Since first trying Spotify earlier this year I’ve become a firm convert and even more so now that they’ve introduced some handy little features to enhance the listening experience. If you haven’t been using the service long, you may be unaware of everything that Spotify can do. Here are a selection of tips from sharing links to searching by record label to help you get even more out of the app:

Link To Your Favourite Track Moments

Want to share your favourite guitar riff or solo with a friend? Spotify allows you to link to a specific moment in a track with a little trick. While you are listening to a song, simply go to the Edit menu and select “Copy”. Then just add “%23″ with the time in the song that you want to share e.g. http://open.spotify.com/track/4caRcqZl3JyrxwhgV5HGQ8%23.

Share Tracks in Facebook or Delicious

You can now share tracks to Facebook or Delicious simply by right-clicking on a track and selecting the “Share to” option.

See What The World Is Listening To

To see what you, your country or Spotify users worldwide have been listening to most, click on “Home” in Spotify and then select the “Top Lists” tab. Clicking on the tab allows you to select top lists from around the world which is an interesting way to assess music tastes in other countries or see which artists you might be missing out on. Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this year I wrote about my enthusiasm for music app Spotify and today I’m pleased to read it’s going to get even better with CD quality streaming for premium users. A premium account currently costs around $10 per month and essentially means that your music doesn’t get interrupted by adverts. However, for the time being, only the most popular tracks will be streamed in CD quality with the rest being converted over the coming weeks.

To enable higher quality streaming, simply access Spotify’s service’s preference menu and tick the “enable high bitrate” box. The move will effectively double the quality of streaming on Spotify with the company claiming they now offer the highest quality music streaming site on the net. I may be tone deaf but as far as I can tell, the current 128kbs streaming quality is already pretty good so I’ll be very interested to hear what the new quality sounds like.

However, signs are that Spotify users are still opting to use the free service rather than upgrade to premium and this latest move is another tactic for Spotify to try and change this situation. They’ve already tried a few other methods to encourage people to convert such as releasing exclusive remixes to premium users, allowing them to enter compeititions and offering exclusive releases of new albums.

Free users haven’t been neglected though. A new mobile service is due to be rolled out shortly and will allow you to sync Spotify with your mobile device and will be available to all users. There have also been plenty of cool new features added to the free service since it was released which I’m going to cover shortly to help your get more out of Spotify.

Mac: As the popularity of the Mac platform increases, so too does the risk of malicious attacks. Doorstop X offers a reliable solution, providing an extra layer of protection for your Mac. The firewall has been specifically designed with Leopard users in mind, and features an easy-to-use interface, which displays security information and settings in a series of window panes.

iPhone: TweetDeck is one of the most popular desktop Twitter clients out there - and at long last an iPhone version of the app has arrived. It hasn’t half bad either. TweetDeck for iPhone displays everything that’s going on on Twitter in a highly organized way. As with the PC and Mac versions, TweetDeck for iPhone uses a system of columns to make it easy for you to track who’s doing what.

Windows: Singing along to your favorite bands is fun, provided you know the lyrics. And if you don’t, let LyricsFetcher do the hard work for you. This app scans your music library in iTunes or Windows Media Player, finds the lyrics to all your songs in the blink of an eye, and pastes the information directly into the files’s ID tags.

A while ago I wrote a post about how to find album covers on the Internet and import them to iTunes, so that when you browse your music library - either on the PC or on your iPod - you can enjoy colorful artwork instead of those boring gray music notes. Today, I’m focusing on something that will also contribute to make your music collection a bit better: searching the Web for the lyrics to your favorite songs and importing them directly into the files’ ID tags, all with a minimum of effort.

The trick is using LyricsFetcher,  a handy free app that scans your iTunes or Windows Media Player library and searches the web for the lyrics of all the songs you have - or just the ones you select. The first time you launch it, LyricsFetcher may seem to be a bit slow but that’s just because it needs to load your whole music library before doing anything else. From that moment on, finding the lyrics to all your favorite songs will be a piece of cake. Read the rest of this entry »

In the world of iPods and iPhones, there’s nothing more annoying than not being able to copy your music from them onto your hard drive. This is because Apple have locked both devices so that you can only copy music onto them but not vice-versa. This is incredibly frustrating if you want to replace a song you’ve lost or deleted in iTunes, your Mac has crashed and your iPod/iPhone is the only place you’ve saved your music, or if you simply want to transfer some songs between computers.

