The iPod nano has more flash memory storage than is used in the iPod shuffle and has a miniaturized version of the color screen and click wheel found on the full-sized iPods.
The iPod nano is Apple's fourth digital audio player combining features of both the iPod shuffle and iPod. It was introduced on September 7, 2005, replacing the iPod mini, which was discontinued on the same day. The replacement of the mini took Apple-related websites and the press completely by surprise since, although there were rumors about a new flash memory-based iPod, there was no prior notice of the popular mini being discontinued.
Work on development of the new design of the iPod nano started only nine months before the launch date. The iPod nano has more flash memory storage than is used in the iPod shuffle and has a miniaturized version of the color screen and click wheel found on the full-sized iPods. The screen also has a higher resolution than the old grayscale iPod, allowing one more line of text than the mini's screen. The battery and other internal parts were also reduced in size. The surface of the click wheel is slightly textured, allowing greater tactile feedback for out-of-sight operation. Also, the center button on the second-generation iPod nano is slightly concave, most likely so that it would be easier to find without looking. Unlike other players in the iPod familyFree Articles, the iPod nano has a headphone-out situated in the bottom right of the player. read more….
Find more about iPod nano visit www.halfvalue.com and www.halfvalue.co.uk
For more details on Books at www.lookbookstores.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandeep kumarSEOsandeep@halfvalue.com
Friday, May 4, 2007
Music Products: the iPod
The iPod is one of Apple's most successful products. The latest iPod is available in 30 or 60 GB models and is capable of playing video. The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer.
Devices in the iPod family are made around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. The full and half-sized models store media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod shuffle uses flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.
Nowadays in USA, Europe and in the Middle East Apple computer Inc. offers its iPod line of digital music players and all the necessary accessories for Macintosh and Windows users. Since its first appearance in the Middle East this digital music player is becoming more and more popular and its sales are growing up. The iPod is a portable digital music player made by Apple computer Inc., the characteristic feature of which is its Click Wheel that combines a touch-sensitive wheel with several push buttons for one-handed navigation.
In October 2005, in the Middle East the Apple Company produced an iPod containing a 2.5-inch color screen that could show album artwork and photos and play video, containing music videos, video pod casts, amateur films, short films and TV shows. Also the iPod line consists of a 30-gigabyte model containing up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos or 75 hours of video, and a 60-gigabyte model containing up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or 150 hours of video.
The iPod presents Apple's Auto-Sync technology that can automatically download digital music, podcasts, photos, audio books, home films, music videos, short films and television shows onto the iPod. Besides, it keeps it in a modern working state no matter whenever it is connected to a Macintosh or Windows computer using universal serial bus (USB).
The iPod also features Shuffle Songs, which randomly plays songs in a selected playlist or across the entire library. All iPods work with the Company's iTunes digital music management software on either a Macintosh or Windows computer. The iPod's other capabilities include data storage, calendar and contact information possibility, as well as a number of games. The Apple Company Inc. has also entered into unions with most automobile manufacturers to offer an integration of the iPod in some automobiles.
In September 2005, the Company introduced iPod nano in the Middle East, a flash-memory based digital music player. The iPod nano is available in either a 2GB model holding up to 500 songs or 25,000 photos, or a 4GB model holding up to 1,000 songs or 25,000 photos. The iPod nano, which weighs as little as 1.5 ounces and is 27 inches thin, features a color screen and the Company's patent pending Click Wheel.
In January 2005, the Company introduced iPod shuffle in the Middle East, a flash-memory based digital music player, which is based on iPod's characteristic feature that selects songs from the user's music library or playlists in a random way. iPod shuffle works with iTunes and its patent-pending AutoFill feature that automatically selects songs to fill iPod shuffle from a user's music library on their computer. iPod shuffle can also be used as a portable USB flash drive with up to 1GB of storage space. It is available in a 512MB model holding up to 120 songs and a 1GB model holding up to 240 songs.
As of July 2006, the lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod with a video player; the iPod nano with a color screen; and the iPod shuffle. All three models were released in 2005. Discontinued versions include two generations of the iPod mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod. The software that is used for transferring music, photos and videos is called iTunes. As a music jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of the user's music on their computer and can play, burn and rip music from a CD. The most recent version of iTunes has video organization features. The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player, and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have however led to criticism and legal battles. It is important to note that since the first introduction of the iPod in the Middle East the number of its consumers is growing owing to its innovations and the appearance of the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle. The Apple Company Inc. is spreading much faster in the Middle East than somewhere else. If we compare sale figures in the Middle East to the world we will find out that iPod line of digital music players dominates and its number of sales makes the third part of all sales.
