Patio Swings - Great Relaxation For The Entire Family

If you are like most people, you like spending time on your patio relaxing and experiencing the beauty of nature. When you are relaxing in your patio listening to the birds chirping and watching the clouds float by, it may seem like you couldn't ask for anything more.

But there's actually more. If you want to further enhance your relaxation experience, you can put up a patio swing on your deck. Once you feel the soothing motion of rocking back and forth while being surrounded by nature, then you can say that you couldn't ask for anything more.

Whenever most people see a patio swing, they can't seem to resist sitting down even for just a few moments. There is a magical aspect to swings that attracts people of all ages. Even little kids like playing on swings in the playground and their movements are definitely more vigorous. The higher they can go on a swing, the happier they will be.

The movement that a patio swing provides, though, is not quite as daring. Its purpose is mainly for relaxation. And every member of the household at some point of the day has the need to relax.

Dad would probably like taking his morning coffee on the patio swing while reading the morning paper. Little girls might like playing there with their dolls as a patio swing could provide a fairy tale-like setting.

In the early afternoon, Mom would probably be curled up in the swing reading a novel. Just before dinner, one of the older kids might spend some time relaxing on the patio swing while listening to their favorite songs on their iPod. And even late at night, spouses might sit on the patio swing together for a night cap, talking about the events of the day.

Besides being an excellent means of relaxation, patio swings can enhance the beauty of your house or your garden as well. Adding a swing to your patio can instantly add charm and a touch of whimsy to your backyard.

When you go out to buy a patio swing, you might be surprised at how many designs are available. Some of the recommended brands are the Western, the Nantucket, and the Adirondack. Trying out the swings is the best way to determine which one will provide the most relaxation for you and your family.

No matter which brand or design of patio swing you decide upon, you can be sure that once you put that swing in your patio, you will be wondering how you ever managed to get along without it in the first place.

About the Author

You can also find more info on Patio Design and Patio Doors. Homepatiodeck.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Home Patio Deck.

iPod Speakers - Sharing The Joy

You love you little iPod, and the fun of toting all your favorite tunes around for your listening pleasure in a device the size of a playing card. You love knowing that you can turn up the volume on your iPod to your heart's content with your headphones preventing anyone else from complaining about the sound.

But what you think would be even better is being able to forego the headphones from time to time, and use your iPod, with your customized selection of songs, like a regular CD or cassette player. Just tuck it in a corner somewhere, and have it fill a room with sound like an invisible choir. You wouldn't have to remove your headphones every time the phone rings, or you want to have a conversation. Sounds good, but is it too good to be true?

Not any more. Thanks to the soaring success of the iPod, both Apple and some heavy-duty audio speaker manufacturers have developed iPod speakers, which will give you an alternative to the standard in-you-ear intimacy of the iPod's headphones.

Apple's iPod HiFi

If you can picture a center-channel speaker from a home theater system, with an iPod dock on top, you'll have an idea of what the Apple IPod HiFi iPod speakers are all about. The Apple iPod HiFi portable, measuring 6.6 " high by 17 " wide X by 6.9" deep, and weighing 14.5 pounds without batteries or 16.7 pounds with six D batteries. And the Apple HiFi iPod Speaker is equipped with a remote, so you can control the music selection without having to mess with your iPod.

But if the thought of nearly seventeen pound iPod speakers does not appeal, by all means give the Altec Lansing inMotion iPod speakers a look. The inMotion iPod speakers will speak to the iPod enthusiast's heart, weighing in at a mere fifteen ounces--yes, ounces--and measuring, when folded up, 8" wide by 5.4 inches deep and 1.2 inches thick. And don't worry about the batteries adding a significant amount of weight; these iPod speakers will run for twenty-four hours straight on four AA batteries.

Uses For iPod Speakers

Either of these iPod speakers, or any of the several brands now available, can open your iPod use to any number of occasions, from party or outdoor outings to sharing audio books to letting you use your iPod to store and present information for school or job reports.

iPod speakers are the perfect solution to for those who are tired of keeping their great iPod listening experiences to themselves!

