Are you thinking of buying an Apple iPod? Or have you bought one?
Almost everyone and anyone that I know seems to have bought an iPod or at least is thinking of getting an ipod for themselves or their loved ones. The iPod is just so alluring! However, do you know what you should do after buying the iPod?
Most people don't. Yet, market analysts estimate that the average iPod owner spend as much as 30% of the original iPod price on additional accessories!
That's a whopping US$60-US$90 on iPod accessories that each iPod owner will spend!
Many people are simply spending their money on the wrong accessories! In fact, many are going for fancy accessories such as car transceiver kit, wireless remote kit, speaker kit even without realizing what are the first accessories they should get.
Get the Basic iPod Accessory before getting the Fancy Stuff!
Do you, as a iPod user, faces these problems on a daily basis too?
iPod Screen scratches
Click wheel scratches
Mirrored back scratches
Messy iPod earphone cables
iPod overheating when being charged while in a silicone or leather case
Despite the technical and cosmetic superiority of the Apple iPod, there remain some teething issues. Weak batteries is one. Being easily scratched is another. These problems immediately lower the resale or trade-in value of the iPod, if any? This may not seem important but if you are trading in your older iPod for a new one, this does matter. It also sucks to see scratches and marks on the beautiful iPod. In fact, microscopic scratches takes place everytime you take the iPod in and out of pocket!
Get a good-quality iPod case before ANYTHING ELSE!
There are numerous iPod accessories out there. Many accessories are fanciful, some are good but most do not fulfil the basic need of the iPod. You need to protect the iPod from getting scratches and accidental marks before anything else.
Before the iPod can serve you well, it must be able to take care of itself. So, before you even look further into getting your first iPod accessory or even if you have gotten numerous other accessories, make sure you first equip your iPod with either a good quality case or sleeve.
The most common iPod cases in use are:
Handphone sleeves converted to iPod sleeves
This is the most common as handphone sleeves are cheap and easily available. However, the mirrored back of the 3G and 4G ipod are easily scratched by theses sleeves as they run against the iPod. It is not recommended unless you have a budget problem.
iPod screen and wheel sticky protectors
There are transparent iPod screen and wheel sticky protector that are cut of the right size and stucked directly onto the iPod screen and wheel. However, there are various models in the market and some of the cheaper ones tend to curl and peel off after some use.
If you are on a budget, a good quality screen and wheel protector is the minimum you should have.
iPod silicone skin
This is the most common iPod case around. It looks like a good casing choice but it is in fact one of the worst, especially if you have bought a cheap one.
These cheap silicone cases are being mass-produced in China with doubtful materials and design elements.
Many of the cheap silicone skins in the market tear easily and pick up lint and dirt easily. They are also difficult to wash and maintain. I will not advise a silicone case unless they are made by some of the better and branded products from USA or Japan. A good model is found at: http://www.smart-ipod-ideas.com
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Smart Apple iPod accessories
Cell Phone Deals, Mobile Phone Plan
Tips And Tricks On How To Get The Best Cell Phone Deals. And While You’re At It, Shop For A Great Mobile Plan Too.
These days, cell phones are offered at standard retail prices across a majority of the stores. So how do you snag a great deal? Here are a few tricks you can use to get some of the best cell phone deals available:
1. Get a great mobile phone plan to go with your cell phone. These days, getting a cell phone plan will automatically net you some great deals.
2. If you already have an account with a particular cell phone carrier, shop at their stores and keep an eye out for certain cell phones that they might be promoting. These cell phones will be on offer and you can get some great deals on them.
3. Look out for smaller retail shops that are having a sale or discount for that week. You’d never know what great cell phone deals you could get, even if it’s from a smaller store or branch.
4. Shopping online is a great way to get some of the best cell phone deals. Mobile phones are cheaper online (even after delivery charge) because you don’t have to pay the seller an expensive dealer fee.
5. Look out for cell phone deals that include a lot of free gifts with the mobile phone. A nifty hands free kit or pouch is always nice to have.
