Information On CD Player Articles and News

CD/DVD Protections

2007-11-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The last few years game developers more and more are protecting their games with commercial CD Protections. Until now none of these CD Protections have really helped, in some cases it even can work against you as some CD-ROM players can not handle the protection. So we have to wait before game developers get it that it is a waste of effort and money protecting CD's.

Now the music industry has hopped the bandwagon and now is selling protected audio CD's. These CD's can be backed up using a variety of methods but usually an easy 1:1 backup is not possible. This is exactly what they want, making it harder to make a backup so that people will buy the original. Only they did not think about the fair use laws which are common in most countries, which make it possible to create a backup for personal use!

As CD's are not 100% indestructible many people want to make a backup of their games. Using the backup to play the game thus saving the original. Especially when it involves children it is VERY handy to have them use a backup. Because of these CD Protections it is getting harder and harder just to make a working backup.

Most protection technologies (like SafeDisc & SecuROM) encrypt the main executable using a key, this key is then added to the disc as a digital signature. A software loader program is added to read the digital signature, extract the key and load/decrypt the main executable.

Keep in mind that in most countries you are legally allowed to make a backup of a CD which you legally own. Some gaming companies won't allow you to make a backup and use the argument that a broken (original) CD will be replaced, but in most cases the costs for replacing it is usually more then buying the game again!

This page contains a list of all known CD & DVD Protections which are currently on the market, how they can be detected and how to by-pass many of them.

There are currently a number of tools which are able to detect which CD Protection is being used on you original CD's, checkout the CD/DVD Utilities page to get them! This page also includes tools to create your own protected data & audio CD's!

http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_protections.

CD player design concept blends ancient and old tech

2007-11-14T04:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a charming blend of old and ancient tech, a CD player that looks like it took a few cues from an ancient Victrola from a century ago. Designer Yong Jieyu took the innards of a disassembled CD player and rearranged them, turning the laser upside down and situating it inside an appendage that's shaped vaguely like an old-fashioned tonearm.

It's a completely self-contained unit, with up-firing speakers situated directly underneath the opening that leads to this morning-glory-shaped speaker trumpet. So the music goes round and round, playing back from the spinning CD, and then it comes out here: What did they call that flower-shaped speaker in the olden days, anyway? A horn?

In light of the phenomenal success of online music download services such as iTunes and the Amazon Music Store, the irony of this anachronistic juxtaposition is not lost on us. It's an apt statement on the impending obsolescence of CDs. Long live the music download

http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/05/29/cd_player_desig.html

OS Integrated Live CD Player

2007-11-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

This appliance allows the end user to automatically boot a Live CD from within VMware in just one step. Rather than make a new virtual machine to test out a Live CD, the user will right click the file in Windows Explorer
(or Nautilus or Konqueror) and from the menu, chose an option to start it right away. This saves a lot of time for those (like me) who test lots of Live CD's. This especially handy for those with VMware Player who want to try out a Live CD and don't want to (or know how to) modify the configuration of an existing Virtual Machine.

To install, follow the instruction in the README.txt file in the isoplayer/ folder in the .zip file. Be sure to read it before attempting to install!

When creating this, I started with a simple Virtual Machine with no hard drive, and then wrote a shell script to modify it with the appropriate CD image, and then start it up in vmware/player. As the script progressed and more options were added, I moved the .vmx file completely into the shell script itself. This was primarily to resolve an issue in which the script was called from the command line in a different directory. I had made an option to give it an alternate directory, but removed it and a few other featured when it began to become too bloated. Once it was thoroughly testing, I ported it to a Windows Batch File.

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/374

CD player

2007-11-12T02:39:00.000-08:00

A CD (compact disc) is an optical disc used to store digital information, such as audio, video, or computer programs and data, characterized in the large storage capacity compared to conventional magnetic storage means. A CD player as a playback mechanism of a recording medium is mounted on an instrument panel of a motor vehicle as a mobile unit. The CD player reproduces an audio signal from the digital data stored on the CD. The CD player utilizes a disc upon which digital audio information is encoded in a pre-determined format, which format can then be read by a laser. The digital data is accessed by an optical pickup mechanism in the player as the CD is rotated adjacent the optical pickup. A CD player includes electronics such as a motor, motor drive and control circuitry, decoder logic, and the like to spin the CD at an appropriate speed, read the data off the CD, process the data, and convert it to an analog format to be played through a speaker or headphones. The digital data is organized in sequentially generated sample frames, each sample frame containing both audio information and sample position information. The CD player is operable to provide general information as to relative location on the disc of each sample frame such that it is possible to electronically relocate the scanning device to a particular location on the disc. The increasing popularity of CD players in recent years has expanded their use as an audio component on a vehicle, and in particular, a motor vehicle. A home CD player is designed so as to be horizontally disposed. However, the car CD player is disposed horizontally or vertically depending on the space for arranging the player.

http://www.electronics-manufacturers.com/products/audio-equipment/cd-player/

James Taylor Dad Loves His Work Pop Music CD Review

2007-11-10T04:14:00.000-08:00

The super talented Pop artist James Taylor has released him most recent CD on the Columbia recording label, entitled That's Why I'm Here.

Unfortunately, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with That's Why I'm Here. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Pop music fans will recognize some of the well known guests that have been assembled to play along with Taylor on several of the tracks. Artists like Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar just to name a couple.

If you’re a James Taylor fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don’t even have to be a fan of Taylor, or even Pop to know is good. It’s just good music. Period.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 1 - That's Why I'm Here, track 3 - Only A Dream In Rio, and track 11 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 5 - Going Around One More Time. Wow!

That's Why I'm Here Release Notes:

James Taylor originally released That's Why I'm Here on April 25, 2000 on the Columbia label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. That's Why I'm Here

2. Song For You Far Away

3. Only A Dream In Rio

4. Turn Away

5. Going Around One More Time

6. My Romance

7. Everyday

8. Limousine Driver

9. Only One

10. Mona

11. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

12. That's Why I'm Here

Personnel: James Taylor (vocals, guitar); Randy Brecker (vocals, horns); Airto Moreira (vocals, percussion); Rosemary Butler, Arnold McCuller, David Lasley, Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Deneice Williams, Eric Troyer, Rory Dodd, Kenia Gould, Zbeto, Elaine Eliaf, Frank Filipetti, Peter Asher (vocals); Dan Dugmore, Jeff Pevar (guitar); Kenny Kosek (violin); Gregory "Fingers" Taylor (harmonica); David Sanborn (saxophone, horns); Michael Brecker, Barry Rogers (horns); Billy Payne, Dan Grolnick, Clifford Carter (keyboards); Tony Levin, Leland Sklar (bass); Russell Kunkel, Rick Schlosser (drums); Jim Maelen, Starz Vanderlockit.

Recorded at Right Track Recording, New York, New York.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clyde_Lee_Dennis

Shopping for a portable CD player with your Teenager

2007-11-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

A portable CD player (or any other portable media player) can be a great gift for that special teenager in your life. A little pre-shopping preparation can go a long way to getting the right player for their lifestyle (and in the process up your coolness quotient).

When our daughter's latest CD player died, we decided to go shopping for something better. Since she was eleven, Eva's had a succession of very inexpensive portable CD players. Not surprisingly, none of them lasted very long. Now almost through high school, Eva felt (and we agreed) that she was ready for something a little more substantial than yet another $20 "disposable" player.

Investing more money in a portable player meant investing more time in the selection process. Whatever we purchased would have to last Eva for a long time.

Even parents do homework
The first thing Eva and I had to do was talk money. Between what she'd saved from work, and what dear old Dad was willing to front, we determined we had about $90 to $140 to play with.

Once we'd established our budget, we were ready for the next step. Coming up with the short list players in our price range was a task that Eva was more than happy to let me take care of alone. It turned out to be a pretty simple process. Spending a little time at Crutchfield.com, I soon had a good idea of what players we needed to look at. The site allowed me to pull together the units available within our budget, and do various side-by-side comparisons.

As I looked over the products, some patterns began to emerge. Certain features, such as random play and track repeat, were listed again and again. This consistency helped me get a feel for what was standard for our price range. Some features, such as MP3 CD playback capability, were only available on the higher end models. I made a note to talk with Eva about some of these differences. As the list filled out, two basic questions emerged; why and what. Why a CD player instead of a MP3 player (or some other kind of portable unit), and what kind of player did Eva really want?

CDs and CD-Rs are still the format of choice for high schoolers.

Why a CD player?
This was an important question to ask. There's been a significant shift in the buying patterns among young consumers. MP3 portable players are growing in popularity, threatening to supplant CD players as the portable of choice. Looking at the trend a little more closely, though, the majority of these buyers are college students, 18 to 22 years old, who have ready access to fast Internet connections. Downloading MP3s onto their computers, these young adults prefer computer-based technology such as iPods and other MP3 portables to store and manage their music collections.

This change from audio CDs to MP3 files has only just started to move down to the high school level (14-18 age group), and seemingly not to any significant extent in our area. While a few of Eva's friends have the capability to create MP3-encoded CDs, most stick with either audio CDs they've purchased or recordable CDs (CD-Rs) they've burned. From a standpoint of formats, a CD player made the most sense for Eva.

What do they really want?
To answer the second question on my list, I took a look at how I use my portable CD player. I quickly listed what features I thought were important (and unimportant). From there it was pretty easy to go point by point and anticipate how Eva might respond to each one. I wanted to make sure we were really looking for something to suit her needs, rather than mine.

My player is something I take along on business trips, usually for use on the airplane or for relaxing while in hotel rooms. At home, I use it to listen to music without disturbing others — in short, for sedentary personal listening.

I already knew that Eva's usage would be much more social and decidedly more active! She and her friends all consider portable CD players standard equipment for school field trips; they pass time on the bus swapping CDs and CD-R mixes. Eva's on the local swim team and spends a lot of time at the pool. While waiting between events, she does a lot of listening, and trading discs with friends is an important part of that activity as well.

Eva and I tend to listen to different kinds of music (although sometimes not as different as you might think) that place different demands on the player. She prefers a lot of bass, and a LOT of volume! Normally I don't use the bass boost, and find too much distortion and aural discomfort when the volume's cranked to its maximum.

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20030826/portable_cd.html

Sony D-NF400 CD Walkman Review

2007-11-08T04:06:00.000-08:00

Sony's D-NF400 CD Walkman is a well thought out CD player which supports standard audio, MP3 and Sony's ATRAC3 CDs. It offers long battery life, good button layout, a very useful LCD information display and a variety of control choices to enhance your listening experience. Uninterrupted playback via a memory buffer is offered for those times when the player takes a bump. It also can tune to FM, AM, TV and weather stations, with the ability to program 51 total presets.
Product Review:
It’s small and circular. It plays regular audio CDs as well as ones with music files. It tunes AM, FM, TV and weather band. It even looks good in your hand. Sony’s D-NF400 CD Walkman is one of those portable CD players which stand out above the hordes of cheap imitations in the market. It offers enough features to keep most audiophiles happy and is at a price point almost anyone can love.

The D-NF400 gets high marks from the get go for its sleek, reserved look. The feel of the device in your hand is solid, though the player’s swing up door feels a little cheap. The button layout on the front is well done, with a large, multi-function play button being at the center. A small LCD display, where you can view information on the CDs you are playing as well as the menu navigation for controlling various features, is a nice touch.

As with most portable CD players these days, the D-NF400 supports MP3-encoded CDs in addition to standard, store-bought ones. It also supports Sony’s ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus formats, of which people can burn CDs with this type of music file if they wish as Sony has conveniently included a copy of their SonicStage CD ripping software.

http://portables.about.com/od/cdplayers/fr/sonydnf400.htm

Data Storage Media – A Guide to Selecting Media For Storing and Backing Up Computer Data

2007-11-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

Data, or information stored on your computer, can either be held on fixed disk drives inside the computer or on removable media such as CD's that can be inserted and removed. Removable media can be used to transfer files between computers or to backup the data already existing on fixed disk drives. There are three types of removable media: Magnetic, Optical and Flash.

Magnetic Storage Magnetic Storage: Hard disks, floppy disks and digital audiotape are examples of Magnetic storage. They operate through a read/write head, which creates and reads magnetic impressions on the disk.

The downside…

* The magnetic impression only lasts for around five years

* The capacity of most removable magnetic disks is too low for many types of files

Optical storage Optical Storage holds information in digital form that is written and read by a laser. All CD and DVD devices are examples of this.

The upside…

* Increased capacity: one Optical disc can store the same amount of data as over 500 diskettes

* Durability: they last up to seven times as long as Magnetic forms of storage

Flash Memory (Solid-State Removable Storage) Solid-state memory (or Flash memory) is a high-performance plug-and-play storage device that contains no moving parts. It is found in digital cameras, video game consoles and digital audio players. You can use it in the form of USB Flash Drives to transfer or backup data. Flash memory is small, light and fast.

Backup Backup is the copying of files onto portable media so that if your computer crashes, data won’t be lost in oblivion. Backup is usually routine in large businesses but is often neglected by individual users. Some suggest backing up data files and duplicating your hard drive weekly. It takes around 45 minutes to backup a 500-megabyte hard disk.

There are two options - local or Internet backup. The following is a list of Local backup options. Most of these also double as devices used to transfer data between computers.

* Diskettes

* Zip Drives

* CD's

* DVD's

* Flash Drive

Internet Backup Another backup option is sending your files to an Internet site for safekeeping. If your computer crashes you can simply download them from the site. Here are a few examples of such sites: Backup Defender (www.backupdefender.co.nz) and My Backup (www.mybackup.co.nz). N.B. The author does not recommend or endorse any of the above service providers.

Diskette A Diskette is a 3.5-inch removable magnetic disk. The older version, the floppy disk, is 5.25 inches square and flexible. Copying to a diskette is quick and economical.

Ideal for…

* Those who use their PC for personal finance - the diskette enables you to retrieve checkbook balances etc.

* Projects that need to be continuously backed up such as a film script, as it is a cheap alternative.

Not so good for…

* Some newer computer and laptop models that do not have a diskette or floppy drive installed.

* Large amounts of data as diskettes don’t have a great storage capacity

Zip Drives A Zip drive is a small, square shaped magnetic disk that is ideal for backing up your PC. The 100-megabyte size holds the equivalent of 70 floppy diskettes. They also come in a 250-megabyte size

Ideal for…

* Duplicating your entire disc drive

* Archiving

* Storing graphic images or other large files

* Transferring large files

* Keeping certain data separate from files on your hard disk

The downside…

* They seem to be a fleeting technology - most computers do not have a Zip Disc drive installed and opinion varies on how long they will be around for.

Compact Disks There are different standards of CD's that have different capabilities. Just to confuse us they are recognized by seemingly similar acronyms; CD-R, CD-RW, CD+RW, DDCD and E-CD.

CD-R CD-R (Compact Disc - Recordable) is a CD that can be recorded to only once. It usually holds 74 minutes of audio or 650 MB of data, although newer versions hold up to 80 minutes of audio (700 MB of data). If your PC has CD burning software and a compatible CD-R or CD-RW drive, the CD-R can be used in the same way as a diskette. However unlike a diskette it cannot be deleted or overwritten. Look out for CD-Rs that have an additional protective layer which make them less susceptible to damage caused through scratching.

Ideal for…

* Making music CD's

* Storing photos

* Storing permanent data

Not so good for…

* Transferring files as they can only be used once

CD-RW/CD+RW A CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable) and CD+RW can be recorded onto as many times as desired. Data can be overwritten and erased. Other than this, the CD-RW is identical to the CD-R. If it wasn't for their finite durability CD-RW’s and CD+RW’s could be reused endlessly.

Ideal for…

* Transferring files

* Holding temporary data

Not so good for…

* Holding important permanent files-in case they are accidentally deleted

Double Density CD (DDCD) This disc has a much greater storage capacity than an average CD-R or CD-RW.

Ideal for…

* Backing up

* Storing archival data

Enhanced CD Enhanced CD (E-CD) is an audio CD with CD-ROM data added. CD-ROM data is added in the space not taken by audio. Recording artists can use this to include videos, lyrics, interviews or promo material. The E-CD can be played on a CD player but to view additional material you need access to a multimedia-capable device, such as a CD-i player, DVD-ROM, or CD-ROM drive.

Bridge Disks A CD-Bridge disc holds extra information on a CD-ROM XA track. The disc can be played on either a CD-i player attached to a television, or a CD-ROM XA drive attached to a computer. Software such as Photo or a Karaoke CD player can provide lots of fun with the Bridge Disk.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) Although DVD's have become more associated with video, they can also hold audio and computer data; hence their name Digital Versatile Disk. Like the CD, a DVD is a 120-mm by 1.2mm thick disk. However the DVD has more tracks than a CD so holds far more data. CD's have an unvarying storage capacity of 750MB, whereas DVD's store up to 17GB.

A range of acronyms is also used to distinguish between the different types and capabilities of DVD's available. These include DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-Audio.

DVD-ROM DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory) is similar to a movie DVD, but is designed for computers. The DVD-ROM stores data in the same way that the CD-ROM does and is used in the DVD-ROM drive of your PC.

The upside…

* Larger storage space – hold more data than a CD

* Can be filled with nearly everything; video, music or computer specific data

* A base speed of 1.32 megabytes/sec

The downside…

* Many older computers do not have a DVD-Rom drive installed

* Can be recorded on only once

DVD-Audio DVD-Audio (DVD-A) is designed for audio data and high-quality music. Its storage capacity is seven times that of a CD and provides at least twice the sound quality. Like the Enhanced CD, DVD-A can contain other data, providing the listener with extra information such as lyrics or images. DVD-A is predicted by many to replace the standard audio CD in the music industry.

DVD-R Like the CD-R, the DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable) can be recorded on once.

The upside…

* A DVD-R can contain an assortment of information; video, text, audio and computer data

* A DVD-R can be played on your normal DVD video player but remember, if you have additional data not of the same format e.g. video and audio together, you will need a DVD-ROM or Multimedia player of some kind

* A DVD-R is read at the same speed as commercially made DVD's

DVD-RW and DVD+RW Similar to the CD-RW, a DVD-RW or DVD+RW (Digital Versatile Disc – Rewritable) can be recorded on, rewritten and erased multiple times. Other than this they are identical to the DVD-R. DVD minus and plus are just different versions with the same functionality.

The Future of CD/DVD Storage The majority of the technology industry predicts that soon DVD’s, with their larger storage capacity and faster access time, will replace CD’s. DVD-ROM drives are likely to be sold with new computer systems in the way that CD-ROM drives once were. However we are always on the cusp of newer technologies, such as the HD-ROM.

HD-ROM (High Density-Read Only Memory) HD-ROM uses a more precise particle beam to write data. This enables information to be written on more durable materials such as metal so storage is virtually permanent. HD-ROM has hundreds of times the storage capacity of the CD-ROM.

Flash Drives A Flash drive is a small portable memory stick that holds anywhere from 1Mb to 1GB of data. It is surprisingly lightweight and is often worn around the neck or carried as a funky key chain. They are compatible with any PC that has USB port and with Mac OS 9 and OS X, Windows 2000 and XP or Linux 2.4.17.

The upside…

* Durable - more so than CD's or DVD's

* No need for batteries or a separate power source

* Convenient - your computer should recognize the additional drive as soon as you insert it into the USB port

* Ideal for backup

* Larger storage capacity then many other portable devices

* More portable than ZIP drives, CD's and Diskettes

* Quick transfer rate (approx. 1Mb/sec)

* Edit, rewrite, delete as many times as desired

* Help desk personnel can use Flash Drives as a portable toolkit that includes system updates and recovery tools.

The downside…

* More expensive than other portable devices

* Viruses - The portability and compatibility of the Flash Drive increases the chance of spreading viruses. In many cases viruses carried by a Flash Drive will not be detected as most antivirus software is reactive and only recognizes known viruses

* Theft - a Flash Drive can make it easier for data to be stolen from an unlocked PC

* Little Security - the size and weight of the Flash drive makes it very easy to misplace. Most have little or no security features and data is accessed easily. Some Flash Drives do have built in security; either a password or in some cases a finger print system - but this comes at a price.

Article by David Haysom. David is the eCommerce Manager for OfficeRocket http://www.officerocket.co.nz/. OfficeRocket is an online store that offers a wide range of office supplies including computer data storage media.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Haysom

MP3 is Music to Ears

2007-11-06T03:52:00.000-08:00

Making it that much easier for people to enjoy their favorite tunes MP3 players have revolutionized the music systems. All earlier musical formats, including records, cassette, and CDs could never give the sheer convenience of MP3 players. It enables a listener to create personalized music lists and carry thousands of songs along without having to be burdened by a number of discs in a pack.

The MP3 player, along with the hundreds of songs it can store, is a device tinier than a pack of cards. Compared to a CD player and a case to store the discs, this is more manageable and far more compact.

It is features and advantages such as these that have made MP3 players the toast of music lovers the world over. You could buy MP3 players from a variety of models in different shapes and sizes through which manufacturers try to build a wide and varied customer base. To make the deal even more attractive, players are integrated with some add-ons.

MP3 players makes a disc jockey out of you, letting you pick songs of your choice and arranging them in your preferred sequence the way you would like to hear them. It is the power of having thousands of songs at your fingertips. You can arrange songs in a play list in the order of genre, the singers, or simply mingled randomly. You could start creating a play list by first identifying the songs you want from a sea of sources available on the Net or around.

It is possible also to convert your collection of songs stored in audio CDs into MP3 files using the ripper and encoder software. Quite a few MP3 players available in the market are already equipped with the software required. Aided by a ripper, you could copy a song from the CD onto the hard disk of a computer. With the help of an encoder, the song could be compressed into the MP3 format. Encoded songs can be downloaded on the MP3 player and there you have a treasure of music to enjoy.

Copyrights protected article written by Andrew Stratton for Surveillance Technology. More articles and information about the Music and Entertainment can be viewed easily altogether at this location http://www.surveillancetechnology.com/entertainment-system.htm. Please be free to explore the website for more information on every surveillance products and their features.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton

How To Get The Best Possible Used Car Loan

2007-11-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn conversational Spanish, the best way to go about it is through an interactive-audio Spanish learning program. There are a number of these teaching tools for learning conversational Spanish that are available for purchase and download on the Internet.

The starting programs can be divided into two categories or "tiers": Full conversational and Quick start. The Full conversational programs will give you the ability to converse freely on diverse subjects in Spanish with a vocabulary of 4,000 to 8,000 Spanish words. Prices for digital versions run $100 to $150.

The Quick start programs will give you the basics, the ability to handle most common situations in Spanish, with a vocabulary of 2,000 to 4,000 words. Digital versions for download generally run from $20 to $50.

The advantages to using interactive audio teaching tools for learning conversational Spanish are many, including:

1. Portability. You download the lessons to your computer hard disk. From there you can offload to your iPod or other portable audio device (the lessons are generally in MP3 format), even burn them to CD's which you can play back on any CD player.

This gives you the ability to listen to and interact with the lesson materials anytime, anyplace. Your choice. You can learn and practice in your car, while exercising, on weekends, any time/place.

2. Excellent instructors. The Spanish pronunciation and accent you end up with cannot be better than that of your instructor. You want to learn from a native speaker. Classroom learning is limited by the linguistic ability of the teacher, which is not always the best. With the audio recorded lessons, generally you get the best.

Also, when you leave the classroom, you can take your notes, but the correct pronunciation, meter and rhythm of the language? With your recorded teaching tools for learning conversational spanish, you always have them with you for a refresher course. Even on the plane to Acapulco!

3. Speed control. You can go as fast or as slow as you like. You can repeat lessons as often as you need to to get the material down pat. You are in charge, you control the learning speed.

4. Cost. Almost any other method of learning will cost you more and take longer. The speed and low cost of making copies, the low cost of the Internet to deliver them to your hands, all work for unbeatable cost advantages!

That is one of the reasons why so many people are learning another language these days. (For the U.S. and Canada, Spanish is the most popular.) It is because the teaching tools for learning conversational spanish have become so economical and convenient.

For more information, follow the links below. The second link takes you to a variety of first and second tier learning programs.

For an excellent Spanish-learning course available at a great price, visit: Learn Spanish Now To learn more about the best teaching tools for learning conversational Spanish and available resources to learn Spanish, visit: Teaching tools learning conversational spanish
Jorge Chavez Learned Spanish after he was 30, now is bilingual, Spanish-English. http://rocket-spanish.ya23.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jorge_Chavez

Why A Portable MP3 Player Should Be In Your Future

2007-11-03T02:35:00.000-07:00

For many years the music industry dictated to consumers how they could buy the music that they wanted to hear. Did you like only one or two songs by an artist? Too bad. You still had to buy the whole album or tape. But the power to select the music that we want to listen to, and play it wherever we want, has been ushered in by the digital age, and today even cheap portable mp3 players are capable of some surprising flexibility.

For many years in the past there was no credible way to make copies of the music that was sold. That all began to change when tape cassette recorders began to get popular. At last you had a way to record song tracks onto your own tape and take them with you to play while you were traveling. But tapes are not the easiest medium to work with, and they introduced some unfavorable listening characteristics of their own too. But it was all we had for song portability.

Then along comes the CD and it changed forever the way that music is played and heard. CDs could store the huge files needed for digital sound and so the sound quality improved dramatically. They could also be taken anywhere you wanted to go and played in portable CD players. It wasn't long before folks started figuring out how to convert music files from CDs to digital files that could be played on their computers, and that led to the mp3 revolution that we now have in place.

Today portable mp3 players are quickly becoming the standard for listening to music, because all you need is a source that has the digital music files you want to listen to, and you can then download the files onto your mp3 player and take them with you wherever you go. It's simple, easy, and the best rated mp3 players take up very little room, making them perfect for folks on the go.

Actually MP3 is only one of the digital formats used to encode music, but it has somehow become the moniker for all digital song files. The most popular file format these days is WMA(Windows Media Audio). And there are a handful of others too, but they all seem to conveniently fall under the heading of "mp3 files".

Now you no longer have to buy the entire album if you like to just listen to a few songs on that album. You can download those songs individually, save them to your computer hard drive and then transfer them whenever you want to your mp3 player. And you can make several copies of those songs without losing any sound quality, because they are all in digital format and will always sound the same regardless of how many times they are copied.

So as you can see, portable mp3 players have become a powerful tool in the hands of music lovers everywhere. There are lots of cheap portable mp3 players available these days, so if you haven't joined the digital music revolution already, why not give it a try soon?

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about best portable mp3 players and best rated mp3 players by visiting our Home Theater website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thad_Pickering

MP3 Downloads

2007-11-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

MP3 is a popular encoding and compression format for digital audio. The term MP3 is an acronym for MPEG-1 Layer 3. Using the MP3 format, larger digital audio files can be shrunk to a fraction of their size, losing a little of the sound quality in the process. Compared to the reduction in file size and ease of download, the reduction in quality is negligible and usually not very noticeable.

MP3 downloads are becoming hugely popular these days, because they allow several songs or pieces of audio to be stored without occupying a large amount of storage space.

MP3 files can be played either on a computer, using software applications such as Winamp or Windows media player, or they can be played on specialized MP3 players such as the Apple IPod. MP3 audio files may be played on recently manufactured DVD Players and CD players.

MP3 files are usually downloaded from websites on the Internet. Once downloaded, MP3 files can also be copied to compact discs or to MP3 players, using a data transfer cable.

MP3 files of popular music are available for download for as low as $1. Websites such as the ITunes online music store, operated by Apple, are very popular and boast of a huge library of music that can be purchased online. Even though MP3 files can be downloaded from the Internet for free, downloading copyrighted music without permission is illegal and can be termed piracy.

MP3 downloads help a person to build a music library. MP3 downloads also helps upcoming and unknown artists promote their music cost effectively. All they need to do is to post their music online for free downloads and they can be sure of reaching a large audience.

MP3 Downloads provides detailed information on MP3 Downloads, Free MP3 Downloads, MP3 Download Software, MP3 Download Sites and more. MP3 Downloads is affiliated with CD Covers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristy_Annely

Looking For an MP3 Player?

2007-11-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

If you don’t have an mp3 player, and even if you do, you should check out all the new stuff that’s going on. I’m hoping this article will give you some idea of what kind of mp3 player you want and some tips on what to look for in an mp3 player.

Maybe you work out and need something small and skip-proof for running or lifting. Maybe you have an 8 hour (or longer) plane ride when you go home and need to pass the time. Maybe you want a new one just for the sake of having a new one. Whatever it is, this article should help you choose.

First, for those of you who want something for working out: The two most important things to look for are size/weight and solid state memory, things CD players lack. You want something that you can clip to your shorts or strap to your arm that won’t interfere with your movements, and you want it to be light enough so you don’t even notice it. (Tip: Get a lithium ion battery to save even more weight.) To be sure that your player will not skip if you move too much or too fast, get one with solid state internal Flash memory, which has no moving parts so it can’t skip. These are usually available as 64 to 512 MB models, with a 64 MB model holding roughly an hour of music. Prices typically range from $100 to $300.