Besides, Arab Business Machine that markets Apple's products in the Middle East will have a major presence at GITEX 2005. Located at Hall 4, visitors to the Apple booth will have the opportunity to learn more about computing and entertainment technology from Apple. The company will be showcasing everything from the iPod range to iLife and XServe. The exhibit will also have the latest iMacs and iBooks on display, providing GITEX visitors with an opportunity to get a feel for Apple's products. "We will also be releasing the market's most powerful iPod Speaker/Dock, Altec Lansing's New inMotion iM7 Portable Speaker System at GITEX 2005. The success of the growing iPod range in the Middle East will be continued by the new Altec Lansing speaker dock will definitely catch the attention of iPod users and music fans across the regionArticle Submission," said Elias Abou-Rustom of ABM.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The article was produced by the writer of Essay-Paper.net. Olivia Hunt is a 4-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of Research Paper Writing Service. Contact her to get college essay and custom essay tips.
Devices in the iPod family are made around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. The full and half-sized models store media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod shuffle uses flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.
Nowadays in USA, Europe and in the Middle East Apple computer Inc. offers its iPod line of digital music players and all the necessary accessories for Macintosh and Windows users. Since its first appearance in the Middle East this digital music player is becoming more and more popular and its sales are growing up. The iPod is a portable digital music player made by Apple computer Inc., the characteristic feature of which is its Click Wheel that combines a touch-sensitive wheel with several push buttons for one-handed navigation.
In October 2005, in the Middle East the Apple Company produced an iPod containing a 2.5-inch color screen that could show album artwork and photos and play video, containing music videos, video pod casts, amateur films, short films and TV shows. Also the iPod line consists of a 30-gigabyte model containing up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos or 75 hours of video, and a 60-gigabyte model containing up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or 150 hours of video.
The iPod presents Apple's Auto-Sync technology that can automatically download digital music, podcasts, photos, audio books, home films, music videos, short films and television shows onto the iPod. Besides, it keeps it in a modern working state no matter whenever it is connected to a Macintosh or Windows computer using universal serial bus (USB).
The iPod also features Shuffle Songs, which randomly plays songs in a selected playlist or across the entire library. All iPods work with the Company's iTunes digital music management software on either a Macintosh or Windows computer. The iPod's other capabilities include data storage, calendar and contact information possibility, as well as a number of games. The Apple Company Inc. has also entered into unions with most automobile manufacturers to offer an integration of the iPod in some automobiles.
In September 2005, the Company introduced iPod nano in the Middle East, a flash-memory based digital music player. The iPod nano is available in either a 2GB model holding up to 500 songs or 25,000 photos, or a 4GB model holding up to 1,000 songs or 25,000 photos. The iPod nano, which weighs as little as 1.5 ounces and is 27 inches thin, features a color screen and the Company's patent pending Click Wheel.
In January 2005, the Company introduced iPod shuffle in the Middle East, a flash-memory based digital music player, which is based on iPod's characteristic feature that selects songs from the user's music library or playlists in a random way. iPod shuffle works with iTunes and its patent-pending AutoFill feature that automatically selects songs to fill iPod shuffle from a user's music library on their computer. iPod shuffle can also be used as a portable USB flash drive with up to 1GB of storage space. It is available in a 512MB model holding up to 120 songs and a 1GB model holding up to 240 songs.
As of July 2006, the lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod with a video player; the iPod nano with a color screen; and the iPod shuffle. All three models were released in 2005. Discontinued versions include two generations of the iPod mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod. The software that is used for transferring music, photos and videos is called iTunes. As a music jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of the user's music on their computer and can play, burn and rip music from a CD. The most recent version of iTunes has video organization features. The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player, and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have however led to criticism and legal battles. It is important to note that since the first introduction of the iPod in the Middle East the number of its consumers is growing owing to its innovations and the appearance of the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle. The Apple Company Inc. is spreading much faster in the Middle East than somewhere else. If we compare sale figures in the Middle East to the world we will find out that iPod line of digital music players dominates and its number of sales makes the third part of all sales.
Besides, Arab Business Machine that markets Apple's products in the Middle East will have a major presence at GITEX 2005. Located at Hall 4, visitors to the Apple booth will have the opportunity to learn more about computing and entertainment technology from Apple. The company will be showcasing everything from the iPod range to iLife and XServe. The exhibit will also have the latest iMacs and iBooks on display, providing GITEX visitors with an opportunity to get a feel for Apple's products. "We will also be releasing the market's most powerful iPod Speaker/Dock, Altec Lansing's New inMotion iM7 Portable Speaker System at GITEX 2005. The success of the growing iPod range in the Middle East will be continued by the new Altec Lansing speaker dock will definitely catch the attention of iPod users and music fans across the regionArticle Submission," said Elias Abou-Rustom of ABM.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The article was produced by the writer of Essay-Paper.net. Olivia Hunt is a 4-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of Research Paper Writing Service. Contact her to get college essay and custom essay tips.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Apple Introduces the New iPod nano
SAN FRANCISCO - September 12, 2006 - Apple today introduced the all-new iPod nano with a new aluminum body, an incredible 24 hours of battery life and more than twice the music capacity for the same price as the previous generation. The new iPod nano features Apple's innovative Click Wheel and an even smaller, thinner and lighter design available in silver, pink, green, blue and black.
image
"iPod nano is the world's most popular digital music player, and we've completely redesigned it to make it even better," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "The all-new iPod nano gives music fans more of what they love in their iPods‚??twice the storage capacity at the same price, an incredible 24 hour battery life and a gorgeous aluminum design in five brilliant colors."
