DRM Free Music

Many top sites have been offering DRM free online music for a while! We own the music after downloading it!That's great!

These sites, include the likes of Amazon, eMusic ,Rhapsody and even Wal-Mart .Yahoo also offers a yearly subscription based service called MUSIC Unlimited for only $5.99 per month. That’s quite a reasonable way to have a lot of music at your fingertips but then,the site allows you to download music onto an mp3 player only if you pay an extra $.79 along with your subscription.

Another advantage is that these sites offer speedy delivery,that is, very fast transfer downloads once you approve of the purchase and also their other important feature is the selection of music available.

Following the footsteps of the above mentioned sites,ultimately, one of the major last bastions of DRM music also finally gave in! Sony BMG offers DRM free music, but only to customers via their retail store and it can only be bought using 'album cards'.

Finally, the greatest news of all! Apple, the last major retailer of DRM-encumbered music has also announced, that all iTunes music will be going DRM-free. Some 8 million songs and music videos are already available DRM-free, via iTunes Plus.
This is great news for music lovers! :) Cheers!

Copyright © 2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved. Read more Entry>>

All about DRM

I would like to explain in a nutshell, what DRM is all about, without going into elaborate details!

Well, what is DRM?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management and it is a protective software that limits you from doing things of your choice .For instance,when you purchase DRM music,

• It can curb your choice of music player
• Control how many PCs or digital music players on which a track can be played or transferred
• Curtail the number of times the file can be burnt to CD,DVD or memory card

Thus, if you buy a song from Itunes, it will only work on an Ipod , or if you buy a song from the Zune Marketplace, it will only work only on a Zune ! Moreover, DRM is also known as ‘copy protection’.

Next,What is DMCA?

DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which can be a legal liability for you if you break the DRM or distribute the tools to break DRM, in order to burn CDS.

What are DRM licenses?

DRM licenses are media usage rights which categorizes how, where and when you can play the media. If you lose these licenses or media usage rights, you will not be able to play your purchased tracks till you get the licenses again!

Thus DRM and the DMCA, is sort of danger to your rights! Before buying DRM music from any service, be absolutely certain about the limitations of the music you purchase. You also need to understand an important pointer about DRM music..‘You have bought it, but they still own it’


Copyright © 2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved. Read more Entry>>

Wi-Fi or Wireless networks

What is Wi-Fi or Wireless Networks ?It is a technology that accesses internet at high speed called broadband without the need for cables. It uses short range radio waves to transmit internet connection in all directions.Wi-fi is used at home, offices and public places like airports, cafes and malls called Hotspots.

To access the network you need:

• Wireless pc card to be installed in laptops or pc

• Routers to set up the network

As the routers and cards are sold unencrypted with standard password, the network is left unsecured which other Wi-Fi users can get connected without identifications or passwords .

Hence,you should take certain precautions to your network from intruders:

1. Each wireless router is sold with the manufacturers default user name, SSID (Service Set Identifier), password, and IP address for easy installation. These passwords should be changed immediately before they are connected to the network, to reduce the possibility of getting connected to a casual user's laptop which is configured to connect to any available network.

2. Your Wi-Fi network by default broadcasts its name to all wireless users within range and must be disabled to be made invisible to intruders.

3. Turn on the encryption. Without the key, encryption will not allow anyone into the network.

4. There are two types of encryption standards :Wireless Equivalent Protocol (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access(WPA). WPA is more secure than WEP as WPA has a powerful security technology with 128-bit encryption keys to ensure the network's privacy and security.

5. Enable Media Access Control (MAC) address so that only computers with the specific MAC address will be authorized to access the network. But then, you must specify the addresses that are to be allowed.

Furthermore, to prevent radio signals from transmitting through the walls,"Wi-Fi proof paint" can also be applied to the walls. Finally, internet users must protect their computers by installing anti-virus software and personal firewalls to avoid being impersonated by unauthorized users.

Copyright © 2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved.

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What Is A Podcast?

Podcasts are news now! You hear about podcasts, here, there and almost everywhere! :)

So, what is a podcast?

Firstly, the name Podcast comes from ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’ , but then, an iPod is not required to listen to podcasts . Anything that plays MP3 is fine to listen to podcasts ! Once the podcast is downloaded, it's just an MP3.

Now what exactly is a podcast?

