There are no moving parts and they are well known for being small and holding up well when a lot of movement is going on. Flash memory is an excellent type of portable music player to use when exercising. The small size also makes it a great choice when you plan to take your flash-based player with you on your daily activities. Depending on your needs a CD player that will play MP3 disks may be a good choice.
Most of the radios you can purchase these days will have the ability to play MP3 CDs already built in. If you are the type of person who will listen to your music in the car most of the time this might be a good choice. Not only will these radios play regular CDs they also will play your MP3 CDs that you can burn at home. The advantage of this over a normal CD is that you can stuff many hours of music compressed into the MP3 format on a single CD.
In the end it is up to you to decide what is important to you. Do you need the ability to store a large amount of music or is size and being able to slip your player in any pocket more important Do your research and make the right choice the first time. There has never been a better time to pick out that first MP3 player. Enjoy the music wherever you go.
http://www.articleco.com/Article/What-Are-My-Choices-When-Picking-Out-An-MP3-Player/33670
Monday, September 3, 2007
Who is Spying On You
John Guarino is the owner of TecAngels, a two-man computer consultancy in Manhattan. Give Guarino your ailing Windows PC, and in two or three hours he'll return it to you in perfect health. Often, he can solve his customers' problems over the phone.
But last summer, Guarino came across a problem he couldn't fix. In the process of flushing out the spyware and viruses infecting his customers' computers, he began to find the same mysterious intruders in machine after machine. They were strangely named files lurking deep inside the "registry" where Windows stores settings and instructions that control all of a computer's hardware and software.
To Guarino, the files looked like a rootkit -- software that tricks an operating system into overlooking worms, viruses, and any other files a hacker might want to conceal inside a user's computer. The files didn't seem to be causing damage, and Guarino's antivirus software didn't identify them as threats. But they had appeared on people's hard drives uninvited -- the conventional definition of "malware" -- so Guarino removed them.
But the files didn't go quietly. After Guarino deleted them, the CD drives on his customers' computers would stop working. The usual solution -- reinstalling the software that drives the disc players -- didn't correct the problem. Guarino couldn't explain this odd effect, and his customers weren't paying him to spend hours researching it; they just wanted their computers back. So he would usually resort to the nuclear option: reinstall the operating system from scratch.
After six or seven of these encounters, Guarino was growing weary. Then, on September 30, he discovered the mysterious files on his own PC. "That's what really pissed me off," Guarino says. "I was like, 'I can't believe it. I have the latest firewall, the latest antivirus software, three or four antispyware programs. How did this get here'"
Like any good investigator, Guarino backtracked. He knew that the files hadn't been there the last time he had scanned his computer. He tried to reconstruct everything he had done with his machine over the previous few days -- what programs he had installed, what e-mails he had received, what websites he had visited.
Then he remembered that he had purchased a music CD the day before and had played it on the computer. It was a Sony BMG Music Entertainment album called Touch, by the rhythm-and-blues singer Amerie. Unlike most CDs, this disc couldn't be played using common media-player software such as iTunes, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player. To hear the CD, purchasers had to install the customized Sony BMG player included on the disc. Guarino had done this.
Now he took a closer look at the CD's jewel box. One phrase popped out at him: "Content Enhanced and Protected." Evidently, the disc carried some form of digital rights management (DRM) software -- a program designed to control copying and thus discourage piracy.
Finally, the pieces came together. The mystery files resembled a rootkit; the usual purpose of a rootkit is to hide something; a copy protection program was the kind of thing its creators might wish to hide from users; and removing this particular rootkit disabled the CD drive. Guarino could only conclude that the malware's source was Sony BMG itself.
"That's when I gave up," Guarino says. He could fight malware one machine at a time. But if the world's second-largest record company wanted to install secret software on its customers' computers, he would never win.
http://www.articleco.com/Article/Who-is-Spying-On-You-/12433
But last summer, Guarino came across a problem he couldn't fix. In the process of flushing out the spyware and viruses infecting his customers' computers, he began to find the same mysterious intruders in machine after machine. They were strangely named files lurking deep inside the "registry" where Windows stores settings and instructions that control all of a computer's hardware and software.
