by: Richard Green
The new mini PC from Microsoft, which currently has the concept name “origami”, was shown off at a technology trade show in Germany at the beginning of March. The end-product name for the computer has not yet been finalised, as “origami” is only a nickname which has been used by engineers during its development. The new computer is planned to hit the shelves in April, and is expected to rival apple Mac’s IPod amongst other things.
The new computer is a hand held PC in the similar shape of Sony’s P2P games console. The hand held PC is however as powerful as a standard desktop PC, with a whopping 60 gig hard drive. It has an 18cm touch-screen, and is a mere 1.5cm thick and weighs in at around 1 Kg. Operating with a full version of windows XP, this little computer is intended to have all the media capabilities of a home PC: therefore this new gadget will be able to run your favourite media player for music, games; as well as movies.
The new hand held PC also has additional connection capabilities for keyboards, digital cameras, and mobile phones; leading to speculation about how long before the mini PC and Skype ( http://www.skype.com ) begin to rival mobile phones too. The big question here being; will the large and powerful phone companies like Sony Ericsson ( http://www.sonyericsson.com ) give Microsoft the free rein to enter their marketplace. With Microsoft being such a major conglomerate surely the big phone companies will do everything in their capability to keep their market Microsoft free.
With this new ultra high tech piece of machinery Microsoft are also set to make a serious challenge to the PC hardware market. This brilliant strategy by Microsoft allows them to hit three of the world’s biggest markets (PCs, mobile phones and MP3 players) in one fell swoop.
Can anyone stop Microsoft? The only company to be seen making any challenge to the Microsoft empire at the moment is search engine giant Google – will we become a world dominated by two global Über-companies in the future – we'll just have to wait and see.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Mp3 Player for Running (or Any Exercise)
by: Charles West
Using an Mp3 Player for exercise, whether we are running or working out in the gym, we like to do it to music. To our favorite music or music we've chosen for what we're doing - possibly vigorous music for aerobics, soothing music for weightlifting, or a good beat for running, snowboarding or skiing, whatever works for you, is the best for you.
One of the easiest ways to carry that music is with a suitable MP3 player that is light, compact and loaded with your choice of music.
Using an Mp3 player for running, as we all know, over many years people have carried radio's, cassette players and CD players while they were running. All of these were either awkward to carry, or were limited by the length of tape or CD, or the CD would skip, or the radio reception was varied or nonexistent.
The MP3 player for running has changed a lot of that, but not all. It has become noticeable that some MP3 players are best not used for vigorous activity. Over the years we've been told that computer hard drives are temperamental and deserve to be looked after. Shaking or dropping them, we've been told will damage them, as a minimum - cause bad sectors, and ultimately cause loss of data or a damaged boot sector.
Then what happens - we are sold MP3 players that run from computer hard drives (ie, spinning disc's). Yes, we know they have shock protection built in, but this is so we don't hear the skipped music tracks - not to stop the hard drive from being damaged.
I was discussing these thoughts with a client last week, and was interrupted by a computer technician, I thought whoops what have I said wrong, he then confirmed what I was saying is right, as he had replaced his MP3 player hard drive twice in 2 years. He had put it down to heavy use as he is always playing it, apart from the running, and not realized the real problem (that he was using his MP3 player for running) until after a discussion with his work mates. Now he uses a solid state MP3 player for his 25Km runs and has had no problem with either the new unit or his hard drive MP3 player over the last 18 months, none at all.
My advice is to only use a solid State MP3 player for running, they can carry from 2 hours to over 300 hours of music (from 128Mb to 4Gig of storage). These units have no moving parts, therefore shock movement will not damage the music quality, the storage or there long life.
Follow the guide to Choose your Next MP3 player for running, at http://www.mp3srock.com/mp3_music_player.html
Using an Mp3 Player for exercise, whether we are running or working out in the gym, we like to do it to music. To our favorite music or music we've chosen for what we're doing - possibly vigorous music for aerobics, soothing music for weightlifting, or a good beat for running, snowboarding or skiing, whatever works for you, is the best for you.
