Top Gift Ideas For Sweet Sixteen Birthday
February 19, 2012 | 
Author If you need some top gift ideas for sweet sixteen birthday, you have come to the right place. A sweet sixteen birthday happens only once, so you want to make it a day to remember.
Today, many parties are based on a theme. For instance, it might be based on a scene from a “Harry Potter” book or movie. Or, the party room could be decorated to look like the inside of an ocean liner or a soda shop from the 1960s – complete with a soda fountain and delicious food.
As for the gifts, here are 7 cool gift ideas that can make the heart sing with joy.
1) Balloon Ride. Who doesn’t love a balloon ride! Travel with your sweet sixteen birthday girl on that special trip of a lifetime. Reserve spaces well in advance and be sure to get there early. And, of course, do not forget the camera.
2) Name Scroll. This is the ultimate in personalized gifts. The person’s first name is hand-printed against the background of a painting. In addition to the name, and the name meaning, there is a history of the name and famous people who bore that name. There is also a crown painted in gold, as well as a crest and seals. Perfect for framing, it shows how much you care about the person.
3) Pair of Caran d’Ache Ball Point Pens. These cool pens come in bright colors of yellow, light blue, orange, rose, red, and violet. These click pens are fun to write with and show to friends.
4) Shoulder Strap Bag. This glittery gold tone colored bag is worn by all the fashion models today. It is made of tough simulated leather. Small on the outside, it is big enough on the inside to hold everything you need for the day – except schoolbooks.
5) Mystery Box. Everyone waits patiently for the mystery box to appear. What could be inside? It contains a lot of gifts that your 16-year-old wants for her birthday. For example, it could contain a cool pair of crocs (shoes) in bright red. Perhaps a cosmetics kit. And, maybe, jewelry. No one will know until it is unwrapped and you peer inside.
6) Headphones. These are over-ear headphones that cancel out noise and let you enjoy the clear strains of music from your MP3 or CD/DVD player. The earphones are so comfortable, it is easy to forget you have them on. You can wear them in the house, in the car, and on vacation.
7) Tiara. What could be more perfect for a sweet sixteen-year-old than a tiara fit for a princess. A pearl and crystal tiara catches the light and glitters in the hair. Yet, it is light-weight enough to be comfortable. Secured by a comb, it stays on the head without slipping.
Everybody loves gifts. And, top gift ideas for sweet sixteen birthday are all around us. The gift does not always have to be an object. Just being together with friends and family and having a wonderful time is a gift in itself.
Headphones – What Makes Them Right For You?
When you are trying to find the right musical experience, you may like to listen directly from a set of speakers, but sometimes it is better to hear all of the little subtleties as they are routed to your eardrums. Of course, this effect can be achieved by listening through a headset; but what makes a headset the right one for you? There are a lot of factors that attribute to a great listening experience, and that can even include how the headphone cups fit on your ears. To help you out when making the ultimate decision of which headphones you think will enhance your musical experience, I want to break down some of the features and styles that make a difference.
The Best Fit for Your Ears
Most people do not equate the fit of their headphones to a positive listening experience, but it is extremely important, because the way the phones fit on your ears often determine how the music is directed to your eardrums, and it also determines how comfortable they are. There are three different styles of headsets that you can buy and each one is important for different reasons. Let’s look at them more closely.
Over-The-Ear – Over-the-ear headsets are also known as circumaural because they fit around the ears. They are popular too many people who need to listen to music professionally (producers, entertainers) because they shut out a great deal of the noise around you; however, they are also great for people who love to listen to music around the house and want to shut out their family. Of course, they’re not recommended if you have a small baby, for you will need to be available to hear everything. But if this is not one of your concerns, then circumaural headphones are great.
On-The-Ear – On-the-ear headphones are also known as supraural because they sit on the frame of the ear. Where circumaural headsets are likely to have leatherette ear cups, supraural tend to have soft, foam ear pads – though some are leatherette or real leather. They usually don’t block out as much sound as the circumaural phones because of their styling (unless they are a specially-made noise isolation version) but this is not a bad thing because they also tend to be less expensive. A good quality pair of these headsets will work better if you have the tiny baby because they will allow you to hear as many great musical subtleties as the over-the-ear style while also allowing you to hear more of what’s going on around you.
In-The-Ear – In-the-ear or intramural are also known as earbuds. They are very common as a complimentary item that comes with your iPod or MP3 player. The earbuds have a pretty bad reputation for lacking in sound quality, and often they can be annoying because they don’t always fit into the ear properly. But because people have complained, there have been many manufacturers creating better styles that can be automatically adjusted to the ear with a sound quality that can be easily matched to the best studio earphones – of course, this can come at a hefty price, but for the convenience, it just may be worth it.
