Think Before You Torrent
We know the story: you’re a poor college student with limited funds and a taste for 
good movies/TV/music/you name it. In the past, students like you have resorted to alternative, and often less-than-legal, ways of getting your content — whether it’s through file-sharing programs, renting-and-burning discs, or torrenting media. Rather than resort to these means, why not check out our handy guide to free media on the Interwebs.
Music Minus Money
Sometimes iTunes’ free weekly MP3 isn’t enough; for times like those you can hope onto sites like Pandora (www.pandora.com) and Jango (www.jango.com) that allow you to pick the music you listen to. In Pandora’s case a streaming radio station is personalized to match the style of whatever genre, song, or artist, you choose. With the help of a sophisticated database, Pandora figures out patterns in the music you choose to deliver you with similar sounds to appeal to your unique taste, though you will have to sign up for a free account before using it freely.
Jango, meanwhile, allows you to search for specific songs, artists, and types of music and then tune into members’ playlists — you can even sign up to become one yourself. Customize the music and artists you enjoy, and meet listeners like yourself.
Sample Goods: Practically everything! From classic crooners like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby to contemporary artists like Britney Spears and Jem. You can even find music and singers from countries like Japan and the United Kingdom.
Cinema and Cents
I’m a self-confessed cinephile, but constantly going out to the cinema or buying the latest DVD release can cramp anyone’s budget. Plus there’s the issue of space constraints — especially when it comes to dorms. Cue PenguinShare (www.penguinshare.com) a college networking site that allows students to find and share DVDs amongst themselves. Currently encompassing 400 users across 16 colleges, PenguinShare has you sign up and create a profile that lists the movies you’re prepared to lend, and then lets you search amongst the profiles of fellow students on campus for the flick you want.
Sample Goods: Whatever you have on hand and whatever your fellow classmates are willing to lend. PenguinShare plans to expand to every college in the nation once the website has been fine-tuned.
TV Sans Tax
Between scheduling conflicts and your roommie, you might find yourself missing a lot of TV. Before you lose hope turn to Hulu (www.hulu.com); a video site launched by NBC Universal and News Corp. that allows you to select from a large catalog of feature films, TV shows, and clips for free. The most you’ll have to do is deal with the occasional advertisement that plays before a video starts. Some of the clips and shows are even available in HD.
Sample Goods: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Family Guy, The Fifth Element, The Karate Kid, and Saturday Night Live. (Author’s note: Am I the only one who can’t get enough of SNL’s Digital Shorts?)
– Genevieve M. Blaber
1 comment October 10th, 2008