A Podcast is:

1. An audio file that you create in a mp3 format.
2. It is your own radio or talk show that you publish and share with others around the world !
3. You upload it to a server like your website or blog, along with an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.
4 Your listeners download the podcast using one of numerous programs that allows your audio file to be retrieved automatically.
5. Finally,your listeners get to listen to the podcast at their convenience in their own iPod or MP3 player.

In a nut shell - A podcast is an audio file posted on the web ,which is delivered to listeners via a RSS feed( a subscription service).Thus, podcast is merely just a RSS feed that contains an MP3 or audio file!

Here are some of the motivations to start a podcast:

• Do you have the urge to reach out to to people around the world? Well, start a podcast!
• Want your own talk show but you don’t own a radio station or work at one? Well, start a podcast!
• You’re a musician and you want to promote your Band .Well, start a podcast!
• Want to share Industry ,organization , investor and sports news? Well, start a podcast!
• Want to tell Stories to children or the visually-impaired? Well, start a podcast!
• Are you a writer and you want to interest people by offering a few spoken pages?Well,start a podcast!

The options and motivations are many. Whatever, you can become a podcaster!

Just as Blogs have made journalists out of Bloggers, so have Podcasts made Radio celebrities out of Podcasters.

Now you have an idea about what a podcast is all about!

Copyright © 2008-2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved. Read more Entry>>

What Is An External Hard Drive?

Is your hard drive burdened with tons of music and movies? Maybe a stack of photos ?All these take up so much space in your hard drive .You may be storing personal sensitive documents as well. All these files are exposed to security threats like virus, spy wares, Trojan horses when you access the Internet! So, what do you do? Just back it all up! Yes, back it all up in an External Hard drive!

What exactly is an external hard drive? An external hard drive is a portable encasement that allows you to store data, but unlike your hard drive, this is not inside the computer. It rests outside the main computer tower on a tabletop or surface nearby the computer. It is connected to the computer via a high-speed interface cable like USB and Firewire and operates on a plug-and-play basis. The external hard drive can be accessed like a normal internal hard drive.
The external hard drive allows you to back up or store essential files and data separate from the main internal hard drive .You can even backup the contents of your main internal hard drive and keep them secure and safe on an external hard drive. Hence, you make your favorite programs virtually portable, as well! Moreover, when you are online, you can even leave the external drive turned off, thus making your data totally safe from online threats.

Therefore, the portable or the additional external hard drive is quite useful to back up or store important data which is apart from the main internal hard drive. Furthermore, it's really a breeze to transfer huge files back and forth from work to home, to a friend's house, or even between your desktop and laptop!

Copyright © 2008-2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved. Read more Entry>>

What Is A Spyware

What is Spyware?
Spyware is a computer software programme that is installed clandestinely on to a personal computer without the user's knowledge, to collect personal data and information. This data is sent to advertisers or criminals.

What does Spyware do?
It follows your every movement on the net, just like video cameras follow your movements in the real world at shopping malls, banks, etc. It slyly scrutinizes the user's internet activities and collects various personal information .

Why does Spyware spy on you?
To relay the gathered information to advertisers or other interested parties. Some spyware even record your keystrokes and analyze your password when you next log in to your bank accounts.

How does Spyware sneak into your computer?
Mostly it comes bundled with free software downloaded from the internet. It can originate by clicking on some option in a deceptive pop-up window or from an unscrupulous web site. It can be placed onto your computer remotely by hackers.

What are the symptoms of spyware infection?
Spyware unlike virus does not duplicate itself to other machines. But it slows down the computer and bombards you with pop-up advertisements, even when you are offline. Spyware can change computer settings and home pages.

How to protect yourself from Spyware?
Download and install anti spyware softwares like Ad-aware and SpyBot Search and Destroy which scans your computer, detects and removes the spyware. Sometimes by removing certain spyware, the software which originally installed it might become disabled.

Here are a few helpful tips to avoid Spyware.

*Download programs only from trusted web sites.
*Read all security warnings, privacy statements, and license agreements carefully before downloading free software.
*Never click "OK" or "agree" to close a window. Instead, click the red "x" in the corner top of the window or press the Alt + F4 buttons to close a window.
*Be cautious of popular free movie and music file-sharing programs.
*Do not trust sites that offer pirated programs or adult sites that offer free content. These sites are spyware enticement.
*Install a firewall. It provides a helpful defence against hackers.

Spyware is unlike Adware which is installed with the users permission. Many popular web browsers now have security settings that curb spyware from being installed. The security level should be set to at least medium which is the default setting.

