Entrepreneurs Are Born in College

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most entrepreneurs come of age during their years in college. Sure, they had a successful lemonade stand at age 5 and the most efficient paper route in the county by age 14, but the new ideas and inspiration needed to become a successful self-enterprising genius come from colleges and universities.

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Are you one of those trail blazers who is destined for greatness? There are a few things you need to become familiar with and comfortable doing. Learn how to master these basic business skills and you’ll be well on your way to becoming your own boss, and probably the boss of many other workers, as well.

Technology

College is the best time to familiarize yourself with the latest technology, and to get a firm grasp on where the future of technology is headed. Even if your interests lie outside of technical fields, computers and software are the driving force of any type of business today. Learn about the latest gadgets, apps and software packages. Know why these are successful, and how you could improve them. Most of all, know what tools are the best for your type of work and become an expert in using them.

Travel

Web cams, conference calls and emails are great day-to-day business tools, but if you are really going somewhere with your ideas, there are times that getting things done requires meeting investors and potential clients face to face. This means being familiar with how to travel both nationally and abroad. According to statistics, college students are already doing a lot of travel. Take a look at this interesting graph.

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Learn your geography. Familiarize yourself with national and world economies. Understand why the automotive industry is drawn to the South, why the Midwest is the center of biofuel technologies, why a lumberjack’s life insurance costs more in the Pacific Northwest and why businesses in the U.S. are opening production factories in India.

Business Basics

The best idea in the world is no substitute for basic business practices. You may not want to tear yourself away from building your dreams to focus on mundane tasks like writing a business plan, incorporating and establishing solid accounting records, but no business enjoys success without these things. Take at least a few business and accounting classes so that you are building your business on a solid foundation.

The college years are a unique time in life when you are on your own, but not yet burdened with mortgage payments, the responsibilities of raising a family and worrying about retirement plans. Use this time to gain an understanding of how the world of business works. Then use this knowledge to build a business that is rooted sound principles, yet aspires to be everything you dream of as an entrepreneur.

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Smartphone Apps Innovate Automotive Radio

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc... 

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There’s a popular saying about technology: “there’s an app for that.” For those who like to listen to the radio while in the car, but would prefer the variety and features of Internet radio, that saying will soon be true. Livio Radio is an application available for both Androids and iPhones that puts Internet radio in your car. It does require some additional hardware to be installed in your vehicle, including a Dice Car Kit (which simulates a satellite radio receiver) or a Bluetooth adaptor, one of which will be necessary to make this work. Both products are still in development.

The primary advantage of using the Livio app is that it does not require a monthly subscription fee like Sirius XM satellite radio does. Instead, a purchase of about $100 for the hardware and $19.99 for the smartphone app will have you set up, with no fees required in order to keep yourself in business. Whether or not the sound quality matches a satellite radio receiver is questionable, and while early testers are reporting good results, we’ll likely have to wait until the products hit the actual market to get some real data.

The good news is that innovations are still being made in the field of radio and portable music. While MP3s and iPods have been considered the death of the physical album, that doesn’t mean that the music industry has really suffered. Indeed, the converse is largely true in that the work of many more artists is available to a much larger fan base than in decades past. Here’s to hoping that trend continues to grow.

 

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Internet Radio

June 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The advent of the Internet brought us huge technological advances in productivity and entertainment. Businesses are more profitable than anyone believed imaginable and we can now take our television shows, movies and music with us everywhere we go using laptops and web-enabled mobile phones. Internet radio has been one of the biggest innovations for mobile entertainment, featuring customizable stations that actually learn what types of music its user prefers and is able to provide related artists and albums based on the user’s history.

When we think about Internet radio, Pandora comes to mind as one of the largest and most popular of such services. Pandora apps are also available for Windows, Android and iOS mobile phones and devices as well as the web-based service access via computer. It is not uncommon to walk through any office today and find cubicle inhabitants all listening to their own personalized Pandora stations through ear bud headphones. Of course, Pandora isn’t alone; other web-based radio providers include Yahoo Music, Google Music and Last.FM are all giving Pandora a run for her money, especially in the North American markets.

