Many people absolutely dread long haul flights as they know that they will probalby reach their destination tired, cramped and cranky. This need not be the case but. The purpose of this article is to share some basic travel tips to help you minimise the impact of hours on a plane on your system.
Get to the airport early: Nothing is as stressful as having to race through immigration and security knowing that there is a possibility that you can get offloaded. The stress and agitation from running around the airport can easily turn you into a ball of nerves when (if?) you finally make it onto the plane. Make sure that you avoid situations like this by budgeting more than enough time for your trip to the airport.
Get the best seats possible: Study the configuration of the aircraft you will be travelling on before you travel (there are several websites where you can do this). It may be that there are certain seats with more legroom that you can request when checking in or that you can even reserve online.
Dress comfortably: You are going to have to sit in one position for a long time, the least you can do is to make sure that your clothes and shoes don’t make that harder than it already is. If you need to make a excellent impression on arrival you can stik a change of clothes in your carry on luggage.
Eat and drink in moderation: Sitting still in a confined space is cannot be termed ‘optimum operating conditions’ for your digestive system. The inside of a plane is a highly pressurised environment which means that the effects of alcohol tends to be more severe at cruising altitude. The obvious implication is that you should be very careful about what you eat and drink on a plane.
Avoid dehydration: If you do want to drink: drink water! The inside of a plane is very dry due to the air being re-circulated. You can guard against the effects of this by drinking water at every opportunity.
Walk the aisles: People often find that they are stiff, sore and bloated after long haul flights. This is the case because our muscles reacts negatively to passivity. Even just a few walks down the length of the plane will leave your muscles much more pleased!
Invest in some noise cancelling headphones: I recently bought a excellent pair of noise cancelling headphones and I can’t reckon how I ever flew without them. The technology used does not only enhance the sound quality of whatever you are listening to, but also actively filters out other sounds. The difference that having your own ‘sound bubble’ on long haul flights can make to your state of mind is absolutely phenomenal.
I am not suggesting, with this article, that air travel can be really stress free or that you can arrive ‘fresh as a daisy’ every time you glide. The point that I am trying to make is that, by following these simple steps, you can arrive at your destination with a distinct advantage over those who just sat around hoping that the flight would end soon!

  Hi, guys. Here I worked out comprehensive Nokia tutorial with my lovely Nokia 5800. You will find all the most commonly questioned questions for Nokia 5800. Review of My Nokia 5800I got one 5800 last month and then I was deeply fascinated by this smart phone. It is the first Nokia touch screen phone and you may use your finger or stylus to operate it. Also Nokia 5800 XpressMusic provides wonderful devices for users to delight in music. Taking advantage of touch screen technology, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic introduces the ‘Media Bar’, a handy drop down menu that provides direct access to music and entertainment, including favourite tracks, videos and photos. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers all the music essentials, including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks, a 3. 5mm jack, support for main digital video formats 3GP?H. 264/AVC?MPEG4, RM. and audio formats MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer the industry’s most powerful sound. So it is really wonderful experience of delight in music and movies with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. How to update the firmware of Nokia 5800 to v21It is excellent news that firmware update for Nokia 5800 was released already. New firmware v21 is available. If you also own a 5800, just follow the simple instruction to update your v20 or v10 to the newest v21. Make sure that your battery is full (VERY Vital) 1. Go to Dial screen and press *#0000# 2. Press Options -> Check for updates                                                3. Connect to the Internet with any APN (WiFi is recommended, but EDGE is quick enough for this).       4. Wait until the download finished. Phone will launch the dialog asking for update, just press Now.       5. Press Accept and Accept and the phone will be switched to Updating mode.                  6. It takes around 10 minutes to update, so be patient. After that, the phone will be rebooted automatically.                                                                     