This article was published by Laila Rajaratnam at Helium.Com

Copyright © 2008-2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved.

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The Pros and Cons Of VoIP

The Advantages of VoIP

• You receive incoming calls to your VOIP phone no matter where you are in the world. The caller always dials the same number (that you are assigned, when you sign in with the provider) and you receive the calls in whichever part of the world you are in.

• Low cost. If you have a broadband Internet connection (DSL or cable), you can make PC-to-PC phone calls anywhere in the world for free. You can make PC-to-phone calls as well which is free of charge .

• Portability. Carry it wherever you go! While traveling, as long as you carry headset and use your laptop plugged into the Internet, or plug a VOIP phone directly into the Internet connection , can talk to whomever you want for almost absolutely nothing. If you don't have a VOIP phone, use an analog terminal adaptor (ATA) to connect a regular phone to the Internet. An Internet phone is also small and light and hence portable.

• Features. Usually VoIP comes with a horde of advanced features like call forwarding, call waiting, voice mail, caller ID and three-way calling .And unlike regular phone service these come at no extra charge. You can also send data such as pictures and documents at the same time you are talking on the phone.

The Disadvantages of VoIP

• There is no service during a power outage. The regular phone is kept in service by the current supplied through the phone line, whereas in VoIP phone, there is no service when the power goes out. But,you can compromise with the use of battery backups or power generators to provide electricity.

• You cannot make Emergency 911 calls. Traditional phone equipment can trace your location. However, because a voice-over-IP call is basically a transfer of data between two IP addresses and not physical addresses it is not possible to determine where your VoIP phone call is originating from.

• Because VOIP relies on an Internet connection, bad or unreliable internet connections can result in poor voice quality, such as clipping, voice delay, or dropped calls your VOIP service will be affected by the quality and reliability of your broadband Internet service.

• In some cases even the limitations of your PC can affect the quality of your VoIP service.

Well, its up to you now to make a decision!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Internet Telephony or VoIP

Do you make umpteen long distance and international calls? Hate typing? Burdened with high telephone bills? Do not worry! You can solve this problem! You can come out of the mess!

Internet telephony is your answer! Internet telephony or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) practically eliminates long distances charges. It allows you to make local, long-distance and international telephone calls via the Internet for the cost of a local call. Moreover it allows you to commune verbally, rather than type messages. But then, the audio quality may not be as clear as the regular phone line, but then, you do save pots of money on phone bills.

What exactly is VoIP?

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, is basically telephony services over the Internet using IP (Internet Protocol) network. Instead of using traditional phone land lines to make voice calls , you use broadband Internet connection .Thus you by-pass the telephone company services and charges.

All that you need for VoIP are :

· Broad band internet connection.

· Equip your computer with a sound card and microphone.

· Equip your normal phone with a VoIP adapter called ATA(Analog Terminal Adaptor).

· Use a stand-alone VoIP phone (IP phones has built-in ATA function and connect directly to the broadband modem).

VOIP phone calls can be made three ways:-

1. Computer to computer.

For a computer-to-computer voice connection you need a computer with sound card, a headset consisting of earphones and microphone, and some VoIP software. There are many free software packages available which allow you to connect to any computer running the same software. These types of calls can be made to anywhere in the world free of charge!

2. Computer to Phone.

For a computer to phone connection, you also need a VOIP software, headset,earphones and microphone,whereas the recipient on the other end can use any regular traditional land-line phone or cell phone. These phones are not connected to the Internet.

3. Phone to Phone.

For a phone to phone connection there are two options:-

· Use a regular phone plugged into an ATA adaptor, which in turn is plugged into your broadband modem.

· Use an IP phone or V0IP phone that is plugged directly into your broadband connection. IP phones have built-in ATA function.

Wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.
The following are some of the popular free softphones(software telephones)

Skype – This is owned by the Internet auction giant eBay. Computer-to-computer calls are free, but it will cost you to use SkypeOut, a service that let's you call telephones
Gizmo Project- Lets you make free calls to other Gizmo users.
Google Talk - Free internet calls.

Yahoo with Voice — Make free PC-to-PC calls when you use Yahoo! Messenger, and worldwide calls for only a few cents per minute.

Vonage - Has taken Internet phone calling mainstream and offers a variety of flat-rate service plans for unlimited calling.

See the Pros and Cons of VoIP.