And to get really a good deal on your mobile phone plan, you might want to consider the following:
1. Make sure that voicemail is included in your cell phone plan at no extra cost. Most cell phone carriers provide this feature but there are a few which still charge for voicemail. That’s no deal at all, especially when a majority of cell phone carriers or plans will get you unlimited voicemail options.
2. If you travel a fair bit, then get a regional mobile phone plan. It’s a great cell phone deal because regional plans have the best mixture of minutes and features, with the best prices. An example of a great regional feature would be the ability to make long distance calls for free!
3. For any cell phone plan, make sure the deals include at least 150 anytime minutes. If you feel that you’re going to make more calls than that, then aim for a higher number.
About The Author
John Lim
Free cell phone reviews at http://www.cool-cell-phones.com
Toshiba Has HD-DVD-R Ready for Mass Production
The time has come for Toshiba and Nec, the main backers of HD-DVD format to announce they're ready for write-once HD-DVD-R disc mass production.
Their discs can store 15 GB of data, and should be available for the consumers in the first half of the next year, by the same time that HD-DVD recorders and PC drives will be also on the market.
As we all know, HD-DVD fights in a tight competition with Blu-ray for the “format of the future” title, that also means a multibillion dollar market as a price for the winner.
Similar blue laser technology stays at the core of both formats, as the blue laser has a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at higher densities needed for high-definition TV and movies.
The advantage that HD-DVD-R disc has over its main competitor, the Blu-ray disc is it has the same disc structure as the classic DVD and thus can be manufactured by using the same production lines. This, for the DVD manufacturers, means they can start HD-DVD-R mass production at full speed, right away, with not much additional cost. A replacement stamper is needed of course and the old dye must be replaced with blue-light sensitive, resin dye. The new dye was developed in a joint project of Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media/Verbatim and Toshiba Corporation.
But at the same time, Blu-ray competitor has its own advantages, like superior storing capacity. Toshiba claims it works at this aspect also, but moving from single-layer discs that are written at 1x speed, to dual-layer 30GB discs could take several years, its spokespersons said. Toshiba promised to introduce 20GB HD-DVD-RW discs by this time next year.
So far, the Blu-ray Disc Association and the HD DVD Promotion Group have refused to compromise to a unified hybrid format for the future DVD.
About The Author
Iulia Pascanu writes for http://www.dvdrecorders.ws/
Popeyes Reading Glasses- They'll Make Your Eyes Pop Out
The term popeyes reading glasses refers not to the shape of your eye, or a condition known as popeyes. Nor does it refer to that spinach-ingesting sailor who loved Olive Oyl. No, Popeyes reading glasses refers to a style of reading glasses manufactured by Scojo Vision. Popeyes reading glasses offer some of the best compact magnification you will find in reading glasses.
When you choosing your Popeyes reading glasses you have many options.
Let's see what's available.
The Scojo Popeyes reading glasses that are similar to so called pen readers because they are slim, and about the size of a standard writing pen.
These popeyes reading glasses are lightweight and come in a very colorful options both full framed and rimless options. While you are not able to get customized lenses placed in these frames you can choose the magnification for these popeyes reading glasses.
Choices in magnification range from a +1.00 to a +3.00 every quarter of a diopter with the exception of +2.75 which are not available.
These Scojo Vision Popeyes reading glasses are made for convenience. They are small and compact and easily fit in one's pocket or purse. This makes the popeyes reading glasses very easy to have with you whenever you might need them.
Popeyes reading glasses come rimless with a wide variety of colors on the temples. You can choose rimless popeyes reading glasses in black, silver tortoise, kiwi, raspberry, or blueberry. The full frames variety are available in a rectangular shape and also in the newest style, the popeye-O which is ocal. They are available in black, tortoise, ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst and ruby.
Do you need just the thing to whip out in a fabulous nightlife setting. Check out Popeye Ice these popeyes reading glasses are extremely slim and decorated with rims of Swarovski crystal pieces all around the frame. They are very classy looking and high quality.
All popeyes reading glasses feature European spring hinges which allows for ease in putting them on and off, and come with a thin aluminum case with a flip top that is spring loaded for easy opening and closing. Popeyes reading glasses retail at around $55-$65 making them a great value.
