The Niche Collection

(GUIDE TO THE MAXIMUM IPOD EXPERIENCE)

So you have got an iPod as a Christmas or birthday present. It looks good and holds true with its claim of a thousand songs in your pocket, huh? But do you know that iPod could do much more for you aside from entertaining you? To all new iPod owners, here is a guide on how to be productive with your iPod.

New iPod owners could find a sleek, sexy personal data assistant with their iPod. Read on below to learn how to sync contacts and calendars from your iPod to your computer, or use it to transfer soft files, of any format, to your computer, and read sticky notes.

* Add VIPs

All the stored information in your computer about the important people in your life that you know such as phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses, company name, birthdays, and other personal information, you can transfer it your new iPod.

If you’re a Mac user, it is quite easy to sync your Address Book with your new iPod. If you’re a Windows user, you can use Outlook Express or Microsoft outlook to sync your contact details in your new iPod.

* Sync Schedule

Scheduled for a meeting with the top bosses tomorrow? Or have a date with the lady of your dreams on Saturday? You can sync your alarms and schedules from Mac’s iCal with your new iPod. For Microsoft Windows users, your new iPod can work with Microsoft Outlook to sync schedules.

* Take and Read Sticky Notes

You do not need those yellow sticky notes to write anything that pops up in your head (since they always get lost, anyway) like, what are your deadlines for the day and the coming week, your grocery lists, driving directions, etc. You can take all your sticky notes inside your new iPod and carry it with you all the time.

Your new iPod can hold a total of 4096 characters or (4kb in total) for each note. So, keep in mind to keep your notes briefly so won’t run out of character lines if you sync it with your new iPod.

How can you sync sticky notes from your computer to your new iPod?

Here’s how.

1. Open your notepad or any word-processing application that can save the file into .txt. Type a new note to create your grocery lists or those bulleted to-do’s that you have been laying aside for a few weeks already. Or if you want to keep an important email message or want to put in your new iPod lyrics of the songs from your new iPod’s playlist, just copy the text and then paste it in a notepad.

2. Save document in .txt file.

3. Connect your new iPod to your Mac or Microsoft Windows computer.

4. Since you’re a new iPod user, you might have not set your iPod for disk use. But if you are a techie new iPod user and already did this, skip this step.

To new iPod users who have not set their new iPod for disk use, enable this feature by doing these:

1. Open your iTunes program from your computer and then open iTunes preferences. Mac users should click ‘Preferences’ from the iTunes menu, while Microsoft Windows users should choose the ‘Edit’ menu first before clicking ‘Preferences’).

2. Find the iPod tab, click it, and then a new pane will open. Click in the iPod pane the Music tab.

3. A Select the Enable disk use checkbox, then click OK.

5. Open your iPod volume that appears on your desktop (Mac) or in My Computer (Windows) to display three folders: Calendars, Contacts, and Notes.

6. Drag your text file to the Notes folder on your iPod to add it.

* Use the iPod as File Carrier

If you haven’t already figured it out by now, you can use any iPod model as an external hard drive, allowing you to copy files onto it and shuttle items from one computer to another. This comes in handy if you need to work on projects at the office or school and at home, or you want to transfer your digital music collection from your old computer to a new one. Here’s how to enable this feature.

Show me how:

1. Connect your iPod to your computer.

2. Open iTunes (if it isn’t open already), then open iTunes preferences (Mac users, choose Preferences from the iTunes menu; Windows users, on the Edit menu, click Preferences).

3. Click the iPod tab, then click the Music tab in the iPod pane.

4. Select the Enable disk use checkbox, then click OK.

Your iPod should now appear as a mounted volume on your desktop (Mac) or in My Computer (Windows). To copy files for transport, simply drag any file onto the iPod volume icon, or double-click the volume, create a new folder (or folders), and copy items to it.

People today are wireless. Everything is on the go. The young generation, according to the older people, cannot live or stay by themselves for a long period of time. That is quite true, you can see that almost everybody has a pair of earphones, and are listening to, either the oldies music or the latest tracks, or watching videos on their portable gadgets. We can say that today’s generation is dependent on the new technology.

The most popular wireless device on the market today is the APPLE’s ipod. It is popular because it is very small, which makes it very easy to bring, plus you no longer have to bring a cd, otherwise known as compact disc, or a cassette tape to play on it. But with this convenience comes also a flaw. It is quite expensive (make that oftenly impractically expensive). Yes, it is and that is why not all people can enjoy such luxury because of its high price.

As you must know, life is rough and every cent counts. So these gadgets are no’t the first priority for a lot of people, approximately half of the globe’s population. If you are rich and your money does not have much to go on, this want is not a problem for you. But if you are on the harder side of life, then you have to depend on prayers to avail of a gadget like the said ipod.

So if you want to have an ipod but your low on budget, there, on the market exists cheap ipods. These cheap ipods are not necessarily copies or imitations, or worse, fakes. Its just that these cheap ipods were probably built with cheaper materials and are may also not be so super in its special features. The cheapest model is the 512 megabyte iPod shuffle. This device can hold up to a whopping 120 songs. You can spend a day without taking your earphones off your ears with this one. This is about $70 or 3570 pesos.

That is the cheapest ipod that you can buy. The price actually differs on the memory of the ipod. Though they are all the same, they are all ipods, the memory they contain are different with one another’s. Some have bigger memories that allow them to save more songs, while others have a smaller memory that opposes the function of the bigger memory. The bigger the memory, the more expensive it is going to be. So if you just want to have a device which is portable and can play music, the cheap ipod isgoing to be the device for you.

