Sunday, February 14, 2010

Walkie Talkies

Walkie talkies are unique in that the half-duplex channel they operate on will only allow one radio to transmit at any time, though there are no limits to the amount that can listen. Rather than have an earpiece similar to a telephone, they have a built in speaker so the unit does not have to be held to the ear. They are used to connect to both other handheld units and to radio stations which are in a fixed location. The typical shape is of a large telephone handset, with a fixed antenna poking out of the top of the unit.

History

The fist radio audio transmitter and receiver that was coined the 'walkie talkie' was created by Motorola. The group involved created the Motorola SCR-300 using frequency modulation. This first revision was actually backpack mounted. Not long afterward, during World War 2, Motorola produced the 'Handie Talkie' which rather confusingly is what we would now recognise as a 'Walkie Talkie'. It had massively reduced performance, but was the first completely self contained handheld device.

Nowadays

They are widely used nowadays in both consumer and commercial environments, for example outdoor recreations, business use, military and public safety. As a result of this the prices and quality of the units vary greatly, from kids walkie talkies to rugged digital units for heavy industry use. As technology has improved, and reduce in size, so have the housings. Normally, you will find the commercial walkie talkies are tougher, in protective cases and limited to a select few frequencies. Consumer versions on the other hand tend to be smaller, more lightweight and capable of scanning across far more channels within the band. Kids walkie talkies are generally low power units, and as a result are exempt from licence requirements. Though they often look the same as fully featured versions, they are normally relatively low-tech in comparison.

Clock Radio

Although choosing a clock radio may seems to be a straightforward process there are some people that may require some help in doing so. Indeed with the different models that are present on the market it can be rather difficult for people to make a choice. In order to help you learn more on this I have written this short guide on clock radio and hope that it will be useful for you.

The first thing that you should look for in the clock is the available features. Besides the traditional alarm and radio features, clock radio now has a host of features that accompany them. For instance some have USB ports where you can plugin your portable media player. If you are owner of an iPod you might be interested in getting a clock that possesses an in-built iPod dock. However if you are thinking of using the clock as a primary device to listen to money it is important that you choose one that have some good speakers. Make sure that you listen to the radio in the shop before buying it. Alternatively you might also read some reviews on the internet in order to find out what other people think of the clock before buying.

Secondly you should also take into account your available space. The more features normally that a clock possess the bigger it is. If you have some limited space available at home then you might be more interested in a compact model. Nowadays there are some really good radios that are available and will really suit those that have a lack of space at home. Remember that most of the time a clock radio will be kept in a bedroom where you will have moderate space.

Obviously your choice of radio will be influenced by your budget. Indeed the more features that the radio carries the more expensive it should be. Here also you will have to make a compromise. If you face an unlimited budget then you will have a wide variety of clock radios to choose from. However thanks to intense competition in the market there are nowadays some good radios that available at affordable cost.Clock radios are a very important tool especially for those that have some difficult time waking up in the morning. However the models that are available nowadays are much more sophisticated and provide a host of features such as iPod docking and USB connectivity. Indeed the only limitation will be your budget and the space that you have at home.

Radio DJ

If you want to become a radio DJ, there will to be something’s you will need to know about. It is not as simple as waking up one morning and deciding you are going to be a radio disc jockey. However, I will not leave you in the dark. I will explain a few things that you need to know to start you down the right path.

First off, you can not expect to get hire as a full time radio DJ right off the bat. There are a couple of things you need to do.

Start with College Radio:

You can start out at the local college or university radio station, this of course is on a volunteer basis. However, these spots are usually taken up by the local college kids, most likely from the communications department, or maybe even the performing arts department.

If you have a good enough pitch, you might be able to make a deal, and still anchor yourself a spot, usually a few hours a night, or week, depending on if there are any openings.

Do your own Live Broadcasting over the net:

This is as simple as having a good selection of music, and an idea to talk about while the next songs are coming up.

These have become quite popular over the years, with various types of software available out there for it, both from your desktop, and web based.

You will need your own server, or hosting platform to get this off the ground. And of course, this will be a none paying gig. Unless you can get some advertising or sponsors to pay you some money for you to advertise for them over the net. I wouldn't try this at the start, wait until you get a good solid following to make it work their while
Start at the bottom of a local major radio station:

This one is not all that appealing I know, but we all have to start at the bottom. And if you can get a position at the station that actually involves the radio part, and not pushing papers in some cubicle somewhere, the entire better.

