Sunday, March 29, 2009

Are You Getting The Most From Your Ipod Music Downloads?


Gone are the days where downloading music was a hassle and a problem. With new types of connections, including USB cables and FireWire, it couldn’t be easier to keep your music up to date and download the latest hits in a simple and problem-free fashion. Apple offers their iTunes website, which provides an amazing selection of songs from every imaginable genre of music.

The iTunes store boasts over three and a half million songs to choose from, and there are also podcasts, TV shows, movies, audiobooks and even iPod games if you are looking for more than just iPod music downloads. The iTunes store features the major music labels as well as music by independent artists, and once you buy the song from the store it is yours to use and play as often as you choose. There is no subscription to the store, rather you pay on a per-use basis, rather than a flat subscription rate plus additional costs for songs once the limit is reached. For some people that download a consistent number of songs the subscription option may be more cost effective, but it is important to carefully monitor your downloads as well as track your usage to avoid going over your download limit and ending up with penalty or over-usage fees.

The iTunes store also offers a handy download manager that allows you to establish and pre-set the order of the songs that you have selected for downloading. This saves a lot of play list set-up time after the download is complete. Simply browse through the music by category, artist or song titles, select what you wish to download and hit the button. Once the music has been downloaded all that is required is to connect the iPod to the computer using the USB cable or the FireWire connection and synchronize your iPod with the computer. Most of the docking station and cradles that hold the iPod during this process already have batteries or are charging your iPod so you don’t need to worry about running your play time down while you are synching your iPod. Some iPods, such as the Shuffle, allow for random selections of songs to give a unique play list every time, and even allows the listener to hear new music while still staying within a particular genre or music style.

The manual that comes with any new or refurbished iPod provides detailed information on how to complete and troubleshoot any issues with iPod music downloads. In addition the Apple website has videos and tutorials for each specific iPod player, which makes iPod music downloads and downloading easy and simple.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Apple iPod Special U2 Edition


New iPod models have sprung up as quickly as mushrooms after the rain and each time they just seem to get better and better. I have to say though that this U2 special edition iPod just captured my heart the moment I saw it. Being very much a U2 fan, the fact that the back panel has the band members’ signatures engraved on it is enough reason in itself for it to be the best. The U2 iPod is easily recognizable from all the other models due to its style. While the others are usually white - or plain black in the case of some 5G models – this baby’s black front panel and bright red click wheel is sure to stand out.

The U2 iPod is so much more than eye candy, though. Twenty gigabytes of storage may seem meager compared to the storage capacity of the newer models but believe me, it still translates to a lot of songs. I have had the iPod for a little over a year now and I still haven’t filled it up.

The U2 iPod has similar features as that of other iPods of its generation. It is so easy to use - all you need in order to do whatever you want with your songs is your thumb. Superior sound quality lets you enjoy all your favorite songs.



One drawback is the battery life. It is supposed to be able to play songs continuously for 12 hours. In my experience, it could be anywhere from 4-9 hours. Factors such as file size and playback options may be the reason for this. The lock button on the top of the iPod can help conserve battery. When not in use, you can lock it so that you won’t accidentally run the battery down. Another concern is that the iPod gets scratched easily. Solution: get a case for protection.

Indeed, compared to the other models with their newer features, the U2 iPod is a bit expensive. If you think about it though, it has everything you need in an mp3 player – unless it’s video you’re after. I suppose the bottom line is whether you are enough of a U2 fan to splurge on it. Then again, even if you are not and you have enough cash to spend, the stand out look of the U2 iPod should be enough reason to get it for yourself.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Apple Ipod: Start a Serious Music Collection With Free Downloads


Apple.com Ipod: get yourself some free downloads of music and films, you will be pleased with what you get. These days it seems that Ipods are the one MP3 player that everyone wants to have. Most of the people you know have probably got one. The one negative feature of owning an Ipod is trying to download from Itunes, this is often quite pricey, and it isn't that brilliant anyway! There are ways around the problem though, and I've produced a list of hints in this article to help you get free legal downloads!

