Tuesday, August 28, 2007

iPod Hearing Hazards - How To Take Care Of Your Ears

Many people have been suffering from hearing problems since the introduction of iPod and other portable music devices. One of the reasons that the iPod stands out among its competitors is that it is one of the loudest portable music players available right now.

The loudness also becomes a vice as people use iPods music capabilities to its full extent, paying little or no attention to the effects frequent loud music can have on their hearing.

If you frequently listen to your iPod at a high volume it can cause Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. The effects of noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. The symptoms increase when a person is frequently exposed to loud noises for a long period of time. Prevention is the only cure for noise-induced hearing loss. Here are a few tips to help take care of your ears while listening to your iPod.

Use noise canceling or sound-isolating headphones. The earphones that come with iPods are hazardous because they fit directly into the ear. These earphones boost sound by as much as nine decibels. You have the equivalent to the sound of a lawnmower going directly into your ear. Since the earphones do not fit snugly into the ear, it is possible for background noise to interfere with the music.

The listener has to turn the music up louder make up for the extra noise in the background. Turning up the music helps the listener hear the full range of the music by drowning out any extra noise. Sound-isolating headphones fit snugly into the ear so that background noises cannot be heard over the music. This way, the music can be kept at safe volume.

Turn the volume down. Many people listen to their iPod at a higher volume than is necessary to hear the music well. People are good at turning the music up when they cannot hear it well. Most are not as adept at turning it down once the background noise has subsided. When there is not any noise in the background, turn the music down a couple of notches to see if you can still hear it well.

If the lower volume sounds fine, leave it there. This a good practice to follow even if you do not have the music turned up because of background noise. Since the length of time you listen to loud music is a factor in hearing loss you should periodically test a lower volume level.

Use your ears wisely. Theres something about music that just makes it sound better when its louder. The thing to be careful about with noise is that you do not listen to it too loud for too long too frequently. Ask yourself, Do I have to have it up this loud? You really do not have to listen to every song at the louder settings. Listening to a few songs at a lower volume will make the one song you absolutely must listen to loudly more enjoyable. Think of it as an indulgence while you are on a diet.

Know your family history. If your family has a history of hearing loss, then you are more at risk for hearing problems as well. Loud music for lengthy periods of time will only increase the probability of hearing problems. If your family has a history of hearing problems, you should take extra precautions to preserve your hearing.

Get your hearing checked. This is the only way to accurately gauge your current level of hearing. Having your ears checked will give an early warning to hearing loss. You should have your hearing checked around the same time that you have your eyes checked. This way your doctor can measure the change from visit to visit. If a negative change in hearing is detected, your doctor may be able to give you treatment to improve your hearing or preservation tips to keep it from getting worse.

Quit smoking. Smokers already have a chance of hearing loss than non-smokers. Listening to loud music increases those chances. Being able to listen to your music worry-free is one of many reasons to quit smoking.

Having an iPod is like having a fast car: the speedometer may go up to 220, but the speed limit only allows you to go 70 for your safety. Just because the iPod can play music loudly does not mean you have to listen to that way. Protect your hearing because once its gone, you may never get it back.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/iPod-Hearing-Hazards---How-To-Take-Care-Of-Your-Ears/43002

Great Uses Of The iPod In The Service And Health Industry

When most people think of iPods, they think of downloaded music or maybe videos. They think of fun. However, iPods are finding their way to work in other industries as well. One example of this is the service and health industries.

Hospitals and clinics are being pressured to go more high tech. Every day doctors, nurses, and staff sift through mountains of information on patients. Everything from billing information to insurance to patient symptoms is recorded. Patients are no longer sticking with the same doctor from birth to grave like they did a hundred years ago either. Now there is a doctor from everything from your brain to your feet, and everything in between. Doctors need a way to send and receive information on patients, drugs, case studies, etc.

iPods are perfect for this. With a small, compact size and easy to use formatting, they are perfect for on the go information sharing. They can store amazing amounts of information and share it easily. They are also easy to use and do not require much training to run programs.

