Apple ipod mini

Taking Advantage of the iPod Experience
by Simon Canfield


Music lovers have been carrying around radios and other
bulky music devices in order to take their tunes along with
them as they go from place to place. With the iPod – a
portable unit that’s manufactured by Apple – the music
experience offers a higher quality in a much more compact
size.

The iPod will allow your personal music selection to be
played for up to 12 hours at a time, and offers the
additional perks of games and the ability to store files.
Up to 5,000 songs can be stored within a standard iPod,
providing instant access from wherever you happen to be at
the moment. Whether you’re in the office, going for a
stroll, in the car or around the house, iPod is the
solution for your contemporary music needs.

Among the features of the iPod are the ability to choose a
specific play list, shuffle through songs and much more –
all with the click of a button. Users even have the option
of importing their favorite songs from CDs, and music can
be transferred in a variety of formats, such as MP3 or AAC.
If you opt for the FireWire and USB 2.0 support, you can
transfer music from a CD in less than five seconds.

The capability of the iPod also includes that of
calendaring, contact lists, notes and a musical alarm clock
variation that will wake you up to your favorite song in
the morning. With the ability to carry up to 30GB of
storage (in some models), this little unit can be used for
far more than just music. Think of it as an electronic
briefcase of sort. Files can be taken anywhere at any
time; memos can be used as reminders to yourself; even
interviews can be accomplished when using the microphone
option, with the ability to then utilize those audio files
in a documentary format.

For those who have the need of menu items in another
language, the iPod accommodates settings for English,
Italian, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Norwegian,
Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Korean, Traditional
Chinese and Simplified Chinese. In fact, there are a
number of iPod models, such as iPod mini, iPod, iPod
Special Edition and iPod Photo. Depending upon its
capabilities, each comes with a designated amount of
memory, beginning with the 4GB mini iPod to the 30GB iPod
Photo.

In addition to the device itself, the iPod offers a
complete line of accessories, including a dock kit, camera
connector, power adapter, car cassette adapter, auto
charger, FM transmitter, travel pack, car holder, media
reader, in-ear headphones, voice recorder, cabling and
more.

All in all, if your day isn’t complete without music – and
you could also use the ability to transfer files, check
your calendar, keep a contact list and do other
office-related functions in a portable capacity – then the
iPod would be a good investment for you. Prices may vary,
depending upon the retailer and model type, but these can
easily be purchased via the internet for those who don’t
mind a brief search engine task.

About the Author

(c) 2005 Simon Canfield - All Rights Reserved

Simon Canfield is a hi-tech enthusiast and freelance author.

www.AllAboutHeadPhones.com
www.BigScreenTVsecrets.com


Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music? by Spencer Anderson


They’re everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look cool too. Since its launch in 2001, 10 million have sold and 8 million of those were in 2004. So welcome to the next generation. 8 tracks, records, cassettes, CDs, and now the iPod.

I don’t have one, yet. My first taste of it came when my girlfriend got one, and asked if I would set it up for her using my computer. Wearing those now immediately recognizable hip cream coloured headphones, I could feel the eyes of every have-not-an-iPod on me with curiosity and maybe a little jealousy. I even started walking differently. Listening to Led Zeppelin, then Radiohead, and then some Bob Marley on my way to school, there was definitely more spring in my step, and I sat through class in a much better mood than usual. For a mere two days it was in my possession and immediately I could feel myself being sucked into its cult.

And why wouldn’t you? An iPod lets you put 10,000 songs inside something the size of a pack of cigarettes. Gone are the heavy, fragile CD cases and the Discman that skips after each step.

Is the iPod changing the way we listen to music? Undeniably. With an iPod, we can take our music anywhere, and not just one album like we could with the walkman. Now we can carry our entire collections everywhere we go. It can play mixes at parties. You can bring it on the commute to work or for a jog. You can save Microsoft Word documents on it and photos for that matter. Don’t like a particular song on an album? Delete it. Thanks to the iPod, music has become an even bigger part of our lives because now it’s just a click away, and it’s exactly how we want it.

Apart from the possibility of our entire collections being with us at all times, the iPod’s capabilities have done something even better. By being able to store over 700 albums, the iPod is encouraging us to try types of music we might not have listened to before. When burning a CD to an iPod takes a short few minutes, what’s there to lose?

But is it all just a trend? Doubtful, especially with people spending on average 100 pounds on iPod accessories. It’s difficult to picture something people now say they can’t live without vanishing, unless Apple CEO Steve Jobs finds another way to outdo himself yet again. And on that note now Apple has come out with the smaller, cheaper version of the iPod called the iPod shuffle. Will it have the same impact as its predecessor? Only time will tell.

Spencer Anderson

This article, written by Spencer Anderson, was first published at MusicShopper.info - a great resource for music lovers. Providing information and resources about music shopping, it also has an extensive range of music reviews, music competitions and giveaways, and a popular discussion forum. It is also an important music reference source with a music website directory of more then 1,000 hand-picked sites listed. MusicShopper forum and newsletters subscribers are entered into monthly draws for Amazon voucher.




