How to Buy an MP3 Player that Works for Your Life

If you've just decided that the time is now right to buy an MP3 player then you might well feel completely confused about the choices you have to make. It doesn't matter whether you have a big budget or whether you want to keep it cheap and simple - there are a bewildering number of different players out there to choose from. Like any purchase if you buy the right MP3 player then you'll spend your money wisely - buy the wrong model and you'll end up having to spend more money in the long run.

The key thing to think about first of all when you look to buy an MP3 player is the type of player that will suit you best. There are two primary choices for you here. The first type of portable player you can look at is one that uses Flash memory. Players that use Flash memory have no moving parts - they work on an embedded memory chip. So, these models will be small and won't skip or jog even if you're training for a sprint or working out at the gym.

The downside here is that you won't get a huge memory capacity with a Flash player - but, if you're only using the machine to listen to music for short periods while you exercise or while you are out and about for a few hours then this won't be an issue.

The second type of MP3 player to consider is one that works on a hard drive principle. These machines hold their memory in a hard drive just like a computer - so they can hold more memory as they will have larger capacity than Flash drive models. Nowadays it's perfectly feasible to buy a player with a massive 60GB of built-in memory which is enough to keep the keenest music fan happy for a long time!

This does mean that these kinds of players will be larger than Flash based models - but with today's technology this won't mean a huge increase in size. And, you will find that a player with a hard drive is that bit more fragile in terms of skipping/jogging. Basically these models are not designed to let you listen to your audio while undertaking strenuous exercise!

Your choice here really comes down to what you want to buy an MP3 player for. If you have a vast CD collection that you want to rip to a player or hanker after using a download service to build up your music collection then you'll probably end up opting for a player with a hard drive to get a decent memory capacity. But, if you simply want to take your player out while you exercise or while you commute to work then you may well opt for a Flash based player instead.

It is vital to get this choice right as - if you get it wrong - you'll probably find you end up upgrading sooner rather than later. You cannot add memory to the majority of MP3 players - you have to buy a new one if you need more capacity as time goes on. There are however some players that come with memory card capacity slots which could be an alternative solution but this won't allow you to store all of your music on the player and you'll have to keep a library of memory cards as well.

For many of us the MP3 player of choice is the Apple iPod. This player has become a 'must-have' fashion accessory as well as a great MP3 player. There's nothing wrong with going with an iPod because it looks good and you'll score some points with your friends - but, if this isn't so important to you, then do shop around and look at other models before you make your final choice. Many manufacturers have made great moves to make their players look just as good as Apple's products (take a look at the Creative Zen Micro range as an example) and many will even give you features and benefits that you won't get from an iPod.

Many of us buy an MP3 player on impulse but this really isn't the way to go. If you want to make the right choice for your needs you should do dome research first and the easiest way to do this is to go online and read some reviews or guides - ideally those written by other consumers like yourself as well as the official literature produced by the manufacturers. These kinds of consumer reviews will give you a great idea of how a digital player will actually work 'in the field' so you'll get an instant feel for the best player for your needs.

For example, if you read reviews on particular players you'll learn all kinds of stuff that you wouldn't otherwise be able to find out without buying and using a player. There are all kinds of issues associated with finding the right player that don't get covered elsewhere. A good review, however, will tell you all about stuff such as:

Software issues

Most MP3 players come with their own software to help you manage your audio ripping and downloads. If you take some time to look at reviews you'll get an idea for how the software works and how useful it actually is from people that have already used it.

Sound quality

One of the biggest issues with MP3 players is the sound playback quality of the players. A good review will tell you what you need to know here.

Downloading compatibility

You may be able to find out if the player you favor works with specific legal music download services or not. Don't assume that all players work with all services as this isn't the case.

Battery life

Some players have a built-in battery that you need to recharge and others work on standard batteries. In either case you need to get a feel for how long a battery charge will actually last - if your batteries only last a couple of hours then your player will be expensive to run and not as truly portable as it should be. The actual battery time can be a lot less than the time quoted by manufacturers in their marketing literature.

Ease of use

All MP3 players are not equal and some are not as easy or as convenient to use as you might think. Again, quality MP3 player reviews will give you an insight into this.

