Five Streaming Music Services That Are Definitely Worth a Spin

Last Updated: October 15, 2013

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Spotify, Rdio, Grooveshark, and Pandora are streaming music services that have revolutionized the way we listen to the tunes we love. What you may not know is that there’s a whole host of lesser-known services out there that rock just as hard. Here are five of the best:

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Turntable (streaming music services)

Regarded as the most social streaming music service on the market, Turntable has you log in via your Facebook or Twitter account. You can then enter a previously created themed listening room where other users spin the disks for your pleasure, or — and this is the best part — you can become a DJ yourself and create your own public or private venue for discerning listeners to rock to the beats you’ve selected. Each DJ and listener is represented by a cartoon avatar. Although the visuals are not to everyone’s taste, they do add to Turntable’s unique party atmosphere.

This Is My Jam

This Is My Jam is a great way to find new music that strikes a chord with your own specific tastes. It works by letting you pick a song you’re currently grooving to and making it your “jam.” Other users will then discover it and give it a listen. They then have the option to “like” it. In turn, you can do the same to their “jams,” which will lead you on a musical voyage of discovery as the service will recommend other users who enjoy similar “jams” to yours.

Ex.Fm

If you’d prefer letting the music find you rather than your having to actively search it out, then Ex.Fm is one of the streaming music services that will push all the right buttons. Bursting to the seams with a range of genres and styles as well as hooking into an array of quality music blogs and stores, Ex.Fm offers tons of free streaming tunes. By following other users and friends who use the service and listening to their playlists, you’re guaranteed to get hooked up with some amazing new tunes.

Noon Pacific

If you dig the idea of getting a playlist full of new music via email every Monday at noon Pacific time, then Noon Pacific is definitely one of the streaming music services you need to tune into. Probably the most passive music discovery service out there, it works by handpicking and curating a hour-long playlist tailored to you and lets you float away on a heavenly musical cloud every Monday.

Jango

Jango is a music service which offers free streaming as well as the added benefits of unlimited skips, social networking, artist promotion, and other key ingredients that the hardcore music fan likes to throw into the mix. Independent artists can add their own music to Jango, which means it has something to offer even the most non-mainstream tastes. The only downside is the intrusive advertisements, but overall that still doesn’t ruin the Jango experience.

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How to Setup Gmail for Business Email

Last Updated: October 14, 2013

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An advantage to using Gmail for business email is the ability to access your work email from any device. Also, there is greater storage potential than what most people have on their desktops.

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You can set up Gmail for your business email in one of two ways. You can go to the Google site and follow the steps, or you can alter your existing POP3 account to reroute emails through your current server configuration. Going through the POP3 servers can require a bit of research for the user. Depending on how savvy you are, this could be a complicated process. This article shows a step-by-step guide to accessing and setting up Gmail for business through Google’s website.

Get Started

Go to the Google Apps for Business site and click the “Get Started” button. This will bring you to an information screen. Fill out the necessary information in the fields provided and click “Next” to proceed to step 2.

Step 2

Here you have three options: use a free email address from Google, purchase your own domain, or add a current domain you already own. If you choose to use the free address, then the email address you will have will contain “mygbiz.” For example, let’s say you are opening a company called Brooks Publishing and you want the email address to reflect this. Your email address domain using the free option would be brookspublishing.mygbiz.com.

Select the option you wish to use and click the “Next” button.

Step 3

Next, input your username, password, and verification. Type in your username: for example, JohnBrooks. Your full email address would now be johnbrooks@brookspublishing.mygbiz.com. Type in your password twice and fill in the verification field.

Lastly, select the “I have read and agree to the Google Apps for Business agreement” checkbox and click the “Accept and signup” button.

If you choose to purchase your own domain or connect a previously owned domain, then the process will vary slightly. However, the step-by-step is simple and will get you where you need to be to set up Gmail for business email.

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Time Warner: As Fast as Verizon?

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High-speed Internet has come a long way from dial-up modems that forced users to choose between phone calls and websites. Cable, DSL, and fiber optic alternatives are now available across the country, giving you a host of choices when deciding who gets to supply your Internet connection. Two high-speed giants, Time Warner Cable (TWC) and Verizon, are often held up as rivals — with die-hard fans and haters on both sides claiming that their provider of choice is actually faster. So who really wins this virtual race?

