Confess! Will You Really Listen to Ads Before the Music?

I feel like I'm at Woodstock and they've just declared it a free concert! Universal Music announced that later this year it's going to make all of its sizable music collection available for free on an ad-supported web site.

The deal allows SpiralFrog, an online destination, to sell ads on the new music site and split the ad revenues with Universal. Listeners will register at the site, watch the ads, and then download the free music. It's been reported that the tracks can't be burned to a CD, but users will be able to transfer music to Windows-based portable media players. The iPod will not be supported.

The idea of ad-subsidized music, while novel to the music world, is already a big part of other online media, like online magazines. For example, Salon gives you the choice of watching a word from your sponsor or paying a fee.

So if you had a choice between spending 99 cents for a song or and watching an ad before downloading your free song, which poison would you pick? I'm thinking that the operative word is choice. Sometimes I've got the time and not the money; other times it's the reverse. I can see using the Universal service, but keeping my iTunes paid service well fed, too.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/1478;_ylt=AsCR8brykCu9E97QfaC.H_oSLpA5

Free Napster Music...well almost.

I just registered for a Napster account to see what all the buzz is about. Napster recently announced that it has made available its two million song catalog for free listening. By signing up for a free account on its ad-supported website, you're able to play any song—including those of major record labels—on-demand up to five times each. No credit cards, no plug-ins and no music player downloads. According to USA Today, Napster is able to support free music offerings thanks to online advertisers and approval from the record labels, who "will get a cut of the ad revenue."

So a "new" Napster is back and offering whole song sampling legally, instead of the short clips we're accustomed to. Being able to listen to a song up to five times is really not a bad deal, especially if you want to sample whole albums or new tunes before buying; gives you room for a little musical exploration. If you like the song, you can purchase the track for 99 cents or an album for $11.95.

Once you create an account for this Free Service, you can pretty much listen to anything on the site. The player allows you to fast forward through tracks, and plays the entire playlist or album continuously without any interruptions. As far as sound quality goes, it sounds worst than an Internet radio station. To be honest, I couldn't bear the sound for long. It was giving me a headache after five minutes. So yes, it's free, but the sound quality is not the best at 32kbps. After listening to a whole album, you'll want to upgrade to their Napster subscription which is $9.95/mo, no ads, CD-Quality, no play limits and unlimited downloading. But before you do, read their FAQ. As it happens, all those "free downloads" are only free as long as you pay a monthly fee.

Be aware that if you download songs from Napster, you can't load them on your iPod without first burning them onto a CD. Why? Because they are not compatible with iPods, yet Napster offers an alternative by supporting about 75 other MP3 players. Bummer! Even though the site has banners, I didn't feel overwhelmed by them. Most of the time I didn't even notice them. Overall, I think Napster has taken a step in the right direction by offering this free service. Let's hope iTunes will someday follow.

Is anyone a current iPod owner with a Napster subscription? I'd like to hear about your experience transferring Napster downloads into an iPod?


http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/hughes/112;_ylt=Ag5gEeDnxtpDK86Mu2IwKZoSLpA5

Understanding the Major File Formats: WAV, MP3, and MIDI

Digital sound files must be organized and structured so that your media player can read them. It's just like being able to read and understand a different language. If the player "speaks" the language that the files are recorded in, it can reproduce the song and make beautiful music. If it can't speak the language, the numbers of the music don't add up, and you get an error message - and no music. Error messages are frustrating, but you have some defense against them if you understand the major audio file formats.

* WAV format is the most detailed and rich of the available formats in Windows XP. All the detail is recorded at the chosen bit rate and sampling speed, and it's all done without compression schemes. It's digital sound presented in all its glory. Unfortunately, it takes up huge amounts of memory in the process. Four or five minutes of WAV sound can consume 40-50MB of memory, making it difficult to store a decent number of files. For that reason, you seldom see these files being sold over the Internet - they're just too bulky.