Finally, the best way to buy an MP3 player is to make sure that you get it at the cheapest cost possible. Prices in the sector are extremely changeable and it's always possible to get a good bargain if you shop around a little. Online price comparison sites are always very good at digging out the lowest cost with major stores both on and offline and could help you save a lot of money.

By Carol Finch of http://www.mp3-players-n-reviews.com

Carol Finch is a regular contributor to MP3 Players N' Reviews, a website built by MP3 player lovers FOR MP3 player lovers. Find everything from un-biased product reviews and tips here: http://www.mp3-players-n-reviews.com

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MP3 player guide

MP3 player, also known as digital audio player is a staple of our gadget life become. There are many brands of MP3 players on the market today. So what MP3 players are best suited for you? Here, this MP3 player guide comes in.

There are basically 3 types of MP3 player, based on capacity:-.

1. Hard drive MP3 players

key capacity

-größte size

seriousness

-häufig referred to as "Jukebox MP3 Player"

has-bewegliche parts

-Example: Apple iPod video, Sony Network Walkman NW-HD5

2. Micro hard drive MP3 players

-Verwenden you smaller hard drives

-Leichter as a hard drive MP3 players

-geringere capacity than hard drive MP3 player but greater capacity than flash memory MP3 player

-Example: Apple iPod mini, Creative Labs Zen Micro

(3) Flash memory MP3 player

-kleinste size

-niedrigste capacity

-very easy

-added no moving parts

-häufig referred to as "portable MP3 players"

-Example: MobiBLU Dah 1500i, Apple iPod nano

What should you concern if you buy an MP3 player?

1. Use / purpose

(a) MP3 player good for travel

Hard disk MP3 player is good for people, trips or from the computer for a long time, where you can transfer music files from your computer. Micro hard drive MP3 player is another option for travel because it somewhat smaller and lighter is player HDD MP3. Flash memory is also popular for the journey MP3 player, if you don't mind to listen to the same music.

(b) MP3 player good for sports / running / gym
Flash memory MP3 player is good for people, exercising and jogging, because it is very easy. No moving parts for Flash memory MP3 player make it ideal for the sport.

(c) MP3 player good for home
Hard disk MP3 player is good for listening song in the living room. It is suitable for connected to external speakers are.

2. Connectivity

There are two main options for transferring files from your computer: USB or FireWire. USB supports PCs and Macs, while supported only on Macs FireWire. For PC users, you need to ensure that the MP3 support players USB 2.0 is faster than USB 1.1. Today the most MP3 are supported players on the market USB 2.0.

3. Screen

Majority of the MP3 player have a LCD screen. Some MP3 players have color screen instead of Matt Black and white screen. Note the most important things are all information such as battery level, elapsed time easy to read & song name.

4. Compatibility

PC or Mac compatibility. Mac users should make sure that the MP3 Player Mac can support, because some MP3 players can support only PC.

5. Battery

MP3 players come with batteries or rechargeable batteries (some can be charged via USB connection).

6. Music format

Music files can be one of several types of formats, such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC (advanced audio coding) and WMA (Windows Media Audio). Ogg Vorbis is a completely open, patent-free, professional audio encoding and streaming technology with all the benefits of open source.

7. Functionality

Some MP3 players have additional features such as voice recorder, FM radio, FM recorder, image viewer, video player.

8. Storage capacity

Most come with 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB of flash MP3 player. You have gigabytes of storage capacity for hard drive MP3 player. If you want to store many songs or CD collections in one, hard drive is MP3 player or micro-hard drive-MP3-player a better choice for you.

Alfred Ang is a blogger and Web Developer. Read Web and Web MP3 player more accessories [http://mp3-player-accessory.gadget-review.net] reviews on MP3 player review [http://mp3-player.gadget-review.net].

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Choosing The mp3 Player That Suits You

If you've been looking around for an mp3 player, chances are you're very confused with all the different specifications and the vast array of models out there. You've read that you can get your entire music collection on to one mp3 player and that's true - but not every mp3 player. You have also been told that you can throw them around, go jogging with them, climb a mountain with one and all this is true - but again, not every mp3 player will withstand this treatment.

Basically, if you want to get physical with your mp3 player then you need one with no moving parts. In this case, the iPod is not what you want. You would be looking for a machine which saves it's music to memory. Some of the most popular mp3 players which fall into this category are in the Creative MuVo range.