With a stunning aluminum enclosure available in five brilliant colors, there's an iPod nano to match everyone's individual style. The second generation iPod nano is even more compact than the original and has a brighter, more vibrant display perfect for viewing album art and up to 25,000 photos. Intuitive new features such as Search and Quick Scroll make it even easier for music fans to find exactly what they are looking for and enjoy their music on the go, and with seamless integration with iTunes 7 and the iTunes Store, the new iPod nano lets customers choose from over three million songs from the world's most popular digital music store.
image
The new iPod nano supports gapless playback for enjoying albums the way they were intended. iPod nano also includes Apple's patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads a user's digital music collection, photos or podcasts onto iPod nano and keeps it up-to-date whenever iPod nano is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The second generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life and completely skip-free playback.*
Apple is also unveiling new accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano, including lanyard headphones, an armband, a dock, and a new incredibly compact USB power adapter which at almost half the size of the previous USB power adapter is perfect for charging your iPod while traveling. The new iPod nano features the 30-pin iPod dock connector allowing it to work effortlessly with an incredible range of third-party products, from home stereo speakers to cars featuring iPod integration. There are now more than 3,000 accessories available for the iPod. The second generation iPod nano also works seamlessly with the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, and provides support for voice recording accessories.
The new iPod nano models are now available worldwide through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The new 2GB iPod nano model in silver is available for $149 (US), the new 4GB models in silver, pink, green and blue are available for $199 (US), and the new 8GB model in black is available for $249 (US). All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable.
New optional accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano with the following suggested retail prices include: lanyard headphones for $39 (US), armband for $29 (US), iPod nano Dock for $29 (US), and an iPod USB power adapter for $29 (US).
iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/5?osCsid=56a0b6486614b03f63fb221336e02aa0
image
"iPod nano is the world's most popular digital music player, and we've completely redesigned it to make it even better," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "The all-new iPod nano gives music fans more of what they love in their iPods‚??twice the storage capacity at the same price, an incredible 24 hour battery life and a gorgeous aluminum design in five brilliant colors."
With a stunning aluminum enclosure available in five brilliant colors, there's an iPod nano to match everyone's individual style. The second generation iPod nano is even more compact than the original and has a brighter, more vibrant display perfect for viewing album art and up to 25,000 photos. Intuitive new features such as Search and Quick Scroll make it even easier for music fans to find exactly what they are looking for and enjoy their music on the go, and with seamless integration with iTunes 7 and the iTunes Store, the new iPod nano lets customers choose from over three million songs from the world's most popular digital music store.
image
The new iPod nano supports gapless playback for enjoying albums the way they were intended. iPod nano also includes Apple's patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads a user's digital music collection, photos or podcasts onto iPod nano and keeps it up-to-date whenever iPod nano is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The second generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life and completely skip-free playback.*
Apple is also unveiling new accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano, including lanyard headphones, an armband, a dock, and a new incredibly compact USB power adapter which at almost half the size of the previous USB power adapter is perfect for charging your iPod while traveling. The new iPod nano features the 30-pin iPod dock connector allowing it to work effortlessly with an incredible range of third-party products, from home stereo speakers to cars featuring iPod integration. There are now more than 3,000 accessories available for the iPod. The second generation iPod nano also works seamlessly with the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, and provides support for voice recording accessories.
The new iPod nano models are now available worldwide through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The new 2GB iPod nano model in silver is available for $149 (US), the new 4GB models in silver, pink, green and blue are available for $199 (US), and the new 8GB model in black is available for $249 (US). All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable.
New optional accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano with the following suggested retail prices include: lanyard headphones for $39 (US), armband for $29 (US), iPod nano Dock for $29 (US), and an iPod USB power adapter for $29 (US).
iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/5?osCsid=56a0b6486614b03f63fb221336e02aa0
The Talent Story of the iPod
At the beginning of every great business success there's a human capital story, and that's certainly the case with the iPod. In just over four years, the iPod/iTunes product and business strategy has helped Apple double its market cap, establish over 80% market share in two very profitable industries, and drive almost $3 billion per year in revenue.