Well, there you are! Yes! You may now chatter away happily with whomever you want and wherever they are!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Password Manager

Are you having trouble managing all your passwords, usernames and sites? Well, being a blogger and an Internet buff you must be registered in umpteen sites with various user names and passwords. Also, you must surely be aware that anyone can easily manoeuvre to your accounts and gain access to your browser's built-in password saver utility. So, naturally you must be having unusual and hard to guess passwords in each site and remembering them all must be real tough. Well, I came across a simple free programme to store all these info. It is called Password Prime 1.2 and it has been tested as spyware free as well! You can download it here !

Below is a figure of the Password Prime’s interface.

The command buttons are huge for easy use and there's a button for adding new username, password, and Web site information, a button for editing the entry, and a button for deleting the entry. A click on the website takes us to our entry's corresponding Web site. That is cool! Moreover username and password information can be easily cut and pasted into their respective fields. Therefore, Password Prime allows us to manage and organize log-in information. Give it a try!

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Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

Love feet tapping music? Slow sentimental romantic songs? Jazz ? Hip- hop? Gospels or Devotional? Whatever genre, they are all up there for grabs in the internet. Really ? Yes, go for it, moreover they are free as well! You can download as many songs as you want. How is getting free music possible? By the file sharing or the peer to peer ( p2p) network method. All that your computer needs to join a peer-to-peer network is an Internet connection and P2P software.

What is P2P? Peer-to-Peer is a file (music or video) sharing method that allows files to be swapped directly between users' computers. In the P2P networking the files(music or video) are not stored in a central server but in a P2P software which acts as a server and stores the files. Thus, in peer to peer file sharing, people are actually connecting directly to your computer to retrieve files and likewise it allows you to search for files on other people's computers. Usually, people will only be able to access the single folder that you have selected to share. In simple words, p2p means that by installing certain software programmes, people are able to directly share files (music or video) with one another.

The peer-to-peer (P2P) network is popular with music lovers as they can sample and collect music from a wide range of artists. Since millions of individuals around the world act as music providers, music of different genres is available through file-sharing than at the local music store. Remixes, obscure tracks, and copies of live performances which are unavailable on the commercial CDs are often found on the P2P networks .Though there are other types of files like movies, television shows, and video games which can also be downloaded and shared in this manner, music file-sharing by far is the most popular and in demand activity.

To access a P2P network, users simply download and install a suitable P2P client application. There are many P2P networks and P2P software applications that do exist.

Some popular P2P networks are:

• BitTorrent
  
• Gnutella
• Ares

Some popular P2P applications are:

• eMule
• BitTorrent
• Limewire
• Morpheus
• BearShare

Beware ! Some files over the P2P network contains:

• Embedded advertising

• Fake and/or corrupted files

• Ads or spyware

The negative side of P2P networking is that this type of activity has led to a lot of software piracy and illegal music downloads. Therefore, it is good to download the software and music only from legitimate websites.

Yes, just like millions of people who use free P2P file sharing software to swap music, video and other files over the Internet, even you can do it!

Copyright © 2008-2010 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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SHOPPING ONLINE

Shopping!The most exhilarating word! Well, at least for many like me:) ! I am a staunch confirmed shopoholic! When I am not able to go out of the house to shop, what do I do? Shop On-line! It is the most convenient and easy way to shop and the creamy layer is..you can browse and buy from any on line store in the world and further more it is open 24 hours a day! Buying online saves time and money.

How do you shop online? It’s actually very simple! Almost everything, right from branded stuff like clothes, jewelry, shoes, bags and electronics to hand made products are available online. Even flowers, food stuff and pet food can be ordered over the net. Many retailers have websites where you can purchase their products online. The advantage of online shopping is that you can compare shops for the best price, then order and have it shipped - all this transaction takes just about a few minutes and you do not pay sales tax. Most of all you save a trip to the store!

How to Buy Online

• Though each site is a little different fro m the other, the basic transaction procedure is the same for every site.These sites have electronic catalogs which you can browse and s ubsequently add the product y ou choose to your electronic shopping cart .When you're done with the choosing, you can review the contents of your cart and delete the items you do not want.

• Your amount is then totalled .

• N ext you have to fill the form supplied by the site asking f or c ertain details like your name, e-mail address, shipping information, and credit card number .

• You can buy online using you
  r credit card or by an alternative payment option which is, setting up an account with PayPal. You transfer money electronically from your ban k account into your PayPal account, and then use it to pay the seller.

• Finally, you will be sent an e-mail with the order confirmation along with a tracking number. As a rule, you will be informed about the delivery duration time as well.