There are basically three types of mp3 player. Hard drive based, memory based and mp3 CD player based. The hard drive mp3 players allow you to store thousands of tunes whilst the memory based version sacrifices music volume for freedom of movement. You can even get waterproof mp3 players! The mp3 CD players read the mp3 music from a CD which you have pre-burned.

So now you have enough information to know what type of mp3 player you should be looking for. Now what about capacity? How much music can you get on the various players out there? Let's take a look ....

If you want your music to sound good you want to be using at least CD quality mp3s. One minute of CD quality mp3 takes up around 1Mb. The memory based mp3 players have a top limit of around 500Mb meaning you can get roughly 120 average length tunes on there. But the top end hard drive versions go up to as much as 60Gb which is a whole lot of music - an anorak's dream :)

Another consideration is battery life. The hard drive mp3 players plough through the batteries at a rate of knots since the disk has to physically turn. The memory based option uses a lot less battery power. Many of the memory based mp3 players use the AAA size battery which is very convenient since you don't need a re-charger and you don't need to search for hard to find battery types. You'll find that most hard drive versions use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and if you use your mp3 player a lot, your re-charger will be in regular use. Many people simply leave the power lead plugged in when they are at home.

An important factor in your decision should be the size of the unit. If you want to use your player at the gym or while you're out jogging then you'll want the smallest player possible. There are some really tiny models on the market these days. You will usually have to sacrifice some storage with a very small mp3 players but you can usually get enough music on there to have a good long workout.

If you want to use your mp3 player more at home then size will not be such a great consideration. The iPod is still a very compact unit and most people will be held to fit their entire collection on there. Of course the iPod is not your only option and there are many excellent manufacturers out there. Just be careful of some of the cheap imports you see on ebay, often there is no support for these players.

As a replacement for the home hi fi system, the mp3 player is becoming more and more popular. High fidelity purists obviously will never be swayed but to most of us the quality of the mp3 is perfectly adequate for our everyday listening purposes.

In fact many modern players coming on to the market have been designed with both portability and versatility in mind. What better way to entertain your dinner party guests than to have your mp3 player randomly selecting music from over ten thousand of your favourite tracks? No more fumbling around in your CD rack trying to find the disk that lost its cover ;)

Now you know what to look for, go get yourself a player and join the digital music revolution.

Fabio writes for many niches and is an experienced researcher. He has written articles covering a wide range of human experience and enjoys plying his trade especially on the Internet. He is currently sponsoring iClick Info mp3 Blogs and News [http://mp3.linkz-and.info] and can be reached on fabio@mp3.linkz-and.info

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Buying the Right MP3 Player

Today MP3 players have become very popular, mainly because of the convenience that they provide in having music in an easy, portable fashion, that you can carry in your pocket or in your hand. In addition they provide you with the ability to compile your own list of songs, and are able to hold a lot more songs than a CD, DVD or cassette can due to its compressed MP3 format. Trying to find the best player to suit your personal need can be very difficult because of the many brands and types that are available.

MP3 players are available in three main categories. The first category of MP3s is the Flash Memory Player. These are the smallest and lightest forms of players weighing as little as 1 to 2 ounces. These players have the ability to store up to 1 GB of memory or approximately 2000 songs. This type of player is very durable and energy efficient. The next type of player is a little bigger, weighing up to 6 ounces and having the ability to store between 8 to 80GB of information. This is equivalent to approximately 80 thousand songs along with data, video and photographs. Hence they are more versatile than the Flash Memory MP3, they however consume more energy. The next type of MP3 players is the MP3 CD players; in essence these are CD players that can play songs which have a MP3 format. These types of players are mostly seen in cars and require the use of a CD which contains the MP3 format of songs.

In buying a MP3 player it is very important that you first know what the MP3 will be used for, this will help you to decide which type is right for you. Today most persons are desirous of having the second type MP3 player. However, even with this decision there are still so many different players of this type that choosing the right player can still be difficult. Deciding on what features you would love the MP3 player to have can help to narrow down your search.

