Kirk McElhearn, aka “The iTunes Guy”, delivers a Master Class discussion on creating or upgrading your iTunes library with lossless files. Kirk starts with the basics of understanding compression and encoding, throws in some practical considerations, and guides you to making your best choice to have the highest quality music in your collection. It should be a simple matter, but there are many variables, not the least of which are iCloud Music Library, iTunes Match and storage space on your iDevice. If you are interested in high quality music, you will get all your answers here. Today’s MacVoices is sponsored by ProXPN. Protect your Internet by Securing Your Connection, and get up to 50% off with the offer code "VOICES". http://ProXPN.com and by Smile, the makers of PDFpen 7 and PDFpenPro 7, PDFpen for iPad, PDFpen for iPhone, PDFpen Scan+, as well as TextExpander for Mac, TextExpander touch and DiscLabel. Great software to help you get more done. http://SmileSoftware.com Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss Guests: Kirk McElhearn writes about Macs, iPods, iPads, iTunes, books, music and more. He's written a dozen books, is a Senior Contributor to Macworld, and writes for several other web sites and magazines. He reviews classical CDs for MusicWeb and audiobooks for Audiofile, and is a French-English translator. He can also be found divulging tech-related news and tips on his blog, Kirkville. Links: How To: Convert Audio Files to Any Format by Kirk McElhearn on Kirksville XLD Lossless Audio Converter Can You Really Tell the Difference Between Music at Different Bit Rates? by Kirk McElhearn on Kirksville ABXTester - app to do comparison listening Here’s How Messed Up Apple Music Metadata Is by Kirk McElhearn on Kirksville Almost Famous (Extended Version) on Amazon How Hi-Fi Magazines Write about Cables, Part 17: Hard Disks - by Kirk McElhearn on Kirksville Kirk’s iTunes Forum

If you’re looking for a way to improve your videos, Rampant Design has you covered with their Style Effects. Founder Sean Mullen explains how Style Effects work and what they can do for your video. Not plug-ins and not stock footage, Style Effects are somewhere in between, are easy to use, and add a wide variety of organic effects to your videos that can include light leaks, snow, dust mattes, distortions and many more. Sean walks us through their implementation in your favorite editor, how they are created, and why they are available in 2K, 4K and even 5K versions. Today’s MacVoices is sponsored by ProXPN. Protect your Internet by Securing Your Connection, and get up to 50% off with the offer code "VOICES". http://ProXPN.com Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss Guests: With over 60 credits in feature film and television, Sean Mullen - founder of Rampant Design Tools - has shot and created VFX elements for network shows, feature films, private hollywood libraries and has created content for many of the major stock companies. His work has touched such acclaimed Hollywood and television productions as Charmed, Ally McBeal, NCIS, Felicity, Nip/Tuck, Idle Hands, Lake Placid and Any Given Sunday. Sean was inspired by his editor friends to create the first Rampant Design Tools - elements for his friends to mix and match and drop on their timelines that would instantly add a unique look / flavor to their videos. This inspiration essentially gave birth to many of the product lines you see at Rampant today. Find both Sean Mullen himself and Rampant Design Tools on Twitter. Links: AskRampant.com Rampant Design YouTube Channel 4KFree.com Budget VFX

MacVoices #16071: Broadcast Live and Direct to YouTube With Switcher Studio Nick Mattingly and the team at Switcher Studio have just upped the game for iOS broadcasting with their new version of their multi-camera switcher program. Now you can send your live video straight to YouTube. Nick talks about how it can both broadcast and record, how they make the YouTube interaction easier than ever before, and the advantages of having an iOS-based production workflow. Where is your Mac in all this? Nick also talks about some additions and work-arounds that can include Mac-based graphics and peripherals, and outlines the very affordable options that their service offers. Today’s MacVoices is sponsored by ProXPN, the VPN service that is committed to your privacy and security. Try them out for free at ProXPN.com, and use the code “VOICES”. http://ProXPN.com Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss Guests: Nick Mattingly is the Co-Founder and CEO of Switcher Studio in Louisville KY. You can follow them on Twitter. Links: Switcher Studio Basic Switcher Studio Pro