HDTV and the iPod photo: A Perfect Marriage?
by Robert Armstrong


They may seem like an odd combination, but the iPod photo could be the perfect choice for anyone who wants to view photo slideshows on an HDTV.

The iPod photo can store thousands of digital photos, and syncs with a Mac or PC via iTunes. It will read any slideshows you’ve created in iPhoto on a Mac or Photoshop Album on a PC and copy them to the iPod. Alternatively you can tell it to copy a folder full of images from your hard drive as a slideshow.

Also, with the addition of an optional camera connector($29), you can copy photos directly from a digital camera and automatically create a slideshow from them on the iPod photo. All slideshows can be set to music.

To connect the iPod photo to an HDTV you’ll need to first make sure that your HDTV has composite video and audio inputs and then purchase the iPod photo AV cable ($19) from Apple. Connect the iPod to your TV, select the appropriate input and hey presto, your slideshow can be seen in beautiful, bright widescreen glory on your HDTV.

It’s worth bearing a few things in mind when creating slideshows for HDTV. First of all, the screen of an HDTV set has an aspect ratio of 16:9 (length: height) so if you size your photos with this aspect ratio you’ll be able to fill the screen without cropping the photo or seeing ugly black space around it. Secondly, the resolution required for optimal viewing on HDTV at full screen is less than that needed for printing even an A4 image. So if you only intend viewing your photos on-screen, whether on your computer or HDTV, you can save space on your iPod photo by reducing the capture resolution on your digital camera. If you set it at three mega-pixels, that will be enough to allow you to crop photos to the correct aspect ratio and still view them at the highest possible quality on an HDTV.

Of course, the iPod photo can store more than just photographs. Anything that can be saved as an image file, such as JPEG, can be included in a slideshow, so you could even use it to carry around business presentations which can be viewed by anyone with access to a TV or projector.



About the Author
Robert Armstrong is a contributor to The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.




iTunes: Download music and so much more
by Syd Johnson


Itunes is one of the largest online music retailers. Last year, millions of people went online to download music from the store and organized their mp3 files with the iTunes Jukebox. Right now, the jukebox is free so anyone can use it to rip CDs, store mp3 files and organize their playlist. If you want to download music from the iTunes jukebox into a portable mp3 player, you can easily download it into an iPod. iTunes is a complete music management system.

Here is a rundown of the top features of the iTunes store:

1. Largest legal download catalog on the web
Songs from all the major record labels and all the hottest stars are available on iTunes. Currently over 1,000,000 songs are available including over 100,000 from independent artists and independent labels. Out of print collection includes old Motown Hits and old Jazz albums.

2. Preview songs with 30 second clips
If you want to try something new, just listen for 30 seconds before you buy. You are paying per song so there’s no need to get an entire album if you only like a few tracks.

3. Sync up with your iPod
You can easily download songs, pictures, or text files from iTunes and put them on your iPod. Use iTunes to search for music, organize playlists and share music with your friends. Then use the iPod to take your favorite songs with you throughout the day. The newest models can hold up to 10,000 songs.

4. Stream music wirelessly throughout your entire house
Hook up instructions are linked directly from the main page.

5. Discover music
Find out what’s playing on music stations all around the country. Currently, over 1,000 major music stations are on the list. This really helps because you can get access to more music in case you have a small collection and get tired of listening to your music mixes.

You can also share you playlist with others on iTunes, and check out their playlists in return. See how others have put together their playlists and then you can listen to them, and rate them. Mixes with the most votes are listed prominently so even more iTunes players can enjoy them.

6. New Music Tuesdays
Every Tuesday there are selections from new albums, remixes, unreleased songs, live recording sessions and more. Sign up on the website to be on the list, and then you can sign on and check out what’s new.

7. Audio books
In case you want to catch p on you reading, get access to over 9,000 audio books online. Audio books cost a little bit more than individual songs, but you can get 90 second previews of any title before you make your purchase. You can also organize your files on iTunes and save them to your iPod. A lot of the titles are self help related including books on how to learn a new language.

8. Convert music files
Setup the iTunes jukebox to automatically convert music files to digital files anytime you put a CD into your computer. This built in file conversion option is a great add on to iTunes. You can do the same thing with some other commercial software or shareware online, but by getting it at this site, you know that the software will be compatible you’re your computer system, and you can trust the source.

While you’re converting and importing the songs, if you have duplicate songs on your playlist, the software will notify so you can delete the extra copies. This is another feature that also helps you save more space on your hard drive.

9. Share with other computers in your house
Once you buy your songs, download the free iTunes jukebox to up to 5 computers in your house and you can share the music files among all the computers. This way you only have to pay for your music files once, but you can listen to them all over your house.

10. Lots of Plugins
In the support area there are links to lots of plugins developed by Apple enthusiasts to import lyrics into the iTunes Jukebox and more. If you are looking for a feature that is not built into either the iTunes Jukebox, or your iPod, check out the list of places where you find free software to enhance your musical experience.

