MP3
The buzz and fuss on Windows Phone 7 Series
by admin on Mar.08, 2010, under MP3
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The buzz and fuss on Windows Phone 7 Series
I am, to my immense surprise, totally excited about Windows Phone 7 Series.
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Deciding between iPods and MP3 players for teens
by admin on Mar.06, 2010, under MP3
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Well, first of all, an iPod IS an mp3 player, although it’s certainly not limited to playing only mp3s. iPods also play AAC, MP4, and many other file types. For the purposes of this article (and the other articles under this topic), though, we’re going to classify an mp3 player as any of the iPod’s competitor products.
Firstly, let’s take a look at rights. iPods are often criticized for having restrictive digital rights, which basically means that they’re not able to be used with media services other than Apple’s own iTunes. They can also be a bit overpriced when compared to other mp3 players; you’re paying for the uber-popular brand name.
With that being said, every other mp3 player on the market has its issues. Pound for pound, based on operating strength and capabilities, Creative’s Zen series might have the best claim to mp3 player glory; most of them have the following awesome features that the iPod doesn’t;
-FM Radio
-Voice Recording capabilities
-Customizable background
-Ability to be used with nearly any music store on the market other than iTunes.
However, remember that a teen is likely to be obsessed with image. The iPod has a cool status that no other mp3 player comes close to, and they’re one of the market innovators to boot. Also, the iTunes store’s integration with the iPod still hasn’t been matched by other mp3 players; for a cool mp3 player with easy setup, there’s just no beating the iPod.
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Deciding between an iPod or an MP3
by admin on Feb.05, 2010, under MP3
iPod’s and MP3’s. Buyers looking for these music players have a tough decision, the iPod series, or the other MP3 series?
iPod and MP3’s both have pro’s and con’s to them, and it is important to realize them, and figure out which one you are going to get before you buy the music player(s).
First off, let’s look at the iPod. It’s simple, easy to use, long battery life, and amazing memory for what you buy (this is now considering iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod video + photo, not shuffle), and gives a great display of what you can do on you iPod. Whether it’s playing games, listening to music, looking at photos, watching videos, even using the display as a torch, it’s useful to everyone.
Pro’s of an iPod:
Large amount of memory for what you pay for it
Easy to use
Visible menus to allow fast choosing of songs
The ability to create play lists
Hold button at the top of the iPod
Charge time is short
Don’t have to replace batteries, unlike in some MP3’s
Battery last for ages (depending on how long you charge it for)
Includes games, can watch videos (iPod Video), look at photos (iPod video, iPod Photo, iPod Nano)
Easy synchronization using iTunes
Con’s of an iPod:
May easily scratch (good idea to buy a case)
Need iTunes to synchronize iPod (iTunes comes with the iPod(s) )
When synchronizing, can only be synchronized to one computer at a time
MP3 Players. They’re everywhere, from electrical shops to eBay, they are widely available and are generally easy to use depending on which one you buy. Usually don’t have re-chargeable batteries built into them but run on normal batteries which are put in by hand.
The pro’s and con’s of MP3’s all DEPEND ON WHICH MP3 PLAYER YOU BUY (it may be that a con may not count for some MP3 players, and vice versa)
Pro’s of MP3 Players:
Generally easy to start up and use
Usually small
‘Drag and Drop’ synchronization (allowing it to me synchronized with more than just one computer)
Hold button
Con’s of MP3 Players:
May be confusing
No menus (on small MP3’s) – NOT ALL MP3′S
Batteries may not last long
May have small display screens
There are hundreds of pro’s and con’s of iPod’s and MP3’s, but there is a list that I think is the most valuable of the two items.
I have owned MP3 Players, and currently use an iPod video, and if I had to choose between the two, I would personally go for the iPod all the time. They’re easy to use and even though they come with them, I didn’t need the manual to figure out how to work it. Charge for the first time was admittedly long, but after the first couple of charges and run downs of the battery, it sustains power, and may only need a three hour charge to last me around eight or nine hours battery life.