Apple.com Ipod:Start a Serious Music Collection Tip 1
Stay legal. Would you really think it was worth serving a prison sentence, or having to pay a massive fine, just to get some Mp3s? You can find some perfectly legal download sites to get your MP3s from (more on this later), so make sure you give torrent sites and sites of that type a wide berth. It may feel like there is no risk when you if you download illegally, but from your download your IP address can be traced, and it won't take much effort for a half decent law enforcement officer to trace your home address from that!

Apple.com Ipod:Start a Serious Music Collection Tip 2
Be very wary of the hype. You've probably lost count of how many times you've found a ?free? music download site, only for it to ask you for money so you can create a membership. Virtually all of the sites which claim to offer you free downloads of music, games or videos are lying. It my appear that you are being offered free downloads, but when you try to actually get the download, they will make you sign up for a membership or try to get hold of your credit card details. Be very wary.

Apple.com Ipod: Start a Serious Music Collection Tip 3
Don't fall foul of the truly awful sites. A lot of sites on the internet will actually allow you to have one or two downloads for free, but in trying to get the downloads, you will be assaulted with popups and spammy ads. These sites make all of their profits from getting people to click on the advertising, so get inside the head of these people, and understand what they want you to do! The downloads that you can get from a site like this are A, unbelievably slow, and B, often, not the download that you thought you were getting. Sometimes these fake downloads will even be infected with spyware or viruses! It is much better to totally avoid this type of site. You could easily find your Ipod completely ruined by these fake downloads.

The situation is not all bad! You can find a few sites online that are completely genuine, and will give you access to as many downloads as you want, games, music, videos, whatever, without any charge, and unlimited for life. What?s the catch? Well, you will have to pay a joining fee often around $25 to $50 or thereabouts, but this gives you unlimited downloads for life. This fee has to be charged in order to keep the download speeds up, and also to keep updating the lists with the latest available downloads for your Ipod. These sites are your best option if you are looking to download quite a lot of stuff over time.

You now know that there is more involved in finding a good download site for you Ipod than you may have first realised, so do your research and take the time to make the right choices. For more info on which are the best legal sites, check out the links below.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Sony Walkman To Apple iPod


There may be some of you reading this, that can remember something called a Sony Walkman. Now if you are not old enough, just ask your parents or even an older brother or sister. What you will see is this kind of smile come over their faces. Boy, does time fly and technology goes even faster.

You see, if you lived back in the 1980's, the Sony Walkman was the coolest thing on the planet. Now if you did live back then, you probably owned one of these. This product was the rave. This product was everywhere, in the airports, the malls, on buses, everywhere. You would see the kids in the back seat of the family car, listening to their own thing, using the Sony Walkman. Their parents would be listening to something else (Dean Martin or Perry Como), which the kids hated.

A phenomenon is a term that implies that something is here today and then gone tomorrow. The Walkman was beyond a phenomenon, it was a mainstay. It was a staple of the society in which it was introduced. If there was a time capsule created to represent the 1980's, the Walkman would have to be included. If you were to not include it, would be the same thing as discussing technology of the 21st century and leaving out the part about the internet.

Now for the next generation of personal entertainment devices, from the Walkman to the iPod. I am not sure how you could avoid not knowing about the Apple iPod, unless you happen to be living in that time capsule we talked about earlier. So, you have seen them, they are everywhere (sound familiar?). If you ask 10 people to explain what an iPod is, you'll likely receive 10 different answers; and all of them will likely contain some element of fact and logic. Introduced by Apple Computers in 2001, the iPod is technically defined as a portable music player; and even this doesn't do it justice. Today it is so much more.

Now the Walkman was really for the kids, that is who mainly used it. Not today and the iPod. It is not just for kids anymore. You see more than just kids walking around with these little white wires sticking out of there ears.

The Apple iPod is a truly amazing product. It has crossed the demographic consumer lines. You see people of all ages wearing these things: from the teachers, the kids (big and small) to the senior citizens, the athletes who manage to keep the ear buds in place despite doing whatever there sport happens to be.