To Guarino, the files looked like a rootkit -- software that tricks an operating system into overlooking worms, viruses, and any other files a hacker might want to conceal inside a user's computer. The files didn't seem to be causing damage, and Guarino's antivirus software didn't identify them as threats. But they had appeared on people's hard drives uninvited -- the conventional definition of "malware" -- so Guarino removed them.
But the files didn't go quietly. After Guarino deleted them, the CD drives on his customers' computers would stop working. The usual solution -- reinstalling the software that drives the disc players -- didn't correct the problem. Guarino couldn't explain this odd effect, and his customers weren't paying him to spend hours researching it; they just wanted their computers back. So he would usually resort to the nuclear option: reinstall the operating system from scratch.
After six or seven of these encounters, Guarino was growing weary. Then, on September 30, he discovered the mysterious files on his own PC. "That's what really pissed me off," Guarino says. "I was like, 'I can't believe it. I have the latest firewall, the latest antivirus software, three or four antispyware programs. How did this get here'"
Like any good investigator, Guarino backtracked. He knew that the files hadn't been there the last time he had scanned his computer. He tried to reconstruct everything he had done with his machine over the previous few days -- what programs he had installed, what e-mails he had received, what websites he had visited.
Then he remembered that he had purchased a music CD the day before and had played it on the computer. It was a Sony BMG Music Entertainment album called Touch, by the rhythm-and-blues singer Amerie. Unlike most CDs, this disc couldn't be played using common media-player software such as iTunes, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player. To hear the CD, purchasers had to install the customized Sony BMG player included on the disc. Guarino had done this.
Now he took a closer look at the CD's jewel box. One phrase popped out at him: "Content Enhanced and Protected." Evidently, the disc carried some form of digital rights management (DRM) software -- a program designed to control copying and thus discourage piracy.
Finally, the pieces came together. The mystery files resembled a rootkit; the usual purpose of a rootkit is to hide something; a copy protection program was the kind of thing its creators might wish to hide from users; and removing this particular rootkit disabled the CD drive. Guarino could only conclude that the malware's source was Sony BMG itself.
"That's when I gave up," Guarino says. He could fight malware one machine at a time. But if the world's second-largest record company wanted to install secret software on its customers' computers, he would never win.
http://www.articleco.com/Article/Who-is-Spying-On-You-/12433
50 Ways to Say I Love You
A giggly game of Trivial Pursuit and a tall margarita. After nine years of marriage, that is how my husband and I last expressed our love for one another.
It is important to say I Love You with both passion and frequency. And we can say it not only with our words but with our actions, with our facial expressions and body language, even with our thoughts. Lasting intimacy comes from an everyday appreciation and a reverence for the daily moments we spend in the company of one another.
Here are 50 simple ways you can demonstrate the depth of your love. (I have used the words he and she interchangeably here. The following ideas are not gender specific.)
1. Write down fifty favorite memories of your life spent together so far. Invite your partner to add to the list, as well as to share special ideas for the future.
2. Leave a message on her voicemail with a silly, romantic poem. (Roses are red, violets are blue . . .)
3. Make a CD featuring the songs that have been important in your relationship. Slip it into the CD player of her car.
4. Bring homemade cookies or brownies to his office with a simple love note.
5. Spoon.
6. Surprise her with some bath salts and her favorite magazine. Then take the kids out of the house for the evening so she can enjoy some time alone.
7. Stash a love note in his shoe.
8. Spend some time talking about all the goals you have been able to accomplish during your time as a couple. Reflecting on the things that you have been able to do with the strength of the other, including the challenges, can really help you to remember and to celebrate the depth of your relationship and how you have supported one another through it all.