How to Choose the Best Sound Quality
The best way for you to choose the sound quality suited to your taste is to go to your local electronics store and ask the representative to let you try on a pair while listening to your favorite style of music. However, if you want feel that your expertise level is not high enough to go at it alone, or you simply don’t have time to get to an electronics store, you can check out Stereophile magazine for their advice on the “Recommended Components List” that they print every year in their April and October issues. This list gives excellent suggestions for the top devices that are of the highest quality in each price range.
Stereophile contributors are experts in the business and are used to testing aspects of the headphones that you have no idea about but that will still guarantee a great listening experience. So if you do nothing else, get advice from the experts in the market – listening to them will take you far in ensuring you’ll love listening to your headset.
What Are My Connectivity Options?
One feature that has become a determining factor in purchasing headphones is their connectivity – what am I able to connect them to? This was definitely not a “problem” of the past because the only problems we had before were deciding between mono and stereo sets. But now, with so many options, we can literally buy some to connect to anything with sound coming from them. Here are just a few:
Stereo – This was the original way to be able to listen to your music aside from having to hear straight from the speakers. Now there are a variety of options that allow you to listen – even if you want to move around the house with a wireless pair.
Computer – Many headphones are able to plug either directly into the sound card in the computer, or into the computer’s additional speakers, making your listening options even more expansive.
Portable Devices – Ever since the Walkman, we have been able to plug a headset into a portable device. Now you can use a variety of different earphones to plug into your portable CD player, MP3 player or iPod.
TV – This option was most shocking to me. There are many headsets that come in a wireless version, and most allow you to connect them directly to your TV set – fabulous! This means, you can watch your favorite movie at full volume without disturbing a soul.
Do I Want a Wireless Headset?
Speaking of wireless, there are many headsets now that come Bluetooth-enabled so that you can have a wireless experience. Most of these wireless headphones are able to connect to everything I mentioned above, including your portable device, computer, stereo or TV. The benefits of going wireless are many; for one, you can move around without worrying about getting tangled in wires; and two, you can move up to 30 ft away without losing a signal. The biggest choice you’ll have to make with these headsets is which one of the many available to you should you choose?
The best way to know what headphones are the best for you is to know who you are. If you like mobility then wireless is good. If you prefer to jog outdoors, intramural might be a good choice. The more you examine your own habits, the better the chance will be that you find the right ones for you. Just make sure you don’t spend a dime until you’re sure that you’ve found the right headphones – why waste time picking the wrong ones when you can wait a little longer for the perfect pair?
Ears and Hearing – 7 Myths Debunked!
Myth: To clean my ears, only cotton swabs, keys, or my fingers work
Truth: Do not put anything in your ear that is smaller than your elbow
Many people think that ears must be cleaned like our bodies to remain healthy. While ears do need to be kept clean, they actually clean themselves. How? The skin of the ear canal (cerumen) migrates outward and acts as a protector of the delicate eardrum. Many times, prodding, poking, or picking at this material pushes it back in, causing blockage and potential temporary hearing loss – or even accidental puncture of the eardrum. In that event, a serious injury to the hearing bones can result in the need for emergency surgery.
And if itchy ears are often incorrectly relieved using cotton swabs the repeated scratching can cause a thickening of the ear canal, much like a callous. This pushes wax even deeper into the ear canal.
But some ear canals don’t remove the wax like they are supposed to – they are too narrow, so the natural cleaning process cannot do its job. In this case, ear wax accumulates. So how do you know if your ears are cleaning themselves properly?
If your ears are not clean, they may feel gummy and you may be tempted to grab that cotton swab or key. And if wax completely obstructs your ear canal, you may experience hearing loss. But don’t take matters into your own hands! Visit your ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor, who can safely remove the wax build-up.
But if you want to try alleviating the wax at home, gently clean the outer portion of your ear canal with a wet washcloth. If your ear still feels blocked, you should call your doctor and have the cerumen removed.
The next best thing is to gently irrigate the ear canal with 3% hydrogen peroxide, using a small rubber ear syringe. Then dry the ear canal with a hair dryer set on a medium temperature; hot temperatures can cause temporary dizziness due stimulation of the balance canals.
Myth: If my ear hurts, I must have an infection
Truth: Pain is usually caused by something less severe
One major cause of ear pain is inflammation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ joint lies adjacent to the ear canal. Because of this close proximity, many of the same pain nerves are shared.
Swimmer’s ear (External Otitis) is another common cause of ear pain. It’s the result of the ear canal becoming and staying wet. This warm, wet, and dark environment is the perfect place for bacteria and fungus to live and multiply, causing an infection.
