Hands-on Review: SanDisk Sansa Shaker

SanDisk has made an MP3 player for 'tweens, and it's darn cute. Better yet, it works pretty well, and holds the interest of the mid-range 'tween (age 10) in my house.

She was skeptical at first when she turned on the Sansa Shaker and heard songs like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Three Blind Mice" already on the SD card that comes with it. "It's for little kids," she said. When I told her she can add her own songs, her interest was rekindled. She likes the hourglass shape and the deep blue color. (It also comes in hot pink, not this 10-year-old's favorite.)

She went to Yahoo! Music Unlimited to find some of her favorite tracks. But we quickly realized that the Sansa Shaker does not support WMA music files; it only supports MP3 or WAV files. So it became a teachable moment to learn how to convert some of her favorite tracks from her CDs to MP3 files to transfer to the Shaker. (See my next post.)

The best way to transfer music to the Shaker is to use the USB cable that connects the Shaker to your PC. After using Windows Media Player to rip some of my tween's favorite songs from her CD's to MP3 files onto the PC, we simply clicked on the files she wanted on the portable player from our PC's My Music folder onto the Shaker's SD card drive.

So if you're thinking about an MP3 player for your 'tween, the Sansa Shaker is a good choice for a portable music beginner. One of the main reasons is the price: At $40, it's half the price of an iPod shuffle, the smallest of Apple's portable music players. Even with the shuffle's fun colors, the Shaker may appeal more in appearance to 'tweens, too. One fun feature (and the source of its name) is you can change songs by holding down the on/off button and giving the player a shake. Two white bands, one at the top to move forward or backward on the playlist, the other at the bottom to turn volume up and down, make it extremely simple to use.

One drawback is you can't use iTunes (obviously, since it's not an Apple player) or another online music store like Yahoo! Music Unlimited. So it means converting songs to MP3 files to transfer to the player if your 'tween is on the older end of the 'tween spectrum. Also, the player automatically shuffles songs, and there's no way to see the playlist.

A nice feature is the speaker: kids can listen to music together without sharing earbuds. And the sound is pretty good, better than expected. But my daughter and I both agreed the earbuds that come with the Shaker seem big for 'tween ears.

SanDisk has made a good MP3 player for a good price for kids who are just figuring out what music they like. It's worth a look.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/devlin/11101;_ylt=Aqde_5XATxuIaQeDXQck0q4SLpA5

Put Together a Digital Photo Slideshow

Photoshop Album is a popular, inexpensive software package that amateur photographers use to manage, print, and share their digital photos. The program provides one-stop shopping for the most popular photo management functions - everything from storing photos to emailing them. Photoshop Album even links to a selection of editing software packages, such as Adobe Photoshop, that you might have installed on your computer, and then allows you to click once on a picture and launch the editing package with the picture preloaded.

The Transition options are the type of dissolve, fade, or other effect you want to use to move from one slide to the next. You can attach any music file on your computer (for example, a track downloaded as an MP3 file or taken from your favorite CD).

1. Choose Slideshow --> Creations --> Album to display the Slideshow Creation Wizard.

The slideshow menu button is located on the tool menu below the menu bar at the top of the screen.

You can include video clips in a slideshow. The video prints the first frame of the video if you choose to print the slideshow on paper.

2. Select the slideshow style you want to create and click Next.

Photoshop Album comes with a number of attractive slideshow types. Click each style to view the example on the right-hand side to make your decision.

3. Choose the layout of your slideshow in Step 3 of the wizard and then click Next.

Enter the following information, as shown in Figure 1:

• Type the information you want to appear on the title and subsequent pages of your slideshow.

• Select the number of slides to show per page and whether you want captions to show.

• Select any music and transition options you desire.

The Transition options are the type of dissolve, fade, or other effect you want to use to move from one slide to the next. You can attach any music file on your computer (for example, a track downloaded as an MP3 file or taken from your favorite CD).

