Date Archive > January 2005
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January 31, 2005
Did You Know? A Playlist of Playlists
Playlists in iTunes play another role since the iPod shuffle came out. You can use the 'Autofill from' selection box to have more control over the songs that get copied to the shuffle. Here is a quick and easy way to have more control over what music gets put onto the shuffle, while at the same time retaining some of the random fun of the experience.
Make a playlist of playlists. To begin, create a new smart playlist. Choose File > New Smart Playlist, or on a Mac you can option-click the playlist icon on the bottom left of the iTunes window. In the first "Match the following condition" selection list you can choose 'Playlist' and then choose 'is' and then choose the playlist that you want to draw songs from. In the above screen shot, I've chosen to gather songs from three playlists plus any songs by The Flaming Lips. Save this playlist with a name like "shuffle Playlist 1" and then from the shuffle's "Autofill from" selection list you can choose this playlist. You'll still get a random selection of songs but you get to have more control over them at the same time. iTunes rocks.
Update: Here is my favorite way to use this playlist of playlists: You want your shuffle playlist to contain more tracks than will fit on the shuffle. In the shuffle preferences on the bottom of the iTunes window, make sure that 'Replace all songs when Autofilling' and 'Choose songs randomly' are both checked. Then, when you sync your shuffle and you click the Autofill button, you'll get a different set of random songs chosen from your playlist every time you fill it.
Category: How-To, Resources | Comments (6)
January 28, 2005
Sumajin Gets Funky in your Ears
Sumajin, maker of the Smartwrap, has released colored foam earbud covers. They are called simply "Funky" and are designed for use with the standard Apple earbuds. They come in five colors (blue, green, red, yellow, and orange) and cost (are you sitting down?) one dollar each.
If you've lost your black earbud covers that Apple supplied, or they got ripped, became gross, or were torn apart by the sheer awesome sonic energy of the totally bitchin' music that you listen to, then I highly recommend replacing them. To me, the foam covers make the Apple earbuds sound a lot better - smoother frequency response, richer bass, and less shrill at the top end.
Related: iPoditude Review: Sumajin Smartwrap
Category: Gear | Comments (0)
iPod Love Movie
The plot is trite, the denouement is predictable, and the cinematography is shoddy (guys, tripods only cost like 20 bucks) but this goes to show you that anybody with a DV camera and a couple of friends can create something mildly entertaining. Watch the bus stop dancing dufus choose his iPod over his girlfriend.
Via ipodstudio
Category: Culture | Comments (0)
Take a Walk on the Trippy Side
I like glow in the dark things, but I would never want to glow in the dark myself. Having said that, the new eVo2 Wild Sides skin cases from iSkin remind me of bygone days of my youth where I would see the world through polychromatic swirled glasses. I'm not really sure that I want to relive those days, but if I ever wanted to all I would have to do is plunk down $34.99 plus shipping, put on some Skinny Puppy, and I'd be all set. Shipping in February with mini models in the works too.
Category: Cases | Comments (0)
Friday Links, Geez
There sure is a lot going on for a Friday. I thought everybody goofed off like I do on this unofficial first day of the weekend. So, I'll to link to some of the best stuff that I've found so far:
- Our good man Leander over at Wired News wrote an article about some smug little Ken-doll of an over-achiever who thinks that if he sprinkles - no infuses - a whole lot of marketing terms and amalgamated words into a pseudo-research paper that people will take note of it. Seems like it worked. See My IPod, My Self
- Not directly iPod related, but I love these. The Matt Groening Apple Ads circa 1989.
- There is a great, well-crafted, and funny poem at erasing.org entitled I ate iPod shuffle. "It really tasted quite fantastic, (Apple’s peeps use primo plastic)"
- The irrepressible Christopher Breen wrote iPod shuffle Tips and Tricks. He's attached a camera lens cap to the shuffle cap and uses the Autofill feature to create random playlists, which is a pretty good idea.
- Robert X. Cringely writes an article with the byline, "Is iPod the Razor or the Blade?" He examines the iPod and the business model that Apple uses to sell it. It evolves into a discussion on how the Mac mini can become the media center that we all want it to be and they take that ball and run with it. I get really excited when I read about the possibilities that Apple has right now. If even half of the stuff this article discusses comes to fruition I think it would be great because it would enrich everyone's lives.
- An enterprising person who writes in a different language than I know how to read has posted pictures of their "Armor plate for iPod Photo." From looking at the pictures, I can tell that they've obviously got three things: aluminum billet stock, a CAD/CAM machine, and some time to waste. via tuaw.com
Category: News | Comments (0)
I’m a Pepper, You’re a Pepper, Wouldn’t You Like to be a Pepper Too?
A blog called Church of the Customer, which is, "All about word of mouth and creating customer evangelists" takes a look at that iPod My Photo thing that guy did. Well, that guy is named David Schroeder and he tells the story of how his gig, which has gone on for just over 15 minutes now, started. Don't get me wrong, those pics are great, and I think what he's done is cool. More power to him. It's just that these types of things usually don't last too long.
What starts as the story of how he got his idea becomes a discussion of how manic and devout consumers can be when they really like a company or a product. I don't know who he could be talking about...
Related:
Roll Your Own iPod People
iPod My Photo
Category: Culture | Comments (0)
January 27, 2005
iPoditude Review: Sumajin Smartwrap
I have cats and it's a problem. It's a problem because these little vandals are hell on wheels and at night they don their superhero capes, night vision goggles, climbing gear, and bring out the heavy machinery to destroy anything of value left in my house. I'm telling you this because I thought the Smartwrap would be able to help me out with my cat problem (you cat owners out there probably know where I'm going with this). A pair of earphones left out on the table wouldn't stand a chance of making through the night at my place. My cats would be shitting little pieces of white wire for days afterwards. However, a pair of earphones wrapped neatly around a Smartwrap would have a fighting chance of survival since they'd be more compact, less noticeable, and not as much fun to play with (eat).
