I Own My Music

Ares is in the news a lot recently. In the spring of 2008 it was the introduction of Ares Vista , a new version of the Ares filesharing program that was created to solve the problems users of windows vista were having.

Now, Ares is in the news as the new rocket that NASA is testing that will be replacing the shuttle for the trip back to the moon and beyond to Mars.A space rocket is essentially a large bomb, and those in the shuttle attached to it must pray constantly that the designers have got their bomb design just right. This is the situation faced by the brave astronauts that will be flying in the Orbit shuttle attached to the Ares rocket. This combination forms part of the Constellation program, and launch is hoped to be in 2015 (last month it was 2013, but there have been some issues).Getting the design right is one of NASA’s main priorities and it takes a huge amount of time. Ares initial designs have undergone – and passed – initial testing by the 1,100 strong team of specialists at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Far from being the final word on the safety of the Ares rocket, these initial runs are just the starting point for what is an almost endless series of iterative changes.The nature of the Ares rocket means that it is largely untested before it shoots off into the cold, dark space carrying its precious cargo. These tests are lengthy, tiresome and very, very expensive. The lives that depend on it, though, will be hoping and praying that no stone is left unturned.

I am a realistic man; I know that good things cannot last forever. And so it is with my current version of the Ares filesharing software. Just like my previous favorite – Ares Galaxy – which was eventually superseded by any number of far superior alternatives, so my current choice will inevitably bested by some other Ares version.

The thing with a piece of software like Ares is that it moves so quickly. One version can quite suddenly improve beyond recognition and take up the reins at the head of the market. Likewise a few months’ holiday for the leading application’s design team could spell disaster for its enviable market position.

I’m ready for a change of Ares version now, as it happens. I know that I need to do my research so off I went to the aresvista.com website. The excellent reviews on there really do help (and they’re up to date too, so you know what you’re getting) and they prevent us mere mortals from plumping for the Lemons of the Ares world; applications like Ares Destiny that decide that it is okay to include spyware in the download package. Ugh!

Ares Ultra was my final choice (but for how long?) and I’m as happy as I was before in my downloading! Until next time!

Sad news as it looks as if Pandora may have to shut down. Pandora is a great music service that lets search for music and then plays you music it thinks you might like. It’s a great way of finding new bands and artists and is one of the best Internet radio services around. Licensing constraints have already meant that only US residents can use Pandora, but the end may be near, even though Pandora offers the chance to buy the music you hear through iTunes and Amazon.

A recent hike in Internet radio royalties may be the nail in the coffin for Pandora. About 70% of Pandora’s income goes on royalties. The website will reportedly reel in $25 million this year, but it still won’t enough to keep it afloat. The rates are set to double in 2010. Pandora is going to have to seriously rethink its overall business model if it wants to stay afloat.

I decided that it was time to retire my old version of Ares Galaxy and pick up one of the newer — and better — version of Ares. I hadn’t been a position where I needed to download Ares for some years now, so I was essentially new to the area.

I’d been on the Official Ares site before; it’s good resource for ‘current affairs’ of the P2P filesharing world and is a great information resource. I vaguely remembered that the site had a reviews section. I’d not been there before, but I thought it might be a good place to start on my quest to download Ares.

To say I am impressed with the quality of information there really is an understatement. Even if I were new to the p2p filesharing game I wouldn’t have any trouble deciding which was the best way to download Ares. I went ahead and managed to download Ares (Ares Ultimate was my Ultimate choice) without much trouble.

Thanks very much Official Ares – you made my day a lot more trouble free than it could have been. Lifesaver. I would definitely recommend this site to new and old hands alike. There’s nothing like it anywhere on the Internet.

“CLEAN! Tested with the top antivirus engines” notes the front page of the Ares Destiny. Is that so? It seems like Dealio – the so called “shopping toolbar” – didn’t come up in any of those tests. While the inference that Dealio is not technically a virus may be true, it certainly could be categorized as malware. An ad-server by trade, Dealio infects your computer and pops up adverts for various items when you least want them. Getting rid of Dealio is not simple and, all in all, it has caused a lot of trouble to a lot of people.

And this is unfortunate because Ares Destiny is a good, solid piece of software that, without this unfortunate addition, could definitely be recommended.