As a result you will need to consider the battery life of the MP3, and the battery life you will require will depend on what you hope to use the player for. If you rely on players to watch videos along with listening to music, will need to seek a MP3 player with a good battery life. You will also need to consider the display features of the MP3, the ease with which you are able to use the MP3 player, and the features that come with the MP3. Today many MP3 are equipped with more features than just to listen to music or the radio. Many are equipped with an eBook reader, Wi-Fi, cameras and so on. However not all MP3 will have all these features, so you will first need to decide what you are looking for in a MP3 player.

http://mp3--players.com has reviews on 20 of the most popular MP3 in one location, providing you with the convenience of doing your research, instead of clicking here and there to find the best MP3 player for you. Visit this site today to find the MP3 that was made for you.

Permission to use this article is granted provided the link to MP3 player Reviews is included.

Michael Moore
http://mp3--players.com/mp3-reviews.shtml

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MP3 player-General - search for the right MP3 player

MP3 players are everywhere you look now, and it seems like everyone's got one. People on tv, in movies, at school, on the bus, or even walking or running down the street. And the selections are endless. But with so many options it's almost impossible to find the right mp3 player to suit your needs, especially if you don't know what you're needs are!

Do you know what kind of mp3 player you want?

This is where choosing the best mp3 player starts. You have to know what you'll be using this mp3 player for. Do you want to workout with it at the gym? Use it for running laps? Do you want to be able to put your whole music collection on it? Or maybe you want to use it to hook up to your stereo system and play all your music without ever putting in a cd. do you need something to pass the time for your work commute? Is something that can display pictures or play video files important to you? Do you want one of the flat out best mp3 players on the market? Or is price a factor in your purchase?

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that weigh into your decision to purchase in mp3 player. I'll try to go over some of the basic ones here.

Flash vs hard drive

Most mp3 players can be split into two categories. Flash mp3 player or hard drive mp3 players. Flash mp3 players tend to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper. They also store less music, but make up for it by being able to handle more activity. Running, biking over rough terrain...and things of that sort are where flash mp3 players really outshine hard drive players. Flash mp3 players are most useful while working out or when buying on mp3 player on a budget. They are also upgradeable. You can swap out the memory card for a larger one to store more music if you decide you want a bigger player down the road.

Hard drive mp3 players are mostly known as "jukeboxes". Hard drive mp3 players are good for storing large music collections or as backup drives to store larger files (or with recent technological advancements...displaying pictures or playing videos). Hard drive players are great for taking away on extended trips or vacations. But hard drive mp3 players are pricey, and the more features they have, the more expensive they are. Though you are getting your based price per gig, the larger you go.

Features

MP3 players have a variety of different features. From sound and audio options, to various play options. All mp3 players will also have different included software for downloading and managing music files, with some software packages being better than others. Things like battery life and included accessories may be important to you so, so make sure to check the specs of on mp3 player before purchasing it read some reviews and see if anyone has any negative things to say about it.

Some mp3 players will even allow you to rip CDs directly from an audio player to your mp3 player, no computer required. Players also have different navigation wants types. Some using buttons, others using touch pads or click wheels. Some mp3 players come standard with on FM tuner, as well as digital voice and FM recording. Then there are players made specifically for sports use that come with lap timers and stopwatches, and things of that nature. If any particlular feature is important to you, make sure the mp3 player you want has it (or can at least be bought as an accessory for it).

Price

If you're looking to purchase in mp3 player for under $100 or so, flash mp3 players are going to be your best bet. Very few hard drive or larger file capacity mp3 players are available at that kind of price. But there is good news. With competition the way it is in the mp3 player market, older model mp3 players are always being made available at huge discounted prices, allowing you to save anywhere from $20 to $70 on some of the best mp3 players out there.

Brands

There are a lot of competing companies out there making mp3 players. Weeding out the top quality ones from the lesser ones isn't always easy. Some of my favorites are Apple, Creative Labs, SanDisk, Rio, iRiver and ARCHOS. There are others, such as Nike or iAudio and more, but these are the main contenders. The Apple iPod is by far the most popular, most pervasive, coolest, and so most expensive mp3 player brand out there. Whether the price of the iPod is worth it, is your choice. Just make sure you get a good sense of what other mp3 player brands are out there, and what each of them are like.