Now, don't panic if you haven't entered the iPod country yourself. There are so many to chose from: the iPod classic, iPod shuffle, iPod nano, the iPod mini and so much more. And lets not forget about all the iPod accessories that go along with this. Though the iPod are so incredibly popular, there are still enough people out there who haven't tried one yet. And there are still people out there who have the iPod and haven't even taken it out of first gear yet. Why is this?

The reason is because technology can seem confusing and despite its small size, figuring out the in's and the outs of the iPod can seem intimidating and time consuming. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The iPod is built around the reputation of Apple which is base things on simplicity and ease of use. Just like the Mac computer. The iPod is as easy to use as a DVD player, or maybe even easier.

In closing here are some facts about the Apple iPod that you may not be aware of. I am sure you know this that the iPod is the #1 selling digital music device. What does it take to be the #1 selling device in this competitive marketplace? Here are some facts. Since 2001 there have been 110 million devices sold world wide. That is:

18 million devices/year
1.527 million/month
50,228/day
2093/hr
35/min

Now if that does not make you go WOW, to the Apple iPod popularity, I am not sure what would. It's no wonder, given these awesome sales total, that the question most people ask these days isn't: are you getting an iPod, but rather: where is your iPod?

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

An iPod Accessory Takes Your iPod To The Next Level


Just ten years ago iPod technology seemed impossibly futuristic. Ten years ago we were all listening to compact disks, and even that technology was a relatively recent development that had only recently unseated analog cassettes as the music medium of choice. Yet today, only a few short years since its introduction, the iPod has been at the forefront of a musical revolution and that revolution is showing no signs of slowing down.

An iPod is a portable media player that can fit in the palm of your hand, yet it can store an entire library of music and video that can be enjoyed anywhere. They are smaller than the compact disks they replaced, yet they can store information of hundreds, or even thousands, of those very same disks when that information is downloaded from a host computer. There are several different models of iPods on the market, and while their list of features might lead one to believe that there is nothing they can not do, in reality there are desirable features that iPods lack, and that is why there is such a large iPod accessory market.

There exists an iPod accessory to enhance nearly every element of your iPod. Perhaps the most popular iPod accessory is an iPod case. Due to their small size you can take your iPod everywhere, so an iPod that lacks the protection of a case can quickly acquire nicks and scratches that detract from its looks, value, and possibly function.

Another popular iPod accessory is the iPod docking station. iPods require frequent charging of their batteries – usually every eight hours or so – and a docking station allows the iPod owner to plug in and charge up when they are away from their computer. Further, some iPod docking stations have their own speaker system, so one can listen to music while recharging.

Listening to your iPod while driving is a natural combination because there is no other way to have thousands of songs, all in digital quality, at your fingertips. However, your car stereo and your iPod are not perfect mates without the help of another must-have iPod accessory, the FM Transmitter. An FM Transmitter not only acts as a docking station which maintains your iPod’s battery charge, it wirelessly broadcasts your music allowing you to “tune it in” on your car’s FM radio. No wires, no fumbling through compact disks, just your entire catalog of music at the touch of a button right on your car radio.

The latest iPod accessory to hit the market is an iPod remote control which allows you to operate your iPod from anywhere in your home. This is especially helpful for those who like to listen to their iPod through their home audio system. An iPod remote control makes your iPod as versatile as your full sized audio components, but at a fraction of the space.

iPods are certainly here to stay, and their size, performance, and features make them appealing to any music lover. But despite their myriad functions, there is an iPod accessory that can enhance your enjoyment. Docking stations that come in all shapes and sizes, adaptors that allow your iPod to play in a cassette player, and countless other offerings make the iPod accessory market nearly as hot as the iPods themselves.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Before there was iPod...