Fortunately, there are two excellent “unlocking” solutions for Mac in the form of Senuti and iPodRip. Both applications used to be free but now require a modest fee to use them. Both have free trial versions however and I put them both through their paces to see which is best.

Senuti

Firstly, Senuti supports both iPod and iPhones so if you own the latter as well, then it’s a no-brainer which to choose. The interface of Senuti is very clean and as soon as you connect your iPod, your music and playlists appear pretty much instantly. To transfer a song, you can either drag and drop them or select the song and click the clearly labeled “Transfer” button in the top left corner.

That’s about all there is to it. Once a track is transferred, it is denoted with a blue dot which tells you that it has already been transferred to your hard drive. You can also play songs simply by double clicking on them. The demo is limited to 30 days and 1000 song transfers but there’s no nag screen and the full license costs $18. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: are you tired of always listening to the same MP3 libraries and local radio stations? Then give Internet radio a try! RadioSure is a lightweight yet powerful online radio player that lets you listen to thousands of free online radio stations worldwide. Plus it lets you add your own radio stations and record streaming music to your hard drive in MP3 format.

BlackBerry: If you ever wished you were around when the industrial revolution kicked off, then Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon will give you the chance to revisit history. This BlackBerry version of the popular PC-based Railroad Tycoon game allows you to build your very own transportation empire. Your aim is to master supply and demand and use your tactical know-how to expand your rail network.

Mac: There aren’t half as many video conversion tools available for Mac as there are for Windows, so when one comes along which is quick, easy to use and most importantly, completely free, you take note. Evom ticks all of the above boxes and will even upload your conversions directly to YouTube. Everything is clearly presented, it handles all major formats and using Evom is a breeze.

BlackBerry: If you like puzzle games and own a BlackBerry then be sure to try out Crazysoft Paintball II. Your goal is to join three or more balls of the same colour and ensure they are next to a pipe. Once in place, you select them then splat them with paint using the action key. The balls will then change colour and get sucked into the pipe, leaving more space on the board for you to make your next batch.

Windows: If you’d like to use the extensive iTunes library on your home PC while you’re somewhere else, you can either carry your entire music collection with you or simply use pulpTunes. This easy tool lets you remotely access your iTunes library via a web browser, and listen to your favorite music wherever you are.

Mac: With broadband speeds and processing power increasing all the time, desktop sharing is becoming an increasingly competitive area in the software field. Mikogo has been available on Windows for well over a year but only now has it finally been released for Mac. It’s a free, simple and extremely easy to use application that allows you to switch from host to presenter in a click.

Windows: If you live abroad and make lots of long distance calls maybe you should consider start using VoIP technology. The most popular VoIP app, Skype, has just hit version 4.1 Beta and offers some really interesting new features: built-in screen sharing, ability to send contacts, birthday reminder, and improvements in audio and video quality.

Mac: Are you a Windows Winamp fan? MPLAY Multimedia Player is very similar as an extremely simple media player that makes it as easy as possible to mix and match your favourite music. MPLAY was originally designed as an easy-to-use MP3 player but has grown to become an MP3 mixer, audio/midi player, video player and even an image viewer. You can even add things onto it such as an MP3 to AIFF converter and more.

Symbian: If you’ve been piling on the pounds and want to get those thighs in shape for bikini season then look no further than your Nokia phone for help. Install Nokia Step Counter on your device and you’ll be able to see how many calories you’re shedding with every step you take. The app works by utilizing the accelerometer in your handset, recording the number of steps you make, time in motion, distance traveled, and calories expended.

Windows: Are you a fan of comics? If so, you can’t miss WinComics, a free Windows app that delivers more than 200 fun daily comic strips right to your desktop. Put it in your Start menu and you’ll start your day with a good laugh thanks to Dilbert, Calvin & Hobbes, Garfield and a lot more. Plus you can save the strips to your hard drive!