That’s it! You have purchased your item online!

Online shopping has become personalised as well , since

many sites allow you to customise your products which you want to buy. For instance, you can have your logo or personal patterns printed on your t- shirts, mugs, plates etc, you c

an order computers to your specifications, while at certain apparel sites, by using a virtual model you can "try on" clothes. This is fun! Now, many sites do have

customer service representatives with whom you can contact by e-mail or chat with in real time in case you need help. Thus online shopping has

become a friendly experience. Likewise, you can locate exactly what sort of product or store you are looking for by using the search engine. Finally, in the

event of problems with online merchants, contact concerned authorities.

Before hitting the virtual store

s, pursue certain precautions for a smooth, safe and sound shopping experience.

Ten Tips for a safe and secure shopping

1. Use only a secure Internet connection – Use an encrypted website. You can identify such a site by a lock icon in your web browser window. You can also recognize a secure server by the address beginning with https, rather than http. The “s” means the information going between your computer and the website will be securely encrypted.

2. Shop only - with well known and trusted websites or businesses. Check whether the seller is credible, by referring to a site like ResellerRatings.com, Moreover, since many retailers now offer online shopping, you will be allowed you return the products to their stores, instead of shipping it back.

3. Sites should list a physical address - not just a post office box. Check to see if it displays seals from consumer protection organizations . Another option is doing a search with Google. Enter the name of the trader along with the keyword "scam". You may get some information.

4. Be sceptical. A telephone number should be listed on the site. If it not, then opt to take your business elsewhere.

5. Protect private information- Some sites sell your private data to third parties but all trustworthy sites post a Privacy Policy. So, shop only at these sites. Don't provide unnecessary information by filling out the optional fields in the order form. It is optional, so why volunteer?

6. Never - send your credit card number by e-mail.

7. Check the shipping costs. Sometimes with the shipping cost your total purchase price can add up to more what you would pay in a retail store. So check it carefully! Some sites offer free or discounted shipping for select items and purchases over a certain amount.

8. Print - a copy of your order form for your records.

9. Review the return and refund policies. You should be aware about how to return the unwanted merchandise and whether you will receive a full refund. You should also know who would be paying for the return shipping.

10. Coupons and other discounts- Many online sites offer rebates . To obtain the discount, you enter the coupon code in the order form. It's then deducted from the total purchase price. You can save substantial amount of money!

THAT’S IT! HAPPY SHOPPING! :)

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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E-commerce

Internet and E-commerce has become a vital part and parcel of everyday modern life. By the way, what is e-commerce? E-commerce or electronic commerce is the buying and selling of products and services on the Internet and in other words, it means online transaction!

Just like the real world commerce, e-commerce consists of retail shopping, banking, auctions, real estate transactions, airline and hotel booking, movie rentals etc and in a nutshell, nearly everything and anything ! All this with just a click of your mouse and sitting in the comfort of your home!

E-commerce has many other advantages too. Like for instance,the yearly fee for an e-commerce website is insignificant compared to the exorbitant property rental for a store in a mall. Moreover, the transactions are handled by software process, and does not require sales and other managing staff – at least not till the item is ready to be packed and shipped. As a consequence, real world businesses just cannot compete with their e-commerce counterparts!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Online Music: Turn on & Tune In

For the music lovers and music fans the Internet is a one stop source for music!! A high-speed broadband connection and a good set of speakers can turn your PC into a digital jukebox. The internet allows you to listen to music from commercial-free channels or download and burn songs to a CD or load them on a portable player for listening on the go!!

How do music services work?

Music services are available in two basic categories - subscription and non-subscription.

• With non-subscription services, you pay to download individual songs or an entire album. Apple's iTunes Music Store has sold over a billion songs for US $.99 per song.
• With subscription services you pay a monthly fee to access libraries of a million or more songs.. Once the subscription ends, you can no longer listen to your music, unless you have purchased individual songs. Most subscription services also charge an additional fee for their "To-Go" service, which let's you load songs on a portable device.

Sometimes the music service might not have the music you want in spite of them having thousands of songs. So, you can take advantage of the free trials they offer to check out their music vault.

If you don't like the service ,do cancel before the trial period is up or you'll will be billed for at least a month. Alternately,you can use the option of mixing the services like downloading songs from MSN Music and subscribing to Napster for everyday listening. Since most services only require a month-to-month commitment and in case you are not satisfied with the service you can cancel it at any time .

