Saturday, June 7, 2014

Free Online College Courses

I'm pretty sure I've heard this before, but I'd forgotten. Did you know that MIT offers virtually ALL of their course materials online for FREE?

I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I started with this list of courses and started browsing.  There are some very interesting things there.  I'm posting this here primarily for me, so I'll remember this time.  I know there's something I'll enjoy learning.

If you're interested in learning something new, or taking a refresher on something you've already learned, be sure to check it out.

Another source for free online courses - Edex.org .
I'm checking them all out!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Free Legal Music Downloads

Have you discovered Noisetrade yet?  It's a great site for discovering new artists and new music.  There are thousands of albums available from artists who would love to meet you, and love for you to give them a listen.  And all of the content is FREE.

When you find something that sounds interesting - you can listen to the music on the page and get some information about the artist - just enter your email address, country, and postal code, and they'll email you a link to download the music.  That's all you have to do.  Then simply unzip the file you download and enjoy your new music.  If you enjoy it, consider leaving a tip to support the artist and spreading the word through twitter and/or facebook.

 You can even embed some music on your website or blog to share with your friends.


I've downloaded several albums, but I don't really listen to music that much, so I haven't even listened all the way through some of them.  Unfortunately the option to listen to or sample the music before downloading has stopped working in my browser, probably some plug-in that needs updated.  So, I've downloaded some based on the embedded video on the page.  Thankfully that still works, and if I like the sound of the song in the video, I'll download the whole thing just so I can hear the rest.  And then I don't always do it, but  I know there are people who listen to music all the time, so this is a great site for getting some new music - and then being able to support the artists as you choose.  You'll also get emails from them once in a while, so you can keep up with the artists you discover, know when they're releasing new music, performing in your area, etc. 

Also available on Noisetrade - free ebooks.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, December 2, 2013

Coolest Music Ever

One of my facebook friends linked to this today.  It's a group of Siberian percussionists making music using the ice on frozen Lake Baikal.
 

Isn't that amazing?  Who knew ice could be such an awesome musical instrument?

And if this isn't real (see related articles), I still applaud the creativity it took to put this video together.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, June 14, 2013

Easily and Accurately Identify the Tracks in Your Music Library

 --This post brought to you by Music Tag --

Do you have a huge music collection?  How organized is it?  If you're like most of us, you have multiple tracks listed as Unknown Album or Unknown Artist, and the only way to know what the songs are is to play them.  For instance, I ripped one of my son's CDs last week so I could listen to it on my MP3 player.  It was a CD he had burned, combining both a CD and an EP he had by the same artist - because there was room on the CD, so why waste it.  The problem was, when I ripped it, none of the tracks had any info, except track number of that particular CD.  I had to look up the track listings of the CD and the EP and manually edit all of the info.

Well, there's a better way.  Use Music Tag to automatically download missing track info and cover art for your entire music collection.  Unlike other music databases that I've used before, Music Tag can recognize over 35 Million individual songs - not just complete CDs.  How does it work?  Music Tag uses an advanced digital fingerprinting technology to accurately identify the tracks in your music library and proceeds to download all the missing track info, such as Title, Artist, Album and Cover Art.  I'm not sure exactly what that means, but they say that it is extremely accurate and that it has correctly identified the song in every single test performed.

Music Tag is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and requires an active internet connection to download missing track data.  You can download a free trial right now, and if you like it, it's only $19.99 and comes with free updates.

With this handy tool, there are no more excuses for unorganized, unnamed music files.

Friday, May 31, 2013

fun. - On the Road Live Performance Tonight

My son introduced me to fun. a few years ago.  If you haven't listened to them, you really should.  They're great!  Actually, you've probably heard them, even if you didn't realize it.  Their music has been turning up on several commercials lately.


 Anyway, they're performing in San Francisco tonight.  Not in San Francisco?  That's OK - you can watch the concert online!  Yahoo on the Road will be streaming fun. performing live in San Fransisco tonight at 9pm Pacific.

I know what I'm doing tonight.


Friday, May 24, 2013

SYNC returns May 30th!

Two FREE audiobook downloads each week.

Teens and other readers of Young Adult Literature will again have the opportunity to listen to bestselling titles and required reading classics this summer. Each week from May 30 - August 15, 2013, SYNC will offer two free audiobook downloads. The audiobook pairings will include a popular young adult (YA) title and a classic that connects with the YA title's theme and is likely to show up on a student's summer reading list.

For example, Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys (Scholastic Audiobooks), the first book in a bestselling series about a group of teenagers searching for the supernatural ley lines, will be paired with the Latino classic of magical realism, Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (Recorded Books).

