How to Research Gadgets Online Before You Buy Them

Every day new gadgets are coming out on the market. Companies are constantly updating and inventing new devices for the consumers. The newer gadgets are more portable, easier to use and nicer looking than the first models. There are gadgets for just about any task you can imagine.

Gadgets are not just for businessmen and students to labor on. Now, there are electronic devices that help perform simple tasks as well as complicated ones. People of all ages and lifestyles are now carrying their own electronic gadgets around with them.

Shop for Gadgets

Because these gadgets are so popular, many online sites are selling them. You can find almost anything you want. Mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, cameras, televisions, video games and games consoles are offered in varying brands and prices. There are even sites dedicated to black gadgets only if you're a fan of black gadgets.

If you want to buy electronic gadgets, begin by browsing online stores. Type in your key words and look at the products they have available. Compare the brands and prices on the sites. This will give you a chance to find the best deals. Bookmark the sites that have gadgets that interest you. You can go back to these sites to see the new products as they are added. You can also watch for accessories to gadgets you already own.

Compare Products

Another thing to do is compare the brands and the features they include. For instance, a phone that includes a camera and iPod will cost more than a more basic model. If you want the highest quality, you can search online sites until you find a price you can afford. If you want a durable and dependable product, you are usually better off buying a well-known name brand.

There are many brands and styles of digital cameras now to choose from. Decide what features you want and that will make your search easier. If you are interested in high-quality photos and want higher megapixels, a better zoom or compact size, there are cameras for every need.

Laptops now come in assorted sizes for easy use and carrying. You can find sizes from a 17-inch laptop down to a handheld size computer. The important thing is to find the features that you will utilize. You don't have to sacrifice functions in exchange for a smaller size. Don't settle for a cheap gadget just because the price is good.

Look For Gadgets Now

When you are buying gadgets, it is a good idea to read reviews written about the products. You can find articles written by the company as well as customers. This will give you important information on the performance of the products.

Start your research online now to find the gadgets that are right for you. Take time to look at different sites and products and you will be satisfied with your purchases.

Electronics tips: questions to ask before buying an iPod or MP3 Player

Find just the right iPod can be a confusing task. Every few months, new technology is being used to improve iPods. You probably want to get one that won't be obsolete in a few months, so here are some questions to ask before buying an iPod.

Why I'm buying an iPod?

As with all electronics, you should think about how you're going to use an iPod before making a purchasing decision. In your personal life, you can download music to your iPod for listening while walking, running, traveling, or doing yard work. If you're a photographer, you can use your iPod to store digital photo files. Know that "because" you need an iPod will help you choose just the right size, colour and type of iPod.

How many songs I plan to store on my iPod?

If you plan to store hundreds of songs on your iPod, then make sure that the storage space can meet your needs. Expect to pay more to have more space. In addition, consider how the size of the file relates to the quality of the songs that you download. Some iPods and MP3 players that you can download hundreds of songs, but the sound quality is not so great. This is because the sound files are compressed to make them fit the available storage space. If you can't afford a lot of storage space, is better than to sacrifice the number of songs you want than to sacrifice quality.

What kind of iPods are available?

iPods come in many shapes, sizes, colors and with different storage capacities. Keep in mind that you are not limited to the tag "iPod" because the MP3 players have the same purpose. There are also many types of MP3 players available that give you a variety of choices. The types of iPods available include iPods specifically designed for Windows or Mac computers, regular iPods with lots of storage space, iPod minis for storing only some of your favorite songs and iPods with other features and functions.

What accessories do I need for my iPod?

Accessories for iPods may include an iPod case or sock to protect the device, a remote control, camera connectors, an iPod dock, headphone, power adapters and software to expand their uses. Determine which accessories you will need and factor them into the price of your iPod.

If you are buying an iPod or MP3 player as a gift, consider purchasing a gift card for your recipient can buy iTunes for your iPod.

Where I should buy an iPod?

You can buy locally to iPods or MP3 players or go online to get a bigger selection. In a shopping center online, you can get an iPod or MP3 player, along with another big electronics such as mobile phones, computer fonts, Xbox, PS2 and more. There are a variety of branded items available online, such as Nokia, Sony, Samsung and Blackberry, so you can get a PDA of great quality and other electronics.

The bottom line is that you must choose an iPod or MP3 player that best suits your needs and your lifestyle. When you do this, your favorite music will always be around.

Before there was iPod...