* MP3 single-handedly powered the popularity of digital music. MP3 is an audio layer of the larger MPEG file format. Because of its small file size, MP3 files are ideal for listening on a computer or a portable player. The important thing to remember here is that this is a specific way to make the music file smaller while retaining much of the quality of the original CD or WAV file. Aside from size, the other advantage of MP3 is that it's almost universally recognized. It's the American Express of audio. Just about any media player or portable audio player can recognize and play an MP3 song. That makes it popular among users. It is not popular among most folks who sell music, however, because its small size lends to easy copying and distribution over the Internet.

* MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is radically different from any other format. Technically, MIDI is not even audio; it's a set of instructions on how something (like your computer's sound card) should create music. It's like a cookbook. The MIDI cookbook tells something that already has all the ingredients (the notes of the music) how to arrange them and play them to make music. Because it's just a set of instructions, the MIDI file size is quite small (often measured in kilobytes as opposed to the larger megabytes). How those instructions sound can vary depending on the device that is used to play those instructions. The sheet music for a Beethoven symphony makes no sound, but the music will likely sound better when played on a concert piano as opposed to a thrift-store keyboard. MIDI files are not often sold to the public as music, but MIDI does play a part in home recording.


http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/understanding-the-major-file-formats-wav-mp3-and-midi/153238;_ylt=AjLv

Hands-on Review: Sansa Wi-Fi Connect

If you believe that music is as much about discovering new music as listening to your old favorites, then the Sansa Connect Wi-Fi MP3 player is not to be missed. While devices like an iPod let you own and listen to your digital music collection, the Sansa lets you download (think of it as renting) a never-ending supply of music from Yahoo! Music (while you're an active subscriber) over the Wi-Fi network. With a free Yahoo! ID and the Sansa, you can listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr photos, and see what other Yahoo! Messenger friends and nearby users are listening to. If you subscribe to the $11.99 Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go you can listen to over 2 million tracks and download the ones that you like to your Sansa. When you're not connected to the wireless network, the unit acts like an ordinary MP3 player, playing all of the music you've stored.

In other words, to be fully enjoyed, the Sansa Connect could be called the Yahoo! Wireless Player—that's how tight the integration between the two is. The Wireless Connect is receiving nice reviews and for good reason, but I'll also mention a few of its flaws I discovered while testing it.

This flash-based music player looks like a mini black Treo phone with a nice iPod-like scroll wheel. It holds 4GB of music or photos (no video), but can accept additional microSD cards for additional storage. It's got an internal (mono) speaker which I like because you don't have to stick your headphones in your friend's ears when you want them to hear your player! The combination of scroll wheel and two navigation buttons to take you back and forth through the menus will feel familiar and intuitive very quickly. The screen is a nice sized 2.2-inch TFT with a lovely, clear picture.

When you power on the unit and select "Get More Music," any Wi-Fi signal in range is detected and displayed. If the network is unprotected you can connect immediately. If it's protected you need to go through a one-time exercise of entering your network's name and password using the scroll wheel and on-screen alphabet (not as bad as many that I've used).

Once you're connected you can choose to play Internet Radio supplied by Yahoo's LAUNCHcast. Without a subscription to Yahoo! Music you'll get 40 stations—everything from oldies to indies. With the subscription ($11.99 per month), you'll get 70 stations plus the ability to save the songs you like to your player. Decide you want to put the song (or full album) on your player and take it with you? All you do is click a button and it's saved to your music library.

By choosing Photos from the menu you can also visit Flickr and view photos on the site. (You cannot upload photos to Flickr with Sansa.) If you're a Yahoo! Instant Messenger, using things gets sweeter still. You can share your photos and music with your friends or see if there are any new nearby friends to meet.

Subscription music services have been around for awhile, but they've been crippled by the fact that you need to keep re-upping your monthly subscription or your music becomes disabled. Sansa takes care of the re-upping in the background each time you connect to the network. That's a good thing.

The other thing about subscription radio worth noting is that while it's a great way to disover new artists, it's not a great way to find the ones you're looking for. You can't tell it to find a Lucinda Williams song, for example. You've got to listen to the station or scroll through its playlist until Lucinda finds you. It's the difference between listening to radio and visiting a store to buy a CD.