One of the easiest ways to carry that music is with a suitable MP3 player that is light, compact and loaded with your choice of music.
Using an Mp3 player for running, as we all know, over many years people have carried radio's, cassette players and CD players while they were running. All of these were either awkward to carry, or were limited by the length of tape or CD, or the CD would skip, or the radio reception was varied or nonexistent.
The MP3 player for running has changed a lot of that, but not all. It has become noticeable that some MP3 players are best not used for vigorous activity. Over the years we've been told that computer hard drives are temperamental and deserve to be looked after. Shaking or dropping them, we've been told will damage them, as a minimum - cause bad sectors, and ultimately cause loss of data or a damaged boot sector.
Then what happens - we are sold MP3 players that run from computer hard drives (ie, spinning disc's). Yes, we know they have shock protection built in, but this is so we don't hear the skipped music tracks - not to stop the hard drive from being damaged.
I was discussing these thoughts with a client last week, and was interrupted by a computer technician, I thought whoops what have I said wrong, he then confirmed what I was saying is right, as he had replaced his MP3 player hard drive twice in 2 years. He had put it down to heavy use as he is always playing it, apart from the running, and not realized the real problem (that he was using his MP3 player for running) until after a discussion with his work mates. Now he uses a solid state MP3 player for his 25Km runs and has had no problem with either the new unit or his hard drive MP3 player over the last 18 months, none at all.
My advice is to only use a solid State MP3 player for running, they can carry from 2 hours to over 300 hours of music (from 128Mb to 4Gig of storage). These units have no moving parts, therefore shock movement will not damage the music quality, the storage or there long life.
Follow the guide to Choose your Next MP3 player for running, at http://www.mp3srock.com/mp3_music_player.html
All The Tips You'll Need For Buying The Mp3 Player Of Your Dreams
by: Tatiana Velitchkov
Whether you are jogging, shopping at the grocery store, working out at the gym, or working, you are constantly seeing people listening to an MP3 player. If you do not have one yet, then you are behind the times. MP3 players are the best way to tote your music from place to place, and listen to it everywhere that you go. Now that you know you must go out and get an MP3 player as soon as possible, here are a few tips to consider when you are buying one.
Price – This is usually one of the most important criteria when you are buying any item, but the price of an MP3 player can vary greatly depending on the many features that are available on an MP3 player. You should try to maximize the amount of features you can get for the best price. Prices of MP3 players usually start around $75 and go up to around $1000 and sometimes even more. You can often find MP3 players for much less, though, during a sale or promotion.
Size – The size of an MP3 player can also vary greatly. The smaller the size of the MP3 player the more expensive it is, but other things like the type of memory can also cause the size of an MP3 player to change. If you must have a very small MP3 player, then you might have to give up some features that the larger MP3 players provide.
Screen Size & Clarity – The screen is also another very important aspect of an MP3 player. The screen is where all of the song information will be displayed. Also if your MP3 player allows pictures or music videos, they will appear here as well. The more clear and larger the screen the more your MP3 player will cost.
Memory Type – The type and size of memory that an MP3 player has will determine the amount of songs the MP3 player will be able to hold. The memory type can also affect the way the MP3 player will react to movement. An MP3 player with an internal hard drive will be able to hold the most songs, but it will make the MP3 player larger, and also might skip if you go jogging, or work out at the gym while listening to it. Flash memory on the other hand will not hold as many songs, but the MP3 player will be very small, and it will not skip at all, even under the roughest conditions.
Battery Life – The battery life of your MP3 player is also very important, because you want to listen to your music, not sit and watch it charging. Some batteries will last for 4 – 5 hours, while others will last more than a day for your listening pleasure. You will also want to find out if the MP3 player uses an A/C adapter to charge, or if it can be charged by plugging it in to a USB port on your computer.
Accessories – Some MP3 players have a large variety of different accessories that will make it more stylish than anyone else’s. Some common accessories are headphones, carrying cases, docking stations, and also necklaces to carry your MP3 player on. Depending on your fashion sense you might want to pick out an MP3 player with more accessories, so you can make sure that you stand out in a crowd.