Verizon: The Dedicated Line

Verizon offers one High Speed Internet plan and three High Speed Internet Enhanced plans to customers. These are all DSL based, which means they use your phone line (along with a special adapter) to connect with Verizon’s servers. Unlike cable modems, with which multiple users can share the same network “pipeline,” DSL connections are single and unaffected by the traffic of other users. Verizon’s basic High Speed plan offers anywhere from 0.5 to 1 megabytes per second (Mbps) in download speed, and up to 384 kilobytes per second (kbps) in upload. This translates to almost seven minutes to download 10 songs at five megabytes each, or almost three and a half hours to download a standard-definition movie. The company’s fastest Enhanced plan, meanwhile, provides between 7.1 and 15 Mbps download along with 768 kbps upload. This reduces the song download time to 26.7 seconds and movie time to 13.3 minutes. All plans come with nine email accounts and 10 megabytes of personal web space; in addition, Enhanced plans offer WiFi hotspot access.

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Verizon also offers its FiOS line of plans, which use fiber optic rather than standard cables to provide access. The slowest plan offered includes 15 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload, while the fastest comes with 500 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload. Using this plan, downloading a 5 gigabyte HD movie would take 1.4 minutes. Expect to pay anywhere from $69.99 to $299.99 per month for Verizon’s services.

Time Warner: Cable Connections

TWC uses coaxial cables to provide Internet access. These are the same cables used to provide television service. Time Warner offers six high-speed plans, ranging from their “Lite” at $19.99 per month to their “Ultimate” at $64.99 per month. Lite provides 1 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload, along with five email accounts and 100 megabytes of email storage. This will provide a similar download speed to Verizon’s basic High Speed plan. The Ultimate plan, meanwhile, offers 50 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload, 30 email accounts and 10 gigabytes of storage, along with a free WiFi modem. To put that in perspective, downloading 10 songs with a total size of 50 megabytes would take one second on an Ultimate connection. Both the Extreme and Ultimate plans offer access to TWC WiFi hotspots.

And the Winner Is…

If you’re talking about pure speed, Verizon comes out on top, but for many users 500 Mbps won’t provide a noticeable improvement over 30 or even 50 Mbps. If you’re downloading massive amounts of songs or movies, or need a super-fast connection for professional-level online gaming, Verizon may have the FiOS plan for you. If you’re hoping for decent speed with a lower price tag, consider TWC (remember: check your bandwidth regularly with a speed test from BandwidthPlace.com).

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What Is Buffering? A Simple Buffering Definition

Last Updated: October 8, 2013

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You’ve probably seen the terms “buffering” and “buffer” thrown around quite a bit in the technology world, but it can harder to find a buffering definition that is easy to understand. In short, just know that whatever the form of buffering — and there are different kinds — it generally speeds up what you trying to do on a computer. Buffering can prevent lag when you’re streaming video or prevent slow performance when you’re playing a graphics-intensive video game on your desktop computer.

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Buffering involves pre-loading data into a certain area of memory known as a “buffer,” so the data can be accessed more quickly when one of the computer’s processing units — such as a GPU for video games or other forms of graphics, or a CPU for general computer processing — needs the data.

Too Much Internet Buffering Could Mean a Slow Network Connection

One common form of buffering occurs when your broadband connection is too slow to stream a video in real time. So your computer will buffer the video data — starting playback when there is enough to prevent video lag. If you see this happen often, it might be time to upgrade your broadband speed, or maybe reset your router, if the download rate is lower than advertised by your Internet provider.

Buffer Overflow Can Be a Problem

Sometimes too much data gets loaded into a buffer, causing a buffer overflow, which is a technique used by hackers to take control of a computer or infect it with a virus. Recent advancements in the ways that programming languages handle memory lessens the chance of a buffer overflow happening, but some older programs are still at risk.

While buffering in general helps you to enjoy better computing performance, it can also mean that your Internet connection isn’t quite up to snuff (remember: check your performance regularly with a bandwidth speed test from BandwidthPlace.com). Whatever the reason your computer or video game system is using its buffer, you’re better off now that you have a buffering definition.