Another cause of ear pain is otitis media, an infection in the middle ear. This infection occurs after an upper respiratory infection reaches the middle ear, via the Eustachian tube.
Neuralgia, an inflammation of the nerves around the ear, can cause excruciating pain that feels like jabbing or stabbing inside the ear.
So how do you know what’s causing your ear pain?
TMJ is indicated if you press on the jaw joint while opening and closing the mouth and its hurts or is tender. A swimmer’s ear infection may be your problem if gently pulling on your outer ear hurts.
Otitis media and neuralgia are generally accompanied by sharper pain originating deeper in your ear. Otitis media is normally accompanied by pus draining into your ear canal through a perforation in the ear drum.
By now you’re wondering, Can I treat any of these problems myself?
Although TMJ inflammation should be managed by a dentist, you can temporarily relieve the discomfort by eating a soft diet; placing a warm heating pad on the affected jaw joint twice daily; or by taking anti-inflammatory medications. But if the pain still persists after a few days of home treatment, you must consult a dentist that specializes in TMJ pain.
Swimmer’s ear can be prevented by filling the ear canals with rubbing alcohol after every swim. Let it site for a couple of minutes, then draining the alcohol and dry your ears with a hair dryer set on medium temperature. Once swimmer’s ear infection occurs there can be a tendency for recurrence when the ear gets wet. Then it is even more important to treat your ears with alcohol after each and every swim.
If your pain is significant and comes from deep in your ear, you should seek treatment by an ENT doctor right away. Using special instruments, your doctor will clean the ear canal and prescribe antibiotics (either drops or oral medication) to eliminate any infection.
Myth: Popping my ears is dangerous
Truth: Popping your ears is rarely dangerous
While you can have problems with your Eustachian tubes – the part of your ear that “pops” – rarely is the act of popping them the problem.
So what are some of the problems you might encounter with your Eustachian tubes?
One is blocked Eustachian tubes. The Eustachian tubes connect the middle ear cavity with the throat, aerating the middle ear when you swallow and draining mucous and secretions from the middle ear into the throat. Often a cold or sinus infection will cause the Eustachian tube membranes to swell. When this happens the Eustachian tube is not able to function, causing pressure and stuffiness in your head. Your
hearing may feel diminished, and fluid may accumulate in the middle ear.
Another potential problem is abnormally open (patulous) Eustachian tubes. This is an uncommon cause of ear stuffiness and usually occurs when someone loses weight. When your Eustachian tube is open it can cause the sensation that your voice is loud or has an echo (autophony), like you are inside a drum. It may also cause a sensation of hearing air “whoosh” when you breathe through your nose.
So how can you tell if you have blocked or open Eustachian tubes?
Pinch your nostrils closed and blow hard against them. If you cannot “pop” your ears, your Eustachian tubes are likely blocked by swelling of the mucus membranes. However, if you suddenly feel pressure relief you’ve probably just opened your Eustachian tubes and equalized the middle ear pressure with ambient air pressure.
This maneuver can be performed many times throughout the day to relieve blocked Eustachian tubes. There is no danger of harming your ears with this technique, but if you get dizzy you should see your ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor.
To diagnose open Eustachian tubes, sit down and bend forward completely at the waist, putting
your head between your legs. If the pressure and stuffiness in your ear disappears you have open Eustachian tubes. Lying flat in bed will relieve the symptoms of open Eustachian tubes.
If popping your ears, bending forward from a seated position, or lying down do not relieve your ear pressure, your problem may be due to increased inner ear pressure and should be evaluated by an ear specialist.
If you have blocked Eustachian tubes over-the-counter medications such as decongestant nasal sprays can help shrink the membranes, relieving pressure in the ears. Flying in an airplane, skin diving, or
scuba diving should be avoided if there is blockage of the Eustachian tube, as landing or descending in the water will result in severe pain in the ears. If you must fly, taking Afrin® nasal spray (two sprays to each nostril) and a 30mg Sudafed® tablet one hour before descending. This will help open your Eustachian tubes, helping prevent ear pain. If symptoms persist, you should contact your ENT doctor.
Depending on the cause of your open Eustachian tube, your ENT doctor may recommend several different treatments. Treatments for increased inner ear pressure include prescribing diuretics or office surgery to deliver steroids to the inner ear.
Myth: Loud noises won’t hurt me because I’m young
Truth: Loud noises can damage anyone’s hearing, no matter their age
Damage to the ear can occur from exposure to loud noises like guns fire near the ear, industrial sounds, lawn and construction equipment, and music played too loud – especially via headphones.