On the other hand, you may want to store all 16,000 songs in your collection on your mp3 player so you never hear the same one twice. In this case you need a hard drive based mp3 player, commonly known as an mp3 jukebox, for which you could pay up to $500. It will be a little bigger and heavier than and not quite as durable as a solid state mp3 player, but that isn’t a concern if you just want to sit around and listen to music. And they are still far more portable than a CD player.

Torn between a small, light, solid state mp3 player and a hard drive based player that holds thousands of songs? Well, the iPod Mini may be for you! The iPod Mini is just one model in a new breed of small hard drive mp3 players. They are a little lighter and smaller than normal hard drive players, and hold more songs than the average solid state mp3 player. (Did I mention the iPod Mini comes in blue, green, gold, and pink?) That’s it for the main differences, but here are some more things you should look for when making a purchase: long battery life, an FM tuner, voice recorder, an easy to read screen, and compatibility with your computer.

If you’re looking to purchase online, I recommend www.amazon.com. But first you should check www.mp3-player-guide.com (which has a buyer’s guide and reviews) so you can make a better decision.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Levi_Bloom

A Look at the iRiver MP3 Player

2007-11-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

Iriver introduced their first product, the iMP-100, a portable CD player capable of decoding MP3 data files on CDs, on November, 2000. In the number one global market, iriver was quickly displaced by the introduction of Apple's iPod. Founded in Seoul, capital of South Korea, iriver makes portable digital audio players, including USB mass storage, multiple codecs, FM tuners, recording capabilities, and upgradeable firmware. Microsoft helped test and market its latest product, the Clix, while specifying upgrades to its graphics engine and chips. Irivers initially dropped UMS support for several of their flash memory based players, in favor of Microsofts's MTP. The company later released an official "iriver firmware updater" that allowed the users to switch between the MTP and UMS interfaces.

Iriver has developed four models for the portable multimedia player, the audio and video market. They are capable of playing several digital video formats, in addition to playing audio and displaying still images, with two models. The G10 is in progress right now, and will play digital music, video, and games. Its hard drives will be available in a 4GB or 8GB, while its size is less than half of Sony's PSP.

There are several MP3 companies that are interested in designing and developing MP3 players, and are capable of supporting a user's entire music library, while others look to create a player that rivals the number one positioned MP3 player - the iPod. After this, a third type of manufacturer arrives, one that looks to create a usable and durable product. This is where the iriver MP3 player enters the picture. The iriver has three basic systems for people looking for a basic digital music player. The iriver T30 series comes in 512MB (120 songs) and 1GB (250 songs) formats with a 24 hour battery life. Both support subscription services, have a voice recorder, and can record directly from a source without using a PC. The T10 has a color display and an unbelievable 45 hour battery life, with the most useful tool on any MP3 player, the FM tuner and recorder.

In an even more dedicated effort to appeal to the athletic, "sporty" type, iRiver designed a MP3 player that the user can take to the pool! An MP3 player with a water-proof cover that retails at $99.99 that is just as compact and easy to use as the regular version. The system has a sleek design and, believe it or not, waterproof headphones that make swimming and enjoying your favorite tunes possible! But some complaints about the iRiver product stem from the lack of data storage and the unfriendly format. When trying to delete a single song it sometime deletes an entire folder or the entire collection altogether.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Singh

Team Building Games and Adventures

2007-11-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

Team Building Games and Adventures come with instructions, but to really get the most from each exercise you need to bring something a little extra: creativity.

The Team Building Adventure I recommend most is called Marooned. I probably recommend it the most, not because it is the best adventure, but it’s the easiest one to run for organizations that have not participated in game scenarios before. The adventures can train groups with hundreds of people, but participating groups break down into about six or seven people.

The basic premise of Marooned is that you have signed on for a cruise in the South Pacific. Your ship visits a small island where people are invited to wander around. The ship heads off to another island leaving a small group of people behind. As part of the group, you need to take inventory, discuss possibilities, and make plans for a stay from a matter of hours to what could be days. Since this is a team building adventure, the main goal is to get people talking, sharing and working together. One of the main lessons to learn is that there are times when people should lead and times when they should follow.

Team Building Adventures are good for combining rank and file employees and management. A good business should welcome input from everyone. These adventures are also great introductions to groups that perhaps have worked together via email, but never met. For example, a non-profit organization might have a Corporate Advisory Board that rarely meets in person. An adventure would be a great way to start a planning session for that group to learn more about each other and begin working together as a team.

The creativity part of team building adventures adds fun into the training recipe. Here are some creative touches to put people in the mood for their Marooned training adventure:

Encourage people to bring their favorite Hawaiian shirts.
Visit the local Goodwill store and buy extra Hawaiian shirts for people who don’t have their own.
At the Dollar Store buy enough leis for everyone to wear.
Serve luau foods for lunch or snacks.
Buy tropical fruits like pineapples, coconuts and guavas for decorations.
Put travel posters on the wall.
Play Tahitian or Hawaiian music on a CD player.
Use another CD player to play waves lapping on the beach.
Spray a tropical air scent in the discussion area (if no one is allergic).

I like to think of Team Building Adventures as a party. I want everyone to have fun, and to have fun they need to participate. Creativity makes connections with people. It draws in their interest and imaginations.

The best parties are those where people take ownership. The guests become the hosts. They want the other guests to feel as welcome as they do. The same goes for Team Building Adventures. As the members of the organization become involved, they share the adventure, they share the fun, and everyone becomes members of the team and enjoy the party.

Don Doman is a published author, video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training site Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which he says is the home of the no-hassle "free preview" for business training videos. He also owns Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com), which broadcasts HR and business training information, program previews, and training samples from some of the world's great training speakers twenty-four hours a day. You can listen and learn on Human Resources Radio.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Doman

Playing Music or Other CDs With a Code Free DVD

2007-10-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

The technological jump has been instrumental in revolutionizing the entire home entertainment scenario. Region free DVD players ushered in a new era of change, which has impacted viewing and listening experience the world over.

Now we have all seen CDs. They are present literally everywhere. Our homes, workplaces, inside our computers and laptops, you name it and CDs are there. CDs are in fact similar to DVDs. One of the important things about DVDs is that they are able to store more data than CDs. A code free DVD can, to put it simply, hold around seven times the data that a CD could hold. This is the reason why a region free DVD can store a MPEG-2 encoded movie effortlessly, along with a lot of information.

From the time they hit the markets in 1997, DVDs and DVD players have become remarkably popular. A typical code free DVD can store up to 133 minutes of video. What is more when it comes to storing music also, code free DVDs have the edge over conventional CDs. A DVD can store around six to eight hours of music per side, with a significantly higher quality audio output than a CD.

A code free DVD comes to you with a host of features that you would not find with a VHS tape; the labeled on-screen index, for instance. You can now choose the part of the movie you want to see using your remote effortlessly. When it comes to the features available in region free DVD players, there are plenty. You have Dolby digital sound, surround sound, features for enhancing picture quality, and what not. Most of the region free DVD players are also compatible with audio CDs.

Code free DVDs are manufactured using the same methods as in the case of CDs. They work on the same principle of having ‘pits’ and ‘bumps’. A code free DVD is made up of layers of plastic and is around 1.2 millimeters thick. A code free DVD is able to store more data than a CD, thanks to various reasons like having more area and a multi-layered storage facility. Code free DVD players have extremely sensitive components to read the equally sensitive and small region free DVDs. Region free DVD players have a ‘MPEG- 2’ decoder. This decoder can read compressed data and enables you to watch your favorite flicks.

Many movies are filmed at a rate of four frames per second. Most of the countries around the world like America or Japan have television sets that use the NTSC format, which enables 30 frames per second. Many European countries like Italy, France, Greece, UK, and Spain use the PAL format, with a display speed of 50 fields per second. It is because of these regional differences that a DVD player has to be formatted to be compatible with all or most of the systems. When it comes to the standards, as we have seen there are lots of standards like PAL, SECAM, NTSC, or PAL-SECAM, depending on the geographical location. These standards are subject to varying based on the location. Code free DVD players, however, enable you to play literally any DVD, whatever may be the region of its origin, and support most of or all of the standards. So they are called ‘region free,’ ‘code free’ or ‘zone free’ players.

Modern code free DVD players literally pack a punch and are great at decoding different formats to give you a superior picture quality and an amazing audio output. Since region free DVD players are designed specifically for playing code free DVDs with some special features, many times you will find that even your PC is unable to play a DVD. The reason is the superior processing power of a code free DVD player, which gives it the edge over some computers.

One can find DVD audios flooding the market recently. Although DVD audio players meant to play only audio are rare to find, most of the code free DVD players can play DVD audio discs. The format of a DVD audio disc is different from that of a DVD video. Good code free DVD players have something known as ‘digital to analog converter’ (DAC) in them to play these discs. It is always recommended that you get a code free DVD player with a 192kHz/24-bit converter for superior audio quality.

The DVD audio quality is better than the conventional CDs. They also make for great recording, offering you better accuracy. One can get still enhanced sound quality on code free DVD players by connecting them to a home theater system, preferably with around five speakers. Also check out whether your system is ‘Dolby digital ready.’ If it is, you can have the ultimate movie experience - so great is the sound quality.

The principle on which a code free DVD player works is similar to that of a CD player. Laser beams hit the surface of the disc to read the ‘pits’ and ‘bumps.’ The video signal is then sent to a television set and the audio signal to the speakers, after being amplified by a decoder. Most of the region free DVD players play both movies and music CDs. Similarly, most of the modern day code free DVD players enable you to play recorded content in the form of CD-Rs, which you could have done using your computer. You have the latest code free audio DVD players which handle only audio discs.

Almost all good brands of code free DVD players will have standard features like decoders, Dolby digital decoders, surround sound, and many other things. If you are in the market for a code free DVD player, your options are plenty. You can choose from a wide range from leading names like Sony, Samsung, Aiwa, Apex , Thompson, to mention only a few. There are also a lot of smaller companies who can give you equally good region free DVD players. You can always go through referrals. They may be of great help.

You can also do a bit of research on the Internet and find literally hundreds of models of region free DVD players. The basic models would cost you about $30 - $70. Although they are termed as basic models, the latest models in this segment come with a host of features. Buy the ones with the progressive scan technology as they offer better video quality. If you are willing to splurge a little more than $100, then you can go in for the higher models, which would come to you with a host of other features. You can record with these models. If you are unwilling to let go of your good old VHS tapes, you can always go in for region free DVD player-VCR combos. You can get a good player for around $200.

If you’re an avid gamer, you might find satisfaction in DVD players with ‘nuon’ technology, the latest in the market. These players come with additional features, where you can attach a mouse or a joy stick, enabling you to play interactive games. These game stations could set you back by about $400. Leading brands like Samsung and Sony offer great models in this segment. If you want multi-disc players or ‘juke boxes,’ as they are popularly known for their ability to play both DVDs and CDs at the touch of a button, can go in for these models, which could cost you upwards of $400. And just in case you are one of those high-flying, jet-setting executives, you can always grab a portable model. You can get one of these models for up to $700 or even more, depending on the features.

Where to get REGION FREE DVD players/recorders. To prevent the latest movies from reaching countries where a film has not reached theaters yet, Hollywood studios imposed a block. This regional coding is a digital flag on the disc that tells the DVD player where a particular DVD comes from. This is supposed to prevent the disc from being used by an incompatible player in another country. A normal DVD player can only play discs designated for the player's own particular region. However, a codefree DVD player is a capable of playing DVD discs from anywhere around the world. A codefree DVD player can play DVD discs from all 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. That's every DVD movie on earth! PAL-NTSC 110-220 volts DVD/VCR Combos for use worldwide. CODEFREE DVD / PAL-NTSC VCR combos and MULTISTANDARD VCRs will play 100% all known DVD discs including FRENCH DVDs. You can buy region free and region free converting DVD players and region free DVD recorders from http://www.mindlogic.com in California. They give you a LIFETIME Warranty and ship worldwide. Tel.800-514-2984 or tel. 925-686-9945

They have more thank 140,000 consumer electronics including multisystem pal TVs such as plasma, LCD, DLP etc. They also have free standing video standards converters from Tenlab and converting PAL-SECAM,NTSC, PAL-N , PAL-M VCRs and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Dulaney

Nature Sounds and New Age Piano

2007-10-30T00:46:00.000-07:00

If ever there were two things made for each other, it would have to be New Age piano music and nature sounds. After all, New Age piano gets much of its inspiration from the natural world. There are many CDs available that have this classic combination. Let's look at a few of them.

1. Forest Piano by John Herberman
This CD is in my opinion the best New Age piano CD one can buy. And it has nature sounds too! John Herberman is a very talented pianist/composer who's music seeps into your stressed out psyche and gently massages you. Each piece is a unique composition. Sometimes melodic, sometimes textural, but always beautiful. You'll wear your CD player out with this one.

2. Piano Cascades by John Herberman
OK. I'm a big fan of this mans music. I admit it. In fact, the minute I heard this CD in a Images of Nature store I had to have it. So delicate and beautiful is this music that you'll think you're actually in the middle of a waterfall. The nature sounds, supplied by Dan Gibson are first rate and do not overwhelm the music. In fact, both piano and nature sounds blend together into one magnificent whole creating a fresh ambiance that will revive and cleanse your spirit.

3. San Juan Suite by Michael Gettel
San Juan is an island off the coast of Oregon where the mighty Orca whale is known to live. Michael gets his inspiration from the natural beauty of the area and, of course, this black and white whale. The music is superb with nature sounds interspersed here and there for effect. The music gets first dibs here with the nature sounds delicately placed in just the right places.

If you love nature and music, you will love these CDs. You can find them at Amazon.com.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html now and get a FREE piano lesson!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Weiss

How CD Players work

2007-10-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

Compact discs are made from a 1.2 mm thick disc of polycarbonate plastic coated with a much thinner layer of Super Purity Aluminum (or rarely, gold, used for its data longevity, such as in some limited-edition audiophile CDs) layer which is protected by a film of lacquer. The lacquer can be printed with a label. Common printing methods for compact discs are silkscreening and offset printing. CDs are available in two sizes. By far the most common is 120 mm in diameter, with a 74-minute audio capacity and a 650-MB data (See storage capacity; this form factor has also erroneously been called "CD5" since it is 4 3/4 inches in diameter, about five inches across). Such a standard disc weighs 15 grams. 80 mm discs are also available, a format which is mainly used for audio CD singles in some regions (e.g. Japan), much like the old vinyl single. Each such "miniCD" or "Maxi CD" can hold 21 minutes of music, or 180 MB of data (this form factor has also been called "CD3", since it is about three inches across).

http://articles.directorym.com/CD_Players-a89.html

How To Copy Music from CDs Using Real Player 10

2007-10-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Real Player 10, like Microsoft Windows Media Player 10, is the latest version of one of the most popular music management programs out there. This program by RealNetworks has, as one of its core features, the ability to copy (“rip”) music directly from your CDs and store them on your hard drive. From there, you can organize them by genre, artist and title, as well as playing the music on your computer or transferring them to an MP3 player. Following the steps below will help you accomplish this.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 to 15 minutes
Here's How:

1. Insert the music CD into your computer’s CD drive. If a window titled “Audio CD” pops up, select “Take No Action” and click Ok.
2. Start Real Player from the Start Menu by locating the icon and clicking on it.
3. With the “Music & My Library” tabbed window showing on the screen, under “View” to the left click “CD/DVD”.
4. Real Player will read the number of songs on the CD and display them as unnamed tracks. You can either right click on each individual listing and manually name it, allow Real Player to automatically download the necessary information if you are connected to the Internet or select “Get CD Info” under “CD Info” if you need to connect online first.

# Click “Save Tracks” under the Tasks on the left side of the screen.
# A box will box up labeled “Save Tracks”. Check to see that all the tracks you wish to save are selected. If not, or if you don’t wish to save all of them, check the necessary boxes next to each.
# In the “Save Tracks” box section labeled “Save To”, you can leave things as they are or click “Change Settings”. If you change the settings, there are several options which you can do in the “Preferences” window which opens. The next three steps detail those options and what to consider if you are going to change them.
# (a) You can change the the music file format you wish to save the tracks as (MP3 is the most common and universally supported by portable audio players).
# (b) You can change the bitrate (this is the audio quality you save the music as – the higher the number, the better the sound but also the larger each individual file is).
# (c) You can change where you wish to save the files (to change, select “General” in the open window. Under “File Locations”, manually type in a folder name or select “Browse” to find a specific location by navigation. To set a specific order by which all your music is organized by – for example, Genre\Artist\Album –select “My Library” and then “Advanced My Library”. This will provide you a preview of what a typical save to folder will look like, as well as allowing you to change it if needed.)
# If you have made any changes in the “Preferences” window, click “Ok” to accept them. Either way, you are back at the “Save Tracks” screen. Before clicking “Ok” to start, you can either check or uncheck “Play CD While Saving” if you wish to listen to the music as Real Player copies it. If you choose to listen, the music which plays may sound slightly choppy as your computer multi-tasks.
# Having clicked “Ok” to start the copying, the screen shows your track names and two other columns. The one named “Status” is the one to watch. Uncopied songs will display as “Pending”. As their turn comes up, a progress bar will appear to show they are being copied. Once copied, “Pending” changes to “Saved”.
# When all of the songs have been copied, you can remove the CD and put it away.
# Congratulations – You’ve copied music successfully from a CD to your computer using Real Player 10!

http://portables.about.com/od/mp3players/ht/howtocopyRP10.htm

What features should I consider when buying a portable CD player?What features should I consider when buying a portable CD player?

2007-10-27T05:14:00.001-07:00

Portable CD players have been around for awhile now. Led by Sony, the manufacturers of this popular portable electronic device have become quite skilled at churning out players which look strikingly alike and have similar prices. As you wander the aisles of your favorite electronics store staring at all of the plastic packages beckoning your eyes, what features should you consider which will give you the best music experience? Check out our list of recommended ones below.

* Anti-Skipping One of the worse things when listening to a CD is when the music skips, especially when you are jostling your player around. How can you keep your music from jumping around? Anti-skipping technology is the answer and it comes it two flavors for you to consider. One, anti-shock, strengthens the laser which reads your CD so there is less likelihood of it missing a beat.

# The other, a memory buffer, reads the music slightly ahead of what you are hearing and stores it temporarily so that if you hit a bump, you still hear the tunes while the player quickly gets back on track.

# Bass Boost When you are pounding hard on the treadmill or the jogging path, nothing gets your blood pumping harder then a high energy song. Want to take it up even a notch further? Consider bass boost, also known as mega boost, which will highlight the deep sounding parts of your tunes to give it an extra edge and feel.

# Types of CDs Supported With practically ever computer coming with a CD burner these days, it's very easy to copy music onto a CD-R (writable to only one) or CD-RW (writable to multiple times) disc to take with you. Not all portable CD players support MP3-CDs, as they are known, however. Of those that do, they may only support CD-R or CD-RW, but not both. It’s important to know which types your player will be able to read.

# Radio with Presets Sometimes you may just grow tired of listening to the CD you have in your player. Still want some tunes? Consider having a built-in radio with presets so you can always jump to your favorite radio station at the touch of a button.

http://portables.about.com/cs/cdplayers/f/portcdbg.htm

What features should I consider when buying a portable CD player?What features should I consider when buying a portable CD player?

2007-10-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

Evolution

2007-10-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

A compact disc (or CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. It is the standard playback format for commercial audio recordings today.

A standard compact disc, often known as an "audio CD" to differentiate it from later variants, stores audio data in a format compliant with the red book standard. An audio CD consists of several stereo tracks stored using 16-bit PCM coding at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. Standard compact discs have a diameter of 120 mm, though 80 mm versions exist in circular and "business-card" forms. The 120 mm discs can hold 74 minutes of audio, and versions holding 80, 90 or even 99 minutes have been introduced. The 80 mm discs are used as "CD-singles" or novelty "business-card CDs". They hold about 20 minutes of audio.
Compact disc technology was later adapted for use as a data storage device, known as a CD-ROM.

The design of the CD was originally conceived as an evolution of the gramophone record, rather than primarily as a data storage medium. Only later did the concept of an 'audio file' arise, and the generalizing of this to any data file. As a result, the original CD format has a number of limitations; no built-in track names or disc naming for example. Online services such as CDDB were developed to work around these shortcomings in the computer age.

http://articles.directorym.com/CD_Players-a89.html

Window to the Past

2007-10-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

In the early 1970s, using video Laserdisc technology, Philips' researchers started experiments with "audio-only" optical discs, initially with wideband frequency modulation FM and later digitized PCM audio signals. At the end of the 1970s, Philips, Sony, and other companies presented prototypes of digital audio discs.

In 1979 Philips and Sony decided to join forces, setting up a joint task force of engineers whose mission was to design the new digital audio disc. Prominent members of the task force were Kees Immink and Toshitada Doi. After a year of experimentation and discussion, the taskforce produced the "Red Book", the Compact Disc standard. Philips contributed the general manufacturing process, based on the video Laserdisc technology. Philips also contributed the Eight-to-Fourteen Modulation, EFM, which offers both a large playing time and a high resilience against disc handling damage such as scratches and fingerprints; while Sony contributed the error-correction method, CIRC. The Compact Disc Story, told by a former member of the taskforce, gives background information on the many technical decisions made, including the choice of the sampling frequency, playing time, and disc diameter. According to Philips, the Compact Disc was thus "invented collectively by a large group of people working as a team."

The Compact Disc reached the market in late 1982 in Asia and early the following year in other markets. This event is often seen as the "Big Bang" of the digital audio revolution. The new audio disc was enthusiastically received, especially in the early-adopting classical music and audiophile communities and its handling quality received particular praise.
The far larger popular and rock music industries were slower to adopt the new format, especially in the huge consumer markets in Europe and the United States. This "highbrow niche" status of the CD format changed dramatically in May, 1985, when UK rock band Dire Straits released the album Brothers in Arms. One of the first all-digital rock recordings and the first by a major act, Brothers in Arms played to the strengths of the CD by offering more and longer tracks, running ten minutes longer than the album's concurrent LP and cassette releases. It spurred the sale of compact disc players like no other recording before it, helped to drive down the price of players, induced other acts and record labels to release more music on CD and firmly established the format in the mind of the average consumer.

http://articles.directorym.com/CD_Players_Albuquerque_NM-r89-Albuquerque_NM.html

How much should I expect to pay

2007-10-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

These days, CD technology is commonplace enough that you'll actually see portable CD players in the $50-and-under category, which was the going range for low-end portable cassette players some 15 years ago. Don't expect too much from this price range--basic features and less-than-stellar sound quality--but you'll get at least basic CD-player functionality.

The average price for a decent portable disc player is about $100-200, for which you should expect good digital-to-analog converters (the chief arbiter of any player's sound quality), features like programmability and random-play, extended battery life (10 hours or more from two or four AA batteries), and some form of anti-skip protection to guard against interruptions in music playback due to jostling or bumping.

More expensive players will offer more features, better build quality, and sometimes, though not always, better sound. Features can include longer anti-skip buffers, longer battery life, equalization (such as bass boost), AM/FM radio, and spiffier headphones.

http://articles.directorym.com/CD_Players-a89.html

Get This to the CD Player, Stat!

2007-10-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

Thinking beyond Jay-Z and Coldplay, researchers at Ohio State University have turned a standard compact disk into a biochemical laboratory. Their specially designed CD completely automates a commonly used assay for classifying HIV and some cancers, eliminating many tedious steps and producing results in one-tenth of the time.

As early as four decades ago, researchers at Monsanto tried to use centrifugal force to push liquids through a series of chambers on a plastic disk, says L. James Lee of Ohio State. His updated “lab on a CD” contains a series of wells and channels, each no deeper than the width of a human hair. Blood or cell samples are placed in one set of the disk’s chambers. Test chemicals are then mixed sequentially by changing the speed that the CD rotates: Solutions in wells closer to the outside move outward at lower rotation speeds, while those closer to the center remain in place until the CD spins more quickly.

Besides saving time, the lab CD also uses less of the expensive antibodies needed for common disease tests, cutting material costs by up to 90 percent. Within two years, technicians may be listening to their favorite music CDs while their experiments spin nearby on a similar disk.

http://discovermagazine.com/2004/oct/get-this-to-the-cd-player1006

DVD and CD Duplication Services

2007-10-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

How to get the best cd duplication service at the best price
If you are looking for a good price on a dvd or cd duplication service, it is worth knowing the difference between duplication and replication. The duplication process uses a recorder to "burn" your data into a pre-manufactured cd or dvd. These CDrs and DVDrs are quite simply blank discs, and your data, whether it is text files, music, computer programs, multi-media or video, is added by using a dvd or cd recorder. This process takes between 3 and 80 minutes per disc (depending on the speed of the recorder). The time factor means that it is less cost effective to use a cd duplication service if you are ordering large numbers of cds or dvds.

Replication - the alternative cd duplication service
DVD and CD replication can best be explained as "stamping" your data into an injection molded cd or dvd. These discs have a silver look to them, similar to the audio CD discs that you would buy in a music store. CD / DVD Replication is used with larger orders, where it is vital to get the "per disc" price as low as possible.

So, if you only require a few copies, DVD / CD duplication is a more cost effective option than replication, because the set-up costs are minimal by comparison. In fact, to complete smaller numbers of discs by duplication is not only less expensive, but the job can be competed more quickly. But if you want more than about 500 copies, you would be better off using the replication process because your data is actually built into the construction of the DVD or CD, and not added later.

To print on to your DVD/CD it would not be advisable to use inkjet printing which smears and smudges, or labels which look tacky, unprofessional and can peel up or jam. Be sure to use a print system that directly prints onto the surface of the CD or DVD. Your discs will look just like the mass produced CD / DVD albums you buy from the shops.

At Deckchair we will offer you a quality DVD/CD duplication or replication service with a fast turnaround. We can help you with all aspects of the process including artwork and package design. We are very experienced in the design of interactive cds which provides a very professional way to showcase your products or information about your company.

Article Source: http://www.kokkada.com

http://www.kokkada.com/Article/DVD-and-CD-Duplication-Services/21631

Linn Sondek CD12 CD Player

2007-10-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened to Linn Product's Brian Morris when he attempted to bring Linn's new Sondek CD12 through Customs as hand-luggage:

Customs agent: "What's in the box, sir?"

Brian: "A CD player."

Customs agent: "Value?"

Brian: "$20,000."

Customs agent: "Who are you trying to kid? I know what CD players are worth—I've got one. Go stand over there until we sort this out."

It took a whole day, Linn's customs broker, and a flurry of phone calls, but eventually Brian did bring the CD12 into this country and deliver it to me in Santa Fe. But the customs agent's question was actually a good one. CD technology is now fairly mature. In fact, some might argue that, with the increased data-storage capacity of the DVD, not to mention the impending DVD-Audio standard, the CD might even be entering its twilight phase. Who on earth would bring a $20,000 CD player to market now?

Linn Products, obviously. As a company, Linn has always gone its own way—at its own pace—and if the idea of producing a no-holds-barred CD player at this particular moment strikes some people as foolhardy, the folks at Linn just don't care. They point out that there are millions and millions of CDs out there that will benefit from a player like the Sondek CD12, and that it will be years before there's anything like that selection on DVD, or whatever the next digital music medium will be. Besides, they point out, the typical Linn customer already has a substantial investment in software and is anxious to extract from it as much musical pleasure as possible, even if that means spending an amount less obsessed observers would label ludicrous.

If this argument sounds familiar, it's because Linn has said the same thing before—specifically, 17 years ago, when, in the pre-dawn of the CD age, people were predicting the demise of the turntable and the vinyl disc. Here we are, nearly two decades into the digital era, and there are more high-end turntables for sale than there ever were during the analog era. No, the LP hasn't exactly triumphed, but there are still a lot of music lovers out there who love their records and are willing to spend "ludicrous" amounts to hear them played properly.

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/86/

Sony launches 'dancing' music player

2007-10-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sony on Monday unveiled a new robotic music player shaped like an egg with flapping wings that can twist to its tunes.

The "Rolly" is a digital music player that plays music through built-in speakers and has colour lights that flash as it "dances".

Users can set the movements along with the music they download from their personal computers and Bluetooth devices, the company said.

The music player, which will go on sale in Japan on September 29, has one gigabyte of memory to store tunes.

Sony, which withdrew from robot technology development due to its financial difficulties, said the new product was an audio product first and foremost.

"The motion control and sensor technologies (developed in earlier robot projects) are applied to Rolly, but this is an audio product," said Sony spokeswoman Saori Takahashi.

Sony developed dog-shaped robots called Aibo and humanoids, Qrio, but withdrew from robot development last year to focus on more lucrative flat-screen televisions.

The company was once a leader in portable music players, bringing the world the Walkman, but it has since fallen well behind rival Apple and its phenomenally popular iPod.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/articles/sony-launches-dancing-music-player/2007/09/11/1189276676793.html

How to Transfer Music onto a Portable MP3 Player

2007-10-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

You have finally taken the plunge with your first MP3 player and are so excited to use it for the first time. You break it out of the box and your excitement turns to dismay as your realize that you have no idea how to get music on the darned thing. The good news is that, in most cases, getting music onto your player is a fairly simple task. The bad news is that there are many different MP3 players, and not all of them use the same way to get music onto them. However, they all use the same basic principles. Hopefully armed with some basic information, you can figure out how to get music on your player with little difficulty.
The Process

Overall, the process of transferring music files consists of the following:

* Install music management software on your computer
* Determine the source of the music files that you want to transfer
* Create the appropriate music file format for your transfer
* Connect your MP3 player to your computer
* Transfer your music files to your player
* Disconnect your player

Step 1: Install music management software on your computer
In order to create music files from your CDs and transfer music onto your MP3 player, you need to install music software onto your computer if it is not already installed. Usually, the appropriate software for your player is bundled with the MP3 player. If so, install that software, as it is probably the best option for your MP3 player. Two of the more popular examples of music management software include MusicMatch Jukebox and iTunes.