About the Author
You can also find more info on Apple Ipods and Ipod Accessories. knowipods.com is a comprehensive resource to know about iPods.

The Ipod Video: Not IMAX, But Not Bad

Since the introduction of the iPod video at the end of 2005, the consumer market has had plenty of time to assess the "evolutionary" aspects of the device, as presented by Apple's "evolution of a revolution" marketing campaign.

Apple was trumpeting the fact that the iPod video had bought 2001's "revolutionary" iPod mp3 to new heights of technological sophistication with its then 30GB and now 80GB memory capacity. The iPod video did everything the iPod nano did, and threw in the talent for storing up to forty--and now one hundred--hours of video, and displaying those videos for 3.5 hours at a stretch, on its 60% brighter screen.

iPod Video Features

The original iPod video could contain the content of sixty full length feature films, or 7500 songs, or some combination of the two. It could play music for up to fourteen consecutive hours, and it could perform all its magic from the confines of a smaller casing than that so beloved by millions of existing iPod users. And it most spectacular feature was, of course, the 2.5" 320x240 pixel, 260,000 color display screen, half an inch larger than that on earlier generation iPods, and capable of adding video viewing to their photo and album cover viewing capacities.

But Apple is not content with that, and intends to develop a widescreen video iPod which ill enlarge the current screen size by 40%, from 2.5 to 3.5 inches. The widescreen, however, has been under development for well over a year, and has experienced display problems.

iPod Video battery Issues

The power demand which playing a video places on the iPod video battery significantly lowers the life of its charge, and one should not realistically expect to get more than a three hour viewing from it. One way to conserve the battery is to turn off the iPod video's backlighting, which is on in the default position. The iPod video screen is easy to read both in bright daylight and in good interior light, soothe backlight is not essential.

And fortunately, the iPod video will allow you to pause a video when you have to move other things, and come back to pick up the story at a later time, so if you have to recharge in mid-scene you have to go back and begin again. But those users who like to run more than one program at a time on their iPod videos, even if they are not watching videos, may find that the best strategy is to charge their iPods on a daily basis.

About the Author
You can also find more info on Ipod Skins and Ipod Speakers. knowipods.com is a comprehensive resource to know about iPods.

iPod Video Cases - Protecting Your Investment

So, after considerable thought, you've plunked down $250 or $350 for your iPod video. But have you plunked down the few extra dollars that an iPod video case will cost? If you haven't, the smartest thing you can do is to place you iPod video back in its carton, or in some other form of protection, and hustle on down to the nearest IPod accessories store.

It wasn't much time at all after the first iPod videos saw the light of day that their excited owners were screaming in justifiable anguish at the ease with which the LCD screens were becoming marred with scratches. So Apple, in response, began to include a cloth iPod video case with each purchase. But because one of the big selling points of the iPod is its lack of bulk, these cloth covers were less than substantial, and even worse, they partially covered the iPod video's screen.

So Apple tried again with iPod video cases which were dubbed "socks", because of their stretchy yarn-like material in a variety of designer colors, and for their upscale customers, Italian leather iPod video cases The socks and leather cases, however, failed to address the issue of blocked screens and control wheels, and while both remain available, it did not take long for other iPod accessories manufacturers to see an opening and rush to fill it with more protective and user-friendly iPod video cases.

One of the most popular iPod video case options is the carbon fiber case which will protect the front and back of your iPod video with laser-cut form fitting sections of black carbon fiber material, joined with stainless steel screws.

Icons iPod video cases, on the other hand, let IPod users get a bit funkier with a front which can bear the likeness of many a pop culture favorite from Superman and Batman to Homer Simpson. The backs of the Iconz iPod video cases are clear plastic, so that the iPod still shines through.

Perhaps the most indestructible of all the iPod video cases is the water, dust, sand, and dirt-proof Otterbox. The Otterbox allows control wheel use through a very thin protective membrane, and the Otterbox package is available with waterproof headphones. It is ideal for beach and hiking use, but is not meant for scuba diving.

