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The Future of iPod Video

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The Future of iPod Video

The release of the fifth generation of iPod players opened us to the possibility of video streaming with our iPods. When Apple launched the iPod video last October 2005, we began to see the potential of this popular gadget in the field of entertainment, marketing and advertising.

The fifth generation iPod video is available in 30 GB size and 60 GB size capacity models and priced the same between $299-$399 USD. They feature the ability to read and play MPEG-4 and H.264 video. iPod video resolutions of up to 480 x 480 and 320 x 240 are available to users. Some of them though have said to play wide screen resolutions of up to 640x360 in using MPEG-4 and 400x192 while using H.264. The screen capabilities are often dependend on what the users can tinker around with.

The iPod video has a 65,536 color (16-bit) screen, and is able to play video on an external TV through the use of an AV cable accessory. It plugs into the headphone mini-jack and the connector splits into composite video and audio output with RCA jacks. However, video watched on via television often has poor quality due to the compression.

The iPod videos are encoded at 480x480 or less. This iPod resolution is similar to conventional VHS recordings. The screen size is 2.5 inches diagonally, 0.5 inches larger than the previous iPod. The iPod video is also 30% thinner than the previous full-size iPod. The battery life for the 30 GB size is 14 hours and for the 60 GB size is 20 hours. Watching movies reduces that time to two to three hours.

It’s not an Apple Ipod without the click wheel and the iPod video has that feature. It gives you access and control to your entire photo, music and video library — from one thumb. You can control the volume and browse it using the iPod’s touch-sensitive surface. The iPod video’s click wheel provides easy control and access right at your fingertips.

What this gadget can do is the usual music player function plus play video downloaded from iTunes Music Store or other external sites that offer the same video file format. With this unit, you can put music in the pocket and still have room for practically everything else. You can read your audio books with iPod video. Browse through your picture gallery

with iPod video’s photo slideshows. Refer to your iPod video calendar or look up an email address in the address book. You can also check time from your favorite city and record your fastest lap. With this iPod, you can watch video pod casts, music clips, videos and also the TV shows you missed. This is what makes the iPod video so exciting. Everything you need in one ipod.

The major advantage of the iPod video is how advertising can use it to promote other products and services for sale. Think of a preview of J. Lo’s next music video to be released and only those with an iPod video can watch it. That’s hitting four birds with one stone; promotion for the album, the song, the iPod unit and whatever else the marketers can think of. Indie artists can also use create a fan base using the iPod video through self-promotion via iPod video-accepted formats and by giving out free music clips or video clips.

And what about television shows that wants feedback from iPod video users? They can easily hook up a pilot episode, test the initial reaction to the public and have immediate response through the website or mobile phone replies. Another great idea is to make available instructional video clips of cooking classes. Companies will have a ball making ads for iPod video and also make it possible for us users to get free downloads.

There are also the companies who will create accessories to fully enhance your iPod. The plans to create innovative software and content for the iPod video is just starting. The future for Ipod is very bright. In the end, we are the winners of this race to video technology.

iPod Video Cases: Durable, functional, fashionable protection for your iPod

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iPod Video Cases: Durable, functional, fashionable protection for your iPod

iPod is Apple Computer's brand of portable media player that provides a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel. The standard iPod model has media storage devices including a built-in hard drive while the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano use flash memory. It can serve as an external storage device when connected to a computer.

Over the years, the line up of iPod has continuously evolved to the iPod models of today. The iPod has five generations to its name while iPod mini has two generations. Apple also introduced over the years other iPod models including iPod shuffle and iPod Nano.

To protect any of these iPod models, iPod video cases are now readily available in the market. It is made of different materials including deluxe leather that features a rich leather exterior in black, brown, dark brown and saddle with complimentary stitching. These have unique textured exteriors as well that give your iPod a nice look.