Whether you go for the price as point for search number 1, or for the size as the most important factor, or for the memory type, or the accessories, at http://www.discussMP3.com
you can be certain to find the new MP3 player you are seeking, and at the most discounted prices at that.
Whether you are jogging, shopping at the grocery store, working out at the gym, or working, you are constantly seeing people listening to an MP3 player. If you do not have one yet, then you are behind the times. MP3 players are the best way to tote your music from place to place, and listen to it everywhere that you go. Now that you know you must go out and get an MP3 player as soon as possible, here are a few tips to consider when you are buying one.
Price – This is usually one of the most important criteria when you are buying any item, but the price of an MP3 player can vary greatly depending on the many features that are available on an MP3 player. You should try to maximize the amount of features you can get for the best price. Prices of MP3 players usually start around $75 and go up to around $1000 and sometimes even more. You can often find MP3 players for much less, though, during a sale or promotion.
Size – The size of an MP3 player can also vary greatly. The smaller the size of the MP3 player the more expensive it is, but other things like the type of memory can also cause the size of an MP3 player to change. If you must have a very small MP3 player, then you might have to give up some features that the larger MP3 players provide.
Screen Size & Clarity – The screen is also another very important aspect of an MP3 player. The screen is where all of the song information will be displayed. Also if your MP3 player allows pictures or music videos, they will appear here as well. The more clear and larger the screen the more your MP3 player will cost.
Memory Type – The type and size of memory that an MP3 player has will determine the amount of songs the MP3 player will be able to hold. The memory type can also affect the way the MP3 player will react to movement. An MP3 player with an internal hard drive will be able to hold the most songs, but it will make the MP3 player larger, and also might skip if you go jogging, or work out at the gym while listening to it. Flash memory on the other hand will not hold as many songs, but the MP3 player will be very small, and it will not skip at all, even under the roughest conditions.
Battery Life – The battery life of your MP3 player is also very important, because you want to listen to your music, not sit and watch it charging. Some batteries will last for 4 – 5 hours, while others will last more than a day for your listening pleasure. You will also want to find out if the MP3 player uses an A/C adapter to charge, or if it can be charged by plugging it in to a USB port on your computer.
Accessories – Some MP3 players have a large variety of different accessories that will make it more stylish than anyone else’s. Some common accessories are headphones, carrying cases, docking stations, and also necklaces to carry your MP3 player on. Depending on your fashion sense you might want to pick out an MP3 player with more accessories, so you can make sure that you stand out in a crowd.
Whether you go for the price as point for search number 1, or for the size as the most important factor, or for the memory type, or the accessories, at http://www.discussMP3.com
you can be certain to find the new MP3 player you are seeking, and at the most discounted prices at that.
Cranking the Volume on Your iPod or MP3 Player Can Damage Hearing
by: Lee Blue
Kids have always loved listening to their favorite music, and the louder the better – much to their parents’ dismay. In the 1980s, the portable tape recorder with headphones – which came to be known as the “Walkman” – enabled teenagers to listen to their music as loud as they wanted, anywhere they wanted, without disturbing anyone around them.
But the more modern rendition of the Walkman – portable MP3 Players and iPods – pose a major threat to our children’s hearing health, and to ours.
The problem is a combination of the technology of portable digital devices that creates a non-buffered crystal clear sound, and the type of headphones typically used with them, which do not have a buffer either. In December 2005, Dean Garstecki, an audiologist and professor at Northwestern University reported that more and more young people were being diagnosed with the types of hearing loss typically found in older adults. He attributed this trend to the “earbud” type headphones that usually accompany iPod and MP3 Players.
With the earbud headphones, the sound frequencies are not buffered as they are with the more traditional, ear cup-style headsets. Newsweek Magazine recently reported that researchers at the House Ear Institute found that listeners can unfortunately increase the volume of today’s portable digital devices without the “signal distortion that occurs with traditional analog audio.” The older-model headphones that were popular just 15 to 20 years ago – that have ear cups outside of the ears – had that distortion when the volume was turned up, which functioned as a much-needed buffer to protect our hearing. Today’s technology does not provide that buffer – the earpiece is placed in the ear, not outside of it, and the digital devices do not create that distortion, no matter how high the volume.