Figure 1: Set up your slideshow.

4. Select the photos you want to include in your slideshow and arrange them in the proper order, and click Next.

5. Preview your slideshow; keep clicking Next until you reach the end of the preview.

6. Choose the format in which you want to publish your slideshow.

The Output Options are:

• Save as PDF: Creates an Adobe Acrobat Reader eBook or PDF file.

• Print: Prints a hardcopy of your slideshow.

• Email: Creates a PDF file and sends your slideshow to someone by email.

• Burn: Burns a CD-ROM or DVD of your slideshow that plays on a DVD player attached to a TV.

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• Both DVD and video CDs are viewable on a standard DVD player hooked up to a TV set. In most cases, a standard video CD is just as good as a DVD (although with less space) and you can make one on a CD burner even it you don't have DVD burning capability.

• Order Online: Orders a printed version from an online printing service.

7. After you publish your slideshow, click Done.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/put-together-a-digital-photo-slideshow/153043;_ylt=AqmjhXQiTWI_cVBDMS_05FwSLpA5

Windows XP DVD-ROM Drive Headaches: I receive a region error message when I try to use the DVD player.

Cause DVD players function by regions, because many DVDs are imprinted with a code that controls which geographical region they can be played in. To make sure your DVD is using the correct region, see the following Pain Killer.

The Pain Killer To make sure your DVD drive is using the correct region, follow these steps:

1. Click Start | Control Panel | System. These steps assume you are using the Classic view of Control Panel, which shows you all the icon options. If you are not sure you are using the Classic view of Control Panel, click Start | Control Panel. In the left window pane, click the Switch to Classic View option.
2. Click the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button.
3. Expand the DVD/CD-ROM Drives category. Right-click the icon for your DVD player, and then click Properties.
4. On the DVD Region tab, the current region is displayed. Click a geographic area in the list and look in the New Region field to see the region code of the geographic area you need to use to change the currently configured code. Click OK when you are done.
5. A message appears asking, “Are you sure you want to change your DVD drive region setting to region x?” Click OK.

If you cannot change the code, then your DVD does not support other regions. The only solution is to purchase a DVD-ROM drive for the region in which you now reside.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/windows-xp-dvd-rom-drive-headaches-i-receive-a-region-error-message-when-i-try-to-use-the-dvd-player-/3348;_ylt=AmFh.xnOdsvXOkokUUXwuFgSLpA5

Understanding the Difference Between DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM

In the video world, the DVD-ROM disc is quickly overtaking the traditional VHS tape. The DVD-ROM disc is also poised to take over the reign of CD as the media of choice for virtually every new computer on the planet. But what about recordable DVDs?

Unfortunately, things are still a little tenuous in the world of recordable DVD standards. Luckily, the competing formats correspond pretty closely to the world of recordable CDs. Here are a few acronyms you need to know:

* DVD-RW: DVD-R is short for DVD-recordable. (Note the dash before the R; it's pretty important.) Like your old friend the CD-R disc, a DVD-R disc can be recorded only once. However, the DVD-R can hold a whopping 4.7GB per side of the disc, for a total of 9.4GB of data on a double-sided disc. DVD-R is the darling of the video-editing crowd, because it allows you to record a disc that you can use in a standard DVD player. Naturally, the DVDs that you create with a DVD-R drive can't be read on a standard CD-ROM drive (but you can burn regular CD-R and CD-RW discs).

On the rewritable side, the DVD-R disc format is called DVD-RW. These discs can also store 4.7GB, and you format them much like you format a CD-RW disc. Any DVD-ROM drive should be able to read a DVD-RW disc. Unfortunately, not all DVD players can read DVD-RWs, so if you're an up-and-coming Hollywood type that's interested in producing your own movie discs, you should stick with the DVD-R standard (which is compatible with all DVD players).

Pick DVD-R/W if you're looking for the highest level of compatibility with all DVD-ROM drives or you're distributing discs to others.