Downloading music using Wi-Fi is a killer app, for sure. It's great. Being able to share that music with friends makes the experience richer still, but the Sansa Connect is not without its limitations. Here's my list of shortcomings:

* Flimsy feeling: For $250, this device is made of really lightweight plastic. Compared to an iPod it feels like a cheap plastic toy.
* Limitations of Internet Radio: I like Yahoo's LAUNCHcast for exploring new music, but as I've said, finding music that you want on streaming radio can be a challenge. That said, LAUNCHcast suggests songs as you rate your favorites and it does introduce you to new artists.
* Don't think about this like an iPod. It's possible, but not easy, to transfer your existing music on your PC to the Sansa. You need to use Yahoo! Jukebox and connect the Sansa to your PC to move music you already own.
* It doesn't play any video at this time.
* Network problems: For the most part, the Sansa Connect behaves admirably. It seems to able to detect every network that my PC detects. It supports WEP and WPA encryption on 802.11 networks. But, I've had trouble getting it to sign on to my home's protected network which uses nothing more complicated than a plain vanilla Linksys router. After some troubleshooting with Zing (the company that provides the mobile wireless component of the product in conjunction with Yahoo! and Sansa) which included checking my router options, upgrading router firmware, and sending a report of a session to Zing, I'm still troubleshooting. I've had no other problems connecting to other protected and non-protected networks so I'll have to keep you posted as we solve this problem.

The Sansa Connect is one of the "this changes everything" products. It forces you to ask yourself whether you'd be happier with an unlimited (well, two million songs) supply of wireless music on a monthly basis or if you'd rather continue ripping DVDs and buying single songs. If you're already a Yahoo! Music lover this device is a no-brainer. For the rest of you, think about how you like to listen. Sansa may be the music experience you've been looking for.


http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/10428;_ylt=AogLUuFjAuUgds2XK7svuS8SLpA5

Buying a home in arizona

After considering a variety of economic, social and financial issues, the time may be right for buying a home in Arizona.

After considering a variety of economic, social and financial issues, deciding the time is right to buy a home in Arizona may be the conclusion. Common reasons to purchase a home include: property ownership status, financial investment, scheduled savings through equity, stable housing costs, increased property value, tax breaks, increased living space, choice of stable neighborhoods and schools, opportunity to live in an architectural environment of choice.

Shopping for the new home can be an exciting and emotional time, search to find that perfect home in the right location for the right price. Whether buying a first home or a third rental property, the process of buying a home in Arizona remains the same. Though the options may vary from one home buyer to another, the tips, advice and information here will benefit anyone considering the purchase of a home in Arizona.

There are six basic steps to buying a home in Arizona. Almost every home buyer today will need a mortgage in one form or another, few can afford to pay in cash. The first step in buying a home in Arizona, pre-qualifying for a home loan, is a relatively painless process. There are several areas to explore and a loan officer can help lay the groundwork for buying a home. Consider what types of mortgage options are available. When looking at available loan programs, it is important to look at the short term and the long term effects of a mortgage. For example, when planning to live in a home for only a few years, it may not make sense to apply for a 30-year fixed rate loan if it is possible to qualify for a lower interest rate on an adjustable rate mortgage.

Compile a list of all assets and sources of income to buy the home, be honest and thorough with financial officers. Lenders are frugal with their money and will calculate a maximum loan amount based on the likelihood that it can be repaid. Down payment requirements vary with each mortgage. For first time buyers it may be as low as 5% of the value of the home, a 10% down payment is common. Any down payment less the 20% will result in a mandatory carriage of mortgage insurance on the loan and adds an average of $60 to monthly payments. Mortgage insurance pays off the balance of money owed on the house to the lender if the owner dies, but in most cases, premiums for life insurance are better spent.