On the other hand, do you really need your iPod video to accompany you on scuba diving excursions? Otter box iPod video cases with waterproof headphones retail for around $100.

About the Author
You can also find more info on Ipod Video Cases and Ipod Video. knowipods.com is a comprehensive resource to know about iPods.

Expert bloggers say MTV had to ditch Microsoft for a chance to compete with iTunes

Recently, MTV announced it would close its “Urge” music download service, which was a joint-venture with Microsoft. Expert bloggers were among the first to reveal what MTV’s next move would be and whether MTV’s new mega-partnership will have the potential to rival iTunes. It remains common knowledge within the world of online music sales that iTunes is the proverbial elephant in the room. Seemingly since its launch, blogs and mainstream media alike have been openly speculating as to whether any other media corporations would be able to rival Apple’s newfound dominance over the world of digital music.

Widely-read tech blog GigaOM gave its readers all the new details in one of their latest posts. “It is official! Real Networks, MTV and Verizon Wireless are teaming up to form Rhapsody America, a joint venture that will be headed up by Michael Bloom, former general manager of MTV Urge. The company will have offices in San Francisco, New York, and Seattle.” The post mentioned that on-air integration could begin as soon as next week.

The post also offered further examples of just how heavily these three mega-brands will push their new venture by stating “Rhapsody will also be integrated into the fabric of MTV’s marquee event, the Video Music Awards airing live from Las Vegas on September 9th, 2007. Verizon will push Rhapsody via its stores.” The Rhapsody service will also be promoted heavily on television by MTV’s parent company Viacom. Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music said “the new Rhapsody will have the marketing power of MTV, VH1 and CMT behind it.”

Techdirt, another popular blog, was adamant that MTV had to make big changes to its approach to online music. Their latest post stated “MTV has had an awful lot of trouble over the years trying to become the MTV of the internet.” While the Urge venture with Microsoft was heavily promoted at the time, bloggers and music fans realized quickly that the only thing they got from the “Urge” service was an urge to go download from iTunes. Pricing and selection issues dogged Microsoft and MTV’s supposed iTunes rival and Techdirt noted referred to Urge as a “me-too package that wasn't even remotely compelling. Almost no one used it.”

Seemingly, MTV took too long to enter the world of online music sales. “It seems that the company rested on its TV laurels for way too long, and then totally misunderstood what the online world wanted, originally insisting that its archive of video would make it a player in the space.” While Microsoft was able to offer a big brand name and plenty of marketing and infrastructure assistance, they knew relatively little about the world of music and that’s one of the main reasons why MTV has sought greener pastures.

None of the expert blogs in either the tech or financial realm were willing to say, on the record, that this new venture would be the Internet’s “iTunes killer.” SiliconBeat, another widely-read tech blog, noted that “large music companies are struggling to do end-runs around Apple’s iTunes+iPod hegemony. The big problem with their plans is that cool music-playing hardware is where the money is in music sales these days, something these companies don’t have.” Their post also specified another main reason why MTV scuppered the Urge deal with Microsoft, “nobody went to the site because they were already on iTunes.”

By merging with RealNetworks, a known player in the online music industry, and adding a twist by integrating mobile content through Verizon, there is a distinct possibility that MTV’s new online music venture may have one-upped iTunes by adding expertise in mobile content- a source of revenue that has been growing exponentially in recent years. Nobody is sure exactly how the situation will pan out, but it is clear that MTV wants to hear the world say “I want my MP3!”

About the Author

InvesLogic is something new. It's the first company to organize expert financial and business blogs worth reading into a new form of market intelligence different from anything being provided by the mainstream investment media. We're focused on providing the most valuable and timely market and business insight available in blogs today. For more information, visit inveslogic.com

The iPod: A Tiny Phoenix

Apple, and the Macintosh, once were the envy of the home computer manufacturing world. But the rise of Microsoft and the Windows-based PC very nearly put Apple on the garbage heap, and when Steve Jobs brought his company back from the brink he did it not with a Microsoft competitor, but with a handheld, digitally-based mp3 which was to the mp3 world what he had hoped Macintosh would be to PCs. Why?

