Awesome iPod Nano Video Enlarger Plus Speaker

Think your iPod Nano's screen is too small? Then check out this do-it-yourself iPod Nano video enlarger. It's made out of an old 35mm slide viewer, hacked to include portable speakers. Very cool.

My Gadget Wishlist

Realistically speaking, I don't have enough money to buy all the gadgets I want. But if ever I did, I'll go ahead and buy these things. These are very simple and mainstream gadgets, nothing too fancy in here. And if I probably starved myself for a year I could buy these, but I just love food too much.

• Apple Macbook Pro - This one's a no-brainer. This laptop's simply unbeatable.



• iPod Touch 32 gb - I have the 16gb model but I want the newly released 32 gb! I'm frustrated.



• Bose iPod Dock - This is the prettiest iPod dock around.



• PS3 - Now that BluRay's the clear winner, I'd love to get the PS3 not only for games but for watching awesome movies as well.



• PSP - I used to have a PSP but it got sat on and the screen cracked. Now I'm thinking that I want one again.
  

Macworld 2008 Keynote

Check out Steve Jobs' keynote at Macworld 2008 here. I'm personally not blown away by any of the things he announced. However, I'm sure a number of people are or will be psyched about a certain practically-paper-thin laptop.

Anyway, I think it's better to watch any keynote without any knowledge about the content whatsoever. It makes everything sound better I guess. So I'll stop blabbing now.

Why Is The Zune 2 Better Than The iPod?

The PMP battle is now in progress and surprisingly, the new Zune is a worthy contender. I do hope the iPod is ready for some competition. Don't get me wrong, I love the iPod. However, I can't help realizing that Team Zune Luv from Zuneluv.com does have some valid points in their article 7 Ways Zune Beats iPod. Here are their two best points in my opinion...

Podcast as top-level entry. It always bugged me that Podcasts were a “category” in music (or video) in the iPod. That was just so wrong on so many levels that it is great to see that cleaned up. Don’t get me wrong, I have music and Podcasts on my Zune - there is just a time and place for everything (and now they both have their place).
Bonus – I can now shuffle music content and not worry that an episode of the Bitterest Pill will show up in the mix.

> I agree, I love podcasts and I think they should have their own top level menu entry. Lumping them in with Music and Videos just creates confusion.

Radio. I seldom listen to radio but found myself in the gym watching a news clip on the monitor that caught me eye. They do that broadcast the audio on FM thing so I switched over quickly, got my fix and went from there. 3 minutes of usage total – but it was nice to have.
Bonus – We live in crazy world where a radio nearby is never a bad thing. Usage will continue to plummet but having that option in the case of an emergency is a comfort.

> No matter how large our music library is, we do get bored with our music sometimes. For the freshest tunes, nothing beats the airwaves.

Make Your Own Noise Eliminating Headphones

Have you ever tried using the stock iPod earbuds in an airplane? It's torture. Even with the volume up to maximum, I had to cover my ears with my hands just to understand what I'm watching. Not a great experience.

In this situation, I would have killed for a pair of noise eliminating headphones. But the cheapskate in me just can't spend more than a hundred of dollars just for a pair of headphones. This Kipkay hack blew me away. It makes me think, why didn't I think of this before? Check it out and you'll see what I mean.

Headphone Hack! Make You Own Noise Eliminating Headset! - Watch a funny movie here

New iPod Line Bogged Down With Flaws

Well well well, looks like quality control over at Apple is down lately. Have you gotten your new iPods? If so I hope you're not one of the unlucky ones who have recieved flawed items. They're not exactly defective, they're just less than perfect. And I know a lot of people expect perfection from Apple.

For instance, several iPod Nanos have been reported to have tilted screens. Of course these are just physical defects, but a lot of people can be nitpicky about their gadgets. My cousin got her Nano and I noticed it was slightly tilted. The bottom right side was about a millimeter higher than the bottom left side. I told her about it and she basically said she didn't care.

Good for her! I would have gone totally crazy and demanded a replacement from the Apple store. Unfortunately for Apple, there are a lot more people like me... check out this thread from the Apple support forums and this thread from MacRumors. Fortunately however, Apple is taking responsibility and replacing the units with tilted screens. The problem is, it seems like there are more units with tilted screens than ones with straight screens.

To add to that, the iPod Touch isn't even supposed to be out yet but people are already complaining about the poor lcd screen quality. I'm talking about the "negative black effect." To non geeks, it simply means that videos with dark scenes (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer perhaps... hey, I loved that show) will look like crap on your iPod Touch. And considering the fact that this iPod model was designed to play videos, it should have a damned great lcd screen.

And in a shocking twist, a few new iPhone owners are now complaining that their new iPhones are dispalying the same problem as the iPod Touch's screens. Go figure. Maybe they were cutting corners at the Apple factory? One thing's for sure though, if Apple keeps this up, it looks like they're going to be making more enemies than friends.

Looking Back: The iPod Archives

Earlier today, I was looking for a discussion thread about the latest Steve Jobs Keynote. I've already read a lot of the comments at Engadget but I guess I'm not over it yet. Reading everyone's posts always makes my day. You can't get any more attacks and arguments anywhere else. Everyone has their own opinion, everyone thinks they're right and everyone wants to be heard.

After searching "ipod forums" in Google, I found a thread in the Macrumors.com forums. It was titled "Apple's New Thing (iPod)". I thought the title was a bit weird. I mean, it makes it sound as if the iPod was a newly launched product. After reading a couple of posts, lo and behold, I realize I was reading an archived thread started when the original iPod was announced almost 6 years ago! A lot of the posts amused me, they ranged from disappointed to delusional. A lot of the posters actually hated the iPod back then! Here are a rundown of my fave posts (my comments are in green)...

• WeezerX80 wrote: "I still can't believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It's so wrong! It's so stupid!" [Perhaps he was expecting a jetpack backpack?]
  

• elitemacor wrote: "It's now at the online Apple Store! $400 for an Mp3 Player! I'd call it the Cube 2.0 as it wont sell, and be killed off in a short time...and it's not really functional. Uuhh Steve, can I have a PDA now?" [6 years later, MP3 players, particularly iPods, are one of the fastest selling gadgets around and PDAs are the ones practically extinct...]
  

• Guest wrote: "I have no use for an Mp3 player. My house has a CD player. My car has a CD player. My Mac has a CD player. I don't use headphones. The iPod requires me to change my lifestyle to meet it's needs... I need round holes, not square holes. For $99 I might buy the toy, for $399? Why? Doesn't a Mac with a CDR undermine the need for most of this? All that's left is the number of songs you can play and the ability to listen to all of them with headphones anywhere. Do I really need ALL my songs ALL the time?uhm, no. Won't last. Another Cube." [Of course I need all my songs all the time! I need all my podcasts and movies and tv shows with me everywhere I go as well! And Mr. Guest, no one is asking you to change your lifestyle. You can have your CDs if you love them so much. LOL.]
  

• Smelt wrote: "Lots of hype. Now I gripe. 400 bucks! Is Steve nuts? Digital hub??? What a flub! Stupid name. Who to blame? Come on folks-no more jokes..." [Uhm, your rhymes aren't great, you won't get paid... Ok, mine was worse... next...]
  

• myassmuh wrote: "i'm not expecting a $200 time machine, but damn, why can't i have a $200 ipod. or even better a $50 or $100 dollar product that can expand userbase and introduce people to the apple product line. want people in the stores? try offering a deal, steve." [Uh, he just did... and now people hate him...]

It just proves that techies are whiners through and through. Haha, I've whined a couple of times myself. Anyway, here's the link to the thread if you want to check it out yourself... [thread]. Enjoy!

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Reviews on the iPod Nano (3G)

The moment the new iPod Nano was announced Apple lovers rushed to their nearest Apple stores and bought themselves their very own "nano fatty". And despite the uncertainty over it's new look when it was first leaked (read the replies), based on the numerous reviews just released, people are now loving it's squat look. I'm starting to think that everything Steve Jobs touches turnes to gold. I'd have to admit that even though I have no intentions to buy one myself (I've got my heart set on the iPod Touch), it looks pretty good to me.

But the Nano Fatty isn't just great in the looks department. The reviews are in and the new iPod Nano is officially a hit. Reviewers are raving about it's long battery life, relatively cheap price, and it's sharp screen. Here's a round-up of reviews from only the most trusted sources, brought to us by Engadget.

Read - PC Mag
Read - CNET
Read - ZDNet Australia
Read - iLounge

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The New iPod Touch

Ever since the iPhone was introduced to the public, I've secretly hoped for something exactly like it minus the phone part. The iPhone just wasn't practical for me. I don't want to have my music and video player in my phone, I'd much rather have a separate phone with less bells and whistles.

My hopes were answered by none other than Steve Jobs yesterday, with the introduction of the new iPod Touch. And let me just say, I have never wanted a gadget as much as I want this right now. I have the 5th gen iPod and I could say with confidence that I've used it to watch videos (mostly podcasts) more than I've used it to listen to songs. With the iPod Touch, I could watch my videos in widescreen glory. Here's a rundown of it's other features...

• Music, Video and Photos - Duh!

• Comes with 8 GB or 16 GB flash memory - 16 GB here I come!

• Built-in Wi-fi - Finally, a Wi-fi iPod!

• Built-in Safari and YouTube - This definitely adds plus points for me since I've been looking for a better way to read my RSS feeds than on my phone's puny screen.

• Built-in rechargeable, non-removable battery with up to 5 hours of video playback, and up to 22 hours of audio playback - The iPhone ran into a lot of problems with it's battery; I just hope the iPod Touch will be different.

So all in all, I can't wait to get my hands on one! I just can't!

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Steve Jobs Keynote

Whew, Steve Jobs latest keynote address surely gave me a lot of material to write about! But before anything else, I think it's best if you watch the actual address first. He talks about really exciting stuff like iTunes upgrades and of course new iPods! Go ahead, watch it from start to finish. If you're an Apple lover like me you'll probably end up drooling. No wonder he looks so smug in the picture. Here's the link to the stream, enjoy!

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I Love Tokidoki

I love Tokidoki! For the uninitiated few who still don't know, tokidoki is the creation of an Italian artist Simone Legno. It all started as a personal website, a portfolio and diary of sorts, and has grown into an international business. I don't blame the people who love his creations, they're the most adorable things I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Here's a sampling of tokidoki art...

I just love the colors and the graphics... actually I love everything about Simone Legno's creations. I, and apparently a lot more others, couldn't get enough of them. They're so popular in fact that they have attracted the attention of collaborators... big name companies like LeSportsac, Smashbox and Fornarina.

If you're like me and love their stuff, head on to their online shop and get shopping. Here are some items I'd love to get for myself... (hint, hint)

These would make me buy an iPod just so I could carry it around in this tokidoki iSkin. Brilliant.

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iPhone Nano Rumors

I am going crazy with all these Apple rumors. One of the more persistent ones is the iPhone Nano rumor. I'd just like to comment on the points made in the Gizmodo article about this rumored gadget...

• it'll be out before Christmas (ed. Almost every rumored gadget was predicted to be "out before Christmas"... Unfortunately, some of them do not even see the light of day.)
  
• it will combine iPod functionality with "rudimentary cellular capabilities" (ed. Say what? Can't they just say that it'll be an iPod and a basic cellphone in one? No need to confuse the vocab-challenged. Anyway, it doesn't sound that appealing to me.)
  
• "more resource-heavy internet browsing and email capabilities are not expected of the device" (ed. This thing is sounding less and less appealing.)
  
• it'll be cheaper than the iPhone (ed. duh) but more expensive than the Nano (ed. another duh)
  
• it might involve this "clickwheel dialpad patent" (ed. Looks nasty... and complicated... which is never a good combination.)

Let us be wary of which rumors we believe... this one sounds totally crazy. Then again, it could turn out to be true after all. I'd like to see how the public will react to a phone like this. It honestly sounds unappealing to me.

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Hide-a-pod... An iPod/iPhone in Disguise

The Hide-a-pod is a product (albeit fictional) that claims to keep your iPods or iPhones away from theft by encasing it in a (brown) Zune. Am I the only one who thinks that this is totally mean? Although, I can't help but laugh too.

This is from their FAQ...

Can I choose my Zune color?

Sorry, no. We only use brown Zunes for the maximum anti-theft protection.

Haha. I'm really sorry but although I love the Zune and am planning on getting one if the iPod does not release a 6th generation soon, I agree that the brown one looks terrible. The red one looks great though.

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Waiting for the Touchscreen iPod

Now that the iPhone is released and hype has died down a bit (well, just a little bit) I think now is just the right time to announce a shiny new 6th generation (touchscreen) iPod. It’s about time right? After all, the current 5th generation iPod has been around for a couple of years now. I honestly think that feature-wise, it’s being left behind other newer media players. I mean next to the Zune, the iPod’s screen looks tiny.

Anyway, as we’re waiting for the next gen iPod, let us satisfy our cravings with mockups. Yup, some Apple fans have all the time in the world. Mac Guides has organized all the touchscreen iPod mockups on the net into a gallery. How convenient. Here are my faves…

These series of pics come from one source (they were anonymously emailed to MacShrine.com) and they all look great. You still have the functionality of the clickwheel through the touchscreen but the the screen size is significantly increased. It's amazing how they all look so damned realistic. If Steve Jobs announces an iPod tomorrow that looks exactly like this I’ll be happy. I would have preferred a black version though, since the white in the picture seems too light and pristine looking.

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