Sound decisions

5/10/05

By SCOTT STEEPLETON

iPods and other MP3 players are changing the way we get an earful

Paris Hilton is sometimes called a ditzy blonde, but in the days leading up to the release of her new movie, "House of Wax," the hotel heiress and reality-TV star proved that she knows cutting edge is not just a thing at her hairdresser's station.

For an entire week, the 24-year-old recorded her comings and goings for a series of "podcasts," on-demand audio files for people with MP3 players like the iriver and the Apple iPod. Think of it as TiVo for your MP3 player.

The musings in "The Paris Hilton Podcast -- Countdown to 'House of Wax' " (http://houseofwaxmovie.warnerbros.com) are what you'd expect from Ms. Hilton, but the promotional campaign is a testament to the growing popularity of MP3 players, which, by some estimates, number 22 million in America alone.

"iPods are the thing now," said Sarah Hock, a communications instructor at Santa Barbara City College. "I casually surveyed three classes of my Mass Media and Society students to find out how many of them had iPods. Around 90 percent of students in all three of my classes had one."

But they're not just for the young. President Bush has an iPod, with a playlist ranging from the Knack's "My Sharona" to lots of country tunes.

From its debut in 2001, the iPod was intended to replace the audio tape and CD as the music-playback medium of choice. The original holds 5,000 songs and costs $299, but the $99 iPod Shuffle still holds a lot more songs than a tape or CD -- and being about the size of a pack of Trident gum, it's a lot easier to haul around than other players.

The newest player, iPod Photo, sells for $349 and can hold 15,000 songs or 25,000 photos.

Other manufacturers' models cost less but hold even more.

You don't even have to go to the store to find something for your MP3 player. The Internet makes it possible to download a seemingly infinite number of songs, some for free, some for a small price and some for a big price, especially if you get caught doing it illegally.

"We are really moving into an era where the distribution of music is going to be totally different than it was in the past," said Ms. Hock.

"It's a digital music era. That's how many people are getting their music, and that's how they want to get it."

Luke Ma gets his that way.

A pianist and second-year graduate student of music theory at UCSB, the 24-year-old said his iPod holds a rather eclectic collection.

"I always keep on the iPod a selection of piano pieces I don't and can't seem to get sick of. Classical favorites like Rachmaninoff piano concertos, Chopin etudes ... Beethoven's sonatas ... tend to dominate my piano tastes."

Then there's a mix of what he calls famous or fun music from the '80s, '90s and beyond.

"If I get sick of piano or classical music, it's nice to have Guns N' Roses or (Sisqo's) 'The Thong Song' -- the latter for comedic relief -- ready as an antidote," Mr. Ma said. "Miscellaneous items include random Asian pop, theme songs, jingles and other trivia."

He's listened to podcasts, but for now Mr. Ma is not a huge fan.

For those who are, Web sites such as www.podcastalley.com, point people to them.

A podcast essentially is an audio, picture and software file that derives its name from the iPod. The programming includes everything from people who simply like to hear themselves talk to commercial news to explicit erotica.

You simply post your creation on the Web, and through a process known as Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, it can be consumed at anytime by anyone with an MP3 player. They can also be heard right through a computer.

Ms. Hilton would probably call her "Wax" podcast hot, but it's nothing compared to content available at adults-only sites like www.tinynibbles.com, where sex writer Violet Blue waxes erotic on a variety of topics.

The president didn't have that kind of content on his iPod, according to a story last month in the International Herald Tribune. But iPod One did have a playlist that included John Fogerty's "Centerfield."

Democratic pundits chortled that "Fortunate Son," from Mr. Fogerty's days with Creedence Clearwater Revival, would be a more fitting song for the commander in chief.

With its rise in popularity, the iPod has become a favorite among thieves on the New York City subway system. Transit police there say thefts of student iPods have doubled in recent months.

It's a different story in Santa Barbara.

At UCSB, bikes still outpace iPods when it comes to theft.

"We haven't received an exorbitant number of calls regarding the theft of iPods," said Officer Mark Signa of the UCSB Police Department.

In Santa Barbara public schools, the only people taking iPods are teachers, and only when students cause a ruckus using them in class.

"If there is any misuse of electronic devices, the device is confiscated," said Barbara Keyani, communications director.

She said that happens a couple of times a month among junior high and high school students.

"It's not just iPods, but also pagers, CD players, cell phones, anything that's a distraction to learning," she said.

Some fans of the iPod don't even own one.

Gary Woods, 54, an associate at Home Realty & Investments, has written several columns about iPods on his Beautiful Santa Barbara Blog Web site, found at www.santabarbaraproperties.com/weblog, including one titled "Things to Make Your iPod Cooler."

But as for listening to music that way, he says, "It's something I'm just not interested in. I do have a CD player in the car."

Mr. Woods, who also serves as the computer trainer for the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, did get an MP3 player for his wife, Laury Woods, a violinist with the Santa Barbara Symphony. "She likes to hear the compositions they're going to be playing."

He lights up when talking about Apple's latest creation, the iPod that displays pictures, but he's still a fan from afar.

"The closest thing I have is the thing I bought my wife," he said. "But I never listen to it."

STEVE MALONE / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Sarah Hock, a communications instructor at Santa Barbara City College, loves her iPod Shuffle.

UCSB graduate student Luke Ma listens to his iPod while practicing the piano.