Musical Instrument Digital Interface – The MIDI Trinity

Musical Instrument Digital Interface – The MIDI Trinity

Officially, MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and it was invented in 1982. These days, it refers to three components:

1. A physical connector – between electronic instruments and between electronic instruments and a MIDI controller, usually a keyboard. The connector takes the form of MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks form which MIDI cables can bet plugged into any electronic instruments (and you’d be surprised at how much music hardware out there today is MIDI-capable – almost every detachable keyboard is!)

2. A message format – this message format is the heart of MIDI. This format is made up not of the sounds themselves, but simply the commands that are issued by the MIDI keyboard to the electronic instruments telling them how to play a given song (“play the violin” “turn down the volume to XX”, “adjust the pitch to YY”, etc.)

With the above two components, a musician was able to control a string of musical instruments from a single keyboard, giving him a “one-man band” effect.

3. A storage format – in other words, MIDI files. This latecomer of the MIDI trinity was what really did the trick because it allowed musicians to record their creations and tweak them on many different parameters until they got it sounding just they way they wanted it. Without this, MIDI songs could not be played back, because since MIDI commands include only the instructions to the instrument on how to play the song and not the actual music itself, they cannot be recorded in audio format. Now MIDI files can be recorded, emailed, or even downloaded from the Internet.

A MIDI studio can now be produced in two ways – via hardware or software. The hardware version involves connecting a keyboard (using MIDI cables) to the MIDI jack of an electronic instrument and then stringing together up to 16 of these instruments in a “daisy chain” by way of their MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks. The software version keeps the MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI controller such as a MIDI guitar, etc.), while the instruments appear in virtual form on a computer screen (various software programs such as Reason, Logic, and Cubase can do this).

eTrust Internet Security Suite: Do Not Take Protection for Granted

eTrust Internet Security Suite: Do Not Take Protection for Granted

Internet is the “network of all networks”. It is composed of millions of smaller networks (business, academic, domestic, and government) which carry different information and online-based services, such as online chatting, file transfer, electronic mail services, and interlinked web pages as well as other documents stored in the World Wide Web. With such an enormous interconnection of various networks, transfer and acquisition of information is now fast, efficient, and reliable. Who would ever think that the Internet will be as powerful as it is nowadays?

Aside from fast and efficient transfer of information and other useful data, the Internet is now the biggest job, business, and product marketplace around the world. Whether you are looking for a new job, searching for a new business opportunity to start with, or want to sell or purchase different lines of products, the Internet is the best place to start with. Through various innovations integrated in the information superhighway, Internet became one of the fastest solutions in terms of livelihood and other means of generating revenues for individuals of different interests.

However, there are things that we neglect sometimes, which are superimposed by the benefits offered by the Internet. One of which is the online threats, composed of so-called “cyber criminals”, creating chaos to the Internet public by means of developing virus programs and other elements that may harm an Internet user’s computer system. At first glance, you will think that it is just a simple yet attractive banner ad that pops-up in your computer screen, yet you will realize later on that you are already dealing with a virus program, destroying the internal memory and other components of your computer system.

The increase of online threats is very alarming. Most research shows that there are 3 out of 10 Internet users who are plagued by online threats of varying degrees. Because of lack of necessary security, they have a hard time dealing with these problems, thus losing their computer system within a few days. So sad, but it is the reality that we need to accept.

To avoid getting into such situation, it is strongly recommended that you install a security software into your computer system, especially if it is connected to the Internet. There are hundreds of software developers who created programs that will help you thwart these online threats out of your way. One of which is the CA’s eTrust Internet Security Suite.

Created by the Computer Associates, eTrust Internet Security Suite provides extensive protection against different kinds of online threats—viruses, identity thieves, spyware, malware, and hackers that can jeopardize your privacy in surfing the Internet, data storage, and the performance of your computer system. In fact, the security suite is a combination of easy to use, business-strength technology with automatic updates and pre-configured settings that will work out for the security of your computer system.

eTrust Internet Security Suite has the following main features:

• It eliminates the presence of any type of viruses, worms, and Trojan horse programs.
• It targets the spyware before it can bring adverse effects to your computer system.
• It blocks unwanted spam.
• It stops intruders from penetrating your computer system, thus eliminating the risk of your personal information and other useful data be accessed by unauthorized individuals.
• It keeps websites out, especially pornographic sites, which is believed to carry viruses and other online threats.

Do not take protection for granted. Avoid getting caught in the line of fire because of these online threats. Get the eTrust Internet Security Suite and protect your computer system as well as yourself.

5 Reasons to Choose a Notebook Over a Computer Desktop

5 Reasons to Choose a Notebook Over a Computer Desktop

Many of us are so used to working on a computer desktop that when it comes time to purchase a new computer, we don’t consider other options. Today, computer notebooks – which were once called laptops – offer a number of advantages over a computer desktop. Here are just five reasons why you should take a second look at notebooks.

1. Mobility

You might be used to pulling up a chair to your computer, but it makes much more sense to pull your computer up to your chair. Laptops can certainly be used at your desk, but you also have the option of bringing them to the spot where you’re most comfortable. Maybe you’d like to surf the Web in the evening out in the living room or catch up on your favorite blogs before bedtime. Notebooks with wireless connectivity can travel with you throughout your home, so you can check your email or do your Internet shopping anywhere.

Of course, notebooks also make sense for those who are on the go. Students can take laptops to class and to the library, while businesspeople can take them along while traveling. With WiFi so widely available, it even makes sense to have a notebook while on vacation. With the right notebook, it’s easy to take photos with your digital camera, upload them, and email them to friends and family before you even get back home. Or you can use it to write a vacation blog and include those pictures from your digital camera.

2. Better Displays

The size and quality of computer notebook displays has improved so dramatically that there’s little difference between laptops and a computer desktop. For example, you can get Apple’s MacBook with a 13.3-inch LCD widescreen (1280 x 800 pixels), a 15.4-inch LCD widescreen (1440 x 900 pixels) or a 17-inch widescreen (1680 x 1050 pixels). Similarly, the Compaq Presario has a 15.4-inch display.

3. Lighter Weight

Just a few years ago, even the lightest notebook was a pain to lug around. Today, though, laptops are increasingly easy on the back. The MacBook is slightly over an inch thick and the Toshiba Portege weighs in at about four pounds. While that’s still heavy compared to come of the new ultralight convertibles (Fujitsu’s LifeBook U810 weighs only a pound and half), it’s a significant improvement over the old seven-pound laptops.

4. Better Computing and Battery Power

Historically, two drawbacks of notebooks were their limited RAM, limited space on the hard drive, and short battery life. Times have changed, though, and laptops now have as much power under the hood as their computer desktop cousins. The MacBook, for example, has 1GB of memory (configurable up to 4 GB) and a hard drive that’s configurable to 250GB. This means that your software will hum right along and you’ll be able to zip through programs as quickly and as easily as you do on your desktop. Likewise, batteries in today’s notebooks don’t heat up and don’t conk out.

5. More Features

In older laptops, the computer’s size and weight limited the number and types of features available. Today, with smaller processors and other components, there’s room to pack more features into notebooks. For example, the MacBook has a DVD player, built-in webcam, built-in wireless capability, two USB ports and a FireWire port, built-in microphone, and audio and digital input/output.

There are so many advantages to owning notebooks that, before you buy your next computer, it’s worth your while to take one for a spin.