You can download an MP3 of Tim Urban’s performance below:

–> Tim Urban – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (.mp3)

The judges reactions were:

Rickey: I liked this! The plaid background!

Randy Jackson: The vocals were so boring. It was bad karaoke.

Ellen DeGeneres: You have huge fans. It was corny. It was pushed too hard. There’s a large group of people who will love that performance, but then, there’s me. And I, I just didn’t get it.

Kara DioGuardi: Little girls will love that. You acted like you already made it.

Simon Cowell: It was completely utterly pointless and silly. Two weeks – silly, silly song choices.

Although the comments were mostly against him, he remained optimistic. What Kara said was partially true though, his performance mainly appealed to the “little girls” audience, and that my have been the downfall of his performance, but overall, it was great.

It wasn’t his best performance, but it did look like he had fun with it and did what he could to impress the audience. He picked the song because he liked it, and he just wanted to have some fun and move around.

Tim Urban is currently in the top 11 of season 9 of American Idol.

If you would like to vote for Tim, call 1866-IDOL-03. If you are with AT&T, you can text the word VOTE to 5703

–> Download: Tim Urban – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (.mp3)

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Diskettes and Zip Drives

Diskette

A Diskette is a 3.5-inch removable magnetic disk. The older version, the floppy disk, is 5.25 inches square and flexible. Copying to a diskette is quick and economical.

Ideal for…

• Those who use their PC for personal finance – the diskette enables you to retrieve checkbook balances etc.
• Projects that need to be continuously backed up such as a film script, as it is a cheap alternative.

Not so good for…

• Some newer computer and laptop models that do not have a diskette or floppy drive installed.
• Large amounts of data as diskettes don’t have a great storage capacity

Zip Drives

A Zip drive is a small, square shaped magnetic disk that is ideal for backing up your PC. The 100-megabyte size holds the equivalent of 70 floppy diskettes. They also come in a 250-megabyte size

Ideal for…

• Duplicating your entire disc drive
• Archiving
• Storing graphic images or other large files
• Transferring large files
• Keeping certain data separate from files on your hard disk

The downside…

• They seem to be a fleeting technology – most computers do not have a Zip Disc drive installed and opinion varies on how long they will be around for.

Compact Disks

There are different standards of CD’s that have different capabilities. Just to confuse us they are recognized by seemingly similar acronyms; CD-R, CD-RW, CD+RW, DDCD and E-CD.

CD-R

CD-R (Compact Disc – Recordable) is a CD that can be recorded to only once. It usually holds 74 minutes of audio or 650 MB of data, although newer versions hold up to 80 minutes of audio (700 MB of data). If your PC has CD burning software and a compatible CD-R or CD-RW drive, the CD-R can be used in the same way as a diskette. However unlike a diskette it cannot be deleted or overwritten. Look out for CD-Rs that have an additional protective layer which make them less susceptible to damage caused through scratching.
Ideal for…

• Making music CD’s
• Storing photos
• Storing permanent data

Not so good for…

• Transferring files as they can only be used once

CD-RW/CD+RW

A CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable) and CD+RW can be recorded onto as many times as desired. Data can be overwritten and erased. Other than this, the CD-RW is identical to the CD-R. If it wasn’t for their finite durability CD-RW’s and CD+RW’s could be reused endlessly.

Ideal for…

• Transferring files
• Holding temporary data

Not so good for…

• Holding important permanent files-in case they are accidentally deleted

Double Density CD (DDCD)
This disc has a much greater storage capacity than an average CD-R or CD-RW.

Ideal for…
• Backing up
• Storing archival data

Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD (E-CD) is an audio CD with CD-ROM data added. CD-ROM data is added in the space not taken by audio. Recording artists can use this to include videos, lyrics, interviews or promo material. The E-CD can be played on a CD player but to view additional material you need access to a multimedia-capable device, such as a CD-i player, DVD-ROM, or CD-ROM drive.

Bridge Disks
A CD-Bridge disc holds extra information on a CD-ROM XA track. The disc can be played on either a CD-i player attached to a television, or a CD-ROM XA drive attached to a computer. Software such as Photo or a Karaoke CD player can provide lots of fun with the Bridge Disk.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disk): More than movies

Although DVD’s have become more associated with video, they can also hold audio and computer data; hence their name Digital Versatile Disk. Like the CD, a DVD is a 120-mm by 1.2mm thick disk. However the DVD has more tracks than a CD so holds far more data. CD’s have an unvarying storage capacity of 750MB, whereas DVD’s store up to 17GB.

A range of acronyms is also used to distinguish between the different types and capabilities of DVD’s available. These include DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-Audio.
DVD-ROM

DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc – Read Only Memory) is similar to a movie DVD, but is designed for computers. The DVD-ROM stores data in the same way that the CD-ROM does and is used in the DVD-ROM drive of your PC.

The upside…

• Larger storage space – hold more data than a CD
• Can be filled with nearly everything; video, music or computer specific data
• A base speed of 1.32 megabytes/sec

The downside…

• Many older computers do not have a DVD-Rom drive installed
• Can be recorded on only once

DVD-Audio

DVD-Audio (DVD-A) is designed for audio data and high-quality music. Its storage capacity is seven times that of a CD and provides at least twice the sound quality. Like the Enhanced CD, DVD-A can contain other data, providing the listener with extra information such as lyrics or images. DVD-A is predicted by many to replace the standard audio CD in the music industry.

DVD-R

Like the CD-R, the DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable) can be recorded on once.

