I got my account set up and had to download a desktop client—you’ll need to do this for every computer/device you have. There’s no limit to how many machines it’s installed on. They just need to be tied to the same account. The interface is rather iTunes like – don ‘t you think? Yes, there’s a Mac version as well as an iPhone & Android app (for Free and Limited versions). But more about mobile later.

This is SO COOL

After I installed the client and started looking around, I couldn’t believe that I could actually pull up and listen to exactly what I wanted! I’m used to Pandora, which is great, but the user has to depend on Pandora to gather the music they think we want based upon a few selections we’ve made. I’ve enjoyed Pandora, but I’ve found myself clicking on the ‘thumbs down’ button quite a bit and yet I keep hearing that same artist I declined—or perhaps I’m not rejecting the artist, but just that song.

Anyway,right now I’m mellowing out listening to one of my favorite albums, Simon and Garfunkel, while I write and it’s wonderful. I typed in Simon and Garfunkel, Spotify presented me with several albums, I chose the one I want and dragged it into ‘Play Queue’, then make a new playlist and called it Simon and Garfunkel, then put all the songs over into the playlist and it’s saved for future use! With over 15 million songs in their library, I think most any user will be satisfied.

My biggest dilemma is trying to remember the names of the groups I grew up with and get them into playlists!

Import Your Music into Spotify

There is the ability to import your music collection into Spotify and then you can listen to their music or your music. Yes, you can import your iTunes library. and playlists.  When I installed the client, I noticed it already had found and imported all my music (in Zune), into Spotify, which I don’t recall telling it to do. I’ve noticed it even imported all the podcasts in, which makes it kind of messy. I haven’t played around with it to see if I can take that out.

Some Details

The free version is what I have right now and it’s fine for my needs. Right now there are no listening limits in the U.S., but that will probably change. It did in Europe.

The $4.99 unlimited is a great deal. I don’t have any music subscription services. If I were to get one, it would be this one. You do get ads with the free version – they seem to come around about every 15 minutes.

The $9.99 premium is a great deal too because it’ll sync your music with all your devices and allow you to listen off-line.

Mobile

You can check out all the details here. Those of us with free accounts and iPhones or Android phones can download and use the app. You won’t have access to the music library or offline mode, but you can search for and play tracks.

Premium users can do it all – sync all your music, listen offline, or stream on-line. They say they support nearly every phone if you have the premium plan.

If you haven’t signed up yet, don’t wait!

It’s one of those songs that emotes goodwill—if you hear it while in a store or in an elevator, you get a shot of instant goodwill towards all mankind. If you’ve moved away from Oklahoma, it’s something you miss every year. Of course, you can catch it on YouTube, or put it on your player, but the spontaneity of haring it on TV or the radio is gone.

Here it is, for your enjoyment.

The big announcement was the inclusion of a video camera in the nano The 8GB nano ($149)  can contain up to 8 hours of video – amazing. Then when you get to your computer, you can choose to upload to YouTube, Facebook etc. You can watch the keynote here in  Quicktime. The nano also has fm radio, a voice recorder and a pedometer.

If you were hoping for a camera in the 3rd Generation iPod Touch, maybe next time. There was quite a bit of negative backlash about not having this feature. They have lowered the prices and improved performance in the third generation.

8GB – $199

32GB – $299

64 GB – $399

There was no mention of the 16GB, perhaps that will be phased out.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the differences between the ZuneHD and the iPod Touch. The ZunedHD is being released September 15th at a price of $220. I still believe the Zune is a better product for the money.

Improved iTunes 9 Software

I’ve actually been hearing more favorable comments about the new Home Sharing feature in iTunes 9. Finally, there’s a way to share the music in our house. Up to 5 authorized computers (all on the same network and must share the same iTunes account), can share music collections and purchases. We can upload the music and podcasts we want from other’s computers (important when you don’t share the same musical tastes). If purchases are made with iTunes, those can be shared as well. From the introductory video, even if you don’t have the same iTunes account, it looks like you can still listen to someone else’s music on your network, but you can’t move it into your iTunes. Previously, it was very inconvenient to share music and not worth the effort for most of us. So, you’re out of luck if you have iTunes at work and at home.

Other enhancements to the software include better syncing options, better genius suggestions, additional album artwork and information along with a better iTunes store.

If you have an iPhone, they’ve made some improvements for you as well.

The consensus from the big name reviewers was they were a bit let down. I’m sure Apple will rebound quickly. I’ve no qualms over their ability to innovate.