You might even want to start as an intern, and be the station "gopher" while you learn the ropes. This is a great way of starting out, and I've seen it happen. Go to College or University for a degree,Now, this does not instantly guarantee you a position at a radio station to be a DJ, but it does give you the ins and outs of the business, and even some air time at the campus station, maybe even a foot in the door at a small local station down the road.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

indian folk songs

Indian folk songs possess rich history. Immensely popular all across the country, these songs truly represent the cultural diversity of India. A rustic manifestation of the grand Indian civilization, these songs have spellbinding variety. Indian civilization boasts of extremely diverse culture. Every region in India has different music culture. That explains the unbounded assortment of folk styles found in India. Every state in India has its own typical style of folk music. Often misconstrued as tribal music, Indian folk songs are altogether different thing. Folk music has fun and celebration at its root. This involves no formal training and most of the famous folk singers in India have learned this art on their own.

Though folk music does not involve any formal teaching, people in rural India learn it from their environment. Through these songs they celebrate their life. One visit to rural India and people can find plethora of folk songs suitable for every occasion. Whether it is engagements, marriages, births or festivals, folk music offers incredible range for every event. One of the most common sights is villagers singing songs during the time of planting, cropping and harvesting. Those songs represent their optimism and hope for better agricultural results. Even in Indian movies, these songs have been used. Typical engagement or marriage scene essentially involves folk songs. These Indian folk songs give a familiar and friendly feeling to the actual event.

Folk musicians primarily use drums in their music. Most of these drums are not refined instruments. Most common musical instruments used are; Dholak, Nal, Daf, Saringda, Ektar, Dotar, Rabab, Santur, Bansuri, Kartal, Chimpta, Ghungharu, Magadi Vina, Pung, Khol, Naggada, Shankh etc. Interesting thing is, few of the instruments are used in single folk style depending upon particular regions. These instruments are made up of ordinary substances by the musicians themselves. All these factors give a certain charm and rustic appeal to the tradition of Indian folk songs

Downloading Hip Hop Songs Of the Internet

Looking to download hip hop songs? You are certainly not alone out there. In the era of hip hop culture, it is only natural to see millions of people surfing the Net in a search for quality yet affordable hip hop music.Basically, everything you may need for your music collection, including all the latest hits, is available on the Web and it only matters at what cost. Theoretically, you can download hip hop songs from nearly any music download website as this highly popular style is included in most music databases.However, you should be aware of certain risks involved in the process of downloading off the Internet and know how to avoid them.

Risk 1 - Incompatibility and poor quality of music files

When going to download hip hop songs, you first need to make sure the music files the site provides are in a format that is compatible with your music player. The aspect of quality is harder to check, because not all sites allow a trial period or sample downloads. If you are familiar with music format characteristics and bit rates, it would be easier for you to get an idea of the quality; otherwise, you may find yourself in a situation, when you have to take a blind decision. Check what guarantees the site has as well as its overall reputation among the users.

Risk 2 - Copyright law infringement.

Often, unknowingly, you may download hip hop songs that are copyright protected. Technically, this means you commit a crime and can be punished for that. To avoid a lawsuit against you, steer clear of controversial peer-to-peer sites, known for a lot of illegal activities going on them. Check carefully what legality proofs the site can show.

Risk 3 - Adware and spyware in your computer.


File-sharing networks as well as some other free music sites make money by installing harmful adware and spyware on your PC in order to monitor your browsing habits. These applications considerably slow down your computer's performance and can even modify your system settings. Besides, it is like being watched all the time. Your privacy should not be traded for a few free downloads. If you just cannot avoid free sites, at least invest in a powerful anti adware and spyware program.

Risk 4 - Virus attacks.

Widespread on P2P sites, where you download files directly from another user's computer, virus attacks can easily destroy your computer and even affect your music player, like iPod or Zune, for instance. In case you are a regular user of such sites, advanced and constantly updated anti-virus software is vital for you.

Risk 5 - Mislabeled and corrupt files.

You think you are going to download a hip hop song of your choice, but what comes instead is a pornography material or something that might be insulting and inappropriate in a number of ways. These are not uncommon on file sharing networks as they bear no responsibility of what is being shared among their users. Corrupt and wrong files are even more common. Waste of time for adult users, such cases are alarming when a teen is faced with them. Little can be done here, except for avoiding P2P sites and talking to your kid about all the dangers of using these networks.

The History Of Music: From Grunts To Guitars

Where did music begin, and where is it going? The answers are surprising. There is a modern movement leading humanity back to the music it first created tens of thousands of years ago. A conflicting movement is creating ever more complex sounds, and creating a world of smaller audiences for more musicians.

Before humanity could write, and even before they could speak, rhythm and single tones were used to communicate. The song of a bird may have inspired a prehistoric man to mimic and improve on the noise. Evidence of prehistoric music is sparse, since there was no language to describe the sound to descendants. Drumming objects and mimicking are considered to be the first "music". This continued with words being added as speech was discovered.