Step 2: Determine the Source of the Music to Transfer
The next step in getting music on your MP3 player is to determine the music that you want to transfer. The music must be owned by you and be in a format that you can easily convert to a format that can be read by your player. The two most common ways are through a music CD that you own or through a download from an Internet music store. Though possible, it is more difficult to use an old album or cassette tape as your source for music. This article does not address these cases.

Step 3: Create MP3s or other appropriate media from the source
If you are downloading from the Internet, your music files should already be in a format playable by your MP3 player. Skip to Step 4.

If you are using a music CD as your source:

1. Insert the CD into your computer.
2. Launch the music management software that you installed above. The application should recognize the CD and if you are connected to the Internet, should provide you with the artist name, album title and all of the names of the songs.
3. Check the preferences for ripping/creating/importing MP3s. This should be under a main menu on your software. For creating basic MP3s, make sure that the selected encoder is for MP3s (Note: almost all MP3 players will play MP3 format, so if you are unsure what format to use, choose this one). Also note the name and the location on the computer of the MP3s that will be created from your CD. For the best sounding audio quality adjust the sound quality to the best option available.
4. Rip the CD. There is usually a button on the software to rip the CD. On iTunes, it is called import and located in the top right corner. On MusicMatch it is called record and is a red record button located on the Recorder window.
5. DO NOTHING on the computer until the rip is complete. This is important because you may create MP3s that skip if your computer is not dedicated to ripping the CD.

http://www.techlore.com/article/10385/How-to-Transfer-Music-onto-a-Portable-MP3-Player/

Sony Digital Relay CD External CDRW/MP3 Player Review

2007-10-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

With MP3s gaining popularity even among the unwashed masses, demand for CD/MP3 players is rising; with the huge storage capacity of CDs as compared to Flash memory based devices, CD based solutions have a real advantage, but most people don't have a CD Burner installed on their computer. A portable CD/MP3 player/burner seems like a great solution to this problem; plus there's a lot of other target markets for this kind of product, too; as a developer I'm always burning CDs and it's really annoying to have to use a shared computer to burn CDs. A CD burner is a born match for a laptop computer; sharing files with clients is made much easier, plus the MP3 player functionality is useful for those long plane rides. The Sony Digital Relay (or CRX10U) seems like a perfect match for all of these cases.

Features

The Digital Relay I received was a final production unit, but it came in a plain cardboard box (the retail boxes were still in the works) with a driver disk, a CDR containing my utilities and a bunch of cables. When I first took a look at the Relay I thought "Damn, they should have called it the Digital Whale!" because it's at least an inch and a half longer than a normal CD player and makes my poor Rio look like a little shrimp in comparison. Upon further inspection the reason the relay is extra long is be cause it runs off of Sony's camcorder batteries. To get an equivalent voltage out of AA batteries would require a lot more space, and the power is definitely needed: after plugging in and turning on the Relay for a few minutes it got pretty warm; Sony must have a lot of electronics in there because they definitely warm up your pocket. The Digital Relay totally looks like a laptop accessory as it looks good contrasted with classic laptop black, and I'm sure it will color co-ordinate well with a Vaio Laptop. ;) I immediately loved the silver color because it matched my Sony MDR-V300 headphones.

Specs

Here's what Sony says:

Digital Relay CD-R/CD-RW Drive (CRX10U-A2) Sony's first battery-operated, portable CD-R/RW burner can also perform as a stand-alone CD player. The computer peripheral incorporates a USB interface for plug-and-play connectivity, and comes with a complete suite of feature-intensive Macintosh® and Windows® software, an InfoLithium® rechargeable battery, an AC power adapter, a wired-remote with an LCD display, earphones, cables and blank Sony media. The Digital Relay drive will be available in April for about $400.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/digitalrelay/

Explore Sanibel with Sanibel Vacation Rental

2007-10-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

Sanibel is situated in southwest Florida, the reason as to why the tourist gets attracted to this place is its shelling beaches, islands, wildlife, outdoor activities such as biking, golfing, bird watching etc. Not only the adventure but it blends its culture in the form of its art, theatre and music.

Sanibel is just as vacation paradise for all tourists as Sanibel provides a complete package of enjoyment and the knowledge of its culture.

There are number of places where the person can accommodate during his vacation at Sanibel. He can use hotels, motels or even vacation rentals. But, the accommodation which is recommended is Sanibel vacation rental as this gives a feeling of home in the holidaying town.

Sanibel Vacation rental can be in the form of small cottages, villas, bungalows, apartments, small inns, condos etc. There are number of vacation rental in Sanibel which serve as a second home to the person. But, on using all the amenities of second home the person is required to pay rent in return. This rent depends on the size, location and number of people who will reside in Sanibel vacation rental.

Today information technology has made it possible that the person can book vacation rental in Sanibel from his home town. The only thing he is required to do is the locating the agents and traveling agencies who arrange holidaying at Sanibel. After locating agents, the next step is to ask them for quote and along with that he will be required to fill an application form asking some personal and location preference detail. Once the application has been filled the agent will let the person know the entire Sanibel vacation rental in respect to his preference and his budget. Thus, the last step will be to choose the location of Sanibel vacation rental but after comparing it with rates of other vacation rental in Sanibel. This will help in availing the competitive and cheap deal.

It is sure that through Sanibel vacation rental, the person can save an amount of money as they are definitely cheaper than accommodating in a hotel or any other accommodation. Above that, though it is cheaper mode but still offers more comfort than any other mode.

In Sanibel vacation rental, the person can enjoy in his living room as it has all spectrum of entertainment such as television, DVD, CD player etc. Or, even the person can relax in his bed room by listening music as he did at his home. Lastly, generally it is seen that the person misses his home made food but now he will be not deprived of that as he can also cook in the Sanibel vacation rental.

Thus, it is absolutely right to say that exploring Sanibel through Sanibel vacation rental will be a great experience of holidaying.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com

Crime: An Analysis

2007-10-13T03:57:00.000-07:00

Introduction

It seems that thinkers, philosophers, social critics, and typically anyone concerned with the plight of those who must endure through misery and suffering, usually make references to the poverty, oppression, and crime of those who must go through a harder life. Throughout the ages, the political leaders of a nation, whom have been elected by their campaign funds or their birth rights, have always given great concern to ending crime. Murder, robbery, and rape have typically been regarded as the greatest crimes in society, each one created in its own nature. Murder is the highest form of vengeance, and in societies where feuds and arguments have been the general discourse, there will be this crime. While men and women live together, they have often neglected the articulate nature of science, art, and learning. Instead of decided to advance civilization, change the world, and love each other, they have created war among themselves, for their own reasons. Robbery itself is a crime that is as old as the existence of property. Instead of deciding to increase their own wealth, by the labor of their hands, man decided to benefit from the reward of another man's hand. Rape itself has been detested throughout all of Western Europe, but it is only a recent phenomena that the motive changed. For a great deal of time, rape was simply regarded as expensive property damage. Finally when the people realized that women are themselves capable of independent thought, and a desire to express and experience inner emotions, rape has been changed, from property damage to personal assault. While the monarchs and elected officials of nations, and their countless followers, have endeavored to offer their plans and ideas on ending crime, few have attempted to discover the cause of crime. It has almost always been assumed that the source of crime is a simple disobedience to the law. It was only in the 20th century that the Western world finally discovered that criminal activity was not in fact caused be a diseased brain. It still remains a doctrine of many of today's politicians and their supporters that crime in caused by savagery, an "evil" nature, or simply a disobedience to the law, and this view is expressed in their speeches, their public reports, and their communication with the public.

It is crime that I shall be investigating within this paper. By crime, I mean a violation of either the laws or social customs (new and old) in a society.

A Profile of Crime in America

Before continuing in this piece, it is probably most important to first note the most common types of crime that occur within this nation. In state penitentiaries, 49% were sentenced for a violent crime, 20% were sentenced for a property crime, and 21% were sentenced for a drug crime (for the year 2000). In city jails, a fourth were held for violent crimes, a fourth were held for property crimes, and a fifth were held for drug crimes (for the year 1996). [*1] However, there are overlapping crimes. Robbery, for instance, for something as small as a few dollars, may go unpersecuted, but the crime of assault or battery may end up with the suspect serving several years. Offenders of violent crimes had used a weapon in 46% of all robberies, as an example (for the year 2002). [*2] With that, I continue in my analysis.

Crimes of Greed

Nature of the Crime

When I speak of Crimes of Greed, I want it to be understood that I am speaking of robbery, of mugging, of theft of property in any manner. The desire to steal property can be understood by all. It is but a human desire, one that exists inside all of us, to have the essentials of life, such as food, shelter, and the like. In fact, it is hardly human, and rather completely natural to all forms of life. This instinct to gather the necessities, at all costs, is wholly normal. I am not attempting to justify it, but rather, only understand it. Humans, however, vary somewhat than other creatures of this planet. For some of us, it is not enough to have what is necessary to life. We must have wealth, we must have financial security. A loaf of bread every day while living in the smallest of apartments might very well meet the necessities. Yet, it is as much a dream as it is a desire to think that one day, you can have luxury, and those things you've always hoped for as a child. A loaf of bread and a cockroach infested apartment, sure, they may very well meet your necessities. But what about a television set? A CD player? A DVD player? A stylish wardrobe? A condominium? Maybe your own house? As I said, it is only human to want wealth and possibly extravagance, or the idea that you are "well off" and need not worry about financial insecurities. The instinct to obtain that what you need to survive can be found in all life forms and the desire to become wealthy and even recognized is closer to the human species, though I wouldn't be surprised if similar desires were found in the other creatures of this world.

The instinct for survival and desire of wealth are apparent parts of human society and have found themselves expressed in culture. The question now is, what are the methods by which people go about procuring these desires? Primarily, there are two methods: legal employment and criminal activity (or, Crimes of Greed, "Property Crimes"). On behalf of legal employment, one must first understand that this hardly signifies something worthy, just, or virtuous. The officials of the Nazi army were well-paid and well-respected -- and despite the fact that it may have been their task to persecute those of the Jewish ethnicity, they were legally employed. So, too, were the Roman soldiers, whose task it was to invade foreign lands with the intent to rob and plunder. Only a nominal difference took place when American soldiers are sent world wide, to raid countries like Vietnam, Haiti, Guatemala, Cambodia, Colombia, or others. Millions of lives taken and thousands of homes burned to the ground, all under the banner of legal employment, but not only legal employment, but a job that was respected by society and honored by the government.

These are the two options for a human being's natural inclinations of wealth: legal employment, and the alternative, the alternative going by the title of "crime." Of those who commit crime, statistics show that their ability to generate revenue through legal employment is deficient. In federal and state prisons, 63% percent of jail inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 1996. [*1] The importance of this statistic is the history of racila and ethnic minorities. Less than two hundred years ago, the African race was released from the bondage of slavery, only to be given unequal conditions and poverty. Only some decades ago did they really achieve social, political, or economic equality in opportunity -- and still, even though the opportunity is present, they are in the thick sand of poverty. A black family, with two parents working minimum wage, will have a harder time sending their children to a university, than a white family, with two parents working middle class jobs. And then consider the plight of the Native Americans. They owned the land and the resources that make up virtually all property in this nation -- and it was stolen. In prisons, altogether, an estimated 57% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent. [*1] And, indeed, there is no denying that lack of a high school diploma will prevent acceleration, either with money-making ability or job opportunities.

Nationally, in local jails, over a third of all inmates reported some physical or mental disability. Altogether, only 54% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent. Thirty-six of all inmates were not employed during the month before they were arrested for their current offense. A quarter of the jail inmates said they had been treated at some time for a mental or emotional problem. [*1] There is no denying that all of these statistics debilitates the inmates from acquiring a legal job. Besides those who fall into the category of debilitated, what can be said of those who are on an equal level with others as far as legal employment ability? It is in only one or two instances where the state minimum wage with a full time job is enough to reach the poverty level. The fact that these individuals are not just randomly committing crimes, and that they are in fact acting based on their conditions, is quite obvious. Of the 272,111 persons released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within 3 years, 46.9% were reconvicted, and 25.4% resentenced to prison for a new crime. [*1]

The ultimate cause of the Crimes of Greed is poverty. There is no premeditated motive based on disobedience to the law or disrespect for the law -- it is based on the ability to make wealth. The economy is the cause of crime. This new realization actually throws responsibility from the criminal to the heads of the economy, or to those who sustain the economy. Tens of millions of Africans, for instance, were born in poverty, because their ancestors were bondaged to slavery without the right to freedom. When an man of African descent commits a crime of theft, it may be less linked to his disobedience than his desire for food. And the same can be said of any man who commits a crime of greed. Though it is hardly deniable that poverty is the cause of these crimes of theft, is it justified to state that the economy is the cause of poverty? Any person who understand basic economics cannot deny this. Capitalism has allowed the most extreme wealth to a few and the most extreme poverty to all. Workers are paid only one tenth of the wealth they create. [*3] The rest of the 90% of that wealth goes into the pockets of the Capitalist class. If workers, in fact, were paid all of the wealth that they labored to create, then their revenue would increase by tenfold -- this would mean they could still live in poverty only working 4 hours a week, or double what they are currently making by working only 8 hours a week. More wealth to those who create it, and less work time to the laborers who created all wealth.

There are, of course, various interested players in the system of Capitalism. If the few are the oppressors, and the many are the oppressed, why is it that a revolution has not come? The answer is simple: the oppressed are conditioned to believe that slavery is freedom. From the day a citizen can attend school, they are forced to by law, where they are taught nothing more than lies in an oppressive system that involves torture and abuse. Then the work experience comes where wage-slavery threatens people with starvation if they do not succumb. The media has been purchased by megacorporations and receives grants from the government -- never is the truth wholly told. The government lied to the public during the Vietnam War and in fact, few people know today that the war was an attempt to keep Vietnam as a colony of France -- the same reason why the colonies of America revolted. The next secret war of the US Army is always around the corner, when the US imperialist government overthrows a democratically elected president and supports their own dictator in South American nations. Poverty has never existed in such prevalence, except those nations touched by contemporary Capitalism, a fact that no economist would be bold enough to refuse. The wars go on and the soldiers die thinking that liberty is what they are fighting for, but when they find themselves in a foreign land burning villages, only those who are free in mind will say, "Is this really for liberty?" The next anti-Capitalism or anti-police brutality is met with rubber bullets and pepper spray, as police officers brutalize and murder citizens -- and they think that order is "people not being outraged that 40% of the children here don't have enough to eat." [*4] So when people express an anti-government opinion, they can rest in prison cells while the president delivers another address to the people, arguing that invading and destroying another country so we can exploit them for their cheap labor and resources is the same thing as independence. Because when people fight back against their government, they are called "terrorists" -- and when a person expresses a revolutionary opinion, they are called an "insurgent." The media publicizes it and the people buy. From the first day, people are given the mindset that fighting back is futile.

Maybe a police officer will think it's a lie that "liberty means shooting protestors." Maybe a soldier will think it's a lie that "doing your duty means killing civilians." Maybe a news reporter will think it's a deception that they refuse to cover the stories of soldiers executing civilians. Tom Hurndall was shot in the head by an Israeli police officer during a peaceful protest. All of the major news networks refused to carry the story. [*5] He was protesting the destruction of a home with bulldozers by a government that oppressed Palestinians. The other 2,500 deaths of refugees, protestors, and political dissidents went uncovered. Carlo Giuliani was shot in the head by Italian police while protesting Capitalism. [*6] Because today, struggling to be free has been labeled as "anarchy and terrorism," because a movement for and by the people is the equivalent of a "terror cell." Why talk about the deaths of innocent civilians at the hands of police and soldiers, when we can raise enough support for another war?

Out of sight. Out of mind. The police and soldiers take on the "insurgent" masses while the media convinces the rest that slavery is freedom.

http://www.articleset.com/Politics-and-Government_articles_en_Crime-An-Analysis.htm

CDs, DVDs As Backup Media and Their Preservation

2007-10-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

Even more complex is the mode of preserving data for backup and archival purposes. For backing up and saving any data, what is requisite is a hardy backup media. Any authentic backup media should qualify certain criteria. First and foremost, it should be easily available at an economical price, so as to enable the user to store data in bulk, at a low price. A good backup media should be reasonably fast and should offer an optimum speed. Finally, any worthwhile backup media should be reliable and almost flawless. Over the years, various storage media entered the market, with their own unique set of features and abilities. The list of options was further widened with the entry of CD-R into the market, in 1979.

The very first CD was invented by Sony and Philips and was initially used for transferring small amounts of data. In the beginning, it failed to pick up as a back up device, owing to its high cost. However, with a substantial fall in the prices in the following years, it soon replaced the floppies, which are almost extinct now. The storage capacity of CDs was further enhanced with the advent of DVDs, after 1995. DVDs work the same way as CDs, but, have a much higher storage capacity. CDs and DVDs offer a good level of reliability and have a life span ranging from 10 to 100 years. They are easy to use and furnish a medium speed. CDs and DVDs are very popular and easily available at low prices. Hence they prove to be reasonably suitable as backup media. However, they are in the risk of becoming obsolete, in the next few years, with the arrival of next generation media such as thumb drives and compact flash disks, which use static, non-mobile RAM for saving data. Despite this factor, CDs and DVDs are extensively being used as back up media and thus it is vital to have the knowledge regarding how to protect CDs and DVDs from data loss.

CDs and DVDs demand a careful handling. A few important steps and precautions that should be taken, so as to preserve CDs and DVDs are as follows:

Handling and Care

Minor scratches on the surface of a CD or a DVD cause no harm, as the laser penetrates below the surface to decipher data. However scratches which are deep and run along the track are lethal and may do considerable harm to the quality of backed up data. Hence the optical disks should always be handled delicately by the edges only. In case of CDs, the data containing layer is located directly below the label side. Any deep scratch on the label side may lead to loss of data. Thus never use any stick-on labels on this side. The adhesive may harm the surface. Do not use sharp tipped pens or pencils to write on the label side. Only felt tipped pens should be used to label a CD or DVD. Always write on the clear inner hub lying at the center of any optical disk.

http://www.articles888.com/articles/64/1/CDs-DVDs-As-Backup-Media-and-Their-Preservation/Page1.html

There's More to MP3

2007-10-12T00:41:00.001-07:00

The association with the term is such that MP3 is considered synonymous to songs. What few know is that it also offers the facility of Pod casting which is fast turning into a hot trend in the field of online audio. Pod casting is a term evolved by fusing digital music players (Pod from I-Pod) transmission (or broadcasting). In Pod casting programmes the participants hold an interactive session of chatting, playing songs, etc and convert the recording into a digital audio file. Pod casters mostly patronize the MP3 format.

In a compact disc (CD) the sound quality is superior as musical sounds are recorded on it by turning them into digits. 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits per sample and two channels (for stereo sound) are required to store music on a CD. About 10 million bytes (megabytes) of data per minute of music are stored on a CD and for a three-minute song 30 megabytes of data are needed. Anybody who has tried to download files on the Internet would understand that 30 megabytes is a massive quantum of memory space and using a modem for the purpose of Internet connectivity, 30 megabytes of data could take several hours to download.

For the purpose of recording/storing video data, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) has created systems of compression. Thus, to fit video and movie data into smaller spaces for movie; DVDs, HDTV broadcasts and DSS satellite systems, MPEG compression is used. A subsystem that compresses sound is called MPEG Audio Layer-3. The MP3 system enables a 30-megabyte sound file from a CD to be compressed to 3 megabytes and stored in an MP3 disc. It makes no difference to the sound quality and on downloading an MP3 file it plays as well as the original file. It is also possible to download an MP3 file and stretch it back to the original size for the purpose of recording it on a writable CD that could be played on a CD player that cannot read MP3 files. It is mere conversion of different formats to make the process of downloading that much easier.

Copyrights protected article written by Andrew Stratton for Surveillance Technology. More articles and information about the Music and Entertainment can be viewed easily altogether at this location http://www.surveillancetechnology.com/entertainment-system.htm. Please be free to explore the website for more information on every surveillance products and their features.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton

Alpine Car Audio Systems - A Brief Overview

2007-10-12T00:40:00.001-07:00

Get yourself grooving to your favorite tunes even in the car. Stay tuned to music 24/7. With the latest Alpine car audio systems, you can spice up those monotonous long drives.

A standard Alpine car audio system (Like any other car audio system) includes various components like amplifiers, subwoofers, head units, CD changers, crossovers and remotes.

I will talk about a few of them here. I hope this will help you make a more informed choice. That is, decide if an Alpine car audio system is the best for you.

Let's roll...

Alpine Amplifiers

Amplifiers basically amplify or boost an audio signal. There are mono, 2-channel and multi-channel amplifiers. Let's use the Alpine MRP-M650 for our case study...

It is a 400W mono subwoofer amplifier. It has the following features:

• It has a frequency response range of 20Hz-200Hz.

• It comes with gold plated screw terminals.

• It has built-in crossovers and a variable low-pass filter.

Alpine amplifiers are highly recommended for their high sound quality and value for money. This particular product has received amazing reviews from users. It is priced at approximately $200.

Alpine CD players/Head units

The Alpine CDE-9846 is a CD player with a built-in amplifier. It has the following features...

• It provides a maximum power of 45 watts.

• It has CD text. This means that the receiver can display song and disc title information.

• It comes with a detachable face and source tone memory.

On the flip side, this product does not come with remote controls. It also does not have CD changer controls and is not compatible with satellite radios. Nevertheless, it has received excellent ratings -- So it's worth giving it a look. It is available for around $140.

Speakers

The Alpine SPS-13C2 is a two-way 175W car speaker with the following specifications:

• The woofer has an Aluminum coated polypropylene cone.

• It has an RMS power range of 35 Watts. RMS stands for Root Mean Square, which is an accurate means of measuring and comparing the power of a speaker.

Car speakers are usually priced in pairs. These speakers are available for approximately $50.

There are other accessories like the subwoofers, crossovers, overhead monitors, headphones and CD changers that make an audio system complete. Go ahead, buy an Alpine car audio system. Your car deserves nothing but the best.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chimezirim_Chinecherem_Odimba

The importance of mp3 Player during your day and life

2007-10-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

There are many electronic gadgets that have a very important role in your life, I'll talk about the most important gadget nowadays, it's the mp3 player, I'll tell you how mp3 player can change your life for the better.

There are many electronic gadgets that have a very important role in your life, I'll talk about the most important gadget nowadays, it's the mp3 player, I'll tell you how mp3 player can change your life for the better, and I'll inform you how you can enjoy it during your day.For traveling, mp3 player is perfect for traveling, you can enjoy your favorite music during long travels to not get bored. In fact, mp3 player can really change your mood for the better in the traveling time.For sports, mp3 player is very cool and helpful during sports, it can help you to not feel tired while you enjoy your favorite music, it can get you do more sports to be a good athlete.At your free time, why you may get bored at free times, listen to your favorite recordings, songs and music while you spend your free time, anytime and anywhere. It will be very exciting to spend your free time with your favorite music.For lectures, record your lecture, representation, interviews using recording option in your mp3 player, according to the light weight and small size of the mp3 player, the recording process is very easy now.During your routine work at home, while you listen to your favorite music, it will be more easy to finish it at the perfect time.In your car, it's very easy to listen to your music by mp3 player using the mp3 transmitter which can convert the digital voice to radio waves which can be received by the car antenna.At rest time in your work, it may be more exciting to have your rest time with your music, it will be a very nice rest time to complete your work in a better mood.You can discover more important uses for the mp3 playerFeature Articles, when you know that you can enjoy it anywhere and anytime.

http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/technology/the-importance-of-mp3-player-during-your-day-and-life.html

MP3 Players - Buying Guideline

2007-10-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

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 life, so be wise when you choose them.

http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/multimedia/mp3-players-buying-guideline.html

DIY lab scanner made from standard CD drive

2007-10-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

Fixing two additional light sensors to a normal CD or DVD drive can transform it into a highly accurate scanner for chemical or medical tests, Spanish researchers have shown. The team has developed a modified CD drive that detected tiny quantities of pesticide in samples placed on top of an ordinary compact disk.

Biologists and chemists often detect and measure compounds of interest, such as disease pathogens in blood or pollutants in water, by triggering interactions between these compounds and known proteins and antibodies. These immunoassay tests produce further compounds that can then be measured accurately, typically using light.

However, the machines used for light detection are expensive, normally costing between 30,000 and 60,000 euros, says Angel Maquieira, of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain.

Maquieira and colleagues found that an off-the-shelf CD drive can be modified to do the same job. While a laboratory machine has to precisely scan samples with light and record the results, a CD player uses similar precision to read the tiny pits that encode music or data on a disk.

"The main advantages of using a CD reader are versatility, simplicity, ease of operation, and portability for point-of-need applications," Maquieira told New Scientist.
Measuring light

Maquieira and colleagues soldered two extra light sensors inside a CD player, and used software to control the way the device "plays" a disk.

The first sensor identifies the sector of a disk containing a sample using black marks on the edge of the disk. The second analyses the sample itself, measuring the amount of laser light that is able to pass through the disk. The off-the-shelf disks used normally reflect around 30% of the laser beam onto the reading head, with the rest passing through.

In experiments, the researchers used their modified drive to detect traces of three different pesticides. A sample – half a millimetre across on a disk – was treated normally, using a set of reactions that produce an amount of dye or silver that is inversely proportional to the amount of pesticide in the sample.

The amount of laser light that passed through the disk to the second sensor indicated the levels of dye or silver. The modified drive was thus able to detect levels of pesticide as low as 0.02 micrograms per litre.

Although the hacked device lags behind the performance of specialised machines, it is accurate enough for many lab tasks, the team says.
High capacity

Other researchers have previously used the reading head from a CD drive to scan chemical samples. Using the whole drive is both faster and cheaper, Maquieira says.

He adds that thousands of samples could be placed on a single disk. "Currently, working at minimum capacity, we can manage 3072 dots, but the real capacity is much higher – more than 10000 per CD," he says.

Patrick Corran, who uses immunoassays at the London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicine, says modified CD drives could be perfect for use in poorer countries. "I study malaria and I'm always aware of the importance of making equipment available to developing countries," he told New Scientist. "A cheap-and cheerful device made from mass produced and easily available products could help with that."

However, Corran believes that the Spanish team's procedure needs to be developed further. "They still do part of the assay in a normal plate. Until the whole thing can be done on a CD it doesn't have a great technical advantage."

Corran adds that future disk drives may be even more useful, since next-generation systems like Blu-ray and HD-DVD use shorter wavelength lasers that are closer to those found inside laboratory machines.

http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn12688-diy-lab-scanner-made-from-standard-cd-drive.html

New CD and DVD Technology -- Blu-Ray and HD-DVD

2007-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

The compact disc has been around since 1978, developed by Phillips and Sony. The reason it was developed was to take over for the Laserdisc as the industry standard digital audio disc. Since its invention, we have seen many updates on the compact disc technology. The most recent being the CD-R and DVD discs. With the CD-R, you can now burn your own discs at home, and then modify those discs at a later date. DVD technology allows us to record video onto a disc, where we used to only be able to record audio and data. As time rolls by, and the disc industry advances, we are presented with new forms of these technologies. The two new contenders are Blu-Ray discs and HD-DVD, here’s a little information about each of these new disc types.

1. Blu-Ray

This type of disc, also known as Blu-Ray Disc, is the next generation of optical disc. It was developed by the Blu-Ray Disc Association, a group of consumer electronic/PC/media manufacturers, including: Apple, HP, Mitsubishi, Phillips, Sony, and others. The Blu-Ray disc type was mainly developed for recording, rewriting, and playing back high-definition (HD) video. It’s also perfect for storing large amounts of data, exceeding previous DVD-R disc storage capabilities. It can hold more than 5 times the amount of information that a traditional DVD can hold, up to 25GB single layer, and up to 50GB dual layer. One of the main differences of the Blu-Ray disc is the type of laser that the disc is read with. Normal DVDs are read with a red laser, the Blu-Ray discs are read with a blue-violet laser. The main benefit of this change is the wave length of the laser types. The traditional red laser has a wider focus, so the blue-violet laser can be focused more precisely allowing more tightly packed data. This equals more data in less space on the disc, this results in the additional storage space available on the new Blu-Ray discs. These new discs are backwards compatible with regular DVDs, which they are expected to replace in the near future.

