How to get 3 free iPods with only a screw driver, a pair of scissors, and a bag of marshmallows
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Free Stuff, Humor, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, video
Damnit, I just threw out two VCRs on junk day!
Apple’s most ironically named event, ever
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Cynicism, That's Weird..., Updates, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle
Well, Apple’s “It’s only Rock ‘n Roll, but I like it” event has come to a close, and it had virtually nothing to do with Rock ‘n Roll, or even music in general. Sure, just about every announcement made today had something to do with the iPod, iPhone, or iTunes, yet it was all about apps, video cameras, price drops, and pedometers.
So, what did Apple announce? Well, new iPod touches with more capacity, faster processors (presumably matching the iPhone 3G S) and bigger storage (even bigger than the iPhone). New iPod nanos – also with video cameras – as well as a built-in pedometer for workouts and an FM radio (what? No AM!?!?!) The shuffle got no love, but did receive a price drop, so maybe someone will buy it now.
But the big news is iTunes 9, which got a major revamp to accommodate music apps. Yes, new Genius features for recommending apps you might like based on your buying preferences, new iPhone/iPod touch application managing from within iTunes, and new application ranking charts to make developers happier. Top it all off with the new iPhone/iPod touch OS 3.1, and you have a music-less announcement rivaling a Mac Pro unveiling. Even the much rumored Beatles announcement was a no-show. Sure, Apple announced they would now offer LP bundles for some albums which will tack on music videos and photos to Album purchases, but since iTunes pretty much single-handedly killed the album format, this two-minute announcement hardly warranted taking over the event poster.
All in all it was a pretty decent (albeit expected) series of nice hardware updates, and a nice update to iTunes (that should have come 2 years ago).
One more thing
But of course to any true Apple fan, the fact that we got to see Steve Jobs back on stage and standing on his own power was the biggest thrill of the afternoon (although I would have personally preferred to see him walk through some sort of hoop or something to prove there were no wires controlling him).
Review: Scosche’s reviveLITE for iPhone/iPod
Filed under: Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
For years now I have been wanting to charge my iPods and iPhone in dark rooms, but I’ve just been too scared. Well, thanks to Scosche’s reviveLITE, I have been able to take back the night, and can now charge my iPhone with impunity!
OK, that’s a little much. I was going to start this review out by making fun of how companies are adding iPod docks to just about anything these days –including night lights – but the reviveLight actually makes a little bit more sense than some other dock-strosities I’ve seen lately.
Quite simply the reviveLITE is a wall charger for your iPod or iPhone, combined with a light-sensor-activated nightlight, meaning it will turn itself on automatically at night. There’s also a button on the front that allows you to turn the night light feature off, so it can work solely as a wall charger if you’d like. I’m such a fan of sleeping in the dark that I usually have to cover my alarm clock’s digital display to keep me from being annoyed, so I found the night light to be plenty bright enough, although I suppose if you are expecting it to light up a large room you may find it lacking.
Available in either black or white, the reviveLITE has a fold-out arm to hold your iPod or iPhone while charging. This folding design (combined with the folding AC plugs in the rear) allow the reviveLITE to function quite well as a travel-sized charger for on the road charging, especially for those who are afraid of the dark.
I suppose you can use the reviveLITE in any number of locations, but to me the one that makes the most sense would be in a kitchen, as that is a room that has elevated wall outlets (I don’t think I want to bend down every day to charge my iPhone in a hallway outlet) and while a bathroom also has elevated plugs, I’m not a fan of intentionally exposing my iPhone to excessive moisture. I like that the reviveLITE keeps my iPhone off the kitchen counter, away from spills and such, but the kitchen is not really a place I need the night-light feature. I suppose this might be a good fit for a child’s room who owns an iPod (both my kids do) and odds are kids don’t mind plugging an iPod in to a low outlet on a regular basis, but to me I see it more of a kitchen or travel charger.
Issues
The reviveLITE is a pretty simple device, and works as advertised. I only have two issues with it. The first is, my iPhone and iPod touches did not fit in the reviveLITE when in ANY of the dozens of cases I own for them. It’s not a huge deal to take your iPhone out of the case, at least with most cases, but it CAN be annoying, so if the dock had just an extra 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space around it, it would have helped. iPod nano owners should have no problem, however.
Above: The reviveLITE’s sinking feeling.
But the second issue, which despite being less of a functional problem and more of an aesthetic one is, I found the weight of an iPhone 3G appeared to be almost too mush for the reviveLITE to handle, and the device would lean to the left in a not so cool-looking manner. The problem is that the folding AC plug in the back is a two-prong plug, so while a three-prong would understandably have made it harder to fold in, it would have help the unit much sturdier in the outlet, and kept it looking cooler. I should say that with proper, careful placement you CAN get the reviveLITE to usually stay upright for a period of time, but with long charges invariably when I can back the unit had tilted a bit. Given that I have the reviveLITE plugged into my kitchen outlet near rows of straight-lined tiles, the sagging is perhaps more noticeable than if used on a flat wall. If there were a way to add a 3rd prong to the device to help anchor it better, it would alleviate this issue.
Above: Smaller, lighter-weight iPods shouldn’t have the leaning problem I experienced on my iPhones and iPod touches.
Conclusion
The reviveLITE works well as both a folding travel charger and a night light. I found it was best suited for kitchen use, as it helps keep your iPhone off the counter away from spills and such, and it is one of the more commonly used rooms with elevated, accessible outlets. The only real gripes are the reviveLITE tends to sag to one side under the weight of an iPhone, and odds are you will need to remove your iPhone form it’s case to fit it in the rather snug dock.
Price: $39.99
Pros: Works as advertised, holds iPhone up, away from danger, night light is decent (and can be turned off) folds compact for travel
Cons: Not all that convenient outside of a kitchen where raised outlets are plentiful, two-prong AC plug is not sturdy enough to keep reviveLITE from sagging when loaded. Probably about $10 too expensive. Look on Amazon for cheaper price.
A nano that can hold 47 trillion songs
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, design, iPod nano
Fashion designer Sir Paul Smith got a pretty cool birthday gift from his fellow Brit and BFF Jonathan Ive – a giant pink iPod nano.
On a sad note, four seconds after this picture was taken the giant pink nano was lost in Paul Smith’s cluttered shit hole of an office.
This is one of those cool things that as an Apple fanatic I see and think “Oh my God! That’s Awesome!” and then after looking around my house for a second, I think, “Where the hell would I put that?” I know if I were to get that in the mail, it would only end up collecting dust in the garage out by the Bowflex I never use. At least I can hang wet laundry on the Bowflex to dry… The Giant Pink nano is more or less useless. In fact, I have a feeling Jonny was probably just cleaning out his office and saw an opportunity to pawn off some garbage as a free gift. So Mr. Ive, you’ll have to do better than that for MY birthday next year (March 1st, FYI). I demand a little more thought in MY gifts.
[via Paul Smith's blog]
Further evidence that Darth Vader invented the iPod
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Hardware, Humor, Photos, design, iPod nano
Extremely long-time readers may recall that I uncovered evidence that Darth Vader in fact invented the iPod.
(above: the iPod was conceived a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away¦)
Well, I uncovered further evidence while watching the season finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As you can see, in the episode entitled “Hostage Crisis”, we can clearly see Anakin Skywalker (AKA Darth Vader lite) build an iPod nano out of spare parts.
OK, maybe this theory is a bit far-fetched, but you gotta admit it certainly makes more sense than Anakin building C3PO.
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