Java phones: If you’re a fan of international soccer then you should really check out Euro Football, because it offers you the chance to taste European Championship glory while you’re sat on the bus. Euro Football is one of the better mobile-based football games I’ve seen. You can choose from 16 different countries and participate in Friendly, League, or Cup modes

Mac: Music mixing can be both expensive and complicated. Renoise is a modestly-priced and largely community-driven project that takes what the developers call a ‘unique bottom-up’ approach to music making. What they’re referring to is the fact that Renoise uses a vertical timeline and streamlined interface, designed to make music composition easier.

A while ago a friend of mine asked me how to extract the audio track from YouTube videos and, to be honest, I didn’t know how to reply. I had downloaded some videos from YouTube (there are a bunch of programs that can help you with that) but never considered the possibility of extracting audio from them. The question caught my attention and I started looking for the solution, which didn’t take me long. As Apple would say, if you want to extract audio from a YouTube video, there’s a app for that.

This app is called Free YouTube to MP3 Converter and lets you extract the audio track from any video on YouTube to MP3 (three different quality presets available) or WAV. It’s really simple to use: all you have to do is copy the URL of the video and paste it on the program’s interface. After a short analysis the program will display the video’s title and you’re good to go: click on the “Download” button and the video soundtrack will start downloading.

Free YouTube to MP3 Converter features a few configuration options with which you can change the output folder and the file’s name, as well as edit the file’s tags.

Why not use your laptop (or desktop) as turntables at a party? With a little practice you can get a much better mix than simply sticking an iPod on shuffle. Plug your laptop into the stereo, and turn up the volume. Here’s my guide to getting started!

Software: There is lots of DJing software out there, but the free program Mixxx is pretty much as good as any available. This tutorial was done with the Windows version, but it’s the same on Mac and Linux too.

Playlist: Once you’ve installed Mixxx and imported your library,  it’s a good idea to create a playlist of tracks you like. Click on library and create playlist or you can even import one from iTunes. Select ‘playlist’ from the drop down menu above the library, and your playlist will appear.

Mixing: Right click on your first track and choose Load in Player 1, and do the same for your second track, but load in player 2! Now you’re ready to start. After a few seconds, Mixxx will have estimated the BPM of your tracks, and it’s pretty accurate. Clicking SYNC on player 2 will alter the speed of that track to equal the first(if you want to), or you can use the rate sliders to alter BPM too. While you can control Mixxx with the mouse, it’s much easier to do so with the mouse and keyboard. The most important keys: D and L play/pause Player 1 and 2 respectively.

Move the cross-fader to the left (it’s the slider in the centre of Mix) and hit D to start the music. Clicking and holding on the wave for player 2 (the static one), you’ll find you can drag it left to right. Use this method to line up the centre marker with the start of the music (you have to be gentle!). When track one is near the end it’s time to mix. If you’re trying to beat-match be patient, as it may take some practice! If not, start track 2 as you are moving the cross-fader from the left, and track two will fade in as track 1 fades out.

For beat-matching, move the cross-fader to the centre, and hit L on a beat, which will start track 2. If you were in time, track two will be playing and it will sound good. If so, slide the cross-fader gently to the right, and hit D to stop track1. Right click on track 3, load it into player one, and repeat the above process!

Tips: Use the channel 1 and 2’s volume and tone controls to get things sounding right - some tracks are naturally louder than others, so might need turning down.

In general, the better you know your tracks, the better you’ll be able to mix them, and the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

You don’t need to beat match - sometimes it sounds good if you jump from one track to another, flicking the crossfader so there is no transition between songs. Give it a go!

Have you used Mixxx, or would you recommend another application? Leave us a comment!

Windows: Do you use iTunes? Now you can improve its functionality as player with SkiniTunes Basic, a small customizable desktop player for iTunes that adds new features to the iTunes mini-player, and makes it easier and more comfortable to use. If iTunes is your music manager of choice, but you never got to like its built-in player, you have to give this a try.

Symbian: If, like some folk I know, you can’t bear to be away from your Twitter feed for more than a couple of minutes, then get a load of Twittix. This streamlined Twitter client for Series 60 is lightweight and easy-to-use, allowing you to quickly check what the people you’re following are doing, but also post your own tweets from wherever you may be.

Mac: There’s nothing worse than going to open a file and finding that it’s either been corrupted or the data has been somehow deleted. FileSalvage is a simple data recovery program that aims to retrieve files that have been deleted, rescue data from corrupted media and recover lost files from storage devices whether internal or external.