The future of the music industry, including satellite radio, traditional AM / FM radio and Internet radio, is difficult to predict. We have seen so much in the way of innovation and new technology over the last decade that it is nearly impossible to ascertain a future direction. One can only be assured of the fact that there will always be some type of radio, in one form or another, and that this entertainment venue will never die.

 

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History of Satellite Radio

June 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Howard Stern 

Cover of Howard Stern

Once upon a time, Americans received the bulk of their news and entertainment via the radio. Then came television and big budgets movies, followed by video games and the Internet. Traditional radio was suffering from a serious lack of interest. At the same time, those syndicated radio programs that were able to generate advertising revenue were being hamstrung by FCC regulations concerning adult-themed content. In order to revitalize the concept of completely auditory entertainment, radio needed some big changes.

These changes arrived with the advent of satellite radio. Two companies, Sirius and XM Radio, vied for the entirety of the market before merging into one holding company, Sirius XM Radio, in 2008. The popular syndicated programs of Anthony and Opie, Howard Stern and Blue Collar Radio are now free to do as they please, at least, up to a certain limit. Additionally, the recent innovation of satellite radio receivers being included as original equipment in most makes of automobiles has expanded the market considerably.

Of course, not having commercials means that the satellite radio providers must have a source of income in order to be profitable and stay in business. That means a subscription based service in which those who want to enjoy satellite radio programming must pay a monthly fee and have a satellite radio receiver. Receivers can be portable or stationary, as well as being installed in a vehicle. Many of these receivers are also capable of recording live broadcasts for playback at a later time, allowing satellite radio to compete even with MP3 players.

 

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How Radios have Changed the World

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The iPod family with, from the left to the rig... 

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The radio has completely changed the ways of the world. Once the radio was invented humankind was able to transmit sounds from one place to another allowing people a more effective means of communication. From being priceless during the times of war, the radio also evolved as the singular most important means of entertainment as well. This could be for game shows, music, news and anything else you can think of.

The history of the radio is a quite colorful one and it has gone through several technology-based improvements over the years. Today in fact, it is quite a portable device, being made available in our iPods and our cellular phones as well. Radios are relatively easy to own. All you need is a means of receiving a transmission and you are good to go.

Radios today have developed to such an extent that they are even available in digital form. There are several radio stations that are broadcast by major broadcasting organizations. There are several advantages to having these. You have a great variety in terms of entertainment, there is something for every member of the family, the services are free and you have complete freedom in controlling the way you listen to the music.

Digital radio stations are plenty and the fact they are popular shows that the interest in radio is not something that will wane over a period of time. Tuning in is simple and once you have done so with your receiver, you do not have worry about it anymore. In fact, even if you move, your receiver will tune itself to the stations of your choice.

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Advantages of Digital Radio

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Digital Radio Comm Setup for Linux 

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Digital radio versions of all your favorite shows are available online. Every major network has them and they are easily available. All you need to do is log into a digital radio site, type in your postal code and you are good to go. The great thing about digital radio is that there is a variety of shows that you can listen to and enjoy. Therefore, there is something for the entire family.

The advantages of digital radio are plenty. The quality of sound you get is crystal clear and it comes with the added advantage of text being made available. This means that you can read all about the program that is being streamed. You can browse through online guides to choose programs of your choice and should you want lyrics to a particular song that you are listening to, they are available to you as well. If you have newer versions of a digital radio receiver in your home, you will find that the means of controlling them are all the more varied but simple enough to use. This makes things a lot easier for you.

In addition, if you happen to be moving out of town, then there is absolutely no need for you to retune your receiver. All you need to do is plug it in and play. There are also several free stations that you can tune into making your experience even more pleasant. Amongst the several advantages to having a digital radio station, the variety in terms of choice alone should be good enough for you to consider it.

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Understanding Digital Radios

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Digital radio stations are quite popular these days. Almost every commercial and popular major network has a number of digital radio stations to their credit. These are available in a number of formats and are often in conjunction with the national broadcasting networks of the country. This means that you can get all the stations you want in one place. The simplest way to access these stations is to get online and visit the site of the digital radio station. All you need to do is register by entering your postal code and you are connected. After that, all you need to do is press the listen icon to begin listening to the station’s streaming in real time.

