twin Blog

I'm proud to say that for this weekend only, rashbre central is twinned with holyhoses. Twinned you say? Yes, we have decided to adopt the same process as a twin town and post and collect comments together on a single topic.

And the topic is...Donuts!


So, the burning question...Are donuts better with a hole in the middle, or with jam? and what type of coating?
Please play along...
a) add your blog below
b) make a comment
c) visit our twin!

Show you have visited below!

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Inside the ipod nano

Inside the iPod nano: "

Filed under: iPod Family

Thanks to narco for sending in this little tidbit of info. This Japanese site has already managed to grab an iPod nano and they even performed a detailed dissection of the little wonder. Here's a link to the Beta Google translation of the page.


From the looks of these pics and the horribly translated Japanese, it appears that the 4GB iPod nano features two 2GB flash chips while the 2GB features only one. It also doesn't look like people will be able to canabalize the memory to use in their digital cameras the way people did with the iPod mini. Too bad.

In any case, head over to the site and make sure you click on the pics to see the full-sized pics.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes 5 shuffle gets more random

iTunes 5 shuffle got more random: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTunes, Software

Not like we haven't blabbed enough about iTunes 5 already, but I just wanted to get my angle in on one of the hot new features I feel hasn't gotten enough face-time yet: Smart Shuffle. I think with this new feature Apple has given us a powerful new tool to help end that hotly debated topic of how intelligent or random iTunes' shuffle really is.

I hammered on this feature all evening yesterday with a number of playlists and my entire 5274 song library of everything from Enigma to Nine Inch Nails, Nick Drake, Outkast and Phish. After listening to almost too much music, I'll toss my vote in for a thumbs up on this most powerful of shuffling features, as I can now truly let my library's randomness shine.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes phone not an ipod phone

Why an iTunes phone instead of software?: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, iTunes

I was chatting with C.K. today about why Apple, Motorola and Cingular shook hands on an iTunes phone, instead of Apple just going ahead and making a client (probably in java) so that all sorts of phones could use it. I was listening to a great podcast, Inside Silicon Valley (iTMS link), that presented an insightful answer to this very question, and I tend to agree.

Here's how it breaks down: since the wireless networks have been talking about debuting their own wireless download services for phones for a while now, Apple probably wouldn't have made a whole lot of headway into this mobile phone music market without coming up with something they could sell to both a wireless provider and a hardware manufacturer. By working with Motorola and Cingular to create a dedicated and *exclusive* iTunes phone, everybody wins: Apple gets to sell more music, the wireless networks rake in precious boatloads of new subscribers and Motorola gets to sell a ton of special little phones.

While I really don't want one of those phones - I'm heading out the door soon to pick up a 4 GB black iPod nano - this reasoning makes a lot of sense to me. Anyone else want to weigh in?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes 5 gets new features

iTunes 5: The star of the show: "

Filed under: iTMS, iTunes

There are those amongst us that stifled a yawn at the new features, or lack thereof, in iTunes 5.0, however, I believe this was the biggest announcement of the day.

A cell phone running iTunes, and that has an artificial song cap of 100 songs? Eh.

Even smaller iPods? They look cool, and I want one, but at a certain point smaller isn't better, even in consumer electronics.

No, gentle readers, iTunes 5 is where all the interesting stuff is happening. Are there any knock down, jaw dropping features? Not really, however, what iTunes 5 does give us is a glimpse into what iLife, and other Apple applications, will look like in the near future. I predict the death of Brushed Metal, and the rise of.. plasticy metal, of which I am a fan. iPhoto's next rev will look very much like iTunes 5, gone will be the fat metal margins, and in with the non-existent margins. Streamline, streamline, streamline!