2. HD-DVD

HD-DVD discs, High Definition Versatile Discs or High Definition Digital Video Discs, are very similar to the Blu-Ray discs. This disc type is being developed by a group of consumer electronics/PC companies, headed by Toshiba. They also use a blue-violet laser to read the contents of the disc, which results in an increase in storage capacity compared to normal DVD discs. The HD-DVD can store 15GB single layer and 30GB double layer, making their storage capacity 10GB per layer smaller than the Blu-Ray. But Toshiba has announced a triple layer disc that can hold 45GB of information, and the HD DVD discs can hold both HD DVD and regular DVD information on one disc.

Right now these two disc types are battling it out to become the next generation of DVD disc technology, conjuring up images of the battle between Betamax and VHS in the 80’s. I guess we’re all wondering who’s going to come out on top? In my honest opinion, I believe that Blu-Ray will become the new standard. Both disc types offer HD capability and large data storage capacity, so it’s kind of hard to say which is better. The Blu-Ray, with its greater maximum storage capacity and the fact that it’s being backed by more of the large consumer electronic/PC/media manufacturers, I believe will win the battle. But it’s all still up in the air, so only time will tell.

http://www.content.onlypunjab.com/Article/New-CD-and-DVD-Technology----Blu-Ray-and-HD-DVD/4200320092003285381

CD Player, Changer, and Recorder Buying Guide

2007-10-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

The Basics: CD Players, Changers, and Recorders

Single-disc CD players were the first players available when CD technology was introduced in the early 1980s. They performed only the very basic transport functions: play, stop, fast-forward, reverse, and pause.

When the other varieties of multiple-disc players came out (magazine cartridge changers, carousel changers, and mega jukebox changers), sales of single players dropped. Even worse for single player sales was the advent of DVD-Video players. In addition to handling DVD, these machines have no problem playing CD. Nevertheless, single-disc CD players still have many advantages over all these other options that many audiophiles are still willing to pay a premium for. The theory is that having one transport, with only one type of laser pickup that is optimized for CD, will produce a better sound than a DVD player or changer can. True audiophiles feel that the mechanics of multiple-disc changers degrade the transport as well, affecting the sound. There are also people who have no need to load any more discs than the one disc they wish to listen to.

Originally intended for the professional and high-end markets, mega-CD changers caught on with the general public, and as with most electronics, the prices fell quickly. When first introduced, these had a capacity of about 20 discs. By today's standards, those are tiny. Many manufacturers have mega-changers with a 400-disc capacity; some are even able to link to another changer, doubling that capacity. People can store their entire CD collection in these players. The only question that remains after deciding to get a mega-changer is what to do with all those empty CD boxes?

Just as quickly as large multiple-CD changers took over the market, DVD changers have replaced them. Manufacturers learned that it doesn't take much to add DVD capabilities to their CD changer line. Currently, the number of CD-only changers is dwindling, with DVD changers rapidly taking over much of the space on retail shelves.

CD recorders have become the norm of CD player purchases. They come in two varieties--those capable of recording only to CD-R (recordable) and those that record to both CD-R and CD-RW (rewritable). CD-R was introduced as a "write-once" format for recording audio in 1992, a few years after recording was made available for computer data storage. CD-R allow you to record up to 80 minutes of content separated into as many as 99 tracks. Once the table of contents (TOC) is finalized, a CD-R cannot be recorded on again. These discs are playable on most CD players, but some CD and DVD players are not compatible with CD-R. When using dedicated audio CD-R recorders, you must use discs specified for audio recording. Computer-grade (data) discs, though less expensive, are not suitable for audio recordings.

CD-RW let you record, erase, and rerecord on a disc, although different discs are designed specifically for data or audio use, so make sure you purchase the right ones. During the initial copying with a dedicated audio CD-RW recorder, single tracks can be changed and rerecorded. After the disc is finalized, the entire disc must be erased before it can be recorded on again. Many conventional CD players cannot read CD-RW, as the recording layer's reflectivity is not high enough for typical laser pickups to read.
How to Shop

Single-disc CD players generally have a more solid frame, a well-designed remote control, and perhaps a higher resolution D/A converter--20 or 24-bit resolution compared to the standard 16-bit.

Whether they copy only onto CD-R or to both CD-R and CD-RW, CD recorders produce incredible digital copies. Looking at spec sheets, you'll see that the difference in sonic performance is infinitesimally small, inaudibly so. Therefore, you can safely purchase a player from online sources or your local retailer. Computer CD burners work only with a computer interface; do not try to purchase one for your home stereo system. Avoid any low-price option with flimsy plastic trays--the physical mechanics of players is most likely where initial failure begins.

Digital outputs are a nice feature, but make sure they use the same type that your receiver or preamp accepts, assuming they have digital inputs. Digital connections come in two flavors: coaxial, which uses an RCA jack; and optical, or Toslink fiber optic, which uses a special optical jack. Digital outputs are recommended to use for making a recording to another digital format.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/cd-players-changers-and-recorders-buying-guide.htm

CD and SACD Players: How to Choose

2007-10-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

From jukebox changers that house 400 CDs, to CD-R/RW dubbing decks that let you record your own customized discs, today's music lover has a wide variety of options when shopping for a CD player. Whether you're looking for a simple single-disc player or a unit capable of unlocking the multichannel thrills of ultra-high-fidelity Super Audio CDs, it's important to get a deck with the convenience features you want and the format-playing flexibility you need.
How many discs do you want at your fingertips?

One major differentiator to consider when you're choosing a CD player is disc capacity. If you rarely have time to listen to more than a single CD or a few songs at a time, a single-disc player is probably all you need. Even these players feature programming functions that let you cherry-pick only the tracks you want to hear on a disc, and play them back in any order you choose.

If, on the other hand, you love the idea of hours of uninterrupted playback, or the ability to random play songs from several discs at a time, get a multi-disc changer. All of our 5-disc carousel changers let you change up to four discs while the fifth keeps playing, for nonstop music.
Jukebox changer options

For the ultimate in playback flexibility, go for a mega changer. Also referred to as jukebox changers, these units provide a permanent home up to 400 of your favorite discs. Think of how much faster and easier it'll be to get straight to the music — your entire CD collection will already be loaded and ready to go.

If you've decided you want a jukebox changer, one feature you might want to keep an eye out for is disc naming capability. Some mega changers let you enter the title and artist name for each CD stored, which makes searching for a particular disc especially easy. A few even provide an input for a PC keyboard, which allows super-speedy name entry.

And for those of you with truly massive music collections, some of our mega changers let you connect a second changer and operate the two units as one. This not only increases your disc capacity tremendously, but in many cases also provides sophisticated playback options like cross-fading and no-delay shuffle play.
CD recorders

If you've ever wanted to record your own discs, you'll love the world of possibilities that a CD recorder offers. From quickly dubbing copies of your favorite CDs for the road to archiving copies of treasured old LPs and cassettes, a CD recorder lets you create discs from almost any audio source, digital or analog. You can even pick choice tunes from a dozen different sources to compile any "mixed" disc you can dream up.

CD recorders, also called CD-R/RW decks, make it simple and affordable to create great-sounding discs — direct digital recording means that your copies will sound virtually indistinguishable from their original CD sources. And you'll be able to play back your self-made CD-Rs in almost all newer home, car, and portable CD and DVD players and changers. You'll also be able to record CD-RWs, which don't play back in as wide a range of players as CD-Rs, but do allow you to re-record different music on the same disc dozens of times.

Note: Blank computer CDs are not compatible with audio CD recorders, so be sure to use blank audio discs (the logo on the packaging must include the words "Digital Audio").
What types of discs do you want to play?

Of course, all players handle the standard CDs you're used to buying in music stores, but a lot of new disc types have emerged in the past few years. And when it comes to format flexibility, all CD players are not created equal.

If, for example, you've got a computer or a component CD recorder that lets you burn your own CD-Rs or CD-RWs, you'll probably want a player that can handle these formats. Almost all newer players can play recordable CD-Rs, and many also work with rewritable CD-RWs, but if this is an important feature for you, be sure to check before you buy.

If you're an Internet audio fan with loads of MP3 files on your PC, and you have the ability to burn them onto CD-Rs or CD-RWs, you may want a CD player that can play back such MP3 discs through your main A/V system. Crutchfield offers a wide variety of decks with MP3 CD playback, including CD recorders, DVD/CD decks, and portable CD players.
SACD

A newer type of disc is the SACD, or Super Audio Compact Disc. These discs require a specialized player because they're based on an entirely new recording technology called Direct Stream Digital (DSD). SACD players, however, are built to play both SACDs and standard CDs with outstanding precision.

DSD captures four times as much musical information as the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) technology used for CDs. As a result, SACDs sound warmer, smoother, and more "analog" than standard compact discs. SACD faithfully captures the purity and freshness of the original musical performance, right down to the ambience of the studio or concert venue where it was performed.

This unprecedented level of sonic realism is further enhanced by SACD's multichannel capabilities. Some SACDs are recorded in two-channel stereo, but many take advantage of the format's ability to store music in up to 6 discrete channels. Best of all, this multichannel capability is designed for compatibility with a standard 5.1-channel home theater system.

For more information about high-resolution audio, see our article on SACD and DVD-Audio.
Making a direct digital connection

You'll want to check for digital input/output compatibility if you want to make a direct digital connection between your CD player and A/V receiver. SACDs require digital-to-analog conversion that can currently only be provided by SACD players themselves. Therefore, SACD signals can only be sent to a receiver using analog connections. That means you'll need a home theater receiver with a 5.1-channel analog input to enjoy multichannel SACD sound.

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/home/cd.html?print=1&page=all

Facts About Mp3 Player, Mp4 Player And Ipod

2007-10-11T00:03:00.001-07:00

The invention of the MP3 player, with MP4 player and iPod following it, has revolutionized the music industry. These lightweight, reasonably priced, portable music gadgets are almost everywhere you look. Earlier they used to be the obsession of the geeks, nerds and the electronic enthusiasts but today these players are a must have consumer electronic item for almost everyone whether it is the stay at house mom, working business executive, fitness freak joggers, teenagers or even the bored granddad.

MP3 player has personalized music like never before. The MP3 craze has reached its peak with people wanting more and more features in their players. What they want is to download their complete collection of music in their player. You can download and store more than thousands of songs inexpensively into your device and listen to it whenever you want; whether at office or at home or tolerating a boring lecture or even struggling past a heavy traffic jam. A music player seems to be in every hand nowadays. These are wireless, portable, wonders of music and entertainment that can store, systematize and play music on demand.

The three main types of digital audio players are MP3 CD Players that can play both data CDs and audio CDs with MP3 format files, Flash-based Players that are solid state devices with internal media or memory cards type external media and Digital Jukeboxes like the apple iPod and Creative Zen which can read digital audio files from a hard drive. These types of players are the most advanced in technology and have high memory ranging from 1.5 GigaByte to 100 GigaByte.

There is a myth regarding MP3 and MP4 player as Mp4 being a successor of Mp3 player, but these two are different things. Fundamentally, Mp3 is a specific category of audio format while Mp4 is actually a container format. But an Mp4 player can also play Mp3 files besides MP4 format files with complete clarity just like the original player.

The iPod was introduced by Apple Inc. and was launched in October 2001. The varieties of iPod available today include video fifth generation iPod, the small iPod nano and the display free iPod shuffle. You can use Apple`s iTunes software to transfer music of your choice to the devices. An iPod supports and plays MP3, AAC, AIFF, Protected AAC, WAV and some other audio file formats. The Apple iPod also has some additional features like displaying text files, viewing contacts and synchronizing it with the host computer, gaming facilities like the Brick, solitaire, Parachute and Music Quiz. A lot of accessories have been made for the iPod such as sound recorders, wired remote control, FM radio tuners, and cables for enabling TV connections.

iPods have often been criticized due to their short life-span, delicate hard drives.There are also some health risks associated with frequent use of these players which can lead to loss in audio capacity and can also lead to absent mindedness.

All of these music players are portable and use either a semi-permanent rechargeable battery or conventional batteries that can be disposed or recharged. Some MP3 / MP4 players also have additional features like playing FM stations, games, microphone for voice recording, address storage book and etc.

The MP3 player have created a huge mass hysteria amongst some age groups leading to many companies joining the bandwagon to design and market different types of MP3, MP4 players and iPods. It has also given rise to an entirely new industry of downloading sites. This heavy competition has forced companies to find new and innovative use of these players like incorporating features like camera, mobile and etc.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

http://www.ex-designz.net/articleread.asp?aid=4013

D-Link DMP-CD100 MP3 CD Player Review

2007-10-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is the time when there are so many options for us computer freaks that it sometimes overwhelms us. Think back a year and you could not have imagined half the stuff that is going on right now. We were awed by small portable mp3 players that could hold 8-10 songs, we were impressed with the second and third generation portables that added more features and memory but the problem that always manifested itself with every iteration was the limited capacity of SmartMedia cards (the media of choice for portable). These cards ranged from 8MB to 64MB, a fully loaded player with 64MB internal memory and 32MB external memory could hold around 18 songs and a player with 128MB total could hold many 22-24.

What’s the problem? You can always buy more SmartMedia cards. WRONG. SmartMedia is not cheap like donuts, they are actually VERY expensive at around $100-150 for 32-64MB, these are a luxury reserved for the economically prestigious and the rest of us are left with transferring out the old songs and uploading new ones, draining battery life and adding time to an already busy schedule. The smart people over in Korea recognized this problem and designed something along the lines of an mp3 player and a computer in one and created an mp3 player with a built in hard drive to store songs with. Smart idea, right? Not really.

Hard drives as we all know belong inside a computer, which is plugged into a wall, which provides an endless stream of electricity. Hard drives take up an enormous amount of power (that is, when you’re considering the unit being powered with standard AA batteries) when it spins up and spins down, which it does frequently when it accesses songs to put in a buffer. Also, hard drive based players take a while to access songs because it needs to spin up and down to move those files into the buffer memory. Sure, it’s a large amount of memory but would you be willing to have 15 hours of songs of which you can only play 4 hours of before the battery runs dry? Plus, the cost of the drives and technology adds a lot of money to the cost of the players which range from $400-600. Then came the generation of mp3 players/CD players in one. These devices can play mp3 files burned on a CD as well as CD audio. A good idea because they would actually go 8-10 hours without running out of juice and can hold a full 650MB worth of mp3’s and your CD collection as well. With CD media dropping in price, this seems to be one of the better ideas for a player. Today we will look at one suck device made by D-Link Systems called the DMP-CD100

http://www.slcentral.com/reviews/hardware/periph/dlink/dmpcd100/

Terratec Promedia m3po Hi-Fi MP3 CD Player Review

2007-10-10T05:50:00.002-07:00

MP3 technology has been ever-evolving, and has moved into nearly everyone's lives. There is an abundance of MP3 devices like portable MP3 players, portable MP3 CD players, etc, etc. It seems like every time you visit Best Buy, there's a few more out there.

We have even seen MP3 players move into all sorts of applications, including the automobile, but today we will see MP3's delve into the high-fidelity home theater.

The product we're going to look at is the Terratec m3po MP3 CD player. What is meant by an MP3 CD player is that you can either have the choice to burn actual MP3 files onto a CD and play them from the player or have the MP3's on a hard drive and play them from the player like that. Don't quite understand, or want to hear more? Don't worry, I'll be going more in depth later on in the review.

So, you've never heard of Terratec have you? Terratec is a company based out of Germany. They make a plethora of multimedia-related products including, sound cards, web cams, and more. You can check them out on the web at Terratec.net.

Specs

Technical specifications

* Playback of MP3 files direct from CD
* Playback of conventional audio CDs
* Playlist support in the widely-used M3U format
* Additional installation space for a conventional 3.5 inch AT-bus hard disk
* Supports ISO9660/Joliet and FAT16/32 file systems on CD and harddrive
* MP3 data over interpret, album and title (ID TAGS) are read and directly shown in the display
* All MPEG audio bit rates, scan rates and variable bit rate streams (8-48 kHz, 8-320 kbps) are supported
* Clear and practically-oriented infrared remote control
* Variable playback speed possible without affecting pitch
* Quick access to titles using the shuttle
* Title list saved in the internal RAM
* Special playback modes for a variety of uses
* Later update of the operating system is possible through CD-ROM
* 32-bit RISC processor for controls
* High-quality hardware MPEG decoder

Outputs

* Line Out (Cinch)
* Separately adjustable headphone output (6.5 mm jack)

http://www.slcentral.com/reviews/hardware/periph/terratec/m3po/

Blaupunkt ditches the CD player in latest car stereo release

2007-10-10T05:50:00.001-07:00

CDs could be headed the way of the near extinct cassette tape when it comes to in-car music playback if this latest release from Blaupunkt is any indication. With MP3 players already replacing cumbersome and easily scratched CDs as the format of choice in automobiles, the Melbourne SD27 car radio embraces our new consumer habits and completely by-passes the CD to enable direct playback via an SD/MMC card as well as from portable audio players.

The Melbourne SD27 features an SD/MMC card-slot, a plug and play input for portable audio players as well as a 25-preset AM/FM radio. The device can also cater for iPod and Bluetooth/USB interface modules so that it can be integrated with cell phones, portable players and MP3 storage devices. The front panel display can hold up to127 directories of music and displays ID3 tag information up to 30 characters for ease of navigation.

The unit supports both MP3 and WMA audio files at bitrates of 8 to 320 kilobits and the 3.5 mm front-panel auxiliary input is compatible with the headphone or aux outputs of nearly any portable device. It includes adjustable bass, treble, and X-Bass EQ functions and EQ presets for rock, pop, or classical music.

The product is aimed at tech-savvy consumers who believe CDs to be a thing of the past. Blaupunkt USA General Manager Lutz Marschall believes that people no longer have an interest in CDs. "They buy their music from the internet, download it to their hard-drive music server, and take it with them on their iPod…The Melbourne is a far better solution for these consumers – no CD required: they just plug in a memory card or portable MP3 player and they're on their way," Marschall said.

Car makers are also addressing this concern with an MP3 player jack becoming standard issue for vehicles of which the new model Mazda 2 is but one example. For those not looking to buy a new car any time soon you can buy the Melbourne SD27 for US$159.95.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/8076/

Windows XP Media Player Headaches: My CD player will not play CD music

2007-10-10T05:49:00.001-07:00

Cause Most of the time, CD-ROM drives play CD music without any difficulties. However, there are a few settings that can prevent CD-ROMs from playing CD music. Before troubleshooting these problems, however, you need to make sure the CD-ROM drive is working. Try a different CD or an application CD to see if you can open and read the CD-ROM drive's contents. If the drive seems to be working as it should, except for CD music playback, then follow the steps in the Pain Killer.

The Pain Killer To get your CD-ROM drive to play CD music, follow these steps:

Click Start | My Computer.
In the My Computer window, right-click your CD-ROM drive, and then click Properties.
Click the AutoPlay tab. Under Actions, choose the Select an Action to Perform button. Choose the Play Using Windows Media Player action, as shown in the illustration, and then click OK.
Next, make sure the device is configured to play CD music. To do this, click Start | Control Panel. In Control Panel's Classic view, click System.
Click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
Expand the DVD/CD-ROM Drives category, then right-click the CD-ROM and click Properties.
Click the Properties tab. Move the slider to the right to set the CD Player Volume to High. If the Enable Digital CD Audio for This CD-ROM Device is selected, leave it selected. If not, select the check box and click OK. Close Device Manager.
Now open Windows Media Player. Click Tools | Options.
Click the Devices tab. Make sure that your Audio CD drive appears in this window. If it does not, try clicking the Refresh button.
If the CD-ROM drive still will not play CDs, go back to the Device Manager CD-ROM Properties window (see steps 4, 5, and 6) and click the Properties tab. Clear the Enable Digital CD Audio for This CD-ROM Device check box and click OK.
If the CD-ROM drive still will not play music, make sure you have tried several CDs. When you are sure you have tried all of these steps, it's time to get some help from technical support. Consult your computer documentation for support contact information.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/windows-xp-media-player-headaches-my-cd-player

Copying MP3 Files onto CDs

2007-10-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

If your computer has a CD-RW drive or DVD recorder, you can free up your hard drive by storing your MP3 files onto CDs.

The songs on a CD purchased at a record store are known simply as audio CDs. These songs are stored in a format different from MP3. They play in both your computer and your home stereo's CD player, but their bloated file format means only ten or so songs fit onto the CD. A CD with MP3 files plays on your computer, but it may not play on your home stereo's CD player, but on the plus side, MP3's compressed file format lets you store hundreds of songs on the CD.

Before you can create any type of CD, you need a CD-RW drive, DVD-RW or DVD+RW drive, and a pile of blank CDs. (A growing number of audio CD players now support CD-RW discs, which means you can erase the disc and burn a new set of songs - check your audio player's specs to see if it supports CD-RW media.)

To create either type of CD in Musicmatch, for example, follow these steps:

1. Create a playlist of the songs you want to store on the CD.

Simply fill your Playlist window with the songs you want to copy to CD.

If you're creating a CD for your home stereo, start with about ten MP3s. You probably won't be able to fit many more songs, although you'll be given that chance later.

2. Click the Burn button beneath the playlist.

The Create CD from Playlist window pops up, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Seven MP3 songs consume about 49 percent of this audio CD.

3. Choose the type of CD you want to create from the window.

To choose the type of CD you want, click one of the following buttons (shown in Figure 1):

• Audio: Click this button to create a CD for playing in your home and car CD player. This is the default selection.

• MP3: Click this button to create an MP3 disc, which stores a huge number of MP3s to play back on your computer, boombox, or on a portable MP3 player that can handle those CDs.

• Data: Click this button if you want to simply burn the MP3 files as data files on a standard CD-ROM.

Clicking one of the three buttons shows how much space you have left on the CD. In Figure 1, for instance, the seven MP3s listed in the Create CD from Playlist window have consumed 49 percent of the audio CD, leaving room for several more songs.

When you click the MP3 button, however, those same seven songs consume only 11 percent of the CD, leaving much more room. (That shows you how much MP3 compresses songs.)

4. Add or remove songs until the CD is filled.

Keep dragging or removing songs from the Playlist window until you're satisfied with the amount of songs stuffed onto the CD.

5. Place a blank CD or CD-RW disc into your CD or DVD recorder and click the Burn button.

Musicmatch converts the MP3 songs into audio format, if necessary, and copies them to the CD.

If you purchase the upgrade version of Musicmatch, you can print CD covers and jewel box inserts to go with your newly created CDs. It can print any artwork you'd like on the cover, or it can tile the covers from the works you've placed on the CD.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/copying-mp3-files-onto-cds/153076;_ylt=AtsXijao

Windows XP Media Player Headaches: I can't add CD music to Media Library.

2007-10-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Cause Windows Media Player contains something called Media Library that holds audio and video media. This feature enables you to add music and video clips that you want to keep and view in the library so that they are available anytime you want to hear or see them. You can copy CD music and video clips to your computer's hard drive and then place them in the Media Library. Then, you simply click on the item in Windows Media Player to play it, instead of having to have the actual CD handy.

In order to add music or video to the library, that music must be stored on your hard drive. In other words, you cannot play a CD and add it to your library without first copying the CD to your hard drive. Then, you can add it, as explained in the following Pain Killer.

The Pain Killer To add a CD to Media Library, follow these steps:

1. Use the Rip feature to copy the CD to your hard drive.
2. In Media Library, expand the All Music category and select Album. Then, click the Add to Library button, which looks like a plus sign (+), located at the bottom of the Media Player window. From the pop-up menu that appears, select Add File or Playlist. In the Shared Music folder that appears, select the desired album or browse to the location of the copied CD. When you find the file you are looking for, select it and click Open. The new album now appears in the Media Library.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/windows-xp-media-player-headaches-i-can-t-ad

Windows XP Media Player Headaches: I can't add CD music to Media Library.

2007-10-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Listening to MP3 Files in Your Car

2007-10-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

You can play MP3 files from your home stereo, from your computer, and from a portable player using headphones. But MP3 is still a relative newcomer in the world of car audio.

If your car's audio system doesn't recognize MP3 music discs, consider these less expensive workarounds:

* Use a cassette player adapter. If your car has a cassette player, check out a CD-to-Cassette Player adapter. It looks like a cassette tape with a stereo cable hanging from one end. Plug the cable into your portable MP3 player's headphone jack, insert the cassette, and start listening to your MP3s through your car stereo. It sounds amazingly good - well, at least compared to the road noise.

* Use a wireless FM adapter. Plug the cable from an FM transmitter into your portable MP3 player. Then tune your car's FM radio to the right frequency and listen to your MP3s. Unfortunately, sound quality varies because of local interference, and you're dependent on the batteries that power your wireless adapter.

* Buy a car stereo with a CD Input jack. Some car stereos lack a CD player. Instead, they have a CD Input jack. Plug a 1/8-inch stereo cable between this jack and your portable MP3 player to hear MP3s through your car's stereo system.

* Burn MP3 songs onto a CD in audio format. Does your car have a CD player? Then convert your MP3 songs back into standard CD audio format and copy them to a CD. You can't fit more than a dozen onto the CD, but at least you can hear them.

* Connect a portable MP3 player to amplified speakers. Take some amplified speakers - like the ones that come with your PC - and plug a portable MP3 player into them. Carry it all to your car and start listening. To change songs, just swap new cards in and out of the portable player.

Just like car stereos, dedicated MP3 players for cars can be ripped off. To avoid that, substitute your portable MP3 player. You can easily grab your portable MP3 player when you leave the car, keeping it

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/listening-to-mp3-files-in-your-car/153222;_ylt=AgKiAZsVA_1HJ4WNUKgxhpMSLpA5

Scientists Hack CD Player, Transform It into Lab Scanner

2007-10-08T05:17:00.000-07:00

When researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia needed a lab scanner, but didn't have the cash to pay for it, they didn't panic. Instead, Angel Maqueira and his colleagues bought a bog-standard CD player — and hacked it, saving themselves a potential $70,000 in the process.

By soldering two additional light sensors inside the CD player, and then using software, the researchers were able to control how the device "played" a disk. The substance to be analyzed (in this case, the team was trying to detect traces of three different pesticides in various samples) was then placed on a normal compact disc, and inserted into the machine.

While the first light sensor identified where the sample was on the disc, using black marks on the edge of the disc, the second analyzed the sample itself, measuring the amount of laser light that was able to pass through the disk. Normally, discs reflect around 30 percent of the laser beam onto the reading head, while the rest passes through.

The sample, half a millimeter in size, was treated to produce dye or silver that was inversely proportional to the amount of pesticide in the sample. Using the modded CD player, they could detect pesticide levels as low as 0.02 micrograms per liter just by seeing how much laser light passed through the disc to the second sensor.

While it may not be as accurate as genuine lab sensors, which can cost between $42,000 and $85,000, the hacked CD player is accurate enough for many laboratory tasks — some experts think the cheap and cheerful device would work wonders in developing countries, helping the fight against malaria, for instance. And the shorter wavelength lasers of Blu-ray and HD DVD technology will make the process even easier.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/useful-modding/scientists-hack-cd-player-transform-it-into-lab-scanner-303712.php

2006 Ford Taurus: Drive in Comfort

2007-10-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Introduced in December of the year 1985 as a 1986 model, the Ford Taurus is a midsize car sold by the Ford Motor Company in North America. There are about seven million Ford Tauruses that were sold since is production. During the years 1992 and 1996, it entered and maintained in the top slot for the best selling car in the United States.

The 2006 Ford Taurus has been made available as a sedan or a wagon. It makes its attraction by having a low price combined with a roomy interior. It could be considered as a good buy for people looking around and considering a vehicle with a low initial price and with decent refinements and appearance.

The sedans of the 2006 Ford Taurus are available in LX, SE, SES, or SEL trims. Along with that, the wagons have been done in SE or SEL trims. Each of these 2006 Ford Taurus models are equipped with various standard features. They include 16-inch wheels, a front bench seat, air conditioning, a rear defogger, power windows, mirrors, locks, anti-theft system with keyless entry, a tilt steering wheel, an AM/FM radio, additional aluminum wheels, a power driver seat, an in-dash six-disc CD player, a split-folding rear seat, illuminated vanity mirrors, and bucket seats. A cassette player and cruise control are given as options.

People who have tried the 2006 Ford Taurus have claimed that this vehicle could store many items, as well as it has great gas mileage. For long distance driving, the 2006 Ford Taurus has proven itself to be comfortable.

wheels

bumpers

radiators

As a manager of one of the largest auto store in Springfield,Massachussets, Sarah has extensive expertise on auto parts and automotives in general. This 42 year old is a certified car enthusiast.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_McBride

Larry Carlton "Fingerprints" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

2007-10-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Super talented Smooth Jazz artist Larry Carlton released Fingerprints on the Warner Bros. recording label.

The CD launches with the title track and pretty much rolls right through 10 very nicely put together smooth jazz tracks.

Carlton, who is also a player in the group Fourplay, has been a force in the smooth jazz world for quite some time now. His guitar playing is in top form on this CD.

Overall Fingerprints is an outstanding release. Quite possibly Carlton's best to date. Really sensational from beginning to end. If you're even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you'll enjoy this CD.

While this entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 1, Fingerprints, track 6 All Thru The Night, and track 7, Lazy Susan

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 2, Silky Smooth. Wow!