In 1992 Sony launched the MiniDisc (MD) as an attempt to replace audio cassette technologies. The MiniDisc was developed based on magneto-optical storage media that allowed for writing and rewriting of stored information. The fact that the data could be quickly accessed without the need to scroll through an entire tape made this technology very promising for ease of use over the cassette. The data compression format known as ATRAC (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding) was used to allow the audio files to fit on the MiniDisc. In fact, at the SP compression ratio of 292kbps, 60 to 80 minutes of music could be stored on a single disk. Even at CD quality, 20 to 28 minutes of music could be stored on the MiniDisc.

The first MiniDisc based machine was the MZ-1 recorder. The problem with this machine was mainly that it had a cost of more than $750.00. It had an optical line input, audio line input, and microphone input jack. It had an audio output. Some of the earliest versions had an optical line output, but this feature was discontinued. Sony licensed MiniDisc tecnhology to a variety of companies such as Sharp, Panasonic, and Kenwood. It was only a matter of time before all of these companies had released their own lines of MiniDisc players and recorders. MiniDisc players were also developed by Sony for use in the home and car in 1994. All of these efforts yielded no results in North America and Europe, where people seemed content with cassettes for recording and CDs for music purchases. But in East Asia, the MiniDisc took hold and reigned as the top audio format medium through the rest of the 1990s.

In 2000, Sony launched the MiniDisc Long Play (MDLP) format. In the form of LP2, the MiniDisc player could compress audio at 132kbps for up to 80 to 160 minutes per disc. In the LP4 format, the audio could be compressed at 66kbps for up to 320 minutes of audio per disc. But a big difference existed in how the stereo channels were recorded between these two MiniDisc Long Play formats. The LP2 used the same discrete left and right audio channels as the original MiniDisc SP format, while the LP4 began the use of joint stereo encoding.

To keep up with the new MP3 players hitting the market, Sony developed its NetMD for launch in 2002. The NetMD featured a USB connector for exchanging music files with a personal computer. However, in order to use NetMD on your computer, you would have to install their SonicStage (SS) software. Many people found that SonicStage was problematic. In some cases, it froze their computer systems. In other cases it used up a lot of system resources, had file transfer errors, and put restrictions on how often files could be transferred. Though Sony quickly came up with an update called SonicStage CP (SSCP), which was more usable. Their reputation was so tarnished by the original SonicStage that many former NetMD users still won't purchase Sony products.

Other people don't use Sony products anymore because of deceptive claims Sony made about NetMD on the NetMD product boxes and on the Sony NetMD website. Sony claimed the NetMD would be able to play MP3 files. What they didn't bother to mention was that the MP3 files would not be played natively but would have to be re-encoded by SonicStage into ATRAC format during the file transfer process. This not only meant that the sound quality of the MP3 files would be tarnished, but also that file transfers to the NetMD could take several hours.

It didn't help that Sony did not provide good product information to NetMD retailers. All during this time NetMD retailers were telling their customers that files could be transferred from the NetMD to their personal computers. Many people ended up deleting their original files on their computers after transfer only to find out later that they couldn't copy their NetMD files back onto their computers.

In 2004, Sony made a variety of fixes and upgrades to their MiniDisc product line with the release of the Hi-MD. Things such as USB two-way file transfers could now be done. For the first time, recordings could be uploaded from the recorder to the computer but only files that were recorded in the Hi-MD format. But for many former MiniDisc customers it was too late, as too much damage had been done to Sony's credibility. In addition to Sony, only Onkyo even bothered to make mini-component systems and home stereos using Hi-MD. But Kenwood, Teac, and Marantz still have MDLP systems on the market, even though Hi-MD is backwards compatible with the previous MiniDisc formats. Hi-MD contains 1 gigabyte of memory and records in PCM, otherwise known as WAV.

In April 2006, Sony came out with the MZ-RH1 portable Hi-MD recorder. This recorder went the extra step, not only could Hi-MD recordings be uploaded but also recordings made prior to the introduction of Hi-MD could be uploaded. Without blatantly admitting it, Sony was giving MD users the chance to upload all their MD recordings to computer so the files could be transferred to other formats as the MD-age was now coming to a close.

A whole generation in East Asia has now grown up using the MiniDisc formats. Many people have become hardcore fans. Many people haven't found a viable alternative for making real-time copies of music for replay without requiring the clunky intervention and use of a computer. Many people now collect MiniDisc systems just as a hobby. But the MiniDisc systems live on in popular usage because many people just want to be able to grab whatever they hear to hear again later.