| Thanksgiving music sets the mood
Putting together music playlists for Thanksgiving dinner has never been easier, thanks to the Internet. With an MP3 player such as an iPod and a set of special speakers ($25 to $400), you can play music that you've bought online or downloaded from compact discs. Software such as iTunes allows you to sort the songs into playlists. Bossa nova? Frank Sinatra? Cool jazz? The choice is yours. But there are a few guidelines for budding DJs. Dinner music should be mellow and easy to digest. This isn't the time for hard-core rap. Instead, think classical or instrumental pieces, played at a volume that won't compete with the conversation. After dinner you can pick up the pace with livelier tunes. The cleanup crew is sure to appreciate old Motown or '80s music as they wash and dry.
Apps: RAID Monitor, iRecordMusic
RAID Monitor 2.7 ($20) will automatically check the status of any software or hardware RAID. If a fault is found with the RAID it will generate an email notifying the recipients of the fault. fixes several bugs, adds TLS support, adds support for nested RAIDs in Leopard and a minor interface update. Version 2.7 drops support for 10.3.x, however version 2.6.2 is still available for 10.3.x users. [Download - 1.2MB] iRecordMusic to 1.6 ($25) enables you to record Internet music, sports and news for listening on your iPod, PDA, mobile or computer. Broadcasts in RealAudio, WindowsMedia, or QuickTime can be recorded as MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, 3GPP, AIFF. Schedule recordings with iCal. Record multiple sources at the same time. AppleScript support. This release adds support for OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and fixes an issue with QuickTime 7.2 where real-time encoding to Apple Lossless failed.
Jonathan Takiff | Music, audio gadgets: It's all in the delivery
THE GIZMO: New entertainment software delivery alternatives for giving and getting. CROSSING THE CULTURE GAP: It's getting harder to buy the gift of music or an audio book for someone you love, especially if they're in their tween, teen or twentysomething years. CD and cassette tape players are no longer a prime component of techno-savvy youth culture. All their popular culture is stored on an iPod (or equivalent), a mobile phone and a computer. Sure, you could buy someone a generic gift card or a better phone plan for whatever downloads they choose, but how personal of a present is that? What does it say about your taste, your desire to share some meaningful work of art? Some new marketing/packaging solutions could resolve this dilemma, making both you and (it is hoped) your gift recipient happy.
|
