| > | | | | 1. Be very careful when setting the volume level. It |
| Nowadays, most people are extremely active. We | | | | should be only one or two notches above the spot |
| juggle careers, family, and leisure time - slurping coffee | | | | where you must strain to hear what is being said. |
| to stay awake while we watch a TV show or finish a | | | | 2. If using noise-cancelling earphones or earbuds, or the |
| business report - when we should be peacefully | | | | type with memory-foam noise reduction, be very sure |
| sleeping. Who has time to read anymore? YOU do! | | | | that you can hear things like the telephone and smoke |
| Nowadays, most people are extremely active. We | | | | alarm (while indoors) or ambulance sirens and car |
| juggle careers, family, and leisure time - slurping coffee | | | | horns (while driving). |
| to stay awake while we watch a TV show or finish a | | | | 3. Never listen when navigating city traffic or |
| business report - when we should be peacefully | | | | performing activities that require your full concentration. |
| sleeping. Who has time to read anymore? | | | | Create Your Own Recordings |
| Audio Books | | | | Your computer operating system probably has a |
| More and more books are being published in audio | | | | built-in function to rip audio from CDs and convert |
| format. You can download them online in MP3, WMA, | | | | everything to MP3 or WMA. WMA is more compact |
| or proprietary formats. Big online booksellers like | | | | than MP3, and there are many audio players that |
| Amazon sell audio productions on CD - but there is a | | | | support both formats. You can also find freeware and |
| plethora of free resources as well! Try internet | | | | shareware which will convert to/from WAV, MP3, |
| searches such as: | | | | WMA and other proprietary formats. Try a search like: |
| - free audio books | | | | - convert MP3 WMA |
| - free books on CD | | | | This Recording is Too Loud but I Can Hardly Hear The |
| - free book recordings | | | | Rest! |
| You will locate thousands of websites! Some websites | | | | You will probably experience wide fluctuations in |
| provide public domain classics, complete from | | | | volume when downloading off the internet and even |
| cover-to-cover. Try searches similar to the following to | | | | when creating your own recordings. However, there is |
| locate thousands of hours of free material: | | | | software that will quickly equalize the volume of all |
| - free audio robinson crusoe | | | | your MP3s to a predetermined level. MP3Gain is |
| - free audio tale of two cities | | | | freeware for Windows that works very efficiently. |
| What? You Don't Have Time to LISTEN to Books | | | | There are other programs as well, including |
| Either? | | | | MacMP3Gain. Try searching for: |
| EVERYONE has time. If you own a small MP3 or | | | | - MP3 Gain |
| WMA player with earbuds, you can listen while | | | | - MacMP3Gain |
| performing activities such as: | | | | - equalize volume MP3 |
| - Commuting to work via car, bus, or subway | | | | Audio Books Make Great Gifts |
| - Housecleaning | | | | Audio books are excellent gifts for just about any |
| - During bathroom breaks | | | | occasion. Why? You can find audio recordings for |
| - Standing in line at the bank or grocery store | | | | almost any subject - including language lessons, |
| - Waiting for long downloads on your computer | | | | alphabet rhymes for children, management programs |
| - Weeding the garden | | | | for business people, 'how to' titles, and sound tracks for |
| - Shoveling snow | | | | movies. |
| - Exercising and jogging | | | | Are Books Dead? |
| Anytime you are performing repetitive tasks, you can | | | | I firmly believe that there will always be a place for |
| plug in and listen. If you usually fall asleep to a TV in the | | | | books - whether in print form, on the internet, or in |
| bedroom at night, consider switching to audio | | | | ebook readers. Let's not lose touch with one of the |
| recordings instead. | | | | greatest art forms - literature. Take a few minutes |
| Safety First | | | | now and then to experience and enjoy the thoughts |
| There are some important steps you must take to | | | | put into words by the great literary artists of today and |
| safeguard your hearing and to avoid accidents. | | | | yesterday. |