Jim Karpen Tips

May 2001

I wanted to write about Live365 but then I wondered whether it would really be useful to you. Yes, there are over 35,000 radio stations to choose from, and yes, it is an unusual multicultural experience to tune into Chinese Gospel Radio (I'm not kidding). But who's going to actually listen to music via the Internet?

I would. But not via my dialup. That's why I so badly want DSL. It's arriving in eastern Iowa, and I'm going to get mine soon. When I do, I'll tell you all about it.

What's DSL? Digital Subscriber Line, whatever that means. In real terms what it means to me is that my computer is always connected to the Internet. I don't have to wait while it dials up and makes those weird screeching sounds. Any time I want, I can access a web site or send e-mail.

And DSL is fast--probably about 10 times faster than my actual dialup speed. And it won't hog my phone line. I'd like to listen to some Claude Debussy music from Live365, but I can't really enjoy it knowing that it ties up my phone. With DSL, you can, as I'm told, use your phone even while you're using that very same line to access the Internet.

So once I get DSL, I imagine using web sites such as Live365. I can connect to a station, start it playing in the background via my speaker system, and then go ahead and use my computer for other things.

Live365 is one of the best sites I've encountered for listening to live radio because it has a huge selection and helps you get set up. The first time you click on a selection, it goes through Listening Setup in a popup window. First it checks to see what your actual connection speed is. I have a 56k modem, but based on its test, it recommended a speed of 33k.

Next it takes you through a step labeled Choose Settings. It looks at your system to see if you have a streaming MP3 player on your computer. If not, it gives you a list based on your system and recommends the one it thinks would be best. Then you click a link to download. (Which I did when I started writing this column. I have another 10 minutes to go, which is another reason DSL will be so fabulous.) Once you have the right software, it goes through a verification process and you can start listening.

You can browse the site's large number of categories or do a search. For each station, it tells the type of music, the broadcaster, connection speed it requires, rating, and number of listeners.

© 2001 by Jim Karpen, Ph.D. (#267)