I admit it: I’m a bit picky when it comes to organization… and this applies to computer files too, especially my MP3s. I like to have my entire music collection organized in folders, one for each album, and with all files perfectly named according to artist and song title. Of course, this means they must be all properly tagged, a task that can be very time consuming regardless of what software you use. This is why I was happy to find a very simple trick in Winamp to have all your MP3 automatically tagged for you.

Whenever you see a file on your playlist that’s not properly named or is displayed simply as “track01″, do the following: right click on the playlist entry and select View file info. Then click on the Auto-Tag button and believe it or not, all tags will be magically completed in just a few seconds.

I must say this trick has worked for me every single time I’ve used it, no matter how the file was named or how much information was already included in the tags. Even in those cases when the tags were completely empty, Winamp was able to fill them in for me.

One last hint: if you want to tag several files at the same time, select all of them on your playlist with Ctrl+click, then right-click on the selection and go to Send to > Auto-Tag. They’ll be all tagged one after the other.

King Kong, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. What do they all have in common? Well, apart from madmen (or an ape) it’s that they’re all remakes that don’t live up to the original. In my mind, WireTap Studio never quite lived up to WireTap Pro which, despite being discontinued by Ambrosia Software in 2007, is still the best audio recorder on the Mac. I still prefer the Pro version because of it’s simplicity, discreetness and easy of use.

Nowadays, you won’t find any mention of WireTap Pro on Ambrosia’s website (apart from old press releases) but they have at least provided the last available download link for it (version 1.3.4). Firstly, I don’t think Wiretap Studio is a bad application (certainly nowhere near as bad as the Texas Chainsaw remake), but it’s the simplicity, flexibility and no fuss ease-of-use of WireTap Pro that gives it the edge.

WireTap Pro lets you switch between recording from your microphone or speakers in a click. Both are clearly highlighted on front of the main recording panel which is small and discreet. Clicking on them highlights one or the other or both if you want to record from both sources. The highlighting is a little obscure and could have done with being a bit clearer but just squint a little and you’ll see which one is activated. Press the record button and you’re done! This simplicity is precisely why I like WireTap Pro so much. Just remember that if you choose to record both from the microphone and internal speaker, make sure you wear headphones otherwise WireTap Pro will record both the internal and external output at the same time. So, if you’re recording a telephone conversation, it will record the respondents voice twice and make them sound like a doppelganger or something!

When you click stop to stop recording, WireTap Studio immediately prompts you to give a name to the recorded file that it saves within the WireTap Pro folder. This folder can be browsed and accessed independently of WireTap Pro - one of the things lost in WireTap Studio is that it only allows you to listen and manage files through the application itself. There’s no mucking around with configuring input channels, sound levels and there’s no annoying bleeping or audio warnings that you’re recording which is ideal for recording phone conversations.

However, that’s not to say there’s not plenty of room for tinkering. There are a set of options to change the graphic equalizer and you can choose from 4 recording formats - AIFF, MP3, AAC and Quicktime. The default is AIFF which is a bit annoying but I just changed it to MP3 in a click.

Finally, as an added bonus, WireTap Pro offers an automatic recording tool for radio shows, podcasts and other web broadcasts that can be scheduled according to when they are aired. Of course, nowadays, iTunes and other apps offer this and many web broadcasts are archived for later listening anyway. However, for those that don’t, it’s a great way to keep track of your favourite broadcasts. Unfortunately, it can’t actually open the web stream for you though - you’ll have to be on hand to do that but you could always leave it streaming and set WireTap Pro to record while you’re away.

So there you have it. If WireTap Pro were a film, it would definitely be the 1969 original of The Italian Job compared to WireTap Studio which would be the 2003 remake. I’m sure Michael Caine would agree.

Open Office 3.1 RC 1 available [Open Office]

Yahoo! relaunch and expanded music service [ReadWriteWeb]

Kindle readers angry at Amazon prices [Wired]

iTunes drops DRM and brings in variable pricing [Techbeta]

Facebook hits 200 million users today [Facebook blog]

iPhone gaming sessions equal to DS and PSP [GamesIndustry.biz]