At CES in Las Vegas, perhaps the most unique product in Eureka Park was the Mars Levitation Bluetooth Speaker by crazy baby. Brand Manager James Packer tells us about how their completely portable, 360-degree speaker’s zero loss acoustics are different than the competition, but what really sets is apart is the levitating top of the speaker. With automatic, takeoff, landing and charging, even without the the audio aspects, it is the most interesting speaker you will ever own. See it in action while James tells us all about it. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

At CES in Las Vegas, Jon Alas, Account Executive for GoDirect gives us a spin through some of the newest rooCASE offerings, including the new Orb Loop case and accessory options for the iPad Pro, as well as their KidArmor case and other options for all iPads and more. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices [audio src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/maclevelten/MV16069.mp3"] Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

MacVoices #16068: CES - Akoustic Arts Demonstrates A Highly Directional Speaker and Its Uses At CES in Las Vegas, one of the most effective demonstrations we saw was from Akoustic Arts, and their « A » directional speaker. Business Developer Matthieu Ventelon not only showed us how well it works, but also explained some use cases where this technology could be deployed effectively. NOTE: We attempted to capture the demo as effectively as possible with the environment and equipment available. Suffice it to say that the in-person demo is even more impressive. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

MacVoices #16062: CES - thingCHARGER Turns Your Outlets Into an iOS and USB Charging Station At CES in Las Vegas, we found a simple device that solves a problem. Michael Mataluni, the CEO of thingCHARGER, shows us how their product takes your electrical outlet and provides multiple ways to charge your USB devices, iDevices and more. Simply plug it in and you not only retain the existing outlets, but add two USB outlets as well as a Lightning, Micro-USB or USB-C tip on the device itself. In addition, you can stack thingCHARGER on top of itself to add more tips and USB ports. Michael provides all the details. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

MacVoices #16063: CES - Kodak's SP360 4K Action Cam Captures Everything Around You in 4K At CES in Las Vegas, Eastman Kodak’s Tracy Christall talks about the evolution of their SP360 Action Cam into a 4K solution for capturing the world around you. YouTube and Facebook both support 360 video, making viewing, sharing and using the high quality video from the SP360 simple. Tracy covers the complimentary software that comes with the device, and some use cases that they have seen from content creators. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

MacVoices #16064: CES - ConnectSense Brings Apple HomeKit Compatibility To Home Automation At CES in Las Vegas, we look at the HomeKit-compatible ConnectSense Smart Outlet by Grid Connect. Vice President Adam Justice outlines the features, including two outlets that can be named, monitored and controlled independently, Siri control, the ability to control any number of outlets from within the ConnectSense app, support for all HomeKit profiles, support for scenes and more. Rules can control scenes, scheduling, the ability to plug pretty much anything into it for control are also included as capabilities. Adam also talks about their temperature and humidity sensors, water sensors, all compatible with the ConnectSense system. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

At CES in Las Vegas, we visit CES Innovation Award Winner AcousticSheep to find out about the new SleepPhones Harmony. Sales Manager Lisa Vella discuss the addition of sleep tracking, SleepPhones Harmony tracks what music or sounds you react to best and help you improve your sleep. Even without the additions, SleepPhones are the most comfortable way to listen to music or other sounds as you go to sleep. This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Lynda.com. With an unparalleled library of video training on design, web, photography, business, video and much more, Lynda.com can help you learn and improve your personal and business skills. For a free 10-day trial, visit lynda.com/macvoices. http://Lynda.com/macvoices Show Notes: Chuck Joiner is the producer and host of MacVoices. You can catch up with what he's doing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the show: iTunes: - Audio in iTunes - Video in iTunes - HD Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: - Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss - Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss