MP3 Insider

Many users laud iTunes for its easy-to-use interface and seamless integration with the iPod, but the digital-music jukebox isn't perfect. One of the chief complaints about the software is its inability to automatically monitor folders for new music. Not that adding new music in the program is difficult--simply open it up, click File, then select Add Folder to Library.

But going through this process each time you add music to a folder on your hard drive can be tedious, especially if you organize your digital media in various locations. Wouldn't it be much simpler if you could monitor exactly the folders you want (and none of the ones you don't) by just opening an app? Even better: let the software do it automatically in the background and you won't even need to lift a finger after the initial setup. This tutorial will help you do just that.

Cost: Free, but a one-time 7.50 Euro registration fee will be required for truly automatic monitoring

Level: Beginner

Time commitment: 5 to 10 minutes to set up folders

System requirements: Windows

How to monitor folders in iTunes

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 playback are fun at first, but few people have the time to transfer and watch video on a regular basis. You can find great audio-only MP3 players for under $50, but a decent video-capable device is hard to find for less than $100.

If you're specifically shopping for an iPod, you're going to have a tougher time snagging a bargain. Apple keeps a tight leash on prices, and sales are scant. You can always shop Apple's selection of refurbished iPods, available directly through the company's online store. College students and faculty can also take advantage of Apple's annual Back to School promotion, which takes place June through August, and typically offers specially priced bundles of iPods and Mac computers.

Back-to-school sales aside, we recommend not buying an MP3 player in late summer if you're after the latest and greatest tech. Apple and Microsoft typically release their new models in the fall. That said, if you're OK with being a step behind, summer sales can be a great way to snap up deals as stores clear their shelves of last year's models.

Get the Grado SR60 for less than $75 out the door.

I swear: the next time I see or hear "in this economy" as an intro to an advertisement or buying advice article, I'm going to drop kick the responsible party out of the nearest window. Regardless of gainful employment, who doesn't want to spend a little less to get something cool? I don't know about you, but finding a great deal always puts a little bounce in my step. What I like even more is helping others find what they want without requiring them to drop a massive wad of cash. In that spirit, here's a collection of buying tips that will help you find a good set of earphones on a limited budget. Also, make sure to check out CNET's list of Best Budget Headphones.

• Look at older models: Headphone technology changes over the past 10 years or so have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and as a result, sets that came out 5 or more years ago often sound just as good as their more-recently released brethren. And after several years on the market, the list price is often significantly lower than the original MSRP. For example, the Sennheiser CX 300 earbuds once sold for between $60 to $80 online, but now can be found for less than $30.
• Keep an eye out for end-of-life products: If you're taking the above advice and checking out older products, keep your ears perked for news on pending-replacement models. When Grado first released its follow-up RS2i Reference Headphones, its predecessor (the $500 RS2) could be found for as little as $395 online.
• Buy from giants: As much as it pains me to say it, purchasing from the big boys in tech will probably save you money. Bulk processing cuts down on the cost to manufacturers and that's often passed on to you. The company with the largest chunk of the headphone market is probably Sony, and it's true that the company has made plenty of solid earbuds that cost well under $100. Other biggies include Koss, Sennhesier, and JVC.
• Shop the holiday specials: Nothing new here, really. Like just about every other consumer good, headphones tend to sport discounted price tags between the end of November and about the middle of January. Plus, you can often take advantage of the end-of-life deal mentioned above. Since most tech companies release new models in the fall, previous-generation earphones will often be even cheaper just before the holidays.
• Consider eBay: I don't recommend purchasing used headphones (yuck), but eBay more often than not lists brand new products in this particular category. For the most part, the items on the auction site can be found for at least five-to-ten percent lower than the retail price. Even better, look for open-box purchases, which knock down the price even more. (This can be tough to find with earphones, but it's a good tip in general.)
• Think long term: No matter how much you decide to spend, having to replace a product every six months is not an ideal scenario. Cheap headphones, particularly of the earbud variety, can suffer from durability issues, such as weak cables and poor overall construction. A good rule of thumb--especially if you're spending less than $100--is to make sure the earphones come with a decent warranty, preferably one that is at least one-year long and covers any damage caused from standard wear and tear. Some companies that are known for good warranties are Shure, which offers a two-year warranty and has a reputation for great customer service (often replacing damaged sets with brand new modes), and Koss, which offers a lifetime warranty on its headphones that has received much positive feedback. (Incidentally, Skullcandy also offers a limited manufacturer's lifetime warranty, though I haven't heard much about the company's customer service.) Another option: purchase with a credit card that offers an extended-warranty program for tech products.