If anyone has read this and is considering buying an MP3 Player or an iPod, weigh out the pro’s and cons, and figure out which one you want to buy.
If you buy either, I would always by a case for it/them. It just keeps it protected from damage and if dropped, provides a cushion/protection from damage and scratches/
Always read how long you should use or charge the battery for (depending on which MP3 or iPod you might buy), and always follow the instructions, as they may show you how to get the most out of your iPod/MP3 Player, and how to protect it.
Advantages and disadvantages of mp3 technology
by admin on Jan.20, 2010, under MP3
The principle advantage of the mp3 file format is its complete dominance multimedia devices: it is absolutely impossible to go wrong with mp3s between operating systems or music players. mp3s are the music file format du jour – everything can be counted on to play mp3s either out of the box or with very minimal manipulation.
Why does this matter? You can take an mp3 and transfer it anything to any device in your collection. Want to transfer music between your iPod or Zune? Want to play it on your PDA? Phone? The chances are although each will have its own preferred format (whether it be m4p or m4a or wma,) each player will play mp3 because, for now, mp3 is still the overwhelming standard. Furthermore, this technology is sound enough that it is likely that it’ll stay a major contender for quite a while.
Furthermore, mp3 does have excellent compression in comparison to other file formats. It can be reencoded to several bit rates and maintain distinct sound quality while not creating gigantic file sizes, so practically, this means you can put more songs on the same device without losing too much sound quality. While constant bitrate (CBR) allows for standard compression to make the smallest files at lowest quality (such as 96 kbps or 128 kbps) and can be scaled up as needed with higher quality and higher file sizes 256, 320, and so on), mp3 also has variable bit rate (VBR) schemes that can vary the bit rate with varying levels of compression (V0 to V9) to make a calculated mathematical tradeoff between bit rates and file sizes.
Of course, for the absolute audiophiles, they might not like the quality of mp3s anyway. MP3 as a file format has a tremendous technical disadvantage in that it is a lossy format – every time mp3s are processed, edited, added, recorded, and the like, it compresses and culls some of the data in the file format. It does this to compress file sizes so that they are manageable, but for those who care more about the purity of sound, it can produce unacceptable degradation. If you haven’t seen the effects of lossy filetimes, see a .jpeg image file. JPEG, unlike gif or png, is another lossy file. If you take a jpeg file and do nothing but save it and resave it a few times, eventually you will see noticeable degradation – artifacts – in parts of the jpeg. The file size will be small, but even in areas of constant, similar colors, there will be splotchiness.
Now imagine that to your music.
To overcome this disadvantage, there are other file types. In this case, there are superior lossless filetypes such as .flac, or the free lossless audio codec. The FLAC filetype’s lossless quality is an incredibly important distinction between it and mp3, AAC, or even ogg vorbis, because this means that as files are recorded or reencoded, they do not lose ANY information. Over time, mp3 sound quality can degrade with irreparable loss to quality that some find unacceptable (although casual users don’t usually reencode music as audio producers might, so they don’t have to worry about this.) Of course, FLAC files are predictably much larger than mp3 files. Furthermore, FLAC is not supported by all mp3 players (partially because other mp3 player manufacturers, such as Microsoft with its Zune or Apple with its iPod, can get away with maintaining their own proprietary lossless file types.)
Over time, of course, one of these filetypes will begin to become standardized, and with larger mp3 player harddrives, we may see that people aren’t concerned about conserving space. After all, mp3 itself is a proprietary format, and yet its enduring popularity and ubiquity shows that proprietary can be standardized. However, for now, mp3 is what most of us will deal with.
The best PC media players for MP3s
by admin on Jan.15, 2010, under MP3
PC media players are useful software to have, not just for MP3 but also for playing other types of media. They have great features, and best of all some good media players are available as free downloads!
For the best MP3 player, Winamp could well be it. The free Winamp bundle is available to download from their website, with a 16-Mb download. The website also provides good software support, in the form of skins, plug-ins etc.