In addition, people often listen to these devices while they are on the go, and have a tendency to crank the volume in an attempt to drown outside noise, further posing a risk to our hearing. Using the earbud style headphones during activities such as exercise, for example, puts the user at a greater risk. During exercise, blood, which can act as a buffer, is diverted from the ears to other parts of the body – so our already vulnerable hearing is in even more jeopardy.
Headwize reports that a study conducted on music listeners using headphones revealed that while indoors with no background noise, the participants were comfortable with their music at 69 decibels. Outdoors, where the background noise was recorded at 65 decibels, participants using their headphones turned the volume up to 82 decibels and as high as 95 decibels to drown out the surrounding noise. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines limit exposure to noise at this level to no more than four hours each day. The study concluded that the participants were at risk for hearing damage and recommended “avoiding continuous use of [portable stereos] in noisy conditions.”
Northwestern University’s Dean Garstecki offers more specific guidelines: His 60 percent/60 minute rule – listen to MP3 Players and iPods for “about an hour a day and at levels below 60 percent of maximum volume.” The problem is, most of the population using headphones – young music fans – listen to their music for much longer than one hour per day. But, you can help minimize hearing loss, damage and problems while listening to your favorite music as long as you want to – the secret is in the headphones.
Headphones such as the EX29 Extreme Isolation Noise Reduction Headphones help block out external noise allowing you to hear the fine details of your music without blowing out your ear drums. The ear cup fits over the ear, and not in it, and the headphones are lightweight, don’t require batteries and can be used with your MP3 Player or iPod. With 29 decibels of isolation from outside sound, the quiet headphones block outside noise and there is no need to crank the volume of your music.
Aging rock stars like the Who’s Pete Townsend, who has some permanent hearing loss from years of exposure to loud music, and Mick Fleetwood, who has teamed up with Energizer batteries to promote hearing loss prevention, have brought public attention to the fact that many of us take our hearing for granted. But there’s no need to turn off your music – just be smarter about how you listen to it. If you are using your MP3 Player or iPod when you’re exercising, in a noisy environment or you just want to hear the fine details of your music, ditch the earbud headphones and reach for a set of noise reduction ones instead. And you’ll be enjoying your favorite music for a long time to come.
Kids have always loved listening to their favorite music, and the louder the better – much to their parents’ dismay. In the 1980s, the portable tape recorder with headphones – which came to be known as the “Walkman” – enabled teenagers to listen to their music as loud as they wanted, anywhere they wanted, without disturbing anyone around them.
But the more modern rendition of the Walkman – portable MP3 Players and iPods – pose a major threat to our children’s hearing health, and to ours.
The problem is a combination of the technology of portable digital devices that creates a non-buffered crystal clear sound, and the type of headphones typically used with them, which do not have a buffer either. In December 2005, Dean Garstecki, an audiologist and professor at Northwestern University reported that more and more young people were being diagnosed with the types of hearing loss typically found in older adults. He attributed this trend to the “earbud” type headphones that usually accompany iPod and MP3 Players.
With the earbud headphones, the sound frequencies are not buffered as they are with the more traditional, ear cup-style headsets. Newsweek Magazine recently reported that researchers at the House Ear Institute found that listeners can unfortunately increase the volume of today’s portable digital devices without the “signal distortion that occurs with traditional analog audio.” The older-model headphones that were popular just 15 to 20 years ago – that have ear cups outside of the ears – had that distortion when the volume was turned up, which functioned as a much-needed buffer to protect our hearing. Today’s technology does not provide that buffer – the earpiece is placed in the ear, not outside of it, and the digital devices do not create that distortion, no matter how high the volume.
