Steve Holden's Blog

Mini-Tech Review: Apple iPod Touch 3.0 Features

I recently upgraded my Apple iPod Touch to version 3.0.  Here are the features that I have found the most useful:

• Landscape keyboard and landscape views on more applications
• Cut, copy, and paste text
• Spotlight searches throughout the iPod Touch
• Automatic Wi-Fi connections
• Safari improvements
• Sync Notes (not Lotus Notes but Mac OS X notes)
• Improved Mail client
• Calendar new features like CalDAV support

And these are the ones that I may get some more use out of once I get some more usage:

• Download media over Wi-Fi from the iTunes Store
• Support for Bluetooth stereo headphones
• Peer-to-peer gaming (waiting on games that enable this feature)
• Parental controls
• iTunes account creation
• New languages
• Data/Notification push (waiting on some tools that use this feature)
• 3rd Party Game connections (none announced yet?!?)
• Shake to shuffle
• Voice Memos

All in all a solid update IMHO and worth the $10.

Multi-Topic Update: San Diego Fires, Jersey Boys, Technology

The last week or so has been extremely crazy and busy. 

First up the San Diego Wild Fires (aka FireStorm 2007) have been all consuming, and I'm happy to report that my immediate & extended family, friends, and co-workers in the San Diego area have been spared major hardships.  But our hearts go out to those who lost love ones or their homes.  The fire fighters and public safety folks have been outstanding and they deserve a ton of credit & praise.  Thanks!

The weirdest thing about the fires, was that during the whole time it was going on, Christy and I have been in Jersey Boys heaven.  They have released a new Jersey Boys Book, Frankie Valli has an excellent new album out called "Romancing the 60's", the touring cast is in San Diego, and we traveled to New York City (NYC) / New Jersey (NJ) on Sat. 10/20 returning Tue. 10/23 for the Fan Tribute and to interview Tommy DeVito. And did we mention we've seen the musical three times in six days: Fri. 10/19 (Opening Night in San Diego), Sun. 10/21 (Broadway), and Wed. 10/24 (Cast Talk Back in San Diego).  Yes ... we are crazy.

Lastly a quick update on some technology stuff.  Things are still going on over at TechNewsRadio but a little slower than I'd like.  My fellow FriendsInTech members have put together another new Halloween special called "It's The Great Server Chuck and Kreg."

Other quick tech mentions:

I recently upgraded from a Cingular 8125 to an AT&T Tilt and I'm really loving the new phone with high speed 3G/UMTS/HSDPA connectivity plus Windows Mobile 6 and integrated GPS.  The camera is also a big improvement, as is the keyboard/button interfaces.

A couple of weeks ago I did upgrade my 8-GB 2nd Gen Apple iPod Nano to an 8-GB 3rd Gen Apple iPod Nano.  I have some unboxing pictures posted to Google.  I like the video option a great deal. I used it to watch dozens of video podcasts recently on the trip back to NYC/NJ.  I have also been using it a lot at home sitting in bed or by my computer using a DIY  Lego stand.

I have also picked up a copy of Apple's new OS X via Amazon.  I hope it gets here soon so I can rebuild my old G4 iBook for Christy and finally get her off of Windows XP and spare her the horror of Vista.

Some Reasons I'm Not Getting An iPod Touch

I had an interesting conversation yesterday at lunch with some co-workers, one of which has an iPhone, on why I was not getting an iPod Touch:

1. Lack of key hardware features: Bluetooth, external volume control, speaker, physical iPod control buttons, & camera.
2. Currently missing some key applications: Mail, Notes, Maps, SMS, & Widgets
3. Minimal capability as PDA-like productivity tool (read-only calendar for instance)

The real deal breaker was that I could not use the iPod Touch as a mini-data collection tool.  If it had Bluetooth portable keyboard support so I could use it to rapidly collected data I read from print media, then I would have probably lived with the other negatives and purchased one.

I do think that the items #2 and #3 will be solved in the future by software upgrades.

That is my deal breaker.  What is yours?

Investigating Options For Commenting On Specific Podcast Episodes

I have been wanting to come up with a quick way to comment on specific podcasts that I've been listening to.  In a recent brainstorming session with a friend we considered that maybe Apple iTunes was keeping the RSS referral post link in the meta data of the iTunes music library XML. 

Unfortunately after digging into the XML file and looking at what iTunes exposes to AppleScript, it doesn't appear to work.

Maybe I should output the podcast OPML file I have from iTunes, and use something like Google Reader to manage my options for specific podcast episode commenting. Thoughts?!?