But the story of the iPod is not just a story about innovation. It's also a testament to one company's ability above all others to hire a true visionary. It's a story that every executive hoping to take their company to the next level should read.
The Story of the iPod
I first stumbled upon this story while I was preparing for a speech I was giving on the future of recruiting in Vancouver, BC. A big focus of my talk was on quality of hire — including the metrics, technologies and processes that could support aligning a recruiting department around quality of hire. But I needed an example that illustrated the value of top talent.
I thought for a moment about the great business stories of the last few years, and my thoughts immediately turned to the iPod. In the back of my mind, I assumed that it was an entire team of individuals brainstorming in a board room who built the strategy and laid the foundation for the iPod's success. But in fact there was one person without whom none of this would have been possible: the founder of the iPod, Tony Fadell.
In the late 1990's, Fadell began working on a business strategy that would revolutionize digital music hardware and software by combining the two together into one powerful platform. You may be surprised to know that Apple wasn't the first company to hear about his idea, however. Fadell shopped the idea around to several companies, including RealNetworks and his previous employer, Philips. None of them jumped on it as fast and as hard as Apple, who gave the project the undivided attention and vision of founder and CEO Steve Jobs. The project was completed in under six months, a record for Apple.
"This is the project that's going to remold Apple," Fadell predicted in early 2001. "Ten years from now, it's going to be a music business, not a computer business." And he was right.
Finding the Next Tony Fadell
For any executive with questions about what hiring top performers can do for a company, Tony Fadell is not the only example. You don't have to look much further than:
* Omid Kordestani, who helped turn Google, a growing search engine without a significant revenue model, into a truly disruptive online advertising force, with over $5 billion in yearly revenue and a $126 billion market cap.
* Steve Ballmer, the business mind behind the Microsoft miracle, and the first head of recruiting at the company. For a long period of time early on, he interviewed every new employee, made offers, and closed deals.
* Howard Schultz, who's created a global empire out of a new twist on coffee — after literally begging for a marketing job at Starbucks in the 1980's.
* Dennis Carter, a director of marketing at Intel who created the Intel Inside program, which gave Intel a sustainable competitive advantage, regardless of competitor processor speeds, and catapulted the company into one of the top ten known brands in the world.
* Theo Epstein, the innovative general manager of the Boston Red Sox, who ended over 80 years of frustration for an entire region of the U.S.
It may scare you to know how easy it was to find Tony Fadell before he changed the game at Apple. Fadell had spent years working for Philips leading up their mobile computing group and at General Magic in various senior engineering positions. He had been featured in a Fast Company magazine article on managing the generation gap in the workplace as early as 1998. He established five public patents at General Magic. His resume was (and still is) posted online.
The lesson for every executive that gives a corporate goal of building the next iPod, growing into a retail organization that builds thousands of new stores per year, or revolutionizing the way that companies advertise online, is that great ideas start with great people. There's no question that, in hindsight, most companies would bend over backwards to go back in time and hire Tony Fadell in 1998, Omid Kordestani in 1999, or Howard Schultz in the 1980s.
Visionary Recruiting Practices
While it may indeed be getting easier to find the next Tony Fadells, I would argue that it's getting harder to hire them. Reading between the lines of the Fast Company magazine article, you can see how an environment that stimulates creativity is as essential to recruiting top talent as it is to keeping them.
So here is a simple five-question checklist for your organization to see if you're prepared to hunt and compete for top talent:
1. Are you targeting the right people for your mission-critical openings? Unless you lived down the hall from him in college, it's not very likely that the next Steve Ballmer will show up at your doorstep. It's also not likely that he or she will be on a job board, attending a job fair, reading a classified newspaper ad, or viewing your recruitment ad in a trade journal. This person is more likely to be reading blogs, searching for relevant content online, attending industry trade shows, or interacting with other industry top performers (including A players at your company).
2. Are you building relationships with talent ahead of demand? It's difficult to impossible to build a deep bench of talent in every area. But for your mission-critical openings — the ones that can be the difference between becoming the next Google or the next Pets.com — I suggest being very prepared with a slate of people you can contact when the perfect opening becomes available or to get recommendations of top performers. This means getting more systematic and efficient about candidate relationship management in advance of the applicant tracking process, hiring specialists who can "hunt" and sell great talent without requisitions, and using technology to its full potential to augment and scale your efforts.
3. Are you looking for visionaries with ideas, not just resumes with years of experience? As Seth Godin said best in his best-selling book Unleashing the Ideavirus, in the new economy we're all in the idea business. The best ideas that can spread the fastest create the most value for companies. Google's Code Jam is an outstanding example of a company that is directly connecting with the leading technical minds before they start looking for work — and hoping the idea spreads like a virus (it just has).