Conclusion

Finding the right mp3 player can be difficult sometimes. Knowing the answers to many of the questions asked in this will make that article search, and subsequent decision easier for you. But don't of despair if this intro to mp3 players wasn't enough for you. There are sites out there dedicated to helping you choose the right mp3 player. Happy hunting!

Gregory Nirshberg own and operates Mp3 Player Buyer Guide. A website find people dedicated to helping and choose the best mp3 players. A comprehensive buying guide and resource for mp3 player reviews. So contains up to date clearance and rebate deals.

For more detailed information on choosing to mp3 player visit: http://www.mp3-player-buyer-guide.com/choosing-an-mp3-player.html

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How Do MP3 Players Work? Digital Audio Technology Revolutionizes Music Enjoyment

Millions have enjoyed recorded music since 1877 when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. Then came radio, records, tapes and CD's. But today's digital audio players are a quantum leap forward in music technology. To understand what makes these music players so revolutionary, let's explore the question, "How do mp3 players work?"

Until recently listening to music recordings involved mechanically moving the media past an interface to pick up an analog signal called a wave-form. This signal of vibrations was amplified and sent to the speakers where we heard it as sounds. When digitized, the wave-form becomes a WAV file. It's a major improvement, but the file is very large and a CD disc is limited to about 80 minutes of music.

So What is an iPod, and How does an iPod work?

Apple's iPod is the best known mp3 player. In answer to the question, How do iPods work, the next two paragraphs really describe how all portable digital music players function.

Software converts the music to a small digital file, usually WAV to mp3, using a codec like MP3 or WMA. The codec compresses the file by discarding sounds inaudible to the human ear. The digital file is stored in the mp3 player's flash or micro-drive memory. Because the file is so small, a player no larger than a deck of cards can hold up to thousands of songs.

For play-back the mp3 player executes several functions. Embedded software reads the file, decompresses the encoding, converts it back to analog, amplifies the signal and sends it to the headphones. And voilá, we have crystal clear sound without the annoying cracks, pops and hisses particularly common to records and tapes.

How We Do MP3 (Player Types, Functions & Features)

Even with a seemingly never-ending stream of new products, there are basically three types of audio devices that work well for audio CD duplication in a portable personal player.

Flash Players - the smallest, least expensive, and most reliable. Using solid state memory with embedded software, they have no moving parts, so batteries last longer and skips are eliminated. They have limited memory, but will still hold dozens of songs. Most players have search, shuffle, repeat and other popular features.

Micro-Drive Players - the tiny hard drives in these mp3 players have up to 60GB of memory and will hold thousands of tunes. Some also store and display photos. Anti-skip technology helps, but shock or vibration can still cause skips. They typically have more functions and features than flash players.

CD MP3 Players - the new generation of portable CD players. Using formats like mp3, WMA and ATRAC, they play (some also burn) CD's that hold 10 to 45 hours of music per disc. They play standard and/or 3" MiniDisc CD's. Standard CD sized units cost less than most mp3 players. MiniDisc player prices are higher but they hold the most music, and they're about the same size as a micro-drive mp3 player. Most play both pre-recorded and CD-R/RW discs. Features are similar to the other players.

For more information, see Compare MP3 Players

MP3 players information from A to Z: player types & features, how they work, accessories,comparisons and more - plus free music download tips and info at A-Z MP3 Players.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for MP3 Players, Accessories and Information.

This article may be re-printed in its entirety, with no changes and this resource box included. © 2005 http://www.a-z-mp3-players.com All rights reserved

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The revolutionary MP3 player

The MP3 player, which is a compression format that shrinks digital audio files with negligible sound-quality degradation, has revolutionized the way people can listen to music (MP3 Developments). The technological advances that the MP3 player has made were all possible due to its predecessors. The MP3 is incredibly small, dynamic, slim, easy to operate and lightweight to accommodate all types of people who might purchase and use one. The history of the MP3 player is extremely in depth and just recently, up for debate.

MP3 is short for MPEG Audio Layer III, which is a standard for audio compression, making music files smaller with the same type of sound quality they had in their bigger files (The History of MP3). Although Apple did not invent the MP3 player, its line called iPods, helped soar the MP3 to unprecedented popularity (What is an MP3 Player?). All the music can be stored on one device, which one downloads on to, making it portable and easily accessible. The user of the device can create song playlists tailored to their likes and wants. One can access files off the internet, either free or at a small fee, or could copy songs off their favorite CD's, to put on the MP3 player and listen to.