These iPod video cases are designed to fit both the 60GB and 30GB iPod models with video. The iPod video cases will keep your iPod securely closed with a tab and post closure. When it is opened, you can see that it has a built-in protection for the screen which is the most easily damaged part of your iPod.

iPod video cases help prevent scrapes and scratches that will not only deteriorate the look of your iPod but can be damaging in the long run as well. The outside of iPod video cases are sturdy with layers and the insides are cushiony to protect your iPod from impact due to improper handling. iPod video cases also features a soft grip material to keep it from slipping from your hands.

iPod video cases can be Speck armband cases, aluminum hard cases, flip cover cases, leather pouches, core cases, crystal clear hard cases, silicone skin cases, and more. Examples are:

A protective crystal clear hard case can help protect your iPod video from scratches in many ways with its built in lanyard or neck strap, attachable swivel belt clip and belt loop.

Iconic characters can also be featured in your iPod video cases. You can take your pick from Superman, Batman, Homer Simpson, Darth Vader of Star Wars and Tweety Bird with its see-through back so you can see the shiny side of your iPod.

There are iPod video cases that are made to encapsulate your iPod video for protection and fun with its vibrant colors. It is made of strong tear resistant material and includes a screen protector and detachable belt clip for optimal performance and easy usage.

With more iPod video cases being released in the market each week, you can find more and more features of these products and professional evaluations to check if they can measure up to the standards of iPod users.

Leather iPod video cases offer a snug fit with quality leather to protect your iPod not only from impact but from dust, finger prints, and scratches as well.

iPod flip video cases are also trendy in its ultra-slim design that fits your iPod like a glove. There is a multi-use soft clip on the back that easily snap into a belt or an armband.

iPod video crystal cases are quality clear cases that forms a protective hard case around your iPod. It also comes with a clear belt loop, detachable belt clip and lanyard for carrying convenience.

iPod video soft skin cases protects your iPod from scratches, knocks, dusts and even bad breath while still providing free access to your controls and connections.

iPod aluminum video cases are made of anodized aircraft-grade aluminum that features a form-fitting design. Neoprene cushioning inside protects your iPod from harmful scratches and shocks.

Any of these iPod video cases can be bought at around $10 to $40 a piece.

iPod video cases also provide iPod headphones' jack and hold switch even when closed. The cutouts in these cases can give you easy accessibility to all ports for your convenience while giving your iPod's much needed protection.

These iPod video cases are also made fashionable with different basic and vibrant colors and designs, durable with its protective materials and functional with its special features for different iPod models.

Have Nothing Else To Do? Watch iPOD TV Shows!

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Have Nothing Else To Do? Watch iPOD TV Shows!

Boredom. It’s man’s worst enemy, especially during breaks.

Everyone may have an ample supply of various reading materials, ranging from books to magazines to alamanacs, simply any reading material that may take the boredom off your shoulders. This was the primary reason why the television was invented by an inventor. Boredom certainly met its match. This is not highly unlikely, but it’s still, in a way, unlikely, for not everyone has television sets.

So, if you’re one of those television-less people, then you look for other media of entertainment. The ipod is a solution to your problems.

The population of those who do have a television set is certainly outnumbered by the population of those who have an ipod. If you have an ipod, good for you, if you don’t, that’s too bad because you’re missing a lot. A lot is inclusive of the experience of watching your favorite tv shows on an ipod.

Yes, you read that right. You can now watch your favorite tv shows on your ipod, by way of the ipod tv shows.

NBC has made it a point to be associated with the itunes, and be included in the itunes website, being one of the most surfed website ever made. It is because of this said affiliation that you can now watch quite a number of NBC shows on your ipod. These shows will be listed as available on the itunes website, so that things will be a lot more easier for you, for all you have to do is click wherever it is that the word Download! is located.

After a few minutes, you can now enjoy ipod tv shows and watch the said ipod tv shows while shopping in the mall or while waiting on the subway train to get to your destination. You can also use your ipod and watch your downloaded ipod tv shows, at the same time, chasing the deadline on that full report your boss has been pestering you with for weeks. This is certainly a way of mixing business with pleasure.

