World music in one place with Screamer radio player

Internet based radio stations are blooming these days. No wonder with expenses and costs for that kind of broadcasting being so low except for internet usage itself. Therefore internet based radio players are getting more and more popular and Screamer Radio is amongst them. But don't be fooled and think that this player is new on the market. He is there for quite some time dating way back to 2003. So why we are writing about it today? Because it is probably the best if not thee best internet based radio player out there. Why do we think so? Read on...


Basic qualities of this wonderful application are very simple interface and very small footprint. But once again, don't be fooled with that. That minimalistic interface enables you full control over content which is streamed over the net. Another big quality of this application comes from very big database of supported radio stations from around the world. Over four thousand of them. Wow! Newest additions can be tracked on Screamer radio directory location. And that is not all. Some stations may broadcast from more than one stream enabling different quality or formats. Not a problem. Screamer enables you simple and fast change between sources. Supported formats go from Shoutcast and Icecast MP3 streaming to Icecast OGG and WMA/ACC streaming.


Now we come to another great quality of this player. All streamed content can be recorded by simple button click. And not just that, this player will record the whole song even if you clicked on record button at the middle of song broadcast. This is possible because Screamer uses buffering system which is held until the song in question is over. Also if radio station in question enables id tags songs will be recorded, properly named using those tags and put into proper folders. You can also choose the format for recording being MP3 or OGG.
Amongs other things we can also mention marking your favorite stations and even using portable version of this program which you can put on your usb device and use it on virtually any computer. Also, this program is low on resources but you should probably have a better internet connection for streamed content although reported internet usage goes from 10 to 20 kb depending on streaming quality. For more demanding and better quality network usage goes up.
On the end, when it comes to internet radio players, one big, musical, and Hot Wink goes to this wonderful and small yet very powerful application. Ah yes. You can get it here and take it for a spin. Don't worry it is FREE. Enjoy!

Tips for Tweets

It seems that ever popular service called Twitter is having a much larger impact on our lives than we thought it will have. Practically everybody who uses the Network on a daily basis is using it. Today we bring you two out of many twitter contribution projects, TwitScoop and TwiTip.

TwitScoop is a service entirely based on Twitter. Their automated algorithm crawls hundreds of tweets every second bringing up the words which are mentioned more then other words. Main page gives you an insight into this through one constantly changing word cloud which is actually fun to watch. You can see words appearing and disappearing depending on their cloud influence. The right side gives you insight into hot trends for the day. You can also put up the twitter username or keywords into a provided search box in order to follow the conversation with results being refreshed every twenty seconds. Neat. Other than that, there is also a widgets page from where you can grab the code and connect this service with your blog or website.


TwiTip compared to TwitScoop is a totally different story. It was created by Darren Rowse from ProBlogger and it is a blog. The purpose of this blog is to give twitter tips and lessons to Tweeter users in order to use it more effectively. According to the author, articles will cover Twitter Tips of all varieties including writing for twitter, branding a growing, corporate tweeting and more. Also if you have some Twitter tips and tricks in your sleeves don't hesitate to share them with the community as a guest author on this promising blog.

So whether you like to Tweet or not now you know where to find hot and juicy words and service tips and tricks in order to tell us 'What are you doing?' in a better and more precise way. Two Tweeted Hot Winks for this two contributors. Happy tweeting.

Feeling touchy? HP opens up TouchSmart

Have you always wanted to make applications that were touch sensitive? Well now you can and it all comes from industry giant called HP and their TouchSmart Software suite.


They have released TouchSmart Application Developer Guidelines to third-party developers thus allowing anyone with enough motivation to create touch-friendly applications within the TouchSmart Software suite on the popular HP TouchSmart PCs. HP also made an effort to distribute the guidelines to developers and provide an environment for developers to interact. After that only what is left is to upload the new creations via download hub on the site. Neat.


And that is not all. In order to popularize it more, TouchSmart Community is running a promotion that will send one lucky developer, with all expenses paid, to demo their software within the HP booth at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He or she will also receive a free TouchSmart PC, HP MediaSmart Server, and a month of promotion in the community! The motivation is there and the promotion runs through December 5th with all details located here.
One last thing is that TouchSmart owners need to upgrade their TouchSmart Software to the latest version in order to install third-party applications. The upgrade is available free from HP's Support site and Developer Guidelines can be downloaded here.
So whether you are a developer and eager to start coding or you are a consumer eager to test new applications now you now what to do. One programmed Hot Wink for HP and their TouchSmart technology. Happy coding!

Find my way home, Magellan Maestro 4350 series

When it comes to GPS navigation Magellan is already a well known name. Their new, advanced Maestro 4350 series which utilizes one touch user interface approach is out. First one of its kind in the world of vehicle navigation devices. The focus is thrown on already mentioned one touch user interface which should reduce drivers distraction and be very easy to use. This new concept is not yet tested and other manufacturers are apparently waiting for consumers approval.


With this new device you can access your favorite destinations and searches with only one click. At least they say you can. After identification and placement of your favorite places, locations and destinations you can access them directly through one quick menu selection. Neat huh? Beneath that you will be given the ability to quickly change or reroute to other destinations with minimized distractions and fuel consumption. This sounds very good especially in unfamiliar locations and big towns. Other than directly GPS involved functions you will be able to access other applications in order to play music, call people or simply search for addresses. Amongst other features we can mention audio, video and picture player.
This device comes in standard equipment which includes windshield mounting device, cigarette lighter adapter, A/C power adapter, USB data cable and protective pouch.
So whether you are lost or going to visit your relatives in Europe now you now what device can help you to achieve that with just few clicks. One touched Hot Wink for this great device which has yet to prove it self.

One hot singing hound from Hot Topic

While we are dealing with hot topics one particular Hot Topic got our attention. This clothing and accessories based retailer, with rich taste for alternative music, has launched its first online music store called ShockHound which offers rich musical content including millions of mp3s and videos, bands merchandise and quality editorial content amongst other things.


On ShockHound you can find almost all major record labels standing next to independent ones. But things get even better. The word is that artists themselves will be able to upload and sell their own music directly from this service with no need for a middle man called record label. Nice.
One other unique feature of this service will be already mentioned editorial section. It will host editorial team controlled and music related news, reviews, interviews and videos amongst other things. Despite the known fact that Hot Topic mostly likes the alternative rock flavor on ShockHound you will be able to find music from all genres. This opens the new question. Will it compete with iTunes and Amazon store? Why not? It has a wide network of consumers, established name and one key advantage regarding musical content. Apparently all ShockHound songs are DRM free. Each song can be downloaded directly from the website for 99 cents.
Well although it seems like a promising service we cant avoid the fact that it is new and has a pretty late start comparing to well established and already mentioned giants in this field. We give it a Hot Wink to keep it warm for the market battles yet to come.