The iPod Nation

Imagine you are planning your honeymoon or romantic getaway for your significant other. Imagine you want to make all your friends or coworkers jealous. Well you can now with a new feature from Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. Sheraton Maui allows its guests to download a notescast prior to their arrival at the resort. The notescast is a file from the Sheraton Maui site and it gives you information regarding your room and the resort. It also includes pictures just so you know what to expect (or just to make your friends jealous, depending on how much money you spend). Although this maybe something that is not worth mentioning, it just shows the direction every industry is taking in regards to technology. Everybody is being more technology-centric. It also shows how the Apple iPod has become a staple in our society.

- Geoff

[Source: HotelChatter]

In the end, the iPod will always be better than the Zune. Even while saving a life, people can’t leave home without their Apple iPod. A teenager from across the pond in the United Kingdom was given the rare opportunity to listen to his iPod while he was undergoing brain surgery. Gavin Brooke, who is 18 years of age, required surgery so that a brain tumor could be removed. But the doctors wanted Brooke to be awake during the surgery just so they knew it wasn’t damaging his brain. So in order for him to stay awake, the allowed him to bring his iPod and connect it to the surgery room’s sound system. The first track Brooke chose to listen to was “Apologize” by Timbaland featuring One Republic. The funny thing about this is that this was his second time undergoing the surgery. During the first brain surgery, the doctor were unable to fully remove the tumor. According to the head surgeon,

“The tumor was in a very difficult place that controls the movement of the body,” Andrew McElroy, the head neurosurgeon told The Sun newspaper. “And we had to ensure we didn’t damage the surrounding area. A few millimeters too far could have paralyzed him, so I let him listen to his iPod. We talked to him all the way through, and he was happy with his music on.”

Well apparently, the iPod saved Gavin Brooke’s life. I’m not quite sure if I would of chosen Timbaland and One Republic as the artists I would want to listen to. Given the fact that I have several surgeons with sharp knives working on my brain, I wouldn’t want to distract them with that kind of garbage music. But oh well. It did the job. Congratulations Gavin Brooke. And kudos to Apple for their beloved iPod.

- Geoff

[Source: CNET]

If you are tired of those simple iPod dock devices such as iPod Dock Clock Radios and what not, then iLuv has something that might interest you. It is called the i9500 iPod/CD Sound System from iLuv. The iLuv sound system supports 4 CDs at a time as well as a dock for any Apple iPod. In addition, the sound system can support microSD flash memory cards as well as USB flash drives. It also comes with the usual FM/AM tuner and a alarm clock. The system looks great. Not really sure what size that subwoofer is, but it looks like it packs a mean punch. There is no official word to what the retail price would be, but it is expected to make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 9, 2009.

- Geoff

[Source: Engadget]

The U.S army used an iPod during an operation in the Sadr City portion of Baghdad. Staff Sgt. Kent Crandall combined an iPod and the speaker seen above to turn it into a platform to broadcast the pro-coalition messages to the people during a Halal food handout. Sadr City has seen some of the heaviest fighting in Iraq but the area has cooled down some after the cleric Muqtada Al Sadr called a ceasefire and told his men (the Madhi Militia) to lay down their arms. The iPod was loaded with Iraqi pop music which definitely made for a more interesting broadcast than straight spoken messages and numbers for anonymous tips.

-Derek

[Source: Wired]

A new internet advertisement for the Apple iPod Touch has been discovered by our good friends at Macenstein. We think the whole point of the commercial is that you have to tilt the iPod Touch to do stuff. A pretty cool ad if you ask me. Check it out and let us know what you think.

- Geoff

[Source: Macenstein]

There are plenty of chess applications out there for the Apple iPod Touch/iPhone. But nothing is as intriguing as this version of the chess game. It is called Samurai Chess. Instead of using the English style of chess, Conit Co. Ltd., who developed the application, created their own version of the chess game by bringing it back to Japan’s civil war era. Now many of you may think this is just another chess application, but this app has new features not found in other chess game applications. The first obvious difference is the reference to Samurais. The application also has a network match mode in which you could play with other users from around the world. Additionally, the application features fierce Samurai battle scenes to showcase the action. The game is available at the Apple App Store for $1 (limited time).

