MP3 is a compressed file format for easy digital distribution of sound and music over the Internet. This guide for power users introduces all aspects of this technology, with details on obtaining, recording, and optimizing MP3 files using both commercial and Open Source methods. Coverage encompasses Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and BeoS. Discusses streaming, broadcasting, and converting, and shows how to test equipment and optimize encoding times. Also discusses legal issues. Author credentials are not stated. Annotation c. Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)