It has all the usual features such as ipod support, album art, thousands of skins and plug ins as well as auto tag. Newer features include expanded flash support, extended language packs and a media monitor. It is also one of the most customisable media players you will find. Overall, it offers great usability and design.
Winamp Pro is also available commercially. This does not actually have than many more features than the pro version, aside from coding CDs to MP3 file format. Its CD capabilities are its main enhancement on the downloadable versions.
Real Player is an alternative. This is in fact a more all-round media player, and is regarded as the best for general media. It provides video as well as music. This has various audio enhancements, skins and plug-ins for users.
Again, you can download an appropriate real player version from their website. This comes with the free and latest Real Player 11, or a commercial Real Player Plus. It plays all major audio formats as well as MP3.
The Microsoft Windows Media player is worth using for MP3 audio also. It has a 3d ambience, and is user friendly enough with simplicity in design, although the actual performance is not as good as Winamp.
Windows Media Player 11 is the current latest version. And like the others, it can also be found and downloaded at the Windows Media supporting website.
Yahoo also has a good audio-visual player that plays MP3 files. Yahoo Player 1.5 is sleek and efficient MP3 player with some good interfaces. The download is actually a good deal smaller than its rivals are. For PC, it is only 1.7 mega-bytes and will take up less space.
These are the best PC media players for the MP3. Winamp, Real Player, Windows Media Player and Yahoo will all give you sound MP3 players plus quite a bit more beside with regard to other audio and media options. That they are available both commercially and non-commercially, is also a bonus.
Thoughts on mp3 players in school
by admin on Jan.04, 2010, under MP3
So I have never understood why school administrations freak out about mp3 players. Sure, if a student has one out while the teacher is lecturing, thats one thing. But disallowing the use of mp3 players during lunch or even during work time within classrooms seems highly excessive and unnecessary.
My high school wasn’t really this excessive, in fact I guess you could call it highly ‘liberal’ when it came to mp3 players and cell phones. Basically, it was the teachers discretion when it came to mp3 players, and cell phones had to be turned off during class. Of course, the majority of my teachers didn’t really care about cell phones, but that part didn’t affect me since I didn’t have a cell phone. I can’t think of a single situation where mp3 players were a distraction, and I can count on one hand the number of times cell phones were a distraction. And my class wasn’t one of those freaky, well-disciplined classes either, we had our share of troublemakers. The worst that ever happened with an mp3 player was it being too loud and the teacher having to tell the student to turn it down. Ironically, one of the few classes I had that didn’t allow them was PE.
I think that the reason some school administrations disallow mp3 players is to ‘take care’ of the students. What this really means is that the administrations choose to baby the students. Principals and teachers that don’t allow these devices are making it their personal responsibility to be sure that students pay attention. High school students are almost adults. High school is the point where teachers should stop “holding students’ hands,” so to speak. I can understand not allowing them while the teacher is lecturing; that is kind of disrespectful. But not allowing them during times when students are working or reading is going overboard, and not allowing them during lunch and break is something I will never even begin to understand.
Another, even less valid reason that some administrations don’t allow mp3 players is the possibility that it might get stolen. Again, I don’t see how this is the administration’s problem, If it gets stolen, that’s the student’s problem and the student’s fault. Mp3 players are easy enough to keep with you, a high school student be able to take responsibility for his or her property.
Not allowing mp3 players during tests is a grey area for me. On one hand music allows some people to concentrate better. On the other, mp3 players can be used as a cheating device. I can understand a teacher not allowing them during tests, but honestly, if a student is going to try that hard to cheat in high school, I say just let them. The majority of my teachers didn’t seem concerned about this possibility and allowed mp3 players during tests; even some of the hard noses that didn’t allow them at any other time.
This is an issue I get overly passionate about. I am a firm believer in the principle that as near adults, high school students should basically be treated as adults. It just really irks me that some schools have ridiculous rules like not allowing mp3 players and cell phones.
