MP3Search.ru is now GoMusic.ru.

For those of you that benefitted from my post below, "Web Site Review: 10-Cent Music Downloads?," I am sure you have been enjoying your 10-cent music downloads. But wait, what is this? What happened to MP3Search.ru? Where did it go? Why am I being redirected to GoMusic.ru?
Calm down! It's ok! MP3Search.ru has undergone a few changes. First, and most obvious, is the new name and site. While there has been no explanation as to the switch, it was long overdue. After visiting the site, you may notice a little lag and some error messages. Be patient. If you notice under the new name, it says "Beta." This is the tech way of saying, "Please be patient with us. We are still working out the kinks." Once ironed-out, I believe the new site will offer a much better user experience, with a more intuitive interface and simplified search tool.
One not-so-good change I have noticed over the past couple of weeks is the occasional price increase. That's right, some downloads are no longer 10 cents. For example, The Red Hot Chili Pepper's new album has songs listed at 19 cents each. Still not a bad price, but there was no notice or explanation for the random price increases.
In short, if you were in a bit of a panic that your MP3Search.ru was no more, rest assured. You can log into www.gomusic.ru with your MP3Search.ru username and password, and your account balance and download history will still be there.
It is ok to breathe now.

iAccessorize… Do you?

2005 has come and gone, and according to CNET.com, over 32 million iPods were purchased for either yourself, or for that someone special. As a fourth generation (4G) iPod owner, I am constantly looking for the perfect accessory to turn my hand-held jukebox into a multimedia powerhouse. I suppose first though, we need to get a few things straight. The Apple iPod has been around since 2001, so the most current line out now is referred to as the fifth generation (5G). Most accessories made today will list somewhere on the packaging with which generation they are compatible. Another description to look for is “compatible with all docking iPods.” What does this mean? Well, if you look on the bottom of most iPods (excluding the Shuffle), there is a long, narrow connector plate. This is the port many accessories use to connect to the iPod. Amazingly, this connector is the same size on the full size iPods as it is on the iPod Mini and Nano.Keep in mind that 4G iPods and earlier have an additional small connector on the top. This allows for a few older accessories that would be incompatible with the 5G iPods. The 5G iPods only have a bottom connector and a headphone jack.
So, let’s get down to business. With the ever-growing popularity of the iPod, new accessories are coming out of the woodwork daily. Please beware: There is a great deal of junk accessories on the market now, so do your homework. Want a cheat sheet? Of course you do! Trust me, once you see all the accessories out there, you’ll be glad to find a reputable source for iPod and iPod accessory reviews. The source: http://www.ilounge.com/. This is an independent group of reviewers that conduct unbiased, detailed reviews on most of the iPod accessories out there. iLounge also keeps readers up to date with the latest accessories and tutorials on how to get more from your iPod. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
And now for my top picks. One of my biggest frustrations in owning an iPod has been trying to find a way to easily move my iPod from computer to home stereo to car with ease. The computer was easy. I purchased a dock to go with my iPod, so I simply dock the iPod whenever I want to update or charge it. But what about the home stereo? Sure, I can just run a cable into the headphone jack, but what if I want a remote control? DLO has the answer. The HomeDock Deluxe ($149.99) from DLO not only allows you to listen to your iPod through your home stereo, but it also hooks up to your TV, allowing you to have an interactive screen and remote to select the songs you want without ever picking up your iPod. If you are a 5G iPod owner, you can also watch all of the $1.99 TV shows you purchased… except now, on a much bigger screen. Want to see for yourself? Go to http://www.dlo.com/.
And last, but not least, the car…Who doesn’t want to choose their own music in their car? I know I do. And the iPod is so much easier than lugging around all of those CD wallets… but what is the best way to play the iPod in the car? Well, you have a few options. A hard-wire line from your iPod to the stereo will always produce the best sound. Some cars are now iPod ready, so connecting an iPod to your car may be as easy as purchasing the correct wire, but many of us are not so fortunate. Second place for sound quality would be the cassette tape adapter… Yes, just like the cassette tape adapters of yesteryear when we used to cruise around town with our portable CD players at our side, which skipped with every speed bump. But that was then. This is now. Running in third place for sound quality is the FM transmitter. Now, don’t get me wrong, these devices definitely DO NOT sound as good as a hard-line connection, but they are still a very good alternative. I often compare it to the quality of a radio station. It sounds good most of the time, but don’t be surprised if the reception gets a little fuzzy every once in a while. After all, it IS a wireless FM transmission. As far as specific brands go, the Griffin iTrip ($39.99) has always been popular. After using several generations of the Griffin iTrip, I believe the only one really worth purchasing is the Griffin iTrip with LCD for 4G and earlier iPods. Sorry, 5G iPod owners, the bottom-mount iTrip has really received bad reviews. It just isn’t quite “there” yet. For more, visit http://www.griffintechnologies.com/. (Note: FM transmitters work better when the iPod is also plugged into a charger. This grounds the iPod, giving you a better signal.) Finally, and yes, I saved the best for last, so if you stayed with me through this entire article, here is your reward: The DLO Transpod FM Transmitter ($99.99). This device is stylish (sold in white, silver, or black), easy to use, charges your iPod while in use, and has what I have noticed to be the best signal of any FM transmitter on the market today. And unlike many of the harder-to-find iPod accessories, you can pick this item up at your local Best Buy. Visit http://www.dlo.com/ or http://www.bestbuy.com/ for more.
Let’s not forget looks!I was really happy to see Apple expand their iPod color line to include black. Sure the iPod Mini came is assorted colors, but what if (like me) you want your iPod to look different than everyone else’s? You have a couple of options. There are several companies that make rubber cases in various colors as well as customizable stickers, but what if you want more of a permanent change? Take a look at Colorware (http://www.colorwarepc.com/). Since 2000, Colorware has been taking electronics and painting them to not only customize, but also to protect iPods, laptops, game consoles, and PCs. In fact, have you ever heard of Alienware PCs? Colorware was behind the technicolor Alienware concept. I can definitely vouch for the quality of their finished product and their customer service. I had my 4G iPod painted black by Colorware almost a year ago, and it still looks amazing with its automotive finish paint. How will your new iPod look in a year? Even if you don’t want your iPod painted, I would recommend checking out their X2 Scratch Resistant Coating. After all, what fun is having a cool tech toy if it doesn’t look good, right?