The upside…

• A DVD-R can contain an assortment of information; video, text, audio and computer data

• A DVD-R can be played on your normal DVD video player but remember, if you have additional data not of the same format e.g. video and audio together, you will need a DVD-ROM or Multimedia player of some kind

• A DVD-R is read at the same speed as commercially made DVD’s

DVD-RW and DVD+RW
Similar to the CD-RW, a DVD-RW or DVD+RW (Digital Versatile Disc – Rewritable) can be recorded on, rewritten and erased multiple times. Other than this they are identical to the DVD-R.
DVD minus and plus are just different versions with the same functionality.

The Future of CD/DVD Storage

The majority of the technology industry predicts that soon DVD’s, with their larger storage capacity and faster access time, will replace CD’s. DVD-ROM drives are likely to be sold with new computer systems in the way that CD-ROM drives once were. However we are always on the cusp of newer technologies, such as the HD-ROM.

HD-ROM (High Density-Read Only Memory)

HD-ROM uses a more precise particle beam to write data. This enables information to be written on more durable materials such as metal so storage is virtually permanent. HD-ROM has hundreds of times the storage capacity of the CD-ROM.

Flash Drives

A Flash drive is a small portable memory stick that holds anywhere from 1Mb to 1GB of data. It is surprisingly lightweight and is often worn around the neck or carried as a funky key chain. They are compatible with any PC that has USB port and with Mac OS 9 and OS X, Windows 2000 and XP or Linux 2.4.17.

The upside…

• Durable – more so than CD’s or DVD’s
• No need for batteries or a separate power source
• Convenient – your computer should recognize the additional drive as soon as you insert it into the USB port
• Ideal for backup
• Larger storage capacity then many other portable devices
• More portable than ZIP drives, CD’s and Diskettes
• Quick transfer rate (approx. 1Mb/sec)
• Edit, rewrite, delete as many times as desired
• Help desk personnel can use Flash Drives as a portable toolkit that includes system updates and recovery tools.

The downside…

• More expensive than other portable devices
• Viruses – The portability and compatibility of the Flash Drive increases the chance of spreading viruses. In many cases viruses carried by a Flash Drive will not be detected as most antivirus software is reactive and only recognizes known viruses
• Theft – a Flash Drive can make it easier for data to be stolen from an unlocked PC
• Little Security – the size and weight of the Flash drive makes it very easy to misplace. Most have little or no security features and data is accessed easily. Some Flash Drives do have built in security; either a password or in some cases a finger print system – but this comes at a price.

Japan however has already managed to give this trend the slip. Whilst reports have sufficiently proven that the digital music sales has already covered up for the loss created by the decline in sales of music CD’s, it may come as a surprise to learn that the Japanese music industry saw a rise of one per cent in the overall sales; clearly spearheaded by the increase in mobile downloads. Add to this the fact that the country, like others in the South – East Asian region, has a high consumption of mobile phone ring tones. The music industry in South – East Asia has a lot of local artistes thriving and owing to the fact that these countries form a cluster of non – English speaking nations; it is quite understandable to note that local artistes enjoy mass popularity within their home countries. Sing tones, the Karaoke counterpart of mobile phone ring tones, according to experts has already taken the nation by storm which is commonly known to have pioneered the concept of Karaoke.

Looking at the value added services available on mobile phones that need to be downloaded, reports indicate that mobile phone games are subscribed to by roughly two per cent of the consumers in the United Kingdom, and a little over three and a half per cent of consumers downloaded ring tones and wallpapers, with only half a per cent opting to watch a paid video and an even smaller per cent of users wanting to download a full song. This clearly points to the fact that mobile phone ring tones is still the undisputable leader in the category of value added services and its latest avatar of video tones is yet to become a popular force to reckon with.

Studies conducted across the United Kingdom to understand the usage pattern and behaviour of mobile phone ring tone consumers have thrown up some very interesting facts. Reports say that consumers are increasingly conscious of the style statement that ring tones make and extremely wary of the perception that others might have of them based on the ring tone played out on their mobile phones. As a result they are constantly in the race of upgrading their knowledge of the latest ring tones and hits to websites that display the ‘Top 10 Ring Tones’ for the week have increased in the recent past. Several web sites have their own ratings list and offer subscription to users for a small fee. This allows them a regular access to the most popular ring tones and the means to download them. With roughly 80 per cent of the respondents being constantly worried about their choice of ring tones, it is no wonder that at least 10 per cent of them change their ring tones every week.

Just as with a karaoke machine, the player displays the words of a song and plays the background music. All you need is a microphone and your player is ready to go and you are ready to start fine tuning your singing voice in the privacy of your home without spending a fortune.

Even though you’re not at a workshop or with a coach, you still need to take your singing seriously. There’s an old sports saying: if your practice sloppy, you play sloppy. In other words, you need to learn good performing habits and that begins when you rehearse and practice.

The first thing an audience sees is how you carry yourself so before you begin singing look at yourself in a mirror. Is your posture straight, your chin up, your arms relaxed and in front of your body? It’s important to have correct posture so that you can breathe properly and fill your lungs to the necessary capacity.

Similarly, if you want to sing sitting down, make sure your posture is straight but relaxed and have both your feet on the floor.

Treat your voice as an asset and do vocal exercised to keep the muscles used in singing strong. After warming up your voice it’s time to sing. Begin with songs that are in your vocal range and that complement your personality. Even though you can hear yourself sing and would know if you were terribly off key, it’s harder to pick up the subtleties of your voice while singing. It’s important to record your singing sessions so determine what areas of your voice needs work and what areas are your strength.

By practicing everyday and recording your sessions, you will improve both your vocal skills and your musical ear.