Don’t know what to do with all your old VHS tapes, since you threw out your VHS at your last garage sale a year ago? What about all those precious home movies from back in the day when you’d lug a twenty-pound camcorder to all your kids’ graduation ceremonies?

Well, some public libraries now offer machines to convert home movies on VHS to more durable and more modern DVDs. The library in Hinsdale, a suburb of Chicago, just recently added this technology to their repertoire.

The Hinsdale library has a video editing and copying stations that patrons can use for free. In the past two years, they’ve even updated their technology and re-trained staff twice. The machines are relatively easy to use and straightforward, and allow anyone to transfer files from VHS to DVD. It also offers the option to edit the videos, but this process is a little more advanced. Staff is trained to help people use the Adobe Creative Suite software to edit their videos, like adding a menu and scenes.

The library also uses the technology to make training videos and materials. Library members can even borrow a digital recorder, shoot some footage and then upload the film to DVD all at the library center. Who says libraries and books are outdated? The Hinsdale library provides this great technological service to people all for free.

However, the process is time consuming. Not to worry, people can rent out the room for themselves ahead of time, and the transfer doesn’t have to happen all in one sitting. Also, the process is free but people must bring their own blank DVDs to copy their VHS onto.

What a great service! Check with your local libraries to see if they might offer a similar opportunity.

Source:
http://hinsdale.suntimes.com/news/17773887-418/transfer-vhs-tapes-to-dvd-at-the-hinsdale-library.html

So, times are tough. The economy is still recovering, and despite the tumultuous financial climate globally as well as locally, the silver lining is that people are being more creative about business. In a time when jobs are scarce, many start their own. One tangible way to earn money from a small business you own and operate is to start a CD duplication business.

Why CD Duplication?

Though it may seem like a very specific, esoteric path, that actually will lend to its strength. How many CD duplication businesses do you know of in your town? CD duplication often occurs at the high business level, in corporate offices, in music studios and in already established professional settings. Starting a small CD duplication business could be just the thing your community needs. Because CD duplication requires certain machinery and technical knowledge, not every small business or artist will own the proper equipment or have the means to purchase it themselves. Knowing that you have a market to provide a unique service can ensure a journey toward success.

Who Will Buy?

When you think of who may need a large quantity of personalized CDs, the first demographic that comes to mind is musical artists and bands, especially bands that have just started and don’t yet have a record label. In today’s music landscape, self-producing is ever more common and necessary. A band may take on the full responsibility of creating and marketing themselves. In this case, this is your primary audience. A start up band will need to create many CDs to sell to their fans, and this is where you come in. Being able to produce, as well as help organize packaging, can be profitable with local musicians.

Your other target demographic will be small businesses who want to create employee-training materials or back up data to disc, but who can’t justify purchasing their own duplication equipment.

How To Start

It’s easy. Creating a business plan and identifying your demographic, your start up capital and your expected returns will be the first step. Then, invest in CD duplication equipment. Learn how to use it. And finally, market yourself to the public. This can include posting ads on Craigslist, on social media sites and blogs. You may wish to make a website for your business. Set reasonable yet lucrative prices, and gather a team (possibly) to help churn out product. This may be a part time side job or, if successful, it could turn into a full-time business.

Final Tips

Talk to people before, and during, your start up process. Gauge interest in your local music and small business community. Be friendly and helpful. Stay organized and on task. Most of all, market yourself as much as possible, because if your customers can’t find you, they can’t buy from you.

It’s a seemingly archaic law that prohibits consumers from burning or ripping music, movies or other digital content onto a personal computer, mp3 player, disc or the web. In an age driven by accelerating technology, online social networking and a prolific web presence, the concept of digital file sharing has become deeply ingrained in the habits of hip, savvy content consumers. Though punitive response is generally low for the crime of ripping content illegally, most countries recognize copyright laws that prohibit content burning.

Happily for content consumers in England, the UK government recently made it legal to burn content from CDs to a computer or mp3 device for personal use, though ripping to DVD is still considered an illegal activity. DVD’s Technical Protection Measures (TPM) still outlaws copying film on DVD to a personal device. It is also still illegal to transfer files from person to person.

Business secretary Vince Cable said the updated law was “not only common sense but good business sense.” He remarked that the law would increase respect for copyright laws by making them more realistic in the current marketplace, while still intending to protect content creators for their work. He said that this law strikes a good balance between allowing consumers to enjoy the music they have purchased, while not giving too much free reign to steal content from legitimate artists.