9. Serve her breakfast in bed.
10. Give him some time one Saturday to do something he enjoys but rarely takes the time for.
11. Buy her luxurious new silk pajamas that will make her feel treasured and cherished each time she puts them on.
12. Create a special sign (such as a specific hand gesture) that means I Love You, just between the two of you.
13. Listen without interrupting.
14. Give her a few minutes of time alone when she first gets home from work. Sometimes, we each need a bit of time to process the transition from work life to family life.
15. Watch a sporting event together.
16. Place a single daisy on her windshield.
17. Kiss.
18. Surprise him by purchasing his favorite DVD or the latest CD of his favorite vocal artist.
19. Talk lovingly about your partner to others, and avoid criticizing your mate to your friends or family. Even if your words never make it back to your partner, the tension and negative energy will eventually wedge its way between you.
20. Talk a walk together.
21. Rub his back.
22. Dance to your favorite song.
23. Re-create your first date.
24. Light candles at dinnertime.
25. Write a love note and slip it under his pillow.
26. Send a romantic text message.
27. Send flowers, just because.
28. Keep a scrapbook of your love, from first meeting through courtship, through marriage. Write a few journal entries about how your love for one another has evolved as you have grown together, and the new kinds of energy each new phase of your relationship has created.
29. Take him out to lunch.
30. Make her coffee so it is ready when she gets up.
31. Jot down 20 things you love about him and slip it under his dinner plate.
32. Cook her favorite breakfast.
33. Choose a book you both will enjoy, and read it aloud together.
34. Rent a romantic movie.
35. Slip a Hershey Kiss and a Hershey Hug into her coat pocket.
36. Write about the feelings you felt when you first met your mate. Write about the first time you knew you were in love.
37. Celebrate special days in your relationship with unique traditions and rituals.
38. Have you been holding a grudge against your partner Today, forgive it and move on. Witness how much power the act of forgiveness injects into your relationship.
39. Rub her feet.
40. Find creative places to write I Love You: in whipped cream on a slice of pie, carved into the side of an apple, in the steam on the bathroom mirror.
41. Bring flowers to her in the middle of the day.
42. Spend a few minutes together in bed each morning.
43. Call his mother and father and thank them for creating such a wonderful son.
44. Do a chore that is typically reserved for him.
45. Tell her she looks amazing.
46. Write her a love letter and mail it.
47. If she has had a rough day at work, bring home her favorite take out and a bottle of wine.
48. Create a marquis on your screensaver that declares your love.
49. Choose your favorite photo of the two of you as a couple and frame two copies: one for each of you to take to work.
50. Play a board game or a game of cards. (Margaritas optional.)
http://www.articleco.com/Article/50-Ways-to-Say-I-Love-You/32811
It is important to say I Love You with both passion and frequency. And we can say it not only with our words but with our actions, with our facial expressions and body language, even with our thoughts. Lasting intimacy comes from an everyday appreciation and a reverence for the daily moments we spend in the company of one another.
Here are 50 simple ways you can demonstrate the depth of your love. (I have used the words he and she interchangeably here. The following ideas are not gender specific.)
1. Write down fifty favorite memories of your life spent together so far. Invite your partner to add to the list, as well as to share special ideas for the future.
2. Leave a message on her voicemail with a silly, romantic poem. (Roses are red, violets are blue . . .)
3. Make a CD featuring the songs that have been important in your relationship. Slip it into the CD player of her car.
4. Bring homemade cookies or brownies to his office with a simple love note.
5. Spoon.
6. Surprise her with some bath salts and her favorite magazine. Then take the kids out of the house for the evening so she can enjoy some time alone.
7. Stash a love note in his shoe.
8. Spend some time talking about all the goals you have been able to accomplish during your time as a couple. Reflecting on the things that you have been able to do with the strength of the other, including the challenges, can really help you to remember and to celebrate the depth of your relationship and how you have supported one another through it all.
