How To

Budget shopping tips: MP3 players

If you're on a budget and shopping for a new MP3 player, here are a few general tips for locking down a good deal.

First and foremost, do some math so you can get a realistic idea of how much storage you'll need for all the music, photos, and video you want to take on the go. The less storage you need, the cheaper the price. If an MP3 player includes a slot for memory expansion, you can always increase the capacity down the road.

Also, be realistic about the features you need. MP3 players that support video … Read more

On iTunes ripping and file types--Ask the Editors

Q: I have yet to really build a music file online. I have dabbled with Napster and iTunes, but really don't have much of a collection. I would like to begin ripping music CDs to my computer. It is confusing, but from what I have read it appears I should rip my music up in MP3 format, which would make it very versatile for different uses. I have several music players (an iPod Touch, a Nano and a Creative Zen V Plus for the gym). I do like iTunes and probably would download less than 75 songs a year. … Read more

Sync any MP3 player with iTunes

Much has been made about the Palm Pre naturally syncing with iTunes at launch. But Boy Genius Report pointed out, and LifeHacker seconded the motion, that any device can sync with iTunes, if you have a little third-party software help along the way. I'll show you in our video.

For Windows folks, try iTunes Agent which you can get at CNET Download.

If you don't have the latest .NET framework for Windows, you'll get an error, so go to Microsoft.com and get the latest version and install it.

Also, make sure you have iTunes installed, or … Read more

MP3 Insider 148: Zune HD's moment in the sun

Correction: The Microsoft Zune HD will not be available outside of the United States. The Zune Video Marketplace for Xbox, however, will be available for select countries beyond the U.S., including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Donald and Jasmine give the newly official Zune HD its deserved time in the spotlight as they both gush about the player's design and HD features as well as speculate about pricing and other possible Wi-Fi-related additions. Also this week, the Insiders discuss rumblings about a potential Sirius XM App for the iPhone. Then, Jasmine brings up some of the tiniest MP3 players to ever be reviewed by CNET, while Donald goes off on a tangent about audiobooks. And we musn't forget to give props to the entity that gave this whole digital music thing a violent shove into the mainstream consciousness: Napster, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary this week.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Subscribe in iTunes audio | Subscribe in iTunes video | Subscribe in RSS audio | Subscribe in RSS video… Read more

What's the deal with variable pricing--Ask the Editors

Q: I am writing about the new iTunes price change. I remember reading that it would happen, after Apple announced it a couple of weeks ago. I was ecstatic about having iTunes Plus with all of the songs, and the opportunity at having cheaper prices. However, at the time, it seemed that some songs were going to go to a new price of $0.79, with most staying at $0.99, and a small portion going to the higher price of $1.29.

The time has come where the price change is in full effect and I have to say … Read more

Hacks: Make your own aux cable

If you buy a new car, borrow a friend's, or even rent, you may be presented with a handy-dandy aux jack. Aux stands for auxilliary, it lets you hook up your music player to the car's stereo. You'll also find these ports on stereo systems, as well.

But to hook them up you need to buy that aux cable. They only cost around six or seven bucks, but let's say you're really cheap. I mean, there's the time to drive to the store, wait in line, etc... Even buying online has it's own … Read more

Preview tiny URLs in Firefox

Tiny URLs are often used in e-mail, Twitter, and other places to shorten a long URL into a much more convenient, short version. They're those little URLs that say tinyurl.com/pkp9cl or bit.ly/pTe77 or some such thing.

But there's a security risk there. You don't know where that URL is going. It could be a map, or the pictures of your friend's vacation. Or it could be a malicious Web site that hijacks your computer installs a Trojan and keylogger, and you never even know. You just think the Web site's broken. … Read more

How to move an iTunes library to an external drive

Updated August 18, 2011.

If you're an iTunes user (download for Windows|Mac) whose appetite for music, movies, and podcasts is outstripping the capacity of your computer, it might be a good time to think about offloading that library to an external hard drive or a separate internal drive. If you do it right, the process is relatively simple, although the transfer time could take an hour or more, depending on the size of your media library.

To walk you through it, here are a step-by-step video and slideshow tutorial on how to move your iTunes library to an … Read more

Know your audio formats

I know our MP3 Insider audience could probably spot the difference between FLAC and MP3 just by using their finely-tuned ears, but for mere mortals, making sense of audio formats isn't easy. There was a time when all you had to worry about was music coming on CD, cassette, or vinyl, and telling them apart was obvious. Telling the difference between MP3, WMA, and WAV files isn't quite as clear and determining each format's advantages and limitations takes some homework, too.

If you or someone you know could use a little Audio Formats 101, I've made … Read more

Get songs and playlists off the iPhone

It's easy to get songs on to an iPhone; it's notoriously hard to get them off. Whenever you plug someone else's iPhone or iPod into a computer, iTunes wants to erase everything on that player. Here's an easy way to get your songs and videos off your iPhone.

Thanks to Alan for sending along a link to Pod to PC. It's free software that allows you to take the files off your iPhone without messing with iTunes. You can download the software from CNET's Download.com.

Once you have it installed, launch the program. … Read more