Digital Rights

Since the industry makes its money by selling CDs, there will be a revenue loss if people can generously exchange digital copies of songs. Hence, many digital file formats have built technical safeguards that does not allow duplication and sharing of music. This is called Digital Rights Management or DRM. Both AAC and WMA files utilize DRM technology while MP3 files don't.

With this technology you may not be able to burn songs to a CD or even if you are able to, it will be for a restricted amount of times!

Have fun with Online Music!!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Internet Radio

Computer can be used to listen to the radio. But then, to listen to radio online, your computer must be equipped with a sound card and speakers or headphones. You'll also need a media player or an audio plug-in for your web browser There are thousands of radio stations around the world and by putting their programming online, these stations can now reach a global audience.The best part is that the internet radio puts you in control. You can listen to what you want, when you want. The technology that makes this all possible is called streaming audio.

What is streaming audio?
Streaming audio is a process where you hear the music as it arrives at your computer over the internet, and therefore you do not have to wait for a complete download. Once a small amount of the file is buffered, the audio begins. Therefore, this is different from the usual method of receiving Internet audio – which is downloading a .wav or a .au or other type of file completely before being able to listen to it. As the data arrives it is buffered for a few seconds and then playback begins. As the audio is playing, more data is constantly arriving (or streaming), and as long as you are receiving a constant stream of data, you should hear constant

Tune It Up

Depending on the station, it will probably use one of the 2 major formats currently available: RealAudio or Windows Media Player. These two media players

are are not cross-compatible; you can't play a RealMedia file with Windows Media Player file and visa versa. However, some types of files, like .mp3, will play on both. A growing number of stations are using streaming MP3 format and Winamp also can be used to play these. Another popular and versatile program is Apple's iTunes for both the Mac and PC.

In general, speech sounds better than music. But the faster your connection, the better will be your audio experience .However, software audio players have control panels, so you can play, pause, fast-forward and rewind at will. Also, a few online radio programs are indexed, hence,you can directly access the content you want, like skipping the weather report to take in the local sports scores.

Turn it on

There are radio station search engines on the internet and the Radio-Locator is the most popular one.They have links to thousands of radio stations worldwide . The other popular radio websites are the National Public Radio and BBC Radio, which offers talk, sports world news and music.

Enjoy the Web Radio!!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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All about MP3

Do you throw parties often? Go on long picnics? Listen to music all the way to and fro driving to work? Well, there’s good news for you! You don’t have to carry loads of music CDs .Compressing and converting the music to MP3 format, all you have to do is to carry a couple of CDs! For example, a regular audio CD holds between 12 and 16 songs whereas a Mp3 CD has about 120- 150 songs in a single CD.

What is MP3?

MP3 files are actually MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) files. MP3 is a compressed audio format that is much smaller in file size and has similar sound quality to WAV format, the format found on normal music CDs that you buy in a store.MP3 shrinks the size of audio data while preserving sound quality, so music files can be easily distributed over the Internet. Sounds stored in the MP3 format have the extension .mp3.

Why is MP3 is Popular?
1. A song in MP3 format can be up to 10 times smaller than the same song on a regular audio CD.

2. MP3 is still very close to CD quality. Smaller does not mean smaller in playback time, but smaller in needed storage space.

3. Mp3 enables you to download songs quickly, with a broadband connection, it only takes minutes.

4. Since an MP3 is a lot smaller, sending or receiving MP3 takes lesser time and is faster too.

5. The format is popular for turning your PC into a jukebox of hundreds or thousands of songs.

6. You can load thousands of songs into a portable mp3 player and carry your music collection wherever you go.

7. MP3 has become the standard for exchanging music on the Internet.

Free downloadable MP3 music are available on the Internet from file sharing tools like Limewire, KaZaa, Bearshare, eDonkey and many more. These tools allow you to download entire CD's in MP3 format.
If you would like to download and listen to MP3 files on your computer, then you need *

A sound card and speakers for the computer.An Internet connection.An MP3 player (a software application you can download from the Web in 10 minutes)

How to play MP3?

To play MP3 files you need a MP3 player! These players are available in two types * portable players and software players. The portable players are hardware devices like Apple's iPod, MP3 portable players, Walkmans etc. Software players are programs you install on your computer like iTunes, Winamp, RealPlayer etc. PC users will already have Windows Media Player installed and if not, it can be downloaded from Microsoft. Once you have the player installed, you can download music from many sites on the net .You can either listen to the downloaded music on your computer or transfer the songs from the computer to the hardware device or mail it as an attachment in your messages to anyone!