Hey, 120 songs is a lot for this small ipod. Considering the comfort, convenience and enjoyment it will bring you. The price is really cheap. Instead of spending too much on a music player, an ipod, you can just spend your left money on things that are more helpful for your being. So it is recommended that you avail of the cheaper models of ipod.

Next on the line of cheap ipods is, the ipod shuffle. It is not as big as the other ipods that have been invented but they still play good music, so there is not much of a difference. Ipod shuffles are designated under the category of cheap ipods, though you should be mindful that it only has a memory span of 1GB.

It is not much, but it can still allow you to save a big number of your favorite hits. Since it has a bigger memory, also compared to those others, it is much more expensive than the other one. This cheap ipod can play up to 240 songs, double of that of the cheapest ipod. This mars the saying that goes “Entertainment is a price to pay”.

You do not have to pay so much, so high an expense, just to be entertained. The ipod shuffle does that for you, entertains you, yet it does not cost so largely. This product is about 100 dollars or 5000 pesos. Again, you’ll have more song selections but the physical appearance of your ipod is the same. That’s about the cheapest ipods you can buy on the market.

With these cheap ipods, you not only save money, but you get to own one of the latest technological trends in this generation. So grab one of those cheap ipods now.

First, there came BetaMax. It lasted for a long time, but had to end when the VCD was invented. VCD are discs, which, alone, is one of the reasons why it is more referred to than the hard tapes of the BetaMax.

The VCD still works but more and more people use the DVD compared to those who still watch films on VCD. DVD always has clear copies. The only problem is, you need to have a number of wires, to be connected to a medium, most usually a television set, before you can actually avail of the entertainment a certain movie can give you. This is not the same case with the ipod.

Ipod videos are now hitting the markets and are quite a trend. These said videos are videos that you can watch on your ipod. Neat, huh? But like any other good thing, there is always a bad side.

But the good side always wins, so there’s no reason to fret. However (the bad side), not all videos can be viewed. Reason, mainly, is that not all video files match the type that of the ipod videos. This leads you to the conclusion that a conversion is needed before you can attain the experience of watching box office films on your ipod. There has only been one converter, that has been invented, that can do something about this dillemma (this is another good side that overpowers the bad side).

You need an ipod video converter. Not just any ipod video converter, but the Xilisoft ipod video converter. The Xilisoft ipod video converter builds in a lot of codecs to be able to convert video files like AVI, MPEG, WMV, MOV, RM, RMVB, DivX, ASF, VOB, and 3GP. These different types of video files are not so easy to convert, but the Xilisoft ipod video converter does it all.

When it converts the videos into ipod MP4, the clarity and level of comprehension does not lessen. The Xilisoft ipod video converter connects audiso files too. The audio file types that are WAV, WMA, MP2, AC3, RA, and OCG, are converted by this said ipod video converter into ipod MP#, M4A, or AAC.

You do not have to worry about getting the file you downloaded tampered or, even worse, destroyed, for the Xilisoft ipod video converter doeas all these conversion processes in a very fast manner, at the same time, very easy to manage and handle. The quality of your files are in good hands, thus, well intact.

If you have a very high satisfaction level, and are not easily impressed with the settings of the Xilisoft, then you can just readjust the settings. The settings are very easy to adjust. You can change a file’s video size, if the file is either too big, or too small for you to view it on your ipod; bit rate; frame ratio; and many more adjustable settings.

The Xilisoft ipod video converter also supports batch conversion and multithreading, which allows you to convert a multiple number of files at the same time. This way, you save time and could allot the time left for doing something else that is constructive or helpful. You use the time left to look for other videos or video files or audio files for your Xilisoft ipod video converter to do what it does best. This way, you can get to enjoy more music and videos on your ipod.

This ipod video converter does a lot of things for you. This is so because it lets you see the preview of the files’ conversion first before actually converting them. Here, it acts like a fortune teller, wherein the future state of your ipod file is revealed to you, only that, in this case, you are given a chance to decide whether to proceed with the conversion or not.

This prevents you from downloading tracks or videos that do not really sound good once converted. It saves you time, space, and your patience as well.

The Xilisoft ipod video converter is indeed a thing to have, for with this kind of ipod video converter, you get to enjoy the comfort of your television sets, even if you’re far from home.

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.

The first time Canon launched its latest line of camera in Amstelveen, Netherlands, people were certainly impressed. The known brand today has its first ever waterproof digital compact camera called the 12.1 Megapixel PowerShot D10. It was mainly engineered to cater to those that lead an adventurous, active lifestyle. The built-in features combine versatile levels of toughness with outstanding image quality. It has Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor so that it is able to deliver ultra-responsive performance with rich and detailed images. The new Smart Auto mode, on the other hand, uses Scene Detection technology so that it is able to deliver great shots with the least amount of effort.
It’s a take-anywhere camera that definitely impresses you. It comes with the best and extensive line of accessories. So whether you’re out hiking in the woods or off snorkeling somewhere in an exotic beach, the PowerShot D10 simply goes where other brands haven’t dared. It’s waterproof up to about 33 feet and can withstand a shock of a drop. It is also dustproof and will work seamlessly at temperatures as low as -10°C.

The available range of protective accessories was designed to add further protection as you get into extreme environments. You can choose from a soft case, and a shoulder, neck, and carabiner straps. You can also give credit to the innovative connection system on the corners of the camera’s body. It was incorporated for a secure and convenient set-up should you decide to shift from one adventure to the next. You can also customize your camera’s appearance with an optional colored Front Cover Set that protects it from scratches with its soft casing.