Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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|s?THE mix Wednesday, Feb. 1,2006 H —I— —I 1 B dk -X_ T _B B ^ m Page 9 Nick Esarts / THE GAMECOCK CDs cannot hold as much information as DVDs and are not as portable as MP3s, leading some to question their future as a recording medium. Compact discs, the choice receptacle of digital data for more than two decades, face uncertain future with advent ofMP3s, DVDs Aaron Dallin THE GAMECOCK For more than twenty years the compact disc has faithfully served humanity in its desire to store digital data, whether it’s the storage of audio for the sake of creating music albums, or the storage of data for various computer-related purposes (CD-ROMs). The compact disc holds more data than any portable data storage technology that came before it. But in the rapid advancement of technology, will the demand for portable technology of higher storage ^ capacity discontinue the use of the compact disc? When DVDs first hit the map they boasted a much larger storage capacity than the compact disc. However, DVDs weren’t of much use for the music industry, simply because albums don’t need so much storage space. They were, however, put to use by the computer and movie industries. The computer industry found the DVD to be an advantage in the distribution of large software programs that previously required many compact discs to hold the large amounts of data. In the case of the movie industry, the DVD introduced better image quality, as well as interactive digital interfaces. The most familiar use of the interactive digital interface .technology is the interactive menu viewers encounter before they start their movies. There are, however, many more possible applications of this technology. Even though DVDs have become very common in the computer industry, CD ROMs are still being sold. Some software programs simply aren’t large enough to require the space of a DVD, and some people with older computers don’t even have a DVD drive, so software packaging companies must take these facts into account. DVDs have almost completely replaced VHS tapes in the movie market, similar to how compact discs replaced cassette tapes years ago. Will DVDs eventually replace the CD-ROM in the computer market for storing digital data? Does the dominance of DVD technology over VHS technology, as well as compact disc technology over cassette technology, exemplify the future demise of the compact disc in the computer industry, and the music industry as well? In the realm of music the compact disc’s arrival into our everyday lives forever changed the way we listen to music. Cassettes were used much less commonly, even in the beginning of the compact disc revolution, when CD burners weren’t available to the general public. The convenience of switching to whatever tracks you wish at just the touch of a button soon proved easily addictive. Plus, the simple novelty of using a new technology may have had an effect on the public’s adoption of it. The CD spread everywhere from home stereos to automobiles, and even served the on-the-go market with portable compact disc players. For many years the compact disc seemed to have an intimate relationship with the way society listened to its music. It appeared that even if the CD. did not keep its original form, a smallerversion would most surely remain part of the human condition for some time to come. USC students using MP3 players are now a common sight around campus. Attractive to many for their high data storage and compact size, ' MP3 players have won the CD • 10 Hello, my name is Kenneth Bryan Second-year history and pre-law student WHAT IS SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN? “In Mt. Pleasant, N.C., our school had a bam on campus with a three legged goat and an emu.” IF YOU COULD BE A SUPERHERO, WHAT WOULD OUR NAME BE AND WHAT POWERS WOULD YOU HAVE? “My superpowers would be to fly and to read minds, and my name would be Captain Sleeps-a-lot.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY AND WHY? “Water polo, because you get to combine swimming with being violent.” IF YOU HAD A MILLION DOLLARS, WHAT WOULD YOU BUY? “A house in the mountains by the lake and a plane.” WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? “I don’t really have any fears. I guess I’m fearless.” WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST DREAM YOU’VE EVER HAD? “When I broke both my arms at the same time and always having to explain HELLO • 10 How to: Throw a fantastic Super Bowl celebration Nick Esares / THE fiAMECOCK The first step in throwing a Super Bowl party is to decide which team you’re rooting for. Even if your favorite team isn’t playing on Sunday, choose a side to make things fun. Everything you need to know about playing host to great football moments Alexis Arnone THE MIX EDITOR At the end of this week, something spectacular will happen to wrap up the professional football season: Super Bowl XL. And whether you’re a Steelers, Seahawks or Patriots fan (What? They could have made it.) you will surely want to celebrate one of the biggest nights of the football season by throwing the best Super Bowl party of the year. This “How to” will show you how to do it. The first step is to decide which team you’re going to root for. Your favorite team may not have made it to the big game, but it’s still a good idea to pick a side to cheer on. If you hate them both, choose the one you hate less. You’ll actually feel like you’re a part of the game and not just one of those guests sitting in the background waiting for the commercials to come on. Then, you need to invite people. Invitations should be the second step in any party plan (after deciding what you are throwing a party for, of course). And although this might appear silly, many people plan parties, but forget to invite guests and are left wondering why nobody has shown up. We don’t want that to happen to you. So call your friends. And call their friends, too. After the total guest count has been tallied, the next thing to do is head down to the grocery store and pick out enough food to feed your starving guests. This part can get quite expensive, so it might be a good idea to ask your guests to bring something to share. If it’s in the budget to spend for all, make sure to plan on having enough food for everyone, whether you’re going to serve a large dinner or just some snacks. You definitely could go for the standby pizza and beer option (if you are of age, of course) and satisfy everyone. Remember that this is a football party, so don’t go crazy with the shrimp cocktail and the crab cakes when looking for snacks to serve. Stock up on cheese dip and tortilla chips, along with pretzels and popcorn. Beanie Weenies are always appropriate for a Super Bowl party. And if you or some of your guests are not of age, don’t forget the soda. Once you’re back at the house with all the food, it’s time to set Up for the party. Try to keep the layout simple because most of your guests will be wandering back and forth between commercial breaks and timeouts. Set up a long table or bar-type area and get an assembly line going, with drinks at one end and food all the way down. HOUITO • 10 >