PORTABLE

MEDIA PLAYERS
• “I’ve called the iPod the first cultural icon of the 21st
Century”, says Michael Bull, an instructor in media and
cultural studies at the University of Sussex in England.
• Bull has spent years researching the societal effects of
portable audio devices, starting with Sony’s Walkman
portable cassette player and extending to Apple’s iPod,
which is introduced in 2001.
• the iPod is an example of portable media player (PMP)
or MP3 player, a small portable device that enables you to
play digital audio, video, or image files.
• PMPs are mostly of two types – music players and media
players – but much of that they do can also be done on
today’s smartphones.
TWO TYPES
OF PMPs
1. MUSIC PLAYERS
- are small portable devices, typically weighing around 3 ounces,
that are designed primarily for playing music.
- music players feature controls for enhancing sound and
adjusting playback, and their 1 to 2 inch screens are best used to
view playlists and menus.
- music in music player are downloaded from music stores such as
Apple’s iTunes Music Store, which has 26 million songs.
Alternatives are on-demand services such as Spotify and Rhapsody.
- storage in music players ranges from 512 megabytes to 64
gigabytes, which can hold about 120 to 160,000 songs.
- some music players have memory cards, with capacities ranging
from 2 megabytes to 32 gigabytes.
2. MEDIA PLAYERS
- it allows you not only to listen to music but also to view
videos, play games, browse the web, check emails, access
social network, read e-books, and even make phone calls.
- users’ of media players get download of music, books,
movies, and video games not only from iTunes and other
music stores but also from subscription services such as
Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.
- most media players have Wi-Fi connections for
downloading streaming content.
• PMPs are also known as MP3 Players. MP3 Players is a
format that allows audio files to be compressed so they are
small enough to be sent over the Internet or stored as digital
files.
• MP3 files are about one-tenth the size of uncompressed
audio files. For example, a 4-minute song on a CD takes
about 40 megabytes, but an MP3 version of that song takes
only about 4 megabytes.
 PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF MP3 PLAYERS
• The most famous of MP3 players are Apple’s iPods (such as the
iPod Touch, the iPod Nano, and the iPod Classics), although there
are many others, such as the Samsung Galaxy, the Sony Walkman,
and the Cowan X7 and X9.
• The principal characteristics of MP3 Players are as follows:
a. STORAGE METHODS – MP3 Players use two methods of
storage – (flash memory drive and hard-disk drive)
b. SAMPLING RATE – how many songs your MP3 player holds
is affected not only by storage capacity but also by the sound quality
selected, which you can determine yourself when you’re downloading
songs from your computer to your MP3 Player (called ripping).
 c. TRANSFERRING FILES – when you buy an MP3 Player, it
comes with software that allows you to transfer files to it from your
personal computer, using a high-speed port such as a FireWire or USB
port, Bluetooth, or via Wi-Fi from a compatible website.
d. BATTERY LIFE – battery life varies depending on player
settings, but some will last only 9 hours, while others can go on for 60
hours.
e. DISPLAY SCREENS – the smallest MP3 Players screen are about
1.8-2 inches; midsize 2-3.5 inches (there seems to be the most popular);
and larger 4 inches or more. Most MP3 screens are color.
f. OTHER FEATURES – all MP3 players comes with earphones
(earbuds). Many MP3s, particularly flash memory devices, offers FM
radio reception. Some also have a small internal microphone for voice
recording, appropriate for capturing conversation or a lecture but usually
unsuitable for music.
THE SOCIETAL EFFECTS OF MP3 PLAYERS
• Unlike television watchers and commercial radio listeners, MP3
listeners can control their own environment, expressing their
individuality without intrusions from advertisements, and sharing
music files with friends, creating a sense of community.
• But is the increase in the use of these devices really a good thing?
Many people believe that personalized digital media are making us
all more isolated, with less and less face-to-face interaction, that
they cut off individuals from the world.
• On the bus or train, at the gym, at work, at the grocery store, people
are shutting out the world around them and are beginning to feel
that each of them is the only person in the world. Some users also
illegally download songs, effectively robbing creators of income.
• In addition, hearing experts are concerned about the effects
of hours of listening to audio players. Because earbuds are
placed directly in the ear, they can boost the sound signal
by as much as 6 to 9 decibels.
• Although listening with earbuds for 90 minutes a day at
80% volume is probably safe for long-term hearing,
according to one study, softer is even better: you can safely
tune in at 70% volume for about 4 and hours a day.
• The risk of permanent hearing loss can increase with just 5
minutes of exposure a day to music at full volume.
USING MP3 PLAYERS IN COLLEGE
• College instructors and students have found ways to expand
the uses of the iPod beyond just the enjoyment of music.
• For instance, portable media players can be used to store
schedules, phone number lists, and other personal information
management software.
• “One of the most popular current uses of portable media
players for educational purposes centers on the practice of
recording and disseminating lectures”, says one writer.