When the iPod first came out, it was regarded as Apple’s greatest saviour, and those people who did say that were spot on. The iPod has become the golden cash cow that all companies strive for in a product. Bring out any related 3rd party product and it will be snapped up.However, is it all that special? Sure it saves you from taking your computer around with you while you listen to your favourite MP3s, but so did a portable MP3 player. It looks good…so how does that help performance?

It has video playback! Hmm…I think I could be beaten here…however it has been found that under 6 million user have actually downloaded anything video related, that is 4% of users, so not a great success.

The iPod family is large, and expensive. The iPod suffle is the cheapest of the lot, however it has little in the way of usable features that make it stand out from the MP3 players…also no USB port. The Nanos do look nice, and show a little picture of your artists album, easy to see when in your pocket.

So I have devised 5 new ways on how to spruce up your iPod so that it actually seems like something worthwhile.Better iPod # 1.

Why have 4 GB when you are only going to store many hundreds of MP3s, impossible to hear on your 1 hour commute. Why not use the capacity to save your private work, documents or other sensitive information? The iPod however can not be used as a full time hardrive, it will break in a few weeks. Simply mount it in the Finder (turn on Enable Disk Use in the iPod section of iTunes preferences, and say install Mac OS X on it. If you’ve just completed a large installation, use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your OS X set-up to your iPod…just in case.Better iPod # 2.

DJ with your iPod. Set up the ultimate party playlist in iTunes, and sync it to your iPod. Plug it into the party amp with a mini jack lead, lock it out of harms way, and then party away. You should make up different playlists so that you can cater for different audiences.Better iPod # 3.

The iPod calendar. If you use iSync on your Mac to sync your iCal calendars, you will have appointments on the go. You can choose which iPod calendars you copy, including ones you’ve subscribed to as well as ones you’ve made yourself. You can’t sync to-do list items, but date events copy across ok. Go to Extras > calandar to view a month at a time on your iPod screen. Days with appointments are marked, and clicking on one will show you everything about that appointment.Better iPod # 4.

Better music encoding. The default encoding of tracks for iTunes is AAC 128kbps. This plays in iTunes and iPod but very little else. Consider raising the quality level of the encoder to 192kbps, open iTunes’ preferences and click importing. If you want more compatible encoded results, switch to MP3 encoding instead. Pick the highest quality, and use 192kbps, and variable bit rate.Better iPod # 5.

Accessing the iPod music files. There is a simple little bit of software that allows you to access the tracks (just say you lost the originals, obviously ), and it is called Audion (for Mac), which is now free. Launch Audion, connect your iPod and either click on the iPod icon or choose your iPods name from the iPod menu. The playlist window will show all the tracks on your iPod. You can drag files in, and you can drag items out. Want your own Techno tracks to put on iTunes? No money, no kit and no theory and in just 14 days? Author, Dominic Hough has devised a simple “3-in-1″ formula. The complete Beginners Bible to Making, Marketing and Selling your own Techno Tracks…easy, simple and it works. rhinestones

The new video capable iPod has opened a new world of possibilities for people upgrading to the newest iPod model. However, for the most part, most do not know how to encode video to portable devices that require strict format requirements. For those who own a PSP, you might know a thing or two about encoding video. The PSP and iPod can only play MPEG-4 encoded videos with AAC audio tracks. There are limits to resolution and bit rates of the videos you can use on your iPod. It may seem that this video iPod thing is too complicated for a “normal” person to figure out, but here are some simple instructions on how to create video for your new video iPod: If you have QuickTime Pro 7, you can make your own videos that will allow you to play them on your iPod. With QuickTime, you can easily convert your home videos or any other video into a format that your iPod will recognize. First, make sure that you are, in fact, running the newest version of QuickTime, 7 or later. After you have the latest version of QuickTime installed, go ahead and open it. Now, go ahead and choose the “Open File” option from the File menu at the top left corner of the QuickTime window. Select the video or movie that you would like to play on your iPod and then click on the Open button. Now choose the “Export” option from the File menu. You should see an option that says, “Movie to iPod (320×240)”, click on the Save button. Now the Export progress bar will show you how far the export process has gone before being completed. However, if your movie is longer, then it will take more time than if you had a shorter movie. Once the export has been completed, QuickTime Pro will put the new version of your movie on your desktop. This is the version that will be able to play on your video iPod. Go ahead and open up this new version of your movie and play it to make sure it looks the way it is supposed to. To get the video to your iPod, you will have to launch iTunes version 6. If you do not have iTunes 6, you should download it at this time. Now drag the new movie file into your iTunes library. Put it into a folder or a playlist of your choice. Connect your iPod to your computer and synchronize it with your iTunes. Now if you would like to play the movie, select the “Videos” and then the “Movies” option from your video iPod’s Main Menu. All available movies will be listed in alphabetical order. Go ahead and select the desired movie to play. But what do you do if you want to watch episodes of your favorite television show from your iPod, on your TV? Don’t worry; here are some quick and easy steps for you to be watching them in no time: First, you will need some items, a video-capable iPod, and iPod-compatible video (like the one you just converted in QuickTime), an AV cable (these can be bought off eBay if you do not have one for only five or six bucks). Now you can configure your iPod video options that will allow you to control how you export video. On the iPod Video Options screen, you can select how your video iPod will handle the video file playback. In order to open these settings, first choose Videos then Video Settings on your main iPod menu. This screen will offer three different settings: TV Out, TV Signal and Widescreen. Adjust these setting to pick the video playback style that you need. Whenever your iPod plays a video file, it will either play the video on the built-in screen or it will transmit the video signal out of the microphone jack. To control which one your iPod does, go to the TV Out option. If you choose No, the playback will remain on the iPod. If you select, “Yes” then a TV signal is produced. If you would like the iPod to ask you every time it plays a video file, select the Ask option. Now that you know how to convert video files on your computer into iPod compatible video, and you know how to get movies or video on your iPod to play on your television set, you should be set to go with your new video iPod. football flags