Pod casts are offering a way to share information. Pod casts are the live transmission of video or audio. They can cover anything the latest garage band trying to make it big to a lecture hall discussion to a forum on the latest movies at the theater. They can be implemented into use for the medical field in a variety of ways.

iPods with microphone attachments can be used to record medical notes while on the go to be transferred somewhere else later. This is particularly helpful for doctors and med students that are away from a clinic to perform their duties. Verbal notes can be played back later for review, transcription, or sharing with other doctors.

iPods are being used in some clinics as replacements for bigger, more costly equipment. For example, a doctor at UCLA, Dr. Osman Ratib, came up with a platform that allows doctors to view high-resolution radiological images that need 3D rendering to view. With help from another radiologist and programmer, Dr. Antoine Rosset, he started Osirix. One of the functions of Osirix allows radiologists to share images on iPods.

The original equipment would have cost anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. Compare that to the price of an iPod, and clinics are saving a lot of money. Not to mention that it is also then easy to share images with other doctors - even with experts who might not be at the same clinic.

Health care officials are able to use iPods to broadcast seminars and discussion forums to doctors. This way they can exchange information on new cases, new drugs, or anything else without doctors having to even be there. Doctors can download the pod casts and listen to them later on for information that they missed.

Medical students are starting to use iPods for classes as well. Teachers can use programs to put lecture materials into a flash format, allowing them to be viewed on an iPod instead of on regular slides in the lecture hall. Students can then take this information home with them to review information later. Or, they can use the microphone feature to record lectures for later review.

Hospitals in Europe and Australia are using iPods to train new employees. They are able to use iPods for digital tours of the hospital. Or they can use iPods to train employees on new issues such as what to do in a quarantine situation or how to handle a violent patient. Doctors are favoring this method because it helps to keep all of the staff on the same page, versus relying on one staff member to train another. Having everyone take the same digital training helps eliminate in human error in the training.

Some people are concerned that the use of portable devices such as iPods could lead to leaked information or a breach of doctor and patient confidentiality. However, proponents of the idea do not feel that it is any more of a risk than maintaining files on paper or on a computer, which also can be easily duplicated.

With all of the medical applications of iPods, do not be surprised if you see one in your doctor office soon! As portable technology improves, so will its applications in the medical field.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Great-Uses-Of-The-iPod-In-The-Service-And-Health-Industry/40580

Cool IPod Functions You Do Not Know About

It is better than having an iPod. Finding out about cool new functions, of course. The evolution of the iPod has become a major trendsetter over the past few years. Even furniture and clothing manufactures are making iPod friendly products, which makes carrying around your iPod easier without the risk of bending or cracking your screen.

With each generation of iPod, the size and look become new designs showing their glossy exterior and collections of sizes, and the superior amounts of gigabits generate more downloading power. This makes extreme amounts of music downloads possible. As each generation of iPods is born, new more improved functions flood the airwaves with intensity, clarity, and volume. Here are some awesome new iPod functions you may not know about.

The iPods new click wheel provides you with easy with window accessibility. By clicking the top of the wheel, there is a shuffle mode to play songs in a casual random order. You can also play, forward, rewind, and stop and pause all located on the click wheel.

You can also learn how to duplicate hidden files from your iPod to complement your computer by right clicking on iPod and selecting tools the folder options. This takes you to the control panel and you can select view tab, hidden files click, show hidden files, making all your files visible. The intent of this information is not to be used to steal music, only to copy music you previously purchased onto your computer.

Your iPod will play MP4 files, too. All you have to do is drag your ffmpegx on to the summary page and select MP4. Then click on the video tab and set the task to three hundred and twenty pixels click encode and drag your file into iTunes. This will allow you to view pictures as a slide show or a movie that you have taken from your digital camera.

Your iPod also includes a functional stopwatch and time zone clock utility. Your iPod has a small iTunes control that sits at the bottom of your screen. This permits you to use rewind, fast forward, and ratings, pick play list, and add to favorites. The list saver function permits to back up and restore, so that you can move your library. You play lists, reinstall you operating system. In addition, use list saver to back up and restore your iPod. Use your macs built in text to speech to adapt any document web page or document into MP3, this utility also loads Word, PDF, RTF, Apple works, Text and HTML.

From the iPod functions in your menu bar, you can program your iPod for syncing and eject. You can sync your address book, calendars. You can purchase an optional dock, which you can use as a remote control for your iPod, which allows you to listen to music from across the room through your television or stereo speakers. You can sync your iPod to view pictures, which are on your iPod. It can hold around twenty thousand pictures.