Next, find a real estate agent. The success of buying a home lies not in the home itself, but in the agent chosen as a representative to negotiate on the buyer’s behalf. Ask for recommendations from experienced home buyers. A respected real estate agent will walk the buyer through the transactions. Beware of agents that practice a form of buyer’s representation called “dual agency.” Their position requires neutrality instead of looking out for the buyer’s best interests. In some cases, buying directly from the seller may be more productive than through an agent. However, be well-inform on all Arizona laws for purchase and sale of homes. Do not depend on experience from what other states allow. Laws vary from state to state. Finally, remember that the decision to buy a house has many effects that may be positive, or negative. Weigh the consequences of buying a new home in Arizona before deciding.

Thirdly, finding a home may not be as simple as it sounds. To avoid “after the purchase” headaches know exactly what to look for when buying a home. It is important to know the options and limitations that exist. Driving through neighborhoods during the day and at night will reveal the membership of each area. Is the population young or old? The appearance of some cars will expose the presence of noisy teenagers and small children unattended in play may be something to be avoided. Visit open houses on Sundays to get the overall view of a community. Take notes on what is desirable and what is not.

A home represents a variety of functions for the inhabitants. The right mix of “needs” and “wants” may be difficult to match with the qualifying criteria of the loan. A successful new home-owner will have long pondered these questions, “What am I looking for in a neighborhood or house style. “What advantage and disadvantages of the home for the price I can afford?”

Once a home has been identified for purchase, deciding on a mortgage is the next step. Terms and requirements vary among lenders. Study options carefully to determine the best mortgage value in the short and the long-term. Normally a loan officer has assisted in exploring options, and is a good source of advice. A firm lender commitment will lead to a search of title records and confirm that there are no liens against the property that could affect processing a clean title. The property’s value, then, is determined through a state required appraisal. Negotiating a purchase contract that outlines the terms and conditions of the buyer’s offer, including items such as a sales price, any seller paid closing costs, the inclusion of any personal property like a washer and dryer, etc., finalizes paper work.

Although hiring a professional home inspector before closing on property is not required by law in Arizona, taking time to view the property with the seller is important. It is an opportunity to fully explore the home. Sellers are required by law to reveal any major defects in the structure of the home, such as roof leaks, termites, faulty wiring, etc. Any other items that may be of concern can be checked on by a home inspector or other appropriate professionals. It is also crucial to understand all your options when addressing any repair issues. If carpet is noticeably worn, will the buyer seller or the buyer pay the cost? Broken tiles and blinds should be replaced by the seller.

Though the fifth step in buying an Arizona home, closing, may take place months after a purchase agreement is made, the signing of all final paperwork is the main activity. The papers list the amount being borrowed, the monthly house payment, and the deed of trust which shows the ownership of the property. A stack of other related paperwork that is needed to finalize the transaction may seem time-consuming, but once signed, allows possession to keys of the property and the home buying process moves into its final stage, moving.


http://ksks.essortment.com/buyinghomeariz_ttju.htm

Tips and advice: buying a home in Colorado

The best thing about moving to Colorado is that you’ll be close to so many beautiful sites and history. This article gives insights and tips in making the move run smoothly.

When you are looking at homes, whether for purchasing or for dreaming, you want to know details about any home you are interested in. To do this you can find a realtor to show you homes or you can utilize the Internet and browse the MLS listings in the area that you are looking in. MLS simply stands for Multiple Listing Service.

Reading an MLS listing is not as difficult as it may appear. At first glance some listings might seem to be written in some form of top secret coding. Rest assured that this is not the case. For the most part all MLS listings will contain the same basic information about any home but some will include extra information. Below is a breakdown of what is covered in most listings and descriptions of abbreviations that are commonly used.

Most all of the listings will have at least one color picture, in the upper left corner of the listing, of the home for buyers to look at. Some listings will have more than one and others will have virtual inside and/or outside tours available. If the listing is new there may not be any pictures as it may take a few days to get suitable photos. To the right of the picture there will be the very basic details covering price, bedrooms (sometimes total rooms), bathrooms, city, county, zip code, style of the house, year it was built and square footage. There may be a ‘status’ listed that tells whether the house is actively for sale, pending sale, sold, etc…

Below the picture and the basic details will be more information. The MLS number of the listing which makes it possible for any realtor to bring up the information on that particular home. As long as the realtor has access to the MLS data base they will have access to all of the listings. Keeping this number handy makes finding a particular listing easy.