9. Serve her breakfast in bed.
10. Give him some time one Saturday to do something he enjoys but rarely takes the time for.
11. Buy her luxurious new silk pajamas that will make her feel treasured and cherished each time she puts them on.
12. Create a special sign (such as a specific hand gesture) that means I Love You, just between the two of you.
13. Listen without interrupting.
14. Give her a few minutes of time alone when she first gets home from work. Sometimes, we each need a bit of time to process the transition from work life to family life.
15. Watch a sporting event together.
16. Place a single daisy on her windshield.
17. Kiss.
18. Surprise him by purchasing his favorite DVD or the latest CD of his favorite vocal artist.
19. Talk lovingly about your partner to others, and avoid criticizing your mate to your friends or family. Even if your words never make it back to your partner, the tension and negative energy will eventually wedge its way between you.
20. Talk a walk together.
21. Rub his back.
22. Dance to your favorite song.
23. Re-create your first date.
24. Light candles at dinnertime.
25. Write a love note and slip it under his pillow.
26. Send a romantic text message.
27. Send flowers, just because.
28. Keep a scrapbook of your love, from first meeting through courtship, through marriage. Write a few journal entries about how your love for one another has evolved as you have grown together, and the new kinds of energy each new phase of your relationship has created.
29. Take him out to lunch.
30. Make her coffee so it is ready when she gets up.
31. Jot down 20 things you love about him and slip it under his dinner plate.
32. Cook her favorite breakfast.
33. Choose a book you both will enjoy, and read it aloud together.
34. Rent a romantic movie.
35. Slip a Hershey Kiss and a Hershey Hug into her coat pocket.
36. Write about the feelings you felt when you first met your mate. Write about the first time you knew you were in love.
37. Celebrate special days in your relationship with unique traditions and rituals.
38. Have you been holding a grudge against your partner Today, forgive it and move on. Witness how much power the act of forgiveness injects into your relationship.
39. Rub her feet.
40. Find creative places to write I Love You: in whipped cream on a slice of pie, carved into the side of an apple, in the steam on the bathroom mirror.
41. Bring flowers to her in the middle of the day.
42. Spend a few minutes together in bed each morning.
43. Call his mother and father and thank them for creating such a wonderful son.
44. Do a chore that is typically reserved for him.
45. Tell her she looks amazing.
46. Write her a love letter and mail it.
47. If she has had a rough day at work, bring home her favorite take out and a bottle of wine.
48. Create a marquis on your screensaver that declares your love.
49. Choose your favorite photo of the two of you as a couple and frame two copies: one for each of you to take to work.
50. Play a board game or a game of cards. (Margaritas optional.)
http://www.articleco.com/Article/50-Ways-to-Say-I-Love-You/32811
Why Not Enjoy Unlimited Music Downloads
Downloading music online may be on the lips of many music enthusiasts nowadays but to the uninitiated, it can be pretty confusing and sometimes difficult for the individual. Let us look at what the whole idea of downloading music online at membership sites that offer unlimited music downloads is all about.
Listening to music on CDs is now a pass. It is not meant to sound offending but this is especially true amongst the younger generation today. Teens and young adults born after the 80s are now turning to digital music in MP3 format rather than playing music CDs on the portable CD player, which some of us affectionately remembered as the CD Walkman.
The reasons for choosing online music are obvious. Technology is so advanced that you do not have to carry a whole CD rack anywhere you go just to enjoy all your favorite songs. If that sounds exaggerating, a CD player packed with your favorite CD can at most offer you 20 of your compiled songs at max in exchange for you lugging the 6 inch gadget around in a bag. Contrast this with a small little gadget with the size of a matchbox or cigarette box that stores hundreds of songs, it becomes blatant why flocks of people are downloading music online.