7. Check by *#0000# again. Congrats! Your 5800 is now v21! As I can see, there are so many improvements and worth to update for example, better camera functionality and the phone operates quicker than previous version. Best Settings for Video Playback on Nokia 5800 Xpress MusicNokia 5800 as the multimedia phones makes you able to delight in watching the video and music with it. The question is, how’s to do to convert that videos and what are the best setting used for. I have convert many videos into my phone, I found that most video files can play with this phone such as mp4, 3gp, rmvb and flv files. But of them plays well but some are not. After many tries, I finally got the best results for Nokia video files. My video in 5800 was full screen, high quality and sounds very well. Here are my settings:Video Resolution: 480*320Video Bitrate: 768 kbpsAudio Bitrate: 128 kbpsVideo Format: MPEG-4 (be sure not to use H264, as it’s not supported in the current firmware)Audio Format: MP3Audio Channels: 2 Channels You can apply these settings above in whatever application you used when converting videos into 5800. Then I am sure you will get full screen, high quality and flawless video in your phone. Settings for video playback on Nokia N97, N95, N85 and other Nokia phones. Nokia N97: Video playback formats are 3GP formats, Flash Video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4; the video resolution is 640×360. Audio formats are AAC, M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA etc. Nokia N96: video playback formats are 3GP, Flash video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4, RealVideo, WMV 9; the video resolution is 320×240. Audio formats are AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA etc. Nokia N95: video playback formats are MP4, 3GP. Video resolution is up to 640*480, audio format is AAC stereo. Nokia N85: video playback formats are 3GP formats, Flash video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV. The resolution is 320×240. The audio formats are AAC, M4A, MP3, WAV and WMA etc. OK, I will not list all settings of Nokia phones. If you are interested you may get more relative information on Nokia official website. How to transfer video files into Nokia 5800I have download some videos from video website such as Youtube, Google video. But I can’t watch these videos in my phone. Nokia 5800 can’t play such videos. I use Internet Tablet Video Converter to convert it, but it shows “Unsupported Video File Type”. Then I got to know Nidesoft Nokia Video Converter that seems professional for Nokia phone, I free download its trial version and tried it, and it works very well. Below are what I do:1. Download this program from its official website: http://www. nidesoft. com/nokia-video-converter. html and install it. 2. Click Add button to add video files you want to convert from your computer3. According to the settings I listed above, you may set size as 480*320, Crop Mode as Full Screen, video quality as 640 kbps, audio quality as 128 kbps; click Format drop list, you may select video format: Nokia 5800 Video MPEG-44. Click Convert button to start the conversion. After the conversion complete, you may watch these videos with Nokia 5800. Options: you may get music from video follow this way. But pay attention to the format. As Nokia 5800 support mp3 audio format, you should select “MP3 – MPEG Layer-3 Audio (*. mp3)”. How to convert DVD files into Nokia 5800Obviously phones don’t have DVD drives, so to watch DVD on a phone you have to convert it into a video file on your PC then drag it into your phone. I also follow the above settings and convert DVD files into MPEG-4 video with Nidesoft DVD to Nokia Converter; the results are brilliant. You may free download its trial version to try it in this way:1. Insert your DVD into the DVD Drive. Click the Open DVD button, browse your computer, find the DVD folder of the movie, and open it. Select titles and chapters you want to convert, or select the whole movie. 2. Click Settings button, set your video resolution, bitrate, audio channels and audio bitrate. 3. Click Profile drop list to select “Nokia 5800 Video MPEG-4 (*. mp4)” format for your Nokia video. 4. Click Convert button to start the conversion. In few minutes the whole process will completed. If you select audio format “MP3 – MPEG Layer-3 Audio (*. mp3)” you may also get music from DVD. To transfer files into Nokia 5800In the above tutorial I have clarify you how to convert Nokia videos from DVD and other video files. Then you need to transfer these videos into your phone. 1. Make sure your computer and phone are both switched on. Also make sure your 5800 have a memory card in its slot. 2. Plug the small end of the microUSB cable into the phone’s USB socket, which s under a plastic flap in the top left corner. 3. Plug the larger end of the microUSB cable into a USB port on your computer. 4. On your 5800 it should question which mode you wish to use. Choose “Mass Storage”. 5. Open the memory card window (probably called “Removable Disk E:”), drag your video files into the video folder. 6. After finished transfer files, do not disconnect the cable yet. You should make it safe to disconnect the cable. You may do this by click a small icon in the bottom right corner of the screen that appears when the phone is connected. 7. After you have made the device safe to remove, you can unplug the cable at both ends. Some useful tips to make the Nokia 5800′s battery last as long as possibleSometimes you may have to stop talking with your friend or watching videos with your phone as low power of your battery. It is more inconvenient if you are in travel and have no alternative battery. Here are some tips to make your phone battery last as long as possible when using telephone. Do not switch the phone off. As switching a phone on uses far more battery power than simply leaving the phone on. Shut down unnecessary applications. Turn down the 5800’s screen brightness to the lowest acceptable level. Switch off your 5800’s screen when not in use. Use headphones instead of speakers when listening to music or watching movies. Avoid using the camera flash unnecessarily. Use 2G instead of 3G. Switch off Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. Ok, I have typed out all my thoughts about Nokia 5800 here. Hope my tutorial is helpful to you. And all the other Nokia 5800 tutorials and useful how-to information should come here! It is welcome.  