There is an audio books feature, which allows you to look through over nine thousand book titles from the iTunes library to download and sync with your personal computer, iPod also features a book mark so you do not lose your spot while on the go. There are now parental control features, which will limit your childs use of podcasts, explicit language, and shared music limiting your childs access from other people who might have content your child may be interested in.

From audio books to calendars, games, clocks, alarms, exercise workouts, music contacts and photos, there is fun for everyone no matter your age. Entertainment has never been easier than it is today, nor has it been so convenient to do what you want to do when you want to do it.

There is so much potential that has evolved from the digital era. It is almost amazing what people can do at the touch of a button, or by speaking into a microphone giving a machine command that it obeys with out question. Maybe someday there will be iPods that allow us to tell them what song you want to hear and how long we want to hear it, or an iPod that gives us vocal directions, helping us get to our destinations.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Cool-IPod-Functions-You-Do-Not-Know-About/35991

IPod Help -- Locating Assistance When You Need it The Most

Society is becoming largely technology driven, it appears most people are often asked how to work computer systems and electronics. There is a large amount of individuals in today's society that are unable to comprehend or who do not wish to spend the time to educate themselves how to accomplish these tasks. Because of this fact, various people feel that they do not want or need to purchase the very latest technology to assist them or improve their daily lives.

Due to these reasons, there is assistance readily available and professionals who can steer you through challenging tasks that would possibly appear completely foreign to some, like for instance, turning their computer on.

Locating the right iPod help is not a difficult thing to accomplish and is a much-needed requirement for the majority of people who wish to enjoy the benefits that the iPods bring to them minus the headache of attempting to comprehend the mechanics of it.

Where Can I Get the IPod Help I Need? Who Do I Ask?

When buying an iPod, assistance is first available with an owner's manual that is included as a part of the product you purchase. Studying this manual will have great value to some individuals, while other people will imagine that there studying a foreign language. The manuals often include pictures for individuals who Understand better by visualizing.

If the person reading the owners manual is finding that it is not being as helpful as he needs, a customer representative or clerk from the retail outlet where it was bought may be able to assist you, particularly if this is an electronics store or an office supply store. Inquiring with the store representative for assistance may be what is needed to set you on the right path to acquiring the knowledge on how to use your iPod.

The majority of individuals have a technology oriented family member or friend that is able to teach to them the mechanics to accomplish the tasks such as saving for deleting songs from their iPod or downloading songs. Assistance in these particular areas is typically what many people are seeking, as the majority of people are not interested in how the iPod functions, just that it works as it should.

If all these different kinds of methods of iPod help fails, a person can look for help on the Internet or by directly calling the manufacture of the iPod on the phone.

Typically a manufacturer's Internet website will have what is called a frequently asked questions page there to assist people, additionally they will also have an e-mail address where you can send any inquiries to them. If you would prefer to speak to an actual individual, there are toll-free phone numbers provided directly to their customer service department or their technical division.

Locating the right iPod help is not a difficult task and is definitely a necessary step to take in order to have the greatest benefit from your brand-new and enjoyable iPod purchase.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/IPod-Help----Locating-Assistance-When-You-Need-it-The-Most/43036

How to choose and buy an iPod at good prices

ipod is a renowned brand of portable digital media player designed and marketed by Apple Computer. The ipod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player. The ipod family devices provide a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel, with the exception of the ipod shuffle.

The majority of ipod models store media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller ipod shuffle and ipod nano use flash memory. An ipod, like most digital audio players, can serve as an external data storage device when connected to a computer. The discontinued versions of the ipod include two generations of the popular ipod mini and four generations of the full-sized ipod, all of which had monochrome screens except for the fourth-generation ipod with color screen, which was previously sold as ipod photo before it replaced the monochrome ipod in the top line. As of December 2005, the lineup consists of the fifth-generation ipod that can play videos, the ipod nano that has a color screen, and the ipod shuffle; all three iterations were released in 2005.

The bundled software used for uploading music, photos, and videos to the ipod is called iTunes. iTunes is a music jukebox application that stores a comprehensive library of the music on a user's computer, as well as being able to play and rip it from a CD. The most recent incarnations of ipod and iTunes have video playing and organization features. Other forms of data can be added to ipod as if it were a normal data storage device.

ipod or ipods is the most frequently searched keyword online. There are numerous websites offering tons of valuable information on video ipod, ipod accessories, used ipods and cheap ipod. Some sites offer ipod blog, ipod reviews, ipod news and ipod articles.