A brief synopsis of Jing Features:

• Takes a snapshot of your whole screen or a small portion of your screen
• Option to save your output (.jpg) to either a free screencast account, your computer, or if you’re really geeky, you can save output at your FTP site or YouTube (Pro Version).
• Ability to capture a video running on your computer to share with someone
• Ability to make your own video – be it instructional or just fun in nature. Videos can then be instantly shared via IM, web or email.
• If you have a microphone, you can record your comments or instructions while capturing what you want to share. Nice feature and really allows for personalization.
• Output your jpgs (videos not allowed), to your Flickr account
• There is a 5” time limit for videos.
• A Pro version is available that will allow direct import to YouTube and the ability to save your videos as MPEG4s instead of the default SWF Flash Video.

Jing is a free product by TechSmith (who also brings you SnagIt (like Jing, only not free), and Camtasia Studio (a high-end video producing software, also paid).

This time around, I especially wanted to try out the screencasting feature of Jing. I was disappointed to see my ‘masterpiece’ crash and burn. It would capture the screen as I did a short talk (about 30 seconds). I then clicked stop and waited to review my small video. However, both times I tried it, the program closed (regretfully, according to Microsoft). It seems that Microsoft’s DEP (Data Execution Prevention) thinks Jing is bad for me and my computer.

There was a link Microsoft provided to troubleshoot the problem. They said to go into the Advanced System Properties and click through a few tabs and browse to find the .exe file and allow it (many tedious steps). I did all of this only to get the message that they couldn’t accommodate my request—very frustrating!

I then tried a video capture on my XP machine and it worked just fine. So I will post this on the Jing blog or help center to see if there is a fix or work-around for this.

I’d be happy to hear your experiences with Jing and what you use it for. I can see a use for it to show a client how to perform an action. For example, a client was having difficulty seeing my editing changes in a word document. I sent her the step-by-step instructions, but a visual would have been much better. If any of you are tech support to family members, using Jing could come in handy for showing them how to fix something.

I’m always on the lookout for new internet radio sites. I’ve blogged about Lala (not a fav of mine anymore) and I’ve tried Music Of Your Life (good music, too many commercials).

Last week, I heard on a Leo Laporte podcast about Slacker (yeah – weird name). I went to check it out and I like it a lot! They have only a few 20-30 second commercials every hour – very painless. If you don’t want to hassle with registering, just click on one of the genre buttons and you’re off and running. Here’s a snapshot of what’s available:

You can also choose to build an account and structure a radio station to your liking. There’s even a little heart-shaped button you can click on when you hear a song or artist you really like and they will play more of that artist!

Something unique about this service is a player you can purchase (for $200) that can be pre-loaded with the music you want and then it’s portable!

Give Slacker a try!

Is your interest in history heightened with two movies in recent years that dramatize the history of the U.S.? There is also a show on PBS called “The History Detectives”, that delves into all sorts of interesting questions.

Technology is playing a huge part in getting all kinds of historical information to the typical user. Do they even publish encyclopedias any more?? There is a wealth of information on-line. We’ll focus on the patriotic since it’s the 4th!

The Library of Congress has been busy digitizing American Music, Theatre & Dance at their site: http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/ihas/lcp-home.html.

It seems like we don’t hear our great American patriotic songs much, but at this site you can click the link, “Patriotic Melodies”, and it will bring up a list of many beloved songs and their history, such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and “You’re A Grand Old Flag”. Many of the songs have sheet music and mp3s available.

There are many free internet radio stations out there such as the huge variety from within iTunes and Musicmatch. However, if you need a quick music fix without having to log into one of these services or hook up your iPod, this is great! My fav thing to do is go to lala.com and without even having an account there, I can type in the search artist box one of my Rat Pack heroes and click the “play this artist and similar artists” button and settle back. . . ahhhh. I leave the page running and can go about my work, listening to commercial-free streaming music! If you want to check out the name of a particular song playing, it’s in the upper left corner of your screen. You can skip to the next song if you don’t care for what is currently playing. I have not found a limit as to how long I can listen at one sitting.

You can sign up for a free account and there are several things you can do after that.

• upload your iPod to Lala and have your tunes always available to you on-line
• Listen free to any Warner label album
• Make your own playlist, publish it for you and others to enjoy
• Buy music – anything you buy will play on your iPod. Prices are very competitive
• Buy used CDs – see the list for buying CDs – on the cheap

Delve into the nooks and crannies of Lala and take full advantage of the site, or just go to lala.com and start hearing the music you want in a few seconds.