* DVD+R/W: The other independent DVD standard, DVD+R/W, is widely available as well. This more recent format is being touted by an entirely different group of computer hardware manufacturers. DVD+R discs and DVD+RW discs can store 4.7GB, and a DVD-ROM player can read both types of discs. Again, however, you run into the same problem - DVD+R discs are compatible with most DVD players, but DVD+RW discs aren't widely supported by DVD players. Plus, DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W are incompatible.

Pick DVD+R/W if you're looking for compatibility with the latest DVD-ROM drives or you want to spend a little less on media.

* DVD-RAM: Finally, you have good old DVD-RAM - a rewritable disc that can store as much as 9.4GB of data by using both sides. (A double-sided DVD doesn't have a standard label; printing can appear only around the spindle hole.)

DVD-RAM is well established, and no "plus" format is competing for fame and fortune. DVD-RAM is a great option for storing those huge digital video files, and because DVD-RAM discs are reusable, they're the best media for backing up hard drives. Note, however, that most DVD-ROM players can't read DVD-RAM discs, so use one of the other DVD formats if you're recording something to distribute to others.

Choose DVD-RAM if compatibility with DVD-ROM drives is not an issue, such as when you're creating backups or discs that you read only on your computer, and you want to rewrite the largest amount of data on an existing disc.

You may be wondering whether you need a rewritable DVD-R/W drive, a DVD+R/W one, or a DVD-RAM model? Why not get all three? Unless you've been hanging out with the good folks at the lottery commission, that's probably not an option. You can, however, find many drives on the market that can use both DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W.

However, the good news is that the relative strengths of all three types of recordable DVD media make it easy to decide which one you need. Check out Table 1 for the scoop.

Table 1 Will DVD-R/W, DVD+R/W, or DVD-RAM Escort You to the Ball?

Media Type Can Be Read in Reusable/Rewritable? Media Cost DVD Players

DVD-R Almost always No $2 per disc (4.7GB)

DVD+R Almost always No $2 per disc (4.7GB)

DVD-RW Usually not Yes $4 per disc (4.7GB)

DVD+RW Usually not Yes $3 per disc (4.7GB)

DVD-RAM Usually not Yes $15 per disc (4.7-9.4GB)

Although DVD-R and DVD-RW are separate categories in the table, it's getting harder and harder to find a drive that records only DVD-R - and the same holds true for DVD+R/W. This trend mirrors the development of CD-RW technology. Try finding a drive that burns only CD-Rs these days!

Besides being incredibly informative, Table 1 uses the words almost and usually, which don't show up in many definitive tables. Why? The answer lies not in today's recorders, but rather in yesterday's DVD-ROM players: Four distinct generations of DVD-ROM players have existed since their introduction in late 1997, and each succeeding generation has a better chance of reading DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, and DVD-RAMs.

The result is a big question mark. Because of the wide disparity in manufacturers, it's hard to tell whether the DVD-ROM player you have now reads any type of burned disc. If you're using a DVD+R or DVD-RAM, you have the best chance with a DVD-ROM player manufactured since early 2001. If you're using DVD-R, you have the best chance with a DVD-ROM player made after late 1999. You can, however, read a commercially manufactured DVD-ROM movie disc in either type of recorder.

If your DVD recorder is limited to one format or the other, take care when you're buying DVD media! Make sure that you remember which type of discs your recorder can burn - you'll be deluged by the choices on store shelves, and it's easy to mistake DVD-R discs for DVD+R discs if you're not careful.

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/understanding-the-difference-between-dvd-rw-dvd-rw-and-dvd-ram/153155;_ylt=AmSUZQrdRR4apib0Dfw15ssSLpA5

How to Rip CD Tracks to MP3 files

Okay, so this is a post for the true digital music beginner. But when I sat down with my 10-year-old to transfer some of her favorite songs onto the SanDisk Sansa Shaker portable music player designed for 'tweens, I realized lots of kids (and their parents) are ripping CD songs to MP3 files for the first time at some point. There are several music formats and not all play on every portable music player. So there are times when you want to turn an AAC (Apple) or a WMA (Window) file into a universal MP3 or WAV file to play on different players.