There will also be descriptions of type of listing (residential, commercial, etc), area or sub-division it is in, acreage of land, dimensions of lot, public school zone, levels (one story, two story), garage, number of fireplaces and type(s) of heating/cooling. Some descriptions may be left blank if the number is 0 or if it is unknown.

There is usually a section for remarks from the realtor selling it. Below the remarks section will be a final section for features or amenities. These include any ‘perks’ in the home such as ceiling fans, dishwasher and decks or patios.

Some abbreviations you will find in MLS listings are:

SF Detached - Single family detached dwelling.

Attachd - Two or more homes attached via common wall

Condo - Condominium

Housebt - Houseboat

In-Park - Manufactured House on rental property

Partown - Timeshare

Resid - Residence

Dbl-Wde - Double wide mobile home

Sin-Wde - Single wide mobile home

Towhhse - Townhouse

Manufhs - Manufactured house

This is a short list of some of the more common abbreviations and there very well may be other abbreviations in the MLS listings you are looking at. If you have troubles understanding any of them you can call any realtor or real estate office and ask what the abbreviation stands for. Most offices will be happy to help.

Do not let the seemingly secret code of MLS listings keep you from searching for either your next home or your dream home. Learn the basics, ask the questions and search till your heart is content.

http://www.essortment.com/career/homebuyersguid_sysp.htm

irock BLiNG MP3 / CD / FM Player

The Ceremony

Everytime I receive a package with review items in it, I like to perform a tribal style dance around my desk. Okay, I am lying, my desk is in the corner so I couldn't do that if I wanted to. However, I do open the package! When I got this player, it came in an unpadded Fedex envelope that looked like it had been dropped on a dirty sidewalk and run over by a small child on their tricycle. Luckily, the player was left unscathed but I would like to see it shipped in at least a padded envelope in the future. When I opened the envelope I found an attractive package with an attractive player displayed inside. The package has plenty information regarding the product's features on both the front and back, which is always nice. Time to rip open the pretty package and find out what's inside!

Once you open the package you will find inside the following items:
Bling MP3/CD/FM Player
Remote Control with FM tuner and belt clip
High Fidelity stereo earphones
AC/DC power adapter
2 AA batteries
User's Manual.


Manual

I would like to start by complimenting irock on their excellent owner's manual. This player has a lot of features and to get the most out of it I would most definitely recommend reading it. I will not go into depth on how to use this player because the manual covers everything. If you have any questions regarding MP3s and how to create a MP3 CD, you may also consult the manual. As for obtaining the MP3s, there are several options. The easiest way to get MP3s is via file sharing networks such as Kazaa, but you can also copy a CD to your computer and turn the WMA files into MP3 files by using WMA to MP3 conversion utilities that can be found online.


Play Modes

This player boasts 3 play modes: CD, MP3, and FM. This may lead you to believe that you can use standard CDs, digitally store MP3s, and listen to the radio... but this is not the case. To listen to MP3s, you need to burn them on a CD. An option to store MP3s on the device would have been a great addition, but the price would have to increase dramatically to accomodate a physical drive being integrated. I must say, however, that this device performed flawlessly in all modes. The CDs played back as expected and the FM mode was a lot better than I would have expected from a device without an antenna. All of the radio stations I tuned in to were crystal clear, with the exception of 1 that wasn't so clear, with an ever so slight bit of static. But overall, the FM mode is great.

While you are using a CD mode, there are also 6 playback modes:
Normal: Plays all tracks on entire CD once, then stops. This is the default playback mode.
Repeat 1: Repeats the current track displayed on the LCD, continuously.
Repeat Album: Repeats all of the tracks within the current album (directory), continuously.
Repeat All: Repeats all of the songs on the entire CD, continuously.
Intro: Plays the first 10 seconds of each track on the entire CD, then stops.
Random: Randomly plays all of the tracks on the entire CD, then stops.