Fingerprints Release Notes:

Larry Carlton originally released Fingerprints on March 7, 2000 on the Warner Bros. record label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Fingerprints

2. Silky Smooth

3. Marium's Theme

4. 'Til I Hurt You - (featuring Michael McDonald)

5. Slave Song

6. All Thru The Night

7. Lazy Susan

8. Chicks With Kickstands

9. Gracias - (featuring Vince Gill)

10. If Everyday Were Christmas

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clyde_Lee_Dennis

AV MP3 Player Morpher Basic (exe)Corrupt audio discs, aka "Copy-Protected CDs"

2007-10-06T04:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since Napster came to prominence, the music CD publishers have been looking for a way to stop people sharing MP3s extracted from their CDs, and now they think they've found it -- by 'copy-protecting' the CD releases. They hope that by making CDs unplayable on computers that this will reduce the number of MP3s getting onto the internet.

However, these new CD formats are unlikely to reduce MP3 file-sharing, because you can still copy a CD via digital connections, or if all else fails through plugging an audio lead into the back of the CD player. Actually, it might turn out to be even easier than that -- software work-arounds have come to light for at least one of the formats already.

What is worse is that CDs were never designed to play on one machine better than another -- they were designed to play equally well on every CD player. So, to make a CD that will play on a normal CD player but not on a computer means bending and breaking the rules that define what a CD is. This is a very approximate art indeed, with many unpleasant side-effects.

In their attempts to create a CD that fits their aims, the record companies have tried many methods of corrupting the CD format, and then they have tested these by making secret releases into localized markets, sometimes of hundreds of thousands of CDs. Everyday people have then bought these sub-standard CDs, and have been unknowingly testing the record company's new CD protection schemes for them.

For instance, an early release made under Midbar's Cactus format in Germany reportedly had a 4% return rate. These were from people who found that these CDs didn't work on their normal CD players -- let alone in their computers. 4% is a huge return rate when you consider that many people might have found a problem with one CD player but not another, and who might have thought it was the player that was at fault rather than the CD.

Undeterred by these experiences of upsetting their customers, the record companies have continued to develop these formats and test them on an unsuspecting public, either unlabelled or with small or misleading labels. Along the way, problems with these CDs have been found on DVD players, car audio systems, older CD players, PlayStation machines, computers, laptops and several other types of devices.

To add injury to insult, several of these so-called 'copy-protection' formats actually interfere with the error-correction mechanism of the disk. This mechanism is designed to take care of scratches on the disk -- your CD player can fill in over a small number of scratches on the disk because the error correction codes tell it how to. The manufacturers found that by corrupting the error correction codes, they could make a CD that computers would reject, but that normal CD players would still manage to play. The cost of this, of course, is that your CDs are less resistant to scratches (and Philips have confirmed this). This is not too much inconvenience for the manufacturer -- but what about for everybody else?

If for no other reason, this aspect alone has been enough to provoke many people to act. It seems that the manufacturers have been showing a complete lack of respect for their customers with their actions. Many people feel that this can't be allowed to remain as a hidden half-secret any longer. The public must know!

So, why are they really doing this? To be honest, I don't know. Taking a cynical viewpoint, maybe it's the only way that the record companies' anti-MP3 guys can keep their jobs. Alternatively, maybe it's because companies like Midbar and Macrovision are hyping their copy-protection formats as real solutions for an industry desperate to find a way that they can "fight back", whilst ignoring the fact that these formats can bring many times more problems than they actually solve -- a costly inconvenience for everyday people using CDs in everyday ways. But, who am I to say?

In any case, the record companies seem determined to keep going along this path -- Universal, for instance, has said that it wants all of its CDs copy-protected within six months. We feel that they should not be allowed to get away with this. As I write this, there are still unlabelled copy-protected CDs available to buy in the shops -- the public is still being lied to and mislead. We want this issue to become common public knowledge so that the record companies can no longer get away with all these underhand tactics. Let the public decide!

http://www.ukcdr.org/issues/cd/

Choosing the Best MP3 Player for Travel

2007-10-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

MP3 players are now capable of many things including making your life easier while traveling.

With more of us traveling these days whether it be across State, interstate or around the world, often one home comfort we miss is our music. The choice of music player has been limited over the years to either tape cassette or a CD player, the major problem was the carrying of the units and the box of tapes or CD's.

With the invention of the MP3 player, the saving of both weight and space has been greatly improved, and the convenience is just fantastic. But the wide choice of MP3 players available has created a few other challenges, mainly with the huge choice and functionality of MP3 players available today.

Choosing the Best MP3 player for Travel, has not been so easy, until Today.

Imagine combining your CD player, DVD player, Laptop (the important info), voice recorder and extra memory cards for your digital camera all into one small unit.

The following will give you a few ideas as to what functionality is available in MP3 players available today, that you could use while traveling.

First things first:
To Choose the Best MP3 player for travel we need to have an idea as to what we may want to use it for.

Some Ideas, apart from listening to music,
Listening to the radio station (for local interest or emergency)
A podcast (Download a recording of the local places of interest)
A voice recorder (to make notes of where you have been or places of interest)
Reading or listening to eBooks (while in transit)
While jogging (we all need a bit of exercise even when on holiday)
Storing and viewing Photo's from our camera or videos stored from before we left home.
Are you going to go snorkling, if so do you want your music?
Filing our itinary and flight details.
Playing Games, to fill in time.
Use your MP3 player to make a journal of your travels.

This list has just a few ideas as to what the modern MP3 players can do, once you have thought through your own needs you will be in a much better position to 'Choose the best MP3 player for your travels'.

For more information on MP3 players for travel check out www.mp3 music player info.com Where you can download an eBook on 'Choosing the best MP3 player for you' and see many of the latest MP3 players and accessories.

About the Author

Charles West sells Technology products (cameras, DVD's, sound systems and of coarse MP3 players etc) for a retailer. Over the last couple of years he has come across many people who need a little more help in understanding the idea of MP3's and the different types of MP3 players and their uses. So to help he has developed http://www.mp3 music player info.com for people to understand all the many variants and uses of MP3 players.

Why do my Burned CDs not Play in my CD Player?

2007-10-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

So you just burned a mix CD of your favorite tunes for a road trip you and your friends are going on. You play the disc back on your computer, everything works like a charm. You might have even tried playing it back on your new home stereo, and just like on your computer, it plays fine. You head out, pop the CD into your car stereo you bought in 1998, and………nothing. The disc just spins and you get no playback. I’ve had this happen to me on numerous occasions. And have always wondered, why does my CD play on some players yet not on others? There are a few different things that factor into this.

1. CD-R vs. CD-RW. You should be burning your audio CDs to CD-R media, not CD-RW media (CD re-writable). Some newer players will play CD-RW discs. But for the most part, the majority of audio CD players will only play CD-R discs.

2. Burn speed. Each brand of CD-R has a certified maximum burn speed, which is expressed as a multiple of the audio playback speed. So, a disc certified at 24x can be burnt at 24 times faster than the audio CD will be spinning when it is played. You must set the burn rate in your CD duplication software according to the disc’s specification, or the data will not be written reliably. This can result in skips, or CD-Rs that will play to a certain point and then just stop. Ideally you want to burn your CD lower than the certified speed, to take into account manufacturing defects in your burner or the disc.

3. Brand of CD-R If you have been burning CDs for a while, you probably have noticed that some brands of CD-Rs work well in some players, and some do not. CD-R discs are said to be “burned”. When you burn a CD-R disc, a focused laser beam darkens the chemical dye on your disc to mimic the bumps and flat spots that are generated on a replicated disc. (For more info on the differences between burning (CD duplication) and pressing (CD replication), please read my last article. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Differences-Between-Short-Run-And-Long-Run-Cd-And-Dvd-Duplication-And-Replication&id=158412 ) Unfortunately, sometimes the mimicry is not perfect. And if you have an older CD player that was not designed to play CD-Rs, it will not always play them reliably.

By all means this is not a complete guide for troubleshooting your CD burning problems. But it should at least give you a little more insight into why those darn mix CDs you burned will not play in your home or car stereo! My best advice is that you burn your CDs according to the certified maximum burn speed (lower if possible), and try out different brands of CD media until you find one that works best in your player.

http://www.selfseo.com/story-12120.php

Inside Camcorders: Terms, Definitions, DVD Formats/Capacities - What Camcorder is Best for You?

2007-10-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS THE CAPACITY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINIDV AND FULL SIZE DVD’S?

DVD’s come in Two Sizes. The mini CD size of 80 mm (about 3 1/8” in diameter) and the Standard CD size of 120 mm (about 4 ¾” in diameter). The Full Size DVD’s look just like Standard CD’s. DVD’s have two useable sides. Each side can have two layers for a total of four layers per disc.

DVD FORMATS AND CAPACITIES
120 mm (4 ¾”) DVD – FULL SIZE DVD
DVD ROM (Read Only Memory) (Full Size DVD 120 mm)
Maximum of two layers per side

Top Layer: 4.27 Gigabytes
Bottom Layer: 4.27 Gigabytes

Single Sided (two layers) 9.4 Gigabytes
Double Sided (two layers per side) 17 Gigabytes

80 mm (3 1/8") MiniDV
DVD ROM (Read Only Memory)
Maximum of two layers per side

Top Layer: 1.46 Gigabytes
Bottom Layer: 1.46 Gigabytes

Single Sided (two layers) 2.92 Gigabytes
Double Sided (two layers per side) 5.32 Gigabytes

120 mm (4 ¾”) DVD – FULL SIZE DVD
DVD WORM (Write Once, Read Many)
Maximum of one layers per side

Single Sided (one layer) 4.7 Gigabytes
Double Sided (one layer per side) 9.4 Gigabytes

120 mm (4 ¾”) DVD – FULL SIZE DVD
DVD RW (Read Write, Rewritable) and RAM (Random Access Memory) Maximum of one layers per side

Single Sided (one layer) 4.7 Gigabytes
Double Sided (one layer per side) 9.4 Gigabytes

If you just want to preserve and watch your raw video footage and don't want to do anything else, a DVD camcorder is good choice. Today the miniDV is still the Camcorder of choice. They offer the best quality, the largest selection and the highest compatibility with video editing programs.

Camcorders that record to hard drive are probably going to reign in the future, however you will be stuck with lower quality MPEG-2 and lower compatibility with video editing programs.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENT BETWEEN OPTICAL ZOOM AND DIGITAL ZOOM?

A digital camcorder's optical zoom involves the use of actual moving lenses to zoom in (like in a binocular) while the digital zoom goes in closer digitally and enlarges the picture electronically. This results in a lower resolution thereby producing a lower quality picture. When using optical zoom, there is no loss in quality, but when digital zoom is used, the image may become grainy. Look for a camcorder with a decent amount of optical zoom like 10x or 20x. If you plan to use your Camcorder to tape sporting events, a 20x or 25x optical is best.

WHAT IS CCD?

A CCD camcorder uses a small, rectangular piece of silicon rather than a piece of film to receive incoming light called a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD). The CCD is the most element of the camcorder because it is a grid of individual light-sensitive cells called "photosites" or pixels. Each photosite is one element of the whole picture that is formed and is called a picture element or “pixel". The more common CCDs found in camcorders and other retail devices have a pixel array that is a few hundred pixels high by a few hundred pixels wide (e.g., 500x300, or 320x200), yielding tens of thousands of pixels.

DO YOU KNOW AN IMAGE MADE FOR WIDESCREEN IS DIFFERENT THAN ONE ADAPTED TO WIDESCREEN?

So why is the way you record widescreen images so important? Because you want an image made for widescreen, not adapted for widescreen. Widescreen is the future-every HD television is widescreen. Camcorders should use the entire width of its image sensor to capture your precious video in true 16:9 format. What difference does that make? With more pixels captured, you get better image quality. Some camcorders force the wider picture into a smaller space on the sensor - giving you a less true image, with fewer pixels and lower quality. Remember - widescreen is the future - be sure you invest in that future when choosing your Camcorder.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HD AND HDV?

HDV is a video tape recording format developed to record HD signals. Therefore, HDV is real high definition. It has two distinguishing characteristics from earlier HD recording formats. First, it utilizes widely available and economical DV tape cassettes as a storage medium. Secondly, it employs highly efficient MPEG-2 compression.

WHAT IS RGB?

Bayer color filter array is a popular format for digital acquisition of color images. In order to obtain color information, the color image sensor is covered with either a red, a green, or a blue filter, in a repeating pattern. This pattern, or sequence, of filters can vary, but the widely adopted “Bayer” pattern, which was invented at Kodak, is a repeating 2x2 arrangement.

When the image sensor is read out, line by line, the pixel sequence comes out GRGRGR, etc., and then the alternate line sequence is BGBGBG, etc. This output is called sequential RGB (or sRGB).

Jennifer Giuliano
ECommerce Retailer & Stay at Home Mother of Three
http://www.electrifymenow.com
info@electrifymenow.com

After being "job eliminated" from my employer after almost 16 years, I decided it was time for me to start a business of my own. One my children could be involved with and one that could be handed down to them later in life. I currently have two online businesses and am in the process of opening four more that I hope to have operating by July 2006.

I chose eCommerce Retail because there are many things I am passionate about and one was helping people. I am able to do a variety of things that make a positive impact on people and families. It also allows me to be home with my children during the most precious times of their life and this is what I am most passionate about!

http://www.selfseo.com/story-12118.php

The Differences Between Short Run And Long Run Cd And Dvd Duplication And Replication

2007-10-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

Your band has just completed your demo CD and you have to send it off to be copied for distribution. Somehow you get put in charge of taking care of the CD copying. Diving into the CD and DVD duplication company’s website, you’re bombarded with cryptic technical terms you don’t understand. Two of those terms in particular jump out at you, short run duplication and long run replication. What’s the difference, and what do they both mean exactly? Well, I’m here to de-mystify this part of the process for you, hopefully making your job easier.

Short Run – Duplication
Short run CD and DVD duplication refers to the process in which CDs and DVDs are copied in amounts usually not exceeding 500 units. Duplication is done utilizing CD-R technology, effectively “burning” discs instead of creating them from scratch. There are a few drawbacks that come along with the duplication process, but also there are benefits as well. The benefits are a quicker turnaround rate, and cheaper project costs. While the main drawback of CD and DVD duplication is that duplicated discs do not always work in every home CD player, especially older models.

Long Run – Replication
Long run CD and DVD replication is the process in which CDs and DVDs are manufactured in amounts exceeding 500 units. The main difference between duplication and replication is that in the replication process the CDs or DVDs are molded, covered in reflective material, and then stamped with the data. This difference results in CDs and DVDs that are cheaper per unit and are 100% compatible in playback hardware. The main drawback of long run CD and DVD replication is the production time, which usually averages around 2 weeks.

With this information, I hope that your trip into the world of CD production is a little bit easier to understand and complete.

http://www.selfseo.com/story-11535.php

Free or Low-Cost Downloads

2007-10-04T02:09:00.000-07:00

There is a resource of utilities and add on elements available on the internet that would complement almost any computer users day to day practices but most users are not aware of the availability or benefits of these wonderful little elements. These downloads are Freeware Applications and Shareware Applications. Freeware is software, available for download, which is given away by the author. Although it is available for free, the author retains the copyright to prevent downloaders from reproducing it and selling it. Shareware is usually offered for a small fee. Once purchased you are registered with the producer and provided service assistance and updates. Both shareware and freeware depend on a user honor code to not resell the product or copy and distribute the applications that do require a small fee. Freeware and Shareware are able to cost next to nothing if they cost anything at all because they are offered directly to customers and do not carry along packaging or advertising costs with them.

These applications cover a broad spectrum of uses. Some are helpful with office type applications, some prov

. . .
1Mb shareware with a cost of $30, could be a helpful utility for you. 92Mb application with a shareware cost of $20. It is a violation of privacy and goes on without most users consent. This application sports a simple easy to use interface that allows the user to convert MP3 files to wav files that are used to burn cd’s that can be played in any cd player. com for a current list of downloads that incorporate adware and spyware into their applications. If you browse the internet frequently there is nothing in the world more frustrating than pop up ads, with this download you can take back control of web browsing and look forward to hours upon hours of unobstructed surfing. Once familiar with this application and it user interface the user can set parameters and modify it usability. It will create mailing labels, print envelopes, send faxes, and even generate certain types of reports. This application also adds a menu command to you Microsoft Word application. You can investigate software before you download and reference user testimonials or professional product reviews. Another application to complement AntiVir Personal Edition is AntiVirus Fire Drill, a 68kb freeware with zero cost.

http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/91713.html

Original CD-A8T Valve CD player

2007-10-04T02:08:00.000-07:00

There is obviously a joker working at the Original Company Ltd. Despite the company's name, all the CD players in its range echo the styling of more expensive players made by some of the world's most famous hi-fi manufacturers. The CD-A8T looks eerily similar to a model made in the US by Mark Levinson. The S version could almost have issued from Arcam's factory in Britain. Original's Leonardo 9.3 is nearly a dead-ringer for Denmark's legendary ZZ-Eight, from Bow Technologies.

Any similarities are only skin-deep. Inside the CD-A8T is a disc transport designed by Philips, but now manufactured by China's Cosmic Co, along with a VAM12 laser assembly and various chip-sets made in China by Burr-Brown and Philips. There are two Russian imports: a pair of Electro-Harmonix 12AU7 thermionic valves that, according to Original, "give a warm, beautiful and brave sound". These internal components don't represent the state of the art in electronics but they are very high quality, and the printed circuit boards into which they're inserted are built to exacting standards.

All the CD-A8T's digital circuitry is solid-state, using conventional transistors and diodes. It's the analog stages that are different.

There are two completely separate audio outputs. One is solid-state, using Burr-Brown ICs. The other uses the valves. Plug one of these outputs into the CD input of your amplifier and the other into the auxiliary input and use your amplifier's Source switch to alternate between the two to establish whether you prefer the warmer sound of the valves to the cleaner but distinctly colder sound of the ICs.

It's difficult to compare the two directly, because the voltage levels are different, and the valves invert the polarity of the audio signal, but we gradually came to prefer listening to the valve output. If you're interested in the sound quality of valves but don't want the hassle of owning a valve amplifier, Original's CD-A8T could be the perfect compromise

http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/original-cda8t-valve-cd-player/2007/04/14/1186857411773.html

Rega Apollo CD player

2007-10-04T02:06:00.000-07:00

You've heard it said that the early bird catches the worm, which is all well and good if you like worms. If you're more interested in music, you might want to follow the lead of Roy Gandy instead: He's the managing director of Rega Research, a 33¹/₃-year-old audio company that was the very last of its kind to enter the CD market. Rega's first CD player, the Planet of 1996, was a success in virtually every way.

The world has moved on since then, for better and for worse: better in the sense that digital sound has continued to improve, worse in the sense that the major corporations with the technology for making integrated digital control systems—the basic servo and data-control chipsets—have shifted their focus toward DVD and away from the humble music-only compact disc. That state of affairs has prompted Gandy and company to tap a different technology source, and to launch an entirely new player: the $995 Rega Apollo.

As Gandy puts it, "If we go back three years, that's when 'the big five' stopped supplying kit to specialist manufacturers. And all of them rely on chipsets or transports or whatever from Sony, Philips, and the rest. Around the same time, CD-player sales were decreasing. So Rega got together with two other specialist manufacturers in the UK, and we eventually found a company near Cambridge that had foreseen this hole in the market, with all the Japanese companies pulling out. They predicted, correctly, that a number of people would continue to want to make boomboxes in China, so they developed their own chipsets, and not just the software."

Gandy can't name the UK company in question—his relationship with them involves a confidentiality agreement—but he says that both they and Rega stand to benefit. "We agreed to work with them at the debugging stage, to help work out various problems—which their Chinese clients are in less [of] a position to do—and in exchange Rega gets to buy chipsets in small quantities."

Small in amount—but hardly small in power. Gandy says that the Apollo incorporates more than 20MB of memory, along with true 32-bit processing capabilities. That's several times the power of early digital control systems, and Gandy suggests that this newer level of technology was needed all along to attain the performance goals set for "Red Book" digital playback in the first place. "This isn't at all like working with the old CD chipsets," he says. "For the first time, we've got a CD operating mechanism that is so good, all we've had to do is avoid messing it up. Now, for example, we can design a better power supply and it makes the player better instead of worse: We don't have to worry that we're taking out something that was masking a flaw."

From puck to chuck
The Apollo is built into the same casework as the Rega Planet, with one key difference: The new player's transport holds the disc with a three-point ball chuck instead of a magnetic puck. That means the motor has less mass to spin, so the disc can accelerate and decelerate with greater ease. It also means that Rega's already elegant transport lid is now a single, undisturbed expanse of smoked Plexiglas—which looks very nice indeed.

The Apollo's transport, manufactured by Sanyo, is compliantly suspended from the upper portion of Rega's standard chassis of cast aluminum alloy. The D/A converter is Wolfson's top-of-the-line WM8740, a dual-differential chip that operates in sigma-delta mode and supports word lengths of up to 24 bits. The output section, which is said to apply class-A amplification to a digital source component in an entirely new way, is Rega's own design.

Apart from all that, the Apollo is a straightforward thing, with a front-mounted board for the logic bits and a single main circuit board for all the rest, fastened to the bottom of the chassis alongside the smallish toroidal mains transformer. RCA and optical digital output jacks are on the rear panel for those who wish to use an outboard DAC, as well as the usual pair of phono jacks for line-level analog output. In addition to the mains switch, the front panel has only the most basic start, stop, and track-advance buttons, while those and a full brace of other user controls appear on the nicely styled remote handset—including a button that can be used to kill the display lights. To jump ahead just a bit: As with the same feature on recent CD players from Naim Audio, that last one really did make an audible difference for the better; all of my comments on sound quality below refer to the Apollo's performance with its display dark.

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/606rega/

Microsoft Access Certification Made Easy

2007-10-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

If you are planning on getting your Microsoft Access Certification then it is possible you are nervous about taking the exam and even more so about your Access training. Luckily, Onsite Access training does not have to be that difficult if you just know how to get started and what to study. That is generally the most difficult part of studying anyway, figuring out what is most important and then learning it. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to make Microsoft Access certification easy.

The first option for you is to use Access training videos. The videos are excellent because they allow you to sit down and “watch” the information that you need to learn. This is an active form of learning that feels passive. In other words, you are sitting and learning the information that is placed on the screen in front of you. This is a great option for many people who simply don’t like sitting down with a book and reading. With the Access training videos you sit, watch, take notes if you want, and learn what is necessary for the exam. Even if you are a self studier you will likely benefit from the videos because they will help you affirm what you have already learned and refresh your knowledge and specific topics.

An Access training CD is also a big help. With the training CD you simply place the disc in your CD player and listen to the relevant information. This is a perfect way to study while on your way to work or doing practically anything else including working out, cleaning the house, or anything else where you can listen. Lots of people say they don’t have time to study and they may not have time to sit down with a book and read for hours a day. However, they can take advantage of the CD to listen to the important information they will need to know for the exam while they are going about their busy lives.

These are just a couple of the ways you can study for Microsoft Access certification without having to sit down with a book and read on your own the information. Sometimes people learn more when the information is presented on video and CD because they have an open mind about learning the information. Whatever your case, consider these tips when you are studying for Microsoft Access certification because they may just work for you.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. The first option for you is to use Access training videos. The videos are excellent because they allow you to sit down and “watch” the information that you need to learn. An Access training CD is also a big help. With the training CD you simply place the disc in your CD player and listen to the relevant information.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caitlina_Fuller

CD Storage Cabinets

2007-10-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

CD storage cabinets are the perfect means to accommodate a growing CD collection. CD storage cabinets assure maximum protection for a CD collection from moisture and scratches and are ideal for long-term storage. CD storage cabinets can be mounted on a table, near the CD player, or can be clamped on the wall.

CD Storage cabinets come in various sizes and designs and are an excellent combination of form and function. Contributing to the ambience of a room, CD storage cabinets are ideal accessories for a home theatre system. Some of these cabinets have separate racks to store the CDs, which offer a suitable storage and retrieval option. For quick access, some more expensive models have push buttons with automatic drawers.

Attractive CD storage cabinets, made of metal, glass or a combination of the two, metallic laminates, and rich wood finishes that compliment any decor are available. Manufacturers compete with each other to make new and innovative models that meet the growing media storage requirement. CD storage cabinets come in portable, medium, and large sizes. Some of the more popular cabinets include genuine hardwood modular and swivel CD/DVD storage racks, with modular design that offers maximum utility for multi-media storage needs. CD storage cabinets also come in the form of stackable drawer types, which can be easily stacked on top of each other so that the cabinet can grow as the CD collection does.

Manufacturers offer various discounts and free shipping service to meet the growing competition in the field. CD storage cabinets can also be custom made, according to individual taste. The advantage of custom made cabinets is that inexpensive materials can be used, at the same time maintaining a characteristic refined look.

Storage Cabinets provides detailed information on Storage Cabinets, Garage Storage Cabinets, CD Storage Cabinets, DVD Storage Cabinets and more. Storage Cabinets is affiliated with Storage Shed Plans.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris

The Ultimate CD Tool: Bryston BCD-1

2007-10-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

For those who still don't know who Bryston are I'll say that Bryston is one of the leading names in the hi-end electronics industry, one of the most heavy names in Canada, when it comes to the really nifty things.

The long awaited moment has come and Bryston have released their state-of-the-art CD-player, the BCD-1. Now, don't go thinking that the Bryston BCD-1 is yet another all-in one player like most similar units on the market; as I have mentioned CD so it is: the Bryston BCD-1 is the Redbook CD player, with no DVD support and other similar things.

The Bryston BCD-1 will play only audio CDs and CDR as it has been developed as a top notch component of ultra high-end racks for home or even studio use. The Bryston BCD-1 is the complete solution as it contains everything it needs to output the best sound available from a CD.
While other CD player solutions sport separate DAC and Drive systems, the Bryston BCD-1 features one single clock that administers everything inside the case: this way Bryston declares that the jitter caused by the mismatching of different clocks in digital components will never be present in the BCD-1. Bryston claims perfect synchronization and perfect sound, at least from the jitter perspective.

This is how the Bryston BCD-1 looks like. And it will look even better in official photos!

The Bryston proprietary circuitry and Crystal 192k/24bit DAC are responsible for the over-sampling of sound and interpolating it in order to obtain a sonic response as close to the analog waveform as possible.

Feats:

-Redbook CD and CDR playback
-Fully Discrete Bryston Class A analog output stage
-Crystal 192k/24bit DAC
-Independent Analog and Digital power supplies
-Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Stereo outputs
-Transformer coupled SPDIF and AES EBU Digital outputs
-Optical output
-RS-232 software upgrade
-Remote 12 Volt Trigger
-Full function IR remote control
-CD remote operates other Bryston products volume up/down
-Cosmetically matches C-Series BP26/MPS2

http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Ultimate-CD-Tool-Bryston-BCD-1-56523.shtml

Numark CDN35 Fusion Series Dual CD Player with Anti Shock

2007-10-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

CDN35 professional dual CD player has an updated design based on the popular CDN30. This model continues on with Anti-Shock skip protection, and true buffered instant start.

For Mobile DJs looking for a basic, reliable, solid dual CD player to use in professional situations, the CDN35 just made their decision process a lot easier. It covers all the features professional DJs require, like Anti-Shock, stuttering, and seamless looping features -- all at a landmark value.

Other features include fader start, 2 seamless loops, with 3 hot stutter starts, and a 2-space controller section. The CDN35 also has S/PDIF digital output, a sleep mode to save laser life, and is CDR compatible.

CDN35 Fusion Series Dual CD Player with Anti Shock Features
• Dual rack-mountable CD Player
• 2 seamless loops with 3 hot stutter starts
• Built-in tap beat (BPM) counter
• Fader start
• Anti-Shock buffer memory skip protection
• Interactive Pitch/Search wheel with finger grip
• +/- 8/16% pitch control
• Auto Cue
• Sleep mode to save laser life
• Digital output
•
• CDR compatible
• Programmable track sequence
• Illuminated CD drawersTechnical Description
• Weight: 18.5 lbs
• Dimensions (W x L x D): 20.5 x 17.25 x 7 in.

Numark CDN35 Fusion Series Dual CD Player with Anti Shock
Your review of the CDN35 Fusion Series Dual CD Player with Anti Shock
Zero usefullness!
Terrible
Would not buy it again
Could have spend my money on better
not so good
top 100 product
CDN35 Fusion Series Dual CD Player with Anti Shock is a good DJ
Great DJ
Could hardly be any better
Nothing better out there

http://www.crmav.com/dj/51/numark_cdn35_fusion_series_dual_cd_player_wit.shtml

2007-10-01T00:15:00.000-07:00

You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need—and Quad, bless its cockamamie heart, is the company that gave it to me.

Nah, it didn't make me one with everything; it made me one that connects to everything. Well, almost. It packed a ton of function into a CD player—with a heavy emphasis on the fun. And it did it for $1350.

The 99 CDP-2 is a CD player. It's a digital switch box. It's an upsampling D/A processor that is specified as being able to handle 24-bit/96kHz PCM signals. It also has variable output. And its mama dresses it pretty—you get all of that in an attractive cast-aluminum chassis.