The available ipod tv shows are Law and Order, which is perfect for the pre-law people, and also for those who have a calling to participate in the law; the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which is a brew of serious topics for conversations, and laughs that give you and endless supply of gas; the Office is also available, this ipod tv show narrates to you the possible events that may happen in an office (which is very obvious, given the title); the show, Surface, can also be downloaded; the same thing goes with Late Night with Conan O’ Brien, you probably know this guy already, who doesn’t? Conan O’ Brien is a fantastic host.

In this ipod tv show, you get to know more about your favorite artists, actors or actresses, at the same time, cannot stop gasping for air, for the laughs that this ipod tv show offers come so unexpectedly; Monk also is an ipod tv show; and another is the show Battlestar Galactica, which , reading the title, gives you a notion that it occurs in the vast outer space and that there is an inevitable battle.

Simply, a variety of very good, probably the best, ipod tv shows that you can enjoy.

This concept, however, is not entirely new to the Apple industry. Though, what makes it somewhat new, is that it is now a full-pledged application which is very user-friendly.

There are various programs that are involved in the ipod-tv-shows mania, but the most talked about program is the MrTVpod.

The MrTVpod is a new, though not the newest, but new all the same, program that lets you manage your downloaded ipod tv shows in the tv shows category. This, however, is not approved by the itunes.

This prohibition is caused by the fact that, with this MrTVpod, you can just save any video in the category and declare these said videos to be ipod tv shows, for use on the new 5th generation ipod, which is also referred to as the ipod video. Itunes decided to go against the MrTVpod’s flow because they wanted, and still does, to keep their authenticity well intact.

Another probable reason could be their avoidance of a competition. This program, the MrTVpod is available for download for Mac Os X and the Windows.

So grab an ipod now and start enjoying those ipod tv shows that you love most. Cry; get mad; laugh; all of these are offered to you be ipod tv shows.

Finding the Perfect iPod Speakers For You

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Finding the Perfect iPod Speakers For You

Nowadays, you can throw a party anywhere as long as you have an iPod and a set of iPod speakers. They are so tiny, yet they can boom the bass and shake up the place.

iPod speakers are either portable, which you can carry around, or home models, which you cannot carry around because of some restrictions like, it is bigger and heavier and is therefore not handy, and it is not battery operated and work only when plugged into an electrical outlet.

The portable models are battery operated and has a size just slightly larger than iPod Nano and some weighs only half an ounce! Although portable iPod speakers offer sound better than most computer speaker, it can't compete with the home only or standalone iPod speakers that can produce louder, crisper, and more booming sound, for these iPod speakers get their power directly from an electical outlet that gives much energy compared to a low voltage battery.

Below are the best in iPod speakers that could rock us out of our seat with their booming sound.

-iBlasting the Room with iBoom iPod speakers

iBoom is the newest iPod speaker from DLO. The iBoom iPod speakers sport an amorphous shape and has a slot in the front which serve as a hub for iPod or iPod mini. The four iPod speakers only need 20 watts per channel to start producing sound. iBoom iPod speakers also has a built-in handle, an AUX in port, and can run either on AC power or a with six "D" batteries. When plugged in to an AC power, the iBoom iPod speakers will charge the cradled iPod. Design wise, iBoom iPod speakers look pretty good with a white iPod cradled on it.

The plus points for iBoom iPod speakers are (1) low wattage consumption but could still produce decent sound, (2) portable and (3) charge an iPod when it is running on A/C power.

- 'What's the new Black?'

For Altec Lansing, the answer is still black.

Altec Lansing's inMotion iM3 iPod speakers come in the usual Apple white and, now, in black. It weighs around 15 to 16 ounces only and is sized just a bit larger than the iPod.

Altec Lansing is known for creating sound system that could produce sounds in different ranges from the highest pitch to the lowest bass. And now that Altec Lansing has speakers for the iPod, expect that these iPod speakers would be of high quality. In fact, these iPod speakers has a class D amplifier to create rich, audible sounds.

It's quite unbelievable that these speakers could last 24 hours from four AA batteries. You can carry these iPod speakers anywhere, and play it on for an all night party even on a place where there's no power outlet, like the soccer field, basketball court, or the lakeside.