Apple iPods are great contributors to the company’s success. There are a lot of MP3 players available in the market today. But what makes Apple iPod the best among the rest? We’ll try to discover things that will change your opinion about iPod and how it can be your best buddy for digital entertainment.There is no doubt that iPod is one of the most selling MP3 player since its release. Other manufacturers like Microsoft with there Zune, Sony with their versions of Sony Walkman, Philips with their own MP3 player, and other established companies are close competitors of Apple vying for the prize of getting the most number of consumers for a certain release. However, it is clear the iPod will still receive the recognition because of its innovative features.iPod Touch with its multi-touch feature. So far, no other MP3 player manufacturer aside from Apple has ever built a player with the multi-touch feature. There are players in the market designed with a touch-screen feature, but this is totally behind the multi-touch. A touch-screen player can only sense a command from one point of the display. While a multi-touch player senses multi commands through different points of the display. Executing commands through combinations of touches. No need to stylus, bare hands can be used to issue the commands.Tilt-sensor on iPod adds another advantage from other players. The tilt-sensor automatically detects the position of the player and accordingly adjusts the presentation of images to the display. Images are presented either portrait or landscape view. The tilt-sensor allows the player to convert to shuffle mode once the command is sensed.Size, weight, and designs are factors separating iPod from the rest. iPod Shuffle can play up to 240 songs with its miniature size smaller than a match box. First generation of the iPod shuffle can hold data of up to 512 MB, but that successors are more robust and are provided with bigger data storage. The forth generation iPod Shuffle can store up to 2GB of data considering its size. In addition, these players come in various colors perfect for ones taste.Battery lifespan of these players are totally impressive. A full charge of the iPod Shuffle’s battery can accompany a user with continuous playing of songs for up to 12 to 14 hours. Newer versions can provide longer playing time.Newer generations of iPod players are using flash memory in replacement of hard drive. This reduces the risk of damaging the unit due to system failures brought by damage hard drives. Most players shipped in the market today still use the hard drive to store data on the player. Moreover, an iPod can be used as a regular flash drive. Several iPod players can be used to store other types of data aside from audio, image, or video file common supported by iPod. If you want to know more about apple ipod then please feel free to visit ipod accessories at Superwarehouse.com.WP Autoblog Software

The most popular Apple product right now is the iPod Nano. The iPod Nano is much smaller than the rest of the iPod family, save for the iPod shuffle. The screen on the iPod Nano is tiny, but it is color and has a surprisingly high resolution. Because the screen is so clear, it is said to be able to have more characters in one line than the iPod Mini. The screen is no bigger than a postage stamp, but is still able to portray the album art of the current song that is playing. iPod Nano comes with a capacity of 4GB(1,000 songs) and 8GB(2,000 songs). With an anodized aluminum top and polished stainless steel back. Six eye-catching colors. A larger, brighter display with the most pixels per inch of any Apple display, ever. iPod nano stirs up visual effects from the outside in. And it will wow you for hours. Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. All that staying power and a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano one small big attraction.
With Cover Flow on iPod nano, you can flip through your music to find the album you want to hear. Use the Click Wheel to adjust volume, navigate songs, browse in Cover Flow, or explore the Music menu by playlist, artist, album, song, genre, composer, and more. Want to mix things up? Click Shuffle Songs. iPod nano makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to its bright color display.
Buy or rent movies from the iTunes Store to your iPod nano to watch anywhere, anytime. Up to 5 hours of video playback means you can watch two movies back to back. And for your viewing pleasure, the 320-by-240-pixel display with a whopping 204 pixels per inch and is 65 percent brighter than before. There is always something good on iPod nano. Browse thousands of episodes of your favorite TV shows on the iTunes Store, buy them for just $1.99 each, then sync them to your iPod nano. Watch last nights episodes this morning, or buy a whole TV series and play a pocket-size marathon. The iTunes Store features thousands of free video and audio podcasts, including indie favorites and offerings from such big names as ABC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, PBS, NPR, and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod nano. You can even play video podcasts on TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.
The digital shelves of the iTunes Store are stocked with thousands of audiobooks including exclusives like the entire Harry Potter series so you can catch up on your reading wherever iPod nano takes you. iPod nano even recognizes where you left off reading and bookmarks your place.
Put hours of fun at your fingertips. iPod nano comes with three games Vortex, iQuiz and Klondike and you can download more from the iTunes Store for $4.99 each. All iPod games are designed specifically for the iPod interface. And all of them look great on the 2-inch color display.
iPod nano holds up to 7,000 photos you can sync from your Mac or PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails. To see a photo full screen, click the center button. You can even view your photo slideshows complete with music and transitions on a TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.
Calendars, contacts, and a screen lock appear in the Extras menu, along with a few more handy items. Take the world clock, for example. Spin the Click Wheel to choose different clocks for cities all over the world. For workouts, use the built-in stopwatch to log your best times.
Now, more music, movies, photos and games on your iPod Nano. Jacob George is an Internet Enthusiast. For more on Apple iPods & iPhone Visit: http://www.iPodConsole.com
& http://www.fromiPhone.comHouston Apartment