Some creative artists, or the rights holders to the music, asked Cable to introduce a new tax on blank CDs in order to compensate for sales lost online, but Cable responded that it would be such a minimal gain for artists that it wouldn’t make sense to press the pockets of already strapped consumers. The report in which the law was stated says that it would be “unlikely to result in a significant loss of licensing revenue.”

Copyright laws are meant to protect the creative works of artists, but in this day and age, it can only be a good idea to compromise between the realities of the digital landscape in order to protect more serious copyright issues. Is it really so terrible to copy the content from a CD you actually purchased onto your own computer or mp3? Finally, the UK doesn’t think so. Other digital sharing activities like uploading files online for download without permission are still illegal, and there are still much bigger fish to fry than an innocent bit of content duplication.

Mobile POS technology is a $5.5 billion industry worldwide, and it’s the fastest-moving retail trend since Internet was added to brick and mortar locations. It makes sense because in a world that’s on the go more than ever before, portable POS systems allow anyone from servers to corporate managers to take their business with them and complete transactions anywhere. Mobile POS systems generally connect easily to a smartphone and allow online transactions to be completed through a credit card slot.

Now, Epson has added Bluetooth capabilities to their leading line of mobile Mobilink POS printers to make virtual transactions and printing receipts even easier. The Mobilink P60 Thermal Printers are compatible with all iDevices, including the iPad, iTouch, and iPhone. The wireless connection is through Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless networking standard. The Bluetooth open wireless connection protocal makes connecting to the Internet safe, secure and reliable from practically anywhere.

Mobilink is not just for Apple; Mobilink devices also support Android and Windows operating systems with options for Wi-Fi 802.11 and Bluetooth. Mobilink was originally launched in 2003 and is the leading mobile POS system for retail and hospitality environments. The device is perfect for efficient, high-speed, reliable POS printing with an autocutter and label peeler, depending on the version. Belt strap and shoulder strap options are also available.

Who says the days of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray are over? Certainly not AbundaTrade.com, an online retailer of gently used CDs, DVDs, books and games. AbundaTrade offers cash for these used items and more, and sells them on their website at an affordable price. Recycle culture has sprouted full force in AbundaTrade, and everyone wins.

This year, AbundaTrade is treating a non-profit group in South Carolina especially well. They are offering 110% of donation profits to the youth mentoring program, Junior Achievement of Coastal South Carolina. What this means is that anyone can donate their old CDs, DVDs, books and games to AbundaTrade and absolutely every cent of profits, plus more, will go to helping Junior Achievement reach their fundraising goal of $262,750 to reach 10,000 students.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that helps children and young adults realize their full economic potential as viable, contributing members of society. Their aim is to empower young people to own their own financial destiny and gain the tools to become independent, successful adults through valuing entrepreneurship, free market enterprise, and the special skills of every individual.

The partnership of AbundaTrade and Junior Achievement show how good intentions and great ideas can come together to form a positive working relationship. In a time when economic conditions are not altogether certain, it is collaborations like these that help spur forward new thought and innovative solutions. The youth of today are the leaders of the future.

If you’re interested in donating your used CDs, DVDs, books or games to fund Junior Achievement’s mission goals, follow these steps. And if you are donating CDs or DVDs, that doesn’t mean you lose the content forever – just back it up on a blank CD or DVD and give the rest to a good cause.

It’s almost Thanksgiving in the States, which means it’s also the start of the holiday shopping season.

News broke a few weeks ago that the majority of the latest Apple laptops are devoid of any optical disc drive, suspiciously pointing to Mac’s subtle intention to do away with the technology. Though Apple may be moving away from hard disc storage in favor of USB or cloud-based storage (or maybe they just decided to sacrifice disc drives in order to make the Macbooks even sleeker and slimmer), it’s not impossible or even difficult to still play CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays on these driveless Macs.

All it takes is an external disc drive. For those die-hard DVD or Blu-Ray fans, you’ll still want a way to play your discs on a new Mac, and this year on Black Friday, there are a slew of sales that will surely help you find that special piece of technology you’ve been looking for. While Apple retails their external disc drives for around $79, other brands offer a better deal.