In 1992 Sony launched the MiniDisc (MD) as an attempt to replace audio cassette technologies. The MiniDisc was developed based on magneto-optical storage media that allowed for writing and rewriting of stored information. The fact that the data could be quickly accessed without the need to scroll through an entire tape made this technology very promising for ease of use over the cassette. The data compression format known as ATRAC (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding) was used to allow the audio files to fit on the MiniDisc. In fact, at the SP compression ratio of 292kbps, 60 to 80 minutes of music could be stored on a single disk. Even at CD quality, 20 to 28 minutes of music could be stored on the MiniDisc.

The first MiniDisc based machine was the MZ-1 recorder. The problem with this machine was mainly that it had a cost of more than $750.00. It had an optical line input, audio line input, and microphone input jack. It had an audio output. Some of the earliest versions had an optical line output, but this feature was discontinued. Sony licensed MiniDisc tecnhology to a variety of companies such as Sharp, Panasonic, and Kenwood. It was only a matter of time before all of these companies had released their own lines of MiniDisc players and recorders. MiniDisc players were also developed by Sony for use in the home and car in 1994. All of these efforts yielded no results in North America and Europe, where people seemed content with cassettes for recording and CDs for music purchases. But in East Asia, the MiniDisc took hold and reigned as the top audio format medium through the rest of the 1990s.

In 2000, Sony launched the MiniDisc Long Play (MDLP) format. In the form of LP2, the MiniDisc player could compress audio at 132kbps for up to 80 to 160 minutes per disc. In the LP4 format, the audio could be compressed at 66kbps for up to 320 minutes of audio per disc. But a big difference existed in how the stereo channels were recorded between these two MiniDisc Long Play formats. The LP2 used the same discrete left and right audio channels as the original MiniDisc SP format, while the LP4 began the use of joint stereo encoding.

To keep up with the new MP3 players hitting the market, Sony developed its NetMD for launch in 2002. The NetMD featured a USB connector for exchanging music files with a personal computer. However, in order to use NetMD on your computer, you would have to install their SonicStage (SS) software. Many people found that SonicStage was problematic. In some cases, it froze their computer systems. In other cases it used up a lot of system resources, had file transfer errors, and put restrictions on how often files could be transferred. Though Sony quickly came up with an update called SonicStage CP (SSCP), which was more usable. Their reputation was so tarnished by the original SonicStage that many former NetMD users still won't purchase Sony products.

Other people don't use Sony products anymore because of deceptive claims Sony made about NetMD on the NetMD product boxes and on the Sony NetMD website. Sony claimed the NetMD would be able to play MP3 files. What they didn't bother to mention was that the MP3 files would not be played natively but would have to be re-encoded by SonicStage into ATRAC format during the file transfer process. This not only meant that the sound quality of the MP3 files would be tarnished, but also that file transfers to the NetMD could take several hours.

It didn't help that Sony did not provide good product information to NetMD retailers. All during this time NetMD retailers were telling their customers that files could be transferred from the NetMD to their personal computers. Many people ended up deleting their original files on their computers after transfer only to find out later that they couldn't copy their NetMD files back onto their computers.

In 2004, Sony made a variety of fixes and upgrades to their MiniDisc product line with the release of the Hi-MD. Things such as USB two-way file transfers could now be done. For the first time, recordings could be uploaded from the recorder to the computer but only files that were recorded in the Hi-MD format. But for many former MiniDisc customers it was too late, as too much damage had been done to Sony's credibility. In addition to Sony, only Onkyo even bothered to make mini-component systems and home stereos using Hi-MD. But Kenwood, Teac, and Marantz still have MDLP systems on the market, even though Hi-MD is backwards compatible with the previous MiniDisc formats. Hi-MD contains 1 gigabyte of memory and records in PCM, otherwise known as WAV.

In April 2006, Sony came out with the MZ-RH1 portable Hi-MD recorder. This recorder went the extra step, not only could Hi-MD recordings be uploaded but also recordings made prior to the introduction of Hi-MD could be uploaded. Without blatantly admitting it, Sony was giving MD users the chance to upload all their MD recordings to computer so the files could be transferred to other formats as the MD-age was now coming to a close.