Converting music to MP3?

Music can be converted from CDs which are in wav format to mp3.To convert songs from your CDs into MP3 files, you have to use a ripper and an encoder software to do that. A ripper
copies
the song's file from the CD onto your hard disk. The encoder compresses the song into the MP3 format. By encoding the songs, you can play them on your computer or on your MP3 player. The CD burning software Nero is the most popular advanced tool to convert music to MP3.It has a built in encoder for easy conversion. Windows Media Player also has provision to rip songs from CDs to MP3 format. There are many free soft wares available on the net to rip music!

Is this not cool? :)

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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What is Multimedia?

In this tutorial you will learn about different multimedia formats and how to use them !

Multimedia refers to everything you can hear or see in the computer like text, graphics, music, videos, sounds, CDs, DVDs, animation, interactive games and more. Different browsers handle multimedia in different ways. Some browsers handle multimedia online by supporting a number of multimedia formats. To experience multimedia online, you'll need a computer with sound and video cards and special software programs called plug-ins. Plug-ins, also known as players, extends the ability of your web browser, turning your computer into a radio or TV. Plug-ins may be already installed with your web browser but when a web page requires a special plug-in, you will be prompted to download it from the Internet.

Multimedia elements like sounds and videos are stored in media files and come in many different formats while the file extension determines the media type. Though there are many formats in use, AAC, MP3 and WMA are the big three formats used by digital music services. Your personal computer probably play songs encoded in any of the formats, but most portable music players cannot. For instance, iPods play MP3 and AAC files, but not WMA files. Thus, your portable player may determine which service you can use.

Sound can be stored in many different formats.

1. The MIDI Format - cannot store songs, only tunes. MIDI files can be extremely small and a 23K size music file can play for nearly 5 minutes. MIDI files are supported by all the popular Internet browsers. Sounds stored in the MIDI format have the extension .mid or .midi.

2. The RealAudio Format-The RealAudio format which supports video and allows streaming of audio (on-line music, Internet radio) was developed by Real Media, with low bandwidths. Because of the low bandwidth priority, quality is often reduced.

3.The AIFF Format -The AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) was developed by Apple, but unfortunately these files are not cross-platform and are not supported by all web browsers. Sounds stored in the AIFF format have the extension .aif or .aiff

4.The WAVE Format - is one of the most popular sound format on the Internet and developed by Microsoft . It is supported by all the popular browsers. Sounds stored in the WAVE format have the extension .wav.

5.The MP3 Format -MP3 files are actually MPEG files.MP3 is one of the most popular sound formats for music recording. It shrinks the size of audio data while preserving sound quality, so music files can be easily distributed over the Internet. Sounds stored in the MP3 format have the extension .mp3 or .mpga (for MPG Audio).

6. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) has improved on MP3 by requiring less data to reproduce the same sound quality. Songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store are encoded in this format.

Videos too can be stored in many formats

1. The AVI Format -The AVI (Audio Video Interleave) format developed by Microsoft is supported by all computers running Windows and popular web browsers. It is not always possible to play on non-Windows computers. Videos stored in the AVI format have the extension .avi.

2. The Windows Media Format-The Windows Media format ,developed by Microsoft Windows Media is a common format on the Internet, but Windows Media movies cannot be played on non-Windows computer without an extra (free) component installed. Videos stored in the Windows Media format have the extension .wmv.

3. The MPEG Format-The MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group) format is the most popular format on the Internet. It is cross-platform, and supported by most web browsers. Videos stored in the MPEG format have the extension .mpg or .mpeg.

4. The QuickTime Format-The QuickTime format , by Apple is a common format on the internet, but QuickTime movies cannot be played on a windows computer without the plug-in installed. Install QuickTime, a plug-in for playing video clips on Macintosh and PC computers and watch movie trailers and other multimedia with this useful little program. Videos stored in QuickTime format have the extension .mov

5. The RealVideo Format- This format allows streaming of video (on-line video, Internet TV) with low bandwidths. Turn your computer into a radio or television with the RealPlayer. Once you install the RealPlayer, you can listen to the latest newscasts from National Public Radio, CNN, BBC and hundreds of other sites.This format has the extension .rm or .ram.

6. The Shockwave (Flash) Format-This format by Macromedia requires an extra component like Flash to play and to add pizzazz to a website. This component comes preinstalled with the latest versions Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. It turns your computer into an interactive animation machine.Shockwave format has the extension .swf

Some multimedia content, called streaming media, are embedded in a web page and begin to play when you access the page.