We’ve tracked down one great Black Friday deal so far that will allow any new generation Mac user to play their collection of Blu-Ray:

Click on the ad to be taken to the site.

Macgo is offering a special discount for their Mac Blu-Ray Player up until November 25^th. The Macgo Blu-Ray Player will be available for $39.95, a 33% markdown from the regular $59.95. The same price discount applies for the Windows Blu-Ray Player for PCs. Also, the Blu-Ray Suite for both Mac and PC is marked down from $119.99 to $54.95. Who doesn’t love Black Friday deals you can buy online? You don’t have to worry about long lines or pushy soccer moms to get this great deal.

This year, the Blu-Ray Association authorized Macgo, a leading multimedia company, to become an official Blu-Ray product manufacturer. Macgo’s Mac Blu-Ray Player is the first Blu-Ray player for Mac OS, supporting versions 10.5 up to the latest 10.8. The newly upgraded version of this player allows Blu-Ray streaming from a Mac computer to Apple mobile devices like an iPhone or iPad and it also has a built-in wireless AirX function. Just plug in the USB from the Blu-Ray Player to your Mac and watch high-quality Blu-Ray without any frame loss. There is also a function to recommend movies on Facebook or Twitter.

You’ll also need free Blu-Ray player software, which is available for free online. And why not pick up some blank Blu-Ray discs to record your favorite memories and maybe even get started on that holiday slideshow you’ve been salivating over?

Happy Black Friday!

Talk of the end has been happening for a few years now – no, not just the end of the world, but the end of the familiar data storage devices known as CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. With more digital downloads, virtual space creation, mp3 players and storage in the cloud, rumors have been spreading that the inevitable end of CDs is just around the corner. Vinyl and cassette tapes have faced their inevitable demise, so are CDs going down the same path?

Apple plays no small part in the shift from optical disc drives to alternative storage. Since 2008, Apple has been starting to phase out optical disc drives in their computers, but it has generally been slow and gradual. CDs are still a primary method of information transference for many people.

However, just a few days ago Apple announced their newest line-up of computers, and only two out of a slew of new computers contained a drive for discs. One of the reasons for this is that Apple is somewhat like a beauty pageant princess going for the gold – their computers just keep getting slimmer and slimmer, and the Macbook Air has long been too thin to contain room for a disc drive. But except for the Mac Pro and Macbook Pro without a Retina display, all other lines of Apple products, including the iMac, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro with Retina displays, all astonishingly lacked an optical disc drive.

The sleeker, slimmer models come at a price – there is no convenient way to use CDs, DVDs or Blu-Ray. While it’s true that other types of data are available, many people own collections of musical CDs, DVDs or Blu-Ray discs. And what about when professional data discs need to be accessed? If the end of the CD is in fact headed our way, the time has not come yet.

It’s not, though, impossible to access discs with any of the new Macs. All you would have to do is buy an external disc drive. Apple sells their USB SuperDrive for $79 and other brands are even cheaper. Is the transition to sleek worth the hassle? Many will think so, but the CD isn’t out of sight yet – Apple is just making us work a little harder for it now.

Earlier this month the CD celebrated a significant birthday – it’s been 30 years this October since the compact disc was introduced to the world in 1982. The CD has become such a ubiquitous piece of technology that anyone 25 or younger probably couldn’t even imagine a world without it. These pre-quarter centurions may have heard parents tell fond tales of record players and listened to them wax nostalgic about the satisfaction of running down to the local record store after school to pick up their favorite rock star’s new vinyl.

And even though vinyl lovers will always prefer that medium of music, the CD brought with it unparalleled new advances for music lovers everywhere. On October 1, 1982 Billy Joel released the first ever digital compact disc for his sixth studio album, 52^nd Street, in Japan, along with the first ever Sony CD player, and history was made. Whatever you think of Billy Joel, this album changed the way people listened to music forever.

No longer did you have to get up every few songs to switch the vinyl over, instead, you could listen to an album all the way through; no longer did artists have to limit their song lengths to fit on one side of a disc, now they could enjoy the freedom of producing 10 minute long masterpieces; no longer did the audio quality crackle, for this new digital sound was clear and crisp.

At first, music CDs were quite expensive, retailing for around $15, or $35 in today’s dollars, and CD players were a whopping $730, or in today’s terms, $1,750. No wonder CD manufacturers first targeted classic music lovers and serious audiophiles – the general public wasn’t about the drop that much money to replace an already established vinyl collection. Slowly but surely, however, CDs became prolific.

