Congratulations! You are the proud owner of n iPod; maybe more than one, if it’s just after holiday season and you were the beneficiary of such nice presents!

Now, we’re noted earlier that Apple has done a very good job of making things as simple as possible. However, there are limits to how simple things can get; and there are elements of iPod ownership that can be a little bit complicated.

If you’re intimidated by technology, or if like a lot of people you’re worried about doing some damage, then this section is for you!

–> The Remote

The iPods are small, delicate things; particularly the iPod nano. While they are somewhat designed for real-life usage, they are vulnerable to the elements and to scratching. For this reason, many people gladly reach for their iPod remote instead of fiddling with their precious little device by hand.

Fiddling with your iPod while driving is risky business, but if you absolutely must do so, think about using a remote control, a valuable device even if your iPod is within reach. Apple makes one and it retails for about $40.00-$45.00.

–> Car iPod?

Yup, in case you aren’t aware, you can mount your iPod in your car and enjoy it as you motor to work (or anywhere else for that matter). In June of 2004, MacWorld magazine conducted a survey of mounting options available for iPods, and discovered about a dozen products available, ranging in price from $15.00 to $50.00. Some devices hook into vents, some are for dockable iPods only, some tilt and swivel, and still others attach to car dashboards.

If you do decide to mount your iPod to your car (thus making it a much cooler car!), you probably want to know how to fine tune your iPod once it’s mounted. This is a little easier said than done! It takes a bit of tweaking the mounting installation so that you can get the sound quality and direction that you want.

A man named Franklin Tessler, who allegedly and in his own words spent more money than he should have installing an iPod in his Infinity G35, wrote:

“if you hear a humming or whining sound when the iPod is playing, install a ground loop isolator between the iPod and the head unit.”

He adds that Radio Shack sells one for less than $20.00 (part number 270-054).

If you browse through any computer or electronic magazines, the iPod-related advertisements alone should clue you into the many ways you can use your iPod: many iPod users like to listen to their iPods in the car – probably the one single place where most listening is done.

Griffin (www.griffintechnology.com) is marketing the iTrip which attaches your iPod to the built-in FM stereo of any car.

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com -
http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ – devoted to helping individuals get the most
out of their Ipod.

–> Multiple Language Supports

Thinking of buying an iPod and sending it to a relative or friend overseas? If so, then you might be concerned about the menu, and the fact that it’s in English. Well, worry no more!

Actually, initial versions of the iPod already offered 14 different languages. Now, especially since sales of the iPod have boomed worldwide, latest generation versions offer more than twice as many languages, including:

 Czech
 Danish
 Dutch
 English
 Finnish
 French
 German
 Greek
 Hungarian
 Italian
 Japanese
 Korean
 Norwegian
 Polish
 Portuguese
 Russian
 Simplified Chinese
 Spanish
 Swedish
 Traditional Chinese
 Turkish

Also, for song information only, the iPod menu supports:

 Bulgarian
 Croatian
 Romanian
 Serbian
 Slovak
 Slovenian
 Ukrainian

–> It Knows when You’re Listening…

Speaking of versatility, one advantage that the iPod has it that it can sense whether headphones are being used or not. If you’re listening to music and you pull the headphone jack out of its port, the iPod will pause.

But remember that if you re re-attach the headphones, the music will not play by itself, you’d have to do that manually.

However, if you’ve set your iPod to sleep mode or turned off, plugging in the headphones will get the song to play again.

–> Get Ready for the iPod Photo!

So the iPod offers you music, educational tools, and now photo display! Apple released the iPod photo in early 2005. The portable music player now has a color screen to allow users to display photos and album art.

The iPod photo can send photos to a television via a composite or S-video cable.

The iPod photo can hold 30,000 photos, but it costs “an arm and a leg” according to some consumers. Rumors have it however that as soon as it’s picked up and given a look-see, the temptation to buy one gets very, very strong. So beware!

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com -
http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ – devoted to helping individuals get the most
out of their Ipod.

You may have heard about something called the iPod Nano; or you may have just bought one (or received one as a gift…how nice!). Because at the time of this writing the iPod Nano is so new, we want to take a closer look at it here.

Chances are, most readers will want to know more about this latest creation from the thinkers at Apple.

The iPod Nano is very tiny. In fact, it’s about the size of a portable flash drive (those little memory sticks that people walk around with and plug into their laptops).

The iPod Nano has all of the features of the iPod mini, with the real differences being size, storage capacity, and technical scalability (we’ll look at this in a second).

Similar to the mini, the nano also has a color screen, and the beloved grey wheel that must be depressed in order to work (which, as noted, is a feature that Apple added based on feedback from early iPod consumers).

The iPod Nano weighs – get this – an ounce, which MacWorld equates to the heaviness of 6 credit cards.

Since most of us carry about a dozen cards in our wallet or purse – everything from library cards to gas cards to a driver’s license and more – it’s really quite amazing that something so technologically advanced could be so light!

Other remarkable features of the iPod nano include the fact that it has a stop watch, which can record lap times (which is great for those who listen to their iPod nano as they jog!).

The iPod nano also has a world clock, which is perfect for travelers, and has 22 preset listening modes.

We noted the iPod nano’s technical scalability, and this is something that many people are quite pleased with.

To enhance the functionality of this tiny little creation – and, of course, to boost sales! – Apple has enabled the iPod nano to play songs wirelessly through any home theater, via Bluetooth technology.

This is a very significant feature that many iPod nano users are extremely happy about. In seconds (even less!), they can listen to their tunes through a state-of-the-art home entertainment system: no wires, no fuss, just sitting back and hearing their favorite songs sound as good as a live concert; in some cases, even better.

While most of the publicity about the iPod Nano has been overwhelmingly positive, there is some negative feedback also. The color screen is prone to scratching, which can make reading the menus difficult.

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com -
http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ – devoted to helping individuals get the most
out of their Ipod.