These ipod blogs, reviews, articles, news and other information are very helpful to the potential ipod customers. The guys planning to buy ipod products are advised to go through these online sources and read ipod reviews before buying any ipod product.


http://www.articles-central.info/Article/How-to-choose-and-buy-an-iPod-at-good-prices/99395

Getting to Know iPod Video

You have heard it all over--Apples iPod Video is the best video player there is. You dont question it anymore because a lot of people claim it is so. But is it, really? Not quite. That honor rightfully belongs to Zen Vision, a Creative Labs product. Zen Vision is every good thing iPod Video is, and more. The size of the screen for video playback in Zen vision is a whopping 3.7 high-resolution screen, which is a lot of steps ahead of the iPod Videos 2.5 screen. On paper, 1.2 may not seem to be such a huge difference, but it really does matter once you are in front of the screen.

Aside from that, Creative Lab players--in which the Zen Vision is included--have something very useful that iPod players dont have--a feature that allows listening to and recording FM radio. In this way, you can catch up on your favorite radio shows any time you want. Creative Lab players also have a built-in voice recorder which is great for taking notes in classes or work; it is also very helpful in giving yourself some reminders every now and then.

Of course, there are some areas wherein the iPod Video reigns supreme. In terms if battery life, iPod Video has 20 hours, while Creative Zen Vision only has 13 hours. To make up for this weakness, Creative Lab offers the option to purchase extended-life batteries, but this will cost you extra.

If you are torn between the Creative Zen Vision and the iPod Video, here is something to consider--the iPods screen is smaller, but it offers better views even when looked at from different angles. The Creative screen, though larger, is best viewed straight on; when viewed from other angles, the pictures are not as clear. If your priority is storing music over video, get the iPod Video. However, if your main concern is storing video, and storing music is only a nice additional feature for you, then you are better off buying Creative Zen Vision.

Nowdays, a digital audio player is not enough. People are looking for a player that can do so much more than churn out music. As a result, manufacturers are in stiff competition with each other to come up with the latest innovation. As of this moment, the latest is the video player. iPod has one, Creative Lab has one. iRiver also jumped on the video player bandwagon with it U10 video player. iRivers U10 is a bundle of contradictions. Sometimes, it seems to be the perfect choice for all digital media lovers; sometimes, you just dont have any idea what iRiver folks were thinking when they were designing the player.

Lets begin with the positive. iRivers 2.2 screen, though smaller than those of iPod video (2.5) and Creative Zen Vision (3.7), has a higher resolution and quality. The battery life is also something to rave about at 28 hours. That in itself is a good thing, but it is made even better by the price--$199.99 and $249.99, depending on the disk size.

Now lets move on to the negative. The U10 come in two sizes--512MB and 1GB. For music files, these sizes are adequate, but for video files, they mean nothing. Unlike Apple and Creatice, iRiver does not offer video players with a disk size of around 30GB.

Aside from the dismaying disk size, iRiver also has a hard-to-use navigation system which can not hold a candle to iPods clicking wheel system. You need to have a bit of a techie in you to find your way around iRiver U10. However, most people dont want something that is hard to operate, so in this aspect, iRiver fails to appeal to the pop culture market.

As of now, the iRiver U10 feels like an experiment, something which iRiver will use to decide what the market really wants--is it disk space, battery life, or extra features? Perhaps iRiver is just biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to release a player that can surpass iPod and Creative. This remains to be seen.



http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Getting-to-Know-iPod-Video/8558

Things You Can Do To Extend The Life Of Your iPod Battery

Many people now carry some form of electronic device, such as a cell phone, or the ever popular iPod and these devices use rechargeable lithium based batteries that are extremely expensive to replace.

When iPods were first introduced by Apple, they featured battery packs that were very difficult to remove and replace. It was their opinion that once the battery was no longer useable, a new iPod should be purchased as opposed to just replacing the battery pack. Less expensive, third party battery replacement kits hit the market and Apple tried to compete with them by initiating a program to replace the worn out batteries. Since the replacement kits offered by third party manufacturers were cheaper and had more capacity than those offered by Apple, naturally the third party kits were much more popular. There are ways to extend the life of your battery, so that they won't have to be replaced as often.