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Xbox One and PS4: A Look at Bandwidth Requirements

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As the release dates for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 get closer, it makes sense to take a look at both next-generation video game systems from a bandwidth requirement standpoint. After all, it would be a shame to shell out for a new system only to have your Internet connection choke on any new requirements.

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Expect Most of the New Bandwidth Requirements to be Similar to Those for the Xbox 360 and PS3

While the new video game systems from Sony and Microsoft contain generally better graphics and unique gameplay features, especially when considering the Kinect and PlayStation Move controllers, the bandwidth requirements for the new systems are pretty much similar to the previous generation’s PS3 and Xbox 360. Game downloads might be slightly larger, but if you already have a pretty robust Internet connection, you should be good to go for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

One slight difference requiring more bandwidth would be with streamed online gaming, which is different from playing a previously downloaded game online. Still, most gamers’ Internet connections should handle that extra bandwidth with no problem.

Don’t Forget Watching Movies and Other Home Entertainment

Remember that both Sony and Microsoft — especially the latter — are positioning their video game machines as the centerpiece of a home entertainment system. This means streaming movies, TV shows, and other media content. So take into account these other use-cases when considering the ultimate bandwidth requirements of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If you don’t currently own a PS3 or Xbox 360 or don’t connect either device to the Internet, make sure your Internet connection can handle the additional horsepower required by streaming movies and TV shows — and games — before considering a purchase of a new system (check your internet performance with a speed test to find out).

Ultimately, if your house already sports a fast Internet connection, these new video game systems won’t stress out your connection any more than the existing generation of game hardware. So when the Xbox One and PS4 hit the market — game on!

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The Best WiFi Router for Home Use

Last Updated: October 7, 2013

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Netgear_N300_wireless_router_n01A WiFi router is a vital part of any home Internet setup, allowing all local computers, smartphones, tablets, and more to share an Internet connection and even communicate with each other. But which is the best WiFi router for home use? The winner may surprise you.

According to a PC Magazine take on the “10 Best Wireless Routers” and looking at the prices of all their Editors’ Choice winners (not counting the ZyXel Travel Router), it appears the best router is the Netgear N750 Wireless Dual Band Router. The Netgear unit is the only one of the Editors’ Choice routers suitable for home use that is priced under $100.

A Closer Look at the Netgear N750 – the best WiFi Router

The Netgear N750 brings a lot of value to the wireless router equation. PC Magazine praised the unit for its superior performance in the 5 GHz band. “Netgear’s N750 is a throughput thoroughbred in the 5 GHz band. Performance at the 2.4 GHz band is slightly above average with other top 2.4 GHz routers on the market. Advanced features and easy setup makes the N750 a router to easily recommend, despite anemic NAS capabilities,” said the magazine’s reviewer, Samara Lynn.

The N750 appears to be a perfect router for the price if you do a lot of media streaming over the Internet. It also seamlessly handles large file transfers. The device is easy to set up and configure, which normally can be a hassle for non-tech-savvy users.

The only real knock against the device is minimal support for NAS — which stands for network attached storage, a relatively new technology that allows all devices in a home network to share storage capabilities. PC Magazine also complained about the limited support for USB devices — only handling external storage drives.

Still, for those of you who do a lot of media streaming over the Internet and are looking for the best WiFi router for the task, the Netgear N750 looks to be a winner without burning a hole in your wallet (remember: without a robust internet connection your WiFi will always be subpar, check your performance regularly with an internet speed test).

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Is My Personal Data Really Safe Stored on the Cloud?

Last Updated: October 4, 2013

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Where once we relied solely on hard drives and memory sticks to store much of our personal data, nowadays we’ve got the cloud. But how safe is it?

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Every Cloud Has Its Silver Lining

We live in a digital age where everything from music, books, and films to photos and documents have gone digital. Consequently, we need more and more digital space to store all our digital material, and that’s why the cloud is so necessary. Not only does its revolutionary format make unlimited storage a very viable option, but now crashed computers, lost memory sticks, and the occasional virus seem like concerns of a prehistoric age. All of our precious personal data has been backed up and rendered easily accessible courtesy of the gigantic and remote servers which fuel any cloud storage facility. Storing data is more convenient than ever. Yet there remains one nagging question on the back of everyone’s mind and on the tip of a fair few tongues: “Is storing personal data in the cloud safe?”