In addition, people often listen to these devices while they are on the go, and have a tendency to crank the volume in an attempt to drown outside noise, further posing a risk to our hearing. Using the earbud style headphones during activities such as exercise, for example, puts the user at a greater risk. During exercise, blood, which can act as a buffer, is diverted from the ears to other parts of the body – so our already vulnerable hearing is in even more jeopardy.
Headwize reports that a study conducted on music listeners using headphones revealed that while indoors with no background noise, the participants were comfortable with their music at 69 decibels. Outdoors, where the background noise was recorded at 65 decibels, participants using their headphones turned the volume up to 82 decibels and as high as 95 decibels to drown out the surrounding noise. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines limit exposure to noise at this level to no more than four hours each day. The study concluded that the participants were at risk for hearing damage and recommended “avoiding continuous use of [portable stereos] in noisy conditions.”
Northwestern University’s Dean Garstecki offers more specific guidelines: His 60 percent/60 minute rule – listen to MP3 Players and iPods for “about an hour a day and at levels below 60 percent of maximum volume.” The problem is, most of the population using headphones – young music fans – listen to their music for much longer than one hour per day. But, you can help minimize hearing loss, damage and problems while listening to your favorite music as long as you want to – the secret is in the headphones.
Headphones such as the EX29 Extreme Isolation Noise Reduction Headphones help block out external noise allowing you to hear the fine details of your music without blowing out your ear drums. The ear cup fits over the ear, and not in it, and the headphones are lightweight, don’t require batteries and can be used with your MP3 Player or iPod. With 29 decibels of isolation from outside sound, the quiet headphones block outside noise and there is no need to crank the volume of your music.
Aging rock stars like the Who’s Pete Townsend, who has some permanent hearing loss from years of exposure to loud music, and Mick Fleetwood, who has teamed up with Energizer batteries to promote hearing loss prevention, have brought public attention to the fact that many of us take our hearing for granted. But there’s no need to turn off your music – just be smarter about how you listen to it. If you are using your MP3 Player or iPod when you’re exercising, in a noisy environment or you just want to hear the fine details of your music, ditch the earbud headphones and reach for a set of noise reduction ones instead. And you’ll be enjoying your favorite music for a long time to come.
MP3 Players: How It All Began
by: Alexander Johannes
You have probably seen some old movies where some unruly teenager carried on his shoulders one the first "portable" audio players—a blaring cassette-tape-playing two-speaker monster (if you're old enough, you may even have done this yourself). What can the desire of people to take their music with them do!
But the first truly portable audio player was the cassette-tape based Sony Walkman. That was extremely revolutionary in its time. This small plastic box (well, today it doesn’t seem to be very small any longer) with earphones brought on the dawn of the portable audio player and sparked a legion of imitators. The subsequent introduction of audio CDs and CD-based walkmans marked the start of the digital music age.
A relatively recent revolution in this area was the introduction of Apple’s portable music player, the iPod. Although portable mp3 players existed before it (the first mass market mp3 player, the Rio PMP300, was introduced in 1998), the iPod’s unique design, its user-friendliness, and Apple’s very good reputation for its sense of aesthetics created immense interest in the product. Soon iPod was catapulted to its current ubiquity. More than 7 out of 10 mp3 player owners today have an iPod.
Portable mp3 players today are a must-have in the “everyone-else-has-them-so-I-should-have-one-too” sense. Although they are indeed undoubtedly very handy. Especially among the younger half of the population, jumping aboard the portable music bandwagon is a way of staying cool and keeping up with the times.
MP3 format has been chosen as the most widespread. Songs of that format can be supported not only by iPods but by the majority of devices. You can enjoy MP3 music while walking, driving, cooking, or listening to your dull lectures.
The primary source of music in mp3 players today is still audio CDs, as it is now very easy to create mp3s from them (using Total Audio Converter’s rip CD option). The widespread availability of internet access, with the ability to download plenty of music (legally and illegally) is also a crucial factor in the spread of portable music players. Though there is the reverse of the medal. The songs in the web are of dozens different audio formats. What to do with some FLAC or APE song?
