American and International Info Resources

In the midst of tearful apology videos and sit down interviews, Rhianna and ex Chris Brown have decided to get back into the music scene. Now, Rhianna must face her abusive ex one more time in a music videos showdown as both her and Chris Brown plan on premiering their videos on Friday.

Rhianna’s upcoming video is titled “Russian Roulette” and comes from her new album Rated R. According to MTV, in a sneak preview of the video “Rihanna appears to be restrained in a compound where she is being detained against her will. The video features a face-off of sorts between the singer and her love interest as the two sit as a table with a weapon placed between them. Things later come to a head toward the end of the video when Rihanna breaks free.”

In Brown’s video, he is accompanied by a young songstress named Cassie. The video is called “Crawl.”

Chris Brown and Rihanna’s careers will go head to head again on Friday, when the pair release music videos on the same day.

Brown will join talk show host Wendy Williams for a sit-down and the premiere of his video for “Crawl,” from his forthcoming album “Graffiti,” and Rihanna will debut her video for “Russian Roulette” on ABC’s “20/20″ later that evening.

The line-up is like déj vu of October 30, when ABC aired an exclusive interview with Rihanna in which she detailed Brown’s abuse of her, while Brown discussed his version of their personal struggles with MTV News.

Both singers have albums coming out in the next several weeks and both will begin touring before the end of the year. Rihanna’s collaboration with Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Run This Town,” is currently at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. Brown’s “I Can Transform Ya” with Lil’ Wayne and Swizz Beatz is currently at number 24. Making television appearances and being available to fans is a major part of both artists selling their music in a tough economic climate.

After you have researched about the advantages of flat panels and you have measured your entertainment center, make sure that it can handle an extra-large screen. Now, you have waited for screen sizes to increase as prices drop. There has never been a more suitable time, but now for brands that entice customers with indulgent prices, or finances could now accommodate a better TV. Thanks to the many smaller recognized brands that entice buyers with low prices. Your budget could now help you in deciding to make a switch from old CRT to a new flat panel.

Best Buy has a 50 inch 720p Insignia flat panel plasma is a great example of an affordable-priced TV. A lot of consumers purchase TVs based on their sizes, they want something that would undeniably be a statement piece.

A higher-end TV from Sony and or other popular brands can go as high as$6,000, while Insignia plasma TV will furnish size and quality at a at an affordable price. With the price of $1,299.99, Insignia plasma TV allow you buy all the components necessary for creating a an impressive home theater.

If you are upgrading from your CRT TV, you will find out that Insignia plasma TV fixes two problems at once. It is a flat panel television which means it takes up lesser space than the old and bulky CRTs. More importantly, the Insignia TV has built-in HDTV tuner that ensures that it would accommodate any upcoming technology changes that over-the-air TV stations produce. The TV will also contain the documents,statements and directions for quick and easy home theater installation. The TV can also support high high definition or hi-def cable television any of theHD DVD players and blue-ray discs.

The Insignia plasma TV offers giant and intense picture, thanks to the 15,000:1 contrast ratio and the 50 inch screen. It also supports standard 16:9 wide screen ratio, however, it could also switch to zoom modes when you’d want a TV that does not accommodate the new wide screen format.

You could experience theater surround sound through connecting the Insignia TV to any sound system that is compact and has 6 or more speakers.

Visit our website for more information. Click here .

CD and DVD Replication

Dvd or CD replication is essentially a mechanical way of producing the disc. When you buy software, music or films from a shop this is the process they will have been produced. This method is best used for runs over a 1000 pieces and can run in to the millions.

The Process- First off the data is burnt by a laser onto a glass plate that is coated with a photosensitive material, you will often hear the phrase ‘glass master’ this is the first stage in the process. Once the glass master is finished a metal stamper is developed via electrolysis from the plate, it physically has a track with pits in that eventually the laser in the player will read when the disc is finished.