4. Are you rewarding your recruiters for high impact hires? More companies are beginning to tie on-the-job performance to their recruiting teams — in a new economy of ideas, this is crucial. Taking this a step further, if I was a recruiter who hired a person who added billions of dollars to the bottom line, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect to be compensated for it? If I knew that no matter how big of an impact I made with a hire, I'd be paid the same, well... it might be easier just to keep putting bodies in seats.
5. Do you have an environment where new ideas can be generated and quickly take flight? Philips got a new building, painted their walls different colors, and broke their standard on-boarding rules to hire a singular talent. Apple only took 6 months to develop the iPod. Microsoft turned on a dime to start the move from an operating system company to a technology and Internet-leading juggernaut. Boeing has a Chairman's Innovation Initiative available to all employees, and a "Phantom Works" R&D unit that is pushing them beyond their core businesses. Without the right environment and brand positioning, you can't recruit top talent or position them to launch the next game-changing idea. You have the power to influence and educate your organization on what it will take to do this.
Your next business success is increasingly dependent on your next human capital success. The next Tony Fadell, Omid Kordestani, Howard Schultz, and Steve Ballmer are all out there. The question is, are you ready to hire them?
http://www.ere.net/articles/db/896431F3D83B4D2B90C37AA81371B2D0.asp
But the story of the iPod is not just a story about innovation. It's also a testament to one company's ability above all others to hire a true visionary. It's a story that every executive hoping to take their company to the next level should read.
The Story of the iPod
I first stumbled upon this story while I was preparing for a speech I was giving on the future of recruiting in Vancouver, BC. A big focus of my talk was on quality of hire — including the metrics, technologies and processes that could support aligning a recruiting department around quality of hire. But I needed an example that illustrated the value of top talent.
I thought for a moment about the great business stories of the last few years, and my thoughts immediately turned to the iPod. In the back of my mind, I assumed that it was an entire team of individuals brainstorming in a board room who built the strategy and laid the foundation for the iPod's success. But in fact there was one person without whom none of this would have been possible: the founder of the iPod, Tony Fadell.
In the late 1990's, Fadell began working on a business strategy that would revolutionize digital music hardware and software by combining the two together into one powerful platform. You may be surprised to know that Apple wasn't the first company to hear about his idea, however. Fadell shopped the idea around to several companies, including RealNetworks and his previous employer, Philips. None of them jumped on it as fast and as hard as Apple, who gave the project the undivided attention and vision of founder and CEO Steve Jobs. The project was completed in under six months, a record for Apple.
"This is the project that's going to remold Apple," Fadell predicted in early 2001. "Ten years from now, it's going to be a music business, not a computer business." And he was right.
Finding the Next Tony Fadell
For any executive with questions about what hiring top performers can do for a company, Tony Fadell is not the only example. You don't have to look much further than:
* Omid Kordestani, who helped turn Google, a growing search engine without a significant revenue model, into a truly disruptive online advertising force, with over $5 billion in yearly revenue and a $126 billion market cap.
* Steve Ballmer, the business mind behind the Microsoft miracle, and the first head of recruiting at the company. For a long period of time early on, he interviewed every new employee, made offers, and closed deals.
* Howard Schultz, who's created a global empire out of a new twist on coffee — after literally begging for a marketing job at Starbucks in the 1980's.
* Dennis Carter, a director of marketing at Intel who created the Intel Inside program, which gave Intel a sustainable competitive advantage, regardless of competitor processor speeds, and catapulted the company into one of the top ten known brands in the world.
* Theo Epstein, the innovative general manager of the Boston Red Sox, who ended over 80 years of frustration for an entire region of the U.S.
It may scare you to know how easy it was to find Tony Fadell before he changed the game at Apple. Fadell had spent years working for Philips leading up their mobile computing group and at General Magic in various senior engineering positions. He had been featured in a Fast Company magazine article on managing the generation gap in the workplace as early as 1998. He established five public patents at General Magic. His resume was (and still is) posted online.
The lesson for every executive that gives a corporate goal of building the next iPod, growing into a retail organization that builds thousands of new stores per year, or revolutionizing the way that companies advertise online, is that great ideas start with great people. There's no question that, in hindsight, most companies would bend over backwards to go back in time and hire Tony Fadell in 1998, Omid Kordestani in 1999, or Howard Schultz in the 1980s.
Visionary Recruiting Practices
While it may indeed be getting easier to find the next Tony Fadells, I would argue that it's getting harder to hire them. Reading between the lines of the Fast Company magazine article, you can see how an environment that stimulates creativity is as essential to recruiting top talent as it is to keeping them.
