Digital Radio: The New American Revolution

Digital Radio: The New American Revolution

Americans are nothing if not selectively fickle. It took almost no persuasion for them to abandon their analog landline technology-based telephones, camera, and record players in favor of digitally based alternatives.

But when it comes to their listening pleasure, Americans have been fighting the digital revolution with as much gusto as they fought the American one. They are however, beginning to come around. Having spotty reception, or none, on long commutes or when in the back country on a recreational outing, or simply because they live in a particularly reception-unfriendly area has finally made many Americans start to take notice of their digital radio options.

The first digital radio alternative is satellite radio. Both Sirius and XM Satellite radio have eliminated the commercials from their digital radio transmissions and are beaming their broadcasts into the automobile receivers of millions of US drivers, no matter where they are located. The glitch is that the service is subscription only, and many older cars do not have the satellite digital radio receivers. And in some large urban areas, the reception is lacking, although Sirius and XM are working on fixes for their problems.

But between them Sirius and XM have still managed to collar only fifteen million of the estimated two hundred and thirty million AM/FM listeners in the US. The two companies have applied to the FCC for permission to discuss a merger, which will cut costs for both. But even a single entity may never move satellite digital radio beyond the niche stage.

The real up-and-comers in the US digital radio field appears to be local radio stations, both because they do not charge their listeners, and because the price of digital radio receivers is beginning to drop rapidly. At the beginning of 2006, a digital radio receiver cost a minimum of $500; now the most expensive are half that. With rebates it is frequently possible to find a digital radio receiver for under $100.

Hybrid digital radio is the result of combining digital power with the regular broadcasting of an AM or FM station. It costs a traditional broadcasting station upwards of $100,000 to make the transition to Hybrid Digital technology, and even then they have to pay royalties to iBiquity, which developed the process. But more than 1300 radio stations have either bought, or plan to buy, the necessary equipment.

by David Faulkner
Keyword : Digital Radio

Digital Camera As A Wonderful Gift For Your Kids

Digital Camera As A Wonderful Gift For Your Kids

Every parent wants to see their kids happy, cheerful and smiling all the time. So, they want to bring their kids happiness in every possible way. When it comes to gifting your child something, there is nothing like offering them an elegant and sleek digital camera. However, buying a digital camera for them could be extremely daunting task as you may not be aware of their personal taste and liking. At the same time, you would want to pleasantly surprise your kid with a gift and hence, would keep it a secret. This article will tell you what to keep in mind while purchasing a digital camera for gifting your child.

The Latest & Most Sought-after:

The digital camera that you are buying for your kid should be the latest trend and the most demandable one. Go for the one which is being heavily advertised and popularly talked about. This will give you child immense happiness and a sense of pride. Besides, it will make your kids really proud of the possession and will make them feel special.

Elegant Design:

Children have a knack of being excited by the looks of their possessions. So, while buying a camera ensure that it must have elegant look to impress your children. It doesn`t really matter to them if the camera has a big screen or whether it is 2 mega pixel. What matters a lot to them is whether the camera has got a smart shape, flashy colors, and funky look. Kids are not pretty amazed by gadgets that look boring or serious. Hence, you have to carry this factor in mind while buying a digital camera for your child.

Compact Size:

Children like their gadgets small, funky and compact. So you need to select a digital camera for your kid that should be small and compact in size. While you choose a camera, weigh it by your hands and see if it would be comfortable for your kid to carry or hang round their shoulder. Don`t go for large and bulky models even if they have attractive features, they will not catch the fancy of your kids.

Fun Features:

The gift to your kids might be meant for taking pictures for school projects, however, they will be using it for taking pictures of their friends and for some really fun activities. Hence, try to choose a digital camera that has maximum fun features. It may be colorful background images, sound effects or wonderful photographic effective. You can truly win the heart of your kids if you offer them a camera that best fits their interests and activities.

Easy Usability:

The digital camera you buy for your children should have easy functionality for them. They should find it easy to use their camera without much problem. For example, the `click ability` factor should be taken into consideration as it could be confusing for some kids. In short, the camera gifted by you should have simple system through which children can easily take pictures quickly and efficiently. However, children these days are much smarter and gadget geeks and they pick up really fast.

Price:

It is really understandable that you don`t want to spend a fortune on buying a digital camera for your children. Luckily, there are lots of choices available in the market and the prices of digital cameras start from as low as 30 USD to 300 USD. Hence, it really depends how much you want to spend for the gift of your kids. However, it is advisable that you should start simple and upgrade it if you notice that your kids grow out of the one you have bought for them.

So, consider these factors into account and buy your kids a digital camera so that they can take their favorite pictures. Who knows, they can be a talented photographer in future!

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

by Roberto Sedycias
Keyword : Gift For Your Kids

How Best To Go About Choosing Your Digital Video Camera Zoom Lens

How Best To Go About Choosing Your Digital Video Camera Zoom Lens

Okay, so you finally decided to get that digital video camera you've been saving for. You have enough money to buy a kick-butt video camera. But have you considered the most vital part for the camera? The part that comes into play with every video shot. The digital video camera zoom lens. Without a proper digital video camera zoom lens, your prized video camera isn't all it could be. You would be much better off if you spend equal amounts on the camera and the digital video camera zoom lens. The lens is that important. Your choice of lenses can distinguish between a good camera and an outstanding camera.

Spend More On The Lens

The digital video camera zoom lens determines how well your videos turn out. It, more than anything else on or in the camera affects the end products. Think about it, every shot you take goes through that lens. Really the camera is just a case for the mechanisms inside. You could make a case for reversing the spending, more on the lens and less on the actual camera. Most digital video cameras don't come with the ability to change lenses. This fact makes it more important to purchase the best digital video camera zoom lens possible. Another piece of advice regarding the lens is too not purchase the plastic lenses. The clarity is much better from glass digital video camera zoom lens.

If you do plan on purchasing a video camera where you can change the digital video camera zoom lens then compare the options of each lens to find the one that you want. Experts recommend that you purchase brand names such as Canon, Pentax or Nikon. Be sure to check if the lens will work for your camera. Digital video camera zoom lenses are not created equal and a lens from Nikon may or may not work with a digital video camera made by Canon.

If you are a professional photographer, then you should check out Leica, Carl Zeiss and Leupold. These are specialty lens manufacturers. The quality of the videos will show if you use one of their digital video camera zoom lens. If you are just a beginner then these lenses may not be the best place to start, because of the cost. But if you want extraordinary quality, these digital video camera zoom lenses are the way to go.

Options for digital video camera zoom lenses include normal, wide angle and telephoto. The focal length of the lens has a lot to do with the type of digital video camera zoom lens choice. The quality of the lens is also determined by lens speed, a significant factor in your shoot quality. You should think about focusing distance as well as advanced features such as vibration reduction, USM or ultrasonic motor and filter thread which should be present in any good digital video camera zoom lens. Before you make that digital video camera zoom lens purchase you should research each feature that you want and choose the lens that fulfils those wishes the best. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive lenses are usually the better choice since more of the elements in the lens with be glass, although this does increase the camera weight. In the end if you do the research and take into consideration your shooting needs and budget, you will make the right choice

by Ken Glauser
Keyword : Digital Video Camera