MP3 for idiots guide required please..

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:06 pm

Excuse the non-tecy linguo...

O2 upgraded my mobile to a Nokia N95 which has an MP3 player in it. MP3 players are new technology to me. I have managed to plug my phone into the laptop and download the 2 mp3 songs I had on my computer into the phone and I can listen to them. So I have got that bit sussed.

But... how do I get more songs into the laptop so I can download them into the phone? Not neccessarily things I have on cd already but other stuff. I know it must be easy but...... ?

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:22 pm

I think you can rip your current CD's with iTunes... so you then have them in MP3 format.

If buying stuff from online shops, then a lot of places use WMA rather than MP3... and they are protected. So, do a search in google for removing DRM (simon pointed me to a good one a while back). Once it's been un-DRM'd... you can convert to MP3.

Or, just buy from iTunes as I think their stuff is already mp3, but you still need to get rid of the protection.

Or, just use a filesharing/eDonkey/eMule thing and live in fear.

Blaque · Post by **Blaque** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:29 pm

You can rip mp3s from cd using windows media 11 (free windows update) You just need to change the rip settings from midows media to mp3.

Or use the suggestions in the PM

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:38 pm

Blaque wrote: Or use the suggestions in the PM

You betcha

s333fee · Post by **s333fee** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:18 pm

yep just save your cds onto your laptop as mp3 format, in settings then copy yhem to the phone, job done, CD / DVD burning software or Windows medai player will do this for you.

Edin430 · Post by **Edin430** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:32 pm

or download limewire....

http://www.downloads.com and type it in there... think its 4.12 or something

all the free songs you like

Blaque · Post by **Blaque** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:59 pm

Don't go anywhere near Limewire

Unless you are 100% sure of your online security, and even then, don't do it from a pc that has files on that you may want to keep.

Keep your Windows disk handy. You have been warned

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:17 pm

Blaque wrote:Don't go anywhere near Limewire Unless you are 100% sure of your online security, and even then, don't do it from a pc that has files on that you may want to kee

Keep your Windows disk handy. You have been warned

Grrrr!!!!

I was just about to post how much limewire seemed to be exactly what I was looking for!! Confusing or wot!!

Maybe I will just stick to good old radio 2 and use the phone for... err... phoning

steve_weegie · Post by **steve_weegie** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:10 pm

renmure wrote:
Grrrr!!!!

I was just about to post how much limewire seemed to be exactly what I was looking for!! Confusing or wot!! Maybe I will just stick to good old radio 2 and use the phone for... err... phoning

Dont go swinging to mr wogan just yet

Check out Soulseek - its seems reasonably safe and has a good selection of tunes available for your evaluating pleasure. I use it in conjunction with eMule, but most people that are on there have skull & crossbones tatoos and parrots on their shoulders! Ahharrr me harties, shiver me timbers and splice the mainbrace, for tomorrow we sail into a new mp3 enabled dawn.....

robin · Post by **robin** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:17 am

If you want peer-to-peer sharing that does what it says on the box Azureus is the original bit torrent client, runs on Java and is safe-ish in the sense that it doesn't come with any spy/spam/mal ware - it doesn't even have to be installed on Windows

If you have the motivation you can verify the Java classes installed on your machine haven't been tampered with.

Of course the real problem is that what you then download might still be crooked if you download the sort of thing that could come with a malicious payload ... pretty much anything that would get opened in Windows Media Player, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Outlook Express or Internet Explorer.

{/Cracked record mode on}
Use a non-Windows operating system ...
{/Cracked record mode off}

I agree that Limewire, BearShare and it's friends are all asking for trouble.

If you're not ready to leave the windows camp and have a spare machine, you could "harden" it:

* install windows 2000,
* turn on Windows Firewall
* turn off all file sharing stuff in the networking - both client and server,
* uninstall MSN messenger, internet explorer, outlook express,
* uninstall microsoft office,
* install mozilla firefox as a browser to use for "finding" stuff to download,
* install peer-to-peer s/w to fetch warez,
* use a CD-burner to burn warez to disk before moving to main machine.

Use a virus scanner to scan the fetched warez before installing/opening them.

Ideally make a disk image of the hardened machine before installing the peer-to-peer s/w - that way you can nuke the machine back to a known state if it gets owned.

If you have a cable or dsl router make sure you turn off UPNP. Then set the "hardened" machine as the target for all inbound traffic. In this way, any inbound traffic will go to the download machine, which will make the peer-to-peer s/w work best, and will also prevent stray stuff going to other machines.

Robin

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:54 am

Hey there

Try using winamp - dopwnload available for free and a doddle to use.

If you need any help give Shug a call on 0141 331 2530

Andy

Edin430 · Post by **Edin430** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:20 pm

I've had limewire for about 3 years and have my PC regulary cleaned....

Never had any problems with it! In actual fact i think its brilliant - download all my songs from there and its quick and easy.

My norton security skims it every morning and so far no viruses!

<Famous>

Post by **campbell** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:59 pm

All very interesting.

Jim, bottom line, iTunes does all you need in a friendly and non-threatening way. Clean interface, you don't need to have an iPod, and it can share your music across the house network (if you have one) so that you can play stuff in other rooms and keep all the tracks on one "music server".

As for limewire and threats etc, I used limewire for a while a few years back, had no problems and plenty satisfaction for what I needed, but it just fell out of use for me of late. Note, I only actually switched it on when I needed something. I did not leave it running. Maybe that made a difference.

I still like to buy CDs rather than buy mp3 music online, something about the artwork and the phsyicality of it...guess I am old school!

Campbell