What did you do and when did you do it?
I first heard about the 99 CDP-2's immediate predecessor, the 99 CD-P, when I visited Quad's manufacturing facility in Shenzen, China. I was instantly captivated by the player's mix of functions, but when Julian Maddock began describing the CD-P's design genesis, I knew I had to get my hands on one.

Maddock startled us visiting journalists with his brutal assessment of Quad's CD forays over the years, accurately describing the original 99 CD player as having been compromised—"crippled" was his word, as I recall—by its use of a proprietary Quad bus-connection scheme. "Even if it had possessed great sound," Maddock said, "few people other than the owners of complete 99-series Quad systems would have ever known. However, the player was average—not what Quad had traditionally striven for."

So while the 99 CD-P was cosmetically part of the 99 series and included a Quadlink connection, it was designed from the ground up—or should I say from the ground plane up?

The chief designer was Jan Ertner, who had joined Quad during its glory years and left during its decline under the Verity Group. As part of IAG's attempt to return the marque to its former luster, Maddock brought Ertner back on board and turned him loose on the new CD player.

Ertner set to work on a player that would use a Philips transport and a 24-bit/192kHz Crystal DAC with 2x upsampling. After he'd come up with a working prototype, Maddock had a brainstorm. "Could we add digital inputs to this design, and how much would it add to the price?"

Ertner's answers were yes and about $40. But that wasn't all, he told Maddock. The upsampling would be applied to any digital input, and the DAC could accept PCM signals with up to 24-bit word length and 96kHz sampling rates. Maddock told him to make it so.

Then Maddock added another mizewell. (The term comes from home renovation, where customers frequently tell contractors, "While you're at it, you mizewell add another bathroom over here.") "How much would it cost to add variable output to the player for consumers who don't want—or need, now that the CD player accepts multiple sources—a preamp?"

Ertner's answer was that it could be done inexpensively or it could be done right, with a separate ground plane and power supply—in which case it would add about $90 to the price.

Another no-brainer. The 99 CD-P was born.

A 99 CD-P was not what I got for review, however.

During Ertner's design process, Philips decided to get out of the CD-transport business, which is why so many manufacturers now use data and DVD drive systems in their CD players. According to Maddock, there's a problem with this: CD players operate in the realm of 1x (real-time) reads, and those other drives are designed to crank along at higher speeds and read data multiple times to ensure accuracy. That means that the servos tend to overshoot in their error correction because of the need for speed in data recovery—relying on re-reading data, which isn't possible at 1x CD-reading speeds. Quad feels that the data drives that work so well in computers just don't cut it for audio.

So, Maddock told me, they hired Jon Green, one of the leading designers in Philips Optical's brain trust, to design a new, high-resolution CD transport for the 99 CD-P—which would now be called the 99 CDP-2—complete with a "unique bundle of laser reading strategies." This means that the CDP-2's transport isn't simply a drop-in replacement for the one in the CD-P, but Quad does offer the upgrade to owners of the original units.

While the box my review sample arrived in proclaimed it to be a 99 CD-P, the unit itself had a badge identifying it as a 99 CDP-2—which, by the way, costs the same as the original CD-P: $1350.

The 99 CDP-2 has a cast-aluminum shell with elegant crenellations along its rear edge. The front panel is simple: drawer, four CD-navigation switches, display. That's it. Digital source switching and volume control are assigned to the remote. The rear panel sports an IEC socket, fuse holder, mains switch, variable and fixed analog outputs, three coaxial data inputs, three TosLink data inputs, and a TosLink digital output. Quadlink in and out connections are provided.

Met him on a Monday, da doo ron ron
One of my typical "tests" of a component is to set it up and use it without reading the manual—or even, as my vision worsens, without sticking my face up against the faceplate to read the labels. So I connected the Quad 99 CDP-2 to the Conrad-Johnson Premier 350 power amp, powered it up from the rear-panel mains switch, and was surprised to discover that I'd immediately turned it off again with the front-panel power switch that I thought opened the CD drawer. Actually, I'd turned the player off again with the front panel power switch—which is located next to the drawer, where the open/close control usually resides. That switch is the one farthest from the drawer, and clearly labeled, if you actually pay attention to that kind of thing.

That settled, I connected my Polk XM Reference tuner and Musical Fidelity X-Ray^V3 CD player to two of the CDP-2's digital inputs and began listening to the Quad as the "brains" of a simple system driving the C-J power amp and a pair of Penaudio Serenade floorstanding loudspeakers.

Do/be do/be. Do!
My immediate impression was that music was less involving than it had been during my audition of the Viola Labs Cadenza preamplifier (reviewed in the December 2005 Stereophile). I wasn't exactly stunned by this—after all, I was replacing a $16,000 preamplifier and $6000 universal player (the Ayre C-5xe) with a $1350 one-box combo. Besides, I reasoned, the Quad needed to burn in.

Things improved as I logged more time on the 99 CDP-2, and the XM Reference tuner sounded a lot better than through its own D/A section, but I never really felt that I got the Penaudios singing the way I'd heard them do. Bass seemed a bit woolly, details were subsumed into the mix, and there just wasn't enough presence to engage me—something that was just as true when I listened to the X-Ray^V3 (footnote 1) as when listening to the same CDs through the Quad.

I inserted my Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista preamplifier between the 99 CDP-2 and the Premier 350 and switched over to the Quad's fixed outputs, leaving the X-Ray^V3 and the XM Reference connected to the CDP-2's digital inputs.

Oh my, yes indeedy. Houston, we have jump. Also snap, focus, and detail.

I don't want to completely dismiss the 99 CDP-2's variable output option. It's undeniably convenient—and that convenience is probably worth the $90 it adds to the price. I suspect this is why Julian Maddock was very careful to say that Quad doesn't consider the 99 CDP-2 a preamplifier–CD player, but rather a unit that is "95% a CD player, with some added features."

By the way, if I cranked the variable output fully open, I heard essentially the same sound I heard with the fixed output. That's pretty great, but the whole point of the variable output is using it to attenuate the sound of the player, and once I did that, its negative effect on the music was audible.

The 99 CDP-2's DAC helped the sound of digital components with iffy converters. The XM Reference was vastly improved through the Quad's converter, gaining in snap and focus. It remained somewhat swimmy tonally, but XM doesn't devote tons of bandwidth to any channel's signal, so there's only so much any DAC can do.

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/106quad/

Private Label Rights Audio - For Their Listening Pleasure

2007-09-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

The day has come when the world and the people in it are just too busy to read anything. Think about it, with the invention and release of MP3 players, people on the go simply do not take the time to read books, articles, or anything for that matter. What they do instead is listen to them. That is right; they can download audio files right from the internet and listen to them while they are on the go.

Private label rights audio can help you tap into that market of people quickly and easily. The world in general is a busy place; it is time that your business starts catering to the busy professionals as well.

Private Label Rights Audio - The Key to the Future

PLR audio files can be found in many forms and types. The most popular audio files are MP3's. However, they may be found in midi, wav, or other types of audio files. The key is to find out just what your customers want. For the most part, it will likely be MP3's they are wanting, which are very easy to find.

So, what types of PLR audios are available? There are many different forms of audio available that you can begin offering your customers:

Audio Novels - Again, society is entirely too busy now days to take a few hours to read a book. Therefore, people are turning to the ability to listen as they go. With audio novels, they can listen to an entire book while they travel to and from work, exercise, cook, eat, or any other activity really.

Audio Self-Help Books - Self-help books are extremely popular. People are always looking for ways to improve their lives, abilities, and self-help books are the way to go. Again, the benefits are that they can listen to the book while they are doing almost any activity.

Audio Tutorials - Not everyone has the patience or ability to learn a new skill by reading an article, a tutorial, or a book. Why not offer your customers an easier method of learning.

Audio Lectures and Speaking Engagement - Do not worry about transcripts, offer your customers an easier way to listen and learn from speakers.

There is so much more available in the area of private label rights audio, such as music, courses, and the like. It is important that you tap into exactly what your customers need and want.

PLR Audio - How To Profit

The best thing about audio is that they can be downloaded right to any computer and used in a variety of ways. For example, a customer could listen to it right on their computer, burn it onto a disk for use in a CD player, or even transfer it directly to their personal MP3 player, listening to it while they are on the go.

The key to earning a profit with private label rights audio is to make sure it is of the highest quality and is of good content. With PLR audio, you are given the rights to edit, brand, and resell as you see fit. However, it is important to keep in mind that while you do have these rights, so do other people as well. You may have duplicated content. Therefore, you will have to work that much harder to get customers to choose you over another company.

You want to brand the PLR audio with your own business information, logos, and links. You can provide the audio files for direct downloads or include them with another product. For example, many people are offering e-Books for sale, but they also include an audio file of the same e-Book to provide more benefits to their customers, as well as make an additional profit.

Happy Listening For You And Your Customers!

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=473111

ARTIST MANAGEMENT - 8 Reasons Why a Band or Artist Needs a Manager

2007-09-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

To most musicians, the enduring image of an artist manager is a caricature of a heavy-set, unkempt slob of a man, stuffed into a 2-sizes-too-small, off-the-rack department store suit, chomping on a cheap smelly cigar while sliding a greasy hand unceremoniously into the back pocket of a starving artist. Surely, somewhere in the vast landscape of the music universe, such malice exists. The vast majority of artist managers, however, are a motley collection of well-meaning, hardworking, selfless individuals struggling to make the dreams of someone they believe in come true.

For the legion of dedicated unbelievers out there, this is an article that attempts to shed light on the true value of an artist manager. Following are 8 reasons why a band or artist needs a good manager:

1. Career Guidance - It's often extremely difficult for artists to step back from the day-to-day activities and see the big picture (you know - the old 'forest-for-the-trees' thing). A knowledgeable manager can see how everything in the big picture fits together, and can help the artist navigate through the often-confusing maze of activities that seem unrelated yet are all part of a massive jigsaw puzzle. The manager provides career guidance and helps to set the overall game plan for the artist and the artists' team to follow.

2. Cheerleading - Even though fans are the main cheerleaders for an artist, someone has to communicate the same enthusiasm to the music business community. An artist manager will trumpet the artist's message to record labels, booking agents, promoters, media personnel, club bookers, independent retail accounts, etc., in order to keep them all engaged and enthusiastic.
3. Prestige - According to most record industry professionals, there is something to be said about an artist that has a manager. The logic is that if an artist is good enough to attract management, there must be something of value present. In fact, most major labels refuse to sign an artist unless they have solid team (manager, attorney and publicist) in place. An artist without management is just too much drama! Labels would rather deal with someone who knows how the music business works and can make decisions on a non-emotional basis.
4. Buffer - A manager can act as an effective screening buffer between the artist and people that want to do business with the artist. This buffer tends to attract legitimate industry players while at the same time scaring away scam artists. There are no scarier words to a scam artist than "please talk to my manager".

5. Time management - There simply is not enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done in order to further the career of an artist. In between writing songs, conducting interviews, designing artwork for CD's and merchandise, managing a mailing list, filling out copyright paperwork, rehearsing with the band, hiring and firing musicians, updating band websites and MySpace profiles, getting pictures taken, shooting and editing DVD's and YouTube videos, sending out packages and/or updating EPK's, researching, repairing and purchasing equipment, etc., there isn't time to also craft a master game plan, solicit potential sponsorship partners, handle licensing requests, reach out to industry gatekeepers, attend industry networking events, harass labels for tour support, and so on. Some tasks can be delegated to the band while others can be handled by the manager.

6. Accountability - Part of a manager's job is to hold people accountable. What happens when the financial tour support that was promised by the label fails to materialize? Or the check from the booking agent bounces? Or the FOH engineer at the show is MIA? Or the licensee fails to sign and return the contract but is using the artist's songs anyway? Or the beer in the tour van vanishes? Somebody has to keep people honest, and that is most appropriately the manager's job.

7. Good Cop / Bad Cop - Need to fire the bass player but don't want to create an enemy? Let the manager play bad cop and do the firing. Need to re-negotiate your contract and request more of a promotion budget? Let the manager play good cop and keep a positive spin on the proceedings. There are plenty of occasions when the artist and manager can trade off playing good cop / bad cop.

8. Sounding board - A manager, even though basically an "honorary member of the band", is frequently on the outside looking in. Managers usually see things differently than the artist, and can often provide different perspectives, insights and solutions to problems the artist is encountering. Running ideas by a knowledgeable manager prior to making decisions often allows for good ideas to become better and bad ideas to be removed altogether from the to-do list.

So, there you have it! 8 good reasons why an artist needs a manager. Having said all this, however, it is important to note that having a bad manager is worse than having no manager at all. Many wannabe managers think they can just "wing-it" with an artist, and continue to operate with the "lets-record-a-3-song-demo-and-shop-it-for-a-record-deal" mentality, even though the music industry continues to undergo significant changes. New business models are emerging, and only those managers that stay at the leading edge of the learning curve will create successful strategies and provide meaningful counsel to their clients.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=608298

Share Your Ways

2007-09-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

Are you a parent that has discovered secret tactics that work on your children? Are you a horse rider that has educated a green horse? Are you great at wood work and have developed skills? Are you a health wise person that likes to stay fit? These are just some examples of what people know that they could write down on a piece of paper/computer screen.

But what's the point of writing it down? You could take a skill or knowledge that you possess , whether it be a life skill such as parenting or a practical skill such as wood work and make money from it. One of the biggest ways to earn money is to write an ebook but for some people that's too daunting or they just don't want to. But what about articles? Articles can be ½ a page to a full page and can be very profitable. All you have to do is find an affiliate product to promote and write an article on a similar subject to that product. Place your article/s on article directories, ezines, forums etc having a link to that product (some directories like you to have a link only to your website - therefore you could set up a free website and have one page with the product link on it).

To give you an example let's take being a parent. On a personal note I have two little men, two and five. Now my five year old used to be hard to get into bed at night without a fuss and for a present we'd bought him a car shaped cd player. So my husband and I developed a method that if our little man went to bed like a good boy he could have his music on but if he made a big fuss the cd player would get turned off. It didn't take long at all before he'd go to bed quite happily and listen to his music before falling asleep. So I could write an article about that and have an affiliate link (or your own product if you wanted) to a car shaped cd player or cd player shop with various players etc. If you wanted to write about your philosophies on getting children into bed you could have a link to children's bed linen or an online book store selling children's books as I don't think there would be a child out there that doesn't love being read to. If you wanted to write about how your child was a poor eater (which is also very common!) you could explain how you got your child to eat by making funny faces with their food etc and have a link to either your own recipe book or an affiliate link.

The beauty of article writing is it is such a quick and easy process. Articles are meant to be short and sweet so you don't have to get too bogged down. If you put your mind to it I'm sure you'd discover that there are so many things you could write about not only to share your experiences with others and give great advice but it could also make you some good money along the way.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=613542

Bryston BCD-1 CD Player Pays Attention to Details

2007-09-28T02:26:00.000-07:00

For audio enthusiasts with a keen ear, Canadian manufacturer Bryston is now shipping its impressive BCD-1 CD player. The BCD-1 is a Redbook CD player that uses fully discrete analog Class-A proprietary Bryston circuits, a quality drive and a 192K/24Bit Crystal DAC, the company says.

Bryston says as an all-in-one-box solution for a CD Player (as opposed to a separate outboard DAC and Drive) one of the performance highlights of the BCD-1 is the elimination of jitter, which is mistiming of the digital signal that affects playback. Because the drive and DAC use the same master clock on its player, Bryston says its CD player’s master clock and the drive are synchronized perfectly to eliminate any possibility of jitter timing errors affecting the sound quality of the player.

Bryston adds that the DAC uses a process to over-sample the digital input 128 times, and the new samples are then run through an interpolation filter to create a more analog-like waveform that enhances the playback quality.

Some other specs of the BCD-1:

* Redbook CD and CDR playback
* Fully Discrete Bryston Class A analog output stage
* Crystal 192k/24bit DAC
* Independent Analog and Digital power supplies
* Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Stereo outputs
* Transformer coupled SPDIF and AES EBU Digital outputs
* Optical output
* RS-232 software upgrade
* Remote 12 Volt Trigger
* Full function IR remote control
* CD remote operates other Bryston products volume up/down
* Cosmetically matches C-Series BP26/MPS2

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/bryston_bcd_1_cd_player_pays_attention_to_details/C41

Need a high-end CD player? Why not use your old PlayStation?

2007-09-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Many modern consumer electronic devices, such as CD players, can be utilized in motor vehicles. Frequently, the motor vehicle is equipped with a cigarette lighter, and power is supplied to the electronic device by a special adapter which plugs into the cigarette lighter. Audio devices such as CD players often are also provided with adapters to facilitate playing of CD's through a tape deck that is part of the vehicle's audio system. However, motor vehicles, in particular automobiles, frequently are not equipped with receptacles or mounting surfaces which can accommodate the electronic devices. As a result, the electronic devices cannot be secured within the motor vehicles, resulting in inconvenience for the vehicle operator as well as a potential safety hazard.

A need exists for a device that secures a portable electronic device, such as a CD player, within a motor vehicle but within easy reach of the vehicle operator.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holder for releasably securing an article within a motor vehicle equipped with a center console. The holder includes a base, means for securing the base to the center console, and means for securing the article to the base. According to another aspect, methods for releasably securing an article within a motor vehicle are provided.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a left perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the inventive holder for use with center consoles having cup holders, shown releasably securing a personal CD player.

FIGS. 2a-c are top plan, front elevation and bottom plan views of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment having an enclosed receptacle for the article to be secured.

FIGS. 4a-b are exploded side and front end views of an alternative embodiment of the inventive holder which includes additional mechanical element for securing an article (as shown, a personal CD player) to the holder.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the position of the holder of FIGS. 1 and 2a-c with respect to a center console of a vehicle that includes a cup holder.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the inventive holder which includes additional elements for securing the base thereof to the center console.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the inventive holder and its position relative to an inclined center console.

FIGS. 8a-c are bottom plan (with respect to the center projecting element), side and top plan views of the holder shown in FIG. 7, showing the angled projecting element.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternative holder which is secured to a center console by suction means.

FIGS. 10a-c are top plan, side elevational and front elevational views of another embodiment of the inventive holder that includes prongs for securing any excessive length of a power cord used to supply power to the article secured by the holder.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the inventive holder that includes a resilient layer for dampening vibrations transmitted from the center console to the article secured by the holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein, a "center console" denotes any element that extends between the driver and front passenger seats in a vehicle such as an automobile, truck, van, etc. Center consoles typically include one or more of the following: storage compartments, cup holders, stick shifts and instrument clusters. Center consoles can be affixed to, or project from, a vehicle dashboard, or can project from and/or rotate away from a point between the driver and front passenger seats.

Turning now to the drawings, in FIGS. 1 and 2a-c a first embodiment of a holder 10 according to the invention which is adapted for use with a center console having a cup holder includes a base 12, a projection 14 and a receptacle 16 defined in the upper surface 18 of base 12. Projection 14 is adapted to register within the cup holder of the center console, thereby releasably securing the base 12 to the center console. Receptacle 16 is adapted to receive an article, in particular a personal CD player, thereby securing the article to the base. Once secured, a CD player can then be played through the vehicle's audio system via a tape deck adapter (not shown) or other known means.

Receptacle 16 in FIGS. 1 and 2a-c has an open side along top edge 20 of base 12. In an alternative receptacle configuration shown in FIG. 3, receptacle 16 is completely enclosed.

In FIGS. 4a-b, receptacle 16 is provided with a slotted member 22, within which a grooved member 24 slidingly engages. Grooved member 24 in turn is affixed, for example using an adhesive, to personal CD player 26. By slidingly engaging grooved member 24 within slotted member 22, personal CD player 26 is retained more securely within receptacle 16.

If desired, the base of the inventive holder can be formed without a receptacle defined in its upper surface. The article to be retained, such as a personal CD player, is secured to the upper surface by any desired means, such as the grooved and slotted members shown in FIGS. 4a-b, by flexible fasteners such as one or more straps, by releasable adhesives applied to the upper surface of the holder and/or the bottom surface of the article to be secured, or by any other means.

The relationship of the holder 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2a-c to the center console of the vehicle to which it is secured is illustrated in FIG. 5. Projection 14 of holder 10 registers within cup holder 30 of console 32 and extends toward shift 33. Personal CD player 26 is secured within receptacle 16 of holder 10, and is readily accessible to the driver of the vehicle.

As illustrated, the open side of receptacle 16 faces rearward with respect to the interior of the vehicle. The open side can also be oriented to face forward.

For additional stability, an alternative embodiment of holder 10 illustrated in FIG. 6 is provided with a securing flange 36 which extends between and partially under cover 34 of compartment 40 defined within console 30. When cover 34 is closed, the cover holds securing flange 36 in place, thus further securing holder 10 to console 30. Additional stability is also provided by support 38 which extends downward from base 12 to contact console 32.

An alternative embodiment of a holder 50 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8a-c. Some vehicles include center consoles 60 which rotate upward to form an inclined structure. Holder 50 includes base 52 and angled projection 54 adapted to register within cup holder 62 defined in the inclined console 60. A personal CD player 26 or other article is secured within receptacle 56 defined in upper surface 58 of base 52 in a manner similar to those described previously.

Other configurations of the inventive holder are that are suitable for use with center consoles having orientations and/or elements (such as covers) other than those illustrated herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. All such configurations are considered to be encompassed by the present invention.

In the foregoing embodiments, the holder is releasably secured to the center console by means of a projection which registers within a cup holder defined in the center console. Other means for securing the holder (releasably or non-releasably) to a center console are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, holder 70 includes a base 72 from which arms 74 downwardly project. Suction cups 76 affixed to arms 74, when pressed against console 80, secure holder 70 to the center console. Personal CD player 26 is then secured to base 72 by any desired means, such as strap 78 as shown in FIG. 9, by means of a receptacle defined in base 72 in the manner described above, or by any other means. Other means for securing the inventive holder to a center console, such as clamps, straps, adhesives, mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts, etc. can also be used.

In FIGS. 10a-c, an alternative embodiment of the inventive holder 90 includes a ledge 92 and prongs 94. When an article such as a personal CD player is secured to holder 90 (in the illustration by disposing the article within receptacle 96), and a power cord (not shown) which supplies power to the article is plugged into a cigarette lighter located in the center console, any excess length of the power cord is wrapped around prongs 94 to retain the cord in place. Alternatively, excess lengths of power cord are secured by wrapping around posts or other elements, by grasping elements such as clips, by elastic devices, straps, etc. In a like manner, excess lengths of tape deck adapter cord (also not shown) can be secured.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment which is particularly in situations in which excessive vibration may cause a personal CD player to skip. Holder 100 includes base 112 and projection 114, and has defined therein receptacle 116 for receiving the article to be secured, such as a personal CD player. On the lower surface 118 of receptacle 116 is disposed a resilient element 120 which dampens vibrations transmitted from the center console to the article secured to holder 100. Resilient element 120 is comprised, for example, of a layer of a resilient material such as a foamed polymer. Other resilient elements useful in accordance with the invention include packaged liquids, gels or granulated materials, air cushions, small springs, and the like.

Although the inventive holders have been illustrated primarily in relation to vehicle center consoles, they can also be adapted to be secured to other elements within a vehicle, such as the front dashboard, a ceiling projection or compartment, etc. Holders so adapted are considered to constitute part of the invention.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6253982-description.html

Will Your CD Player Tell on You?

2007-09-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

An anonymous reader writes "Ever feel like not being a marketing statistic? Well just by playing certain store-bought compact discs in your home or office computer, your new music disc may be transmitting your listening habits in real time to the respective record company...." Charming. Read on for more...

Anonymous Continues: "A company by the name of Bandlink is providing technology to record companies that allows a cd played in a personal computer to contact their server and relate statistics such as what track you're listening to and when you're listening to them. This information is then compiled into customizable reports that allow the record company to develop "User Profiles". There are benefits listed for the consumer such as cd-specific chatrooms, concert information, etc but the question remains: What's your price for privacy? The only indication that the cd you're purchasing is Bandlink "enabled/disabled" is a small logo on the packaging. There is no mention of a opt in/opt out agreement when the cd is inserted on the website and none was displayed in a personal demonstration.

Favorite quote from their website: "Virtually any information you want to know about your fan or the quality of your release can be obtained.""

http://slashdot.org/articles/02/12/15/2024207.shtml

Burmester Introduces New Classic Line CD Player

2007-09-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

Burmester US, a division of Burmester Audiosysteme, Germany’s leading manufacturer of high-performance electronics and speakers, introduces the 061 Classic Line CD Player, combining a warm, natural musicality with a classically elegant design, at CEDIA EXPO ‘07.

The newest member of Burmester’s Classic Line, the 061 CD Player is a dedicated top-loading CD Playback system, refined for demanding audiophiles who recognize sophisticated product design and demand uncompromised sound quality equally matched with superior build quality. Completing an overhaul of the Classic Line, the 061 CD player features a Phillips CD 2 Pro direct drive with a modified servo board that guarantees high-resolution audio as well as an intensely musical sound. Further contributing to its superb performance are advanced converter technology with switchable upsampling rates of 96 and 192 kHz, and top-of-the-line analog output stages.

The precision top loader is made of milled aluminum with a 10-millimeter thick tray that opens and closes as softly as butter on Teflon rails, making it a pleasure to insert a CD.

The 061 CD Player is also strongly protected against early obsolescence. Its built-in D/A converters are mounted on a separate D/A converter module that can be upgraded or retrofitted as needed for future developments. A multimedia Interface slot for future applications is also included, further enabling the 061 CD Player to accommodate new digital enhancements.

The 061 CD Player’s connection panel includes two digital RCA inputs and outputs, one Toslink optical digital input and output, a balanced XLR stereo output, and two unbalanced stereo RCA stereo outputs. All incoming digital signals are upsampled to the sample rate selected by the sample rate converter, and the D/A converter can also be used externally through the CD Player’s digital inputs. A remote control and Burmester Power 1.5 Cable are supplied as standard.

The 061 CD Player also features a unique security measure. Its serial number is indelibly stored in its control chips, and can be displayed by the user on the front-panel’s dot-matrix display. Any unauthorized change of the number will shut down the player, to be revived exclusively by Burmester.

The 061 CD Player can be optionally equipped with the newest version of Burmester’s BurLink interface, which features RS-232 and USB2.0 ports. It’s ideal for integration with home automation systems, such as those from Crestron, AMX and other manufacturers.

Burmester’s new 061 Classic Line CD Player is available now in silver housing with a chrome front panel at a suggested price of $11,995. It can be seen with the company’s other outstanding products at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, 1400 Welton Street (2 blocks from the Colorado Convention Center), during CEDIA EXPO.

http://www.cepro.com/article/burmester_introduces_new_classic_line_cd_player/K9

Save Dollars on Items You Need at an Online Superstore

2007-09-27T02:45:00.000-07:00

There is not a person out there that would not like to save some money every time they shop. One way to save is to shop at online superstores. The stores offer almost every item your family could need or want and deliver them right to your doorstep.

Just think how delightful it would be to sit in the comfort of your own home and avoid all the hustle and bustle of shopping. Shopping at an online superstore would also cut down the wear and tear on your car and help save on gas.

The online superstores also offer coupons and discounts on many items. Just remember to punch in your coupon code each time you checkout. Many online merchants will offer an e-mail newsletter where they will have a private sell, so be sure you are added to their e-mail list. You do not have to be a member to order from online superstores, but in order to receive the lowest prices and all the benefits, you should sign up today for a membership.

Shopping for Gifts at an Online Superstore

You can choose wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, birthday gifts, gifts for babies, teachers, or gifts for anyone special in your life. With the savings you will enjoy from buying these gifts at the online superstore, you will not have to worry about going over your budget.

Gifts for Teens

Teens love gadgets for music, chatting, and entertainment. Choosing a MP3 player or CD player for the teenagers in your life would be a wise gift choice. A camera phone would also create some excitement around the home! These electronics items come in many colors, styles, shapes, and sizes so you can easily give a pleasing gift to your teen. Online superstores also offer accessories for these items at discount prices, including cell phone cases, MP3 headphones, CD cases, and so forth. If your teen is interested in sports, search for sport-related items.

Gifts for Men

For the man in your life, you can choose from a large selection of sporting goods and tools. Of course, any man's favorite is the home theatre systems offered in all sizes for the small, medium, or large sized room (the bigger, the better). Men enjoy surround sound speakers, remote control everything, and plenty of shelves and drawers to organize their movie videos or DVDs and whatever else.

Gifts for Women

Women love to receive the top quality, fashionable clothes and the different styles of jewelry that they can show off at any event or occasion. The fresh fragrance of a bottle of perfume would enlighten any woman's evening. You can also find delightful gifts to decorate her home or garden.

Saving on Household and Everyday Items at Online Superstores

Also available at online superstores are large selections of household items such as appliances and cutlery sets for your kitchen. You can also save by purchasing all your electronic needs and accessories.

You will always receive a big savings on your health and beauty products, pet supplies, school supplies, garden tools, and just about anything you could possibly need when you purchase them at an online superstore.