So, I got to try out the Smartwrap for a while and if you'll follow the link you can read about my crazy Smartwrap exploits (not really) and see some good pics of this thingamijig.
Continue reading "iPoditude Review: Sumajin Smartwrap"
Category: Reviews | Comments (1)
‘Made For iPod’ Might be Useful After All
BusinessWeek Online has published iPod Add-Ons: The Craze That Lasts. This article details the new "Made For iPod" program that was recently announced by Apple. When Steve Jobs mentioned it during his Stevenote speech the details of this new plan were fuzzy, but one thing was for sure, it sounded hokey.
My first thought was that it was a way for Apple to charge a licensing fee for the little stamp of approval and that it would just wind up hurting all of the little guys trying to make a buck off of the iPod's success. However, it doesn't seem to be such a blood-sucking leach of a plan, and it might prove to be actually useful to you and me. The article states, "Those who agree to follow Apple's technical specifications will be able to include a "Made for iPod" logo on their packaging. The logo should start appearing on speakers, car adapters, power supplies, and other such gizmos within a few weeks." Seems that no one will disclose the details of the program (Apple must keep those secret as well?!) but that it won't apply to non-technical accessories like cases, bags, and your ipodjewelry decoration thang.
Category: News | Comments (0)
Smarter than the Average Bear?
It looks like an innocent enough way to hold your iPod mini, but the Kubrick iPod mini iBear springs to life at night to rifle through your underwear drawer looking for incriminating evidence to blackmail you with later. Actually, I don't have any technical details about what this actually does (is it a dock? charger? toothbrush holder?) but it would be fun to pretend to disembowel him as you remove your iPod everyday.
Hope you can navigate the Medicom Toy web site better than I can.
Via Gizmodo
Category: Gear | Comments (1)
Motorola and Apple… What if…
In his weekly Switched On column for Engadget, Ross Rubin talks about what the future might bring for the likes of digital music and portable devices. Is the Apple/Motorola "iPhone" just the beginning of a new breed of device? If so, what would it mean to the cell phone industry? To Apple? He makes some good points regarding convenience of the devices, market viability, and wisely avoids making any predictions. This is an interesting exploration of what might be in store for us.
Category: News | Comments (1)
January 26, 2005
Iowa Chicks Knitting Club Turn Their Nervous Energy Towards the iPod
This is just so cute, I can't even be sarcastic about it. The Iowa Chick Knitting Club has posted some photos of their new iPod cozy design. Seems that one of the members named Mush got an iPod for Xmas and fell in love with it. The knitted iPod cozy is what you get when you combine busy fingers, iPod love, and a power outage. I wonder if liquor wasn't involved as well.
And stay tuned for the water bottle cozy they've got cooking.
More:
Iowa Chicks Knitting iPod Cozy 1
Iowa Chicks Knitting iPod Cozy 2
And for more handcrafted iPod cozy things see Felt Cafe
Category: Culture | Comments (2)
iPoditude Review: WaterField Designs iPod Gear Pouch
I've been carrying around the iPod Gear Pouch from WaterField Designs for a few weeks now. The marketing copy states, "Waterfield bags are designed and made in San Franscisco, where rent is high, labor expensive, and competition is intense. We wouldn't go anywhere else." And with that, the expectation is set.
For those that just can't make it through the next couple of hundred words, the short of it is that this bag rocks. But if you want me to respect you in the morning, click through for the full review.
Continue reading "iPoditude Review: WaterField Designs iPod Gear Pouch"
Category: Reviews | Comments (3)
iPodlounge Goes Sleuthing
Jeremy Horwitz at iPodlounge got an abbreviated tour through the Industrial Design Group at Belkin in Hollywood. These are the faceless drones in charge of making all of those overpriced Belkin iPod accessories. It was a very secretive and top-level visit while they snacked on doritos over a folding table in the supply room. Of course, Belkin was very hush-hush about things, but we do know this - the car elevators in the parking lot allow more cars to park there.
Category: News | Comments (0)
January 25, 2005
My Not So Scientific shuffle Battery Life Report
So, this isn't very scientific or detailed, despite my best intentions. But give me a break, do you know how hard it is to remember what time you started playback and then keep monitoring the music to see if it's still playing? For those of us that live in the real world it's hard, let me tell you. Okay, I've been getting between 12 and 15 hours of playback from the little shuffle. The length of time seems to vary directly with the sound level of the playback. I'm using the Apple earbuds that came with it in the box. The 12 hour run was at a high volume, only with a really good song playing, say something from Christmas With The Brady Bunch, would I wear them at that volume. I'm happy with the playback length, especially when you consider how light the battery is. In the olden days, electricity used to be heavy but now they've lightened it quite a bit.
Category: News | Comments (0)
World Music, No, Not That Kind
So, the Wall Street Journal has caught on to what a great deal Russian music sites are and if they're not quiet about this they're going to ruin it for the rest of us. This article talks primarily about the dubious legalities of the whole thing, although it seems pretty slanted to me, like the author fought hard to maintain their angle on the issue. To their credit, allofmp3.com agreed to be interviewed for the article and gave their version of how and why they're not breaking any laws. Allofmp3.com also posts an FAQ on their site that addresses these issues as well.
Category: Not directly iPod related… | Comments (0)