The black Altec Lansing iPod speakers has the same price as that of the Apple white version.

- Apple's Hi-Fi Shouts "Party!"

When iPod was released in 2001, the only way you could hear the playing songs is through headphones. There were no Apple-branded iPod speakers then, yet. Third party manufacturers and developers created their own iPod speakers to answer the growing demand for off-headphones music playing.

In 2006, Apple realized that it was time to create one of its own. In February, Apple released the iPod Hi-Fi. Priced at $349, Apple's eye is set on the high-end market.

Hi-Fi iPod speakers, according to Apple, creates a large soundstage and has a wide frequency range. So, Hi-fi iPod speakers are not only portable speakers, they can be the only speaker for a small house or an apartment, replacing the bulky speakers with separate woofer and sub-woofers. With the sound of these Hi-Fi iPod speakers, you can shout "Party!" anytime you want.

Design wise, it looks cool. It bears the traditional Apple white color. It's size is bigger than most portable iPod speakers and is the heaviest, weighs 15 ounces, in the entire line of third party developed iPod speakers

Hi-Fi iPod speakers are powered in two ways, AC or DC (six D-cell batteries), comes with a small, white remote control, and built-in handles to bring it anywhere you go.

Guide to Good Software for Your iPod

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Guide to Good Software for Your iPod

New users of the ipod are having difficulty putting on songs on their device. Some complain about some of their play list getting lost after it has been uploaded from the computer. Some are really just not used to it and are having trouble with the very process itself. Addressing this problem, different companies have come up with softwares that will make the use of the ipod not that stressful.

Adding and uploading playlist, songs, videos and etc. will no longer have a hard time as it has been made easy for them. If you decide to use one of these softwares, you should not forget to read instructions first.

Also, you will still be doing most of the work so do not expect the computer, the ipod, and the software to do it all by themselves.

One thing that makes the apple iPod unique is the addition of different iPod software you can add to your gadget. These softwares make it easy for you and add a little more spice to your iPod. Ipod software will help you personalize your little gadget as you use it throughout the day and as you download music to it.

The software can be acquired through download and is very easy to install. Just connect your ipod to your personal computer and wait for it to be transferred. After that, enjoy the wonders of the software which is so positively sure that you will definitely enjoy.

There is a lot of ipod software out there and here is just a small list you can use on your gadget. But I have chosen to show you four softwares for a more easy and convenient use. It is now up to you to choose which Ipod software you need. On my list are the newest software released up to date.

First on my list is the Anapod Explorer 8. Anapod Explorer 8 was created by Windows for the sole purpose of serving Ipod users. The anapod is basically an alternate for itunes. It can copy your music and back to your personal computer and brings your ipod into the windows explorer.

This can be found as a device under my computer. It will give you a more familiar windows explorer interface and this will make it easier for you to transfer and manage your on-board music, play list and more. Transfer from your computer to your ipod or from your ipod to your computer does not get any easier than this.

There is also an add-on to this ipod software. It includes the AnapodSQL and the rare Anapod Xtreamer which is a web based streaming interface. Basically, anapod is a backup software for your easy use.

Another Ipod software is the PodUtil 2.5.1. PodUtil is an Ipod software that is so easy to use. It is for viewing the songs on your Ipod and transferring it to your computer for a more customizable an organized manner. Then, it will automatically add them to itunes and you will be able to rebuild your play list as you wish. Again, another ipod software that makes organizing and transferring music and play lists easier.

Aside from the two mentioned, there is also the gtkpod 0.88. gtkpod is a platform independent GUI for apple ipod that uses gtk2. This ipod software allows you to upload songs and play list to your ipod. It supports ID# tag editing, multiple charsets for ID3 tags, detects duplicate songs, and also allows offline modification of the database with later synchronization, and more.

Lastly, there is the ipod.itunes 3.0. This ipod software has the capability to add missing songs, videos, playlist, ratings, played dates, and play counts in both directions between ipod and itunes.