Hi, guys. Here I worked out comprehensive Nokia tutorial with my lovely Nokia 5800. You will find all the most commonly questioned questions for Nokia 5800. Review of My Nokia 5800I got one 5800 last month and then I was deeply fascinated by this smart phone. It is the first Nokia touch screen phone and you may use your finger or stylus to operate it. Also Nokia 5800 XpressMusic provides wonderful devices for users to delight in music. Taking advantage of touch screen technology, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic introduces the ‘Media Bar’, a handy drop down menu that provides direct access to music and entertainment, including favourite tracks, videos and photos. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers all the music essentials, including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks, a 3. 5mm jack, support for main digital video formats 3GP?H. 264/AVC?MPEG4, RM. and audio formats MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer the industry’s most powerful sound. So it is really wonderful experience of delight in music and movies with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. How to update the firmware of Nokia 5800 to v21It is excellent news that firmware update for Nokia 5800 was released already. New firmware v. 21 is available. If you also own a 5800, just follow the simple instruction to update your v20 or v10 to the newest v21. Make sure that your battery is full (VERY Vital)1. Go to Dial screen and press *#0000#2. Press Options -> Check for updates3. Connect to the Internet with any APN (WiFi is recommended, but EDGE is quick enough for this). 4. Wait until the download finished. Phone will launch the dialog asking for update, just press Now. 5. Press Accept and Accept and the phone will be switched to Updating mode. 6. It takes around 10 minutes to update, so be patient. After that, the phone will be rebooted automatically. 7. Check by *#0000# again. Congrats! Your 5800 is now v21!As I can see, there are so many improvements and worth to update for example, better camera functionality and the phone operates quicker than previous version. Best Settings for Video Playback on Nokia 5800 Xpress MusicNokia 5800 as the multimedia phones makes you able to delight in watching the video and music with it. The question is, how’s to do to convert that videos and what are the best setting used for. I have convert many videos into my phone, I found that most video files can play with this phone such as mp4, 3gp, rmvb and flv files. But of them plays well but some are not. After many tries, I finally got the best results for Nokia video files. My video in 5800 was full screen, high quality and sounds very well. Here are my settings:Video Resolution: 480*320Video Bitrate: 768 kbpsAudio Bitrate: 128 kbpsVideo Format: MPEG-4 (be sure not to use H264, as it’s not supported in the current firmware) Audio Format: MP3Audio Channels: 2 ChannelsYou can apply these settings above in whatever application you used when converting videos into 5800. Then I am sure you will get full screen, high quality and flawless video in your phone. Settings for video playback on Nokia N97, N95, N85 and other Nokia phones. Nokia N97: Video playback formats are 3GP formats, Flash Video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4; the video resolution is 360*640. Audio formats are AAC, M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA etc. Nokia N96: video playback formats are 3GP, Flash video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4, RealVideo, WMV 9; the video resolution is 240*320. Audio formats are AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA etc. Nokia N95: video playback formats are MP4, 3GP. Video resolution is up to 640*480, audio format is AAC stereo. Nokia N85: video playback formats are 3GP formats, Flash video, H. 264/AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV. The resolution is 240*320. The audio formats are AAC, M4A, MP3, WAV and WMA etc. OK, I will not list all settings of Nokia phones. If you are interested you may get more relative information on Nokia official website. How to transfer video files into Nokia 5800I have download some videos from video website such as Youtube, Google video. But I can’t watch these videos in my phone. As these videos were flv files, Nokia 5800 can’t play such videos. I use Internet Tablet Video Converter to convert it, but it shows “Unsupported Video File Type”. Then I got to know Daniusoft Video file Converter that seems professional for Nokia phone, I free download its trial version and tried it, and it works very well. Below are what I do:Click Add button to add video files from your computer, set your videos according to the above settings and select Nokia 5800 Video MPEG-4 format for your video. Then just click convert button to start the conversion. After the conversion complete, you may watch these videos with Nokia 5800. Also you may get music from video in this way. But pay attention to the format. As Nokia 5800 support mp3 audio format, you should select “MP3 – MPEG Layer-3 Audio (*. mp3)”. How to convert DVD files into Nokia 5800Obviously phones don’t have DVD drives, so to watch DVD on a phone you have to convert it into a video file on your PC then drag it into your phone. I also follow the above settings and convert DVD files into MPEG-4 video with Daniusoft DVD Ripper software. the results are brilliant. After insert your DVD into the DVD Drive click the Open DVD button to upload DVD files on to this program. Click Settings button to set your videos according to the above settings I listed. Click Profile drop list to select “Nokia 5800 Video MPEG-4 (*. mp4)” format for your Nokia video. Then click Convert button to start the conversion. In few minutes the whole process will completed. If you select audio format “MP3 – MPEG Layer-3 Audio (*. mp3)” you may also get music from DVD. To transfer files into Nokia 5800In the above tutorial I have clarify you how to convert Nokia videos from DVD and other video files. Then you need to transfer these videos into your phone. 