So here is a simple five-question checklist for your organization to see if you're prepared to hunt and compete for top talent:
1. Are you targeting the right people for your mission-critical openings? Unless you lived down the hall from him in college, it's not very likely that the next Steve Ballmer will show up at your doorstep. It's also not likely that he or she will be on a job board, attending a job fair, reading a classified newspaper ad, or viewing your recruitment ad in a trade journal. This person is more likely to be reading blogs, searching for relevant content online, attending industry trade shows, or interacting with other industry top performers (including A players at your company).
2. Are you building relationships with talent ahead of demand? It's difficult to impossible to build a deep bench of talent in every area. But for your mission-critical openings — the ones that can be the difference between becoming the next Google or the next Pets.com — I suggest being very prepared with a slate of people you can contact when the perfect opening becomes available or to get recommendations of top performers. This means getting more systematic and efficient about candidate relationship management in advance of the applicant tracking process, hiring specialists who can "hunt" and sell great talent without requisitions, and using technology to its full potential to augment and scale your efforts.
3. Are you looking for visionaries with ideas, not just resumes with years of experience? As Seth Godin said best in his best-selling book Unleashing the Ideavirus, in the new economy we're all in the idea business. The best ideas that can spread the fastest create the most value for companies. Google's Code Jam is an outstanding example of a company that is directly connecting with the leading technical minds before they start looking for work — and hoping the idea spreads like a virus (it just has).
4. Are you rewarding your recruiters for high impact hires? More companies are beginning to tie on-the-job performance to their recruiting teams — in a new economy of ideas, this is crucial. Taking this a step further, if I was a recruiter who hired a person who added billions of dollars to the bottom line, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect to be compensated for it? If I knew that no matter how big of an impact I made with a hire, I'd be paid the same, well... it might be easier just to keep putting bodies in seats.
5. Do you have an environment where new ideas can be generated and quickly take flight? Philips got a new building, painted their walls different colors, and broke their standard on-boarding rules to hire a singular talent. Apple only took 6 months to develop the iPod. Microsoft turned on a dime to start the move from an operating system company to a technology and Internet-leading juggernaut. Boeing has a Chairman's Innovation Initiative available to all employees, and a "Phantom Works" R&D unit that is pushing them beyond their core businesses. Without the right environment and brand positioning, you can't recruit top talent or position them to launch the next game-changing idea. You have the power to influence and educate your organization on what it will take to do this.
Your next business success is increasingly dependent on your next human capital success. The next Tony Fadell, Omid Kordestani, Howard Schultz, and Steve Ballmer are all out there. The question is, are you ready to hire them?
http://www.ere.net/articles/db/896431F3D83B4D2B90C37AA81371B2D0.asp
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
20% Off iSkin’s Duo and eVo3
Two of our best selling cases are now 20% off, and with our Gadget Vault Rewards program you get an addioional 5% back towards your next purchase.
The eVo3 is beautifully precision crafted from 100% pure high-grade silicone, the iSkin eVo3 snugly guards the iPod with Video from scratches, bumps and moisture while featuring an all-new, ultra-clear, scratch resistant face and screen protector (VISORÙ - Visually Intact Solid Optical ResinÙ) that has been perfectly integrated seamlessly into eVo3Ìs solid and seamless design. The iSkin eVo3 offers moisture-resistance, shock-absorbing capabilities, security and a micro-textured body that provides an anti-slip gripping surface
MSRP $34.95 SALE $27.99
The patent pending Duo for nano design offers the highest level ofprotection for the iPod Nano, the iPod Duo features a dual layershock-resistant silicone skin that guards against bumps, scratches,dirt, and other unwanted elements, ensuring your tunes keep playing no matter where you go.
Constructed of scratch-resistant silicone rubber, iSkin iPod Duo is a form-fitting protective skin that perfectly integrates with the aesthetic appearance of the iPod Nano and simultaneously allows for complete
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/11?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
The eVo3 is beautifully precision crafted from 100% pure high-grade silicone, the iSkin eVo3 snugly guards the iPod with Video from scratches, bumps and moisture while featuring an all-new, ultra-clear, scratch resistant face and screen protector (VISORÙ - Visually Intact Solid Optical ResinÙ) that has been perfectly integrated seamlessly into eVo3Ìs solid and seamless design. The iSkin eVo3 offers moisture-resistance, shock-absorbing capabilities, security and a micro-textured body that provides an anti-slip gripping surface
MSRP $34.95 SALE $27.99
The patent pending Duo for nano design offers the highest level ofprotection for the iPod Nano, the iPod Duo features a dual layershock-resistant silicone skin that guards against bumps, scratches,dirt, and other unwanted elements, ensuring your tunes keep playing no matter where you go.
