Now that I’ve spent a morning trying to figure out how to convert .mp3s to an audio format that works on Nintendo’s DSi or DSi XL I decided to post about it so the next time I need to do it I’ll know where to look.

Quick Info about DSi supported audio

Apple states that the only supported audio format for the DSi is AAC. AAC is the standard iTunes audio format. If you have it installed you can convert the files with iTunes if you prefer. I needed a process that did not use iTunes.

Here’s the info on the DSi audio format from Apple:

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dsi/en_na/sdCards.jsp#compatible_files

Compatible file types

The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL are compatible with the following file types:

File types: AAC

Filename Extensions: .m4a, .mp4, .3gp

Bitrate: 16 kbps – 320 kbp

Sampling rate: 32kHz – 48kHz

Here’s Apple’s “help” for converting MP3s to AAC:

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dsi/en_na/sdCards.jsp#convert

“Music files that you want to play on your system may or may not be copy protected. Music files that are copy protected can not be converted to compatible AAC files for play on the Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL. Music files that are not copy protected can be converted to different formats using commercially available music file converters.

Nintendo does not provide a process to convert music files; however, there is conversion software for your PC which you can purchase, called Nero Music2Go. You can find more information about this program at www.nero.com/nintendodsi.

Whichever conversion software you decide to use, you will want to make sure the converter works with the file format you are currently using as well as the AAC format. For example, if your songs are currently in .mp3 format, you will want to find a program that can convert MP3 files to AAC.”

Converting to AAC (M4A) with WinFF

WinFF can be used for free and can be downloaded here:

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My boys are now old enough that I can share the enjoyment of listening to music with them. Of course, this most commmonly happens in the car, so I’ve put together the following list of songs that we listen to most often.

Appropriately enough, I’ve called this list “the Minivan Soundtrack”. It’s mostly an up tempo collection of popular songs from movies, television shows, sporting events, and kid’s radio.

I recommend picking 15 to 20 of these and making your own travel CD. Then all you need to do is flash the vehicle dome light to the beat for an instant, mobile dance party with your family! Keep both hands on the wheel, please!!

Let me know some of your family favorites!



McAfee Avert Labs is claiming that 27% of all PCs their products have scanned since last Friday are infected with a Trojan malware named Downloader-UA.h. This Trojan was found disguised as media files on more than half a million computers. Believed to have been planted on file sharing sites like Limewire and eDonkey, users are tricked when trying to play a media file they downloaded.

As explained in the Yahoo news article Fake MP3 Trojan Detected On 27% Of PCs: (more…)

iBand makes music with two fingers… and iPhone from news.yahoo.com by Luc Andre:

“Six fingers and three iPhones are enough to create a band, and Austria’s iBand is living proof, having scored a hit on the Internet by converting the little gadgets into a guitar, a keyboard and a set of drums.

The Viennese trio first gained attention in February on the video-sharing website YouTube with its music video “Life is greater than the Internet.”

Here’s the video from YouTube: (more…)

Winamp Remote, powered by Orb, is a new beta service that allows you to stream your music and videos to any device that has an Internet connection. Specifically, if you connect your Wii to your home wireless network, spend $5 and buy the Internet channel and the Opera Browser, and install Winamp Remote on any Windows computer running Winamp you can stream any files in the Winamp library to your Wii.

From Winamp.com:

“Access and Share Your Music and Videos On the Go

Winamp Remote turns your home computer into a streaming server and play your music and videos on the go from any PC web browser, compatible cell phones, and TVs with a connected Wii, Xbox 360, or PlayStation 3. Also, share and discover (more…)

If you are like me you have an iPod and have downloaded iTunes, but you prefer to manage your music collection through either Windows Media Player or Winamp. The thougt of recreating the wheel in iTunes is not too appealing, Thank goodness the latest versions of Winamp (not sure when it happened extacly) allow you to sync your iPod. That means you can browse to an existing playlist, add it to Winamp and then send it to your iPod. Winamp even creates the playlist on your iPod too!

More from Winamp.com: (more…)

“Who brought the cheese dip? It’s off the hook”

For more Atlanta comedy videos from Sketchworks go to http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sketchworks

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