1. Make sure your computer and phone are both switched on. Also make sure your 5800 have a memory card in its slot. 2. Plug the small end of the microUSB cable into the phone’s USB socket, which s under a plastic flap in the top left corner. 3. Plug the larger end of the microUSB cable into a USB port on your computer. 4. On your 5800 it should question which mode you wish to use. Choose “Mass Storage”. 5. Open the memory card window (probably called “Removable Disk E:”), drag your video files into the video folder. 6. After finished transfer files, do not disconnect the cable yet. You should make it safe to disconnect the cable. You may do this by click a small icon in the bottom right corner of the screen that appears when the phone is connected. 7. After you have made the device safe to remove, you can unplug the cable at both ends. Some useful tips to make the Nokia 5800’s battery last as long as possibleSometimes you may have to stop talking with your friend or watching videos with your phone as low power of your battery. It is more inconvenient if you are in travel and have no alternative battery. Here are some tips to make your phone battery last as long as possible when using telephone. Do not switch the phone off. As switching a phone on uses far more battery power than simply leaving the phone on. Shut down unnecessary applications. Turn down the 5800’s screen brightness to the lowest acceptable level. Switch off your 5800’s screen when not in use. Use headphones instead of speakers when listening to music or watching movies. Avoid using the camera flash unnecessarily. Use 2G instead of 3G. Switch off Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. ’ Ok, I have typed out all my thoughts about Nokia 5800 here. Hope my tutorial is helpful to you. And all the other Nokia 5800 tutorials and useful how-to information should come here! It is welcome

Recording and mixing audio is truly an art form unto itself. Like playing bass, it’s the type of thing most people can pickup quickly and without much effort. Getting excellent at it can take years, but. I’ve been recording in my home studio since 1995. When I go back and listen to my early demos, I am appalled. They sound horrific. The EQ is terrible, they are overly compressed, they’re muddy, and all of the tracks blend together into a massive “wall of sound” where no single instrument stands out. But I like to reckon my current work sounds infinitely better. Take a listen to the tracks on my Demos page. I mixed these in 2006 on a shoestring budget. My entire recording “studio” cost me $500. I used budget mics, budget preamps, and budget PC audio interfaces. (One fascinating note: In the song Confession, I used a $400 mic on the words “Am I going crazy? Could you ever turn your eyes my way?” The rest of the song was recorded with a $65 microphone. To this day I can’t hear any difference in quality. )What was the secret to making better mixes? It was simple. I listened. I would listen to my mixes over, and over, and over, and then do it again. I listened to my songs on headphones, in my car, in my girlfriend’s car, on my home stereo system, on a portable CD player, etc. During every listening session I would find something that could be improved. Over time, I figured out the fundamental principles of excellent mixing. I also read plenty of industry magazines, online articles, Internet forums, and whatever else I could find that would enlighten a novice like me. In the end, I was able to produce mixes I was very pleased with. Here, then, are the largest nuggets of wisdom I wish someone had preached to me in my early days:
You don’t need expensive gear. That’s right. Despite what manufacturers and retailers may say, the secret to excellent sound is not in the equipment. Using poor recording and mixing techniques on expensive gear will still result in a terrible final product. It doesn’t matter how nice your API preamp or LA-2A compressor is. If you don’t know what you’re doing, the results will be garbage. Just like buying a custom Les Paul won’t make you sound like Jimmy Page! Once you’re able to produce excellent mixes on budget gear, you can justify a gear upgrade. A small processing goes a long way. The abundance of VST and RTAS plugins is both a blessing and a curse. We musicians now have access to an endless collection of software compressors, equalizers, limiters, enhancers, reverbs, etc. But with this power comes responsibility. Use them sparingly! I once held the opinion that because I had tons of plugins at my disposal, I needed to use all of them