The solution is quite simple. Get some audio encoding/decoding tool to convert your songs to your favorite mp3. For example, Total Audio Converter (http://www.CoolUtils.com) is a brainlessly simple tool that supports almost all audio formats. No matter what source format your track is, Total Audio Converter will easily convert it to the format you need. What is important TAC was developed to be handy and suites any digital music newbie.
Today, 1 in 5 Americans, and about 11 out of 20 American teenagers, own at least one portable audio. More than 1 out of 10 older adults (aged 35-54) own an mp3 player as well. (Interestingly, two-thirds of mp3 player owners are male – girls, where are you?) From these stats alone, it’s easy to see that portable music players are definitely here to stay. And that is GREAT
You have probably seen some old movies where some unruly teenager carried on his shoulders one the first "portable" audio players—a blaring cassette-tape-playing two-speaker monster (if you're old enough, you may even have done this yourself). What can the desire of people to take their music with them do!
But the first truly portable audio player was the cassette-tape based Sony Walkman. That was extremely revolutionary in its time. This small plastic box (well, today it doesn’t seem to be very small any longer) with earphones brought on the dawn of the portable audio player and sparked a legion of imitators. The subsequent introduction of audio CDs and CD-based walkmans marked the start of the digital music age.
A relatively recent revolution in this area was the introduction of Apple’s portable music player, the iPod. Although portable mp3 players existed before it (the first mass market mp3 player, the Rio PMP300, was introduced in 1998), the iPod’s unique design, its user-friendliness, and Apple’s very good reputation for its sense of aesthetics created immense interest in the product. Soon iPod was catapulted to its current ubiquity. More than 7 out of 10 mp3 player owners today have an iPod.
Portable mp3 players today are a must-have in the “everyone-else-has-them-so-I-should-have-one-too” sense. Although they are indeed undoubtedly very handy. Especially among the younger half of the population, jumping aboard the portable music bandwagon is a way of staying cool and keeping up with the times.
MP3 format has been chosen as the most widespread. Songs of that format can be supported not only by iPods but by the majority of devices. You can enjoy MP3 music while walking, driving, cooking, or listening to your dull lectures.
The primary source of music in mp3 players today is still audio CDs, as it is now very easy to create mp3s from them (using Total Audio Converter’s rip CD option). The widespread availability of internet access, with the ability to download plenty of music (legally and illegally) is also a crucial factor in the spread of portable music players. Though there is the reverse of the medal. The songs in the web are of dozens different audio formats. What to do with some FLAC or APE song?
The solution is quite simple. Get some audio encoding/decoding tool to convert your songs to your favorite mp3. For example, Total Audio Converter (http://www.CoolUtils.com) is a brainlessly simple tool that supports almost all audio formats. No matter what source format your track is, Total Audio Converter will easily convert it to the format you need. What is important TAC was developed to be handy and suites any digital music newbie.
Today, 1 in 5 Americans, and about 11 out of 20 American teenagers, own at least one portable audio. More than 1 out of 10 older adults (aged 35-54) own an mp3 player as well. (Interestingly, two-thirds of mp3 player owners are male – girls, where are you?) From these stats alone, it’s easy to see that portable music players are definitely here to stay. And that is GREAT
What Makes the MP3 Player Tick?
by: Andrew Stratton
While storing data in your MP3 player, you seldom stop to find how files are saved in the player's memory. The different types of memory types include internal flash memory, Compact Flash cards, Smart Media cards, Memory Stick and internal micro drive.
Except for internal micro drive, all of the above mentioned are ‘solid-state’ memory types in which there are no moving parts. This enables better reliability and no skips while you are enjoying the music. There are tiny hard disk drives in MP3 players which have capacity to store 10 to 150 times more date compared to flash memory devices.
In any MP3 player, the microprocessor is the brains of the system, monitoring user input through playback controls, displaying all the statistics related to the song playing on the LCD panel and sending instructions to the DSP chip that tells exactly how to process the audio.
The DSP withdraws the data of songs from memory, through application of special effects, or EQ, and streams it to the amplifier. A decompression algorithm run by the DSP will undo the compression of the MP3 file and then a digital-to-analog converter will change the bytes back into sound waves.