But how do you know if you have hearing damage? If you experience ringing, stuffiness, or hearing loss after noise exposure, damage to the delicate cells of the cochlea has probably occurred.
Unfortunately, most hearing damage is permanent, so the best treatment is prevention. Ear protection should be worn in any noisy situation:
o loud work environments
o when using power tools and noisy yard equipment
o during firearm use
o when riding a motorcycle
o when exposed to loud music at concerts
But hearing protection doesn’t have to be bulky or ugly. Today’s ear plugs are practically invisible, and ear muffs can blend in if worn in the winter. Custom molded ear plugs are also available to ensure
an optimal fit in the ear canal. Additionally, some personal listening devices have volume limits, preventing excess noise exposure.
The good news is that for some cases a short course of steroids may reverse acute hearing damage.
Myth: There is no treatment for tinnitus; I just have to live with it
Truth: Many treatments can help tinnitus sufferers
Tinnitus is a very common hearing-related complaint – upwards of 50 million American adults have some degree of the hearing disorder. Tinnitus occurs as the little hair cells in the cochlea die, causing noise or ringing in the ear.
Although this ringing is not a serious problem, people experiencing it should be evaluated by an ENT doctor because it can indicate a more serious medical problem. When you are evaluated for tinnitus, your physician will perform special tests to determine the cause and recommend treatment if necessary.
So, what kinds of treatments are available for those with tinnitus? Currently several treatment options exist, including
o Masking tinnitus with outside noise such as music or TV. If the tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss, a hearing aid can increase outside noise, reducing the intensity of tinnitus.
o Low-salt diet.
o Electrical stimulation.
o Stress reduction.
o Bio feedback.
o Zinc, Ginkgo, garlic pills, and supplements including high level antioxidants.
o Brain retraining, in which a therapist works with you to train your brain not to hear the tinnitus.
Also, knowing that tinnitus is not a life-threatening problem may help you cope.
Myth: My parents went deaf, so I am bound to go deaf, too
Truth: Heredity is a factor in hearing loss, but not a certainty
Hearing loss is a combination of many factors: exposure to loud sounds, general health, heredity, and age. We are genetic products of our family, and hearing loss is no exception. And as we age, the tiny hair cells in the cochlea that lie closest to the middle ear begin to die, resulting in a high-tone hearing loss. But no one factor plays a more influential role than the others, so no one is “doomed to deafness.”
Normally a gradual process, hearing loss can occur quite suddenly – even overnight. If you suddenly notice that you can’t hear out of one ear, it is a medical emergency. Put the phone up to your ear; if you can’t hear the dial tone, see an ENT specialist as soon as possible. Hopefully it is just ear wax blocking the ear canal, but you need to visit an ENT to find out for sure.
Signs of more gradual hearing loss include
o Needing to turn the TV or radio turned up louder than other family members
o Asking people to repeat themselves all the time
o Your spouse says you don’t listen to him or her
o Sounds muffled, or distant
o You have trouble hearing from a cellular telephone
While hearing loss is certainly disappointing and inconvenient, it can be treated. Examination by an ENT doctor is necessary to make the correct diagnosis. This usually includes a hearing test and other special ear tests.
Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. Treatment for sudden deafness is done with steroids either taken orally or placed directly into the ear. Additionally, a hearing device may be needed.
Treatment for the more common, progressive hearing loss that can reduce symptoms and effects includes a four-part program of healthy life style changes, including
o At least 30 minutes of daily exercise,
o Vitamin and mineral supplements,
o A healthy diet of veggies, fruits, whole grains, fish and lean meat, and
o Protection from excessive noise exposure.
Myth: There is no treatment for deafness in one ear
Truth: Two successful treatments exist for hearing loss in just one ear
There are two hearing devices that allow a person to hear from a deaf earCROS and BAHA.
CROS (Contra Lateral Routing of Signals) or Bi-CROS is a hearing aid that uses microphones to pick up sound from the deaf ear and transmit it to the hearing ear. As a result, the CROS aid allows sound to be heard from all directions, and even allows a telephone to be used in the deaf ear.
BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid), or bone stimulator, picks up sound from the deaf ear and transmits it through the skull to the hearing ear. Minor surgery is required to implant a titanium screw behind the ear, serving as an anchor for the external processor, which holds the device. The results are excellent.
Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Vs Dr Dre Monster Beats
Everyone wants top quality headphones to listen to their music, either on the go, work, or at home. Bose Quiet Comfort 15 and Dr. Dre Monster Beat headphones are two of top wireless headphones in today’s industry, but which one is better? One is made by one of the best sound companies and the other is made by the legendary producer and rapper, Dr. Dre, of the hip hop industry, who would surely know things about how one would want their music to sound like.