About The Author
Steve Cogger co founder of www.readinstyle.com
Solar Power
Solar power is becoming more and more popular as the oil prices keep increasing. Our demand on our natural resources such as coal, oil and gas continues to grown on a daily basis worldwide. Not to mention what these types of fuels are doing to global warming and air pollution.
So, solar power is a great alternative that will save us money and maybe even save our earth.
Solar power is known to be one of the cleanest renewable energies around today. How solar power works is by photovoltaic tiles. These tiles change the sunlight into a form of electricity that can be used to heat our homes and even help our gardens grow.
What happens in essence is that the tiles are created with pieces of positive and negative silicon that is place under a thin piece of glass. The sunlight hitting the tiles causes the neutrons to move off of the silicon.
The neutrons that are negatively charged are stuck to the silicon by the magnetic field that is caused because of the reaction. Then an electric current is formed. Then this current is passed to the area in which we wish to heat through as inverter which converts it to electrical power for us to use in our homes. This solar power can be used just like electricity for lamps, televisions, and of course heat.
Many people in the United States are now adding solar power to different areas of their homes, such as basements, sunrooms, or their entire home. These solar panels are not very hard to install but may be expensive according to how large the panels need to be and how they need to be installed.
Many states throughout the United States are now giving tax incentives to individuals and companies that wish to covert to solar power. You can find out more by talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Energy.
Many schools throughout the national are now converting to solar power. This is a great way to save money for our school systems. Many schools have very high electric bills, due to the electricity that is being used on a daily basis to light the class rooms, keep our children warm during the winter and cool during the summer. This money that is being spent on electricity can soon be spent on better educating our children.
About The Author
Andrew Palmer maintain http://www.solar-panels.cc
Ringtones, A Phones Personality
As mobile phones define one's personality in the same way ringtone defines mobile phones personality. Ringtone is nothing but the pleasing sound from the mobile instrument indicating an incoming call. It provides a sense of personalization to your mobile phone. Using the same old dull ring tone will never be able to differentiate you in the crowd. But, having a personal ring tone will immediately grab the attention. So ring tones are melodies, tunes, sound, noise your mobile make when an incoming call or message arrives.
Ringtone has become a rage among cell phone users, especially youth. Ringtones have brought around a fresh round of innovations to otherwise monotonous mobile phone market. There is always competition among youth for the ringtones downloaded and put to use. Ringtones show that you're up to date and happening. You can truly display your lifestyle and certainly your musical taste on your sleeve.
There are typically two different types of ringtones: monophonic ringtones and polyphonic ringtones. Monophonic tones are simple tunes, most commonly compatible with today's cell phones. The majority of cell phones previously could only make a single tone at a time. The monophonic tones comprised of a series of sequential tones at different frequencies. Polyphonic tones are played on each and every cellular phone now a days that have the capability of playing up to 16 separate tones at once. The combination of tones creates a harmonic melody. Polyphonic ringtones are more musical than a monophonic ringtone.
New ringtone services are operating in order to offer ringtones for download. These ringtones vary from old numbers to just released songs from latest albums. There also are sound effects, anything from chirping crickets to a rocket blasting off to a galloping horse. Ringtones can either be downloaded from net or can be created by the user. The websites vary in that some allow you to purchase specific ringtones while others offer subscriptions that allow you to download an unlimited number of ringtones. Users often download multiple tones so that they can have different rings for different callers. Software is also available that allow consumers to create their own melodic ringtones. The software runs on a computer, and once the tune is set it can be transferred to the phone via a data cable.
Some technical websites declare that the cell phone of tomorrow will replace the MP3 players of today. This will be possible once a dual use battery is invented that can hold a sufficiently long enough charge. The power would last more than a few hours and could be easily recharged. The technicians declare that memory capabilities must be enhanced so that the user can download and store hundreds and thousands of songs. This isn't that far off, in fact an MP3 player being replaced by a cell phone is considered possible within 5 years according to most technical websites. The development has started and there's no looking back. Consumers spent nearly $3.5 billion last year to download 30-second polyphonic renderings of popular songs. Thousands of ringtones are available to suit the personality and mood of the user.
