TECHNO PAGE

Last week our feature on the Napster music network ended promising a continuation in this issue. However fate seems to be against me keeping my word. A rather nasty virus managed to slip past the considerable defences on my PC and corrupt all my files and as a finishing touch, fry my hard disk. @#$@!! So much for me putting Napster through its paces.

But let there be hope. This week we take a look at the musical possibilities for your computer. Here's hoping your PCs haven't been pulverised by a virulent 'bug' and that you actually have a hard disk to play around with. Let's start with the basics.

MP3 Magic

MP3 is the latest in a long line of file formats for storing sound on a computer. The older file formats such as .WAV were not very efficient. A 3 minute song in .WAV format would require a massive 50 megabytes or more if the recording quality was higher.

The MP3 format however, incorporates a sophisticated data compression method which allows the same 3 minute song to be stored using only around 3 megabytes, in CD quality.

Because of its compact size and high quality, MP3 has rapidly become the standard format by which music is electronically distributed. All most any song is available as an MP3 on the Internet. Most often these are pirated off commercially availabe CD's and are distributed free of charge. This has, as you can expect, caused the music industry to cry foul, and spend enormous amounts of money trying to sue people.

Boom Box

There are a vast number of MP3 players freely available. Nullsoft's Winamp still is probably the best I've come across. Combining superb high fidelity sound quality with a tons of plug-ins to expand its capabilities. Winamp plug-ins are available for extra visual effects, sound processing such as effects, tempo and pitch control plus much more cool stuff. Get the latest version of Winamp at www.winamp. com.

Checkout Sonique at www.sonique.lycos.com. This player has a very creative interface and its sound quality isn't too bad either.

MP3 in your pocket

The latest in the MP3 revolution is the portable MP3 player. These clever little gadgets come packaged with their own software which must be installed on a PC where you have a collection of MP3s. This software can then be used to transfer the MP3s from the computer's hard disk to the portable MP3 player's memory.

These gadgets usually come with 32 megabytes of storage space which means roughly around 10 MP3s. Additional memory can be added in the form of cartridges.

All the major hightech companies have gotten in on the act, with such brand names as Sony, Phillips and Nokia competing in this expanding market.

Mixing it up

All you wanna be DJs out there.....heads up! There's some really good software floating around which allows you to play two or more MP3s simultaneously while cross fading between the songs. Functions such as beat matching and sampling are just some of other capabilities of these nifty pieces of software.

Mixvibes is one such DJ programme.

Its interface looks like a mixing console and allows you to play up to 16 songs at once. (Though why anybody would want to do this is beyond me.) It also has a built in crossfader, DSP sound effects, tempo and pitch control and a beats per minute (bpm) counter. You can also record your mix and add your own 'vocals'. Sampling and support for video are the features available in the new Mixvibes Pro version. Get Mixvibes Pro at www.mixvibes.com. MJ Studio is a similar programme with a very stylish interface. Although only two songs can be played simultaneously, MJ Studio's tempo controls make beat matching much easier than any programme I have yet used. You can scratch the song using the virtual turntables which are integrated into the interface. Only a shareware version of MJ Studio is available at www.d-lusion.com/files/MJSTUDIO.EXE. Although this version is not fully functional, it's a lot of fun to play around with.

Making your own MP3s

Software that extracts music from regular CDs and converts them into MP3s are known as 'rippers'. They read the data off a CD and convert it into a WAV file, following which an MP3 encoder is used to create the MP3 from the .WAV file.

Some rippers take the process only up to the .WAV file stage. An external MP3 encoder must then be used to do the rest.

Audiograbber is one of the most popular rippers around. It uses an internal 'Blade Encoder' for the conversion to MP3. Audiograbber is generally very reliable and gives very few errors, if at all..

You can get a Shareware version from www.audiograbber.com. The only restriction in this version is that it can only rip half the number of songs on a CD, which it chooses at random.

Love - it's all that really matters

"Do you mean to say that marriages never work out?" asked Anoja, rather dismayed that her friends viewed marriage cynically. The "happily ever after theme" did not seem credible considering the number of marriages that were floundering. Anoja was yet a romantic who couldn't fathom why, if her parents and their parents could have stayed together, the younger generation couldn't also regard marriage as a permanent relationship.

"Most marriages," I told her, "survive the emotional see-saw of two people who live together and have to adjust to each other. But it requires both partners to make it last." I often think little things matters a lot. It is those little things that cement the cracks that appear in a relationship when two individuals have to adapt.

One does not need to show one's affection with expensive red roses - (often I think such expensive gifts are more to satisfy a niggling doubt that perhaps, one has not been as considerate as one should have been) but rather showing one's care in the myriad little things that need to be done in the home . Husband and wife should help each other, not assume that each one has a traditional specific role.