A Gap in the Clouds

If you believe that password access is sufficient to protect your personal data, then almost all cloud storage solutions will tick the necessary boxes. However, here’s the rub, and it’s a big one: Passwords may be safe to a degree, but they can be hacked. If the material you store in the cloud is protected by a password alone, then make sure that word/number combination is tough to crack.

It is a good working practice to change all of your passwords frequently. Here’s an extra tip: keep the passwords complicated! It may be a headache remembering all your complicated combinations, but if you value your personal data, then surely it’s worth it.

Keep It Cryptic

Not all cloud storage solutions encrypt your personal data when it’s traveling back and forth over the Internet, which makes the data a very visible target for hackers to capture and exploit. Big-name cloud providers such as Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox offer a third-party app for encrypting data so that if it’s captured en route, it’s impossible to read. For peace of mind, always check to make sure your cloud storage provider offers at least some type of data encryption. A good indication of reliable encryption is when there is a “https” instead of “http” in front of your browser address bar’s URL. The extra “s” indicates a secure form.

Other Points to Consider

Hackers will usually attack the cloud storage service itself as opposed to its individual users. So ensure that your service provider has an excellent track record of keeping its clients’ private data secure. Yet even companies with enviable reputations for both physical and network security possess some vulnerabilities in regard to their cloud storage facilities. Ideally your data should be spread across multiple geographical locations in case of a natural disaster or server failure.

Additionally, in the United States, a subpoena could be served at any time on any cloud company, forcing the company to open its clients’ data for inspection. In the final analysis, storing music, photos, and other data in the cloud shouldn’t cause you too many restless nights, but with more confidential data, you may want to weigh up your options very carefully.

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Microblogging: Useful Tools for Budding Writers

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plurkMicroblogging emerged several years ago as a more concise form of online posting, similar to text messaging. The idea emerged around 2005, referring to tumblelogs, which fused together different elements including links, quotes, and images. By 2007, the term “microblogging” had evolved and referred more specifically to services provided by sites such as Tumblr and Twitter: short, almost conversation-like bits of writing which were updated daily, hourly, or even minute-to-minute. Just like online writing and traditional blogging, there is a host of tools available to help aspiring microbloggers. Here are some of the best:

1. TwInbox

If Twitter is your microblogging platform of choice, then TwInbox may be just what you need to take Tweets to the next level. This free app integrates directly with Microsoft Outlook, letting you update your Twitter feed directly from your inbox, along with receiving friend requests and archiving your Tweets in the same way as email. Not only does this let you keep an easily-searchable history of everything you’ve microblogged, but it also lets you quickly shorten URLs with built-in bit.ly support, access graphs of your Twitter usage, and manage multiple accounts all from the same inbox. TwInbox is a must for business users, or any user who is tired of tabbing back and forth between Outlook and your Twitter account.

2. Plurk

It’s like Twitter, only not. Although it has the same kind of microblog underpinnings, Plurk has posts laid out in an hourly, horizontal timeline format which scrolls left and right. Clicking on a post lets you reply and shows you any comments or discussion generated by the original text. The interface isn’t quite as clean as Twitter, but the site has gained substantial ground among both US and Asian users over the last few years since it gives a better picture of a user’s activity than a text-only Twitter feed.

3.Zemanta

If traditional blogging is more your thing, try Zemanta for grabbing relevant images, articles, and other Web content that aligns with what you’re writing. You retain full control over what’s pulled and displayed, so if you’re working for a company you can avoid mentioning a competitor or make sure any pictures found are appropriate. In addition, Zemanta will suggest content from previous posts on your own blog that may be relevant, allowing you to provide both outbound and inbound links. The app is free but expect to see some promoted content, which you can use or discard at your discretion.

4. Wordcounter

No matter what kind of writing you prefer, the free online service Wordcounter can help make sure you only post your best work. Copy and paste any text into the Wordcounter tool and it tells you which words you use the most — right down to “if,” “and,” or “but” if you want to get that specific. A quick scan lets you see if there are words you use too much or variants of the same word you rely on instead of choosing other, stronger alternatives.

Great microblogging posts are short, insightful, and entertaining. If you have the drive, the tools listed here can help make the most of your messages.