About The Author
Matre Eringto is the owner of Ringtones I which is a premier resource for ringtones information. for more information, go to http://www.ringtonesi.com
Types of Vacuums
Anyone with a carpet needs a vacuum to help keep it clean. There are many different types of vacuums on the market, and choosing the right style is easy with a little bit of information. Here are some types of vacuums and their benefits.
Upright Vacuums
These vacuums are used more for carpet than for bare floors. They are easy to store and to move around the house.
HEPA Vacuums
Best for those with allergies or asthma, these vacuums contain filters to clean the air. They are good options for home or office use.
Canister Vacuums
These vacuums are useful for stairs and bare floors, as they are very portable.
Stick Vacuums
Perhaps the most convenient vacuums to store, these are good for bare floors or area rugs.
Backpack Vacuums
These are very quiet to use. They are also very portable and help you clean difficult-to-reach areas.
Hand-held Vacuums
Perhaps the most portable, these vacuums can be used to spot clean areas of the home but are also very useful to clean out vehicles. They require very little storage space.
Steam Vacuums/Carpet Cleaners
For deep-cleaning carpets and upholstery, these vacuums are your best bet.
Commercial Vacuums
These hardy vacuums are good for frequent usage, particularly in office buildings. They usually have a longer power cord, allowing you to reach faraway areas.
Vacuums come in a number of different brands. Prices vary depending on quality, durability, and type. When selecting among vacuums, consider how often you will need to use your machine (Will you use it daily?); where you will use it most frequently (Do you have a lot of hard-to-reach areas?); and how much space you have to store it.
Some homes or offices require more than one type of vacuum, to serve different purposes. For example, if you have a combination of carpet and hardwood floors, you may want to have a stick vacuum as well as an upright or canister vacuum, as these serve different needs. Wet vacuums are also useful if you need to clean damp areas. A salesperson can help you determine which specific brand or model will help you best serve your needs.
About The Author
Jeff Lakie is the founder of http://www.vacuum-cleaner-ratings.info
Renewable Energy
ou’re looking for a way to conserve electricity, renewable energy may be the answer. Renewable, or solar energy, uses the sun’s light, along with wind and even certain molecules in plants and animals in order to power cars, turn on lights, and keep appliances working.
Heat is produced whenever the sun touches something, and solar energy can be used to power almost anything. Natural gas, oil, and coal are all byproducts of solar energy, since the plants and animals used to create these natural resources receive their energy from the sun. However, since coal, oil, and gas are resources that can be depleted from the earth, they should be conserved as much as possible, which is why scientists and environmentalists are conducing progressive research on ways to use renewable energy in every day life. This way, solar energy can be used more often.
Powering everything with solar energy isn’t possible just yet, since a way to capture enough sunlight to power everything in a home or business hasn’t been discovered. So, many people use solar panels, which can be placed on a side of a roof to attract sunlight during the day that can be used to heat rooms and water. Solar panels can be purchased at a number of retail stores now, as well as online. Panels do a great job of helping families and businesses to conserve energy. Hopefully, solar panels will become a part of daily life, in order to prevent the disappearance of natural resources and to maintain energy conservation.
A New Digital Camera Is 'Braun'
The Braun D410 Digital Camera
Pros
A camera compact in shape and function – size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. Designed for simplicity in use and the ladies handbag with a neat case included 4MByte sensor – very respectable: and a three times optical zoom – a good lens. Simple to use and gives excellent results – prints of up to 10 x 8 inches are feasible on best settings
Cons
Only space for two AA batteries – but the case is small! – take some spares. Lacks an optical viewfinder, LCD display difficult to see on a sunny day. Flash is good up to 10 feet max – but then that is true of most on camera flashes The Braun D410 is a compact camera that comes compete with batteries and camera case – rare nowadays – and a set of leads for connection to your PC or to your TV.
While this is a still picture and a movie camera, this review is more concerned about the still picture capability of the Braun D410.
I was able to operate the camera from the box – but then I am a photographer.