Once the stamper is made the glass plate is recycled for use in the making of different stampers. The stamper is then deposited into an injection molding machine and the image is physically pressed into molten optical grade polycarbonate disc under a pressure of circa 30 tons. You could relate this to the way vinyl records are made but on a smaller disc. The disc then is taken out of the mold and allowed to cool in a controlled environment so that it will not deform. If you were to look at the disc now you would see a clear piece of plastic and you would just be able to make out the data that had been pressed into it. This is so fragile that if you were to rub your finger across the disc it would be utterly destroyed. The next stage is to manufacture a reflective layer that the laser in the player can use, this process is spluttering. The disc enters a vacuum chamber that has an aluminum plate at the top and a magnet at the bottom, a puff of argon gas is disbursed and an electrical charge is applied this transforms the surface of the aluminum to atomize and a plasma is formed. This is then drawn down onto the disc buy the magnet. The disc exits the chamber and is coated with a UV varnish to protect the disc and stopping the aluminum from oxidizing. The disc is then ready to be printed and packaged. The lead-time in producing a disc this way is normally 10 to 12 working days.

A musical movement of the mid-1960s, the British Invasion was composed of British rock-and-roll and beat groups whose popularity spread rapidly to the rest of the English-speaking world, especially the United States which, from the beginnings of rock-and-roll music in the early 1950s, had nearly a monopoly on the genre.

Though generally not credited with starting the “Invasion”, Dusty Springfield was one of the first British artist to have significant success in the U.S., with her hit single “I Only Want to Be with You”, released in November 1963. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964 singing the popular hit, and continued to have several U.S. hits through the rest of the decade. For a list of songs by British artists which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, click here.

However, The Beatles’ triumphant arrival in New York on February 7, 1964, is widely credited with truly throwing open America’s doors to a wealth of British musical talent, and officially beginning what would come to be calledwith historical condescension by the willingly reconquered colonythe second British Invasion. Like their transatlantic counterparts in the 1950s, British youth heard their future in the frantic beats and suggestive lyrics of American rock and roll, but initial attempts to replicate it failed. Lacking the indigenous basic ingredients of rock and roll, rhythm and blues and country music, enthusiasts could bring only crippling British decorum and diffidence. The only sign of life was in the skiffle craze of the 1950s, spearheaded by Scottish-born Lonnie Donegan. Skiffle groups (like The Quarrymen, first forerunner of the Beatles) were mainly drummerless, acousticguitar and banjo ensembles, similar to jugbands, who most often sang traditional American folk songs, frequently with more spirit than instrumental polish, although early British skiffle was played by highly skilled Tradd jazz musicians.

The Diesel Medal is presented not only to recognize the technical brilliance of the recipients but also to mark their economic relevance. For Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser, the Diesel Medal is therefore a double award.

The inventions produced by Sennheiser and his team revolutionized the field of sound transmission. Their pioneering developments included the first interference shotgun microphone for the film industry, the first professional wireless microphones for television, reporters’ transmitters, RF condenser microphones for outside broadcasts, the automatic answering machine, the first baby monitor, infrared audio transmission technology and the first open headphones.

“When I founded the company in 1945, I was an engineer through and through. I concentrated on development and gave lectures at the university,” he says. “As far as commercial issues and company management were concerned, I had to teach myself everything I know. Sometimes, I also had to learn from my own mistakes.”

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones, and wireless transmission systems, the Sennheiser Group with its headquarters in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, had total sales of over 237 million in 2003. The export share is about 80 percent. Sennheiser has a total workforce of approximately 1,600 employees, of whom 60 percent are employed in Germany. Sennheiser is active worldwide and, in addition to other partnerships, has its own sales subsidiaries in France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is the acknowledged world leader in microphone technology, RF-wireless and infrared sound transmission, headphone transducer technology, and most recently, in the development of active noise-cancellation. Sennheiser Electronic Corporation is the U.S. wholly-owned subsidiary, with headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Some products are the RS120 headphones, Sennheiser RS130 headphones and the higher end Sennheiser HD650 headphones.