Be Aware of What Drains Your Battery

Exposing your iPod to extreme temperatures is a sure way to drain the life from your battery. Never leave it where it is exposed to direct sunlight or in a hot car. If it is exposed to extreme cold, make sure that before you turn it back on, it has been warmed to room temperature.

Avoid using the backlighting and equalizer features, since these are another power drain. By going into the settings option, you can change the settings to "off" for both them.

Using the next/fast forward and the previous/rewind buttons are other features that contribute to power usage. Minimal use of these options will help save battery life

Tips to Maximize Battery Life

Ipods are often carried in pockets and purses and if it is accidentally bumped, it could turn on without your notice. Make it a habit to use the hold switch to keep that from happening.

Many people get interrupted while listening to their iPod. Be sure to use the pause feature, so that the unit will not continue to play if you have to stop listening to do something else. This will help avoid a useless drain of your battery.

Lithium batteries are rechargeable and new batteries will hold a charge longer than older ones. Charging your battery to full capacity is very important. Charging it for a short period, such as an hour, will only bring its capacity to 80%. It takes a full four hours to get a full charge. A fully charged battery will last anywhere from two weeks to almost a full month.

Keep the file sizes smaller by using compressed files. When importing to iTunes, consider using MP3s or AAC


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Things-You-Can-Do-To-Extend-The-Life-Of-Your-iPod-Battery/12087

Five Ideas For Using Your iPod In The Classroom

What? You can use your iPod for educational purposes? Yes!! The iPod is a perfect tool for learning, as well as for listening to music. With the ever growing amount of iPod owners, most being younger people still in school, the iPod is a great tool to use in the classroom.

Apart from getting your students to think you are cool for owning an iPod, there are other ways for it to be put to good use. From foreign language class, to music class, to even art history and more, the iPod is making a big hit in the classroom.

So, you are a student sitting in music class, and all of a sudden instead of your teacher putting on a song in an old music player, they connect an iPod to their computer and out plays Beethovens 5th Symphony. Using your iPod is great for any music class.

The iPod allows you to store and keep all your music in one easy place and lets you set up pre-determined playlists, and is very portable for anyone. The iPod is an easy way to get your students to listen to your music selections, and with the ease of iPod music upload anyone is able to do it.

Maybe you are not a music teacher; maybe you have a foreign language class that is in need of something updated and fun. Using your iPod to play podcasts in foreign languages is simple. Or, you can always make your own podcast to play if you plan on being out one day. Knowing a foreign language is now a more and more important thing to know and having a new and exciting way to learn one is always going to be easier for the students.

Perhaps one of the most useful things a teacher can use in a classroom is podcasts. A teacher can easily search for podcasts relevant to the daily classroom discussion or lecture. Did you know even the Supreme Court has podcasts? You are now able to listen to the deliberations of the Justices when you in the classroom!

The popularity of the iPod has reached a new, higher level when the Supreme Court is using them. Recently, the teacher of a government class I am taking surprised us all when she started playing a podcast of the daily Supreme Court deliberations. It got all of our attention, to say the least. Most people in the United States have never heard the Supreme Court deliberate, and the iPod helps bring something new to listeners all over the world.

Maybe you are an art history teacher, or maybe you just need to show a photo slideshow in class. An iPod is an easy way to store the photos you need and in a specific order that you are able to use it in a classroom setting. The iPod is a very portable device and by storing your photos for the classroom on it, it is simple to bring them in and share with your students.

Now, if you are lucky enough to teach in a school with a seemingly endless budget, then you could be able to buy iPods for your students that already have all the forms and documents that they will need for your class. This allows the student to keep everything they need for the classroom in one easy place. Now, if you are like most of us and money is limited then just using your own iPod to store all of your documents and files for the class is an easy way to keep it all in one place and will cut down on the time and stress it takes looking for them.

These are just some of the many ideas that you can use in the classroom. There are many, many more. The iPod is becoming a popular thing to own, for students and teachers alike. Owning an iPod opens up many possibilities that you might not otherwise have. From podcasts, to photo slideshows, to music lessons, the iPod is making an appearance in classrooms all over the world. Its as if the iPod is taking over the world, but it is good to know that you can use the iPod for educational purposes and not just for entertainment purposes.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Five-Ideas-For-Using-Your-iPod-In-The-Classroom/38530

iPods Go Hi Fi - The Reason Is Why?