Sound Quality
In the previous series of the Bose Quiet Comfort wireless headphones the sound quality was not that great at all, but the Qc15 is major improvement, with microphones on the inside and the outside of the cup to tremendously improve the sound and it also prevents outside noises that would distort the sound. The Monster Beat headphones have great sound too but they do not have the technology of the QC15 to block out the outside distraction of other sounds.
Comfort
The Monster Beats are not really that comfortable nor are they that flexible or bendable as QC15, which basically means that they are easier to break. The QC15 have around the ear-fit- cups that adjust to anyone’s ear, making it easy to relax and just listen to your music or movie, they are foldable and come with a case so that you can protect your headphones, which causes you to worry less if you’re going to break them.
Price
Price is everyone’s major concern when it comes to buying the product even if the cheapest product is the one with the worse quality. I know that I have bought countless numbers of cheap headphones that only last me for a year or two. Both of these are both pricey pieces of equipment. The QC15 is about a hundred dollars cheaper than the MB, and they are well worth the price.
So the winner is… drum rolls… The “Bose Quiet Comfort 15″!
How to Turn Your Cellphone Into an Mp3 Player
Back in the 80s, the only way you could listen to music on the move was by using a personal cassette player such as a Walkman or by carrying around a bulky boom box. This gave way to the personal CD player in the 90s, and the hard disk-based mp3 player in the 2000s.
However, advances in removable memory storage such as micro-SD cards and mobile phone technology have made it possible to use your cell phone as a viable portable music player, capable of storing thousands of songs on a little piece of plastic the size of a thumbnail, which could potentially spell the end for portable music players such as the iPod.
So if you have a 3G phone, which the majority of handsets now are, with a micro-SD memory slot, then you could be (literally, if it is in your back pocket) sitting on a fully-functioning personal media player already. All you need is a cable to connect your phone to a PC, a nice pair of earphones, and a decent-sized micro-SD card, and you are away!
To copy your music collection onto your phone, all you need to do is convert your music into a format that is compatible with your phone, using a freeware converter downloaded from the web, and copy the converted files to the relevant folder on your phone via the cable that came with your phone.
Your mobile phone will have some internal memory, in order to enable you to store a few songs, pictures, and video clips, but if you want to use your phone as a media player proper, then you will have to install a memory card. The cheapest place to get these is on the web, although they can also be bought quite cheaply from back street electronics shops.
You should almost certainly buy the biggest capacity card that your phone will take, as they can be a bit of a hassle to install. The smallest capacity that you should consider is 2GB, although at least 4GB is recommended.
The headphones that came with your phone should be fine for checking whether your new set up is working, but it is recommended that you buy a good quality pair if you are going to be listening for extended periods. If you can afford it, go for a pair from a German brand such as Sennheiser, AKG, or BeyerDynamic, as these firms have a long standing reputation for quality audio to uphold.
In-ear headphones might be trendy, but they can hurt your ears if you leave them in for too long, so if you are planning to listen for extended periods. Then a pair of open-backed on-ear headphones are a better bet from a sound quality and comfort point of view. You may need to buy an adaptor to use them with your phone, but these are rarely expensive.
How To Fix Brink "OpenGL" Errors
OpenGL stands for the “Open Graphics Layer” – an important piece of software that games & software uses to help process a large number of advanced graphical options on your PC. If you’re experiencing errors with this part of your system, you have to be able to clean out any of the problems & issues that it may have inside. This can be done by clicking onto the Internet, installing the files and settings that your PC may have and then ensuring that Windows can read all the files it needs to run.
We’ve found that OpenGL errors are going to be caused by these errors:
Your software will not be installed correctly
The “Brink” game may be conflicting with various pieces of software on your system
Windows will be unable to process the files it needs to run
How To Fix OpenGL Errors
1) Re-Install The Brink Game
The first step is to re-install the Brink game. This can be done by clicking onto the “Programs & Features” option of Windows and then remove the game, before repairing it in the most effective way. This can be done by clicking onto these steps:
Click Start > Control Panel > Programs & Features
Select “Brink”
Remove the game
Restart your PC
2) Download a New Version Of OpenGL
The next step is to download a new version of the OpenGL application. This can be done by clicking onto the NVIDIA website, downloading a new version of this program, installing it and then trying to use the Brink game again. This step is likely going to be the one to fix the issues you’re experiencing on your system, ensuring that your PC is able to run as smoothly as possible as a result.