Today, vinyl sales are making an astonishing comeback and mp3 digital downloads are quickly becoming the norm, but CDs are still the primary form of music listening for most people. Just like how today’s Gen X parents’ won’t ever fully forget the pleasure of vinyl, something similar occurs with CDs, despite the increasingly virtual nature of society. As people move more and more toward virtual identities and digital data storage, there is still an innately human instinct to want to physically hold a beloved object in their hands, a need to feel that the music they love is tangible and real. For this reason, CDs are unlikely to disappear completely, and like vinyl, might even gain prestige the longer they can stick around.

Happy birthday, compact disc. We’ve enjoyed having you and look forward to another great 30 years.

MicroTech, a technology integration company based in Tysons Quarter, Virginia, was just named the country’s #1 8(a) firm by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Federal Computer Week released the list of Top 50 8(a) companies yesterday, and MicroTech tops the list with $280 million in prime contracts and an additional $62 million in sub-contracts. The data analyzed is compiled from government sources.

An 8(a) business is a special status given to firms designated socially or economically disadvantaged. They are eligible for financial assistance, mentoring, training and other forms of assistance in order to help their growth and development through the SBA. The SBA was established in 1953 in order to help small business grow, and also to give them a voice in Congress.

President and CEO of MicroTech, Tony Jimenez, had this say after being notified of the honor: “Our status as the No. 1 8(a) business is really heartening. It reaffirms that if you surround yourself with the right people and stay on the cutting edge by focusing on innovation, businesses like MicroTech will continue to succeed,” Jimenez said.

MicroTech is a thriving company that offers a wide array of services and products in the realm of technology integration, social media, cloud computing and cyber security to both the commercial and public sector. In 2011, MicroTech launched multiple new directives, including the MicroKloud line of cloud computing services and MicroPodd solutions for mobile data. MicroTech also has an exciting array of new ventures happening in 2012 in addition to their tried and true products and services. MicroTech manages more than 500,000 users daily and is a prime contractor for over 100 federal projects.

Their mission statement reads: To discover, design, develop and deliver innovative and emerging technology solutions including infrastructure services, systems integration, unified communications and cloud offerings maximizing customer success.

MicroTech is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business and National Minority Supplier Development Council supplier of quality products.

Epson, leading manufacturer of printers and technological innovator, just announced three brand new home projectors to their line of products. They’ve been leading the pack in this arena for a while, and many spectators and business folk alike were excited to see the company unveil these three new puppies at last weekend’s CEDIA EXPO in Indianapolis, Indiana. So if you’re in the market for new home theater devices, take your pick of the options below.

Here are the 3 new projectors announced for the Power Lite series:

1. Home Cinema 3020/3020e:

The 3020 is the basic home movie projector, starting at $1,599. Here are some of its stand out features:

• 1080p display resolution
• 2,300 color and white brightness
• 230 watt lamp
• 40,000:1 contrast ratio
• 2D and 3D viewing, with 2 pairs of rechargeable glasses included
• built-in 10 watt speaker system

The 3020e, which retails for $1,799, includes all the features of the 3020, except for the built-in speaker system, plus wireless HDMI connectivity and 5 outlets for HDMI devices, along with a wireless transmitter.

2. Home Cinema 5020UB/5020UBe

Moving on to the mid-range home movie projectors, the 5020 boasts these features for $2,599:

• 1090p display resolution
• Both 2D and 3D viewing options with glasses included
• 2,400 lumens of color and white output
• 230 watt lamp
• 320,000:1 contrast ratio
• horizontal and vertical lens shift for easier placement

As you can see, the quality of picture is significantly clearer. For wireless connectivity and 5 HDMI outputs, the 5020e offers these same bonus features for HDMI advancement, for a total of $2,899.

3. Pro Cinema 6020UB

For those serious cinema lovers, the best of the best (for now) is the Pro Cinema 6020UB. For $3,499 this high-end projector comes with all the features of the 5020/5020e (excluding wireless connectivity) and adds these additional bonuses:

• THX 2D and 3D certification
• ISF calibration
• Color isolation
• Ceiling mount
• Cable cover
• Extra lamp

With these three options, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your home theater from the renowned printer and technology company Epson.