it's not really a gaming system, but who else wants to predict it's failure right now?

scott

Deafness Research UK has published its top tips for the safe use of MP3 players, following research by the charity that shows too many people are putting their hearing at risk by listening to MP3 players too loudly for too long.

You go to the store, buy your music, plug in your music player, and the music gets put directly on your music player.

What do you think of this?

As credit card debts pile up so to do the interest rates. 18% to 25% interest is not uncommon for many cardholders. Rising costs have forced many consumers to survive only by paying the minimum payments, and because of multiplying interest rates these minimum payments never provide an opportunity to pay-off the debt. In fact, most credit card users are unaware that it would take more than 30 years to become debt free by only making the minimum payment each month.

There is a better way. As an alternative to paying just minimums, RESQDEBT has devised a way to not only get out of credit card debt, but also save you thousands of dollars. Their debt relief program provides unparallel results over other programs such as debt consolidation and bankruptcy. The program is easy, and can be completed in as little as 2 years. Even better, some of RESQDEBT’S customers have been able to get out of debt much sooner.

William from North Carolina was able to save over $3,000 off of his debt through the program, and was out of debt in less than 30 days. Sara from Indiana was able to save over $8,000 off of her debt and become debt free in a little more than 30 days by using the program. Results are important, and when it comes to becoming debt free it is RESQDEBT’S top priority. For more examples of success stories visit RESQDEBT on the web at http://www.resqdebt.com/who-we-are/settlement_examples.html.

While not everyone can be as fortunate as William or Sara in becoming debt free in as little as 45 days or less, RESQDEBT builds personalized debt relief programs that fit anyone’s financial boundaries. The key is in their ability to directly negotiate with creditors for the benefit of their customers. The tougher the creditor the more diligent RESQDEBT works at getting customers out of debt. The higher the debt the more money the program will save. RESQDEBT is committed to getting Americans out of debt.

There's a new ipod in the town..its cool and funky!!it's slim and it's kinky!Seemingly weak,but jaunty Steve Jobs unveiled a brand new iPod nano line redesigning the  vulnerable mp3 player(though,an insult to call it so!) to make it tall and wafer skinny!  

I still have a whlie to go though, my iPod is still alive and kicking and happy, but it's something I thought up when I Apple released its latest iPods a few weeks ago.  I've looked at so many other MP3 players, and honestly the ones that are standing out are SanDisk's Sansa Fuze.  It's really nice looking, perfect (physical) size wise and everything....but only 8 gig max?  EIGHT?  I have almost 30gbs of music, my iPod is actually almost full...8 is just not enough.    Which is frustrating, I wish more companies were daring enough to compete with the iPod and make larget sizes....

....like Microsft...and their Zune.  If only there was a loophole to get it to work with a Mac OS.  With other players, even though it says "Windows" as a requirement, with an XNJB software, (and a USB cable) you can use it with Mac.  It's not impossible.  Except for Zune, which has to be a butthead and be more difficult.   I am leaning towards a Zune for my next player (unless Apple impresses me in the future).  Zune offers 80s and 120s (to compete with iPod) it used to have a 30, but it is long gone as well. I would get the 80 (in red?).

I do wonder, with a Windows Media player on a Mac (it is possible, but I'm not sure what version they would have for a Mac) if that will cure the problem... and I could use a Zune + Mac.

If not...I hope, XNJB will have some way to get it to work with a Mac, when mine kicks the bucket.  That would be great.

In middle school, I received a portable CD player and was one of the first among my classmates to have one. The CD player, was not very functional for me: I could only listen to my father's CDs as my allowance was too small to buy my own CDs. The only CDs my parents bought me were musicals or classical music; I had a whole 25-CD wooden box collection of "great classical music."

Yet for a teenager craving pop music, even cassette tapes were a luxury. Every weekend, I listened to "Top 50 Pop Songs" on the radio and recorded the songs onto a 120 minute blank tape. This compilation tape was then "dubbed" onto other blanks and passed on to my friends.

In high school, about a third of the kids in my class carried CD players and the rest still used cassette players. We spent evenings browsing record stores- which were carrying cassettes, CDs, and LPs. We began noticing that since CDs did not have two sides, musicians stopped dividing their album into two parts.