A whole generation in East Asia has now grown up using the MiniDisc formats. Many people have become hardcore fans. Many people haven't found a viable alternative for making real-time copies of music for replay without requiring the clunky intervention and use of a computer. Many people now collect MiniDisc systems just as a hobby. But the MiniDisc systems live on in popular usage because many people just want to be able to grab whatever they hear to hear again later.

A Look At iPod Accessories


With the increasing popularity of the iPod, it only stands to reason that the accessories market is growing right along with it. Often referred to as the iPod ecosystem, the large number of available iPod accessories are designed to work directly with the iPod and are manufactured by a variety of different companies. Well known industry music leaders Bose and Kennsington are among the companies to create iPod speakers, which use the iPod’s third pin dock connector. Various other companies create add-ons that permit the iPod to record sound, recharge, experience playback music on the radio and create wireless capability for the iPod to be operated with the use of a remote control.

In addition to technological iPod accessories, there are also a number of protective carrying cases designed to tote the iPod safely. While maintaining their equipment’s safety, iPod users are also making a fashion statement with their trendy carrying cases.

Industry experts are amazed at just how far iPod accessories have come. For instance, an iPod control is now available on selected jacket sleeves or backpack straps made available by an apparel company specializing in the snowboarding industry. The theory behind this placement is that it will allow individuals with additional convenience for operating their iPod outdoors and on the go. Now that’s iPod accessories at their best.

There are more common iPod accessories, including a headphone connector that allows for private listening of your favorite tunes. An iPod Hi-Fi speaker is also available for use in an electrical outlet or by battery operation.

With radio being a popular pastime for automobile operators, iPod accessories quickly made their way into car integration. BMW was the first to release an iPod interface, which allowed operators to control their iPod through built-in steering wheel controls. By January 2005, Volo, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari would offer similar systems. Later that year, Acura, Honda, Volkswagen and Audi confirmed their plans to integrate iPod accessories into their car stereos as well.

With it’s ability to customize music playback, the iPod is growing with each passing day. As it’s popularity increases, additional iPod accessories will be manufactured to make the convenience of customized music-on-the-go even better. With auto manufacturers jumping on board with their plans to incorporate iPod accessories into their newest creations, it’s clear to automakers and to the world that iPod is here to stay. And, where there is an iPod, there are iPod accessories not far behind.

Monday, March 23, 2009

A Case For Cases. Ipod Cases That Is.


Have you recently bought an iPod? Or are you on the verge of buying one?

Take a look around next time your out and about. iPods are becoming as prolific as cellphones. Of course they are! The iPod is such a great gadget! Do you know the first thing you must do after buying an iPod?

You need to protect it! Most people don't. Even though the iPod owner spends as much as $30 - $60 USD on iPod accessories. That's 30 to 60% of the original iPod price.

The majority of people are buying fancy accessories such as fm transmitters, docking stations, wireless remote kits. Don't get the wrong idea these are great gadgets BUT the first accessory you should be buying is protection for your iPod.

Get the basics before getting the fancy goods. iPod skins and cases come in a huge variety of styles and quality. Whatever your style - there is a case for you!

By purchasing a Skin or Case you'll be protecting your iPod from these common problems:

* Click wheel scratches

* iPod screen scratches.

* Mirrored back scratches.

Despite the superiority of the Apple iPod, it still suffers from some major issues. Being easily scratched and short battery life. These issues lower the resale value of an iPod. This may not seem important but if you want to trade in your older one for a newer one, these things will matter. Aside from that, who wants their own pristine, beautiful iPod all scratched up? Every time you take your iPod out of your pocket it causes microscopic scratches!

There are many accessories out there but most do not fulfill the basic needs of your iPod. Protection. You need to protect your iPod before anything else. Make sure you first equip your iPod with a good quality case, skin, or sleeve.

The most popular iPod cases are as follows:

Cellphone sleeve converted to a case.

This is the most common and are most easily available. Unfortunately the mirrored back of the 3G and 4G iPod are easily scratched by the sleeve as the rub against it. If you can afford a 3G or 4G iPod then you can afford not to go this route. Protect your purchase and buy something specifically for your iPod.

iPod Silicone skin.

This is the most common case today. They come in every shape and size, color and texture. Be aware though there are mass produced low quality cases produced in China with questionable materials that tear easily. The cheap silicone skins also pick up dirt and lint easily. You can find better and branded products from the USA or Japan.

iPod Leather Cases.

iPod leather cases are also extremely popular. Unfortunately people have reported that the Apple branded one scratches the mirror back and does not have a cover flap. There are many quality leather case suppliers on the web. Check the stitching on the case for good workmanship. Belkin and Digital Lifestyle are a few that come to mind.

Water and Shock Resistant Cases.

There is an increasing need for these types of cases due to our active and mobile lifestyles. There are a plethora of cases in this market also but be forewarned that a case can only be water resistant not water proof. Water resistant means it can withstand water splashes certainly not to be immersed in water and definitely you would not bring diving! There are many aluminum cases available that offer superb shock resistance.

With the new knowledge you have, you are now ready to find the case that best fits your needs and most importantly your style! Happy case hunting.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

New iPod Nano! Nano-Chromatic!

A Brief History Of Ipod


iPod is a digital mp3 / mp4 player developed and marketed by Apple Inc., an American consumer electronics multinational corporation. During their research, Apple found that in comparison to available camcorders, digital cameras, and organizers; digital music players recorded poor sales, primarily due to their awful user interfaces. Apple wanted to do something about it and so Jon Rubinstein, Apple's hardware engineering chief brought together a team comprising of Tony Fadell (who dreamed of a hard disk based music player), Michael Dhuey (hardware engineer), Jonathan Ive (design engineer), and Stan Ng (marketing manager). In less than a year, they designed a hard disk based music player, that had a 5 GB hard drive and capable of storing 1000 songs.

Apple's iTunes software is utilized to operate the iPod (m3 / mp4 player). The software is compatible with all Mac systems. The operating system is stored on its hard disk. A boot loader program is contained in a NOR flash ROM chip (either 1 MB or 512 KB) which instructs the device to load the operating system from the hard disk. The iPod has a 32 MB of RAM, a portion of which is used to hold the operating system from firmware, and the rest is used to cache songs from the hard disk. Apple also invented a technology whereby the hard disk of iPod could spin up once and about 30 MB of upcoming songs could be cached into the RAM. This did not require the hard disk to spin up for every song and thereby saved battery power. Apple also introduced a Windows version of iPod, at a later stage.

The audio files that iPod (mp3 / mp4 player) supports are MP3, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless audio file formats. MIDI and WMA files can be played only after a converter accomplishes conversion, for non-Digital Rights Management (DRM). Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and other open-source audio formats are not supported at all.

Apple wanted an extremely user friendly interface and thus adopted the minimalist interface, which features only five essential buttons, namely, Menu (to access functions and to toggle the backlight); Center (for menu item selection); Play/ Pause (this also works as an off switch when held for few seconds); Skip Forward/ Fast Forward; and Skip Backwards/ Fast Reverse. An additional Hold button is provided for accidental button pressing prevention, and it can reset the iPod if it has frozen or crashed. Functions such as volume control, scrolling are handled by the usage of the rotational click wheel. Later models have some minor changes in the functions of the buttons but overall the number of buttons has remained at five.

To market this path-breaking mp3 / mp4 player, they needed a suitable futuristic name and so they hired a freelance copywriter, Vinnie Chieco, and other writers to give a name. Inspired by the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the dialogue "Open the pod bay door, Hal!" with reference to the context of the Discovery One spaceship and its white EVA Pods, Vinnie Chieco proposed the name of the product as iPod. The management of Apple accepted the proposed name and on 23 October 2001, the iPod was officially launched. The rest they say is history.