Quick Market Survey on MP3 Players

The San Diego Union-Tribune Sunday paper had a good number of non-Apple MP3 players for sale (cash prices listed).  Here is a sample of what I saw:

• Big Lots! - RCA Lyra 256-MB MP3 Player for $29.99
• Target - Memorex 512-MB MP3 Player for $58
• Office Depot - Philips 1GB MP3 Player for $69.99 (with a $30 mail-in rebate offer); Archos 4GB Mp3 Player for $159.99 (with a $20 mail-in rebate offer)
• Best Buy - Samsung 1GB U2JZ MP3 Player  for $79.99; Sandisk 2GB E250 MP3 Player for $129.99
• CompuUSA - Sandisk 2GB E250 MP3 Player for $129.99
• Circuit City - Sony 2GB Flash Digital Music Player for $129.99; Creative Labs 8-GB Zen MicroPhoto MP3 Player for $179.99; and Creative Labs 30GB Zen Vision:M for $299.99

It should be noted that the RCA Lyra also has a SD/MMC slot for expansion storage.  And the San Disk E250 has a Mini-SD slot for additional storage.

Also the only direct Apple iPods advertising that I saw was for the 30-GB Black or White iPod via BestBuy's online store (no price listed).

Do I Need An iPod To Listen To Podcasts?

It is funny to me that this question and the answer to this is a Top Tip at Extreme Tech, but it is.

And of course the answer is - "NO" - you can listen to podcasts with any device that plays an MP3 including many car stereos via CDROM.

An interesting side note is that Mike @ The Mike Tech Show recently did a show on MP3 players that his listeners were using.  The diversity is pretty amazing. Here is the list via his blog:

• Samsung Yp-T7 or YP-F2JZW
• Palm TX with Pocket Tunes
• iRiver T30
• iPod Shuffle
• Samsung MP3 Players
  
• iRiver T30
• Palm TX
• Pocket Tunes
• PQ DVD
• MMPlayer
  
• iPod shuffle
  
• Sandisk Sansa Products
  
• iriver IFP-790
  
• Coby MP-827
  
• Rio Sport
• Sandisk Sansa M240
• Creative Zen Vision M
• HP iPaq Pocket PC
• Creative Zen Nano Plus
• Creative ZEN Microphoto

Mini-Link Fest - New Media Focus?!?

I made a recent dent in reading through my RSS feeds, and I have the following items to check up on when I'm working through @Internet, and I thought I'd share them:

• Digg.com - "Al Pacino Podcast"
• Lockergnome - Picasa Easter Egg & Outlook Google Maps Plug-in
• Share OPML
• Bootable Movies
• Build Your Own Fortress Home
• Samsung's HL-S5679W LED-backlit 1080p DLP HDTV
• Eric Mack on how to embed a movie in a blog post
• TypePad supports Skypecast
• CBS Innertube
• UMPC devices are starting to hit the U.S. market
• Alan Cox (Red Hat) discusses computer security (IT Conversations podcast)
• Add a second monitor and get 30% better productivity?
• Open Street Maps in San Diego
• XML is a foundation for MindManager

Digital Picture Frames vs. PSP

I've always wanted digital photo/picture frames to become more mainstream.  It seemed so logical to me.

It looks like prices are really dropping and they aren't requiring those silly subscription service models. Here is a summary of some ads I saw in the Sunday paper:

• Linens-N-Things: $99.99 with a 5.6" LCD screen, works with digital media cards (#NV-560, LNT.COM, #18976001)
• Best Buy: Westinghouse 8" LCD Screen for $229.99
• Ritz Camera: PhotoShare 7" LCD; supports Mac&PC downloads or memory card for $99.99
• Ritz Camera: 7" Digital Photo Frame with MP3 player (built-in speakers, earphone jack, video output, plus remote control) for $199.99.  Also supports media cards like: SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Microdrive, and CF Memory
• CompUSA.com: 8" Memoryvue Digital Photo Frame for $199.99 (after rebates).  Supports CF, SD, MMC, and Memory Stick cards.  Also plays MP3s.

An alternative should be noted that if you are going to spend ~$200, you might want to pick up a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). They are now selling for $199.99.  It seems to be the biggest bang for $200 out there.

Sounds, Effects, Etc. for Audio and Video Production

If you are looking for sounds to put into a podcast or into a video production, then here are some pointers to some that I recently found:

• Free Sound Project
• Find Sounds
• Creative Commons

I Think I've Found My Dream Thing

Geeks.com has a new "Thing" that is down right amazing.  It seems to integrate all the best of Microsoft Origami, Apple iPod, and the Motorola Razr.