iPod shuffle The iPod shuffle is ideal if you want a tiny, discrete music player when you’re on the go. Its built-in clip also means you can attach the shuffle securely to the outside of your clothes, or fasten it inside a pocket or bag. Unlike the other Ipods, the shuffle doesn’t have a screen, but this needn’t be a cause for concern. After all, if you’re using the shuffle at work, on a crowded commuter train or bus, or around the house when you’re busy, you may not have the chance to view what a screen can offer. Furthermore, the shuffle may have the lowest storage capacity of the iPod range, but do you really need much more room? You can still load 240 songs on the 1GB model, and 500 on the 2GB. Even then, you can keep other music in your iTunes library and change songs, albums, artists and playlists as and when you want. iPod nano The stunning appearance and versatility of the Ipod Nano have made it the world’s favourite music player. If you have a good-size music collection you want to carry with you, it’ll store 2,000 or 4,000 songs, depending on whether you opt for the 8GB or 16GB version. The nano will also give you up to 24 hours music playback on just one battery charge. The nano is about more than audio, however. Its two inch colour LCD screen lets you watch music videos, films, photos, and TV shows. You can also download films and TV shows from the Internet via iTunes, transfer them to your nano, and show them through your television with an appropriate cable. Clearly the nano is for anyone who wants something more than just a music player. It’s an incredibly compact and lightweight entertainment centre. It also has features that make it desirable for specific users. Games players, for example, appreciate the accelerometer. This device enables you to move the iPod nano to control on-screen characters and events. A further bonus, this time for music lovers, comes in the form of Genius. When you activate Genius on iTunes and your iPod nano, you can ask it to automatically create playlists that match a favourite song and reflect your personal taste. Other features of the iPod nano help the visually impaired. There’s a larger font size you can set for the screen’s menu lists. There’s also Spoken Menus, an innovation that allows you to hear the menus as they appear. This means you can navigate almost all of your nano’s features without needing to look at the screen. iPod classic The classic is the iPod that can hold just about anything the most committed lover of music and video can give it. With 120GB at your disposal, you can carry 30,000 songs in your pocket, or have 150 hours of films and TV. More than likely, you’ll want a mix of these, but don’t forget you also can add pictures, games, podcasts, and audiobooks. This astonishing capability sets the classic apart. To take full advantage of it, however, you need a power source with stamina; a first class screen; and high quality audio. The classic has all of these. The battery gives you up to 36 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video on just one charge. This is perfect for long journeys and holidays. What’s more, you need only put the classic on charge for two hours to bring it back to 80% strength, and four hours for 100%. The screen is a two and a half inch colour LCD with 320 x 240 pixel resolution. It provides images that are vivid and sharp, and further enhances them with an LED backlight. Audio reproduction is precise and clear. This is exactly what all music lovers want, and is one reason why the classic is invaluable for many people. If your music collection has grown so large, for instance, that you’re having trouble finding enough shelves for it, you can transfer your CDs to iTunes and from there to your classic. In this way, you can reduce your collection to a device that’s half the size of a CD case without any loss of quality or enjoyment. If you invest in an iPod speaker system, you can also continue listening to your music aloud. iPod touch The iPod touch takes all that’s great about the shuffle, nano and classic, and adds some unique extras. One of these is the three and a half inch Multi-Touch screen. Not only does this provide more room to view the menus and videos, it replaces the click wheel. To control the features of the touch, you simply tap the screen and move your fingers across it. The screen also boasts impressive 3D graphics. On the audio side, you can listen to the music or videos on your touch by connecting earphones or headphones. You can, however, put these to one side if you want and use the built-in speaker. This is convenient if circumstances are such that you cannot wear earphones, and you don’t have a speaker system to hand. Yet another great extra is the built-in Wi-Fi technology. This takes your iPod to another level of use, allowing you to connect to a wireless network. You can then browse the web, and retrieve and send emails. The touch is therefore an iPod for anyone who wants the extra capabilities of cutting edge technology and Internet access. If this is what you’re looking for, the touch is the perfect iPod. If not, the shuffle, nano, or classic will certainly provide what you need. Ben T Wilson writes about Mac computers, such as  the imac computers.Free Wordpress Plugins