Here's this week's edition of Napster Freebies. To sum up the feedback from the last few weeks, these links seem to work internationally and do not require a Napster account to use. If you find otherwise, let me know by email or add a comment below. I hope you enjoy the music and that you discover an artist or two...

Fresh from the press release: Getting a Zune for Xmas? For only $7.99, you can get the real scoop on Zune in "Eight Great Ways to Get The Most Out Of Your Zune" by Erica Sadun in a 70-page PDF Short Cut.You'll learn:How to get the most out of your Zune.The best methods and secrets for managing your media, loading...

Zune is now Vista Friendly The 1.2 firmware update now plays nicely in Vista's sandbox. Leo Laporte on Zune Let's just say that he's not a big fan. Zune Games on the way? Microsoft may be considering the Zune as a possible (and limited) gaming platform....

I stumbled across this little Windows tech support article on Mercury News. I suppose it wouldn't occur to me to copy the raw files from CDs onto Windows rather than use a program like iTunes or Zune Software to do the rips, but apparently there's a built-in security feature in Windows that automagically sets copied CD-ROM files to read-only. If...

Here's my selection for the best vocal and the best instrumental CD of 2006, for rock/pop music. First, my criteria. Personality is everything. When I hear someone playing, I love to realize "No-one else in the world would think of doing that": the Joe Zawinul/Garth Hudson/Mike Oldifeld class of musicians. Similarly, when I hear someone singing, I love to think...

Since last week, more and more international readers have e-mailed me to let me know that they've been able to download tracks from the O'Reilly Friday Napster posts. Because of that, I'm just going to stop saying "US Only", because clearly it isn't. As always, if you enjoy these posts or want to give me some feedback, drop me an...

A friend wrote, "Each year my brother and I tend to exchange bizarre sound-making devices at Christmas. Until I get back to being an active musician, my connections to the sound world are rusty at best, and I don't have 'the coolest new thing' at my fingertips. Can you suggest something crazy that you might have come across in your...

Creative's Xmod audio enhancer delivers virtual 5.1 surround sound to your headphones or speaker pair. It's a great little device. Unfortunately, its default settings on the Mac do not let you experience all the great 5.1 sounds you should be hearing.Here's how to fix that.Connect the Xmod to your computer and your speakers or headphones to the Xmod.Open /Applications/Utilities/Audio...

"Tis the season for gift guides to be sure. (Yes, we have one here if you're looking for an O'Reilly book.) But I'm guessing many people are going to follow Scott Bourne's advice from the end of the great gift-giver's guide edition of the iLifeZone podcast (episode 16) and just go for the iPod. Why not? Scott's right, this gift...

Remember when getting your music on a CD was the Holy Grail? Here's something even retro-hipper. The free Says-It Cassette Generator will instantly mock up a downloadable cassette-tape graphic for you in a variety of styles. There's a lot more at the site, including the wonderful Church Sign Generator, but the guilty pleasure of seeing your name on a vintage...