After boosting the strength, the amplifier sends the signal to the audio port, which is connected to a pair of headphones.
MP3 players are portable and battery-powered. Most of them use one or two AA batteries that last for about 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. Many players are equipped with AC adapters and can be plugged into a normal electrical outlet and some even offer DC adapters for use in a car.
Minidisk technology comes to music listeners in a new and improved line of Minidisk Walkman digital music players. A 1 GB disc is provided by Hi-MD technology to give users up to 45 hours of music. Those looking for a player that can store their entire music collection would find the hard drive ideally suited for the purpose. These discs can also store and transfer many PC data files to enable PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, etc. and depending on the model, it could allow 30 to 50 hours of playtime on a single AA battery.
While storing data in your MP3 player, you seldom stop to find how files are saved in the player's memory. The different types of memory types include internal flash memory, Compact Flash cards, Smart Media cards, Memory Stick and internal micro drive.
Except for internal micro drive, all of the above mentioned are ‘solid-state’ memory types in which there are no moving parts. This enables better reliability and no skips while you are enjoying the music. There are tiny hard disk drives in MP3 players which have capacity to store 10 to 150 times more date compared to flash memory devices.
In any MP3 player, the microprocessor is the brains of the system, monitoring user input through playback controls, displaying all the statistics related to the song playing on the LCD panel and sending instructions to the DSP chip that tells exactly how to process the audio.
The DSP withdraws the data of songs from memory, through application of special effects, or EQ, and streams it to the amplifier. A decompression algorithm run by the DSP will undo the compression of the MP3 file and then a digital-to-analog converter will change the bytes back into sound waves.
After boosting the strength, the amplifier sends the signal to the audio port, which is connected to a pair of headphones.
MP3 players are portable and battery-powered. Most of them use one or two AA batteries that last for about 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. Many players are equipped with AC adapters and can be plugged into a normal electrical outlet and some even offer DC adapters for use in a car.
Minidisk technology comes to music listeners in a new and improved line of Minidisk Walkman digital music players. A 1 GB disc is provided by Hi-MD technology to give users up to 45 hours of music. Those looking for a player that can store their entire music collection would find the hard drive ideally suited for the purpose. These discs can also store and transfer many PC data files to enable PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, etc. and depending on the model, it could allow 30 to 50 hours of playtime on a single AA battery.
Important Facts About Mp3 And Mp4 Players
by: Roberto Sedycias
Mpeg-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as mp3, is a popular digital audio encoding format. A device that is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording, by retaining the sound from the original uncompressed state. Mp3 is an audio-specific compression format. By compressing, certain sounds that cannot be heard by the listener outside the normal human hearing range, are removed. This makes the sound clearly audible to the listener.
The mp3 players have changed the evolution of music. The good old records, eight-track tapes, cassette tapes and CDs no doubt gave the music lovers a good time but none of these earlier music formats provided the convenience and control that mp3 players provide. It is as convenient as keeping it in your hand or pocketing it. You can create personalized music lists and carry thousands of songs wherever you go. Mp3 players are offered in different shapes and sizes.
For those who want to be with the time by possessing the latest gadgets or be the first ones to have them, here is a list of some popular mp3 player brands: Apple, Archos, Creative, Olympus, RCA, Rio, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony and iRiver. Most of these have good amount of storage capacity, screen size, compatable to Apple MacOS X 10.3.4 or later, Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later.
Mpeg-4 Part 14, a multimedia container format commonly known as Mpeg-4. It is a device that stores digital audio and digital video streams, especially those defined by mpeg. Subtitles and still images are also stored. Mpeg-4 Part 14 allows streaming over the Internet. The filename extension for Mpeg-4 Part 14 files is .mp4, thus the name mp4. Devices that play .mp4 files are referred to as mp4 players.
