Free

Do you enjoy listening to music? Pandora is a free internet-based music service that offers an upgrade option. Start free. If you love them, hook them up with some $ so they further development. (You’ll see me say that frequently. Some services let you use them free indefinitely. As an IT-worker, I know it takes effort to make things work and develop apps. So, generally speaking, if there is an opportunity to show someone some love by donating a latte or $5, do it!)

I’ve used Pandora for years. I used the free service for years, but then I upgraded since I was using it so much, especially once I started telecommuting. Plus, it drowns out the, “Are you done, yet?” and “Get that post up, yet?” background distractions. It’s a new process here in the Rodriguez cottage …. we’re finding our way.

Back to Pandora … it’s a music service that has some logic running in the background. It analyzes music so it can play music that is very similar to what you marked with thumbs-up, and it’ll play less of the songs that are similar to the ones you marked with a thumbs-down. So, it adapts and learns. Over time, it plays you kick-butt music, customized by your preferences. You’ll learn about new artists, and your selections will expand. It’s really neat to see where I started, only liking a handful of artists. Then, as Pandora exposed me to “similar” artists, my lists grew and grew.

A while back, they added genres, so if you want some 80’s, they’re waiting for you. Did I mentioned Karen often sings in the office as I work? Yea. I’ll stream it live online one day when she’s not lookin’.

Check out Pandora. It’s free and offers mobile access, as well.

More info: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/
Main site: http://pandora.com

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