Constructed of scratch-resistant silicone rubber, iSkin iPod Duo is a form-fitting protective skin that perfectly integrates with the aesthetic appearance of the iPod Nano and simultaneously allows for complete
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/11?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
Tivo now FREE after $220 Mail In Rebate
Your TiVo box, powered by the amazing TiVo service, automatically finds and digitally records all of your favorite shows, every time they're on. Every episode of your favorite series. Every Coppola movie. Every home improvement program. Even Dora cartoons! Whatever you choose. All while you're out living life. Plus, only TiVo lets you watch your favorite shows any time, anywhere.
* Record shows from 2 basic cable channels, or 1 basic cable and 1 digital cable channel, at once with the built-in dual tuner (does not support recording from 2 digital cable or satellite channels at once)
* 80GB hard drive provides up to 80 hours of digital recording time, depending on the quality you select
* Pause and create instant replays of live TV
Product Features:
* TiVo finds and records the kinds of shows you want to see based on the WishList you create
* Control live TV with pause, rewind, slow-motion and instant replay functions
* Season Pass recording option automatically records your favorite shows every time they're on
* TiVoToGo transfers allow you to watch your favorite shows anywhere, any time, by transferring them to your notebook PC, Apple iPod with video and other portable devices
* Multiroom viewing gives access to TiVo no matter where you are in your home (requires existing home network and additional networking accessories)
* Schedule last-minute recordings from anywhere on the Web
* Ethernet and USB ports allow you to connect to your home network and provide support for future media-on-demand services like music downloads and streaming video
* Inputs: 1 phone line, 1 stereo audio, 1 RF, 1 S-video, 1 composite, 1 Ethernet 10/100 and 2 USB ports
* Outputs: 1 serial control, 1 IR control, 2 composite video, 1 S-video, 1 RF and 2 stereo audio
* Monthly service fee of $16.95 required for TiVo service
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/12?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
* Record shows from 2 basic cable channels, or 1 basic cable and 1 digital cable channel, at once with the built-in dual tuner (does not support recording from 2 digital cable or satellite channels at once)
* 80GB hard drive provides up to 80 hours of digital recording time, depending on the quality you select
* Pause and create instant replays of live TV
Product Features:
* TiVo finds and records the kinds of shows you want to see based on the WishList you create
* Control live TV with pause, rewind, slow-motion and instant replay functions
* Season Pass recording option automatically records your favorite shows every time they're on
* TiVoToGo transfers allow you to watch your favorite shows anywhere, any time, by transferring them to your notebook PC, Apple iPod with video and other portable devices
* Multiroom viewing gives access to TiVo no matter where you are in your home (requires existing home network and additional networking accessories)
* Schedule last-minute recordings from anywhere on the Web
* Ethernet and USB ports allow you to connect to your home network and provide support for future media-on-demand services like music downloads and streaming video
* Inputs: 1 phone line, 1 stereo audio, 1 RF, 1 S-video, 1 composite, 1 Ethernet 10/100 and 2 USB ports
* Outputs: 1 serial control, 1 IR control, 2 composite video, 1 S-video, 1 RF and 2 stereo audio
* Monthly service fee of $16.95 required for TiVo service
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/12?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
Portable iPod video / DVD player
iLuv sure is making it easy to watch videos these days. The iLuv Portable Multimedia Tablet-Style DVD Player gives you both DVD and iPod viewing in one unit, and they make it very simple with both. More than just inputs for the iPod video signal, you can actually plug your 30, 60 or 80GB 5G iPod into a docking unit on the back of the system (your choice of plastic placeholders on the back will accommodate either a 30GB iPod or the 60/80GB models). Make sure your iPod is set to "TV Out" or "Ask" when playing videos (if set it to Ask, you'll need to select TV Out when prompted), select "iPod" on the iLuv unit (making sure it's on, of course), then hit play on your iPod. Simple as that. A plastic cover will protect the iPod when it's in the iLuv, but you do have access to the click wheel (which you'll need, because you still control the video with your iPod even when it's playing on the iLuv screen).
Obviously, that's the selling point of this device, so we have to throw bulk out the window. Most portable DVD players are quite thin, but not the iLuv. It's about 10"W x 6"H x 2.625"D in the center where the iPod sits. It's a bit heaver than most systems, too, so you'll want to use the enclosed stand. Again, though, all of this is necessary to accommodate the iPod in such a simple manner.
The iLuv sports a 7" widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) active-matrix LCD display. Considering that iPod movies are meant to be watched on a screen much smaller than that, the picture doesn't rise much above VHS quality. The 640x480 aspect ratio helps, but if you have older iPod videos at 320x240, they'll look a bit blurry on the iLuv.
DVDs, on the other hand, look great. You can sit two or three feet back of the iLuv and really appreciate the video clarity of a DVD. This is helpful, because you'll often want to have more than one person watching at a time. Your choices for DVD viewing are mostly the same as what you'd get with other DVD players, including multiple subtitle and video angle options. The built-in speakers or the two headphone jacks offer stereo sound only, no 5.1 surround, but that's fine for portability.