Reading the first few pages of the manual will get you going – and that will probably be all you require. As with all things electronic, there are many functions included, most of which you will never use.
Indeed the camera manual – printed in 7 languages – is considerably larger and heavier than the camera – so leave it at home! Same applies to the CD Rom containing software for your PC.
Inserting a 256Mbyte SD Memory card allows the camera to store in excess of 100 images at its highest resolution – 4Mega Pixels. This card can be used to transfer images to your PC or can be taken to a photo lab to get the images printed. The camera will take either Secure Digital or Multimedia memory cards – they are physically identical. The only difference is that the SD card has a small switch in its side to lock the contents of its memory. Take care when inserting batteries or cards. This is a small and delicate piece of equipment! The cards can be inserted the wrong way around – but the battery cover will not fit back into place!
Switch on the Braun D410 camera by pressing the small button at the centre of the command dial at the top of the camera. The dial sets the mode of the camera – fully automatic or a range of options including landscapes, portraits, sport subjects (rapidly moving) and night photography.
The controls are intuitive to operate starting with the upper toggle switch on the rear of the camera switching between wide angle and telephoto. The image you are focussing on is displayed on a small screen on the rear of the camera – there is no eye piece as such.
Slight pressure on the picture taking button causes the camera to focus and calculate exposure – a full press causes the camera to take a picture – there is a small delay between pressing the button and taking the shot – so keep the camera still! Most users will use the fully automatic mode which involves no thinking or playing. The built in flash gun switches itself on as and when needed for individual groups or small portraits. Do not expect it to fill a hall though – this is a compact camera!
The screen on the back of the camera is able to review images taken and stored in memory. Press the playback arrow button to go into review mode – press it again to go back to photograph mode. Use the lower toggle switch to step through the shots you have taken. Individual images can be deleted – and taken again – if required. I found the screen difficult to use on a very bright sunny day.
A drawback of any small camera is that there is little room for the batteries. The Braun D410 accepts 2 AA size batteries. So take some spares with you as they soon run down should you be making use of the camera over a period. The motors for the telephoto lens, flash and other circuits drain the cells.
I am not going to go through all of the options and control functions of the camera. The manual does that very well. So I would suggest that should you buy this camera you spend half an hour reading the manual and then put it to one side and take some photographs! The advantage of digital is that you are not exposing film – and you can delete the images you do not want to keep.
The camera can take short bursts of video as well, but I am not going to describe that!
In summary the Braun D410 is a very competent consumer camera which will delight the user in its simplicity and quality. Ideal for the ladies and their handbag.
For more information on this product visit http://www.view-link.com/contact.html
Essential Surveillance Equipment
There are many different varieties of surveillance equipment widely available for purchase. This equipment ranges from very small and movie-like (pens and lighters) to more practical (nanny cams and audio recorders). But no matter what type of surveillance equipment you use, there are some essential pieces of equipment that are practically indispensable.
The best surveillance equipment is the kind that helps you protect your home. Hidden cameras are the best for this kind of work. They help you keep track of your valuables, and they allow you to keep tabs on babysitters, nannies, and housekeepers. Additionally, when located on the outside of the home, they are ideal for alerting you to visitors, and identifying vandals.
Another very practical piece of surveillance equipment is a listening device of some sort. After all, even though you may be able to see what is going on, context is often lacking without audio to accompany what you are seeing. Even worse is when a visual cannot be established. In such a case having the audio portion can be very beneficial. It is important to make sure that the device of choice can be plugged into a recorder. Many are now compatible with digital recorders, and this can be very helpful in finding specific portions of the audio.
Night vision products are also a piece of surveillance equipment that can come in very handy. Whether you use goggles, monoculars, or binoculars, it is possible to see at night. This helps with surveillance in such a way that requires no moon and no stars. You surveillance does not have to be weather permitting when you are well equipped with surveillance equipment that allows you to see at night.
There is little doubt that surveillance equipment will continue to become more sophisticated. Keeping up with the top of the line listening devices and night vision products can help you stay in the know, and can help you maintain your professional reputation. Common sense use of surveillance equipment for the home can also be very helpful. It helps protect the home, and the people and valuables that are located inside it. Choosing the basics can help you protect yourself and your family using surveillance equipment.