It wasn't until the late 90s that I was able to buy a CD without starving for a week. I had an obsession for CD collecting in my college years. Mp3s were all the rage- with people sharing them over P2P programs- but only popular music was to be found through those networks. Music such as industrial, Brit pop, electronika, and global music could only be found in record stores. By this time, record stores were carrying little or no cassette tapes.

By the time I graduated college, the industry was rapidly changing. One by one, record stores closed down, including Tower Records. It was because of the Internet. Not only because people were sharing music files, but also because they were buying music online. At first people were buying CDs online, but then the physical product itself disappeared and music was downloaded in a digital format.

For 20 years, music was limited to under 70 minutes (mostly under 60). The first MP3 player I received (in 2000) could store hours of music. It was 256 mega bytes and cost 300 dollars. A year afterwards, 1G players cost 200 dollars. Now, I can get a 160G for that much money. That is more music than I have time to listen to.

If Resellular walked up to you and said give us your phone, we'll recycle it for free, but they sold it in China for triple the value, What would you say? How would you feel?

Well, sadly this is the truth. Another Corporate power house taking advantage of the American people and in time of need, no less. They take your cell phones for free and sell them in developing countries such as China, Africa, and South/Central America. Making 60 Million dollars a year and giving the American people ZERO doesn't look like recycling to me.

Recycling should be beneficial to everyone, good for the environment, people get money, and recullular gets their stupid share too. Instead we have a money hungry corporation stealing money from the American people and causing more polution problem else where in this fragile world. What's china gonna do with the phones when their done, Brazil, Mexico? their gooing to go straight in the garbage! Isn't that the problem that we have now??

They're not fixing anything, they're just making it worse!

The fall season is descending upon us and before you know it, the holidays will be here.

For those getting an early jump on their gift shopping, there's a compact electronic solution to fit most everyone's holiday shopping list.

We've come a long way from the days of having to stay at home in order to watch television and talk on the telephone. Listening to good sounding music meant cruising around in the car or staying at home as well.

Remember how anxious you used to be while you waited a week for your film to be developed? And never mind GPS devices. Who could have ever thunk?!*?$#

Convenience and mobility have become synonymous in regards to what technology has contributed to our lifestyles through the use of personal electronics.

We're able to experience the quality of an in-home stereo system at our fingertips no matter where we are and what we're doing. The accompanying miniature headphone technology known as earbuds can deliver sound to our ears that's incredible! In addition to music, many of these devices offer video capabilities as well.

There also exist numerous legal sites and online resources to download  music, music videos, movies, tv-shows, and ringtones, etc. (at a very reasonable cost).

Digital Cameras and Camcorders are available to capture and record life right as it happens. The convenience of compact size makes it possible to carry these along with us where ever we go.

Cellular phones allow us to have instant communication no matter where we're at.

Last but not least are Portable GPS Devices. These have proven to be the compass that we need to help us to navigate through these busy and fast paced lives of ours.

If you like to listen to tunes during your daily chores, call your significant other while waiting in line at the grocery store, capture those memorable moments for posterity or map out the route of your next road trip, there's an affordable solution out there to fit most every need and budget.

To sum it up, today's pocket-technology provides us with instant entertainment, communications, the ability to take pictures, videos and navigation anytime and anywhere.

With so much variety available on the market today, how does one filter through the mass and find the gadget and accessories that's right for them?

Identifying the best solution to meet every need and budget can sometimes be a daunting and overwhelming task.

Get educated and check out the latest gadget and accessory reviews and find the best prices and selections at Portable Media Products! website.

Written by: Jeffrey Bruce

I accidentally deleted my Windows Live ID that was associated with my
zune tag. I quickly went and re-registered my email account so it was
a Window Live ID again, but unfortunately the zune.net website prompts
me with the registration form. Which has now shown me that my zune tag
is no longer associated with it.

I called up technical support because there was nothing about this on
the zune website. After explaining to her  two or three times there
was no credit card associated with the account, I finally suggested
looking up my zune tag to find it. They pulled the account up, gave
them the email address I was using again as they asked for it and then
was put on hold for a good 10 - 15 minutes while they continued
looking information up on my issue.

