Is music streaming still the future?

Is music streaming still the future?

Music streaming has taken the world by storm. It has proven to give albums a run for their money. Even downloading music seems to be obsolete even there are still some advantages that come with downloads. Either way, regardless of the attitude that people have towards streaming music, streaming has proven itself to be the future of music listening because of how many people have adopted it as a way of listening to music. While people still listen to music by way of radio, albums bought on records, CDs and free mp3 download websites, people are drawn to streaming.

The Streaming Difference

One thing that streaming has done was change the way people listen to music. For one thing, streaming tends to be like radio. However, it is the consumer that is the DJ. Therefore, people don’t have to listen constantly to a radio station in order to hear their favorite songs anymore. Another thing that streaming does is offer an alternative to even buying an album. This gives artists a new challenge on how they can manage their careers. On the other hand, it gives other artists a greater chance to shine.

Streaming Services

There have been a rise of streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. These services offer people a taste of what they can do with an account. However, in order for people to take full advantage of the features that streaming services offer, they have to sign up for an account and pay a membership fee so that they can stream the music that they want. This is an example of a business model that streaming services have. There are other services that may have a different model. However, a lot of streaming services come and go.

Streaming And The Future

Streaming is definitely here to say. As a matter of fact, numbers have shown that music streaming is taking over from download services. Part of the reason is that a lot of the devices that people use are optimized for streaming as opposed to downloading. While a lot of devices have power that are comparable to laptops and PCs, they are not that good when it comes to storage.

What Can Change?

While streaming is the future, there are some things that can be done in order to change the way markets are run so that everyone can benefit. Music streaming has shown that people can stream the tracks and get the same high quality audio that they could get from CDs and downloading. At the same time, they are working on ways to improve the audio even further so that they can get even more benefits from the market.

Best music streaming services to try out

Best music streaming services to try out

When determining which music streaming service is the best it all depends on personal preference. Each streaming service offers something different than the others. To consider which service is the best one might consider pricing, music quality and customization options. To figure out which service is the best we can compare the pros and cons of each company.

1) Spotify

Spotify was one of the first streaming services to allow its listeners to stream music for free as long as advertisements were playing every so often. Streaming and mp3 music download became significantly more popular after Spotify was released. Many users were willing to pay the $9.99 premium every month ($4.99 for college students) to better their listening experience. A benefit of using Spotify is the flexibility in pricing. There is truly a plan for everyone. Those who do not wish to pay the monthly premium can still listen for free by giving up their time to listen to the occasional advertisements. College students get a discount to help them afford the monthly fees. Working adults only have to pay $9.99 a month. That is about the same as three cups of coffee.

While the prices and quality are good, Spotify really lacks access to some of the newer hit songs. A lot of popular songs from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Prince and Radiohead are nowhere to be found. There are millions of songs available to stream but chances are you will come up empty at times when searching for music.

2) Apple Music

Considering how big of a company Apple is and the technology they have access to, it is a little surprising that they were a little late to the music streaming competition. Normally Apple is the one to introduce new technology that we have never seen before. Apple Music (Apple’s streaming music platform) was released in 2015. Apple music service offers a 24/7 Beats One Radio streaming service with famous DJs playing a wide variety of music. There is also millions of soundtracks that you can save to your library and later make playlists.

Just like Spotify Apple Music has two paid options of adults ($9.99) and college students ($4.99). There is no free option. There is a three month trial available for people to try it out. The quality is close to that of Spotify. Apple Music streams at 256kbps in AAC.

3) Deezer

Deezer is not nearly talked about as much as Apple Music and Spotify. This is probably due to the fact that it just recently became available in the United States. It does work well in over 180 countries around the world. This streaming option is slightly more expensive than its competitors and it does not have a free option or college discount. The starting monthly premium is $9.99 and users can upgrade to the $14.99 plan to get more exclusive music and streaming on Sonos systems. Deezer does offer a 30-day trial period for those who want to try it out. Music can be downloaded for offline use (similar to Apple Music) and their streaming rate is 128 kbit/s. This company’s library has over 35 million different songs to listen to.

