December 17, 2006 at 6:05 am · Filed under Ipod
Most iPod users find battery life problematic. iPod battery degrades over time and it is not replacable. Since the iPod battery is lithium-based, is rechargable only around 300 to 500 times and really does degrade over time, and since apple’s design of an iPod battery is done in such a way that users cannot easily replace the internal lithium ion battery with a new one, made many users discontent.
So, many ask, are iPods made to be a disposable digital audio player.
The answer is no.
Apple designed iPods to last a long time. But since an iPod battery is lithium based, we cannot expect it to last longer than two years. 300 to 500 complete charges and discharges wears down the power of a lithium battery. Apple, nevertheless, published guidelines about iPod battery on its website and gave tips on how to maximize the life of an iPod battery.
An iPod battery cannot be removed or be replaced the way a user does with a digital celfone by just clicking the open button at the back of the unit to remove and replace the battery when it wears down. The iPod battery is integrated in the circuitry.
You will ask now, why did Apple engineered the iPod this way?
Apple integrated its iPod battery with the main circuitry to achieve the ultra thin and ultra sleek design that it boasts. If the iPod battery is removable, the iPods will be as bulky as regular digital celfones.
Previously, Apple did not accept replacement of a worn-out iPod battery. Under their official policy customer should buy a refurbished replacement worth as much as a brand new iPod.
Because of this situation, third-party manufacturers offered battery replacement kits, with instructions on how to disassemble, remove and replace the iPod battery and then reassemble your iPod.
It was only on November 14, 2003 that Apple had announced a cheaper battery replacement program. The battery replacement program which cost $99 had been trimmed down to $59.
Some tips to maximize your iPod battery’s power:
Keep your iPod at room temperature.
An iPod battery works at its best when the iPod is at room temperature, between 0° to 35° C (or 32° to 95° F).
If your iPod has stayed in the cold for many hours, let it warm up first before turning it on. Otherwise, a low-battery warning will appear and the iPod won’t turn on unless you recharge it. But you wouldn’t want to recharge it because it will deduct a recharge cycle to its 300 to 500 recharging cycle, right? So use it at room temperature and don’t forget it! If after warming up your iPod remains asleep, do this: connect the iPod to the power adapter. Press the Menu + Play or Pause buttons. Do this repeatedly until the Apple logo appears.
* Do not leave your iPod inside a car, especially during noontime.
* Do not expose your iPod to direct sunlight.
Extra tips
*When charging
An iPod battery can be fast-charged in an hour with eighty percent (80) of its capacity. But it would be better if you charge it for four (4) hours and fully recharge the iPod battery to 100%. This will save you discharge and recharge cycles by 20% for every recharging.
An iPod battery slowly empties even when the iPod unit is not in use. The iPod uses, even when asleep, a small amount of current. So, store your iPod at room temperature to maximize the battery and slow down the draining of power. If you do this your iPod battery can last from 16 to 28 days.
Important!
* Empty the iPod battery fully before you recharge it.
* iPod skins and iPod covers look good on your iPod, but do not charge your iPod while it is still dressed with iPod skin or cover.
When unattended, press Pause
And always turn off your iPod when not in use to save battery life.
Backlighting
When the room is well lit, you do not need backlighting. Backlighting can use up a lot of your reserved battery power. Turn off backlighting when you do not need it. Select: Settings > Backlight Timer > Off.
December 9, 2006 at 10:41 am · Filed under Ipod Nano
Welcome the age of innovation! Welcome the Apple iPod nano. The iPod nano is the successor of Ipod mini. The ipod nano was born on September 7, 2005. Unlike other ipods it works on flash memory instead of a hard drive. The iPod nano is 62% smaller than its predecessor, with memory available in 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4 GB sizes. The 65,536 color LCD display can show photographs and connects to a computer with the use of a USB 2.0. The iPod nano has a headphone jack on the bottom and also has a dock for other peripherals. One setback though is that the iPod nano is the only one in the ipod series that does not sync to any PC or Windows through firewire.
The iPod nano has many features that would be copied and included into the fifth generation video iPod. These iPod nano features that are new to the ipod series is the addition of the world clock, a stopwatch, and the screenlock option. The world clock permits the users to set time in world cities and set alarms for their time zones. The clocks are ready to adjust for the Daylight Saving Time. The stopwatch feature enables users to start the timer and to stop. The screenlock feature lets users set a passcode for their iPod nano. Should the user forget his or her passcode and the iPod nano is locked, the iPod nano must be plugged into the computer and it will be unlocked.
Spinning tunes with the iPod nano is easy. All the user has to do is upload their chosen songs from iTunes or other external websites, attach their iPod to the computer and start using it. You can choose an iPod nano in white or black color. The memory size varies from 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB models. The price for an iPod nano ranges from $149 to $249, depending on the memory capacity you want.