The iLuv includes S-video and component video/audio out for viewing your movies on a TV set, which seems kind of counter-intuitive, but isn't at all. Obviously, using the iLuv to run your iPod videos and photos from the iPod to a full TV is helpful, and if you don't have a DVD player, the iLuv can serve that function if you don't mind the loss of surround sound. It's also worth mentioning that the iLuv plays video CDs, audio CDs and MP3 CDs, so the audio and video outputs become more valuable.
To support all the connectivity options, the iLuv ships with nearly everything you need for connecting it to your audio and video equipment as well as to your power sources. You get your audio and video cables (though, sadly, not the S-video cable), you get the power adapter and you get a cigarette lighter adapter. The power adapters are important, too, because you only get about 2 to 2.5 hours on the built-in Ni-MH battery before having to recharge. And finally, you get a remote control (as with the on-device controls, the remote doesn't work with iPod viewing) and an acceptable pair of headphones.
For transport, the iLuv comes with a great carrying case designed to accommodate the iLuv and most of its cables (it's hard to work the power adapters in there, but it can be done). An included strap can be attached for over-the-shoulder carrying, and there's also a strap for the iLuv player itself, allowing you to attach it to a car seat, for example.
And that, by the way, is what makes the iLuv Portable Multimedia Tablet- Style DVD Player so worth it. Why pay the auto dealer for a DVD player when you can buy an iLuv for less, get the iPod compatibility, and be able to remove it from the car when you want to watch it elsewhere. The battery life isn't great, but as long as you're near a power source either at home or in the car, that won't be an issue.
You can get smaller portable DVD players with more features, but the iPod compatibility and overall portability make the iLuv Portable Multimedia Tablet-Style DVD Player well worth the price.
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/14?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
Obviously, that's the selling point of this device, so we have to throw bulk out the window. Most portable DVD players are quite thin, but not the iLuv. It's about 10"W x 6"H x 2.625"D in the center where the iPod sits. It's a bit heaver than most systems, too, so you'll want to use the enclosed stand. Again, though, all of this is necessary to accommodate the iPod in such a simple manner.
The iLuv sports a 7" widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) active-matrix LCD display. Considering that iPod movies are meant to be watched on a screen much smaller than that, the picture doesn't rise much above VHS quality. The 640x480 aspect ratio helps, but if you have older iPod videos at 320x240, they'll look a bit blurry on the iLuv.
DVDs, on the other hand, look great. You can sit two or three feet back of the iLuv and really appreciate the video clarity of a DVD. This is helpful, because you'll often want to have more than one person watching at a time. Your choices for DVD viewing are mostly the same as what you'd get with other DVD players, including multiple subtitle and video angle options. The built-in speakers or the two headphone jacks offer stereo sound only, no 5.1 surround, but that's fine for portability.
The iLuv includes S-video and component video/audio out for viewing your movies on a TV set, which seems kind of counter-intuitive, but isn't at all. Obviously, using the iLuv to run your iPod videos and photos from the iPod to a full TV is helpful, and if you don't have a DVD player, the iLuv can serve that function if you don't mind the loss of surround sound. It's also worth mentioning that the iLuv plays video CDs, audio CDs and MP3 CDs, so the audio and video outputs become more valuable.
To support all the connectivity options, the iLuv ships with nearly everything you need for connecting it to your audio and video equipment as well as to your power sources. You get your audio and video cables (though, sadly, not the S-video cable), you get the power adapter and you get a cigarette lighter adapter. The power adapters are important, too, because you only get about 2 to 2.5 hours on the built-in Ni-MH battery before having to recharge. And finally, you get a remote control (as with the on-device controls, the remote doesn't work with iPod viewing) and an acceptable pair of headphones.
For transport, the iLuv comes with a great carrying case designed to accommodate the iLuv and most of its cables (it's hard to work the power adapters in there, but it can be done). An included strap can be attached for over-the-shoulder carrying, and there's also a strap for the iLuv player itself, allowing you to attach it to a car seat, for example.
And that, by the way, is what makes the iLuv Portable Multimedia Tablet- Style DVD Player so worth it. Why pay the auto dealer for a DVD player when you can buy an iLuv for less, get the iPod compatibility, and be able to remove it from the car when you want to watch it elsewhere. The battery life isn't great, but as long as you're near a power source either at home or in the car, that won't be an issue.
You can get smaller portable DVD players with more features, but the iPod compatibility and overall portability make the iLuv Portable Multimedia Tablet-Style DVD Player well worth the price.
http://www.thegadgetlocker.com/article_info.php/articles_id/14?osCsid=a472089f941a9374a852e4c4599418f0
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