 
Top 3 Reasons To Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop

Top 3 Reasons To Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop

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Desktops have been the rage for several decades; however, laptops are quickly taking over PCs. If you have a desktop and are thinking about buying a laptop soon, you may be in for a treat, a real change of pace.

Laptops are portable

One reason why you should replace your desktop is that a laptop is very portable. Actually, you can use a laptop almost anywhere. For example, you can pick up your laptop and go to your backyard, living room or your friend’s home. If your work space depends on your laptop, you can carry it all the time, knowing that when you need to work, all you have to do is open it up and begin! In addition, you can place your laptop in your backpack. To put it clearly, you can take a laptop almost anywhere.

You don’t need a power source

Another reason why you should get a desktop replacement laptop is that you don’t always need a power source. Depending on the laptop model and battery capacity, you can use it three to four hours without it being connected to a power source. For example, you can go to a restaurant, have some breakfast, do some work and not have to worry about needing a power source. However, if you are thinking about purchasing a laptop, make sure that the battery backup is long enough; at least six to eight hours

Laptops are wireless and are clutter-free

Most importantly, a laptop is wireless and free of clutter. There are no messy and cumbersome cables lying lose all over the place. Actually, when on battery power, a laptop is like your mobile phone. With a laptop, the only cable that has to be connected is the power adapter but that is only when your laptop needs to be charged. In addition, because your keyboard is built in, you don’t have to worry about a keyboard. However, you will need batteries for a wireless mouse. Because the monitor is part of the laptop, there is no question about any cables being there.

Laptops can be transformed into desktops!

Most importantly, a laptop can be transformed into a desktop. This is another great reason to trade your computer for a laptop. You can connect it to an external monitor, hook up with keyboard and mouse and sound system and quickly you have a desktop computer! Just think about it; you can use your laptop as a desktop computer but you can’t use a desktop computer as a laptop. What convenience and flexibility there is with a laptop. Laptops are convenient, flexible and provide an almost perfect companion of your daily life.

To conclude, desktops have been the rage for several decades; however, laptops are quickly taking over desktops. If you have a desktop and are thinking about buying a laptop soon, you may be in for a treat, a real change of pace. Check out your local computer or retail store soon and check out the laptops!

 

 

Different Types of Entertainment

Different Types of Entertainment

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Banquets

Since the ancient times, banquets have been frequently used by nobles to entertain themselves. Their primary purpose was to swank the noble’s wealth and power. But, it has gradually transformed to more friendly reasons and to support other forms of art, such as music and/or dancing. For banquets, performers had to refine their skills, supporting and aiding entertainment to prosper.

Today, these banquets are replaced with more particular celebrations, such as weddings, religious commitments, birthdays, and political accomplishments. Although, there are still entertainers for these events, however, it has forked out to other forms, such as cooking.

Music

Music was primarily used to aid other forms of entertainment. It was used as the soundtrack for storytelling, singing, and an important part in dancing. After this period, music became popular and finally divided as a particular form of entertainment. In the instance of concerts, music is the only thing presented as entertainment, however, the performance is very famous and well-sought.

One crucial factor that results to an outburst in musical interest was when technology enabled the common person to listen to it . Back in the old days, music was only available for musicians or being with one. Through the internet, radio, and records, it is now probable for people to listen to their most-liked music tracks any time of the day with awesome audio devices (noise cancelling headphones by big companies like sony and Bose, bluetooth airpods, incredible dolby systems etc.)

Games

At the beginning, games were played for the purpose of fun. Games are a great way to pass the time while having social gatherings. There are different kinds of equipment used in playing games, such as balls, boards, cards and dices that are created particularly for that game.

