So you’ve wanted to get an iPod but you have been unable to save enough for one. I was just informed that Apple has refubished iPods at unbelievable prices.
2GB iPod nano just $99
30GB iPod video just $179
60 GB iPod video just $229
4GB iPod mini just $99
6GB iPod mini just $129
These are great prices, you should head over to the apple store and grab one while they last.
I have recently noticed that iTunes does not store the cover art in the ID3 tag like most other applications. They actually store them in ~/Music/iTunes/Cover Art/, it makes sense to do this since they can query one directory rather than every song’s ID3 tag. I am sure performance is a big thing here. However i have opted not to use the iTunes Cover Art. I have been going to amazon and applying the cover art to the ID3 tag, if i move the file i want the art to go with it. Also i have had some issues of iTunes not being able to provide the cover art for certain albums.
I have also heard reports of people using the cover art and getting the incorrect covers from iTunes. They still need to put a bit more work into the cover art before i will use it…
I have to say the album art is a nice feature on iTunes 7 however one thing that i do not like is that they say it will add the art to all albums whether or not you bought it on the iTMS. I tried to add Elton John - Peachtree Road and Blues Traveler - Live on the Rocks, neither of which can be found on iTMS. I am guessing they only support the music that they sell for the cover art and am dissapointed that not all albums could be gathered like this. I guess we are stuck updating the album art which iTunes cannot find manually.
Apple announced yesterday that they were going to be releasing a new product during the 1st Q of 2007. They called this new item the iTV. It is a piece of hardware that you can connect to your TV/Home Theater system and wirelessly stream music or video to your living room / den / bedroom. They announce the initial price for the hardware to be $299.00. The only drawback that i can see about the item is that they do not offer RCA or S-Video they only seem to offer HDMI / Composite.
This new hardware brings a question to the table. Can you run multiple iTV’s in your home to communicate with your computer. I think it would be great to have one of these in the living room and one in the bedroom. The use of multiple would keep me from having to move the iTV from room to room.
From what i understand it is no use for Canadians to upgrade to iTunes 7, the only thing they can take advantage of is the Music and Games. I feel bad for the Canadians who cannot access this stuff, by not allowing them in Apple is just losing profit
Ok so i have lowered the starting bid for the gaming system and LCD display to $600, there is no reserve so someone will get this machine if they bid 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150031042433
You cannot go wrong with this setup the display cost me $600 alone.
Uncategorized.
In 2001 we took a trip around the country, we stopped in many places, however the one place that interested me the most was just a few minutes from Savannah Georgia. It is actually South Carolina but is named the Savannah Alligator Refuge. I am not sure if they have crocodiles there as well or if it is only alligators. I am not an expert so i do not know the different really. What i do know is that we drove our car through the back roads and there were many places where i wouldnt have ever thought of getting out of the car. At one point we had about a 12-14ft alligator only about 15 feet from our car, they are everywhere and there are no fences. If you are ever in that area, you should go and check it out, beware though that there are no fences and you are at your own risk. It was such fun. We are looking to move to the Savannah area sometime this year and i cannot wait to go back to see the gators :D
I wonder if the Steve Irwin ever went here to talk about the animals. I know he dealt with more than just Crocodiles.
Today apple released iTunes 7, they also unveiled the ability to download movies on iTunes. I thought they would have offered a higher resolution of 640×480 though. I have yet to check out what the video’s look like on my 23" ACD but my guess is they will be pixelated at full screen. That’s a dissapointment. I am going to check it out and atleast buy one movie to see what it is like but i think i would still rather buy the DVD for the much higher quality and it is only about $7 more than the digital version.
We’ll see how things go, but i look forward to this service and seeing what movies are released on iTunes.
A few months back i purchased a new Treo 650 for my cell phone. I must say that this is the best phone i have ever had. I love the fact that it can sync with my calendar, contacts, etc that are on my computer. I have a hard time remembering what day it is since i work from home, so it’s nice to have the phone beep when i am out and about to tell me about an upcoming meeting, or to just remind me about something such as pick up milk. I think I would be lost if I did not have this phone now, I am so used to it that it would be like taking heat away from people 
The only issue i have had with the phone is trying to dial a number while driving the car. The number keys are so small it’s hard to get the number punched in correctly on the first try. I would use the touch screen but i have bought a protective case for the phone which is a thick rubber skin with a clear plastic window that covers the screen to prevent damage. The window opens up but it’s a pain to deal with so i leave it closed. I am very glad that i bought this $30 case because i have dropped the phone countless times and i am sure that if i did not have the thick rubber case which absorbs most of the shock from a fall, i would have a broken phone.
If you are going to get a phone like this make sure that you get atleast a 512mb SD card for the expansion slot. Since this can also work as an MP3 player it can handle using songs with vocals as ringtones. I have used a program on the mac to create my own ringtones from MP3’s that i have on my computer. I use a program called Ringo to manage the cell phone ringtones and love it. If you would like to have MP3 ringtones on your Treo you should check out this application. Ringo also has the ability to show a picture of the person whom is calling in. This is very handy if you want to see who it is rather than read a name, it also is good when you see the person and you dont want to talk to them, you just ignore the call ;) I also use a program called PhotoDial which will allow me to see a list of pictures, i choose who i want to call by selecting the picture. I must admit this is pretty much just wasting my storage space as it is RARELY used.
Imagine a world where people are walking around with animations on thier clothes. Yes you heard me right… Animations. Philips has been working on what they call LumiLive Light Emitting Textiles for garments. This technology would allow you to have animations on anything fabric and the animation could change colors, patterns, etc. They are making this possible by using tiny diodes embedded into the garment. Think about the possibilities here. You could create promotional shirts that you give away at events which promote your company. Companies like Billabong, Orange County Choppers, etc. which currently sell garments with thier company logo, could put this into play and make even more sales.
Let’s dream for a moment about where this technology could be going. Let’s suppose they somehow attach a USB plug to the shirt (i am not sure of a comfortable place to put it) which would allow you to connect it to your computer. You could download any number of designs/animations from the web and any day at any given time, change what your shirt looks like. Maybe they could allow for consumers to design the animations using an easy to use computer application.
The possibilities here are endless, there are many applications in which this could be used. ANYTHING fabric, think about office chairs, benches, sofa’s in doctors offices, etc. This does bring up a few questions though.
Is this possible?Will this happen?
Would you buy it?
Are the garments machine washable?
You can see the video on YouTube which really shows off the potential and decide for yourself.