(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com
GPS Car Tracking and Navigation
Global positioning system (GPS) technology first appeared in the 1980s. At that time, however, it was mostly used by the military. Next, it became widely available as GPS car tracking. Now, GPS devices can be very tiny, and they are used for a variety of purposes from going on treasure hunts to tracking teenagers. However, GPS car tracking remains one of the most popular and widespread uses of GPS technology.
One of the reasons GPS car tracking is so popular is for its navigation benefits. A car-tracking device is most often used, not to actually track the car by someone other than the person driving the car, but to help the driver navigate. An on board computer helps to contact a satellite that in turn finds the information on the vehicles location and then communicates that information to the car’s computer. After the information has been received, it is displayed on a navigation screen. Often it is displayed in map form for a more effective visual representation of where the car is.
GPS car tracking is very useful when navigating a new place. It is especially helpful on vacations. Even if someone has never before visited a locale, he or she can figure out where to go using the GPS navigation in the car. Such a tool is very efficient in mapping the best route to sightseeing attractions. It is also very useful in finding the way back to the hotel.
Tourists are not the only people that make use of GPS car tracking systems, however. Many commuters use such devices in the morning to find the best way to work. Some systems are equipped to find out traffic conditions and then map out alternative routes. This can save the commuter a lot of frustration and time sitting in traffic. These systems make for more tolerable morning and evening drives.
So, while it can be used to effectively apprehend auto thieves and recover stolen vehicles, it also has the ability to help its own navigate through the parts of life that involve driving from one place to the other with the help of GPS car tracking.
(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com.
The Way Night Vision Works
Most people are familiar with the concept of night vision. After all, it is seen in countless action and spy movies. However, the truth is that night vision is more than a fantastical concept; it is reality. And with goggles, night scopes, binoculars and monoculars, it is possible to see on a moonless, cloudless night. In fact, the technology is so advanced that you can see a person standing more than 200 yards away. That’s twice the length of a football field! The remarkable feat of human sight at night is accomplished one of two ways: image enhancement or thermal imaging.
Image enhancement is a night vision technique that collects tiny amounts of light that may not be perceptible to the human eye. These are the smallest glimmers of light, sometimes even on the lower end of the infrared spectrum, that are discovered by the device in use. The points of light are than amplified by the device to a point that allows the object or person to be seen easily.
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The Way Night Vision Works
by: Shawn Davis
Most people are familiar with the concept of night vision. After all, it is seen in countless action and spy movies. However, the truth is that night vision is more than a fantastical concept; it is reality. And with goggles, night scopes, binoculars and monoculars, it is possible to see on a moonless, cloudless night. In fact, the technology is so advanced that you can see a person standing more than 200 yards away. That’s twice the length of a football field! The remarkable feat of human sight at night is accomplished one of two ways: image enhancement or thermal imaging.
Image enhancement is a night vision technique that collects tiny amounts of light that may not be perceptible to the human eye. These are the smallest glimmers of light, sometimes even on the lower end of the infrared spectrum, that are discovered by the device in use. The points of light are than amplified by the device to a point that allows the object or person to be seen easily.
The other way night vision works is by thermal imaging. This is technology that works exclusively in the upper portion of infrared light. Rather than gathering reflected light, this is heat that is given off by objects or people. This is known as thermal infrared, and it occupies the largest amount of space as part of the infrared spectrum (which is at the lower end of the light spectrum, below what is detectible by the human eye). This means that there is a great deal of wavelengths that can be detected by the proper devices. Because thermal imaging works by putting the heat coming from objects in visible form, it is to be expected that some objects will appear clearer than others. Humans, for example, emit more heat than a tree, and so a tree will not be as clear.
Night vision products make excellent additions to any surveillance collection, and they can be very helpful in locating objects or people in dark places. You will pay in a price range from under $300 to more than $15,000, depending on features, accuracy, and purpose of the accessories you choose to aid your night vision.
(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com
