How to Rule Your Domain Through Virtual Hosting
Dear Dr. Website: Can I get my own .com domain name even if I'm not running my own Web server? If so, whom do I contact, and what does it cost? The InterNIC is the authority for registering a .com domain (along with .edu, .gov, .org, and .net domains). It has a comprehensive Domain Name Registration Frequently Asked Questions list that's a must-read if you're considering obtaining your own domain name. At InterNIC's site, you can conduct a search to see if the domain name you want has already been registered--and if so, to whom.The InterNIC charges $100 to register a new .com, .org, or .net domain name initially and reserve it for two years. After the initial two-year period, there is a $50 annual fee to process and retain your domain name. The InterNIC details its pricing scheme at its Domain Name Registration Invoicing and Payment FAQ.
If you're not running your own Web server, you'll probably want to look into virtual Web hosting. How come? Well, when you register a domain with the InterNIC you need to specify the host names and IP addresses of at least two machines (one primary and one secondary) connected to the Internet at all times that will support your domain. With virtual hosting, you can hire a hosting service or local ISP that will support your domain.
These hosting services can also set up the domain name for you, check the availability of the domain name you choose, complete the registration form for the InterNIC, and submit your application for you--so you won't have to deal with InterNIC at all. These services will charge their own fees in addition to the InterNIC registration costs you must pay. The Mega Site Hosting List is a good starting point for shopping around to find your own hosting service.
The ABCs Of Audio Streaming
Dear Dr. Website: What is the difference between playing a streaming audio file and downloading an ordinary audio clip from a Web site? Digital audio clips that are long enough to be meaningful can often place an undue burden on Web visitors. Typically, dial-up users who download non-streaming audio files have to wait five minutes in download time for every minute of audio playback time. The long delay in download time can present a significant barrier to access, especially for users who pay a premium price for their online time.However, streaming technologies--which became commercially available in 1995 and have been growing more sophisticated and affordable ever since--make efficient use of bandwidth, making it possible for users with dial-up connections to experience Web audio in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner.
In addition, the transfer of information in audio streaming technology works in both directions, so besides having the server transmit data to the player, the player can transmit data to the server. As a result, you can rewind, fast-forward, search, and pause files.
Streaming audio encodes digitized audio in such a way that a server can break its data down into packets and then send that information to a browser or a sound player. The player reassembles the data to play an audio file. All streaming audio technologies use buffering, which end users experience as a short delay at the start of playback, in which a certain amount of audio information is held in memory to ensure that the file will play smoothly once it starts. The file continues to be downloaded as the sound begins to play. The buffer is expected to make up for transmission delays that could cause audio gaps until new data is downloaded in time to be used by the player.
Some of the leading streaming audio technologies include Progressive Networks' RealAudio, DSP Group's TrueSpeech, and Xing Technologies' StreamWorks. Macromedia has also added support for high-quality streaming audio to its Shockwave technology, which has enabled developers to add streaming audio to Shockwave movies. These various technologies differ largely in terms of their codecs--the core technology used to compress and decompress audio files--and their delivery protocols.
Reprinted from Web Week, Volume 3, Issue 2, January 20, 1997 © internet.com Corporation All rights reserved. Keywords: audio site_management Date: 19970120