I love this!  We were just talking about how many of the 'classics' are either hard to read or not interesting to high school students.   Or, they're just plain not cool.  For the kids who already love to read, it's not such a big deal, but for those who don't think they like reading - this kind of required reading does not inspire in them a love of reading.  If anything, it reinforces the idea that reading is boring and no fun.  Audiobooks are a good way to get non-readers 'reading' by introducing them to the treasures to be found within books.  This pairing of a current popular book with a classic is brilliant.  Listen to the current book, and then 'if you like this, then you'll like that' - it opens them up to trying the classic with an open mind.

At least I think that's how it's supposed to work.  And did I mention the audiobooks are free?

SYNC Titles Summer 2013 

  • May 30 - June 5, 2013
    Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, read by Rebecca Gibel (AudioGO)
    The Tempest by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (AudioGO) 
  • June 6 - June 12, 2013
    The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, read by Katherine Kellgren (HarperAudio)
    Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, read by Wanda McCaddon (Tantor Audio) 
  • June 13 - June 19, 2013
    The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audiobooks)
    Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, read by Robert Ramirez (Recorded Books) 
  • June 20 - June 26, 2013
    Once by Morris Gleitzman, read by Morris Gleitzman (Bolinda Audio)
    Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr., read by Dion Graham (christianaudio)
  • June 27 - July 3, 2013
    Rotters by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne (Listening Library)
    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, read by Jim Weiss (Listening Library) 
  • July 4 - July 10, 2013
    Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, read by Nick Podehl (Brilliance Audio)
    She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works) 
  •  July 11 - July 17, 2013
    The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler (HarperAudio)
    Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, read by Simon Vance (Tantor Audio) 
  • July 18 - July 24, 2013
    Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon (Recorded Books)
    Hamlet by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works) 
  • July 25 - July 31, 2013
    The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade (Scholastic Audiobooks)
    The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, read by Steve West (Blackstone Audio) 
  • Aug 1 - Aug 7, 2013
    Death Cloud by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Weyman (Macmillan Audio)
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Ralph Cosham (Blackstone Audio) 
  • Aug 8 - Aug 14, 2013
    Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio)
    Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes (Bolinda Audio) 
  • Aug 15 - Aug 21, 2013
    Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre (Tantor Audio)
    Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert (Blackstone Audio) 
TEXT syncya to 25827 for alerts on the SYNC title releases or visit Sync to sign up for email alerts so you won't miss any of these great books.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, April 29, 2013

How to Make Symbols with Your Keyboard

A Control key (marked "Ctrl") on a m...
Ctrl and Alt keys on a modern Windows keyboard
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I just came across this on Facebook, and I'm saving it for later.  And sharing because I thought you might be interested, too. 

± ¢ ☺ ← and those are my test symbols.  It works!  Just hold down the Alt key while you enter the numbers.  It looks like nothing is happening, but as soon as you let go of the Alt key, the symbol appears like magic!  Try it.  You know you want to.

Note: you must be sure the 'NUM LOCK' key is on and use the numeric section of your keyboard, NOT the numbers above your letter keys. 
HOW TO MAKE SYMBOLS WITH KEYBOARD

Alt + 0153..... ™... trademark symbol
Alt + 0169.... ©.... copyright symbol
Alt + 0174..... ®....registered ­ trademark symbol
Alt + 0176 ...°......degree symbol
Alt + 0177 ...±....plus-or ­-minus sign
Alt + 0182 ...¶.....paragr­aph mark
Alt + 0190 ...¾....fractio­n, three-fourths
Alt + 0215 ....×.....multi­plication sign
Alt + 0162...¢....the ­ cent sign
Alt + 0161.....¡..... ­.upside down exclamation point
Alt + 0191.....¿..... ­upside down question mark
Alt + 1.......☺....smiley face
Alt + 2 ......☻.....black smiley face
Alt + 15.....☼.....sun
Alt + 12......♀.....female sign
Alt + 11.....♂......m­ale sign
Alt + 6.......♠.....spade
Alt + 5.......♣...... ­Club
Alt + 3.......♥...... ­Heart
Alt + 4.......♦...... ­Diamond
Alt + 13......♪.....e­ighth note
Alt + 14......♫...... ­beamed eighth note
Alt + 8721.... ∑.... N-ary summation (auto sum)
Alt + 251.....√.....square root check mark
Alt + 8236.....∞..... ­infinity
Alt + 24.......↑..... ­up arrow
Alt + 25......↓...... ­down arrow
Alt + 26.....→.....r­ght arrow
Alt + 27......←.....l­eft arrow
Alt + 18.....↕......u­p/down arrow
Alt + 29......↔...lef­t right arrow
Enhanced by Zemanta