Music Music and Music

I received a request for some help using a device as an MP3, so this one goes out to you Mike.

The first thing we’re going to look at is storage. Devices can either have storage built into the device or utilize an expandable memory card. In my experience, most people completely overestimate the amount of storage they need. However, if someone is definitely using a device for music or video playback, I would generally recommend going bigger when in doubt. Amazon will get you 32GB of storage for $25 + shipping.

A quick rule of thumb is every minute of music in MP3 format will take up 1 MB of storage. Your mileage may vary as the higher the quality of the recording (measured in bitrate) will increase the size of the file. So, 16GB of storage would get you over 250 hours of music on a device.

Next on the agenda are streaming and your data plan. If you are listening to music and it isn’t stored on your device then chances are you’re using your monthly data plan or Wi-Fi to stream the song. Streaming uses your allotment of data if you aren’t connected to WI-Fi. Stream enough music and you could face overage or see your data speeds throttled. The lesson here is to know your data plan and know your usage. Most carriers provide an easy way to track how much data you have consumed in your billing cycle.

Now let’s pick a music source.

We can download music from our online store of choice. Our heavy hitters here are iTunes and Amazon. Pay, download, and listen. My two cents? Unless you have multiple Apple devices and the pull of iCloud is too strong, go with Amazon. You can get free cloud storage and upload your own MP3’s to Amazon’s servers

So you want music for free? We can do that too. Check out Pandora, Slacker Radio, Last.FM, and iHeart Radio.

Pandora was one of the first apps I downloaded and remains one of the first to be installed whenever I get a new device. The concept is really simple. You create a radio station by picking a song, artist or genre and Pandora’s music algorithms will do the rest and plays music with similar characteristics. While Pandora is free by default, paying $36 per year will remove advertisements and allow you an unlimited number of songs to skip (as opposed to being restricted to 6 per hour)

Slacker Radio takes Pandora and steps it up a notch. The free version gets you just as much as you would on Pandora, however the gold premium version is where Slacker really shines. For $10 per month you can play specific songs or albums on demand or create a station dedicated to one specific artist.

The new kid on the block is Spotify. It’s free to use on your computer at home and $10 per month to use on a mobile device. I used it for about ten minutes and was amazed. After talking with some friends and keeping an eye on my Facebook feed, I’m sold on this app as the best music app for music fiends. More casual listeners will likely be turned off by Spotify’s policy of limiting free users to playing the same song to only 5 times and 10 hours of music playback per month. Premium users get unlimited access, unlimited plays, and no ads.

Last.FM is an app that integrates music with an online social community similar to Facebook. Last.FM can be a little bit polarizing depending on your music needs. If you’re looking for music only to jam out on at the gym or at work then you’ll be better served elsewhere. However, if you’d like to compare music tastes with friends or find info on local concerts then Last.FM may be up your alley. One nice feature is called Scrobbler that will create radio stations based off the music already stored on your computer or mobile device.

iHeartRadio gives you the ability to listen to old fashioned radio stations over the internet. This can be a hit or miss proposition because not every radio station streams through this app. Sometimes you have to look through your devices app market to listen to a specific station.

iPad for Parents Part 2

And we're back. Who is we? I'm not telling. These apps are are primarily for parents with children under the age of two and to help with the logistics of being a parent. As always, thanks for stopping by to read.

Evernote

I’m leading off with this application for one simple reason – not everyone has an iPad. This app will work on Blackberry, iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, Mac OS X, Windows, Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Babies go through a ton of changes and with this new bundle of joy come a ton of reminders, to-do lists, and information to track. This multi-platform software will allow you to easily save and share notes, pictures, and websites between anyone involved in raising your child.

Baby Pack and Go

Have you ever seen how much stuff women can fit in a purse? Now, give them a bag four times the size and a baby and imagine the amount of gear in there. There is no way I could keep track of all the things I would need to bring for a trip to the food store. This app allows you to put together packing lists for any situation. Play date? Done. Overnight trip to the grandparents? Done. The lists can easily be shared between multiple Apple devices and sent to caregivers.

Baby Activity Logger

This app is a great an easy way to keep track of your baby’s eating, sleeping, and digestive patterns. With a really simple interface, parents can keep track of the amount of food eaten, frequency of diaper changes, and length of naps. The app does allow for synchronizing data between devices via Bluetooth, although a Wi-Fi based solution would be a more convenient solution for when you drop the tyke off at the grandparents’ house for the night.

BabyPhone Deluxe (Baby Monitor)

The name of the app pretty much says it all. Leave your device next to your child and if it makes too much noise your device will make a call to a phone number of your choosing. Logistically, this app wouldn’t replace your home monitoring service, but should allow parents a few more moments of peace when visiting someone who doesn’t have a baby monitor. This app also works with the iPads iPod Touch and iPhone.

iPad for Parents Part 1

So, you’ve recently had a child or you you’ve got one on the way? First of all, congratulations and secondly let’s find you some great apps for iPad. Oh, and for those with toddlers? I haven’t forgotten about you either.

Photobucket

This popular file sharing app is perfect for sharing pictures and videos of your child. Yes, there are a ton of alternatives out there, but not everyone uses the same system and your grandfather isn’t going to sign up for Facebook. Upload pictures and videos of your little one and share for your friends and family to see.

Skype

For when Facetime isn’t the answer, there’s Skype. It works through the signal provided by your wireless carrier so you’re not bound to Wi-Fi and it allows you to communicate regardless of the type of device the person on the other end is using.

Kindle
Nook
Marvel Comics
DC Comics

Reading is FUNdamental! Seriously though, if you’re reading this blog then you already know about the existence of eReaders like the Nook and Kindle. If you have already committed your resources to the Great eReader War, then you can simply download the app of your choice and continue with your business.

For those parents looking to reconnect with their youth and introduce their kids to a pastime, Marvel and DC have digital comic apps available so you can show Junior the introduction of the Amazing Spider Man and then you can catch up on the DC Comics reboot.

Netflix

Video pacifier, yep I said it. Good parents will spend more time with the previous applications and break this out when they need a quick distraction for the youngster.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 where I will be focusing on some more niche based applications that focus on the early stages of parenthood and child development.

Help for Real Estate Professionals and Potential Customers

Purchasing a home is often the largest financial decision someone can make in their life. The following applications can ease the process for buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals by providing access to photos, videos, real estate pricing trends and a variety of other types of information.

Zillow

This real estate website for homebuyers or renters provides real estate pricing trends, estimated mortgage rates, and historical tax assessments. Both the website and mobile applications are flexible enough to help users narrow the search down to the most desired properties. Applicable filters include housing style, listing type, price, size, and age. Zillow allows for synchronizing properties between a mobile device and home computer by registering an account with an email address or Facebook account.

Vimeo

Viemo provides users the ability to upload videos from a desktop or mobile device. Users can choose between free and premium accounts which determine how much video users can upload in a week. Premium accounts start at $60 per year and give upload priority.

DocuSign Ink

Allows users to store signature and initials electronically, apply them to a document, and email the completed files. DocuSign is a free application that allows users to reduce paperwork, postage costs and increase efficiencies as a result of reducing wait times for paperwork. Documents can be imported via email attachments, Google Docs, Dropbox, or even by photographing a document.

Mortgage Calculator

Found a property? Great! How much is that mortgage going to be? Aside from giving a basic breakdown for monthly mortgage payments, this free app allows for on the fly calculations factoring in PMI rates, taxes, insurance, and home owner association fees. The Pro version allows for calculating payments on a variety of loan payment structures.