The evolution of mp4 player devices has lead to providing more features such as fm tuner, voice recorder, email, and Internet browser capability. As it is capable of delivering audio and video at the same time, mp4 devices can offer a wide range of interesting features, such as web browsing, email, instant messaging, video and music download, Bluetooth wireless technology, digital camera and others. Not to forget the game capability, voice recording and multiple language options. The storage capacity is amazing which can start from 256 mega bites up to 40, 60 and up giga bites.
Mp4 is the next step in the evolution of music after mp3. The difference between mp4 and mp3 formats is that, mp4 devices hold both audio and video files. As for the mp3 it only holds the audio type file.
iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple. The iPod name has become synonymous with mp3 or mp4 players as it is the most popular brand and holds the biggest share of the market. Devices in the iPod range are primarily digital audio players. These devices can be used to store an entire music library. This is not all, it can also be used to view and transfer photos, videos, games, and calendars to the models that support them.
With PDA-like functionality, text files can be displayed, while contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer. It comes with built-in games like Brick, Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. It is condensed, brawny and frivolous, and is easy enough to carry along in your palm, in your pocket, or purse.
The storage capacity varies from 512 mb to 80+ gb. It has a powerful 60 mw amplifier so it can deliver audio as loud as you want. It also has a 20 MZ to 20 khz frequency responses. This means, you can hear distortion free music at the least pitches. iPod is a very handy mp3 mp4 player indeed!
Mpeg-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as mp3, is a popular digital audio encoding format. A device that is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording, by retaining the sound from the original uncompressed state. Mp3 is an audio-specific compression format. By compressing, certain sounds that cannot be heard by the listener outside the normal human hearing range, are removed. This makes the sound clearly audible to the listener.
The mp3 players have changed the evolution of music. The good old records, eight-track tapes, cassette tapes and CDs no doubt gave the music lovers a good time but none of these earlier music formats provided the convenience and control that mp3 players provide. It is as convenient as keeping it in your hand or pocketing it. You can create personalized music lists and carry thousands of songs wherever you go. Mp3 players are offered in different shapes and sizes.
For those who want to be with the time by possessing the latest gadgets or be the first ones to have them, here is a list of some popular mp3 player brands: Apple, Archos, Creative, Olympus, RCA, Rio, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony and iRiver. Most of these have good amount of storage capacity, screen size, compatable to Apple MacOS X 10.3.4 or later, Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later.
Mpeg-4 Part 14, a multimedia container format commonly known as Mpeg-4. It is a device that stores digital audio and digital video streams, especially those defined by mpeg. Subtitles and still images are also stored. Mpeg-4 Part 14 allows streaming over the Internet. The filename extension for Mpeg-4 Part 14 files is .mp4, thus the name mp4. Devices that play .mp4 files are referred to as mp4 players.
The evolution of mp4 player devices has lead to providing more features such as fm tuner, voice recorder, email, and Internet browser capability. As it is capable of delivering audio and video at the same time, mp4 devices can offer a wide range of interesting features, such as web browsing, email, instant messaging, video and music download, Bluetooth wireless technology, digital camera and others. Not to forget the game capability, voice recording and multiple language options. The storage capacity is amazing which can start from 256 mega bites up to 40, 60 and up giga bites.
Mp4 is the next step in the evolution of music after mp3. The difference between mp4 and mp3 formats is that, mp4 devices hold both audio and video files. As for the mp3 it only holds the audio type file.
iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple. The iPod name has become synonymous with mp3 or mp4 players as it is the most popular brand and holds the biggest share of the market. Devices in the iPod range are primarily digital audio players. These devices can be used to store an entire music library. This is not all, it can also be used to view and transfer photos, videos, games, and calendars to the models that support them.
With PDA-like functionality, text files can be displayed, while contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer. It comes with built-in games like Brick, Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. It is condensed, brawny and frivolous, and is easy enough to carry along in your palm, in your pocket, or purse.
The storage capacity varies from 512 mb to 80+ gb. It has a powerful 60 mw amplifier so it can deliver audio as loud as you want. It also has a 20 MZ to 20 khz frequency responses. This means, you can hear distortion free music at the least pitches. iPod is a very handy mp3 mp4 player indeed!
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