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Dear PC Doctor:
I drive a lot, and I always listen to audiobooks – It helps me stay awake. The problem is, my car CD player broke, and it’s going to cost too much to fix it. I plugged in a borrowed portable DVD player for now – That works okay, but it takes up a lot of space and it’s hard to change the disc while I’m driving. I don’t have an MP3 player or a cell phone, so I’m hoping not to have to get one to play digital audio. Someone told me about playaways; can you tell me a little bit about them and whether it’s possible to run them through the car’s audio system?
Thanks,
Too quiet
Dear Too Quiet:
Playaways are portable audiobooks that don’t need a separate player (like a CD player or phone) to use. They’re about the size of a deck of cards and come pre-loaded with one audiobook title. Even better, public libraries have them! You can borrow them with your library card.
The Playaway’s universal audio jack is compatible with headphones and auxiliary cords, and should work in most cars. Available at electronics and department stores, a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary cable (also called a “mini-stereo” or “headphone” cable) is what you need.
To connect the Playaway to your car stereo, plug one end of the cable into the headphone jack on the Playaway, and the other end into your car stereo’s auxiliary jack. You may need to set your stereo to the “Aux” or “Line In” setting to receive the signal from the Playaway.
To find great books to borrow on Playaway, visit our library’s catalog at http://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/home. In the center pull-down menu, select “Digital Media Player,” and search for your favorite authors our topics. Happy listening!
Until next time,
Happy Computing!
PC Doctor
Editor's Note: Questions should be directed to PC Doctor, care of the Athol Public Library, info@athollibrary.org or Athol Public Library, 568 Main St., Athol, Mass. 01331, or dropped off at the library.
Posted: to Athol Library News on Fri, Dec 7, 2018
Updated: Fri, Dec 7, 2018