- Geoff

[Source: MarketWatch]

Scandyna Speakers have just introduced their new retro-inspired speakers for the Apple iPod, called the iPod Pink Dock Pack. The iPod Pink Dock Pack will sell for $300 and it features 2 x 15-watt Class T amplifiers, stereo line output, a pair of Micropod SE speakers, dock insert for all dock-connecting iPods, a Kevlar bass/midrange driver, a soft dome tweeter, a remote, and pink paint. Unfortunately, there is no word on whether it will come in different colors. Customers can find the speakers at Sak Fifth Avenue and 800 different audio/video stores in 30 different countries. So if you are looking for some good retro-inspired iPod dock speakers, this is what you have been looking for.

- Geoff

[Source: Engadget]

Tired of tangling cables when connecting your iPod to an audio system? Audioengine may have the given us a great solution to this issue. Audioengine has just introduced their new AW2 wireless iPod adapter. It features two main pieces: a wireless transmitter that connects to your iPod or MP3 player via dock and a USB-based receiver with a 3.5-milimeter auxiliary jack. The wireless iPod adapter works on a Wi-Fi signal and Audioengine promises that you won’t experience any dropouts, static, or interference from CB radios. The AW2 wireless iPod Adapter has a retail price tag of $169, so prepare yourself to drop a few stacks of $1 bills for the pleasure of going wireless.

- Geoff

[Source: Engadget]

I guess news of the shortage of supply for the Apple iPod must have been a heartbreaker for iPod Fans. It has been reported that a boy in the Suffolk County in the east coast was robbed of his iPod after school. Last Thursday afternoon, a boy stayed afterschool to play some basketball and football. His mother told him to wait so she would pick him up so that he would not have to walk home in the dark. While waiting for his mother near the Newfield High School grounds, the suspect brandished a butcher knife and demanded his cell phone and his iPod. The 14-year-old complied with the suspect’s demands and the suspect fled the scene. There was no word on what kind of cell phone it was. A pretty sad story in my opinion. Just a product of consumerism if you ask me.

- Geoff

[Source: NewsDay]

When Apple introduced the second generation iPod Touch, they dubbed it the “funnest iPod ever”. Well not a new application just might make it the most useful iPod ever. Truphone has released their new application for the iPod Touch that will turn it into a “mobile phone”. Basically its an iPhone without the 3G network. The best thing about it is the application is free, there is no need for a SIM card, no contract, and even the calls are free (well most calls at least). With the application, and a microphone adapter (which is available at the Apple store), it will allow iPod Touch users to make free calls anywhere in the world to other iPod Touch users, as well as Truphone’s Internet telephone users and Google Talk instant messaging users. The Truphone application uses the Wi-Fi connection and includes the following features:

Types of FREE call that can be made:
– iPod touch to iPod touch
– iPod touch to Truphone (some Nokia handsets)
– Truphone (same Nokia handsets plus iPhone) to iPod touch
– iPod touch to Google Talk PC user

Features coming soon:
– Making and receiving calls to and from landlines (PSTN) at low cost (simply set yourself up with a Truphone account)
– Instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free)
– Calling to Skype users (free)
– Calling to MSN users (free)
– Check and set facilities for Twitter (free)
– Check and set facilities for Facebook (free)

Requirements:
– A second generation iPod touch (i.e. current model)
– A free download of Truphone for iPod touch
– A headset and microphone like those for the iPhone. These may be bought at high street electronics retailers or from an Apple Store
– Friends also using Truphone!

Again this isn’t a replacement for a mobile phone. Just gives you the option of making phone calls using your iPod Touch.

- Geoff

[Source: MarketWatch]