Features

Another plus for the irock BLiNG is its stylish good looks and massive feature-set. The player has a 4 line LCD display that scrolls song title, album name, kHz, kbps, and also shows play mode, battery level, directory number, track number, song length, and visual EQ. The remote also has an LCD display but it only says CD or displays the FM station you are on. There are also the standard player features such as the HOLD toggle switch which lets you prevent unwanted button presses. The remote lets you control almost everything on the player with one hand and is designed to be ergonomic so that you can hold it in your hand comfortably and easily push the different buttons. The remote is needed if you want to use the FM mode, but if you will only be using this to listen to CDs, you may decide not to use the remote. The remote also has a small optional clip that you can use to attach to your belt, shirt, etc. if you want to.


Headphones

The BLiNG player is also packaged with a pair of ear buds. These headphones are some of the best earbuds I have ever used. The tone range with these headphones is amazing, high pitches are crystal clear and deep roaring bass kicks make your ears tingle. These earbuds are also very stylish like the rest of the player, and are extremely comfortable with padding around the bud. You could probably purchase better headphones seperately, but why? The quality of these headphones are so great that I couldn't warrant purchasing $80 headphones to replace them, there wouldn't be an amazing difference anyway because these earbuds are truly exceptional.


Note: I tested this player with several different music genres including songs from: George Acosta (Techno), Papa Roach (Rock), KORN (Rock), Daniel Beddingfield (Pop), Eminem (HipHop), LinkinPark (Rock), Craig David (Pop), Tupac (HipHop), Tatu (Pop), Slipknot (Rock), and more... Every single song I played sounded crystal clear and every tone could be heard, these headphones are absolutely amazing.

Equalizer

This player also has a digital equalizer that lets you choose one of six presets: BASS, FLAT, CLASSIC, JAZZ, ROCK, and POP. The setting you choose has a great impact on the music you are listening to. My personal preference is usually to leave it on the BASS preset because I listen to a lot of techno and hiphop with plenty of bass. However, depending on your music preference, you will want to select the appropriate preset. For music with lots of Saxophone, etc. you will want to use JAZZ, for songs with a lot of electric guitar and drums you will want to use ROCK, and for those who like orhcestra type music with pianos and violins and the like, you will likely want to use CLASSIC. The setting you have the player on will drastically change the way you listen to your songs. A techno song just doesn't sound the same with the JAZZ or CLASSIC setting, you need to find the appropriate settings for your songs, it will make a huge difference and you will enjoy the player much more if you don't just leave it on one setting for all types of music.

Rechargeability

Another item included with this player is a pair of AA rechargeable batteries. These batteries can last up to nine hours and take ~7-8 hours to fully recharge. I was very pleased that these batteries were included, because usually electronic devices only come with standard batteries.


Skip Protection

One word sums up the skip protection on this device: 'wow.' A lot of players out there boast a 60 second skip protection that doesn't hold up with a vigorous shaking. This player, however, sports a 120 second ESP that actually works. I decided to test the skip protection while playing an MP3 CD, and after several minutes of shaking and smacking the device, I could not get it to skip, not even once. I started to get a bit frustrated, even yelling at the player: "Damn you BLiNG, its been 200 seconds, skip already!" I then realized this was a good thing and was no longer frustrated. In all seriousness, the BLiNG player has the best skip protection I have seen, I literally could not get it to skip.

Conclusion

Overall this was an amazing product. I expected little from this player, but instead got a feature-packed player with excellent headphones, included rechargeable batteries, and amazing skip protection. If you are looking for a player that can play standard CDs, MP3s, and FM radio, I would most definitely recommend the irock BLiNG and I give it TheTechLounge Recommended award. Kudos to irock for an amazing product.

Pros

Very stylish
Packed with features
Remote
Excellent headphones included
Rechargeable batteries included
Excellent skip protection

Cons

Can't store MP3s on the device
Need remote to use FM mode


http://www.thetechlounge.com/article/31/irock+BLiNG+MP3+CD+FM+Player/