When they came back they explained to me that they escalated it to
Level 2 Technicians and they had told her to tell me to wait for 24
hrs and if I still couldn't log in to call back.

So let's break this down a bit.

1. Accidentally deleted my Windows Live ID Association that my gmail
account was using.

2. Can no longer access my zune social card or anything even though my
profile still exists.

3. Logging in prompts me with the registration form.

4. Tech Support told me to wait 24 hrs and try again. If I still had
issues to call back.

This didn't sound right to me so I decided to call back later on. I
call back later in the evening and explain everything to the 2nd
technician. The technician put's me on hold and looks up the
information. He then comes back to tell me that they can't make any
changes to my account because they don't have authorization or the
tools to do it and that the work around is to create a new account. I
told him that I had no problems with creating a new one as long as
they can delete my old one because I don't want my zune social profile
to be lingering around on the net. He told me that they can't do that
either as they don't have authorization or the tools to do so. After
hanging up I decided to call back 5 minutes later to ask for a
Supervisor. The third technician told me the same exact thing the
other tech told me and after requesting again if a Supervisor or
higher up could do it she told me that they only have the same tools
and have no authorization to do what I'm requesting either. After
thanking them I hung up, sent some one I know an email who used to
work as a Level 2 technician for them last year to see if they could
give me some advice on what I could do.

I was told to ask for Level 2 Support when I called in and that they
would file a ticket (if they couldn't solve it) which would escalate
it to Level 3 at headquarters where research is done to solve any
issues. If they found a solution they would let Level 2 Support know
and have them contact me. If not they would point me in the right
direction to some one who possibly could. I did everything he said in
the message back to me when calling in for the fourth time. The
technician told me what I already knew from yesterday and I asked for
Level 2 support again. They went on to tell me they couldn't just pass
me on to Level 2 and that they needed approval. I tell them that is
fine and I'm put on hold. After waiting for at least 5 - 10 minutes  I
hear two dial tones followed by "Please wait" being repeated for 3
minutes with short pauses between them. I start thinking that I'm
being passed on and things are moving forward. I couldn't have been
more wrong. The technician who put me on hold picks up, tells me they
were denied authorization to pass me on to Level 2 because they would
just tell me the same thing and then went on to repeat what I already
knew about creating a new account.

So here I am unable to get access to an account that is still active,
which is still showing my zune social profile with my picture, first
name, last name, city and state. And yet zune support can't delete my
account or even give me access back to it. How is it that XBOX 360 and
XBOX Live Support can provide top notch service, modify accounts and
delete them but yet at zune they can't? This is something that should
have been thought about a long time ago. At this point I don't even
want the account anymore, I want it deleted. What is it going to take
to get this done?

It shouldn't be such a hassle to recover an account that is
still active, yet even delete one.

It was stout, wide, and it looked like the iPod Classic put into a shrink-ray gone wrong. Worse, it imitated the scratch-collecting metal backing of the Classic, devolving from the all-around aluminum casing of the 2nd gen model. The fragility of iPods made many protect their babies in coverings, but why cover it when it was meant to be beautiful in its naked state?

I really didn't want to get it.

But the interface is second to none, and no other navigation system is as maneuverable as the click wheel.

But it was so ugly...

And I was going to cave in to the Zen X-Fi instead, which is pretty decent, but still not the same, and also had some caveats I didn't like.

Then, after contemplating which music player I wanted while on the walk home, and concluding that I really loved the click wheel, I got onto the computer to gape at the iPod again.

And I was shocked when I entered the Apple site. And delighted!

Gorgeous! And Apple somehow presciently updated the new iPod Nano with exactly all the features I was looking for, like the aluminium all-around, and the gum-stick shape, a bigger screen, and more colours to choose from!

And the other awesome new things, like the motion sensor (accelerometer for the non-laymen), Genius feature, and generally higher quality visuals make this iPod a mean music machine!

