I always update my iPod Touch with updated playlists or new songs, I keep pulling it out of the car or to update the songs. The hardest thing is finding the good songs in that huge list, and so playlists are the way to go and perfect when driving. I keep one iPod Classic 160 GB in the Landcruiser with all the videos to enjoy on the screen. I was looking for a good stand, and this was the one I chose, the Xstand for the iPod Touch.
Summary:
- Fits the iPod Touch pefrfectly but not with a cover.
- They give you the rubber ends of the iPhone so you can replace and use it for the iPhone.
- Very sleek, made out of aluminum, and rubber pads at the bottom.
- An easy way to wire and charge the iPod.
- You can rotate the mount to be vertical or horizontal.
- Its a bit pricey but worth it for a clean sleek stand.
Link: Amazon
Rating:
I have fallen prey to the Blackberry Virus!! It seemed that it was just a matter of time until the switch happened. There are a few simple reasons but its stability and usefulness appealed to my gadget sense.
Now 99% of our friends have Blackberries making communication extremely simple and rather funny. BBM or Blackberry Messenger is fantastic, its so fast and you can images to group conversations and the best part it is included in the service so matter how much you BBM there is not cost to it. Then there are the simple GPS capabilities of this phone which make very easy to integrate and use, and its internet capabilities are far better then any phone I have used before, even though I prefer to use a normal screen for surfing, this is great for quick look ups.
The switch has been a bit confusing, and one thing is for sure. Anyone that thinks they can text with a qwerty keyboard and driving at the same time is suicidal, just wait to for a red light. I picked up the Blackberry 8900 Javelin for 190 KD from the shops in Sharq, it was his only one and I asked about the warranty and there is only want repair center for Blackberrys in Khaleejeya complex. The phone has been great, I don’t have any contacts yet on it but I will figure it out and slowly transfer numbers, might be a bit lazy to transfer everything. I put a lot of songs on it, since I am charging it through a PC and it acts like a Mass storage device. Do I recommend it as the only phone, No, but if you have a large group of people who have Blackberries for work or friends then I think its worth it. Especially if you like being connected and having internet access, I know I don’t like being connected to the work email so I’m not connecting, or else there would be no end to it.
This really does look like the mines from World War II when they are trying to hit the submarines. Its a very useful product to use when you are building or fixing computers or you want a light in thos very compact places. For $7 each I would get a couple of them.
The funny idea they post on boing boing is if you need to infiltrate a building just turn it on and hurl a few into the room and things might be illuminated.
Link: BBGadgets
A lot of people have been in the situation where they have lost their music library one way or another, but thankfully they have it all on their iPods. Now the issue is getting it back to the PC and acting all normal again, so how exactly do you go about it without erasing the damn thing. Another situation is when you want to just duplicate your friend’s iPod, some people just aren’t good at making decent playlists when they have thousands of songs. I know I forget a few songs, and making playlists gets annoying with that many songs, but worth it in the long wrong. So are are a few useful software that you can use “expand” the usage of your iPod.
Disk Aid (Freeware)
This is a really useful software, some people have the very large 80 – 160 GB iPods which they haven’t completely filled. Disk Aid turns your iPod into an external hard drive that you are able to drop items into without having any affect on your current files, unless you delete something. Works really well and its free.
Tune Aid ($25)
This one of the first applications which I think is a must for anyone with an iPod and its worth the $25. You can copy your whole iPod to your iTunes including Playlists, Album Art, Number of times played, and all the other details. You can keep adding your iTunes library by doing this to multiple iPods and copying it to your PC. Also it doesn’t matter if the iPod was Mac or PC formated, Tune Aid can read it. Also you can be specific about certain songs or videos, and you can leave out the rest. Its an amazing piece of software which is worth the $25, it works with all types of iPods. It is also able to recover songs from a corrupted database/iPod.
iPod 2 iPod ($39)
Copying between two iPods is a hassle, especially playlists and all the other items. Specifically if you don’t want to copy the items to your iTunes library. The usually problem anyone faces is that iTunes will format an iPod which isn’t connected to it previously, so you have to make sure you set it so that you Manage the Library and switch off Auto Sync. You can plug both iPods to the PC and it will recognize it, the best part about the software is that its very simple to use. You select the tracks you can to copy and copy it over to the other iPod, and you can do that with the Playlists as well. The freeware version can only do 100 songs, but the main one can do many, I tested it already with about 7000+ songs. Its an extremely useful software if you do this a lot, I do this because I take friend’s iPods and copy them back and forth, but is it worth $40 I don’t think so, I think its worth about $15 max. But it is a very clean piece of software that doesn’t involve any complications.