There are several advantages to having digital radio stations. You have clear sound and a large variety of radio shows to tune into and enjoy. Since you are online, you will also be able to see information related to the song being streamed. You will also have access to a program guide that will give you an update on programs.

The text that appears along with the broadcast can give you visual information on what you are listening to, lyrics of songs you are listening and more. The choices available when it comes to digital radio stations are plenty and you can be assured of something good for everyone in the family to listen to. The ease of using the digital radio stations is what makes it all the more exciting. You do not need to be technologically skilled to be able to tune in and listen to the shows of your choice.

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Creating Your Own Digital Radio Station

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Internet is a growing business and it even made people interested in radio launch their own digital radio station. With the creation of being able live stream, anyone can pretty much create their own digital radio station from the comfort of their own home on their own computer. Before deciding on which live streaming program will work for you, browse through your option and find the one that fits the needs of your programming.

Once you’ve gone through your options, pick the one you’re going to stream your digital radio station on. Majority of these hosting services do have a fee you’ll need to pay every month. Some also have tiers that could potentially affect the options available to your digital radio station. These options could include the amount of simultaneous listeners you’re allowed to have and your data storage. These are important decisions that could affect your decision on which service provider to go with.

Next, download and install the software you’ve chosen. Some might not require downloading since they’re a web-based platform.

Get your music collection together and organize your files. To keep your station going 24/7, you’re going to need a good size music collection. Make sure you convert all of the music you own to MP3 files for your software. You should be fine when it comes to copyrighted music as long as you purchased your music legally. Then categorize all your music by genre. Then take your music set list and load it so that your digital radio station will play it.

Lastly, it’s time to launch your digital radio station. Make sure there’s enough music so you won’t have to worry about dead air from happening.

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Starting Your Career in Broadcast Journalism

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Broadcast journalism is a popular industry that many people want to have a career in. The truth is, it’s a very competitive industry to get in and not many people will survive it.

To some, broadcast journalism is seen as a job that’s full of glamour and fun. You get to be on the air each and every day delivering important and interesting information to your viewers. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to make it as a great broadcast journalist. But it can be done.

First you will need to develop strong writing skills. Most of the time you will be writing your own reports. Many broadcast journalism schools will require you take some reporting classes to develop some writing skills.

Know about the subjects you’re going to be talking about. It’s your job to report the news. Be sure to check the spelling and pronunciation of all the names.

Hone in on your communications skills. In order to make it as a broadcast journalist, you will need to be an articulate speaker that can speak clearly and everyone is able to understand what you’re saying.

Get an internship at a news or radio station. Most companies in broadcast journalism won’t even bring you in for an interview without ant internship experience.

Apply everywhere you can. There’s stiff competition out there and you’re definitely not the only person applying for the job. Make sure you have a lot of backups and be prepared to the possibility of relocating.

Take any opportunity you can get. You have to start from somewhere and you can always work your way up. No one ever gets a high paying, glamorous job just after graduation.

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Setting Up An Online Radio Station

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The great thing about an online radio station is that you can start one from the comfort of your own home. In fact starting an online radio station has become really popular thanks to the popularity of the Internet and sites like YouTube and MySpace. Setting up an online radio station is pretty easily, but you need to make sure you know about all the legalities.

Before setting up an online radio station, make sure you brush up on the Digital Millennium Copyright Laws. The law requires that you pay any royalties if you want to play songs on your radio station. I’m guessing you’re planning on playing music. If you’re just doing a talk online radio station than you should be fine there.

Next, set up your server that’s going to host your online radio station. Finding a hosting for your website isn’t super difficult if you’re good with the technical side of starting your own online radio station.

Read all the rules about what you can and can’t do. You don’t have to have any problems with the servers. Also read all the information on the hosting site you go with. Some will have a monthly fee and this fee will cover the royalties of some of the songs you’re looking to play. Cover your basis.

Be sure to have the amount of bandwidth that can support a large number of listeners. You don’t want anything to happen if you have more listeners than what your bandwidth can hold.

Lastly, set up your music player. Doing this will be based on which server you’re going with. If it’s your own server than you can just link all your music to your website.

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