And at a cheaper price too! Originally, the 4GB model was 238 Singdols. Which is why I was considering the Zen X-Fi, because it offered 8GB at around the same price. Now, Apple lowered the price range to $248 for an 8GB model. Which means, I can get something better for cheaper!

Without a doubt, I will be getting this before the year ends.

I'll let Apple show you the rest.

Read (and watch) all about it at http://www.apple.com/sg/ipodnano/.

So I can only assume that most of my readers have taken one economy class in High School, College, or both.  I can further guess that some of you might even be economists, accountants, statisticians, actuaries, or any other professional number cruncher that knows a thing or two about how money gets from the money tree, to your pocket, to your various retailer/dealer.  The very first step in getting this money (after allowance, robbery and fraud) is having a job.  Everybody has a job*.  Everybody**.  With every job comes a few things: money, entitlement, perks, schedules, bosses, vacations, and coworkers.  everybody has coworkers, both former and current, and everyone has to share their towns with them.

Coworkers are a tricky bunch.  Not only do you share more time with them than you might with a loved one or actual friend, but you don't get to choose who they are (unless your job is to hire and fire people, in which case, you should not have a problem with any of them and you should also stop complaining [assuming that you are complaining].  I guess sometimes you don't choose loved ones or friends either...but that's neither here nor there).  ANY-HOOS, coworkers can become your best friend, or your mortal enemy, or even both, which means there is more than one way to skin this proverbial cat.

Let's start with Ex-Coworkers.  Ex-Coworkers, depending on your relationship, can very much become similar to an ex-lover (especially if the ex-coworker IS an ex-lover, and that ex-love has led to them being the ex-coworker), and to share with them, simply follow the rules of EXes.  No need for me to reiterate.  If these ex-coworkers happen to really be an ex-boss in a similarly bad situation.  Upon seeing them, before engaging in any of the other sharing acts, it is important to share with them every little feeling you have about them, hopefully helping them feel more like an ex-coworker, or even underling.  It will make them feel equal, and thus happier that they chose today to make that trip out to the bank.

But since everyone in the city is so gainfully employed at jobs with coworkers***, let's focus on that.  Some coworkers you see more often than just being at work.  This is probably because you chose to share your life with the fellow employee as a girlfriend/boyfriend/regular friend/husband/wife/slave/roommate/drug mule.  If this is you, you do not need my help, you are an expert sharer.  I recommend you stop reading my web-page and go buy a book on how to build awesome bookcases.  Other coworkers you might enjoy working with so much that you decided that once every few months you might want to go out on the town and "throw back a few", or maybe see the local sports team play against a rival team, where you might also want to "throw back a few".  These coworkers are friends, so long as you are still employed at the same job and/or the same couple-block radius.  As friends, it is very important you share with them as such, offering a place to stay when they might have a pest/relationship problem, or simply introducing them to people when walking down the street.  Make them seem more important than they actually are.  Then there are those people you work with, who sad to say, make your work day a living nightmare.  For me, there is one guy at my office who can't pronounce my name correctly, and also he smells bad.  I hate him SO MUCH (that's right Randal, I am talking about you!  Take a shower).  These people make it a little bit harder to not only share a cubicle with, but also share your city.  First, you must know when to pick and chose your battles.  On the street, I often pick my battles when they don't see it coming.  Tazers are always fun for that.  Let's them know that you are not scared of them, and also they might think you are trying to share your sense of humor with them (because of all the laughing you'll be doing).  Of course, if they see you coming, it's important to let them know that your life goes on despite their best efforts.  It's especially fun to share with them positive feelings by frequently saying "hello" and "how are you doing" without sticking around for a response.  This will give them time to think about how in fact they are doing which could in turn positively change their lives indefinitely.  Anything beyond that is also like an Ex.

Ok, well I am off for more sharing and non-sharing things.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!

* Statement based on employment stats from 1999.

** Based on the same stats.

*** Based on a dream George W. Bush once had.

The lock, known as Digital Rights Management (DRM), prevents users from listening to their downloads across all their digital devices, from Blackberries to MP3 players to iPods and mobile phones. But it also prevents people from ever changing between brands and, its critics say, encourages them to download tracks for free from illegal websites."

link to full story...