Electronics Review: Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

What camera do you recommend? This is a question I get all the time, and my answer has narrowed down to just one word: Nikon. I have shot with two Nikon CoolPix models and two Nikon digital SLRs, and I have to say it is my favorite brand. I have also shot with Kodak, Canon, and Olympus, and I still believe Nikon is the best.
Why Nikon? If you have already made up your mind which camera you like (and it isn't a Nikon), please stop, take a few breaths, and think about a few things. First, like Canon and Olympus, Nikon has been making cameras for years. This is a brand professional photographers have relied on with few complaints. Second, look at your choices. Nikon offers low end to very high end cameras... You can't help but assume that Nikon incorporates some of its high-end technology into its lower-end cameras. Assume right. That glass in the front of the camera (the lens) is really what can make or break a camera. Nikon's Nikkor lenses are really amazing. They make an average photographer look like he knows what he is doing (trust me on this one).
So which one? I have recommended CoolPix cameras to friends and family without dissappointment. Nikon's CoolPix line is for the amateur to semi-pro photographer. They are durable, feature rich, and easy to learn. For the semi-pro to professional, I recommend Nikon's digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) line, which includes the D50 and D70. The D50 was introduced as a lower-cost digital SLR (than the D70), and is a really great camera for around $750. The main difference between the D50 and the D70 is a slightly smaller body and not quite as good of a lens. The D70 (and D70s) run around $900 to $1,100. I really can't say enough about this camera. The D70 is what I currently shoot with and has an unbelievable range of capabilities. A beginner can use the auto settings and get great results while the professional can use the manual settings and get what they would expect from a high-end camera. Both the D50 and D70 are also buildable - new lenses, flashes, remotes, you name it. It is everything you would expect from a true SLR.
Rating: An easy 5 asterisk rating. Go Nikon. *****