Ever wish you could play the songs on your iPod aloud on your stereo, rather than having to listen to them through headphones? Or, you tried to play the songs through your laptop, but the speakers are too small to produce a quality sound. iPod Hi-Fi might be the solution for you.

iPod has reinvented the home stereo system. The iPod Hi-Fi, reminiscent of a boom box, comes complete with an iPod and a speaker box, allowing you to play your tunes aloud instead of listening to them through earphones.

Now you can feature your favorite songs at your next barbecue or get together with your friends. The high-fidelity speaker system works seamlessly with the iPod. The iPod connects to the speaker through a dock on the top of the speaker. Once the iPod is docked onto the speaker, a speaker menu is displayed allowing you to customize the sound for the speaker.

You can increase or decrease the treble and bass to create the sound you want. The speaker can also be purchased separately and works with any iPod, even the iPod shuffle. If you have an iPod shuffle, or another model without a dock adapter, you must use an audio cable to hook up to the speaker.

The iPod Hi-Fi is a one-piece three-way speaker, including two custom designed wide-range speakers. The complete package, iPod and speaker, is priced at $349. The speaker can be purchased separately for $50. So if you already have an iPod, this is a less expensive way to get quality sound.

The iPod Hi-Fi was designed to be completely portable. It comes with handles to make transporting easier. The speaker is included with an Apple wireless infrared remote that allows you to control the sound from wherever you may be sitting or standing.

Another feature that makes the iPod Hi-Fi ideal for portability is that it can be powered through a wall socket or by using six D-cell batteries. You can take the iPod Hi-Fi almost anywhere you want. Sit it in your car and use it instead of your car radio. Take it to the beach and listen to your music instead of someone elses. There are limitless possibilities as to where you can go with Hi-Fi. All it takes is a little imagination.

There are some other third-party speakers, but none that produce the quality sound of the iPod Hi-Fi speaker at the price at which Hi-Fi is available. Perhaps Apple saw this as an opportunity to provide something to iPod users that was not being offered by anyone else. The iPod Hi-Fi is comparable to other speakers made for iPod manufactured by JBL and Bose.

Although the Bose speaker produces a clear and crisp sound, it is expensive, large, and weighty. There are few sound controls and the iPod does not fit perfectly into the speaker. The product offered by JBL does not have a battery option and therefore, is not truly portable. Even though it is reasonable priced, the sound quality does not do justice to iPods reputation for sound. Since these were two of the major products on the market, it seemed necessary for Apple to product a speaker product that would do justice to the iPod.

It may strike some as odd that Apple would offer such a product when there are others on the market. The iPod hi-fi is designed to be uniquely different from existing iPod speakers. The Hi-Fi speaker has two handmade 80mm cones that sit on either side of a 130 mm dual voice-coil woofer. The side speakers provide mid- and high-range frequencies while the woofer enriches low frequencies. It includes two ports that increase airflow and fortify natural bass. The result is voluminous sound that fills any room.

To provide the best sound performance, the iPod Hi-Fi should be placed on a sturdy hard surface that is away from the floor and ceiling. In order for air to flow effectively, give iPod Hi-Fi room to breathe on all sides. This also means centering it between any walls. For the best sound, place iPod Hi-Fi at ear level.

You can use Hi-Fi for an alarm clock or set it to a sleep timer. The Apple remote ensures you never have to leave your seat to change songs or adjust volume. Designed for work and for play, the iPod Hi-Fi was designed to deliver quality stereo sound with convenience and portability.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/iPods-Go-Hi-Fi---The-Reason-Is-Why-/43447

Tips On Maintaining Your Apple iPod Battery

If you are in the market for a new Apple iPod, you may be enthusiastic at the idea of putting it to use immediately. However make certain that you are aware of how to keep your new iPod running and looking great for years to come. Specifically because a brand-new Apple iPod is going to cost you more than just a few dollars, you want to make certain that your doing everything possible to take proper care of it, so you do not end up throwing your hard earned money at a newer one sooner than you wish to.

Here are a few pointers to keep you or recover from possibly one or more of these likely problems in an Apple iPod; one main problem being that of a dead battery. If you wish to maintain your Apple iPod without being chained to a plug, you need to keep your battery in good running condition. While Apple works hard to build a product with a battery life that is long-lasting, the fact is that now and then batteries do wear out unfortunately.

