Audio | Media Crossroads

Cell Phones Increasing Sophistication with Music Features

Cell phones are popular among consumers for multiple reasons. Some like the ability to check their email on the go, while others like to have their schedule constantly with them. Recently people have been turning to their cell phone for additional purposes, like listening to music and watching videos. Nowadays, cell phones are all-in-one devices for communication, gaming, entertainment, business, and even leisure.

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Most smartphones have the ability to store and play music, but each device does this in a different way. For instance, some mobile music devices require songs to be purchased and then stored in a virtual account. The songs are then streamed to the cell phone. Other cell phones have enough storage to store music directly on the device. The cell phone can be used exactly like an MP3 player to listen to music. They each have an audio jack for headphones, and some cell phones even have dedicated pause and play buttons.

Music downloads can cost a lot of money, and it is difficult to listen to your music on multiple devices. Cricket Communications, however, has a new cell phone plan that allows users to download unlimited amounts of music without additional charges beyond the monthly bill. It is called the Muve Music plan and it is a great value. With the Muve Music plan, not only do users get unlimited music downloads, they also get unlimited talk, text, and data, all for an affordable price.

Cricket Communications is known for their affordable cell phones plans, and with additional features like Muve music downloads, they really are the best choice when you are looking for a new plan.

Filed Under: Audio, Digital Media · Tagged With: Cell Phone, Mobile phone, Music download

Good Software Protection Without Breaking the Bank

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Finding good software protection at a reasonable price can be difficult. While the idea is to be protected from the numerous viruses associated with Internet use, paying a lot of money for such protection is disheartening. The best remedy to finding good software protection at a reasonable price is to experiment with new security software.

Advancement in technology has led to an increase in computer viruses. On average, it takes a predator sixty seconds to detect a computer that is not protected by a security suite. Agnitum Outpost Internet Security software along with other protection remedies prevent thieves from stealing identity and hackers from gaining access to personal files. The program deletes unwanted files that hinder a computer’s operating capacity, and installs files that guard against spam material.

While Agnitum is excellent software protection, it is not the only protection available. ESET and Avast also offer software protection that is free to download. Individuals may test the software for thirty days before deciding to purchase protection. Even if a person chooses to buy ESET or Avast virus protection, the prices asked for such programs are relatively low. Both software programs are accessible on CNET’s network over the Internet. The programs take effect immediately after being downloaded and installed on the computer.

Contrary to its fellow new software competitors, Agnitum Outpost Internet Security Suite is offered free of charge to the consumer for one year. While the goal of the company is to gain clientele for a future program that requires payment, customers can reap the benefits of free Internet protection now.

Filed Under: Audio, Digital Media · Tagged With: Avast, ESET, Security

The Dell Venue Pro Phone

The Dell Venue Pro phone is the first one to support Windows phone 7 software. This latest in the line of smart phones has many unique features and functions that you may find helpful.

So, what are these wonderful features and functions?

How about a 4.1-inch multi-touch screen to start with? This makes it easy for you to view web pages easier, and read your e-mails faster. Just a light touch in the right places brings the information you need into view. How about the built-in Microsoft Office Mobile feature? The Windows phone 7 has this feature. You can compose documents, letters and other things no matter where you are; you don’t need a tablet or notebook computer.

Are you concerned that the phone will not operate efficiently? You don’t have to, because it has a 1 GHz processor and up to 16GB of storage space. You won’t get frustrated waiting for files and screens to come into view. Don’t forget about the five mega-pixel camera that comes with the Windows phone 7. It has an auto-focus feature, giving you clear sharp pictures anytime. Enjoy them while you listen to your MP3 player using the audio feature on this smart phone.

There are more features, but these are just a few of the ones offered by the Windows phone 7. When you discover the rest of them, you just might want to go immediately and purchase one. That’s fine, but take some time to compare prices and service packages. You want to be as smart as your smart phone is.

Filed Under: Audio · Tagged With: Dell Venue Pro

Audio Recording Software for Musicians

Most computer users have copies of WinAmp, iTunes and Windows Media Player to listen to music. These programs allow them to play audio files through their computers. Serious audiophiles, however, often turn to other programs, especially when they want to record sound digitally. By exploring some of the other audio programs available, you can choose an option that suits your needs best.