Okay, it’s time for me to finally say goodbye to my portable disc player, and join the online and portable music revolution. Okay, the revolution isn’t so new any more, nor is my computer, but as I wade through the sea of options for how to download music, listen to and buy online tracks, I grow more eager to get my feet wet and eventually suit up to take the plunge. But I happen to be a bit more practical than that. So, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time over the last few weeks trying to determine what’s best for my lifestyle, my wallet and my computer.

First thing I realized when searching all of the music services is that things seemed to work a lot smoother with a broadband connection (and most services seem to point that out from the get go). Just like my CD Walkman, the time had come for me to lose my ancient dial-up connection to the online experience. It actually turned out to work in my favor as my cable company gave me a good deal on high-speed, and also threw in a discount on my existing costs for cable TV.

Now that I was “connected” at an acceptable speed to the Web, I had to determine, what I was trying to get out of the online music experience. After some intense melodious soul searching, I realized that the only thing the separated me from the perpetually hip is perhaps the types of music I was searching for, and the amount of time I wanted to spend online searching for music.

The guy who sits next to me has a 60 GB iPod, and is complaining that it is almost full. That’s over seven thousand songs. I don’t know that I would even live long enough to listen to that many songs. My needs were simpler. I had an MP3 player still in the box from two Christmas’ ago, and it promised to hold over 500 songs. That would be perfect for me, at least in the short term.

Next, what was I looking for in my new online music experience? Did I want to listen to music on my PC, in my car or on my MP3 player? Yes to all three. Did I want to listen to the radio while I was on my PC? Again, yes. Did I want to trade music with others online in a peer-to-peer Napster-like environment? Eh, that one scared me a little, and I decided that opening up my files to strangers made me feel dirt, so I put that one on hold.

My next stop in determining how I would “music online” was price. I searched dozens of sites and services, but narrowed my sights to three of the big guys: AOL Music Now, iTunes and Rhapsody Music Service (provided by Real Networks).

I already had AOL, so I signed up for their Music Now product for $8.99/month (that’s in addition to their monthly fee as an ISP). I was able to download songs, listen to them while “offline” and burn them to CD or move them over to my MP3 player for an additional fee per song. That seemed to be standard across most of the services. Music Now was a follow up to the original AOL Music Net, which I actually liked better because it ran locally on machine and the new Web-based Music Now takes much longer. AOL also has a partnership with iTunes, so you can be on AOL, but iTunes will launch and then you’re actually in the iTunes application. It’s confusing. If I want to move my downloaded songs to my MP3 player, the monthly fee jumps to $14.95 per month, and if I want to put them on a CD, I pay and additional 99 cents per track. This is too much money for me. I typically buy one or two CD’s a month, and that would be cheaper than this online service. Not to mention you have to be an existing AOL member (more money per month) in order to even use the product. I’m passing on AOL Music Now.

On to iTunes. Okay, so there is no monthly fee for iTunes. Love that. And I can purchase songs for 99 cents per track. Love that too. But wait. I don’t have an iPod, and iTunes has songs in their proprietary MP4 format. Ugh. The cheapest iPod out there is around $99 (so much for no monthly fee), and it’s not the model I would select. I like my MP3 player. If I already had an iPod, this may be the route I would go, but Apple tends be very inflexible, and I hate to be tied to one provider, player and format. There is also a limit to how you can share the songs on your home network. I feel like even though I own the song, I’m being watched on what I do with it. Good bye big brother.

Rhapsody Music Service from Real Networks. So far they are the least expensive. $9.99 per month and that’s with unlimited access to over 1.3 million songs. I do have to have pay the additional 99 cent fee if I want to burn to CD or transfer to my MP3, but that is the industry standard for paying the artists, and the monthly fee is five dollars less per month than AOL. The music comes over in the more widely supported MP3 format and the songs are mine to rip transfer or share with my other computers on my home network. Like the other two, I can listen to live radio on my pc, but I like the freedom I get with Rhapsody Music Service. I’m not being watched, and the music is mine.