While this is definitely something that is not desired, it does happen occasionally, and you should be mindful of what steps to take if it does happen, as well as what are the best ways to minimize the risk that your battery will wear out anytime soon.

One good rule of thumb is to have your Apple iPod kept away from temperature extremes. Even if you plan to be in a bank or grocery store for just a few minutes, do not fall for the temptation of leaving your iPod inside of your car, since extremely cold or extremely warm temperatures has the capability of damaging your battery. When your Apple iPod is not in use, make certain to keep it in sleep mode so you are not having the battery rundown.

In the Event Your Battery Does Run Dead

When the first Apple iPods were introduced, the option of having replacement batteries was not offered. In place of that, Apple's expectations for consumers were that by the time they needed to replace a battery, you, as a user, would buy a refurbished Apple iPod at a significant price.

After some very highly publicized complaints from consumers in regards to battery problems, including a class-action lawsuit, Apple designed and developed a battery replacement program which costs much less than the original cost of repair an Apple iPod that had a dead battery.

If your looking to try the do-it-yourself route you should have a battery that will have a longer life on each charge. There are third-party manufacturers that do offer replacement kits that have batteries that very often exceed the power of the batteries that the Apple iPod comes supplied with.

It is important to keep in mind, though, of some difficulties that some models have: IPod Nanos have batteries that are soldered onto the main board, and the latest iPods have batteries that are glued to the back plate. Even if you happen to not own one of these two models, be cautious when you handle the battery yourself. When in doubt, your battery replacement should be done by Apple Computer.

However, if you follow some of the tips listed above and use some care, the battery in your Apple iPod will have a very long life.


http://www.articleshelf.com/Article/Tips-On-Maintaining-Your-Apple-iPod-Battery/46981

iPod. The Next Generation Walkman Replacement

An iPod is a portable digital media player designed and marketed in 2001 by Apple computers. Currently, it is the best selling audio player with over 50 million sold and 1 billion legal downloads sold through it's online music store, iTunes.

The popularity of the iPod became Apple's first and successful attempt to branch out from it's iMac products and a reputation of being just a computer company. It's easy to see why the iPod dominates the market, with Apple's ingenious marketing strategies, great features, and appealing look of their products, it is destined to dominate the mp3 market for some time to come.

We need to understand that it is an mp3 audio player that has models incorporating video capabilities. The ability to have a large memory capacity enables the user to store thousands of songs for music and thousands of photos and videos This makes the iPod such a desirable product, especially to the youth market. The newer models boast a memory of up to 80 gig. This can be comparable to a hard drive in a home computer. Many people use their unit as an external hard drive to store data off of their computers.

There are many models to choose from as well as upgrades from previous versions. Each new version brings it's own unique features and accessories that can be added on. These accessories contribute immensely as revenue generators for Apple and keeps the public interested in spending more money to get the latest add on features.

You would be hard pressed if you couldn't find an electronics store that doesn't have a section devoted totally to iPods and the adapters and gadgets to dress it up.

Some of the extras presently available to consumers include camera connectors, power adapters, auto charger, car holder, external microphone, external speakers and many more. If you want to expand the fun aspect of these versatile devices, get yourself a karaoke attachment and sing along with your favorite tunes.

With the iPod being focused on music and convenience, it stands to reason that they would find their way into the automobile market. In the US, 70% of the 2007 models will offer iPod integration.

If you're looking at portability options, which is the most popular way they're used, lithium, rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium polymer rechargeable type batteries can be used. Most lithium-ion batteries use a fast charge to charge your batteries quickly up to 80% capacity, then they will switch to trickle charging for the remaining 20%.

Docking units that use AC and DC power are also available to keep a full charge handy when the iPod is stored for a period of time.

Audio and video cables are available for these units to plug into your home stereo, or watch a video on your home theater that's stored on the iPod. There's even a remote control accessory to scroll through various functions and play lists.

There are a few companies releasing their own version of the iPod and accessories because they know that the market is very lucrative. Apple's version will probably reign supreme for a while yet especially with the new models and upgrades they constantly put out in the marketplace. They have also branded a name themselves and other companies wanting to get into this elite mp3 market, will have to contend with people calling their unit an iPod as a generality instead of the given product name.

In conclusion, with the great versatility of music, photo and video, coupled with fast transfer speeds, the iPod makes a great choice for those who love having a portable and personal multi-media device.


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