When Shawn Fanning started Napster in 2000, the online music base where downloading music was free, music moguls were scared that their industry and business would be ruined. CD sales, however, actually increased by 6 percent in the beginning of 2000 (Rage Against the Machines). Since Napster was founded, it has been reformatted to where the user now has to pay a fee and can then download music. Napster is not a free service anymore. Since these technological developments and advancements were making headway in the music world, this meant that profits would inevitably decrease for these music moguls who had already been in the business for more than sixty years. Technology made listening to music extremely easy (Rage Against the Machines). There have always been new forms of music emerging, new enemies that the competition or the already established companies had to deal with. It was a never-ending cycle and battle.

In the 1920's and 30's the radio was seen as the foe. Record companies and musicians' unions would wage war with the radio stations that played recorded music instead of featuring the live performances (Rage Against the Machines). In 1963 Philips presented the audio cassette tape, which in turn pivoted the rage and anger towards that market, instead of the radio (Rage Against the Machines). History repeats itself and with each new technology in the music world, the anger is directed towards the new implemented idea or product. These feelings by the various companies are inescapable.

Audio technology is forever improving its quality and technologies accessible to their clientele. In the early 19th century, the phonograph, invented by Thomas Edison, and the Gramophone, by Emile Berliner, were massive and bulky (MP3 Developments). Through the decades the music players changed, creating the small, compact image of today's standards. The very first successful recording device was developed in 1855, but that didn't really catch on to the mainstream audience until Edison's phonograph in 1877 (MP3 Developments). "Long players," more commonly known as LPs, came in 1947 with a face pace of 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, upping the ante for their predecessors MP3 Developments).

James Clerk Maxwell developed the theoretical basis for the propagation of electromagnetic waves in 1873, which paved the way for the radio to flourish. The radio was basically used for the military during World War I. When RCA, or the Radio Corporation of America, obtained the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1929, music as known presently, was initiated (MP3 Developments). The radio brought musical enjoyment to the masses. One could be sitting at home, in the car or at a public place, and could tune in to the station or programming that they wanted to listen to. This technology brought forth the idea of mobility.

The 8-track, invented by William Powell, came in the early 1960's. Music was masked by horrible sound quality because of misalignments in the tape and tape heads, which caused bleeds of other songs on the tape (MP3 Developments). There was only forty minutes of music on the whole 8-track.

The average cassette tape did not reach homes until the late 1970's, but were previously used in recording studios since the 1950's (MP3 Developments). Cassettes were smaller than the 8-track, and had a higher sound quality. In 1979, Sony debuted the Walkman, which made cassette sales increase substantially in the 1980's. The compact disc, otherwise known as the CD, succeeded the cassette tape, in the late 1980's. The CD's used a digital storing system (MP3 Developments). The MP3, which will later be discussed, increased CD storage capabilities by ten times, not reducing the sound quality at all (MP3 Developments).

Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft, a German company, developed the MP3 technology (The History of MP3). Bernhard Grill, Karl Heinz-Brandenburg, Thomas Sporer, Bernd Kurten, and Ernst Eberlein were all inventors named on the MP3 patent (The History of MP3). The MP3 was invented in 1989 in Erlangen, Germany (MP3 Developments). Frauenhofer, in the early 1990's developed the first MP3 player; however, that was an unsuccessful attempt (The History of MP3). In 1997, Tomislav Uzelac of Advanced Multimedia Products invented the AMP MP3 Playback Engine, which became the first actual MP3 player (History of MP3).

In recent developments there are disputes of tangled origins within the MP3 technology invention. Microsoft, among other companies, has been paying Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, for their licensing of MP3 audio format (Patent Fights). There are a number of companies who worked on developing the MP3 player for almost twenty years, who now should be paid for legalities. Thomson, Royal Philips Electronics and AT&T, have laid patent claims on the MP3 technology, which have ensued a substantial number of lawsuits, and occasionally seizures of music players by some customs authorities (Patent Fights). Alcatel-Lucent, part of Bell Labs and AT&T, says they were the "main creative engine behind what went on to become the MP3 standard," (Patent Fights). To make matters worse, the MP3 patent right saga continues, with many companies stepping forward saying that they had a hand in the development and execution of the MP3 technology.