In the recent times, online gaming has turned into a very popular hobby of players of different ages and social status. It also includes either a single individual playing the game or a team with particular conditions attain victory. Online games, like minecraft, CS:GO, DoTa, Fortnite have also undergone development and new technology and are now played in numerous tournaments with players all around the world with awesome peripherals. In some countries, there are online gamers who have become popular.

Reading

When different forms of entertainment were obtained for the social classes or directly too costly for the average people, reading has turned into a very dependable form of entertainment. Books weren’t too expensive and they could be read again or traded with other book enthusiasts. Reading also had different uses such as obtaining information, to pass time, or to record local folklore or to give a simple form of distraction.

Seeing people wished to read to be entertained, numerous authors in time made various genres solely for entertainment. There are even other books that give some degree of interaction from the reader when he or she picks a particular option from a list of choices and results to various endings or outcomes of the story.

Performance

Before video and audio recording was invented, performances before a live audience was a big source of entertainment. Theatrical performances branch out to different genres, including drama, theater, and music.

Dance

Dance is a form of entertainment that branches out to different types. It can be serious when conveying a country’s important narratives or history, and it can also be in the form of comedy. Dance is also one of the few forms that combine other forms, including singing and storytelling.

Psychology of Entertainment

Psychology of Entertainment

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Celebrities, television, and music- these are just a few kinds of entertainment, but why do people love them so much? It may be a dull-witted question but the answer is obviously because they’re so entertaining. Therefore, let’s rephrase it, why are these things so entertaining that a lot of people spend nearly every available time engaged with them?

The answer happens to be the same answer of the question to why people love foods loaded with salt and fat: entertainment knocks into features of our developmental conditioned mental and emotional heritage. Current entertainment forms upon some really strong integrated human neural processes, resulting to a Big Mac for your brain.

However, this doesn’t mean that our ancestors, thousands of years ago were squatting around the fire and contemplating, “This is seriously boring, I wish we own a flat screen television.” But, they’re most likely narrating stories. Ultimately, there is no anthropologist, current or past, who has argued to observe a human culture that doesn’t include various types of narratives.

To be able to fully comprehend the human lust for stories, we must absorb the significance of imitation in the human being’s social and cognitive processes. Most of us think that imitation is fairly a low-level mental ability which reflects the saying, “monkey see, monkey do.” However, real imitation behavior is extremely complex and is undoubtedly limited to our kind. True imitation involves not just doing what someone else does, but it also means absorbing what someone else is up to.

Several psychologists, including Michael Tomasello, have argued that a human being’s virtual automatic capacity – possibly based on mirror neuron systems in the brain – to quickly comprehend what other individuals are doing is the single most important evolutionary development that makes us different from other primates. This lets us cooperate with others in constructing human culture and language.

The human being’s capacity to grasp views other than his/her own is also what makes it so easy for people to enter into an imaginative situation, for example, a story. And we people really enter into stories. As a development psychologist indicated, the imitative capacities of one’s mind allow us to nearly occupy a fictional position, so that our thoughts and emotions start to be shaped more by fiction than by our real-life state.

Currently, we now have VR movies and surround sound and computer-enhanced imagery, all kinds of technologies that allow us to dive deeper into our beloved fictions. It’s like a strong, mind changing drug, except it’s legal and 100% safe. It’s not surprising that entertainment is so entertaining.

Application of Virtual Reality Technology

Application of Virtual Reality Technology

When we hear about virtual reality, we often associate it to video games and movies. There’s actually more about the technology that makes it even more essential. Here are a few of its common applications:

Therapy for paraplegics

A couple of clinical studies conducted on paraplegics reveal that virtual reality can help regain brain functions. Seven out of 10 paraplegic patients, who were asked to wear VR headsets to move through the court as a basketball player, were found to reclaim their leg functions after several sessions.

Treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

For years, exposure therapy has been used to treat millions of adults suffering from PTSD. While exposure therapy has been found effective, scientists have tried employing the concepts of virtual reality. As expected, it gave favorable results as it allows patients to easily visualize or recount their fears and traumas.

Helps train medical students

Virtual reality has been widely used in educational institutions to effectively train medical students. By using the technology, students are able to perform procedures as if they’re interacting with real patients. Students are likewise able to learn from mistakes without harming actual patients or causing unexpected situations. Most importantly, medical students are able to hone their skills and apply these to the real world.

Treat anxiety attacks

There are over 100 million adults suffering from anxiety all over the world. This prompted gaming company Virtual Nation Gaming to develop a virtual reality app called AnxStopiety. It’s best for people experiencing fear and anxiety. Using the belt that comes with the app, a user is able to monitor his or her breathing. Depending on the results, the user will see deep breathing exercises that could help him/her calm down.

Assist business enterprises

Instead of going to different places to conduct meetings with employees, business partners, or potential clients, business owners are able to make use of virtual conference rooms. Virtual meetings are not only fast and easy to setup, but it’s likewise very cost-effective. Managers can lessen operating costs, reduce business travel expenses, easily conduct interviews, and much more. Moreover, employees may likewise make use of virtual reality to test the safety of dangerous products that are still in their developing stages.

Easily model architectural designs

Virtual reality allows architects to easily come up with realistic designs. Because architects can inhabit spaces virtually in three dimensions, architects are likewise able to reduce the amount of time needed to create drawings and layouts. This does not only reduce costs, but it does increase safety in the design of buildings, spaces, foundations, etc. Moreover, virtual reality can even allow designers to test out environmental factors before the actual construction of a building.

Test manufacturing processes

Virtual reality is important for companies that are still experimenting with the best manufacturing processes. For example in a car company, virtual reality may be used by engineers to test and ensure the safety of their vehicles. In addition, virtual reality can also simulate results to better help managers in choosing the best manufacturing process.

What is Virtual Reality Technology

Virtual reality refers to technologies that make use of computer software to produce realistic sensations, images, and sounds. It replicates the real environment, thus it convinces users to react the same way they would do in real life.

Right now, virtual reality is used to stimulate a real environment that can be used for education and training. It’s likewise employed to develop an imaginary environment for entertainment and gaming purposes.

FOREVER VR Headset

Most headsets we have now rely mainly on head motion to control the field of view of the user within the environment. With the FOREVER VR Headset, you can make use of its advanced eye-tracking technology to create a new and distinct way of interacting with the virtual environment. Some notable features of the FOREVER VR Headset is the option to adjust depth of the ground, choose some means of attacking targets, and establish eye contact with other in-game characters.

FOREVER VR Headset is due to be released by FOREVER Reality Technologies in January 2017.

Stocular™ Virtual Rift

The Stocular™ Virtual Rift is a headset that creates a 360-degree viewing experience for movies and games. It is equipped with a high-definition camera that may be used to shoot quality videos. The 360-degree video may be stitched together to create a virtual reality movie.

Its 1080p screen resolution is perfect for watching three-dimensional movies on any virtual 125-inch screen. With the EyeDTector®, the user’s head’s movements may be tracked so he/she can look around the video.

Moreover, Stocular™ Virtual Rift may let a user play some of the popular games today such as Warz Unlimited and Guns ‘N Tanks Incorporated.

Overcoming Fear of Flying with Virtual Reality

Overcoming Fear of Flying with Virtual Reality

For the last decade, virtual reality exposure therapy, also called three-dimensional computer simulation, has been used to treat a variety of panic and anxiety disorders. Users simply have to wear a head-mounted display with stereo headphones and TV screens to receive visual and auditory cues.

One of the phobias it has proven to effectively treat is aerophobia or the fear of flying.

By playing apps and games that simulate flying, patients get more comfortable and familiarized as to how they react in real situations. They’re likewise introduced to a variety of situations that they can study.

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