3) Clean Out The Registry Of Your PC
The first step is to use a registry cleaner to scan through your computer and repair any of the issues that Windows may have inside. The registry basically allows your computer to read all the files and settings required to ensure that your system is able to run as smoothly as possible. One of the biggest issues for Windows computers is that the registry will become damaged, leading your system to run much slower and with a lot of problems. To fix this problem, you have to be able to clean out any of the issues that your system may have by using a registry cleaner tool.
Shure Headphones – Quality and Convenience Earphones
Shure headphones. Making use of their powerful Sound Isolating technology in their earphones to provide a unique quality… that’s far beyond what the most expensive earbuds can offer, and beyond what even the best headphones could give.
Isolation was originally created as an in-ear monitoring system for musicians during live performances (it allowed them to hear their performance clearly without cheering from the crowd, venue or interference of the other instruments.) This corporation from Illinois now brings this technology to the average user.
You choose what fitting you want to use that block the background noise and direct a high-performance definitive sound straight into the ear.
Shure’s years of experience and the futuristic shapes and in the way they deliver through their listening designs. Usually they either rest on your ear or your head, and normal earbuds are just placed on the outside of the ear. Instead of going the conventional route, Shure has designed their devices to create a separate listening area within the ear by having the earbuds fit directly into the ear canal. The soft, flexible sleeves on these are able to mold to your ear shape and therefore create a seal around the ear. This way, all outside noise is completely blocked out and your ears feel comfortable in every respect, meaning there is no listening fatigue or irritation from the earbud (s).
Isolation vs Cancellation
Electronic cancellation headphones are all usually battery driven, heavier and of course much larger than earbuds. Second, this cancellation technology makes use of a process that cuts off certain frequencies within the music, and therefore brings in unwanted noise of a different sort (hissing, cracking etc.) This technology does not tamper with the original highs and lows of the music, but provides the best quality directly into the ear.
Specific Models:
Shure’s earphone products all come with isolating technology, and each model is created with a specific genre and user in mind. The SE modular earphones from Shure are ideal for all kinds of music listening, whether it be your MP3 device, hi-fi, Ipod or computer. The E-Series: E2C, E3C, E4C, E5C and the E500PTH. is designed specifically to provide the ultimate in top quality for gamers, delivering all the tiniest of elements and sounds straight into your ear during your gaming experience.
Because you hear only what you want to hear, so you can fully immerse yourself in the game world. The I-Series: I2, I3 and I4 provides a full range for your mobile media and entertainment – ideal for your both mobile communication and mobile listening experience. Isolating technology is the best choice to listen to music on the airplane, exercising, driving or any activity outside of a controlled environment.
Wireless Headphones
Their product line ranges are also wireless and cordless, which has an uncomparable advantage compared to wired sets. Too many times have cords become entangled and broken through regular use, rendering the them useless. They produce excellent wireless sets for convenience, quality and affordability.
The ultimate quality continues to be delivered through Shure products, and this is just a small fraction of what they are producing.
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Hearing Loss Finally Isn’t Falling on Deaf Ears for iPods and Headphones
Rock and Roll music can cause both temporary and permanent damage to the inner ear. Damage may occur from one extremely loud session of exposure to noise or it may occur from sustained exposure to lesser noise levels. Most rock and roll musicians received their hearing damage from either amplified live music or listening to music on headphones.
Pete Townshend of The Who has been an outspoken critic on hearing loss. He attributes his own hearing loss to headphones at recording sessions. Townshend has been warning young people about Walkman and iPod use. He says, “My intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead.” Townshend regrets his own hearing loss and wants to save others from the same self-inflicted disability. Townshend revealed, “Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired.”
Here are some comparisons of noise levels and possible damage:
Sustained exposure causing possible hearing loss – 90-95dB
Walkman on 5/10 – 94dB
Power mower – 107dB
Amplifier rock, 4-6′ – 120dB
Pain begins at a level of about 125dB
Rock music peak 150dB
Of course, Pete Townshend isn’t the only rock and roller to have hearing problems. Hearing loss is wide-spread in the industry. Kevin Shields, guitarist/singer for My Bloody Valentine, says “I did the damage to my ears listening to mixes in headphones at very loud levels without giving my ears time to recover.” Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac had a similar experience, “I was a major glutton for volume: ‘Gotta feel it, gotta hear it.’ Sooner or later you’re going to pay the reaper.”
Apple Computers is listening to the problem. They are now offering volume controls on two of its new iPod models, which enable the listener to set volume maximums lower than the manufacturer.
“In a world in which hearing problems are real, concerns are mounting and lawyers are looking to make gadget providers liable, the maker of the iPod music player has created new volume controls.”