Often, especially in our eastern culture, husbands tend to think that they should not help in household work, that such work is the responsibility of the wife. But today with no domestic help a husband's assistance in cleaning the house, keeping an eye on the children could be just one of those 'little things' to show his wife that he cares and is concerned.

In the same way there are many instances when a wife can show her husband how much she appreciates his understanding.

In a marriage there is a tendency for the couple to take each other for granted. This leads to awareness that in a sense deflects from the happiness of two people sharing their life together. The little courtesies of life should be observed. A 'thank you' said with affection, a little gift on an unexpected occasion, a favourite food prepared, a simple question "How was your day today?" Spending a little time to talk, to look at a TV programme, to go for a drive when really one is not in the mood for it - the list is endless.

The important thing is to show that you care. No one likes to be taken for granted. Marriages survive on the effort one makes to let the other know that he/she is special, needed and loved. Bring back to marriage the wonder and the joy of being in love when no sacrifice was too big, when all that mattered, was the happiness of the other!

Unforgettable

If you lost your memory, what's the one thing you'd want to remember most? Imagine waking up one day to find out that you can't remember who you are? (never mind that you are already having an identity crisis!) Sounds crazy, but more than that scary. When we asked some of our readers what one thing they would want to remember if they lost their memory...this is what they had to say.

Bhathiya (Singer)

The one thing I want to remember ? How to sing, of course. Because that's the one thing I do with so much passion.

Jason Bond (Radio presenter)

My first girlfriend. She was the best person for me, but she finally came to her senses and migrated with her parents.

Hasini Haputhanthri (Undergraduate)

When I was small, I used to spend my holidays in my uncle's tea estate. I just loved it, and if I forget those times it'll be like forgetting a part of myself.

Saveen Ratnayake (Engineer)

I'm allergic to several things and I wouldn't want to forget what they are. If I do I'll have to go through the pain of discovering them all over again.

Miran (Student)

My boyfriend. For one thing I'd be incomplete without knowing him and then, he knows everything about me, so he'll be able to tell me what I am.

Dhanushka Withanage (Student)

Who my parents are. They'll tell me that I'm their son and everything else I need to know about myself and things would be the same again.

Ridma Sarachchandra (Student)

My mother. My memory of her is very precious to me. Whatever else I forgot, I wouldn't want to forget her.

Ruwanthi de Chickera (Dramatist)

I wouldn't want to forget how to read or my memory of language. If I can read then I can read my letters and find out who I am.

Makeover magic

When those sleek filmstars and models toss their curls over their shoulders in enviable abandon, the urge is to run to the nearest hairdresser to get your hair done that way too. But alas, your hair has a mind of its own and doesn't always comply with your wishes.

23-year-old Amal De Silva, an undergraduate of the Colombo University and winner of our 'Mirror mirror on the wall' contest for this week, had her heart set on curls. She was to receive her makeover at Ramzi's Hair and Beauty Salon, and was not convinced until Ramzi gave a clear explanation as to why it's not practical for her to have curly hair. Amal's hair was straight, and although there was a slight bounce to it, it was not curly. If your hair is naturally curly, then a layered haircut would make it curl up. But straight hair has either got to be blow-dried or permed to become curly. Blow-drying doesn't leave a lasting effect, and taking care of permed hair is more difficult than you think. " You can curl your hair, but it will be artificial," explained Ramzi.

Amal's hair was quite healthy and well-looked after. After shampooing and conditioning, Ramzi carefully removed nearly four and a half inches off the length. Then it was blowdried and the ends were brushed inwards, much like the bob-cut. It was also very slightly layered, and Ramzi explained that this gave the hair a fuller look. "We try to make it easier for clients to maintain the haircut they get at the saloon. When Amal's hair is layered like this, even without blowdrying, it will look full and new." he explained.

Though at the beginning she pleaded earnestly for curls, Amal was now very much pleased with her new look. It certainly was a new look, with the new haircut suiting her face perfectly.

Incidentally, Amal said she had a wedding to attend in a few days' time and Ramzi decided to show her how she could wear her hair up to suit the occasion. But first he thought of giving Amal a sophisticated look with the wedding in mind. Her eyebrows were plucked and foundation and a reddish-brown lipstick applied. It didn't take Ramzi ten minutes to twist Amal's hair up into a style that was ideal for a special occasion, yet was easy to do.

It would be a cliche to say that a whole new Amal stood before us, but that is the truth. And who would be more thrilled than Amal at the transformation that took place, and it was evident in the way she thanked Ramzi earnestly. Even though it's a known fact that a bit of makeup and a proper haircut can do wonders, the end result of a makeover is always a fresh surprise. Amal's new look had us marvelling anew at the magic wielded by beauticians.

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