Garageband will still retain its odd windows, some things you just don't mess with.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod nano brief review

Playlist's Hands-on Review of the iPod nano: "

Filed under: Books and Blogs, iPod Family

I'm very jealous of Christopher Breen over at Playlist right now. He managed to get his hands on exactly the iPod nano I want (but will not splurge for): the 2GB4GB black one. It's a good first hands-on review, noting a few of the things that some of us may have wondered about: '...you'll find no TV Out commands in its Slideshow Settings window because it can't project pictures to an attached television. Also, it doesn't work with Apple's iPod Camera Connector or Belkin's Media Reader, which means you can't upload pictures to it. And although the Diagnostic Screen shows a LineIn test, current iPod microphones require a connection to the Remote Control port as well, which is missing on the nano.'

Also, it looks like the black iPod nano comes with the same white earbuds. Dumb! The lanyard is currently only offered in white, too. I hope Apple rectifies this and gives us matching black peripherals.


One cool thing that I wasn't expecting: the iPod nano comes with a little dock adapter so that you can slip the nano into any existing dock you may already own. Nice.

black nano ipod outselling white

Report: Black nano outselling white: "

Filed under: iPod Family

According to a report at iPod Garage, iPod nano sales are taking off, even this early in the game. The black 4GB iPod nano has jumped to the #4 position on Amazon already, and the 4GB white model is at #22. While the black 4GB nano is doing better than its white counterpart, both 4GB models are really blowing away their 2GB siblings. The black and white 2GB models are at # 120 and #288 at Amazon, respectively.

It looks like, for the early adopters at least, the black 4GB model is the nano to have. It's definitely the one I want. I've even got a name picked out: Mini Vader.

So, will you buy a nano, which model will you choose and what will its name be?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod nano first 24 hours

iPod nano: the first 24 hours reviewed by the unofficial apple weblog: "

Filed under: Reviews, iPod Family

I've had my iPod nano in hand (and large ogre-like hands if the picture with this post is any indicator) now for 24 hours. Three words: best iPod ever.


I love it. It's flash-based, so it is fast. It's super light and small. The plug on the bottom isn't weird like I thought it'd be. If I drop the iPod nano, it hangs nicely from the earphone cable without pulling free. It fits nicely in my shirt pocket.


It doesn't fit as neatly in the little jean pocket that Steve Jobs' intro to the unit indicated. It's too tall to fit straight down, and with the earphones plugged in, it won't fit fully in sideways. Nevertheless, the thing is so small you won't have any difficulty whatsoever finding a place to tuck it away. Also, it feels pretty solid. One of my complaints about the iPod shuffle was how light and plastic it felt. Walt Mossberg was right: this feels just right. Nice and solid with just enough weight. I think I could skip this sucker pretty nicely across the face of a lake.

More after the jump...

Here's a pic of the illustrious bag it comes in if you buy one from the Apple Store (previously mentioned by Dave in his hands-on review). It's a rather stiff bag, but if I can figure out how to ship it, I'll include the bag with the white 2GB iPod nano I bought to send to the winner of our contest. If not, maybe I'll auction it off to the suckers on ebay.


The black picks up fingerprints like you wouldn't believe and I've already put a scratch in the front, but honestly, I don't care. I've never been squeamish about scratches on my iPods. I bought this for its size and functionality. It delivers nicely in both areas. The USB only file transfer is a bit of a drag, and I don't think the file transfer is nearly as fast as Christopher Breen's review seems to indicate. It took quite some time for the iPod nano to get the 500 songs I chose to cram on it transfered over alongside all the photos I chose to transfer. That being said, the performance of the iPod nano when it is not connected to a computer is amazing. It flies through the interface and displays the photos much faster than my 60GB iPod does. The screen is great. Bright and clear. The only negative I can say about the screen is that the Notes font is more than a bit small on the nano's small screen and will most likely not make it an attractive choice for people with bifocals. Apple should release a firmware update that adds a preference to toggle the font size from miniscule to mega-big.



The sound is great. The iPod is great. Get one. Try to win one. I'll add more bits later.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

old iPods R.I.P.