Getting Ares Destiny is easy: the website is clear and uncluttered and the free download links are prominent. Once you have the file installation is a breeze (even the additional ‘bonus’ bits of software – Dealio included – don’t make any fuss about being installed. No real surprise there, though.

Once Ares Destiny is on your machine you will soon find yourself downloading files of your favorite music. The interface is rather bland but definitely functional and it just works. Which is good.

BUT. This functionality and ease of acquisition cannot redeem the software for infecting computers with an ad-server. Call it what you want, Dealio is bad news.

You can get a clean version of Ares with no adware at www.aresvista.com

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Ares Ultra is another version of the fantastic Ares P2P filesharing software that allows you to swap music, films and other files with your friends (and indeed with others across the world).

Ares Ultra boasts an easy to use interface which is cleverly customized for ease of use and clarity. I confidently predict that even a newcomer to Ares filesharing software will have no problem at all in picking up this gem of a piece of software and making it sing. You’ll be downloading your favorite music in no time at all.

This simplicity is a double-edged sword, however, and the power-users Ares Ultra might find many of their favorite functions are tucked away out of site and quite simply difficult to find. If you can put up with this, though – or if you won’t use the more technical functions of Ares Ultra – then this is the piece of software for you.

There’s been a load of news coverage lately about the world of free music downloads and, being one of those old folk that is fairly new to the wonders of dem Internet Tubes I thought I’d go and look to try and find out what all the fuss is about. First stop was Google. I wanted an easy to use filesharing program that I didn’t need to spend hours puzzling over and that didn’t require a tech-savvy teenager to give me instructions on how to work it. The first one I came across wasAres Ultimate, which was, apparently very easy to use.

And it was, much to my relief. Getting the Ares Ultimate onto my computer was a breeze: it basically installed itself. Once there I followed the clear and concise on-screen instructions when needed (though to be honest the whole process is intuitive enough not to require detailed instructions) and I was downloading Bing Crosby in no time.

Ares Ultimate made everything simple and it did exactly what it said it was going to do. I read a few reviews afterwards and it seems like I made the right choice as industry pundits are giving Ares Ultimate the thumbs up too. Good to know that an old man can get it right once in a while!

The rock band Nine Inch Nails has succumbed to industry pressure somewhat: it is releasing its latest album through its website for free.

Free music downloads downloads from a headline act is nothing new, and British act Radiohead tried this tactic (or at least something very much like it) last year with its album “In Rainbows”. Thom Yorke, lead singer of the band, has mixed views on free music downloads downloads: he recently told The Hollywood Reporter trade paper that his band’s pay-what-you-want offer was a one-time thing. “I don’t think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again”.

Free music downloads downloads are out there, it’s just whether the bands choose to embrace that fact or hide from it that will make the difference over the coming years.

Certainly with producers like Sony giving in and offering its back atalogue to free music downloads services like We7 there must be something that is worth taking note of.

The name Ares conjures up a number of different things to different people, and its meaning is sensitive to the context into which it is introduced.

First up, and perhaps the most influential of the three meanings is of Ares the Greek War God; a truly nasty, vindictive and violent man. He stands alone among the other gods of was as being the one dedicated to savage warfare, bloodlust and slaughter. He was the epitome of brawn over brains.

NASA decided that naming their rockets after this particularly nasty deity was a grand idea and the Ares V rocket – planned for release in the 2019 – complements Ares I which is being designed as a crew launch vehicle.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Ares the P2P filesharing software. This is probably the most omniscient of all the definitions and certainly the one most likely to be recognized by younger readers.

What others are saying:
What is Ares?
aresvista home page

Students have long been the target of the RIAA and its many assorted cronies; they love P2P filesharing and they’re generally unwilling (or unable) to pay for the same material they can get for free on Campus. With fast network connections in rooms – as well as near-neighbors with huge file collections – colleges are well suited for hot P2P filesharing action.

Campuses are going on the offensive and encouraging students to use Ruckus. Ruckus is a music-download service catering specifically to this type of downloader. Naturally Ruckus files are DRM protected meaning there’s nowhere you can put this file but on your computer. The selection? Not as good as you would get with a P2P filesharing application like Ares, quite simply.

So where is this offensive of P2P filesharing likely to go? Not very far if you ask me. Students will find a way around the flimsy barriers erected by industry and by their learned academic institutions. Power to the people? Probably.