I find this situation incredible - it's 2008 and consumers are only just being offered formatted digital music in a format that suits their listening needs. Following twitter conversations this morning - whilst market adoption of FLAC (free lossless audio codec) remains slow - ensuring high quality download options is critical to the ever demanding home listening experience as well as the iPod generation.

I would like to welcome you to the Official Professor Recycle Blog. Here you'll find information on updates to price lists and the website, information about recycling electronics, tips to help your recycling fundraiser, and much, much, more! So, bookmark us and comeback soon.

For those of you that are new to Professor Recycle, visit the About page for more information.

Thanks,

Fundraising Director
Professor Recycle

Don't judge me.

Anyway, imagine how I felt on Monday as I stepped on the treadmill for the first time in a realllly long time and pressed play when instead of Adam Ant welcoming me back into our little fantasy world with his "once is never e-nough. Never is, never was, uh-huh!"  I got something that sounded suspiciously like me running the vaccuum and my kids fighting. DAMMIT! Even my fantasy life is freakin' domestic!! Those sweet little shits are EVERYWHERE!!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality wants to make sure you don't throw that old TV into a landfill if you buy a new HD TV; inasmuch as, old TV's will require a converter box come February 2009 when we switch to digital only broadcasting.  

Instead of throwing your TV, electronics or computers away and having them end up in a landfill, donate them to someone else or recycle them.  When we throw these items away, they get crushed and release harmful toxins into the ground that over time can get into our water. Because much of our state depends on ground water for our domestic water supply, we have to be careful of what we put into the ground so that it doesn't contaminate our water system.

This weekend there is an E-cycling day scheduled for Saturday, September 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Intel, Jones Farm Campus, in Hillsboro (2111 NE 25th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124)  There is a $5 fee for TV recycling.

UPDATE: Lake Grove Elementary School, Lake Oswego, is also having a recycling event including ewaste on Sunday, September 14 from 12 noon - 4 p.m.

Also, starting January 1, 2009, Oregon E-Cycles will have collection services available in every county. One collection site will be available in every city with a population of 10,000 or more. Check this Web site after January 1, 2009, for a list of participating collection services and sites near you.  DEQ has a sheet describing what to do with that TV - "Don't Toss that TV" - CLICK HERE to read it.

If you would like to recycle your electronics before January 1, 2009, there are other options available.  Some places do charge a fee.   To locate a recycler near you, see DEQ’s list of Computer and Electronic Equipment Recyclers. If you live in the Portland Metro area, please call Metro’s Recycling Information Hotline at 503-234-3000.

In addition, Costco has a recycling program (CLICK HERE) for computers, electronics, etc. and the Goodwill in Beaverton accepts donations of electronics as well.

RECYCLING CELL PHONES***Updated 10-9-08***

Multnomah County is trying to help citizens get a little greener by hosting a cell phone recycling collection service.

People can drop off used cell phones in the Multnomah Building and these 10 other collection centers throughout the county:

• Multnomah Building
• McCoy Building
• North Portland Health Clinic
• Elections Building
• Yeon Annex
• Mid-County Health Clinic
• Multnomah County East Building
• Central Library
• Midland Library
• Hillsdale Library
• Gresham Library

The county is partnering with Wireless Alliance - an electronics recycler - to collect and recycle community phones and MP3 players. There is no cost to the county or to residents who bring in their equipment.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, toxic metals and other materials present in cellular phones include lead, chromium VI, and brominated flame retardants

Copyright © 2008. Betty Jung.  All Rights Reserved.

The new iPod Nanos totally rock. Their new features:

Shake to shuffle.

Just give iPod nano a shake and it shuffles to a different song in your music library.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! It's a hard battle between the orange and the red one.

"Hey, did you hear that Apple released some new products?"

"Oh really? I love it when they do that. What did they change?"

iTunes

"Um... iTunes has this new thing, it takes the music you've already bought and recommends new music."

"Oh, kind of like Pandora?"

"Ya, except it you have to buy the new music to listen to it."

"So kind of like the Pandora which is free except it costs a dollar a song?"

"...Ya, I guess."