– It’ll still play the Ramones – Associated Press Article by May Wong
Sometimes change comes about by speaking out, like Pete Townshend, and sometimes change comes about by litigation. Early in 2006 a lawsuit was filed in Louisiana concerning iPod and hearing loss. Other manufacturers of listening devices are now issuing warnings and encouraging “listening responsibly.”
Because if his own hearing loss and his efforts for hearing loss prevention, Pete Townshend has been nominated to the Rock and Roll Hard of Hearing Hall of Fame. The mission of the Rock and Roll Hard of Hearing Hall of Fame is to educate music lovers in safe listening procedures.
Recommendations from the Hard of Hearing Hall of Fame: keep the volume down and give your ears a rest. If someone else can hear your listening device, your volume is too high.
Transcription Work From Home Medical?
Medical Transcription, How Do You Work From Home? If you don’t know that’s OK! Most beginners to the home based medical transcription industry don’t either but this article will give you an expert overview of the industry. You Can Not Go Wrong If You Act Upon What We Share With You!
Is Medical Transcription A Legitimate Home Based Business?
Yes, it is and it has been for decades. It is not one of those widely advertised scams that you would see online or in newspapers like the medical billing industry is plagued with. Medical Transcriptionists have three options when deciding how they want to work:
1) Work inside a practice, hospital, etc.- if you take this route then you could make the equivalent of $9-15 per hour depending on your skill, accuracy and geographic location. As with any other job you will be supplied with everything you need (including benefits) by your employer.
2) Work as an independent/self employed medical transcriptionist – This is when you work completely for/by yourself, you take care of your taxes, you sign up and maintain your own client/accounts, you market your services, you provide your own benefits, etc. You’ll probably start out at the equivalent of $10-15 per hour (or 6-14c per line) and in time (years) you could be earning the equivalent of $15-$40 per hour depending upon the amount of work, clients and type of equipment that you use. A lot of medical transcriptionist around the nation rather doing business this way (including me) and once you see the pros and cons of the business and speak to a CPA you’ll see that this route is rather lucrative and you’re the boss. Simply put, you own the company so you do whatever you must to make it a success. Or;
3) Contract with a national company – with this type of medical transcription you are referred to as Statutory Employee. It is the same as the above mentioned position with the exception that the company you contract with usually pays 7.5% of the FICA tax, they might give you certain equipment to do the job their way and they will assign the workload expectation and pay.
What Is Medical Transcription?
Medical transcription is the process whereby one accurately and swiftly transcribes medical records dictated by doctors and others, including history and physical reports, clinic notes, office notes, operative reports, consultation notes, discharge summaries, letters, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports, x-ray reports and pathology reports.
It involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file, the use of ear/head phones, a foot pedal for start-stop control, a variety of word processing programs and sometimes the use of a printer and a modem. Today many home based medical transcriptionists still deliver their completed work back to the office but with technology being what it is now it’s just as simple to deliver the work via a modem. If you work of a national company they may require you to use a modem to download and transmit the work.
What Skills Does A Home Based Medical Transcriptionist Need?
Let me put it this way, having a computer at home and knowing how to type fast is not enough to become a successful medical transcriptionist. You MUST:
Take A Really Good Online Medical Transcription Training Course (or attend a good school-college-trade or vocational school),
Have Good Listening Skills,
Great English Grammar Skills,
Excellent Computer Skills,
Superior Research Skills,
Possess High Typing Speeds With Great Accuracy,
Pay Great Attention To Detail,
Have A Great Foundation In Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Laboratory Tests And Values, Medical Equipment and Procedures,
Possess The Ability To Work Alone (Usually you won’t have much contact with others),
Possess The Ability To Work Under Pressure And Sometimes Under A Deadline, and
Posses The Ability To Sit In Front Of A Computer For Extended Amounts Of Time.
You will need to invest in several different types of publications such as: an English dictionary, a grammar and style guide, a complete medical dictionary, a drug index, a laboratory and pathology word book, a medical word book by specialty, a surgery word book, a medical abbreviation word book, other specialty word books and a physician directory and other journals.
You will also need to use several different pieces of software such as a medical spellchecker and an abbreviation system such as PRD or Smartype. You will also need to learn all you can about your own computer so you can employ all the ticks and shortcuts within it to greatly enhance your productivity. Remember that you need to always have your hands on the keyboard because the more you type and type accurately is the greater your pay will be.
What’s The Initial Investment Needed To Do Medical Transcription?
This varies and it depends on several factors like:
Do you already have a home office or if you’re starting from scratch?
Do you have formal medical transcription training or not?
Do you already have most of the books you will need?