There are a few ways to do it, but the most popular are through Apple's iTunes or Microsoft's Windows Media Player. We used Windows Media Player. Here's how:

1. Open Windows Media Player and make sure you have the most up-to-date version.

2. Go to the "Rip" tab. Click on the arrow and choose your format. We chose MP3. Then choose the bit rate; 128Kbps is often recommended, but I had to go to 192Kbps to have a successful rip. When you click on "more options," you'll see the format and bit choices here, too. You'll also see the path which sends your music files to your PC. The default is your My Music folder, but if you want the files to go somewhere else, click the change button and choose a new path. Here you can also click on "File Name" to make sure the information you want about each track is included in your music files.

3. Stay on the "Rip" tab and insert the CD. (In the previous step, you change settings to always or never automatically rip a CD when it is inserted. If you only want to rip a few tracks, only check those tracks.) The rip will begin automatically. Or if the settings are manual, click on the "Start Rip" button on the bottom ride hand of the screen.

4. Click on "Library" to see your tracks "ripped to library," and in the My Music folder on your PC to find them there.

In iTunes (on a PC):

1. Open iTunes. Go to "File," and click "Preferences." Under the "Advanced" tab, you'll see the path in which your music files will be stored on your PC. Again, the default is the My Music folder. Click the "Change" button if you want to change it.

2. On the second row of tabs, click "Importing." Here you'll be able to set whether you want to be asked to Import a CD or to automatically rip it. Go to "Import Using" and choose whether you want an AAC, MP3, or WAV setting. "Create file names with track number," "Automatically retrieve CD track names from Internet," and "Play songs while importing or converting" were checked on my page, but you can change those preferences or also check "Use error correction when reading Audio CDs" if you're working with an old or scratched CD. Click OK when your preferences are set.

3. Insert your CD. The album track names and information should appear if you've checked the right boxes in the previous step. You can check only the tracks you want to import or all of them.

4. Click the Import button and import your CD tracks in the format of your choice.

For a more detailed guide, check out these instructions written by our own Ben Patterson for Cnet. The Windows Media Player and iTunes versions he detailed may be different, but the gist of his excellent advice is the same, and the screenshots are helpful.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/devlin/11105;_ylt=Anc_7.KqnKO3P6uIuc6taUkSLpA5

Finding Things on Your PC's Console

The console, that main box that really is your computer system, doesn't stand alone. Into the console you plug every other gizmo that you use as part of the computer system. To accommodate them, the console has many, many holes into which those things plug. Not only that, the console has doors and slots so that you can access important things inside the console directly. The console has interesting buttons to press and switches to throw.

• Try to find on your own PC the things mentioned here. Get to know their locations as well as their official computer names.

• Not every console is the same. Use this information as a general guide.

Points of interest on the front of the console

The front of the console is where you interact with the computer system directly, by adding or removing disks, observing lights, punching buttons, and perhaps even plugging in one or two special items.

Use Figure 1 as your reference as you go hunting for the following items:

Figure 1: Things to note on the front of the console.

CD-ROM or DVD drive: Like a music or video player, your computer digests CDs and DVDs through a slot or tray on the front of the console. Some computers may have a dual CD/DVD drive, and others may have one of each.

Future expansion: Some spots on the console's nose may look like they're CD-ROM or disk drives, but they're not! They're simply blanks that cover holes - holes you can use for adding things to your computer someday.

Floppy drive: This slot eats floppy disks. Some software comes on floppy disks, and you can use these disks to move files from one PC to another. Not every PC sold today comes with a floppy drive; they are becoming obsolete.