To enable customers to access songs of their choice, Apple opened up an online media store The iTunes Store on 29 April 2003, where individual songs could be downloaded at prices less than a U.S. dollar per song. The purchased songs can be played only on iPods. Subsequent versions of this iPod (mp3 / mp4 player) also featured video capabilities, and thus iTunes Store started selling short videos from 12 October 2005. From 12 September 2006, full-length movies were also available at the iTunes Store.

iPods have come a long way from their inception, and now the latest fifth generation iPods possess multimedia capabilities and are available in both Mac OS and Windows OS versions. Usually, if a new iPod is plugged into a Mac OS computer, then the hard disk of this mp3 / mp4 player is formatted as per the HFS+ file format, and if it plugged into a Windows OS computer, it is formatted as per the FAT32 file format. From being a digital music player, the iPod has now transformed into a digital media player.

4 Tips To Improve The Life Of Your Ipod


While everyone knows about the iPod and what it can do, not too many people are aware about the batteries that are located inside. Most people may assume that the batteries will simply last forever, because they are permanently attached to the inside of the iPod.

Now, this assumption is incorrect on two levels. On one level, the lithium ion iPod battery that’s inside your iPod can be removed and replaced with an iPod battery replacement kit. Secondly, even though the battery never really leaves the inside of the device; that does not mean that the battery will last forever.

Now, because we now are aware of the fact that the battery won’t last forever, we need to make ourselves aware of some of the tips and tricks that can be applied in order to extend and improve the life of the new iPod battery.

TIP 1: Don’t overcharge the battery

WHY: Overcharging the battery can damage the lithium ion iPod battery itself.

EXPLANATION: With nowhere to store or displace the energy, the battery will become damaged as it attempts to keep charging even when it’s full.

TIP 2: Keep your iPod at room temperature only

WHY: Temperature plays a vital role in the function of the iPod battery

EXPLANATION: Chemical reactions take place inside the lithium ion iPod battery, and it’s those reactions that make the battery properly function. If the temperature it too cold, then the reactions slow down. And those reactions will also speed up if the temperature is too hot.

TIP 3: Only charge the iPod battery when it needs it

WHY: Charging the battery actually weakens it at the same time

EXPLANATION: Each time you recharge the lithium ion iPod mini battery, the overall charge capacity of the battery dwindles ever so slightly. By only charging the battery when needed, you are ensuring that the battery only loses its charge capacity when it has to.

TIP 4: Use your iPod on a consistent basis

WHY: Keeping it inactive dulls the battery

EXPLANATION: If you never use your iPod, the device and the battery itself can simply wear out and die. Using them on a regular basis can keep them both fresh and operational.

10 reasons why you should buy an Ipod nano


A trendsetter and expensive is what the ipod nano is to most people. It makes a statement that I have arrived and I appreciate technology to the fullest. To some it is just another music player to others it is the best.

Here are a few reasons why you may want one:

1. It is pencil thin and can fit into your wallet along with other paraphernalia.

2. Imagine a space of 2GB or 4 GB—this means you can store from 500-1000 songs. Pure listening pleasure.

3. The click wheel and color display take music towards new horizons---plays 14 hours of music.

4. Carries photos, pod casts, and audio books. You can navigate through many photographs using the click wheel. Photos can be transferred and synced with a folder using the itunes software.

5. The ipod can be accessorized using the dock connector and head phone jack. So music follows you around at home, in the car, and even while walking or running. Where ever you go the ipod will follow.

6. Its feather weight and so easy to lug around. The screen does not crack or break easily contrary to fears. However the ipod is not scratch or stain proof.

7. Synchronized with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, the ipod can access the world’s largest selection of music.

8. The pod has a state of the art processor, system performance, and flash memory. The technology is such that it never skips.

9. The system requirements are everyday, either a MAC OS x 10.3.4 with a USB port or Windows 2000 SP4 or windows XP.

10. Music is your whole life and pure unadulterated sound is something to die for.


Expensive, the ipod retails at US$199 for 2GB and US$249 for 4 GB. But it sets the trend and gives a vison of what music heaven can be.