11. Buy prepaid cards and gift certificates for friends and family
Let them go online and buy their own favorites.



About the Author
This article may be freely distributed as long as there's an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com
Syd Johnson
Editor

What Does The Year Of The Rooster Have In Store For The Digital World? by Julian Frnandez


Roosters are supposedly deep thinkers—capable of handling any challenge, they are outspoken, aggressive, talented, and courageous.

Which is exactly what we can expect this year from the digital world.

Mini-Me’s

Just as Roosters are aggressive with whatever they do, Apple isn’t one to let the PC drag him out of the ring. The introduction of the Mac Mini, which measures 6.5” square and 2” tall is hitting sales hard with its stylish, yet convenient package. The company that made MP3s on the go the coolest thing (not to mention iPods that play videos and store photos) is ringing in the New Year with affordable yet chic products that are making other companies squirm in their seats.

Taking on the cue of the Mac mini, it’s all about going compact. Rumors of the Apple Powerbook G5 to be released in the second quarter of 2005 has gotten many laptop lovers reeling with excitement.

Fired up and ready to Google

Just as you’ve discovered Mozilla Firefox as the best ever browser on the planet (if you haven’t, then you must be a fan of spyware and random pop-ups), you might have to familiarize yourself with yet another super-charged browser. Google.com has employed head programmer for Firefox Ben Goodger, to develop a browser for them—which could very much leave Microsoft’s IE in the dust.

Music on the Go

Cellular phones won’t be left behind—Motorola is introducing 13 new models this year, and Samsung’s light and compact clam shell phones are quickly winning the hearts of many text addicts.

Phones are quickly incorporating as much media as it can in one unit—but everyone will still be clamoring for their own mp3 player. Creative and Samsung have released compact and stylish players to pit against the iPOD—let’s face it, MP3 players are the new cell phones when it comes to being digitally trendy.

Although, as we get more connected, our precious PCs and PDAs become more prone to viruses. These won’t go away in the year of the Rooster, but instead, could be more rampant. It’s easier to get infected when we’re all wired up—expect random viruses as well as blue jacking, which are attacks on Bluetooth-enabled devices.

That shouldn’t get you down, though. After all, the Rooster can overcome whatever challenge is thrown his way. Now there’s something to crow about.



About the Author
For questions about the articles you may contact the author at http://www.digitalroom.com


The Record Industry Continues Battle Against Free Music Downloads by Tim Somers - MusicHoncho.com


Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that permit its users the ability to make copies from other network member’s computers are infringing on the copyright laws and costing billions of dollars in lost revenue.

The recording industry claims to have lost 25% of it’s revenues since computer, so called thieves, have been using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to obtain free music downloads.

The two latest file-sharing companies to be targeted by these copyright lawsuits are Grokster Ltd, known for its Grokster file-sharing software and StreamCast Networks Inc. from which the Morpheus free music downloading software is distributed.

Unlike Napster, Grokster and Morpheus put a spin on the popular file-sharing phenomenon. Instead of indexing the shared files like Napster did, these file-sharing products enables it’s network members to build their own indexes – thus allowing others within the network to download free music and movie files.

While some musicians are protesting they are being cheated by these illegal free music downloads – others are speaking out backing how music, movies, pictures and copy are being shared over the Internet.

Some music lovers actually use the file-sharing networks to check out an artists latest release before paying up to $18 for a CD that may only have one good song on it. You still will have those that will never make a purchase and continue to take advantage of the free music download networks.

Many file-sharing network users have said that using these networks is good for the music industry. File-sharing can bring listeners to smaller, independent bands that they may not otherwise hear on radio or in the mainstream.

With the likes of Apple’s iTunes store many have turned their backs on file-sharing networks paying 99 cents per song – Apple claims to sell more than 1 millions songs everyday. Although iTunes is limited still, thus giving file sharing networks a void to fill the unlimited access to music and movies that may otherwise not be able from iTunes.

In late 2003 record companies started suing individuals that were downloading free music. With file-sharing networks like Grokster and Morpheus it will be much harder for the recording industry to track down files that are uploaded by individual users.

With the Supreme Court now involved they are expected to make some type of ruling in June 2005 on what if any action should be taken against the makers of file-sharing network software.

The wrong decision could discourage the future development of products like the iPod or other file-sharing software programs that could be used for legal purposes.

Since Grokster and Morpheus do not monitor or have any knowledge of who or what is being downloaded, a federal judge in Los Angeles and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the copyright infringement charges against both these file-sharing networks.

Based on the 1984 ruling of the Supreme Court that stated the use of Sony Betamax, which allowed users to make copies at home of copyrighted TV programs, was legal.

The recording industries angle last week was that the approach companies like Grokster and Morpheus are making by advertising their software will provide access to free copies of copyrighted materials should allow them to be sued and shut down.

While the jury may be out on this one for sometime – file sharing networks and free music downloads will continue with most users not really worrying about getting sued, since most do not download free music in excess of a few files per month.

Copyright 2005 - Tim Somers, 3G Enterprises, LLC


About the Author
MusicHoncho.com
Your Leader for free music downloads, MP3s, CDs, Music Movies and Electronics and many other music related products and services.
http://www.musichoncho.com