After the development of writing, music became more refined. Crafted instruments were added. Harmonies were created. Pipes, flutes, basic stringed instruments, and similar tools were used to create the first sounds that modern man could easily recognize as music. The oldest known song is over 4000 years old, written in cuneiform, and uses the diatonic scale. This period is referred to as "ancient" music.

Further developments created more regional sound, as different technology discoveries in different areas led to unique instruments. While "classical music" is generally assumed to be the sounds of composers like Bach or Beethoven, it actually refers to any music of this period. The music was usually religiously inspired or supported, and usually taught formally as a skill rather than developed through experimentation. As musical notation unified regionally, the composed masterworks of the area were generally performed according to the rigid written work.

Folk music continued soon after. This was generally the sound of the unlearned classes, those that could not write or read. Learned orally, this music was learned and modified time and time again to reflect the personal artistry of the performer. This type of music often portrayed the concerns of the illiterate class. It was usually not supported, but tolerated, but the government and religious leadership. The tradition of folk music still continues as a genre of music to this day throughout the world.

Classical music developed into a less rigid modern style of music, mixing with the concept of personal artistry from folk music. Performers would still use either written or learned pieces, but would add their personal touch. The music would sound different each time it was played, even when played by the same performer.

The invention of recorded music and radio began the slide backwards. Recorded music is very rigid. It never changes. Audiences began to expect live performances to be as close to the recorded music they have been listening to as possible. Sheet music allowed amatures to closely mimic the original performer. To appeal to a larger audience, music started to become less an expression of what the artist wanted to say, and more what the audience would pay to hear.

This trend continues today in the form of ever simplifying music. Music has to be quick and easy to identify. Complexity would lead to missed sales. Many modern styles forgo either the lyrics or the melody completely. Recycling previous music in the form of sampling gives an artist an instant audience, while limiting the artistry possible.
Fortunately, the Internet allows for any artists from any styles to combat the decline in music artistry. The low cost of entry makes it possible for almost anyone to gain an audience. The low cost also allows artists to perform what they wish, rather than pander to a larger audience. Hopefully, this will allow the trends in popular music to reverse, creating ever more artistic and unique music in the future.

Top 5 Online Music Downloading Tipz

Downloading music online can be fun and simple after a while. Whether you are a newbie or expert in online music downloads looking for some useful music download tips, this article is for you. We will look at 5 useful tips you can use immediately to make downloading online music a great experience for you.

The whole music community seems to be buzzing about online music downloads, and there seems to be endless choices of online music download sites. You even have the choice of downloading music online for free. There are many ways you can listen to these online music downloads, such as downloading them to your computer and blasting them with a speaker, or burning them to a CD and listening to the captivating tunes using your home theater system. If you are an outdoor person, you can even play them on your CD player or MP3 player such as iPod when you are working out or on the move. The choices are practically limitless. Wow! Are you ready for some hot tips on downloading online music?

1. Compatibility of Download Files

Make sure to check the music file format of the download site, ie MP3 or other formats. Compare that with your digital portable player. MP3 format is the safest to go with. Forget about those sites that require you to convert them before they are playable on your media player.

2. Multi-Genre Selection

There are a lot of places where downloading online music of all genres is possible. This is important because whether you are particularly interested in selected music types such as pop, or jazz, with a multi-genre selection, it is easy to find what you are looking for.

3. Broadband Internet ConnectionDownloading online music can be extremely slow if you are running on dial-up connection. In fact, for some folks, it feels like eternity. Listening to your downloaded music should be an instant enjoyment, and not a long-suffering pain. It’s meaningless to have access to unlimited online music downloads when it takes you forever to transfer a few files.


4. Secured Downloading

Internet security is a bigger issue nowadays than it was years back. Many hackers have intruded our online space, making the internet a huge hot bed for viruses, spyware, adware and the like. Avoid dubious sites that can potentially open the floodgates, allowing malicious applications to harm our computers. The download sites must be secured and safe for downloading online music. Many folks have fallen prey to virus and adware attacks, while downloading online music from Kazaa style websites. One important tip to note is to avoid download sites which proliferate our browser with advertisement pop-ups.

5. Quality of Online Music Downloads

The online music download audio files should be of a high quality and must not be edited. Did you know that there are some sad stories of how poor the quality of some downloaded music files are? People are looking for crystal-clear digital quality music downloads and not distorted unclear songs and music that have been shortened in length. Imagine the disappointment with downloading online music of such standards!
After hearing these tips on how to download online music, you are better prepared to find a safe music download site for some nice online music. Nevertheless, I know how tedious it can be to surf around for good online music downloads especially when we want to download them quickly. You may wish to visit my blog for specific quick tips to sniff out your perfect place to download online music safely and instantly. Learn from my blog which are the hottest online music download sites that offers unlimited music downloads ready to be fed to your iPod or MP3 players at a few mouse clicks away.