Audio Books Download – Past and Future

January 26, 2010

The straightforward audio books download we know today, was, merely a few years ago, nearly impossible. Cranky modems and lousy internet connections that broke up more often than they stayed connected made any download very painful…

The good old times of web: Downloads had been an adventure!

The elder internauts can recall the times of the telephone line modems, when many of us had been already satisfied whenever that interconnection functioned right away, each time these tones of the server and modem ‘talking’ to each other and exchanging bits and bytes had been music for our ears. this was alsothe time when Alta Vista was the SE of preference…

Guess this dates me in some way, however I quite like those memories, and posting about them tends to make me grin all over the face. It had been a time for breakthrough discovery and to get perhaps a couple of kilobytes has been an event! The bits arrived drop by drop, also to download even a small record of a 100 KB was a job for minutes, and occasionally you were required to begin over, mainly because the network was dropped.

To get one Megabytes seemed to be unthinkable back then, it would have taken days for any personal web connection…

First MP3 Audio Books came on audio cassettes or Disc

Therefore mp3 audio books were only available on audio cassettes, and also the initial versions came out on CD. An audio books download had been unthinkable, even to get an abridged audiobook, too much information would have had to move.

Efficient DSL Connections Changed How Audio Books Are Distributed

Then quicker modems were developed, and shortly after that DSL/ADSL connections  started to be typical for internet connections, and also audio downloads evolved into a normal product. With this audiobook publishers who started to recognise that it could be much less risky and loads less costly to create audio files in electronic digital format as well as make these accessible via the internet. This allows for some unique gains for everyone.

  • For the consumer: Seeing that the genuine text didn’t need to be reduced, the customers got the original text, just like the author wanted it to be presented. Unabridged audiobooks were born!
  • For the writer: He didn’t have to go through the torment of watching a publisher whittling the audiobook down to maximum 700 Megabytes to assure it fit on only one Compact disc, or perhaps on to a multiple of the figure seven hundred, so that a number of  Compact disks can be loaded and never more nor less. (700 MB is the approximate maximum potential a Compact disk can handle).
  • For the Editor: Due to the fact the files which were made could be duplicated for near to nothing at all, the cost of manufacturing moved down, absolutely no large stocks of CDs were required and the hazard of overproducing or missing a unexpected increase in demand without being able to provide had been minimised to nil.

Audio Books Download – Currently It’s Straightforward and Speedy:

This made for an various other bonuses for the client: The final price for brand-new, longer mp3 audio books dropped considerably. In addition, considering that those audiobooks can be downloaded conveniently, it was not unavoidable to walk to the nearby book seller and examine physical Compact disks that were wrapped as well as in most cases couldn’t be opened in order to hear the narrator’s style.

At present it is possible to go online, scour huge databases of on-line audiobooks and as you spotted what you were shopping for, one could typically listen to a short sound sample of the audiobook.

And soon it was instantaneous gratification: Put the audio book inside the shopping cart to purchase the audiobook, checking out and there you are! Within just a short while since discovering the right audiobook you now are able to get started listening.

The Future For Audio Books Download

Looking back I sometimes question myself just how we could live with these slow-moving conections? However then, many of us did not know better and also what many of us used looked brilliant, just as we think nowadays this an DSL connection is great.

Guess within a few years away from now, we’ll glance back again and smile whenever somebody tells about the ‘speed’ of ADSL cable connections, due to the fact most people will have a T1 or even better, where transfering a TB might take a couple of seconds at most…

iMinds – Make your iPod or MP3 player Clever!

January 18, 2010

iMinds are clever short audio clips of only 8 minutes length, that convey in a concise and condensed format all the knowledge you need about a clearly defined topic.

This will change the role of portable MP3 players from DJ’s only to teachers also, in an attractive and playful way. Think ‘trivial persuit’ on steroids! The idea behind these info clips is that people intersperse them between the songs they are listening to on their players. The information(also called mindtracks) is presented in an attractive format, and it may well start to tickle the desire of the listener to learn even more about a particular subjet.