There are many more exciting ways to use multimedia options in the computer as well as on the Internet!!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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What is Downloading and Uploading?

What is Downloading and Uploading?

When you receive a file to your computer, you download the file or bring it down to your computer and when you send a file from your computer, you upload the file or send it up.

Downloading

Every single thing that is done on the web like accessing a web page and browsing is some sort of downloading as you are actually downloading the text document and all the connected graphics from a web server.

Downloading Files

Downloading files mean that files are saved locally on your computer's hard disk. When you download, you copy a file from another computer to your computer. When you download a program from the Internet, it is delivered to your computer. The program you download is a bundle of files. Each file makes up the entire program you download. A program can be anything - software, an electronic book, or a game. There are many useful free or inexpensive programs found on the Web.

How do you download a file?

The process of downloading files is fairly easy. First you connect to the Internet and start your Internet browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox etc. Then locate the file that you want to download.

· If you are using Internet Explorer, click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As”.

· If you are using Netscape, click with the RIGHT mouse on the hyperlink and choose “Save Link As”.

The browser normally prompts you for a folder to which to save files, and it provides a default filename. You can change the folder and filename if you wish. Make a note of the location and name. Once the file is downloaded to your hard drive it can be viewed by double clicking in Windows Explorer.

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What is a URL?

A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is the location of a file on the Web. The Web has a huge collection of electronic files stored on millions of computers all around the world and the URL is the address used to locate the files. Every URL is unique and identifies one specific file. Therefore, it is the address of a web page and is also known as a - web address .URLs are also used to link one page to another. It gives you the ability to skip from one web page to another with just a click of your mouse. It is usually pronounced by sounding out each letter but, in some instances are pronounced as "Earl".

• A URL usually has no spaces.
• A URL always uses forward slashes (//).
• URLs aren't case sensitive. So typing in upper and lower case letters takes you to the same page.
• If you type a URL incorrectly, your browser will not be able to locate the site. Always make sure you spell the address correctly.

The URL is typed into the address bar, as in the following case of Google’s web address..

A URL is made up of several parts and the format of a URL is -

Protocol://site address

Whereas, the site address consists of the host computer name, the domain name and the domain type.

• Protocol: http
• Host computer name: www
• Domain name: google
• Domain type: com

For example, the URL of Google site is :
http://www.google.com/

The domain is generally the name of the organization or company. The following are the different types of domains.

.com - commercial institution

.net -commercial institution (addition to .com)

.edu -educational institution

.org -not-for-profit organization

.gov -government institution

.mil -military

.int -international institution

.biz -commercial institution

.info -unrestricted use

Domain types can also be different for different countries. For instance, an educational site can have the domain name www.school.ac.uk in the United Kingdom. Thus ac (academic) is used instead of edu. Similarly com is represented as co for Indian domain names.

The country code too differs from one country to another. Some country codes are given below:
in: India
de: Germany
ca: Canada
jp: Japan
uk: United Kingdom

For instance, Google India or MSN India will be www.google.in or www.msn.co.in

Thus, when you type the address of a Web page into your browser, you are typing a URL.

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BROWSERS

Surfing the Web (World Wide Web) has ceased to be a friendly neighbourhood and has become quite an unsafe place , flooded with bad monsters of the internet like dangerous Viruses , Trojan horses, and Spywares . Therefore to surf safe, we need a secure Browser, a good Anti-Virus programme , Spyware and above all Awareness.

The following are the most popular browsers:

Internet Explorer (IE) by Microsoft, the popular browser till recently, hasn't had any major updates in recent times and thus it now takes the second place after Mozilla . Even with the latest security patches installed, IE is considered a marked risk. Internet Explorer 8will be released by the end of 2008.

Firefox is a new free browser from Mozilla which was released in 2004 and offers a safer alternative to Internet Explorer.

Opera is another Internet browser known to be fast and small and available for many operating systems. Opera is the preferred browser for a number of small devices like mobile phones and hand-held computers.

The Mozilla Application Suite has a powerful browser with great features like tabbed browsing and popup window blocking. It also comes packaged with an e-mail program, chat client, and web page editor!

Apple’s Safari has become very popular with Macintosh users that Microsoft has stopped developing IE for the Mac! Safari is elegant and fast, and is the default browser on the Mac. Starting with version 3, Safari is also available for Windows.

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