Recording Digital Audio

Audio recording and editing software has revolutionized the way that people make music. Home studios take advantage of every trick that software can offer. Even large studios, however, rely on some of the same software that amateur musicians use in their homes.

Some of the most popular programs are also the best. Garage Band is an excellent program for Mac users that want faithful digital recordings. This program also allows musicians to add effects to sounds. That way you can control a guitar’s gain or a vocalist’s volume.

Windows users should consider Audition. Audition is an audio recording program made by Adobe. Like Garage Band, it gives you full control over sounds. The virtual mixing boards that come with the latest versions of Audition function just like analog mixing boards. A large amount of plug-ins allow musicians to alter sounds without the use of pedals and processors.

Free Audio Recording Programs

Even if you are looking for free audio recording software, you still have several options to choose from. Audacity is a simple, bare bones audio recorder that records sounds faithfully. It doesn’t offer much in the way of sound manipulation, but it does allow you to edit music easily. This program basically offers the same options as early Tascam 4-track recorders. You can, however, add a nearly infinite number of tracks to any recording with Audacity.

No digital recording software can work well without good hardware. Make sure you have a reliable sound card or audio interface and several microphones that record your instrument’s sound faithfully.

Filed Under: Audio, Software ·

The Effects of Downloaded Music

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Downloading music from the Internet has grown in popularity. While many people who download music are doing so in a legal fashion, many people are not and choose to download music illegally. People who download music illegally do so because they believe that the pirated music does not really affect anyone. In these people’s minds the downloaded song or musical CD could not possibly cause any major problems and therefore is okay every once in a while. However, pirated music from the Internet does cause a vast number of problems.

The first sector to experience problems from downloaded music will be the record companies and labels. It is believed that for every downloaded song is one less CD or legally purchased music download. When CDs and legal downloads do not sell it drastically reduces the revenue that record companies bring in and can often affect musical artists and the future of the company.

The second problem that arises from downloaded music is that of the decreased amount of sales tax that the city, county and state government sees. Governments rely upon sales taxes to fund government programs and projects. If CD sales are down, that also means that sales tax will be down. Lower sales tax results in less money that goes to the government, which can result in drastic cuts to government projects and programs.

The last problem that arises from downloaded music is that of a decreased amount of revenue for musical artists. Many musical artists rely upon sales of their CD or legal music downloads to support them. If music is not being purchased legally, the musical artists cannot rely upon the money that they should be getting and will have to turn to other alternative means to generate an income, such as touring or promotional deals.

Filed Under: Audio ·

See the World With Audio and Video Media

: Image by Jeff Hester via Flickr

Have you ever bought a new computer only to learn that it’s out of date just a few weeks later? It isn’t that you got tricked into buying an older model — they just invented a better one that fast. Technology continues to advance in leaps and bounds, sometimes faster than we can keep up. While that can seem disheartening, look on the bright side; you have free access to things people didn’t even believe would exist when your parents were born. Maybe even when you were born!

With today’s technology and the Internet, you can use webcams to turn your monitor into a real-time window to another part of the planet — even beyond the planet with the cam for the International Space Station. You can use programs such as Yahoo! Instant Messenger to have text conversations with people anywhere worldwide, or a video and voice chat program like Skype to chat with your friends and family as if they’re sitting across the table from you.

This used to be science fiction! Television shows like The Jetsons (1962) used video chat as an example of technology in the distant future. Only a few years later, the iconic Star Trek television series (1966) featured technology that was then unheard-of and has now become something nearly every person has: hand-held communication devices, known to modern civilization as cell phones.

Flash-forward to the present and we’ve got cell phones, wireless headsets, MP3 players and wireless Internet providers the size of a credit card, and satellite photo views of the entire globe that you can tour or search from orbit down to someone’s driveway. There are archives of videos, like YouTube, where you can watch clips submitted by millions of people. There are audio archives where you can hear words pronounced in different ethnic accents. Technology continues to advance — and also to connect people from all countries with each other every minute of every day.

Filed Under: Audio, Visual ·