Because Apple knew its future was resting on the tiny back of the iPod, so when it decided to introduce an mp3 player, it did not rest until it had the best mp3 player in history. And Apple has continued to improve on the iPod, which through its not quite six years of existence has come through five generations, each of them more spectacular than the previous, to the latest iPod video with its 80GB memory.

And Apple has done very smart things, beginning with making the iPod compatible with Windows-based systems. It has created a series of iPod accessories and licensed the rights to manufacture and sell them to various entities, so that consumers can distinguish iPod compatible accessories from those whose makers are merely trying to capitalize on the IPods craze.

Another stroke of genius from Apple was to start iTunes, a digital media application which allows iPod users, for a fee, to transfer songs and movies from the Internet to their iPod hard drives via a USB cable. Not only have iPods users rid themselves of the need to carry backpacks full of tapes or CDs around, the iPod user can decide in which order his or her favorite songs will play, and what information about them will show on the iPod screen. iTunes can be downloaded free to both the Mac OSX, and Windows XP, Vista, and 2000 versions. It comes pre-installed on all Macintoshes and a few Dell and HP PCs.

The iTunes software allows users to connect to the iTunes store on the Apple website, where iPod users can purchase music, television shows, films and music videos, and even games. By January of 2007, iTunes had accounted for more than two billion song downloads, or about one for every three people on Earth, and over 80% of all music downloads.

Apple ensured the success of the iPod by signing deals with Warner Bros., Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, BMG, and EM to offer their recordings on the iTunes service, and when it opened the iTunes store in 2003, had over 200,000 songs ready for downloading. Its library now numbers over 5,000,000.

The iPod is not just any digital media player; it's the digital media player from the company which is known for innovation and for finding ways to put its products in the "must-have" category. The more than two billion songs on untold millions of iPods can testify to the effectiveness of their approach.

About the Author
You can also find more info on Ipod Nano Case and Apple Ipod Nano. knowipods.com is a comprehensive resource to know about iPods.

Electronic gadget gift ideas

What about electronic gadgets as gifts, well, you can think about it for minutes. For all occasions the electronic gifts will make difference feeling for your gift receiver, I will provide you some great ideas for your next gift, It will be the coolest one you have given.

Mp3 sunglasses, the perfect one for the active life style people, It will let you enjoying your favorite music during you ordinary day, they have a high technology built-in mp3 player. In addition to the mp3 player option you will have a perfect UV coated sunglasses, to protect your beautiful eyes.

Mp3 alarm clock, what about waking up with a special message from your lover, it will get you in very good mood, there are many types of alarm clocks that can download the mp3, wav files from your computer, they also can record a voice message to replay it at the morning.

Video sunglasses, they can take you in the magic world, you are within events of the movie, you can watch your ipod or DVD movies like a wide screen, very cool gift for everyone like movies. They will be more expensive than mp3 sunglasses but you or your lover will have the maximum enjoyment.

Wireless security camera, to monitor your home, office, garden, backyard. To watch your children while playing, the best gadget for these issues is the wireless security camera. By the way, you can access your wireless camera from anywhere and at anytime by using IP address.

Mp4 watch, a great watch to watch your favorite movie, your favorite complete movie. Nowadays, watches can download anything from small music files to complete movies, you can enjoy your time while watching films, clips, personal recordings anywhere.

I was trying help you to find a special gift for yourself or for your lover, there are many other gift ideas I will write on them in the next articles, do your search about some of those electronic gadgets to give a nice electronic gift.

About the Author
By Elhusseiny Shahin the owner of Electronic Gadget Gifts, you may also visit the MP3 gadgets page and Camera gadgets page to find more information on mp3 players and cameras.