To have articles out of an encyclopedia on an iPod, iPhone or MP3 player seems to be far fetched, but if you think about all the different podcasts on sometimes very exotic subhects you can download online, then these iMinds will certainly have a great future too!

iMinds only come as downloadable audio files, which makes them very practical to fetch and upload.

Some of the topics that are covered are:

I can see a bright future for the iMinds series, all it will take is some smart kid getting a few of these tasty mindtracks onto his iPhone, iPod or MP3 player and then showing his newly gained wisdom off to his peers.  This will  make knowledge sexy and hot, and all of a sudden all kids will want to grab their share.  At less than a dollar a piece these iMinds are affordable and often cheaper than all the other audios or games the young generation have on their audio gadgets.

Sandra Brown Audio Books

December 7, 2009

Sandra Brown is best known for her novels written under her own name, over 50 of them have ended up on the New York Times bestsellers list.

What you might not know, is that Sandra Brown also writes under the pen names of Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan and Erin St. Claire.

Some of the books by Sandra Brown are also available as audio books, that makes it easy to take them along (simply load on an MP3 player) and as the narrators reading these novels are truly skilled, it’s like cinema in the head!

Smash Cut is her latest title, a story with important protagonists:

  • Paul Wheeler: CEO of the Wheeler Enterprises empire, is shot dead during an armed robbery.
  • Julie Rutledge: A savvy, cultured, and attractive Southern woman, was hand-inhand with Paul Wheeler at the time of his death.
  • Derek Mitchell: A defense lawyer of renown, he goes to the mat to make a case for every client — and headlines for himself.
  • Creighton Wheeler: The prodigal nephew of Paul and a playboy with a passion for movies. Even those closest to Creighton can’t be sure when he exits reality and enters the fantasy world of films.

Paul Wheeler is shot dead during a robbery and from there, things start to get very interesting! – More Sandra Brown audio books.

The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown Audio Book

December 7, 2009

The Lost Symbol is Dan Brown’s latest novel, and just as intriguing as his previous works.

The brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon again is met with challenges from many different sides, and when you listen to the audio book, you are sure to be puzzled and later amazed at the intricate web of clues, intrigues and dangers woven by Dan Brown into a superb story.

If you want to get into the intricacies of noetic science and superstring theory, this is for you. If these two terms do not ring a bell, don’t worry, the story is captivating enough and you don’t need to understand the science behind Robert Langdon’s reasoning to be greatly entertained.

You may donwload this Dan Brown Audio Book online and could be listening to to The Lost Symbol in a few minutes from now.

Agatha Christie Death on the Nile

October 5, 2009

Together with Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile is certainly one of the best known crime novels wordlwide, both were written by Agatha Christie.

When you look at the plots, there are a few similarities which make the settings so deceptively simple and still, when you listen to these audio books, you are wondering cnstantly, who could be the murder and have to change your opinion quite often.

Agatha Christie was a master of the crime novel and has managed to give her stories uexpected turns and to convolute the plots to a degree that the listener is kept both amazed, flabbergasted and astonished about the new developments.  In these two books, a group of people is consrtained within the confines of a ship or train, and people die regulary. Till the end it’s not clear who the murderer is…  – Count on Hercule Poirot to lift the mystery.

If you’ve never listened to an Agatha Christie crime novel, then I suggest you hop over to the Agatha Christie Audio site and grab your self a few of ther audio books. You’ are sure to be entertained!

Joyce Meyer – Approval Addiction

September 11, 2009

There are people on this world who could not care less how other think about them. They walk through life and don’t have many problems…

And then there are the nice folks who like to make sure that everybody approves of their actions. That can be extremely stressful, as it’s simply impossible to do things the way EVERYBODY would like.

Joyce Meyer (author of Battlefield of the Mind) has written her book Approval Addiction to help people to distinguish between monstruous egoisme and total approval and to find a golden middle way that will not hurt too many people around you.

Approval Addiction Joyce Meyer Audio Book

Approval Addiction Joyce Meyer Audio Book

It’s important to also look for oneself and not deny yourself everything just to make sure others approve. You need to approve yourself too!

The audio book is a great tool to find a new happier life.

Joyce Meyer – Approval Addiction – Audio Book

Click above to listen to a sample recording. The book can be downloaded immediately.