It is affordable for most folks to download music files at iTunes if you are looking for one or two of your favorite hits. Though the selection is marvelous, with tons of songs, music and music videos and seemingly unlimited music downloads, however, it soon became clear to music enthusiasts that buying music to beef up their collection is denting their pockets. Now the juicy news is that there are new download sites that have sprung up, offering unlimited music downloads, including the latest soundtracks, music videos etc to members at incredibly low one-time prices. Imagine being able to download unlimited music files for the price cheaper than 2 DVDs. Isnt that awesome
Human beings are creatures of dilemma. When the choices are few, we grumble about the lack of choices. But when the download sites are numerous, we complain about the difficulty to select the right membership download site. Fret not, as there are a few quick tips to select an ideal site for unlimited music downloads.
1. Selection of Music
Be sure to search through the catalogue and stick with the one that offers you the right songs you wish to download.
2. Ensure Format Compatibility
The format of music files offered must be compatible with your portable media player, ie MP3 player. Look for sites that offer MP3 ready music files to save you the headache of converting the music files into playable format ie MP3.
3. Compare Pricings
Look at the pricing of each download site. All sites offer millions of files, and it is not wrong to say that they provide access to unlimited music downloads. As a smart consumer, paying the same price for 20 million songs at Site A rather than for 10 million songs at Site B sounds like a better deal isnt it However, be sure to check the selection.
I believe that this article has given you a brief introduction to the online world of unlimited music downloads. You can pick up more detailed tips on how to select a great music download site that suits your preference and read a review of the most popular sites at my blog.
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
http://www.articleco.com/Article/Why-Not-Enjoy-Unlimited-Music-Downloads-/24817
Listening to music on CDs is now a pass. It is not meant to sound offending but this is especially true amongst the younger generation today. Teens and young adults born after the 80s are now turning to digital music in MP3 format rather than playing music CDs on the portable CD player, which some of us affectionately remembered as the CD Walkman.
The reasons for choosing online music are obvious. Technology is so advanced that you do not have to carry a whole CD rack anywhere you go just to enjoy all your favorite songs. If that sounds exaggerating, a CD player packed with your favorite CD can at most offer you 20 of your compiled songs at max in exchange for you lugging the 6 inch gadget around in a bag. Contrast this with a small little gadget with the size of a matchbox or cigarette box that stores hundreds of songs, it becomes blatant why flocks of people are downloading music online.
It is affordable for most folks to download music files at iTunes if you are looking for one or two of your favorite hits. Though the selection is marvelous, with tons of songs, music and music videos and seemingly unlimited music downloads, however, it soon became clear to music enthusiasts that buying music to beef up their collection is denting their pockets. Now the juicy news is that there are new download sites that have sprung up, offering unlimited music downloads, including the latest soundtracks, music videos etc to members at incredibly low one-time prices. Imagine being able to download unlimited music files for the price cheaper than 2 DVDs. Isnt that awesome
Human beings are creatures of dilemma. When the choices are few, we grumble about the lack of choices. But when the download sites are numerous, we complain about the difficulty to select the right membership download site. Fret not, as there are a few quick tips to select an ideal site for unlimited music downloads.
1. Selection of Music
Be sure to search through the catalogue and stick with the one that offers you the right songs you wish to download.
2. Ensure Format Compatibility
The format of music files offered must be compatible with your portable media player, ie MP3 player. Look for sites that offer MP3 ready music files to save you the headache of converting the music files into playable format ie MP3.
3. Compare Pricings
Look at the pricing of each download site. All sites offer millions of files, and it is not wrong to say that they provide access to unlimited music downloads. As a smart consumer, paying the same price for 20 million songs at Site A rather than for 10 million songs at Site B sounds like a better deal isnt it However, be sure to check the selection.
I believe that this article has given you a brief introduction to the online world of unlimited music downloads. You can pick up more detailed tips on how to select a great music download site that suits your preference and read a review of the most popular sites at my blog.
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
http://www.articleco.com/Article/Why-Not-Enjoy-Unlimited-Music-Downloads-/24817
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