Air vents: Most consoles sport some type of air vent on the front. Don't block the air vents with books or sticky notes! The thing's gotta breathe.

The secret panel. Some PCs, especially home models, have a secret panel or door that pops open. Behind it, you can find connectors for joysticks, microphones, headphones, or other handy items you may need to plug and unplug from time to time. Having the secret panel is handier than having to reach around behind the computer and fumble for plugs and holes.

Buttons and lights: Most of a computer's buttons are on the keyboard. A few of the more important ones are on the console, and these buttons on fancier PCs are accompanied by many impressive tiny lights. These buttons and lights include the following:

• Power button: It's no longer a plain on-off button - it's the power button, and it can do more than just turn the computer off or on.

• Reset button: Rare, but still found on some computers is a button that forces the computer into a restart during times of woe. Consider it a plus if your PC has such a button.

• Sleep button: This rare button is designed specifically to put the computer into a coma and suspend all activity without turning the computer off. On some PCs, this button and the power button are the same.

• Disk drive lights: These lights flash when the hard drive, floppy drive, or CD-ROM drive is working. On a hard drive, the light is your reassurance that it's alive and happy and doing its job. On all other types of drives (with removable disks), the light indicates that the computer is using the drive.

Things of note on the back of the console

The console's backside is its busy side. That's where you find various connectors for the many other devices in your computer system: a place to plug in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and just about anything else that came in the box with the PC.

Power connector: This thing is where the PC plugs into a cord that plugs into the wall.

Fan: Air gets sucked in here, blows around inside the console to keep things cool, and then puffs out the vents.

Voltage switch: Use this item to switch power frequencies to match the specifications for your country or region.

Expansion slots: These slots are available for adding new components on expansion cards to the console and expanding your PC's hardware. Any connectors on the expansion cards appear in this area, such as the audio and video connectors on a DVD expansion card.

Vents: The breathing thing again.

I/O panel: Aside from the power cord, and anything attached to an expansion card, the rest of your PC's expansion options and plug-in type things are located in a central area.

ttp://tech.yahoo.com/gd/finding-things-on-your-pc-s-console/152971;_ylt=Ap9ZEEK52oWQ8r0vTCkIXrMSLpA5

Is DRM Over?

Who knew the drop-DRM movement would move so fast. Ever since Steve Jobs's big statement this week on dropping digital rights management from iTunes-purchased songs, music companies and European governments have been reacting in all manner of ways.

Yesterday, most European governments accused Jobs of trying to shift the focus from Apple's DRM conflicts with some continental governments to the record companies. And today, Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman said that the home of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Josh Groban would not drop copy protection.

Despite these protests, DRM's days may still be numbered: EMI, the home of Janet Jackson, the White Stripes, and The Beatles, is seriously considering dropping DRM altogether. Given the recent Beatles hints that Steve Jobs has made of late, could this mean that Apple and iTunes will offer the online debut of the Beatles long-guarded catalog without copyright protection? Seems insane and ironic, but if EMI is up for it....

Okay, so DRM doesn't stop piracy, but I still don't know what completely copy-able MP3s are going to do to stop piracy, either. It's not like I want the record companies to get their way or anything, but don't they help at least some deserving artists get a shot at the big time and maybe even paid? How are artists going to get paid when their MP3s can be copied ad infinitum? What exactly is EMI's financial plan here?

And as I've said before, what's so hard about burning some iTunes-purchased tracks onto a CD, then re-ripping the CD into MP3s that‘ll work on any player, anyway? It still makes a better copy in the end than anything we could have ever put on a cassette tape, for anyone who can remember.

Meanwhile, let's talk about iTunes-purchase video, which you can't even burn to a DVD, much less play on non-iPods.

Here's a quick poll: Would you pay money for non-DRM MP3s from iTunes when you can just copy them from your friend?

http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/samiljan/4453;_ylt=AhSNoV5SRFxe7Zd3gIMY.nwSLpA5