Keep music files safe

Keep music files safe
In this tech-savvy age, using online services to check your e-mail is the norm. Being able to check your messages from any 'Net-connected computer definitely comes in handy, especially if you're away from home. And it's nice to have an archive of your messages stored off your computer because if your trusted machine falls prey to malware or mechanical malfunction, your e-mails will be safe and sound.
Now, take that line of thinking and apply it to music files -- if you can access your e-mail from the 'Net, why not your favorite songs? That's the idea behind the Web site MP3tunes.com (http://www.mp3tunes.com).
MP3tunes.com lets you store your digital music files online in a password-protected account. It offers a free and a premium service. The free service only permits you to store MP3 files you find on the Web at places such as GarageBand.com or PasteStore.com. Once uploaded, you can stream the songs from the site's audio player. The premium package, which costs $39.95 per year, allows you to back up your entire music collection from your hard drive, and syncs collections on both your computer and the site. MP3tunes.com's Oboe software handles the syncing chores and includes a plug-in for Apple Computer's popular iTunes software.
Syncing between your computer and the site isn't fast -- even with a broadband connection, the process takes a while. And unless you're a fan of independent music acts, who frequently post free MP3 files to spread publicity, the free service is pretty useless.
However, if you've spent considerable time, money or effort building your music collection and can't bear the thought of losing it to a malicious virus, the premium service could be something worth investigating.
Quote/Unquote
"When I was 16, I was in a band and there was this $2,000 guitar that I wanted. Christmas came around. My mom left a trail of picks to the bathroom -- and there was the guitar." -- Ryan Cabrera, in Newsweek.
"What do I want for Christmas? Peace and love, not war, between my family -- as well as for our soldiers. The best present I ever gave was a car to a loved one. It really felt amazing to be able to do that." -- Lindsay Lohan, in Newsweek.
"The return of pleats. I still don't believe it's happening. It's like Armageddon." -- Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"), on what he could live without, in People magazine.
Video game review
"Civilization IV," ssss (out of four); 2K Games for PC, $49.99; rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and up)
I'd give the game five stars if I could -- it is that good. Earlier versions of & quot;Civilization & quot; were great; this one is fantastic. I've stayed awake late at night planning my next turn in this strategy classic.
The new soundtrack and scenarios and smoother controls combine to offer a wider variation in play for a game that already was global.
One of the first times I played, I chose the American Revolution option. Unlike the regular game, that scenario comes with historical background. There I was commanding the British forces, trying to quell an uprising of colonist pests. Things were going well. Benedict Arnold helped me. I took New York and Portland, Maine. And then ... well, I didn't exactly rewrite history.
& quot;Civilization & quot; games are turn-based (you make a move, your rival takes a turn). You begin in a randomly generated world with a settler who develops a city. You advance from Stone Age to Futuristic times in quick, normal or epic speed games.
Some features have been updated from the former version; others are new, such as religion (citizens are happier when they have a spiritual life). Attack scenarios are more realistic. Familiar civilizations, such as the Romans and Aztecs, are back, and new ones, like Arabs, Mongols and Incans, have been added.
The controls took a while to learn (with a frustrating tutorial), but with repeated play they became easy. My only criticism is the trading feature: It was confusing.
-- Craig Campbell, 12, from the Detroit Free Press
New releases
Most-ordered video games that went on sale this week at Amazon.com, including title, platform and ESRB rating:
1. "Peter Jackson's King Kong," PlayStation Portable, Teen.
2. "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland," Windows XP, Teen.
3. "Samurai Shodown V," Xbox, Teen.