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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology AlmanacLeo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac

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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology AlmanacLeo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac

Learn More Buy

FRIDAY: MARCH 31, 2006

THIS WEEK’S FOCUS: Windows Media Center

MEDIA CENTER MY MUSIC

I primarily use my Media Center PC as a digital music jukebox. I’ve ripped my entire CD collection to hard disk and now can play back any album in any order at any time, using Windows Media Center for navigation. It’s like having a giant iPod in my living room—but with true CD-quality sound.

The first thing you need to do is tell Media Center to store your music in WMA Lossless format. Using any other form of compression will dramatically affect the audio quality of the recordings; with WMA Lossless, a CD only takes up about 250MB of disk space and you retain the original audio quality. Unfortunately, you can’t make this selection from within Media Center. You have to exit the Media Center interface, start up the Windows Media Player software, and make this selection from the Tools, Options menu.

After you have WMP configured, you can start ripping your CDs. It takes a little less than five minutes to rip each CD in WMA Lossless format, so if you have a large music collection this could take some time. About 98% of the time Media Center downloads the correct track information and album art, which means every now and then you’ll have to do a little manual tweaking. To retype album and artist info, select the album in My Music and press the Info button on your remote; to retype individual track info, select the track and press Info. To change album art, you’ll have to use a third-party utility, such as Album Art Fixer (http://www.avsoft.nl/artfixer/).

Playing back your music is easy. You can select music by album, artist, or genre, or create your own playlists. Unfortunately, creating a playlist from within Media Center is tedious and somewhat counterintuitive; it’s easier to exit Media Center and create your playlists from within Windows Media Player, instead.

ON THIS DAY: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS (1918)

On the last day of March 1918, the United States first observed Daylight Saving Time. The concept had already been introduced in Great Britain as a fuel-saving measure during World War I; the idea was introduced in the U.S. by the Daylight Savings Association and New York Senator William M. Calder.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: THE GREEN BUTTON

If you’re a Windows Media Center user, you have to visit The Green Button, a website devoted to everything Media Center. Here you can find answers to all your questions, as well as links to some of the best Media Center add-ins and utilities. Bookmark it at http://www.thegreenbutton.com.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

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Collection and Use of Information


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Customer Service

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Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

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Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
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  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


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Choice/Opt-out


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Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
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  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
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  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
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Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020