R.I.P., iPods: "

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Humor, iPod Family, Odds and ends

iPod mini, we hardly knew ye. Engadget takes a humorous look at the deceased members of the iPod family in the iPod Family Cemetery. The original 5GB iPod, third generation iPod and the first generation iPod mini are all represented. Go and pay your respects to the fallen patriarchs of this proud family.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

video ipod ready itunes

Video iPod-ready iTunes: "

Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, Rumors

TUAW reader Mike writes that under iTunes 5:

If you try syncing videocasts to your iPod via iTunes5, it tells you
that your 'particular model' of iPod is incapable of playing video.

A hint of things to come? Probably. Don't hold your breath, though. There's been an OGG icon lurking in there since 4.5, and still no love.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

first nano thoughts

First nano thoughts: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family

This is by no means meant to be a review, but after using and tinkering around with my 4 GB black iPod nano I figured I'd post some initial thoughts. These are coming from a guy who's owned 1 of almost every iPod since the original 5 GB, and who got rid of a 60 GB iPod photo for a shuffle:

• The nano feels like what would happen if a regular iPod got caught in the wash and shrank. I know we all know this, but I can't repeat it enough: this thing is small. Really small.
  
• The color screen is gorgeous and holds up in sunlight well
• Sound quality is superb. Regular iPod worthy.
  
• Loading lots of data like long contact lists (mine's 300+) or flying through image thumbnails is worlds faster than on color iPods, formerly known as iPod photos
• Lack of firewire cable is one thing. Lack of firewire support all-together is annoying
• Black looks really, really, really hot. Too bad the accessories don't match. (All the extras are still white)
• If you buy a nano in an Apple store, they come in an exclusive bag that looks almost as expensive as the packaging the nano comes in.

So there, nothing earth shattering. I think C.K.'s working on a review, so stay tuned.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

too early to register a nano

Too early to register a nano: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, iPod Family

So I just brought home and unwrapped my brand new 4 GB black iPod nano. While I'm not gonna fire off a review or 'first look' just yet, something kind of amusing happened that I'd like to share: I plugged it in, and the short iTunes setup process asks me if I'd like to register my new iPod. I think: sure, why not? Couldn't hurt right?

Well apparently you can't register just yet, as 'iPod nano' is not one of the options on Apple's product registration page yet. Funny, isn't Apple usually a step ahead of everyone else?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod getting into cars

Apple's iPod auto drive fuels up: "Apple is now working with 15 car makers worldwide to make iPods part of the way we drive."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

London Tourists and Workers: "

Spent today in London, mainly around Whitehall. I wondered whether there would be a discernable decrease in the number of people, but the area around Parliament and Trafalgar Square was seething. Normal workers and many tourists, giving a lie to the thought that there would have been a major impact to London's flux of people after the recent tragic events.





And there was a typical sprinkling of protesters around Parliament - including, today, one for the Parliamentary cleaners, who are on strike for better pay. In the hot sunshine, the Capital seemed to have returned to its normal hectic, eclectic mix of action.

"

(Via rashbre2.)

Tiger upgrade poll results: "

Filed under: Cult of Mac, OS, Surveys and Polls

The results are in!

On July 14th, we asked you about your Tiger upgrade plans, and in the 12 days since more than 1,800 of you have taken the time to fill out our informal survey. Not surprisingly, TUAW readers have overwhelmingly chosen to make the jump: a whopping 76% of you have upgraded in the first three months. The bulk of the rest of you plan to upgrade before the end of the year, and those of you who haven't taken the plunge yet mostly like Panther's stability and are just waiting for Apple to get the bugs worked out of Tiger.

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Ads by Google

"

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ICE - In Case of Emergency: "

In view of the recent events in London, NHS East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national 'In Case of Emergency (ICE)' campaign in association with Vodafone's annual life savers award.


The simple idea is that you store the word 'ICE' in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted 'In Case of Emergency'.


In an emergency situation, relevant personnel will be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's as simple as that, and for more than one contact name you can use ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc. There's more info on the ICE website.

"

(Via rashbre2.)

Hybrid maps: "Google Maps now has a hybrid style which overlays satellite images with street map data. The two systems (street maps and satellite images) match up now, too, whereas on the last version they still looked different.

Here's my area in UK."

(Via rashbre2.)