Now that nearly every popular online music store is selling a la carte tracks in the unprotected MP3 format, it's high time to clean house and convert those legally-acquired-yet-unfortunately-DRM-saddled WMAs. Maybe you don't want to depend on the parent company continuing to back up the licenses going forward, or perhaps you shunned the iPod years ago but the appeal of the 3G iPhone is far more alluring...or maybe you just want all your music in one, universally-supported format. No matter what the reasons, conversion from a protected format to an unprotected one takes some effort. There are two ways to go about the process, and while neither is particularly complicated, it's always helpful to have some steps to follow. You'll find both methods outlined below.

One note before we begin: This tip is made to keep additional costs to you as low as possible, but if you have more than $50 worth of tracks to convert, I highly recommend investing in Replay Music. This software costs $40, but it'll be worth every penny if you have a large number of tracks to convert because it automatically splits and tags the songs as you record. It can save you countless hours; plus, you can use it to record audio streams from other sources as well. Incidentally, all scenarios mentioned can be used for converting protected AACs, just use iTunes rather than Windows Media Player.

Option 1: Burn CDs and rerip

Necessary equipment:

• Windows Media Player
• CD-RW drive
• Blank CD-Rs

1. Open Windows Media Player
2. Right-click anywhere on the frame of the WMP window and select Options, then select Rip Music
3. Select MP3 from the drop down menu, deselect all the boxes below that, adjust the bit rate to your liking, and click OK
4. Click the Burn tab at the top of the screen
5. Insert blank CD-R into CD-RW drive
6. Select the files you want to convert from the library and drag them to the burn list pane
7. Click start burn
8. When the disc has finished burning, reinsert it into the drive
9. Click the Rip tab in WMP
10. Click Start Rip
11. Repeat steps 4 through 10 until all necessary files have been converted
    (Note: later versions of WMP will automatically split long track listing into discs based on length, eliminating the need to repeat step 6.)

Option 2: Stream and record

Necessary equipment:

• Windows Media Player
• Audacity
• LAME encoder (saved to your desktop)
• Patience

1. Open WMP and Audacity, but completely close out all other programs and disable any audio alerts on your computer
2. Create a playlist in WMP of all the files you wish to convert
3. In Audacity, go to Edit, then Preferences, then Audio/IO, select 2 (Stereo) from the Channels drop-down menu, and click OK
4. Then, click the Record (red circle) button on the top tool bar
5. In WMP, start playback for the playlist
6. Once the tracks have all played, click the Stop (beige square) button in Audacity and close WMP
7. Under View, play with the Zoom In/Zoom Out/Fit in Window until you find a view where you can clearly see the points of silence, indicated by flat lines for both channels
8. Using the Select tool, indicated by an "I" in the upper left corner of the toolbar, select the the first track, dragging from one point of silence to the next
9. Click Edit, then click Copy
10. Open a new file (File, New) and click Edit, then click Paste
11. In the new window, select File, then click Export as MP3 and then name the file (selecting the LAME encoder from the desktop when prompted)
12. In the next window that pops up, fill in as much of the ID3 tag info (Artist, Album, and so on) as you can and click OK
13. Repeat steps 8 through 12 until each file has been saved separately
    (Note: An alternative method is to start and stop recording for each individual track, saving after each one. This requires less skill in finding track silences, but is much more time consuming.)