Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

It's a Good Thing: 8tracks




Okay, so I’ve fallen in love with 8tracks, and I don’t mean those big honkin’ plastic things that in a way resemble something similar to a cassette tape (and if you don’t know what an 8track is, or a cassette then lord help you lol)

But seriously... Mr. Olive got me onto this.

So first, let me give you some background. I own exactly zero CD’s. I don’t own any cassettes, but I do own a record player and a plethora of records. I have an iPhone that no joke has 87 songs on it. It has had 87 songs on it since pretty much the day I got it, three years ago.

I like music. I do. But I don’t have the patience for CD’s or buying songs from iTunes or other such places. Occasionally Mr. Olive will hook me up with some songs but not often enough.

I listen to the same loop of 87 songs when I’m writing. I can sing along to every one of those songs, and the only joy I get is when the shuffle feature puts them in a different order.

Some of you are laughing, I’m sure, but this has all been the truth. So, you can imagine that my mind was literally blown when I learned about 8tracks.

It’s simple. It’s free.

People compile playlists of their favourite music. They could be 8 tracks long or 42 or 100, it doesn’t matter. All you have to do is sign up, search what’s hot, or narrow it down using your own criteria, like sad songs, or summer lovin’ or top 40 hip-hop and BAM!

You have an infinite number of songs at your disposal.

Of course there’s a catch, which will annoy some, but not others. If you pick a playlist that has 40 songs, and you come across a song you don’t like, you can skip it. But SKIP wise. You can only skip TWO songs an hour.

The point of this is A. Because of the license agreement 8tracks has, and B. It will widen your horizons. If you come across a song you’ve never heard of, listen to it. Don’t skip it. You’d be surprised at how many new songs, artists, and genre’s you will find that you LOVE.

I’m also lovin’ 8tracks because people have done some of the hard work for me. When I write, I listen to songs that fit the mood or tone I’m trying to achieve in a particular scene. With 8tracks I can search that mood and listen to a playlist of songs that will make you cry. How about a playlist with nothing but break up songs on it? Or why not a playlist with nothing but songs about death, or birthdays or weddings. 8tracks has a playlist for EVERYTHING.

If you find a playlist you adore, don’t forget to “like” it, that way it will always be at your fingertips, saved in your library. You can also share playlists with your friends or create your own.

For Authors, I think using the create playlist is another great feature. Many of you already have soundtracks for your novels. Why not get them out to one more social media site. Create an 8tracks playlist for your novel and send it out into the world.

Of course, there is one downside, and since I’m still a new 8track user, I’m not sure how much of a problem this is. Since you’re on the web, and 8tracks is basically streaming to your device like an internet radio you will be using data if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi.

8tracks is available on your PC, your phone, your iPad... Pretty much anywhere you could need it! You will have a constant flow of music where ever you go, so trust me when I say, 8tracks is a good thing!

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Technology: The Kindlegraph


Technology is amazing.

For some the allure of buying paperback copies is not just to have on the shelf collecting dust, it may be because there is a signature in the book.

Signatures not only add a touch of personality to any book, it is also a symbol. Some are lucky enough to personally know authors, have met with them a book signings, or have paid a little extra just to have a book with someone John Hancock in it.

This is part of a growing debate, paper Vs e-book. A paper copy you can hold in your hands, take with you to an event in hopes of getting it signed, but what if you could get your e-book signed too?

For some, that changes everything.

You’ve spent money on a book, you’ve interacted with the author on Twitter, or Facebook and now with modern technology those who opt for the e-book version can have the same glory as flashing around a signed paper back.

Enter Kindlegraph, one of many new sites that allows an Author to add in a personal note and signature for their valued customers. It’s as simple as tracking down the book and requesting an autograph...

One downside I can see? For Kindlegraph it’s that you’re actual e-copy won’t be signed. What you get is a separate .pdf version of the cover with the Authors note, and signature. But who cares? The joy is still there, you still got a personal note and signature from your favourite author. You can keep it in a separate folder and “collect” your Kindlegraphs.

Another downside? So far Kindlegraph is only connected to Amazon. They are not a part of Amazon itself but their system only works for Kindle available books and users. In order to get your Kindlegraph you need to have a kindle and a kindle e-mail address.

The last downside? How do you know the signature you get is authentic? The problem, you don’t. If you’re not handy with your mouse, or finger, you can choose a ready-made font to send out, which means the signature isn’t real. Also, when adding A Stiff Kiss to the list, all I had to do was have the AISN number and bam, I was claimed the Author of A Stiff Kiss by Avery Olive. I am the Author, but what if someone adds the book, dolls out signatures and isn’t the author? I see no way that Kindlegraph is making sure that doesn’t happen, short of doing regular checks on your books, if you haven’t added them yourself, or don’t want to, just to make sure someone else isn’t claiming to be the Author. I know it seems silly, but I’m sure it will happen.

But Kindlegraph still makes it easy, but you can also take what you’ve learned and use it to your advantage. If you know someone who isn’t a Kindle user, but still wants your signature for their collection, you can do it the slightly more time consuming way.

Simply write out your note, add your signature onto a blank piece of paper and scan it. Most scanners these days convert your file into a .pdf and voila! You have a personal .pdf file of your signature that you can send to your reader. As far as I know, most every e-reader these days accepts .pdf files. So you are in luck, if you need to send it to a non Kindle user.

Also, though Kindlegraph is nearly instant, I don’t know about you, but I’m not handy with a mouse. In order to use your signature you either have to draw it out, with your mouse (or finger if you are a tablet user) or choose one of their readymade cursive fonts.  I tried writing my signature out a million times and was never fully happy with it, no matter what, it has a real “electronic” feel to it. At least if you write out the note yourself and scan it, it will be without a doubt your Hancock you are sending out into the world, and not just some computer generated font.

This will still prompt some further research on my part, since I love Kindle, I love all my readers more, and will be finding a way to allow readers who don’t have a Kindle to still get the same attention and just as instantly as Kindlegraph makes it.

I think this is a fun way to gain signatures, adding them to a collection and making the e-book personal, but just remember, the signature you get, might not be real, it might just be a fancy cursive font, either way, a personal note is still an awesome thing to receive.

This is also shows you how cool technology really is, and how far we’ve come since the introduction of the e-book.

If you have Kindle, and want my Kindlegraph, just go here and request it. I asure you, my Hancock is one hundred percent authentic. I fiddled around trying to come up with a nearly perfect version!


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