Go online today and search for an online superstore where you can do all your shopping and save money on the items you need and gifts for your loved ones.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Save Dollars at Superstores or Majon's Shopping - General directory.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

Packing for Your Child's Hospital Stay

2007-09-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

Being an adult and having an extended stay at the hospital is bad enough. Being a child or the parent of a child who is going to be spending time in the hospital is even worse. We all like the comforts of home, the things we are familiar with to make us feel safe and secure. When you are packing for your child’s hospital stay, there are some things that you can pack to help your child have some of the comforts of home and to help them pass the time.

The first thing that you need to do is to make a list of their favorite things, including bedtime routines and objects that bring them comfort. If the hospital permits it, bring as much of this with you as possible. If you read a book together every night before going to bed it will be comforting to them to have you read it before they go to bed in the hospital. Thinking of my own children, we couldn’t make it without their snugglies, a few matchbox cars for my son or Dr. Seuss books for my daughter.

Think about their favorite pastimes. Does a coloring book and crayons or play doh keep them occupied for hours? Does your child enjoy crafts or playing cards? Do they like to listen to music or have a favorite DVD? Do they listen to a certain CD when they are going to bed at night? Check with the hospital to see if you could bring a CD player or if they have a DVD player in the room.

Most hospitals will have guidelines as to what you can or can’t bring with you. Of course, whatever you bring will depend on what type of treatment or medical services your child is receiving. Being on bed rest will limit some activities that they can do. As their parent, the best thing you can do is to make sure that you are doing whatever you can to help them feel safe, secure and comforted and to help their hospital stay pass as quickly as possible.

For more information about childrenshospitalboston, stjudeshospital, childrensmemorialhospital and other hospitals, you can visit our website.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Gupton

7 Tips To Follow When Moving Yourself

2007-09-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

When you move yourself, either because of time or money constraints, try to take some time to evaluate what things you need to keep in mind as you prepare for your journey especially if you do not have much experience in the process of moving. This will save you the added stress an unplanned, chaotic move can bring and assure you of a safe journey to your destination.

1) Collect Items For A Truck Repair Kit: Buy some of your own windshield wiper fluid, anti-freeze or coolant, and oil. Gather together some tools that you may need such a screwdriver, flashlight, rope, duct tape, etc. and keep these items with your kit. Depending on how far you will be traveling, keep in mind that the truck you will be driving will be pulling a heavy load and it might need more than just gas to get there.

2) Take Note Of What Is In Working Order When You Rent Your Truck: If you are towing a vehicle behind your rental truck, make sure the trailer you are pulling has a working tow package. This means that the brake lights, tail lights, blinkers, and trailer brakes are all in working order. In addition, the truck rental company will usually conduct a walkaround by you and one of the rental company employees to discuss rental guidelines and review the condition of the truck. You will be held accountable for any damage that is not written on this sheet. So be sure to note every little flaw.

3) Make Sure You Review Your Driving Route: If you are traveling distances of more than a fifty miles, before you head out of your driveway, get your mind ready to be thinking about overpasses. This is a common problem with rental trucks as people are not used to looking for low clearance signage. If you go under a low clearance bridge that you will be unable to clear, it will destroy the truck (not to mention your possessions) and you will be left holding the bill. Make sure the truck you rent will be able to clear the bridges you need to travel through.

4) Realistically Plan Your Work Pace: It is a smart idea to compare the pricing difference if you kept the truck one extra day. People often underestimate how draining and stressful the whole moving process can be, and if you are hurrying all day so that you can return the truck by closing time (usually five o’clock) you will most likely take shortcuts and make extra work on yourself by not moving the right things to the right room. Find out what it would be worth to you to be able to take breaks, work at an unhurried pace, and take the truck back the next day. It could be such a nominal amount that it will be worth it to pay the fee for the extra time and enjoy a less stressful moving experience.

5) Plan The Packing and Loading & Unloading of Your Rental Truck: Pack the heavy stuff toward the front of the truck, i.e. the part of the truck closest to the cab. If you can, pack the items in such a way that what you want to come off first is put on last. Also put anything that you may need to get to quickly, like overnight gear, right inside the door. Often rental trucks have a pullout ramp for loading and unloading. This ramp is narrow and typically made of aluminum. Take care as you load and unload items and be careful that you don't fall off either side when carrying heavy objects. Keep in mind that these ramps can become very slick if they even get a little bit wet. Carpet scraps are great to minimize slipping. Make sure you use dollys or hand trucks to make your moving job easier.

6) Find Smart Ways To Secure The Rental Truck: If you are moving/traveling on multiple nights, make sure to park your truck in such a way to deter thieves. Find a wall or a tree or some otherwise immovable structure where you can back the truck right up close. Thieves will be less likely to break into your truck, as they won't be able to get many items out and they will have to work too hard to access it. Buy a lock so that you can secure the back door to the truck.

7) Make Sure You Are Fully Equipped to Listen To "Moving" Music: Many moving trucks are only equipped with the barest essentials, often without a tape deck or CD player, sometimes even without FM radio. Check your particular truck and decide if you can travel a long distance without some good tunes, your favorite talk radio programs or traffic reports. If you own a portable radio or CD player pack these in the truck, or consider buying a small portable radio.

Nef Cortez has been a licensed real estate broker and has held various positions in the real estate and mortgage industry for over 25 years. If you would like to read more of Nef's timely advice (with the latest FREE info on local foreclosures), visit his website at Chino Hills CA Real Estate or read his blog at A Slice of So Cal Real Estate

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nef_Cortez

Buying a Home Theater Receiver

2007-09-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

Buying a receiver is one of the most important decisions you're going to have to make when building your home theater. The receiver has a number of functions including; connecting and switching audio sources; connecting and switching video sources; decoding surround sound formats; amplifying an audio signal and sending it to your speakers; tuning in to radio stations; and acting as the interface between you and your home theater.

The first thing to think about is whether you want a receiver at all or would you be better off buying a separate decoder, amplifier, and tuner?

Despite being a more expensive route - not to mention the extra space needed - separates do have some advantages. You can pick and choose your own combination of components, can upgrade each component individually and won't lose all the functions if one piece develops a fault. On top of that, having each electronic component in a separate box does improve sound quality when compared with having them all on one circuit board.

However, the separates route is more expensive, more complicated and needs more space than buying a receiver. And for most people its uneccessary. Today's receivers do a very good job in all of their functions.

So what should should you look out for when buying a receiver? The first thing is to make sure that it has ll the inputs you need for the equipment you need to connect to it. Sounds obvious, but its very easy to overlook. As a mimimum it should have digital audio inputs (optical and co-axial) for Dolby Digital and/or DTS. It should also have analogue audio inputs for CD player, set-top box and possibly DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD player (the last two currently don't have digital outputs in order to make it less easy to pirate CDs).

You should also consider whether you want to route all your video sources such as TV, DVD player, and games console through your receiver. Doing so means you can switch between sources from one controller, very easily. But if you want to do this you'll need to make sure the receiver you're interested in has enough video inputs. These could be S-Video or component inputs are best, or if you're in Europe, Scart. You should also make sure the video output from the receiver is of high quality, so again, it should be S-Video, component or Scart.

If you can test a receiver before you buy, its worth comparing the quality of a video signal from a DVD player when its connected directly to a display and comparing it with when its connected via the receiver. There shouldn't be any noticeable difference in quality.

The power rating of the amplifier is also important. The bigger the room you have for your home theater, the more power you'll need. And makes sure that the power rating is quoted in Watts per channel - the last thing you want is to get home with your 100Watt receiver and discover that its power is split between eight speakers in you 7.1 set-up. It's impossible to specify how powerful your amplifier should be, but if your home theater is in a reasonable-sized room, as opposed to an aircraft hanger, 100Watts per channel should be fine.

Finally, don't forget the remote control. It's the key interface between you and the reciever and you'll spend a lot of time using it. So make sure it's comfortable and straightforward to use. The last thing you want is to have to spend ages wading through on-screen menus to get what you want.

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner, a site which aims to cut through the confusion surrounding HDTV and provide surfers with up to date, accurate and easy to read information on HDTV.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Hemphill

Techsplosion, Cheap MP3 Players & More - Welcome To Techsplosion!

2007-09-27T02:38:00.000-07:00

Introduction

* The MP3 player is the most recent in an evolution of music formats that have helped consumers enjoy their music.
* Using the MP3 compression system reduces the amount of space a song requires (number of bytes) yet it retains sound that is near CD-quality.
* All of that stored music fits into an MP3 player - a device about the size of a deck of cards! That's a big difference in size compared to carrying a CD player and CD storage cases. MP3 players are far easier to carry around and are much more portable. MP3 Players have become so much more popular because they are cheap, portable and above all, MP3 players are cheap to own with prices starting at less than £19.99.
* MP3 players are able to automatically detect the recording formats your sound card supports and then set the application's parameters for the best possible performance.
* MP3 players can record many sources: CD’s, Voices from built in microphones (much like a Dictaphone), the internet from sources such as Napster, MSN Music, Virgin Digital and iTunes. They also integrate with a number of cheap or free MP3 software packages such as Win amp, Windows Media Player, Quick Time and RealPlayer.

About techsplosion.co.uk:

Techsplosion specialize in the sale of MP3 players, ranging from cheap MP3 players (e.g. 128MB MP3 players and 26MB MP3 players) to high end MP3 players such as the Samsung YH-J70, Samsung YH-999, Samsung YH-920 and Samsung YH-925 - many of which are DRM 10 or Janus compatible MTP Devices which work with cheap subscription based music download services such as MSN, Napster and Virgin. In addition to cheap MP3 players, blank discs (DVD and CD) Techsplosion also sell cheap Inkrite Ink cartridges for Epson and Canon printers, Nintendo DS consoles, cheap Nintendo DS games and value Nintendo DS accessories. They also have a wide range of Sony PSP consoles, PSP games and PSP accessories. All of these exciting products are available to buy online from their store… what are you waiting for? Start shopping online today!

About Techsplosion Products:

Techsplosion sell a variety of different MP3 players ranging from cheap MP3 players to high end MP3 players like Apple ipods such as the iPod Nano, iPod shuffle, iPod video and the Samsung YH-J70, Samsung YH-999, Samsung YH-925, Samsung YH-920 and the new Janus compatible T-Classic flash MP3 players.

The T-classic MP3 players are available in a number of memory sizes e.g. 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB. These cheap, affordable MP3 players are among the very first flash based MTP devices on the market. These cheap MP3 players / MTP devices are among the cheapest MP3 players available today on the market which work with subscription based music services such as Napster to go, Virgin Digital and MSN. These subscription based music services enable users to pay a monthly fee for which they may download as much music to their MP3 players as they want to. On top of that these MP3 players are solid dependable MP3 players with built in FM radio, bright backlight display and enough memory to store loads of music.

The T-Classic MP3 players are extremely well designed, They are powered by a single AAA battery which lasts approximately 10 hours from new making these cheap strong>MP3 players cheap to run. They also have a bright, 7-colour LCD backlight display and feature play list support via Napster and Windows Media Player 10, resume function, user friendly menus and an easy to use interface. They also have a removable USB cap which enables the end user to plug their device directly into their PC without the need for a cable.

The T-Classic strong>MP3 players are available in different colours such as Blue, White, Red, Silver Black, Orange and Pink – they really do offer something for everyone without upsetting their budget.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Techsplosion,-Cheap-MP3-Players-and-More---Welcome-To-Techsplosion!&id=141041

The Best Workout Music Or Best Workout Song - Hardcore Gym Suggestions

2007-09-27T02:36:00.000-07:00

Whenever bodybuilding magazine writers and other visitors to Metroflex Gym return home, they all lament the same thing in private phone conversations: they miss Metroflex's atmosphere and music! They love the fact that their lifts go up in weight whenever they visit the "Most Hardcore Gym In America" as selected by Muscle & Fitness Magazine (July 2005).

Now you can take some of that atmosphere to your gym with Metroflex's suggestions for the best workout music or best workout song to help you with your weight training. Yes, these will help you even if you train in one of the "ultra-posh" gyms around the world.

For those of you who love lifting heavy weights, you know that in most commercial gyms you have to blast your MP3 player merely to drown out the terrible club music playing above the squat racks; and that assumes they even have squat racks or a power rack in the first place! Now, even if you train in one of these gyms you can make your CD player or MP3 player "hardcore" enough to help you as you train with the methods of Metroflex.

We polled the Metroflex Gym members, and the owner compiled the Top 10 requested songs which motivate the members the most. In no particular order, here they are:

• AC-DC: Thunderstruck
• 2 Pac: California Love
• Rocky IV: War (the rest of the soundtrack is liked as a whole)
• Hank Williams, Jr.: Country Boy Can Survive
• Saliva: Click Click Boom
• Metallica: Enter Sandman
• Prodigy: Smack My B***h Up
• Ramstein: Du Hast
• DMX: I'ma Bang
• Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl

Other favorites include:

• Metallica: Creeping Death
• Mudvayne: Dig
• AC-DC: TNT

If you have a list of favorite songs which you think comprise the best workout music please e-mail us at newsletters@MetroflexGymTraining.com. We will compile your suggestions for a future announcement.

If you found this article to be useful and relevant, you are welcome to visit http://www.MetroflexGymTraining.com to get weight training & exercise information which simply works! You may also get the information by going to any of the following websites (if they are easier for you to remember):

http://www.GetInShapeQuick.com
http://www.GreatBiceps.com

You are invited to purchase the e-book and at least join the Metroflex Gym Newsletter and download free reports, training logs, and receive special unannounced bonuses!

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Mc_Dermott

Unlimited Music Downloads – Tips On Downloading Music MP3

2007-09-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

Unlimited music downloads was a dream to music lovers in the past. Today it has become a reality to us. With so many online music stores, we are able to find songs we love, download them onto our computer or portable media device such as the MP3 player. This article would share with you what are some of the benefits of downloading music online and why it will take over traditional music CD as the largest source of music for the world.

Benefits of Downloading Music Online

1. Convenience of Music Downloads

You can access to unlimited music downloads anywhere you want with an internet connection and media file players such as Windows Media Player, Real One Player, etc. You don’t have to hunt for a music store, nor step out of your house to get hold of a CD.

2. Ease and Speed of Downloading Music

Did you know that searching, finding and downloading can be done in double-quick time? In fact, once you have identified the list of songs you wish to download, you can leave your desk, and go for a short break. When you are back, the music downloads would have been complete and they are hot for playing. Forget about having to ransack the music CD store to look for your favorite songs and singer.

3. Choice of Music Downloads

Gone were the days when you are forced to buy a whole CD even if you only like one song inside. With an unlimited music downloads, you have a choice as to what song title you wish to download and listen. There is no need to skip those songs you don’t really want to listen to so you can relax and plug in only to your favorites.

4. Compact & Portable

With MP3 media, it is so simple to store your music. Nowadays, the prices of MP3 players such as iPod, iRiver, Creative, etc have become affordable even for those models with huge disk capacity. Remember those days when we have to carry large CD cases whenever we travel around, and those clumsy moments of switching from one CD to another? A matchbox size MP3 player can easily store a few hundred songs.

There is one beauty about unlimited music downloads that must be mentioned here. You no longer have to go through the tedious process of ripping songs from CDs and burning them either to a CD or transferring them to your MP3 player. Everything at the music downloads site is a simple zip and go. Music lovers who are keen on laying their hands on a lifetime access of unlimited music downloads, drop by and read more 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.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Learn where you can have instant access to unlimited music downloads - all your favorite hits, latest music videos, MP3s and more at unlimited-music-downloads.blogspot.com.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Davion_Wong

Free Legal Music Downloads - Should They Be DRM Free Too?

2007-09-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

It’s what everybody’s after; free, legal music downloads. In many cases it’s not only the fact that people want free downloads, it’s that they want their music to be unencumbered by DRM restrictions. Once they’ve downloaded their music, people want the ability to transport it to as many of their playback devices as they wish. The typical downloader today has a laptop, at least one desktop machine, a portable MP3 player, and possible an MP3 / WMA enabled head unit in their vehicle(s). Most consumers would like to be able to burn their music onto a CD for archival or playback on other devices that don’t support any of the download formats, like a traditional CD player.

The requirements of DRM that limited them from being able to freely use their music in any or all of these devices was a prime consideration in their desire to obtain free, legal music downloads. It’s typically not all about the money. There’s more in play when it comes to downloads. After all, consumers have shown time and again they are more than willing to pay a fair price for a product or service if it meets their needs and expectations.

A 2005 survey of European Internet consumers by the Indicare Project revealed that 40% listened to music on MP3 players and 69% listened to music on their computers, but many were confused by DRM restrictions. Most surveyed expected to be able to transfer and burn their music downloads, and were “confused and annoyed” when unable to. With the rising popularity of not only music downloads, but the increasing popularity of video and movie downloads, this problem is likely to grow worse.

The recent announcement that Amazon.com and EMI that they would be releasing legal music downloads with no DRM restrictions seems to bear out the fact that such restrictions are actually of dubious benefit to the recording and movie industries, despite vicious prosecution of many downloaders by industry associations such as the RIAA. In fact EMI is the 4th largest record label group in the world, and you can be sure they have studied the DRM / downloading issue ad nausem.

The reality of the situation is that consumers want to be able to do with their downloads as they please, especially if they’ve paid for them, and the restrictions posed by DRM are actually hurting the industry. Unless it can be shown that a substantial percentage of those who availed themselves of free music downloads would have actually purchased similar content had they not downloaded the music some other way, the music industry will suffer by continuing to impose such restrictions. Actually the number of people who avoid DRM encumbered, legal downloads altogether due to portability issues will continue to contribute to the decline in music sales, when music downloads should be creating a much larger revenue stream for the recording industry and the artists.

You want to join the millions of people that are able to download free, legal music? You want it to be fast, have a large selection and free from some of the spyware, malware and viruses you'll find at some of the seedier locations on the Internet? Most people would, too. To discover the secrets to free, legal music downloads, go to the free legal music download guide.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Faber

How to Put Music Onto a MP3 Player?

2007-09-27T02:31:00.000-07:00

If you are one of those million people who had taken the chance to follow the trend by getting your very first MP3 player, you may be in for some help. Most newbies may not easily understand the mechanics of putting music files onto their MP3 players. Besides, these innovative musical devices are not being sold in the market with a pre-downloaded music files.

So if you are not yet knowledgeable of the device, these simple guides on how to put music onto a MP3 player will absolutely help you out and start rocking your world with blasting great music.

1. Get a good installation software for music management

The success of downloading music file onto your MP3 player will greatly depend on the kind of installation software that you have. Not all of these software are created equal. Hence, it is best to consider the right device first before you start making plans of downloading the newest music files from the Internet.

2. Install the software

You cannot download files onto your MP3 player if you will not install first onto your personal computer the software capable of managing your music files.

Music management software provides optimum services that enable you to organize your music files, convert different music format into mp3 and vice versa, or search good-to-download mp3 files in the Internet.

3. Identify the source

After installing the music management software, you have to determine now the source of your music files. This can be either a CD or a collection of music files from a virtual music store in the Internet. You may use your old music from your CDs and install them onto your MP3 player. In this way, you can listen to them anywhere, anytime.

4. Convert into MP3 format

In most cases, downloadable music files from the Internet are already available in MP3 format. So that would not pose much of a problem.

However, if you will be downloading music files from a CD, you have to convert them into MP3 format because most CD music files are not on this format.

You may use your music management software to rip the files from the CD and convert them into MP3 format using the applicable functions.

5. Connect, select, and party on!

The last thing that you have to do in putting your music onto a MP3 player is to connect your MP3 player to your PC via the USB port. Once accessed from the computer, you can now easily transfer your music files from your PC down to your MP3 player. Within a few minutes, you can already start listening to your favorite songs and party on!

Indeed, these tips on how to put music onto a MP3 player are easy to understand. With the right tools, the right software, and the best MP3 player, you can be sure of an enjoyable time ahead with sounds playing in your ears without the fuss.

To search for all your favorite songs in minutes, please visit http://www.feed-your-mp3-player.info/

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee

How To Download Music On PSP

2007-09-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

The first thing that one must understand when they are asking how to download music on psp is that the process is one that will take music from the computer and load it onto the handheld. This is a simple process, but must be done or the music files will be no good on the psp.

The first and foremost thing to understand is that the psp will only play mp3 formats. This means that when you want to play your favorite cd off of the psp, you will have to rip to audio files from the cd to the hard drive of the computer. These will then need to be converted to an MP3 format. This may sound easy, but this will require the use of custom programs. Many of these can be downloaded from the internet so that the tracks can be ripped and the conversion can be done properly. Once these two things have been done the person can then hook the psp to the pc as a portable media device and copy the must to the psp.

Some people have tried to use Windows media player to rip the music, but there is one problem with this. The settings on the media player have to be set to not encode the music files or they will be garbage no matter what you do with them for the psp. This one option in Windows Media Player encodes the music so that it is only usable on the PC that they were copied onto. This may seem like a jip, but it is a security method that Microsoft had set up so that people couldn’t put music from CDs to other media.

PSP has been making itself more functional and is in many ways a portable PC that needs the foundation that the traditional pc can offer. This means that they can use the PC to set up many of the options that are housed in the psp. The music process is just one example where this is proven.

Another option that people can consider is if they have the psp configured to access the internet they can go to websites that support MP3 audio files. These can then be downloaded and the music can be pulled directly to the psp. This can make it possible to bypass the PC entirely, but only if the internet is properly set up and if the web sites are found on the internet. This can require some research, but will make it possible for someone to get the music they like any where they are at.

The next thing that the person should remember is that it would be ideal to have a large memory stick for this purpose. The sound files, even in mp3, will be large and should have a place to be stored. A good sized memory stick can hold multiple songs and will not bog down the psp with the space that they will require this way.

Some people have found that they psp can be a good alternate to an ipod or a cd player in a car or on long trips using this method. That can make the psp that much more of a tool as there is only one item that needs to be taken instead of a batch. Many people have found this useful when they are having to carry luggage or are in a long trip where space and keeping track of items is required.

Dylan Graves is an intense PSP fanatic. You can find out more on how to pimp out your PSP at PSP Blender

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dylan_Graves

What are Audio Books

2007-09-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Technology brings us new products every week and sometimes keeping up with the trends can seem to be a full time job.

In the next few paragraphs I will answer a few of the most common questions to do with audio books, what they are and who can use them.

Firstly, what are audio books?? Audio Books are quite simply a book that has been recorded as an audio version so that you can have the book read to you, rather than you having to read the hardcopy yourself.

Where can I get an audio book from?? You can buy audio books from the bookstore, as you would a normal hardcopy book, but the more popular option these days is to buy one online and download it straight to your home computer. There are several advantages to this. The most obvious one is the convenience of not having to leave the house and fight with other customers. The other is that, quite often, downloadable audio books are cheaper than store bought ones. There are many websites that you can download audio books from. My favourite is http://www.spokenword-audiobook.com They have a huge range of titles. The download process is simple. There is no extra software to install and best of all… No membership that you have to sign up for. (Many sites charge a monthly fee to be a member of their site)

What do I use to listen to an audio book? If you buy an audio book from a store it will already be on cassette or cd. If you download one from the internet, you will be able to listen to it straight from your computer, or you can copy it onto a cd yourself or onto an mp3 player. Both of these are easy processes and mean that your book is now very portable. You will be able to listen to your book wherever you can take your cd player or mp3 player, in other words, pretty much anywhere. In the car, walking, at the beach, doing housework, traveling interstate or overseas, etc…

What is a dramatized audio book? A dramatized audio book is a book that is narrated using a full cast, music and sound effects so that you get a real life dramatization of the book.

What is an abridged audio book? An abridged audio book is one that has been shortened to read more like a story. It is not read word for word.

What is an unabridged audio book? An unabridged audio book is one that is read word for word from the original hardcopy.

These are a few answers to questions people may have on audio books. Audio books have so many advantages especially if you are able to download them off the internet yourself. They can make excellent gifts if you were to copy a book onto cd and make a personalized cover for the case. Not only are you giving the gift of reading, but you are introducing them to the world of audio books and all its advantages. So start browsing the endless list of titles today. At http://www.spokenword-audiobook.com they even have a FREE audio book available every month so you can trial their easy 3 step system risk free. Catch up on your reading today!!

Angela Bryson is a registered nurse, wife and mother of 3 young children. She has a strong sense of family values and enjoys sharing her ideas and advice on how to find that balance between work, family and down time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Bryson

Audio CD Copiers

2007-09-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Special copiers are available for duplicating audio CD and can copy multiple CDs from a single original or master CD. The master CD is copied onto several unwritten blank CDs. Audio CD copiers need software to copy or burn the CD, and depending on the program, a number of CDs can be burned at the same time.

Software programs also enable file conversions. Audio files have extensions such as Mp3, wav, ogg and audio CD. There are software programs, which can perform required file conversions. Audio files can be encoded into Mp3, which occupy less space and can be copied faster. Later these can be decoded into audio formats to be played on players such as Windows Media Player, WinAmp, Real Player, etc.

Audio CD copiers use burning technology. CDs are coated with a dye. A laser head in the copier selectively burns this dye. This copies the audio file on the CD.

Earlier CD copiers were manually operated. They required the user to open the shutter when one CD was copied and to load the other CD. Naturally, they were very slow, with speeds rarely going above 8x. Modern audio copiers are standalone or PC attached. Standalone audio CD copiers do not need a PC connection, and they have a hard disc of their own. They are actually a combination of several CD copiers, which can simultaneously copy CDs. They also have a robotic arm, which can load CDs as they are being copied. Hence, standalone CD copiers are also called as hands-free copiers. They can copy as many as 150 CDs in an hour.

Audio CD copiers are very useful for people who wish to distribute audio material through CDs. Music companies use such copiers to duplicate CDs. Depending on the quality of the CD copier, the duplicated CD may be almost as good as the original. Copying CDs is an economical method for producing bulk number of audio CDs.

CD Copiers provides detailed information about CD copiers, CD DVD copiers, CD copier software, CD copier downloads and more. CD Copiers is the sister site of DVR Cards.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton

CAVS Karaoke DVD-203G USB SuperCDG Player, Pros and Cons of the CAVS DVD-203G USB Tested on the Road

2007-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

There has been lots of talk about the CAVS Karaoke Players so we thought we'd take the time to test one of the more popular models. The DVD-203G USB has all the usual features like 2 mic inputs with echo, programmable song ordering, numeric keypad to access any number song, parental control, digital Key control and Voice cancelling on multiplex discs but here we'll cover pros and cons on important points of interest.

CONS

Professionals will not use the supplied microphone. To my ear, as a professional I like to use high quality mics so the singers always sound their best. That being said, the average “consumer ear” may find that the supplied CAVS microphone sounds just fine.

There are no fancy video graphics like you see with the 12" laser discs. What you get is backup tracks of CD quality music with the song's lyrics on your monitor or TV

There are several ala carte extras to consider before buying a CAVS DVD-203G USB as follows:

1. The unit has two mic inputs but only comes with one microphone as was mentioned above. You might want a second for all those duets.

2. Most packages include 1 disc (up to 1250 songs) so if you want more discs they can cost between $70 - $200

3. The USB port is for an external hard drive which is NOT included so that will cost $100+ depending on the size but you could fit up to 100,000 songs or more on the bigger ones.

4. An Audio/Video cable is included but any additional cables for example; SVideo, Coaxial or Optical cables will have to be purchased separately.

5. In order to make your own SCDGs you need additional software for around $49 or a deluxe version for $69 from the manufacturer.

PROS

1. The CAVS DVD-203G USB is an average sized components which fits nicely into a home entertainment system or pro rack. It can replace an AC3 Dolby Digital DVD Player and/or 500 CD Carousel. It easily hooked up to my TIVO via the front side AV inputs (White-Red-Yellow RCA plugs) but those without TIVO should look for the same jacks on their VCR or right on the TV. You can also use an S Video connection or the RCA A/V jacks on your home stereo and TV combo. The professionals use the mixer and video directly to a video monitor or video patch bay to sync multiple TVs.

2. Plays every format: DVD/VCD/SCDG/CD+G/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/JPEG/Kodak Photo CD

3. Excellent sound and arrangement Quality - We tested the Sweet Georgia Brown Magic Tracks with 1208 songs and the quality of the sound and the musical arrangements were excellent.

4. SuperCDGs can be played on your computer. Each retail disc comes with a self contained PC program which loads and plays the hundreds and thousands of songs allowing you to do a karaoke show with just your (DVD equipped) PC or Laptop.

5. It's possible to Make your own SuperCDGs from your old CD+G library or from your MP3 collection of non-Karaoke songs with the optional software.

6. With the CAVS DVD-203G USB Player you can also hook up to an optional CAVS 60, 160 or 250 Gigabyte hard drive for a whopping storage capacity of 100,000 songs.

For the Professional:

* Save Money from buying so many discs

* Save Time from changing discs between singers

* Save Pain from carrying hundreds of discs in cases

* Save the headache from dealing with scratched discs when you swap them out since the need to swap discs it virtually eliminated.

* Mix-Down allows you to make studio type output of your performance to an external recorder or computer

In Conclusion

The trade-offs do not outweigh the values. There were a few added costs for a hard drive and some additional SCDG discs but we now have an expandable system which plays SCDGs. With this unit, the only thing that sets the pros apart from the amateurs is the '7 Rules to Hosting a CAVS Karoke Party

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Heise

Marion Meadows "Players Club" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

2007-09-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

Marion Meadows has released his most recent CD entitled Players Club.

