Podcasting

Have you heard about podcasting? It’s likely you have if you spend much time online, even if you don’t quite remember what it’s all about. The term (about a year old now) is a bit of a recent buzz word and has been cropping up more and more lately.

Podcasts are audio files, most often in the form of MP3, delivered to the user’s computer via special RSS feeds which use enclosures (basically the same idea as email attachments). That’s where the big deal of podcasting is—in their delivery. Using specialized aggregator software, these audio files are automatically downloaded to the listener’s computer (and subsequently, a portable mp3 player) for listening at a later time. You subscribe to these feeds like you would an XML feed of someone’s blog or of a news website, and instead of being delivered and experienced in realtime (such as a streaming broadcast, for example), they are downloaded and saved for listening at your convenience. Though the technology for podcasting is obviously much different, the end result is akin to what a Tivo does for video.

I won’t get into the specifics of the technology at work here. You can read more about enclosures and the RSS 2.0 format elsewhere. I’d rather talk about the bigger picture.

February 8, 2005 | Filed Under Technology | Leave a Comment

The Soft News

Wanted: Just About Everything [Wired] - a look at the film 24 Hours On Craigslist, a documentary now showing at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival which “chronicles the outcome of more than 80 Craigslist postings from a single day.”

Google Maps [via BoingBoing, + many sites] - another new “beta” service from Google. Guess what it does.

Lifehacker is a new(ish) addition to the Gawker blog/media empire (which also includes big name blogs like Wonkette). They offer daily tips and how-to’s on anything from importing album art into iTunes to the different ways to tie a shoe.

Do-It-Yourself Smart Radio Station [via Lifehacker] - here’s a good one I found through Lifehacker. This guy details a fairly intricate system of Smart Playlists he has set up in iTunes and on his iPod in order to serve up a rotation of new and old songs, in effect creating something like a personalized portable radio station.

**I’ve decided to keep away from the political and real-world news, at least for a while. It makes me ANGRY.

February 8, 2005 | Filed Under Technology | Leave a Comment

iHacked

custom graphics on my iPod

I decided to give hacking my iPod’s firmware a try. It wasn’t hard at all with the help of iPod Wizard.

It allows you to alter the firmware by replacing graphics, fonts, and text. I replaced the dumb NO sign (circle with a line through it) that flashes when the iPod is connected to the PC with a picture of Wally, my cat.

January 20, 2005 | Filed Under Technology | Leave a Comment

iPod Pt. 2

Well folks, I took the plunge (i.e. bit the bullet, joined the club, and cooked my own goose—all at the same time). On Saturday, despite possibilities of either getting one used or discounted by up to 20%, I decided to jump the gun and just buy one. And so I did…

I chose to go to Best Buy because I also needed to get a USB 2.0 card for my PC and didn’t feel like driving out to Microcenter. I ended up getting the 20GB model I was considering last week. They had this opened/returned unit for $50 less than normal price, but when I looked it over and saw a few minor scratches on the screen and someone else’s greasy fingerprints all over it, I opted to forgo my last chance to save a few bucks and ended up paying full price to get one brand-new. Yes, I can consume with the best of them.

It’s been awesome, so far. I had a few issues installing the USB card (it kept conflicting with my video card, causing my PC to lock up whenever I plugged into the USB), but since I got that sorted out, it’s been smooth sailing to MP3sville. The rest of my weekend was all about ripping CDs. It’s tedious stuff for sure, but I’m about halfway through my first round of essentials (currently up to about 4GB). I imagine there will be at least another pass or two through my collection after I realize everything I loaded on is crap and I have nothing to listen to.

Several of the reservations I had about the accessories have been confirmed. The stock earbuds aren’t doing it for me; they’re uncomfortable and don’t sound too great either. I’ve ordered these Sony MDR-EX71SL buds recommended to me by John, the reviews for which have been mostly favorable. I’m also ordering a black iSkin, since I’m already tired of handling this thing like it’s a newborn strapped to twenty sticks of dynamite. As for the other stuff, the dock now seems rather unnecessary, and I’ll have to wait and see how I do without a remote before looking into those. I already have an aux input on my car stereo, so I’m finally able to make use of that with the help of a simple 1/8″ cable I had laying around.

I’ve checked out iPodLounge.com, Anapod Explorer (fully integrates the iPod with Windows Explorer and allows for direct transfer of MP3s outside of iTunes), and read about hacking the iPod firmware to add custom graphics. [Yeah, not so fast there buddy.]

So, what’s next? How else can I insulate myself from this daily life I find littered with so many toolbags, rednecks, mouth-breathers, conservatives, and outright dandy fops?

How about a pair of iBalls? Why yes, thank you.