Missing the Target

The holiday season is upon us, and there is one less store I'll have to visit this year - Target. "Why?" you ask? It seems Target has jumped on the "bundling bandwagon" this year and joined the list of unethical retailers. Ouch, that sounds harsh. Stay with me on this one.
360 Degrees of Fury: As gamers scurry to get their hands on the impossible-to-find Xbox 360, a few retailers have decided the $299 and $399 price tags just aren't expensive enough... especially for a gaming system that has more bugs than the Amazon Rainforest. A number of retailers are taking what few Xbox 360 consoles they have in stock, and are "bundling" them with games, controllers, adapters, cords, Xbox Live subscriptions, carrying cases, and I think one bundle even comes with Bill Gates himself. Well, at least that is what I would assume with bundle prices such as $839.99, $999.99, $2,179.99, and believe it or not, higher.
This is ridiculous! Can anyone else say unethical? All together now: UNETHICAL. Good, now as consumers, STOP BUYING THE BUNDLES!
I know, I know: Now, I admit it. I actually ordered the $839.99 bundle from Target.com with plans to take back the items I did not want... until I called their customer service department. The representative informed me that I was not allowed to return the Xbox 360 or any of the accessories to a store. If I wanted to make a return, I would have to return the bundle in full to Target.com. I had heard enough. I cancelled my order immediately. I will not be forced to keep items I do not want because of high demand.
The good, the bad, and the ugly: To Target and all the other stores conveniently "bundling" items together to force higher sales, I say poor form. I think this is unethical behavior that needs to come to a stop NOW... and I think an apology is in order to the people who plan on shopping at your stores in the future (though I don't know why). And finally, my always faithful Best Buy pulls through Ethics 101 with a B-. Though Best Buy originally jumped on the "bundle bandwagon," they saw the error of their ways (with the help of a few complaints, I'm sure) and issued a formal apology on their Web site. See: Best Buy Open Letter to Customers.
Thanks you: And so, to Target I say, "Goodbye." I'm sure I can find all the items I want at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or IKEA. It is just one less store I will have to go in this Christmas.

Web Site Review: Selling Your CDs

A thought: If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. I've told myself this countless times, but it never seems to sink in.
Sell, sell, sell: I recently decided to sell my 260+ CD collection and move to all digital music. I came across the Web site, secondspin.com, that buys and sells used CDs. They appeared to offer better buy-back pricing than all of their competitors. So, I carefully cataloged my entire CD collection and created a spreadsheet. I then went to their site and began entering my CD information. Immediately I noticed how archaic the user interface was for this site. (I should have taken this as a red flag.) I decided to just write down the prices on my spreadsheet, as it was much easier to do this than create a list on their Web site. After I completed, I sent the list to their sales department. Their reply (a few days later) informed me that I cannot use "Web prices" for a bulk order. Their bulk pricing is actually 10 to 20% less than Web prices. So I returned to their site, as I was forced to create a "to sell" list online. It took me about 4 hours to complete. It was extremely slow and not at all user friendly. Once I finished, I packed up all my CDs very carefully and shipped them. A week later I received a reply that they would only accept 30 of my 260+ CDs. What!? I couldn't believe it. A complete waste of my time. Everyone knows that CDs scuff easily. 90% of scuffs never affect playability. Their "strict quality control" they mentioned is NOT emphasized enough on their site, secondspin.com. They state that CDs must be in "good" condition. My CDs were in good condition. I always took care of them and kept them in the jewel cases. And for the cherry on top - they lost one of my CD inserts and said it was "missing." Just perfect.
Sing! I will sing displeasure on this site until the cows come home. And no, I will never do business with them again.
Rating: I'm not even going to give them A star. The hours I spent getting everything in order only to have my CDs sent back to me was a slap in the face. Down with secondspin.com. I hope their selling side is better, but I'll never try to find out.

Web Site Review: 10-Cent Music Downloads?

What?! Yeah, you read the title correctly. Thanks to http://www.mp3search.ru/, we can now legally download music mp3 files for only 10 cents per song.
How Can This Be? So you have scoured sites like iTunes.com or MusicMatch.com only to find songs are priced a whopping 99 cents each, or $9.99 per album. The price doesn't sound too bad, but just start downloading. It adds up quickly. And thanks to download technology, you can get the songs you want lightning-fast. If this is the case, then how does mp3search.ru sell for only 10 cents per song? Well, for starters, the site is physically based in Russia. Thanks to international trade laws, downloading from this site is no different than traveling to Russia, purchasing a discounted CD, and returning with it to the states... at least this is how I understand it. If anyone has more info on this, I am all ears.
How Does It Work? For starters, it isn't as fast or seamless as purchasing music through iTunes eStore. You begin with loading your account with a pre-set dollar amount. In my case, I chose to load it up with $40. In addition to my deposit, I was given 60 free downloads once my $40 is completely used. As soon as I set up an account, which was quite simple, I could begin downloading. I could select to purchase a single song or the whole album. Purchasing the whole album at once even gave me 10% off the 10-cent per song price. (Note: Save your single-song downloads for your freebies at the end. You cannot purchase a whole album at once with the freebies.) Albums average about a dollar each... That's a dollar for the whole album as opposed to a single song. Once you purchase, you then right-click "Download" on each individual track and tell it where to save. There is also an optional "download manager" tool available for download, but I passed. Downloading each song can be a bit slow, but again, the price you pay for the 90% discount.
And In The End? The songs you take is equal to the buck... you make. Come again? Just a hint that there is a huge Beatles catalog on this site. Yes, really. And when it is all said and done, $40 gets you 460+ legal songs to add to your collection.
Risk? Yes, I, like most people, was a bit apprehensive about putting my credit card information on a Russian site. I called my credit card company in advance and told them of my overseas purchase. I've been watching it for a few weeks now, and no problems. Whew!
Rating: There aren't enough asterisks to represent how cool this is. I'll give it all I've got. *****