Do you have the necessary software programs to do the job professionally?
Do you need to purchase additional software or hardware?
The great thing is that you can buy most the things you need (used) from places like eBay and other places that the industry of medical transcription at home to support. Its four major purchases, medical transcription training, transcriber, computer and reference books so your investment will do very little in comparison, medical billing from home, where the investment can be up to $ 6000 for the business go ahead.
Transcription Work From Home Medical?
Medical Transcription, How Do You Work From Home? If you don’t know that’s OK! Most beginners to the home based medical transcription industry don’t either but this article will give you an expert overview of the industry. You Can Not Go Wrong If You Act Upon What We Share With You!
Is Medical Transcription A Legitimate Home Based Business?
Yes, it is and it has been for decades. It is not one of those widely advertised scams that you would see online or in newspapers like the medical billing industry is plagued with. Medical Transcriptionists have three options when deciding how they want to work:
1) Work inside a practice, hospital, etc.- if you take this route then you could make the equivalent of $9-15 per hour depending on your skill, accuracy and geographic location. As with any other job you will be supplied with everything you need (including benefits) by your employer.
2) Work as an independent/self employed medical transcriptionist – This is when you work completely for/by yourself, you take care of your taxes, you sign up and maintain your own client/accounts, you market your services, you provide your own benefits, etc. You’ll probably start out at the equivalent of $10-15 per hour (or 6-14c per line) and in time (years) you could be earning the equivalent of $15-$40 per hour depending upon the amount of work, clients and type of equipment that you use. A lot of medical transcriptionist around the nation rather doing business this way (including me) and once you see the pros and cons of the business and speak to a CPA you’ll see that this route is rather lucrative and you’re the boss. Simply put, you own the company so you do whatever you must to make it a success. Or;
3) Contract with a national company – with this type of medical transcription you are referred to as Statutory Employee. It is the same as the above mentioned position with the exception that the company you contract with usually pays 7.5% of the FICA tax, they might give you certain equipment to do the job their way and they will assign the workload expectation and pay.
What Is Medical Transcription?
Medical transcription is the process whereby one accurately and swiftly transcribes medical records dictated by doctors and others, including history and physical reports, clinic notes, office notes, operative reports, consultation notes, discharge summaries, letters, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports, x-ray reports and pathology reports.
It involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file, the use of ear/head phones, a foot pedal for start-stop control, a variety of word processing programs and sometimes the use of a printer and a modem. Today many home based medical transcriptionists still deliver their completed work back to the office but with technology being what it is now it’s just as simple to deliver the work via a modem. If you work of a national company they may require you to use a modem to download and transmit the work.
What Skills Does A Home Based Medical Transcriptionist Need?
Let me put it this way, having a computer at home and knowing how to type fast is not enough to become a successful medical transcriptionist. You MUST:
Take A Really Good Online Medical Transcription Training Course (or attend a good school-college-trade or vocational school),
Have Good Listening Skills,
Great English Grammar Skills,
Excellent Computer Skills,
Superior Research Skills,
Possess High Typing Speeds With Great Accuracy,
Pay Great Attention To Detail,
Have A Great Foundation In Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Laboratory Tests And Values, Medical Equipment and Procedures,
Possess The Ability To Work Alone (Usually you won’t have much contact with others),
Possess The Ability To Work Under Pressure And Sometimes Under A Deadline, and
Posses The Ability To Sit In Front Of A Computer For Extended Amounts Of Time.
You will need to invest in several different types of publications such as: an English dictionary, a grammar and style guide, a complete medical dictionary, a drug index, a laboratory and pathology word book, a medical word book by specialty, a surgery word book, a medical abbreviation word book, other specialty word books and a physician directory and other journals.
You will also need to use several different pieces of software such as a medical spellchecker and an abbreviation system such as PRD or Smartype. You will also need to learn all you can about your own computer so you can employ all the ticks and shortcuts within it to greatly enhance your productivity. Remember that you need to always have your hands on the keyboard because the more you type and type accurately is the greater your pay will be.
What’s The Initial Investment Needed To Do Medical Transcription?
This varies and it depends on several factors like:
Do you already have a home office or if you’re starting from scratch?
Do you have formal medical transcription training or not?
Do you already have most of the books you will need?
Do you have the necessary software programs to do the job professionally?
Do you need to purchase additional software or hardware?
The great thing is that you can buy most of the things you need (used) from places like eBay and other places that support the home based medical transcription industry. Your four major purchases will be your medical transcription training, transcriber, computer and reference books so your investment will be very minimal compared to doing medical billing from home where the investment can be as much as $6,000 to get the business off the ground.