Players Club will grab your attention right from the start with the title track Player's Club and doesn't let go until the very last note of the very last song After 6:00, which is another great track by the way.

Players Club is a nicely varied, mix of 11 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly gifted artist.

Marion Meadows is one of those musicians that has the ability to just bowl you over with his talent. The kind of artist it’s really a treat to be able to listen to.

While the entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are Wishing On A Star [track 3], Noche Privada [track 6], and Diggable [track 8].

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 2, Sweet Grapes. It’s a great track!

Players Club Release Notes:

Marion Meadows originally released Players Club on Apr 27, 2004 on the Heads Up Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Player's Club

2. Sweet Grapes

3. Wishing On A Star

4. The First Time

5. Noche Privada

6. Suede

7. Romantica

8. Diggable

9. Step A Little Closer

10. Deska

11. After 6:00

Personnel: Marion Meadows (soprano, tenor & baritone saxophones); Douglas Myers (vocals); Matt King (baritone saxophone); Chip Shearin (keyboards, bass, programming); Mike B., Wirlie Morris (keyboards, programming); Gerard Gibbs (keyboards); Wayne Cotton, Freddie Fox, Darnell Taylor (guitar); Chieli Minucci (Spanish guitar); Mel Brown (bass); Jabari (drums). Producers include: Marion Meadows, Michael Broening, Chip Shearin, Wirlie Morris, LeRoix Hampton III.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clyde_Lee_Dennis

How To Choose The Best Mp3 Player and Headphones To Fit Your Exercise Routine

2007-09-25T04:57:00.000-07:00

If you are like most people, you probably feel that any sort of extended exercising can get boring, whether it is walking, jogging or weight lifting. A portable Mp3 player is certainly a cure for those who don’t exercise because of lack of interest. Instead of carrying a bulky walkman or a CD player that skips, try investing in an Mp3 device to inject some excitement into your exercise routines or lack thereof.

Have a favorite CD? Load it on the Mp3 player and listen to it as you exercise. Better yet, my advice is to create a few categories. For example, have a rock category, a rap category, an oldies category etc. Most importantly, make a category of songs that really pump you up and “get your juices flowing.” Add any song that makes you feel like a speeding bullet and that you could leap a building in a single bound just by listening to it. Any song on the Rocky soundtrack or Final Countdown by Europe should be the base of this exercising category on your mp3 player.

So which Mp3 player should you choose? The smaller is most definitely better in this instance, but make sure to get at least 2gb of memory. You will be able to fit well over 400 songs with that size and will be able to make in depth categories with your favorite songs.

I would suggest looking at both the ZEN Nano Plus by Creative and the Apple iPOD Nano. Either one will move with you as you exercise. Another tip is to make sure that it comes with an armband strap that will allow you to move unhindered. They are comfortable and will allow your Mp3 player to be placed conveniently on your bicep. If that doesn’t interest you, you can also use the belt clip accessory that will allow the player to snap right into place on your workout pants or shorts.

The next issue is what ear pieces to choose while exercising. I would not use the ear piece that comes with either of the players that I have mentioned above. The earpieces are too small and they are not designed for activity. Yes, this will cost you more money, but this does not mean you should break the bank to purchase the best ear phones on the market. I encourage you to focus most of your Mp3 investment on purchasing the player that best fits your lifestyle. I feel as if Sony has the best designed headphones for activity. Sony carries a lot of them, so make sure to choose a pair that is lightweight, flexible and most importantly fits around your ears for increased comfort.

If running isn’t your interest, you can always purchase a speaker system for your music player. After you have loaded all of the music on your Mp3 player and are ready to do some dead lifts or heavily hit the bench press, the speaker system will allow music to be played through the speakers so you do not have to wear earpieces as you are exercising.

Brad Litwin is both a seasoned runner as well as an Mp3 aficionado. Visit his iPOD blog at http://www.myipodsforfree.blogspot.com iPOD blog for more information regarding Mp3 news, gadget and pop culture news.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Litwin

2006 Jeep Commander: 7 Passenger Trail Trekker

2007-09-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Jeep has finally done it. A 7 passenger trail rated Jeep is now available at a dealer near you. Long a maker of manly SUVs, the Commander holds true to form as it can easily be taken off road as well as down the highway. Unlike more pedestrian models, the Commander looks every bit the rugged vehicle that it is. For Jeep fans who need the extra room the Commander offers space not available in any Jeep since the Wagoneer was retired a generation ago. Let’s take a look at the 2006 Jeep Commander, the focus of this review.

So, why build a seven passenger Jeep? To give customers a choice, that’s why. With existing models able to carry only five passengers or less, the Commander meets the demand for a larger model. Instead of losing sales to GM or Ford, Jeep is now able to offer a vehicle that will keep customers from leaving for bigger and roomier models.

The Commander looks a lot like the Cherokee, which was retired in 2001 after an 18 year run. The boxy Cherokee was a favorite with many and the Commander successfully incorporates the Cherokee’s look and body style.

As it is, the Commander is not a huge beast. At just two inches longer than the Gran Cherokee, the Commander makes use of available space without adding a tremendous amount of bulk.

Key features of the Commander include:

# 3 engine choices: a 3.7-Liter V6; 4.7-Liter V8 MPI; 5.7-Liter HEMI® Multi-Displacement

# 2 transmission choices: a pair of five speed automatics

# 3 four wheel drive systems

# Anti-Lock 4-Wheel Disc Brakes

# 3 Sound Systems: AM/FM Stereo with CD Player and Changer Controls; an AM/FM Stereo Radio w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD/MP3 Player; or a DVD-based GPS Navigation System with 6-CD/MP3 Changer

# Leather trimmed or bucket seats

# Supplemental Side Curtain Air Bags In All Rows

# The usual accouterments including air conditioning, bucket seats, power everything, etc.

Jeep gives owners the option of owning a traditional rear wheel drive Commander or 4x4 models. Base price for the entry level Commander starts at just over $28,000 while the fully loaded Commander Limited retails at just under forty thousand. Prices for the Commander are on par with those in its class.

I like what Jeep has done with the Commander and think that you will too. I am, however, holding my breathe as Jeep prepares to introduce its first non-trail rated model [sacrilege] next year; in the meantime the Commander carries on the Jeep tradition with much distinction and aplomb.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan

Legal MP3 Downloads

2007-09-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

Legal mp3 music downloads are becoming immensely popular these days, and one reason is because they allow many songs or audio to be stored while occupying a very small storage space.

Most music files are downloaded from websites on the internet. After these files are downloaded, they can also be copied to cd player or an mp3 player, by using a data transfer cable.

There are some websites that offer free unlimited music downloads. If you become a member of one of these sites, you will need to pay a small one-time fee, to download unlimited songs in the mp3 format. You may also find some of the sites that will charge you for each song that you download.

If you want to test the quality of the audio, these websites will most usually provide this service. One thing to remember is that just because you puchase a membership with one of these legal music download websites, you still do not have the right to download any copyrighted music.

You can legally share music, if you make sure to obey all copyrighting laws. Without proper permission, you will be breaking the law by downloading copyright music.

One reason free music downloads are being offered is possibly to be used as a product sample. With the option of free legal unlimited downloads, there is the opportunity to listen to an artists new release. This gives you an option of just downloading one song as opposed to having to buy the whole cd.

Want the hottest, new unlimited mp3 downloads and have any song downloaded in minutes! Check this out: http://bewj-reversephonelookups.blogspot.com/ Bessy Whitt

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bessy_Whitt

Stereo Systems

2007-09-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

Stereo systems are electronic devices designed to reproduce high quality sound on speakers. Stereo systems can be as small as a personal CD player, or as large as a night club system. Nowadays, using a stereo system is the latest to amplify your taste in music quality, as well as jazz up the aura of your domicile. However, before deciding to buy a stereo, it is recommended that you give consideration to the specific things that you want.

Stereo systems offer an all-in-one music package composed of stereo speakers, CD player, equalizer, amplifier and a receiver. Picking out the type of system you desire depends solely on your preference and on the type of room where it will be stationed.

Generally, there are three aspects you need to consider when shopping for stereo systems: the sound capturing quality, appearance and affordability. The size and appearance of the stereo is important, because its appearance can greatly affect overall sound quality. Affordability is another factor that you should take into account. Most quality systems are expensive, so you need to take the time to make sure that you are buying the right system to fully enjoy the money you risked.

Furthermore, reading reviews posted in audio magazines and on the Internet will be very helpful in choosing the best stereo systems. You can compare the prices of the stereos available. You can also go to a consumer electronics warehouse, if you are looking for a bargain. However, if you need a high-end stereo then you should visit any specialty audio shops.

Stereos provides detailed information on Stereos, Car Stereos, Stereo Speakers, Stereo Systems and more. Stereos is affiliated with Digital Video Recorders.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marlborough

No Bass Players Need Apply

2007-09-25T04:52:00.001-07:00

My husband used to be in a band when I was in college. A group of people approached him one day, and told him that they wanted to help him and his band. It was a harmless offer but, something told me that they will create a load of problems. I started feeling this way when I observed that they had cut all of the bass players out of the pictures of bands they had hanging on their wall.

These people explained that bass players were worthless and no band needed them, when I asked them about this. Of course, I was stunned when they said this and wondered how they had come up with this stupid theory. At first I guessed that these people knew absolutely nothing about music. After all, people who have knowledge in music would never claim that bass players were not needed. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my only clue they were demented. These people also tried to convince my husband into insuring his hands, and one of their friends went on a rampage trying to break us apart. I felt like I had stumbled into some weird alternate universe when these people became involved in our lives.

They just wouldn’t waver in their belief that bass players were not needed, and it got more bizarre from then on out. There was a knock on my door one night at two in the morning. It turned out to be a male member of this ridiculous outfit standing at my door. He told me that there was an emergency and he needed to see my husband right away. We followed him half asleep and confused, down the hallway of our dorm apartment building. My husband told me that if this had anything to do with bass players, then he was going to punch him in the face.

This guy turned on his CD player and my husband’s band’s CD started to play when we got his apartment. My boyfriend and I looked at each other in confusion and I started to get really angry. The guy then pushed play on his VCR and a video recording of the same song played. It turned out that the emergency was that the song on the CD is slower than how they play it live. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was unable to stop myself, and I asked him if was insane or just utterly stupid. My husband and I left angrily and went back to bed.

Fortunately, these people who believe that bass players were unnecessary were soon out of our lives. I didn’t have to worry about the fate of my husband’s bass player anymore. He must have been a target for their idiocy. I know that this was probably one of the most ridiculous things you had ever heard, but you have to consider that these people were really weird. Anyway, at least they helped me realize that some people just operate under a different set of rules altogether

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Bass Players. Visit our site for more helpful information about Sub Bass Monster Mp3 and other similar topics.

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How to Start Up an Online Streaming Radio Station

2007-09-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

Quite often either due to a lack of FM frequencies available, cost constraints, or as a way of testing the waters before committing to a FM radio station installation, it is possible to start up an online streaming radio station rather than a traditional broadcasting station. An online streaming radio station can be as basic as a completely computer based system, where music is simply played back along with occasional station IDs. Alternatively you can opt for a more in-depth setup, which could include other equipment such as a mixing desk, microphones, music, audio equipment, compression gear, audio cables, cd player, phone in system, headphones, microphone stands, etc. As a minimum, the equipment you will require is computer with a high speed internet connection.

When it comes to how to start up a online streaming radio station you have available a wide range of options to choose from. You need to consider what format you want to broadcast, as well as the sound quality you want. The higher the audio quality, the more data you will use. Bear in mind that a stream radio station is in operation for 24 hours a day, every day of the month, so even on a rate of 24 kbps, this adds up to be quite a considerable amount of data being used. Note also, that if you are going to use your existing internet connection for downloading files whilst you are also streaming, to ensure that you have sufficient bandwidth available. If you run out of bandwidth, your streaming station may be affected.

When it comes to the equipment for your online streaming radio station, it is possible to get it set up with very basic equipment, which is not possible when setting up a station broadcasting on an FM frequency. For a somewhat more advanced, professional sounding streaming radio station, the equipment you may have in your studio could include: computer, automation software, mixing desk, microphones, device to take phone calls on air, CD player and compression equipment.

The monthly cost for keeping your online streaming radio station on the internet is also fairly low. Bear in mind that in most countries there are fees payable to the music licensing organisations to cover royalties for the music you play on air. Aside from this, your only other likely costs are going to be electricity, internet connection, stream hosting and website hosting costs.

The way streaming works is you run the station, play music, talk into the microphones, etc. This audio is then relayed into your computer and then sent from your computer to the stream hosting company server. When people listen to your station online, they are actually receiving the audio not directly from your computer, but rather from the streaming server. This approach substantially improves your performance and means your connection speed will not slow down when you have multiple listeners. When people want to listen to your station they simply go to your website and click on a link to activate the stream.

For further information on how to start up an online streaming radio station please visit http://www.themulcher.com or email radio@themulcher.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claire_Calkin

Custom Car Stereo

2007-09-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

In-car entertainment, especially an audio system, is one of the most customized components in an automobile. Many aficionados opt to replace their stock in-car audio system to add and improve functionality as well as enhance the sound quality for a superb audio experience inside the vehicle. Today, customizing car stereo systems has become a big business. Most enthusiasts want to build an excellent car audio system regardless of the cost. Customizing car stereos can be a very expensive project, but for those who value good acoustics, it is worth every penny.

When customizing a car audio system, the first component you should purchase is the head unit or the deck. The head unit is the main control center of the entire audio system, which usually includes a tuner, CD player, cassette player or a combination of these. Usually, the replacement head unit will not fit into the space where the existing unit rests, so you may have to buy a universal mounting kit. A universal wiring harness is also necessary to ensure easy installation.

Then you need to determine the kind of speakers you want. There are numerous types of speakers you can choose from, making it a bit difficult to make a decision. Be aware of how many speakers your head unit can handle. Two important things to check when buying speakers are power rating and size. Some owners prefer to put speakers in the trunk space.

Another important device in audio systems is the amplifier, which significantly improves the quality of the high volume sound of your system. The amp comes in a variety of sizes and capacities. Choose your amplifier depending on how much power you want for your sound system. Other accessories you can purchase include MP3 integration adapters, multiple CD changers, and bass boosters.

All these devices are available from audio equipment retailers. How much you spend depends on the brand and the quality of the equipment. When it comes to installation, it is better if you get the assistance of a professional to ensure that your custom car stereo is mounted and wired properly for best performance.

Car Stereos provides detailed information on Car Stereos, Car Stereo Systems, Car Stereo Installations, Car Stereo Speakers and more. Car Stereos is affiliated with Wholesale Car Audio.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

A 90's Party Celebration to Remember

2007-09-24T01:38:00.001-07:00

Like the 70s and 80s, the 90s is a period of time where there were significant changes and occurrences that make the time unique from any other time in history. The 90s is probably most commonly referred to as the information age. Around the end of the 1980s and the early 90s, personal computers were becoming more affordable and popular with the general public. The Internet, a portal that connected computers together, became a global communication hub and marketplace. The 90s is also associated with an increase in rap music that transcended the inner city and gained widespread appeal among adolescents. Television shows, such as Will and Grace continued to “push the envelope” and showcase the lifestyles of people of all backgrounds.

If you’re interested in having a party, a 90s party is one that can offer many opportunities of fun. Hair is always a significant element in history. The best way to look like the 90s at your party is to find a wig that reflects the style of that day. In the 90s, both long tresses and actress Halle Berry’s short hairstyle were fashionable. Men were not out of the fashion loop. Fashion and health magazines for men began to emerge during the 90s. What do you wear at a 90s party? If you’re an avid sports fan you might want to consider wearing a jersey since they were the most popular athletes of the 90s. Of course, you may just want to go with the style of the day.

Not sure what music to play at a 90s party? You can purchase several CDs of 90s music and have a DJ rotate them in your CD player. If you want to make your own CD, make sure you include lots of rap, hip pop, and punk music. The most popular musicians of the 90s include Snoop Doggy Dog, Pink, Garbage, Mariah Carey, and U2. If you know the favorite music of your guests, you may want to consider adding some of their favorite songs from the 90s to a compilation CD.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for birthday party supplies and fun free educational party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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Cost Of Starting A Daycare Center

2007-09-24T01:36:00.000-07:00

There are two basic ways of beginning daycare services. You can either run the service out of your own home or look for a full scale daycare center to run. If you being the operation out of your own home, you can spend as little as $500 to as much as $5,000 depending upon the remodeling you need to do, the equipment you need to buy and the licensing laws you need to meet.

If you are looking to run a daycare center that operates from an independent business location then you are looking at much greater start-up expenses that could run around $100,000!

These are some of the items that you are going to want to budget for:

- Licensing fees,
- first aid/CPR certification
- High chairs and booster seats
- Nap mats
- Bedding
- Playpens/portable cribs
- Advertising
- Liability insurance
- Safety devices
- First aid kit
- Computer
- Software
- Books
- Toys

But that's not the whole list, you are going to need a few more items inorder to make your daycare center, the talk of the neighnourhood and be able to keep the parents happy. Happy parents will refer your daycare to their friends and family. You may find that having a well equiped daycare may end up helping you save on advertising costs, due to word of mouth advertising.

Other things you may want to include in your budget are:

- Education materials
- Arts $ crafts supplies
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable changing pads
- Antibacterial cleaners
- Good healthy food
- Child-sized tables and chairs
- Sanitary storage containers for used diapers
- Step stools for toilet and sink
- Outdoor play space – There should be sand as well as a hard surface for wheeled toys, etc.
- Make-believe clothes, props and costumes for pretending and dressing up
- Record player or CD player, radio and tape recorder
- Containers for colors, pencils, markers and other art materials

Here are some other very important items that you have to budget for no matter if you are running the daycare out of your home or you are operating it as an independent business:

1. Permits – Just like any other business, a daycare needs permits such as a business license, fire-safety permit, and other permits that each state or county may require. These permits are not cost prohibitive. They usually only cost a few dollars a year.

2. Insurance – This is a very important issue and every business should make sure they have adequate insurance. The premiums are a bit pricey, but small daycare centers will only have to pay a small premium whereas large daycare centers will have to pay a lot more for their insurance. It is best to do some comparison shopping when you go to buy your insurance.

3. Equipment – Purchasing all of the needed equipment for your daycare center will definitely cost you some money, but most of these items are a one time cost and should serve you for a long time. You may be able to get by with as little as $300 if you are just running a business out of your home. The cost will be considerably more for an independent daycare center.

The cost of starting a daycare center may seem overwhelming at first but it is far little in comparison to the potential to make money in this business. What a great opportunity this is!

For more information on the cost of starting a daycare center, please visit our webiste: http://how--to-start-a-day-care.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Munyaradzi_Chinongoza

My Favorite Australian Artists-Have You Heard of Them

2007-09-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

I used to be a big fan of the 80’s hair bands when I was a teenager. I have no interest in them any longer so I can comfortably admit that fact. That scene was played out a long time ago as far as I am concerned. I am now happy that I am no longer one the many people that still listen to these bands.

At the present, I would rather listen to Lawrence Welk than listen to hair metal. I still like a few of these band’s songs, but I can rarely hear one these days. My taste in music has become more international in recent years. In fact, I have been listening to Australian artists in the lat few months.

I really like to listen to two Australian artists and they are all that I will put in my CD player. However, I often want to pound my head up against a brick wall these days because my husband watches VH1 a lot. It’s a good thing that he has remained normal after watching to all that stuff. I have to give him credit though because he is into a lot of new stuff. In my case, I just listen to my two favorite Australian artists when I get the chance.

Greg Page is one of the Australian artists that I like to listen to. In my opinion, he has the best voice of all the singers I’ve heard. I come as close to swooning as I would allow when I listen to him sing. However, he has recently retired from that endeavor because of health issues. I am always hoping that he will continue with his solo endeavors in the future.

A wonderful woman named Lisa Chappell is the other half of my favorite Australian artists. A lot of people have probably never heard of her before. I first saw her as an actress and I felt very sad when she left the show that she was on. Fortunately, I soon found out that she has put out her own CD.

I do like to put it in once in a while, even though I don’t listen to it as much as I listen to Greg Page. There are many days when I need to hear her mellow voice. It does not mean I don’t appreciate other music from other places just because both of my favorites right now are Australian artists. It’s just that I could not be happier where I am right now.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Australian Artists. Visit our site for more helpful information about Australian Artists and other similar topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Hamilton

Karaoke Music

2007-09-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

Karaoke discs are specially formatted discs that have lyrics and music. There are two major karaoke disc formats: VCD and CD+G. CD+G discs are mainly audio CDs, having extra lyric data. They can be played on a CD player, though the images are low in quality. VCD or "Video CD" can support MPEG-compressed video of high quality. This format, while popular in Asia, has some catching up to do here in America. There are also DVDs and karaoke laser discs. With formats that can support video, video clips specially made for karaoke usually accompany the songs. Karaoke discs (VCD, CD+G and Karaoke DVD) are in multiplex or non-multiplex formats. Multiplex possesses vocal demos for every song, giving the user the choice of listening to the track with or without vocals. The user can eliminate the vocal demos by using the "multiplex function" or "vocal remove" button on the karaoke player. Non-multiplex format comes without the vocals.

It is important to note that karaoke tracks are not original songs but rather their recreation. Karaoke songs are re-recorded with the objective of sounding as similar as possible to the original track. Multiplex disc formats do not have the original artist featured.

Also, these discs come with background singers, generally for the chorus. The background singers cannot be removed.

In America, karaoke can be enjoyed in different settings. Karaoke bars charge a fee per song of $1 to $2, and there are suites where a private room can be rented and used for as long as desired. The fee varies from an hourly rate to a flat rate for the room. There are also home karaoke machines, where one can enjoy karaoke in the privacy of their home. These machines can be purchased for less then $100, with discs costing $10 to $20.

Karaoke provides detailed information on Karaoke, Karaoke Machines, Karaoke Music, Karaoke Downloads and more. Karaoke is affiliated with Hip Hop Music.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Morgan

Podcast Secrets Revealed

2007-09-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

There you are, flipping through the radio stations yet again, looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING, worth listening to. Maybe you’ll find a song here or there that you like, or a talk show on a subject you are interested in. Then it’s time to flip the stations again. “What I need,” you think to yourself, “is my own personal radio station.”

Enter the world of podcasting! Podcasting is just like having your own radio station, programmed with your favorite items and ready for you to listen anywhere, anytime. With podcasting, you can listen to:

[o] WHAT you want

[o] WHEN you want

[o] WHERE you want

No more searching and hoping to find a radio station that plays your favorite music. No more missing a talk show broadcast because you are sitting in class or in a meeting at the wrong time. With podcasting, you get just the content you want, from the sources you want, when you want. And there are no ads or commercials! What Tivo has done for your TV viewing, podcasting can do for your radio listening, and there is no FCC regulations either!

So what exactly is podcasting? A podcast is an audio file stored on the Internet that you can download to your computer or MP3 player and listen to whenever you want. It might be music, or it could be a talk show, a lecture, a recorded tele-seminar, a sermon, a football game, etc. Podcasting gives you the ultimate in choice and convenience.

o Podcasting is all about… CHOICE

Podcasting offers you unlimited choices in listening. Even though podcasting is a relatively new technology, there are already thousands of podcasts to which you can subscribe. No radio station in your city that plays the indy music you love? Check out East Detroit Radio.

Want to improve the koi pond in your backyard? Subscribe to Koi Club of the Air.

Parenting questions? Try the Front Porch Parenting podcast.

You can find a podcast on literally any subject you are interested in! In fact, www.podcastalley.com currently lists 2,380 podcasts in 15 different categories, while www.ipodder.org lists 4,493.

Another advantage of podcasting is that, because podcasts can appeal to niche audiences, they can cover their topics in much greater depth and be far more informative than regular radio broadcasts, which must appeal to a wide audience. Also, with a podcast, you can back up and listen to a segment again if you missed something the first time. If you come to a segment that is boring, you can fast-forward. You can listen as many times as you want to all or part of the podcast. And you can stop listening all together for a few minutes, hours, or even days if something else comes up.

o Podcasting is all about… CONVENIENCE

MP3 files have been available for download from the internet for years. But what makes podcasting different and truly useful is that you can subscribe to programs you are interested in. This means you don’t have to check your favorite podcast web sites every day for new episodes and manually download them.

Instead, free podcasting software automatically downloads new episodes to your computer as soon as they are available. This makes it easy and convenient for you to stay up-to-date with your favorite podcasts.

Once your podcasts are downloaded to your computer, you can synch them to your MP3 player, burn them to a CD for playback on your CD player, or simply listen to them through your computer’s speakers. This gives you the ultimate convenience of listening to your programs at your leisure. You can listen to the podcasts whenever you want – as you are driving, walking, exercising, knitting, etc. With a podcast, you can be mobile, live your life, and listen to your content ANYWHERE.

o Podcasting is… FREE & EASY

Not only are podcasts themselves generally free, but so is the podcasting software you need! Both podcasts and podcasting software are easy to find on the internet and are easy to use.

Podcasting is… waiting for you!

If you haven’t been exposed to podcasts yet, you soon will be! Podcasts are literally everywhere now, and more podcasts are being created every day.

Jeff Mills is a former Youth Pastor of 9 years, who is now a full time internet information entrepreneur, author, speaker, sales coach, and also an avid traveler. Jeff has passionately pursued learning everything he can about podcasts and has just released his breakthrough E-book that every Podcast Enthusiast should own. Visit http://www.podcastsecretsrevealed.com immediately. You can find Jeff’s podcast feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jeffmillspodcast

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Audio Books And Recorded Books - Do You Know The Answers To These Questions?

2007-09-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

You’ve heard of audio books, or recorded books before, haven’t you? Many people, even the ones who use them daily, remain tongue-tied when it comes to answering correctly the following questions.

Why? My guess is that audio books in general are so convenient to use. Many of us prefer to venture into the scenes of an audio book without delay more willingly. Spending our precious time researching every detail about its creation remains a distant “maybe”.

On the other hand, there are a few details about recorded books you want to know. What for? ‘Cause knowing them makes it easier for you to navigate around audio books with more confidence. Your improved “shopper’s education” to make the right choice is worth it.

I admit I used to be unaware of even the basic terms about audio books myself. So, I asked questions to get answers.

Guess what? I’ve found them. And I’d love to share them with you so you can save time researching the same questions. If you’d like to know the answers to the following basic questions about audio books, keep on reading.

What’s an audio book?

An audio book is a book in audio format. It is a “fun replacement” for a physical hardcover or paperback book you’d read from cover to cover. Instead, you grab-n-read books on CD, books on tape, or MP3 books versions.

What formats do audio books come in?

You can get recorded books on tape, books on CD, and MP3 books. From an old-fashioned cassette player to modern and sleek MP3 players, audio books keep you company on-the-go where traditional book reading is simply unsuitable.

What’s an MP3 book?

MP3 books are still audio books. But a clever compression technique reduces the file size to take up less recording space. Besides that, MP3’s are portable and easily downloadable. Storing them is a breeze when compared to piling up stacks of cassettes or CD’s.

How can recorded books in MP3 format be played back?

You can play MP3 audio books on any MP3 portable player. You can also play them on your home PC (need to have Windows Media Player or similar). Playing MP3’s on a laptop or MP3-enabled cellular phones is the latest trend. If you don’t have an MP3 player, but have a CD player, you can burn MP3 files to a CD using your computer. You’ll need special software to do that. Search Google for “free software to burn CD’s” :).

What does “unabridged audio book” mean?

Good question. An “unabridged” audio book is narrated (or told) word for word. It’s the printed book equal in audio format. Nothing’s missing. Nothing’s added. As a result, they are longer than “abridged” versions.

What’s an “abridged audio book” version then?

It’s similar to the printed original, but shorter. The word-for-word narration from the previous example is not exact. “Abridged” also means shortened, cut. Keep that in mind if you are looking for the original version.

What are “dramatized audio books”?

Dramatized audio books are stage-like, "play-life" versions of printed books. You get all the bells and whistles: full cast, music and sound effects. Some people prefer it; some would rather get a simple, told version by an experienced narrator.

Is there a difference between having the author of the physical book tell the audio version, or is it better to have a professional narrator do the job?

Some authors are gifted for both writing and telling their own book. Others are better off leaving it to professional “voice-over calibers”. If you can, listen to a sample of the recorded book that catches your interest. It’ll help you decide if the narrator resonates with you. Some people swear that half the beauty of an audio book is the voice-over quality.

Where’s a good place to start for a novice interested in recorded books?

An excellent place to start is to pick up a favorite story you already know about, but would like to “read” as an audio. About the length, pick “abridged” audio books to start with to cut down on time they take to play back. Once you become more skilled with recorded books, you got to check out “unabridged” editions as downloadable audio MP3 books as soon as you can.

Once a beginner, Lou Smith shares the riches he's found in Audio Books He offers you a special invitation to get free Recorded Books as gifts now. You can listen to MP3 books samples right away.

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