Music Review: Muse - Absolution

The Band: Yes, they sound like Radiohead. There, I said it. Can we move on now? Check them out at http://www.muse.mu. Spectacular Web site for an amazing band!
The Sound: From the moment I first put this CD into my player, I was mezmerized by its haunting beauty. Singer/songwriter Matthew Bellamy has a talent that is rarely found in music these days. True, his voice does resemble that of Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke, and also like Yorke, Bellamy plays the guitar and piano... very well I might add. I would go so far as to say Absolution picks up where Radiohead left off with "The Bends." While Absolution was released in 2004, it is really just now getting airplay and attention with the single, Hysteria. I had the rare opportunity of purchasing this album, falling in love with it, and seeing the band play live, all within about a two-month timespan. I wish I was this fortunate with every new CD I purchased, because it really completed the experience of Muse. If you are a downloader, I would recommend the singles, Hysteria and Stockholm Syndrome. The second of these two cuts, Stockholm Syndrome, truly encapsulates everything I love about music. That is something I have never said about any single song before. Just amazing.
Warning: If you are captivated by this album, as I was, I do forewarn you. Their older albums, while good, do not carry the same effects as Absolution. Most retailers don't even cary their previous albums... perhaps for a reason.
Rating: Best of the best. 5 out of 5 asterisks*****. This album will be a part of my "top-played" for years to come.

Music Review: The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute

With an album this artistic, I'm wondering which member of the band will be cutting off his ear and ending up in an asylum.
The Band: If you are looking for something different, and I mean really different, check out The Mars Volta (http://www.themarsvolta.com/). If you remember the band named "At The Drive-In" from a few years ago, the singer and guitarist kept a similar sound alive with the birth of The Mars Volta.
The Sound: Take a bit of Led Zeppelin, a dash of Carlos Santana, and a whole lot of male diva, and you begin to get the sound of TMV. Their debut album, De-loused in the Comatorium was the beginning of their new sound, and they have really developed this new art form in their latest cut, Frances the Mute.
Warning: I have listened to their albums enough now to say it is definitely an acquired taste. Not everyone likes Picasso. If you hear the track titled "The Widow" on the radio or on Mtv, don't let that song be the deciding factor. The rest of the CD takes on a very exploratory, epic feel... Tool's newer albums should come to mind. Several tracks demand one of two things: Patience or the fast-forward button. I will give this to them, once they actually get a song started, they rope you in with those catchy Page-esque guitar riffs. My only other caution would be this... don't try to make too much out of the lyrics. They are bizarre, to say the least.
Rating: Killer album - 4 out of 5 asterisks ****

Gaming System Review: PSP

Initial reaction: Well done.
The latest in handheld gaming is now on the market, and it is made by one of the world's largest names in gaming... No, for once, not Microsoft. Sony has taken the success of their Playstation 2 and slammed it all into a sandwich-sized portable gaming device. Asthetically, it is very pleasing: not too heavy, easy to control, and the screen... wow. This is one of the nicest screens I have ever see on a device of this size. The resolution is absolutely stunning.
What does it do? Well, I'll leave all the details up to Sony to explain, but I must say that the plastic-covered discs lend to a scratch-resistance we could only wish for on CDs. These discs are a bit smaller than the typical CD or DVD, so when you see the demo playing Spiderman 2 (which comes with the PSP), please keep in mind that you have to purchase PSP movies separately... and no, they can't play on your DVD player. Aside from gaming and movies, this device can also store all types of data and pictures with the removable memory card. And like so many digital cameras, while Sony was nice enough to include a memory card with the PSP, its storage capabilities will quickly dwindle for the average user. Figures. And yes, they will be happy to sell you a larger memory card.
What it doesn't do: One of the first questions out of my mouth (and the next person that looked at the PSP) was this, "Can I hook this up to a TV and just use the PSP as a controller?" As I understand it, the answer was no. If this information was incorrect, please inform me differently... because I just couldn't believe this was true.
For features, visit: http://www.us.playstation.com/Content/Sites/65/Info/...
and be prepared to take a nap while the fancy intro downloads.

Rating: Great device. I'll have to give this a 4 out of 5 asterisks ****. I would expect the next generation of the PSP to receive a 5. They were just too close on their first attempt. So where is Microsoft?