I have been looking into a docking solution for the iPod. I do have the Sonos system which can be integrated into the Library and access all the songs, but I do prefer connecting my iPod or any other iPod into a docking solution and completely getting rid of my CD/Tape Stereo which I haven’t switched on in over a year. Anytime I want to listen to a CD, I listen to it in the car, pick the tracks that I like, and rip it to my computer, integrate it some playlist.
After looking around the Logic3 Valve 80 seems to be the most interesting solution. I can integrate it into the current Sonos setup that I have, both machines and one set of speakers. I will completely get rid of my normal stereo sicne its just taking up space and nothing else. Retro and funky come to mind when I look at this machine. A clean design with analog audio which produces some very interesting sound, I’m thinking about it for now and some of the rewiring and clean up that I have to do.
Price: £229.99
Link: Amazon
Every once in a while I just save up all the random things I want in my shopping cart and decided to purchase them. Some were books, some were electronics, I have been waiting for the Sonos Controller Cradle for a while now but I just didn’t get around to it. The Flip MinoHD Camera is quiet simple and easy to use for what I have in mind, I want to record some videos while riding bikes and cars and tweak the videos. And I got a stand for my iPod Touch, honestly the stand just looked really cool.
- Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas (National Geographic Atlas)
- Sonos CC100 Charging Cradle for Sonos CR100 Controller
- Wolverine: Violent Tendencies
- Wolverine: The Nature of the Beast
- Wolverine: Election Day
- Fantastic Four: Doomgate
- Leatherman 934870 40 Bit Assortment with Nylon Sheath
- Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)
- Just Mobile iPod Touch 1G & 2G Xtand Deluxe
- Adhesive Magnet Tape
It seems the new iPod Shuffle is causing ripples in the water. I think its too small for easy functionality, I think the iPod Nano is the perfect size but those who want the new shuffle can really customize it with these laser engravings and some of them are pretty cool ideas.
Link: Gizmodo
I’m wondering why people didn’t think of this before, is it such a crazy idea. I love R/C cars and this one is huge with all the bells and whistles for something its size. 110 Four strock engine, disc brakes, aluminum wheels, and an automatic transmission in such a fun R/C. You can’t control the car while somebody is riding it, that would have been a ton of fun. Approximate cost of this beast is in the $2000 range, I wouldn’t mind trying it out in R/C mode. I keep wondering how fast it will go and what would happen if you ram somebody with it.
Link: Autoblog
The Blackberry trend is in full swing in Kuwait, literally I see one every where. And now most of our group of friends have one except for a few of us, I tend to like have only 12 buttons to choose from when texting.
They have now made groups so they are texting each other instantly with huge group chats. BBMs flying left, right, and center, and for those that don’t know BBM stands for Blackberry Messenger. BBMs are free since they go through the Blackberry service and not through text messages, so you save on text messages if everyone you know is on Blackberry and in our group it seems to be the case, I am getting less text messages now then I did a few months ago.
Will I be joining this band wagon, I don’t know, I know I will get used to the full keyboard but I like just having a normal phone. The one thing that really annoys me is seeing someone trying to text while driving with a Blackberry which is suicide since you HAVE to look where you are typing. Now we have to see Viva or Wataniya bring this service on-board as well.
The iPod Touch is an amazing product, with all the different applications available it seriously very useful. The one problem I’m facing now is that the 32 GB is not enough if you plan on putting videos on your iPod Touch. The one thing I do enjoy is watching music videos, there are so many good music videos to download and watch, it gives the music a different flavor and recently that has been filling up my iPod, so a larger one is needed. Can’t they make a 64 GB iPod touch and keep it as thin as it is, i just love its size.