One of the most appealing things about the iPod nano is its sleek design. However, there have been a number of complaints about the nano’s screen softness thus becoming easily scratched or cracking if too much pressure is applied. The iPod nano body is also delicate and scratches easily. Its surface is soft plastic and frequent use can damage the surface.
Because of this, Apple has had to defend its iPod nano from lawsuits, stating that they found the units not living up to its claim. Also the battery life is not as reliable. Since then, Apple began to package the iPod nano and fifth-generation iPods along with soft fabric cloth carrying case to help prevent scratches on the screen and body. The bad side to this is that the case does not give access to the control and the screen. The user must really exert effort in using the function of the iPod nano under the soft case.
Lucky for us, there are iPod nano accessories that solve this problem. One such device is the rubberized skin covers. These skins not only prevent the unit from being scratched, it also protects it from moisture and dust. The snug fit ensures that it does not slip and the rubberized feature gives the user a tight grip on his iPod nano. For the battery problem, users can always purchase a new adapter that they can carry to charge their units anywhere, as long as there is a socket.
Along with the car charger, earphones and loudspeakers, the iPod nano has loads of peripherals available to really give you listening pleasure all day long. Among the favorites is the iPod FM stereo and cassette adaptor. Now you can search for tunes and play them through conventional devices like a car stereo. It’s fast and simple.
And also there is the iPod Groove Purse Tote with Built-in Speaker & Amplifier System. This classy tote bag lets you display your iPod and share your music with everyone around you. The flawless integration of style, clear sounds and amazing technology, make this a hot item for gifts.
Spin your way into the world of music and multimedia with the iPod nano. Its great tunes, great photos and the coolest gadgets to show everyone what you’ve got are what turns an audiophile into an iPod lover. Once you get the beat started, it’s really hard to back down.
December 9, 2006 at 10:32 am · Filed under Ipod
Modern society keeps creating new needs and ways of fulfilling them. Living in the digital era has never been more exciting and for anyone who can afford these gadgets, life indeed can be sweeter. One of the most influential devices ever created is the ipod. These nice little portable audio players created by Apple Computers have redefined our understanding of personal freedom and customization. For anyone who loves music and multimedia, ipod is the media player to go for.
Before the ipod, there were just a few portable MP3 players around. Primarily being flash drives, these devices had limited features. The screen size was small and only text was allowed. The colored screen was optional and the memory size only went up to 1 GB. But with the introduction of the ipod and its succeeding generations, music lovers were transported to another realm. A world where they can listen to all the songs that they want to hear. Once they put them on their ipod, they have total control over what tunes should fill their heads. Call it listening to their daily-personalized soundtrack.
Is all this ipod playlist personalization good for its users? Apparently some detractors don’t think so. They argue that too much personalization limits the listener to the new genres of music. Constantly listening to Eminem or Christina Aguilera on your ipod can deny you the pleasure of discovering new artists like Ne-yo or new music styles like trip hop. Ipod users become islands of their own, trapped in a floating music bubble of their own making.
Not only that, frequent users have become oblivious to their surroundings making discovery of new sounds very difficult. It can be of grave concern especially for those emergency cases when one is not able to hear a call for help because the other person is too distracted by their ipod. Such cases may seem extreme but turn to Hollywood movies and you’ll see how prevalent such instances are.
Ipod fans say otherwise. They say they can be as entertaining as the FM radio that has more content and users are exposed to more styles and artists on a regular basis. Plus there are some trivia and entertainment news that you cannot get from this device without buying accessories. Because of this, a new trend was born through the ipod called podcasting. Podcasting is a radio-style program that can be shared to other people through the Internet and played back in their ipod. You can create your own program and broadcast it to the World Wide Web.
Ipod users and fans have come up with great ways of making their toy into more than just a digital audio player. Some have opened it up and tinkered with its hardware and software. The result? An ipod with an organizer function that stores addresses and calendar events in its memory. While it does need some getting used to, fans are thrilled at the devices’ limitless possibilities. Apple Computers then gave us the fourth generation of ipod more commonly known as the ipod photo.
This generation boasts of a colored display and photo transfer capabilities. As the company realized the need for something more innovative, the fifth generation was released. This ipod series is currently the hottest model because of the video function. Ipod video can play MPEG-4 and H.264 video with resolutions of up to 480 x 480 and 320 x 240. Its potential as a marketing and advertising tool is so huge that even Apple is overwhelmed with the idea. One possible product for this is the selling of video formats like music video clips and television show reruns.
The personalization of ipod is not a big issue among its many patrons. It is this quality that makes the device so appealing to them. Our age today holds value to the importance of self-expression. Ipod can deliver that self-expression through personalized covers, skins, accessories and a host of other complimentary software. It becomes an extension of one’s taste in music and other multimedia formats. The only real dilemma for any ipod junkie nowadays is getting the money to buy all those accessories.