as much as possible. I was incorrect. Excessive plugin use can ruin a mix. These days I use very light compression and very subtle EQ adjustments, and the results sound much more natural. Make “space” for each track. Every instrument should have its own “space” in the mix. By “space” I’m referring to track identity…the things that separate each track from the others, so they can be heard properly. Reckon of this way: When you take a huge family photo, how is everyone positioned? Does everyone clump together randomly? Or does everyone organize according to height and spread out evenly? Your mixes are like musical photographs. Reckon of each track as an individual that should be noticed in some way. Track “space” can be made by using proper EQ techniques, stereo field placement, volume, compression, and reverb/delay settings. For example, bass guitar and kick drum occupy much of the same frequency range. If each is not EQ’d intelligently, they will step all over each other, and neither will be identifiable. There are tons of excellent Internet articles on this subject, so read up. I may even write one myself. Know how EQ and Compression works. You’ll be amazed at how much better your mixes will sound if you use proper EQ and Compression techniques. Each has its own set of rules, and the rules are specific for each type of instrument. For instance, electric guitar requires different EQ and Compressor settings than do vocals. Drums usually need a quick attack and quick release on the Compressor, while the opposite is right for bass. Again, there are plenty of online articles dedicated to this subject alone. Carefully evaluate the mixes of your favorite artists. Everyone has their own taste. Whatever artist(s) inspire you with their sound, pay attention to the mix. Is it heavy on bass? Are the drums super compressed? Are the vocals subdued, or way out front? Study the sound carefully and try to emulate it. I’ve spent nearly as much time listening to the sound of professional CD mixes as I have listening to my own. It’s very educational. Last, but not least: DO NOT OVERCOMPRESS YOUR MASTER. You may not be aware, but there is a current trend in the recording industry to make every CD louder than its competitors. This is known as the “loudness war” and it is getting out of hand. Using insane levels of compression destroys the dynamics (the change between silent and loud parts) of a mix. The end result is a song that stays at exactly the same level—insanely loud—the entire time. Not only does it sound unnatural, it causes listener “fatigue”. The human ear wants to hear natural changes in volume. It helps make more emotion in the listener. Your heavy and energetic chorus will have much more impact if it’s really louder than your verse!  Be a part of the solution: Use your compressor and limiter wisely during the mastering stage! Even for rock music, you probably don’t want more than 3db of compression during your mastering. That’s it for this article. I plot to write follow up articles that examine these topics, and more, in more detail. I hope this has been helpful.
Make music, Dan

It’s come to the day for your huge trip. You are excited and ready to go. But as soon as you get to the airport it hits you just how long this trip will be. Long flights mean possibly getting seated next to someone that smells, the loud constant sound of the engines, no naps because of the constant hum of those talking around you. Soon your anticipation turns to dread. Don’t worry I have a few tips to make your long flight a nice and smooth ride to your destination. First things first, get to the airport as early as you can. It is dreadfully stressful having to get through security. Having time will make sure that you won’t freak out when there is a lot of people in line or it just seems to be taking to long. Dress for the ride. Remember that you will be seating for a long time so place on clothes and shoes that are comfortable. This doesn’t mean wearing a pair of faded out sweat pants and a stretched out t-shirt. You can dress casual and comfortable for the trip. You will want to make a excellent impression for your arrival. Don’t eat too much. You are in a confined space and an aircraft is not the best space for trying to digest a burrito. Also don’t drink alcohol on the flight or even before it. The high pressure and altitude will increase the effects it has on your system. Walk the plane. I mean get up and walk up and down the aisles. Prolong sitting is not excellent. Not only does it make you stiff it could also possibly cause a blood clot. It has been documented that sitting for hours at a time can increase your chances of getting a blood clot. This is often called deep vein thrombosis. So get up and go around. Get noise cancelling headphones. These headphones will not only block out the noise of the airplane engines but it will also block out the chatter of people around you. This will enable you to take small naps and get your mind off the flight. Following the above tips will help reduce the stress that these long airplane flights can cause. Of course they won’t reduce it all but should help you trip be a small bit more bearable and maybe even enjoyable in the end. To find out more about noise cancelling headphones then Click Here to read reviews and recommendations on my website.