I don't get what's so genius about iTunes Genius. It's software that already exists (although it uses music already purchased by others with similar taste to determine recommendations instead of the Music Genome Project), it's the same thing as what we can get for free.

iPod Touch

"They also came out with a new iPod Touch."

"Already? Man I just barely got my iPod Touch and it's already outdated. I hate it when iPod does that. What did they change?"

"You can play games on it! Haven't you seen the commercial?"

"I... I can already play games on my iPod Touch. I just downloaded the new iPod software and I can get a lot of games, both paid for and free."

"Ya, but these are better games. You just have to pay for them."

"Actually I never really play games on my iPod."

"Oh. Well... it's thinner too. And kind of curvy. And less expensive."

"But I already have one... I'm not going to shell out hundreds of dollars to shave a few millimeters."

Let's be honest. You have to be pretty bored to be willing to play games on your iPod. You would, however, have to be really bored, really frequently, to be willing to pay $10+ to play games on your iPod Touch. Paid gaming on the iPod touch will be a flop, mark my words. Don't get me wrong, people will buy and use it for a while, but it will be for the novelty, not the functionality. Some will pay for a smaller iPod, but not enough to make it a mass market hit. This is another miss.

iPod Nano

"There's a new iPod nano too."

"Oh man, I've been wondering where they'd go with those. The first ones were amazingly small, I'd never seen anything like it. Then they made them able to hold video. That was cool, too. What did they do this time?'

"It's like the old one. Except curvy."

Enough said.

Apple needs to step up its game. It is lucky in that it has very, very few realistic direct competitors, who are a long, long way behind (unless Microsoft's new Zune has something to say about it). But the reality is, there's a 99% chance Apple will lose less than 5% of it's market share to the new Zune.

Yet Apple's stock prices continue to drop. How could such an innovative company, selling so many products, still have a stock drop? It must be all because of speculation, right? People anticipate Apple to knock it out of the park, so even when they do, it doesn't matter!

I disagree. While Apple still dominates the industry, it has one competitor it has been struggling to truly compete with for a long time. Itself. A little cosmetic improvement isn't enough to pursuade people to buy anymore, especially when they know a new product will be coming out in a matter of months. Apple seems to have lost its way, selling products and services for prices people can't afford. iPhone would have sold millions of more copies if Apple hadn't signed an exclusivity with AT&T. People might play games if they weren't being sold for $10-20 a piece (especially when user generated games that are just as much fun are going for less or even free). Apple needs to return to its roots: A quality product, cheap or free to use, and continue innovating the way we listen to music, then watch movies, then browse the internet, then talk on the phone, and in that order.

Just think: How many iPhones would have sold if Apple had released iPhones at the price they were at after 3G iPhone was released, when users were able to choose their subscription service.

It's time to step it up, Apple. Keep making people pay for everything and signing exclusivity agreements, and you'll turn into (gasp) Microsoft.

Within temptation mp3

Within temptation mp3

New iPod Nano 4G

• Memory has been bumped up
  • Now available in 8GB and 16GB
  • No colour restrictions (8GB and 16GB are available in ALL 9 colours)

• Bigger Screen
  • It's much longer for when you need to go thru your songs now
  • Great widescreen aspect for watching movies

• Accelerometer
  • Allows for the 'Shake to Shuffle' feature: shake the iPod and it shuffles to another song (SO COOL)
  • When you turn the iPod 90°

• Genius selection
  • The iPod will actually select songs similar to the one you're listening to
  • **This is also a feature in iTunes 8 and the new iPod Touch

New iPod Touch

• • Upgraded software (v2.1)
  • Slimmer body
  • Internal speaker: this is probably the best improvement because that was something I begrudged the previous iPod Touch for. It only made sense, and Apple answered the call!

iTunes 8

Honestly, not a lot of there is some news here. Improved visualizer for when you're listening to your music, able to make ringtones for your iPhone for free, the same Genius feature as the iPods has exists in iTunes 8 and a new tiled album way to look at your music.

iTunes store
This is a big area of improvement with the adding of HD video downloads. As well, NBC is back. This means I can finally purchase episodes of the Office (and while I say I'll do that, I never actually will end up getting around to it)