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PS3 Streaming Movies and TV: A User’s Guide

Last Updated: October 3, 2013

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The PlayStation 3 is much more than just a gaming console. It’s an entertainment-streaming machine!

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Here’s a list of the premier PS3 streaming movies apps:

  • PlayStation Store: Includes gaming content, movies and television, and serves as a hub for all Sony Entertainment content, like an online virtual market.
  • Video Unlimited: Users can dig through the PlayStation Network’s video library and discover tons of movies and TV shows from Sony Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal.
  • Crunchyroll: A library of Japanese animation and live action drama, for the anime aficionado. You can stream anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing.
  • MLB.TV: Get stats, scores, and archived clips — everything a fan needs to enjoy all things baseball. Watch every out-of-market game “live” online or on your mobile device.
  • Netflix: The leader in on-demand Internet streaming media is also the premier PS3 streaming movie app. For $8 a month, you can’t go wrong. Netflix is amazing!
  • Hulu Plus: Also $8 a month, Hulu Plus is mostly for television, such as The Daily Show, Modern Family, South Park, and more.
  • YouTube: It’s YouTube on your PS3, but cleaned up and tailor-fit for your TV screen.
  • Amazon Instant: Get films and TV shows for rental, purchase, and streaming from Amazon’s video-on-demand service (although you need a Prime membership to use it).
  • CinemaNow: This is Best Buy’s pay rental service with over 3,000+ feature films, shorts, concerts, and television programs from Fox, ABC, Disney, MGM, Warner Bros, etc.
  • Crackle: Crackle.com is another Sony digital streaming service with TV, movies, and original shows such as Extraction.
  • Vudu HD Movies: This is Walmart’s movie-streaming service with new releases and the most HD on demand in 1080p.
  • PS3 Media Server: The PS3 Media Server allows you to play videos and music from your desktop to your PS3. All you have to do is follow these easy instructions:

On your desktop:

  1. Download PS3 Media Server.
  2. Launch.
  3. Add your folders by using Navigation/Share Settings > Shared Folders.
  4. Click the “+” sign and add more folders, share iTunes library, etc.

On your PS3:

  1. Enable DLNA by Settings > Network Settings > Media Center Connection
  2. Go to Video.
  3. Select PS3 Media Server.
  4. Select your Media and Start PS3 streaming movies and TV shows!

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Portable Satellite Internet Is Great for When You’re on the Go

Last Updated: October 2, 2013

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Those of you who like to travel in an RV or go camping usually find that staying connected to the Internet is a hassle. Sure, sometimes a smartphone or tablet computer can provide mobile broadband connectivity, but what about when there aren’t any cellphone towers nearby?

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Portable satellite Internet options exist for just this reason. RV travelers especially benefit from using a portable satellite to stay connected to the Internet while they traipse across the country. Businesses with travel fleets also can benefit from these kinds of services, and there are military, police, fire, and emergency response applications as well. Let’s take a look at this unique sector of broadband Internet services:

Mobile Satellite Technology: Many Applications

Mobil Satellite Technologies is a typical company providing mobile satellite services for a wide range of applications — from leisure time pursuits such as RV and boat travel to more serious scenes, such as a FEMA command post or a construction site. In addition to Internet services, they also offer VPNs, VoIP services, and video conferencing — all predominately using satellite communications.

A wide range of service plans are available when using portable satellite Internet, and they are generally priced at a premium compared to other land-based or satellite Internet plans. Some are from companies famous for satellite Internet, such HughesNet, while others are with smaller firms, such as SkyEdge or iDirect. Some short-term plans lasting only a few days or weeks are suitable for emergency response scenarios, construction sites, or even a quick camping vacation.

Antennas and Other Equipment for Portable Satellite Internet

Some antennas used for portable satellite Internet tend to be smaller, especially when they are attached to a boat or RV. Others are similar in size to a typical DirecTV satellite antenna. Most use auto-acquire technology, which is a must for staying connected to a satellite while traveling.

No matter the application — whether it be a vacation or a more serious event — portable satellite Internet helps to keep you connected to high-speed Internet when no other options are available. It is a perfect option for Internet access while traveling across the land in an RV or across the ocean in a boat.

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