Now that I know how to download music and have chosen Rhapsody Music Service, I’m on my way to joining the new world of portable digital music. I’ve already burned several CD’s for my car, albeit with an older man’s twist on today’s favorites, and transferred those same songs over to my little antiquated MP3 player for those long weekend walks.

Now I’ve got to start looking for a replacement for my VCR. Onward and upward!

Scott Parks is a freelance writer living just outside of Boston, who has spent the last 15 years working in the high tech and telecommunications industries. The majority of his career has been spent focused on the project management and development of corporate Internet, intranet and portal sites for XO Communications and Lucent Technologies. His present client list includes such companies as Brand Digital, Digital Promotions, in Washington and Choice Hotels in, Maryland.

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte uncomfortable if you have never done it before, but it’s really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar care routine. Before you do anything, first take time to make some personal observations such as:

1. Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten or loosen the strings?

2. How are the strings aligned from the nut to the bridge?

3. Which is the heaviest string?

Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration and make the job much easier.

Below you will find some helpful steps to follow for changing your strings. Once you’ve changed your guitar strings a couple of times your confidence should begin to grow and you won’t need to refer to these steps any longer. I like to remove all of the guitar strings in order to give my guitar a thorough cleaning, but you can remove and replace them one at a time if you prefer.

Guitar Care and Maintenance Tools:

- Needle-nose Plyers (to cut string ends)
- String Winder
- Soft Cotton Cloth
- Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniture polish, oils, or wax)

REMOVING THE STRINGS

Acoustic Steel String Guitar-

1. Using the string winder , begin slowly loosening the string(s) until completely slack.

2. With the needle-nose plyers, carefully grab the string from the capstan (the part it winds around) and pull through the hole until it is free.

3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end of it to grab the pin at the bridge. Gently pull the pin until it comes out of the hole.

4. Continue this process until all the strings are removed.

5. Clean guitar surface thoroughly.

Classic Nylon String Guitar-

Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three, take your needle-nose plyers and carefully loosen the figure eight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free.

Electric Guitar-

Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic steel string guitar. However, if you have an electric guitar with a movable bridge you may want to take it to your local music store and have them show you how to do it safely. If the bridge is moved from it’s correct position you will not be able to tune your guitar after restringing it.

RE-STRINGING YOUR GUITAR

Acoustic Steel String Guitar-

1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it inside the hole below the bridge. Some steel string guitars do not have pins. When this is the case, just pull the string throught the hole.

2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert the pin into the hole, making sure it is secure.

3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan.

4. Pull the string through leaving a fair amount of slack between the capstan and the bridge.

5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan to keep it secure.

6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with your left hand. Once you get it started it may be easier to use the string winder. (For safety reasons, you might want to cut off any excess string. I usually wait until after they’re all on to do this).

7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string with your right hand to help keep it taught. Make sure you are winding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will be winding counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble strings you will go the opposite direction.

8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up. Do not worry about tuning yet.

9. Cut off all excess string length.

Classic Nylon String Guitar-

1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just below the bridge.

2. Pull about 3 inches through.

3. Bringing the string up over the tie block, pass it underneath itself at the original point of entry.

4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end of the string around itself in a figure eight type pattern.

5. Insert the other end of the string down through the hole on the capstan.

6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself in order to secure it in place.

7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left hand while maintaining some tension with the other until all the slack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will wind clockwise on the bass strings and the treble strings.

8. Keep the string as straight as possible as it continues from the capstan through the nut and down onto the neck.

9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do, cut it off.

Electric Guitar-

Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic steel string guitar.

I hope you found this information to be helpful. Remember, establishing a good guitar care routine will insure many long years of musical fun and enjoyment!

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Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For
free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com