The MP3 relates to a vast amount of technologies currently available. Many cell phone makers have added built in MP3 players to their cell phones. A person can purchase one product but obtain two great features on it; the cell phone and the MP3 player. This lets the consumer only be obligated to carry one piece of equipment rather than two. In 2005, Apple's iPod and Motorola's Razr V3 combined these two technologies, providing a communication synergy that was unheard of in previous times (Digital World Insider). These phones equipped with MP3 player capabilities revolutionized the cell phone industry, providing wireless connection to the World Wide Web to access downloadable songs and music videos, as in the V-Cast phone, currently on the market. Memory Stick Duo Pro cards, can be inserted into the phone to download one's CD's to their phone as well.

There are numerous adjustments being made to MP3 players daily. Some MP3 players are now being released to the public that have Bluetooth capabilities. Bluetooth means that it is a form of wireless communication, depending on what is being referred to as the context of the subject. The Insignia 4-Gigabyte Player can broadcast MP 3 music and video soundtracks all to a pair of headphones, connected by no wires (An MP3 Player with Bluetooth). This new player can hold up to 1,000 songs, and 14 movies, and also has an FM tuner with 20 preset channels (An MP3 Player with Bluetooth).

MP3 players are convenient, small and easily portable. Since it's so handy and affordable too, most people have MP3 players, however, in decades to come many of these people might have incurred threatening health risks that one could have evaded. Most new technologies, although helpful, provide input into the health world, which decrease a person's life and living standards. An example of this is the remote control, which ultimately contributed a small part to the obesity problem that is sweeping the country. Many people using MP3 players listen to their music for long periods of time, at a loud setting.

"With the older devices, like the Walkman, if you turned them up all the way, they sounded very bad, so people didn't do it. Now, they don't sound bad at maximum volume, and that could pose a problem," said Jodi Cook, Ph.D., director of the hearing aid program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in an article posted on the Mayo Clinic website. Once the damage occurs to one's ear it's permanent and non reversible. The hair cells in the cochlea, part of the inner ear, aids in transmitting sound to the brain (Hearing Loss). These cells often recover from temporary damage, such as a rock concert or being in an overly loud environment, for a few hours. The sound becomes muffled after under these conditions, but return to normal in a couple of hours or so. Exceedingly deafening noises, like a gunshot, or moderately loud noise continuing for long amounts of time, permanently damage these hair cells (Hearing Loss). When the hairs become destroyed, they do not recover and loss of hearing occurs (Hearing Loss).

Around thirty million Americans have hearing loss and 1/3 of them have noise-induced hearing loss (Hearing Loss). If a sound is over ninety decibels at a prolonged exposure, creates some kind of hearing loss. Most portable music players produce sounds up to 120 decibels (Hearing Loss). One does not feel hearing loss, in fact it takes years to see a difference and be diagnosed with permanent loss of hearing.

In ear earphones are the worst earphones to have. One study showed that they increase the decibel level between 7 to 9. Earphones that sit over the ear usually have lower decibel range, being a tad safer for the ear (Hearing Loss). There is not much risk to listening to music if the player is at a level where one can still carry on a normal conversation. At risk people include those that keep their MP3 player head phones set 60% higher than the maximum level, if one can't hear conversations going on around them, if those near can hear the music and if one is shouting instead of talking to those nearby (Hearing Loss).

One benefit of the MP3 player has been how the device aids in exercising. Since the MP3 player is portable, lightweight and easily accessible, it's the perfect companion to those who like to exercise and burn calories. Often people listen to music to workout because it helps them keep pace and motivates them. The tempo of the song can also help speed up the person's workout or get the person ready for the cool down based on the songs pacing, like a slower song verse a fast pace one.

MP3 players are currently all the rage. From its predecessors the MP3 player technology has taken the way everyone listens to music to new heights. Its versatility, mobility and accessibility help in making the popularity of this device soar.

Nicole Gawel. Reporter for The Metro Group and Metrowny.com. The Metro Group publishes 28 weekly papers in the Buffalo, NY area. You can read more articles by Nicole and our other reporters at http://www.metrowny.com

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