Want to talk about … Sex?

September 2, 2009

What’s the secret to great sex? Great talk about sex!

With this audio book you will discover how to enhance your sexual play by sharing your most intimate desires with your lover.

Talk about Sex - Erotica Audio Download

Talk about Sex - Erotica Audio Download

The voices you will hear are full of sensual, scintillating fantasies you can actually re-create yourself. Yes, these adventures in erotica can be as real as what your friends and neighbors do behind closed doors, or they can be as fanciful as a fairy tale.

Refresh your relationship and bring a little slat and pepper into your sex life!

Let your imagination run wild as you explore the frontiers of sexual pleasure with these tales. And learn how you can tell your partner which stories turn you on, suggest what new, exciting things you’d like to try—and transform your secret dreams into ecstatic reality…

Download this great erotica audio book here:

Nice Couples Do – Talk about Sex – audio download

Speaking slowly will improve your English pronunciation!

August 2, 2009

The single most important point when trying to improve your English pronunciation is to avoid speaking too fast.

Speak English Slowly! It’s a fact, that when you speak fast you often can be called a  sloppy language user who doesn’t have a good pronunciation.

When you speak fast, you are likely to make many more mistakes more often. This means: Give yourself time!

When you speak a little bit slower, your English will improve.

When you slow down, your foreign accent will be less noticeable. The English language can be difficult, therefore take time when speaking and  speak without an accent and speak English well.

In the English language foreigners speaking a truly remarkable  English take moren than two seconds for every word to pronounce. Try to measure your language output and if you speak English faster, reduce the pace!

Here’s a great site to download audios to improve your English pronunciation

Classic Audio Fiction

July 29, 2009

This is the time when you feel like relaxing only… It’s too hot to do anything!

I’ve gotten myself a few audio books from the list at Classic Fiction Audio Books Download . Listening to a great audio book on a day like today is top!

Right now I’m listening to Joseph Conrad – Almayer’s Folly. A story of a Dutch merchant and his struggle against odds and final failure. Good stuff!  Joseph Conrad is the author of the much better known novel ‘Heart of Darkness‘ that takes place in the former British Congo, an other colonial story.

Being able to relax in today’s time is that much more enjoyable when you hear about the hard work and conditions, these people had to endure.

An other great classic I’ve already finished listening to is Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. This one is brilliantly narrated by Donald Sutherland, which makes it a real joy to listen to. This was true ‘cinema in the head’!

Get Kids to Read during summer holidays!

June 15, 2009

Reading is a very important skill, and helping kids to read is certainly one of the most important favours you can give to a child. The problem seems to be, that many kids simply don’t like to read:

As school let out for summer Thursday at Muskego Elementary School, Joe Dorn watched his first- and second-grade students scamper off into a world temporarily free of structured class and homework.

Dorn could predict which students won’t pick up a book again until fall, putting them at risk for falling behind academically.

The challenge of getting kids to read in the summer is nothing new. But for older students especially, more educators – and librarians are bypassing “recommended lists” of classic novels and instead suggesting graphic novels, magazines, Web sites, comic books – anything to get them reading.

Traditionalists may hope kids tackle something more substantial than the latest book-turned-popular movie. But others say what kids read is less important than instilling a want to read.

“If they’re completely interested in dirt bikes, get them a subscription to a dirt bike magazine,” said Kelly Hughbanks, coordinator of youth services for Milwaukee Public Library.
(Source: JS Online)

This is a great approach to getting children to read. An other is to let them listen to audio books, and allow them to consume great stories this way, and then slipping in the ocasional written book, possibly illustrated, too, to read either together with them or let them read themselves. This works quite wel too!

There a number of great childrens story audio books ready for online download, that you can easily burnonto a MP3 player, an audio CD for your car stereo or the kids own stereo, or simply play it with the computer.

A free audio book is ready for download on the home page of ChildrensStory.org that allows you to test your system for compatibility before you download the other audios.

Children who love animals i.e. will love to hear animal stories, and once they discover how much fun it is to follow a story, and you hand them an animal story book that is in print, and no audio is available, they are quite likely to pick it up and start reading!