This software is designed to keep songs, videos, and playlists on different Macs and ipods up to date, and can perform a full restore of these items after a hard disk failure. Now, that is efficiency. The software updates foreign ipods not linked to your itunes library without deleting its content.

Now remember, these ipod softwares are add-ons to your gadget for easy use, but that does not mean that it will do everything for you. Of course, it is still you who will do all the work so that you will have a good time with your ipod.

Should You Get a Skin for your iPod?

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Should You Get a Skin for your iPod?

iPod came into the world of digital audio player in 2001, and since then, for a short span of five years, the standard for digital audio player has never been the same. If it is not an iPod, it is inferior; if it is an iPod, it should be the latest generation.

Third-party manufacturers of iPod accessories were born and are continually growing in number like bunnies. Speakers, FM transmitters, Voice Recorder, BMW Playlist, these are just among the few iPod accessories that keep our mouth agape with delight and expectation. There is, however, a single iPod accessory that created a niche of its own in the "iPod ecosystem": the iPod skin line.

THE LINE OF iPod SKINS

iPod skins are designed, initially, to protect iPods from scratches, dirt, and getting wet from perspiration. iPod skins specifically shelters the screen and click-wheel. But iPod skins manufacturers do not limit themselves to these basic iPod skin feature; for them, iPod skins should be stylish, innovative, and fashionable.

There are iPod skins available for every generation of iPod, including the shuffle, mini and nano lines.

There are wide arrays of iPod skins to choose from. iPod skins may be made from silicone, hard plastic, thin vinyl, or leathers and comes in various colors. There some iPod skins that even glow in the dark!

Known manufactureres of stylish and innovative iPod skins are Kate Spade, iSkin, Incase, Chums, Speck and Xtreme Iconz,.

www.iLounge.com offers the best iPod skins in the market at low prices.

GO SILICON, HARD PLASTIC OR LEATHER WITH MY iPod SKIN?

- Silicon iPod skins

iSkin has the best line of iPod skins. It offers silicone and thin vinyl type of iPod skins. Its eVo2 line of iPod skins offers all-around surface protection, including screen and click wheel protection.

Silicon iPod skins is cool and soft to the touch and keeps the iPod unit insulated from battery heat. Although silicon felt like soft, gummy rubber, it stays in your hand with its anti-slip grip.

Silicon iPod skins comes with a rotating belt clip or a plastic lanyard (if you like) and spaces for ipod, buttons, jacks, click wheel and dock port were cut out for easy access. If you want a glow in the dark iPod skins, buy silicon made iPod skins.

You can dress up your iPod with silicon iPod skins for $20 to $30.

- Hard Plastic iPod Skins

Hard plastic iPod skins are the next best thing to silicon iPod skins. It is offered in various colors, see through and with a plastic lanyard or belt clip. The best hard plastic iPod skin is from NanShield.

Hard plastic iPod skins, unlike silicon iPod skins, does not have the no-slip guarantee when your hand perspires. If you accidentally dropped your iPod, the hard plastic skin could crack and shatter and might do more damage to your iPod than with your iPod unskinned.

Hard plastic iPod skins are the cheapest iPod skins in the market, offered on the internet for just $9.

Some breaking news. This April of 2006, Gizmondo released The Jimi case, a 100-percent recycled plastic iPod skin. Attached at the back of this iPod skin is a mirror which you can use for make up touch ups or any other purposes that you could think of. This environment friendly iPod skin comes in six different colors.

- Leather iPod Skins

This is the most expensive iPod skin in the market. Priced from $20 to as much as $200, those who think they are in vogue and in style prefer the hot and tight leatherette to skin their iPods. Kate Spade has a line of expensive but elagantly crafted leather iPod Skins.

Some leather iPod skins look more like a case rather than a skin because of a flip-flop top cover. The leathery look, subdued hues and a flip-flop cover are the kind of design especially preferred by the older crowd of iPod users.

A leather iPod skin has cut out to make way for dock connector, jack port, and click wheel. It has a detachable rotating belt clip and a leather lanyard if you prefer to wear your iPod on your neck.