As Christmas parties wind down, and those gift cards are burning a hole in your pocket, you may be considering one of the many portable media devices, such as an iPod, Zune, iRiver, Sansa View, Brain Candy, or seemingly endless others. This week, I was asked the question, "Is an iPod necessary?"

Well, you see, that all depends, because when you buy a portable media player, you're making a commitment, a digital marriage of sorts, thanks to the media industry and DRM, which stands for "Copy Protection because you're a thief, whether you are or not."  read more »

I like to wake up to my favorite music in the morning. Since I'm not a morning person, I need something happy to get my day going.  read more »