There are still millions of people who don’t yet own an iPod and there are many who have never experienced the phenomena known as iPod who will debate the purchase of one for somebody they love. For the uninitiated, it often seems that there is a lot of excitement over something that at first glance appears to merely be a digitized and glorified old style tape recorder. It is for those individuals that we review the true meaning and ability of this device for it is truly an entertainment icon.

An iPod plays music, thousands of hours of personalized music, music selected by the user, and played to sound the way the individual prefers it. Yes, this tiny device has its own equalizer and sound controls. Many users have described the exceptional digital sound quality with earbuds to have opened a whole new world of listening. Users can also develop their own play lists so that they listen to a certain genre of music at different times; for instance, rock music when they run and classical when they drive into work.

It is clear that an iPod offers a lightweight, portable way of listening as it weighs only ounces and is a half inch thick. In the home, iPod can even eliminate all of the old stereo components when used with the iPod Hi-Fi. Again, despite the small size of the iPod Hi-Fi, which is 17″x6.6″x6.9″, sound quality is exceptional and users are in control with the remote.

Beyond iPod’s exceptional musical talents, it also offers the ability to listen to podcasts and audiobooks which can be downloaded off of the internet. Listening is easy and users can book mark the chapters so that they can pick up where they left off without searching.

Current generation iPods offer great video as well through a 2.5″ color display screen. iPod can now store up to 25,000 photos and 150 hours of video. Now users can play music video or ad free TV shows wherever they are. For those who prefer a little more active stimulation, iPod also offers games such as Solitaire, Music Quiz, and others.

With all of its impressive entertainment features, it is also important to realize that the tiny iPod is a great little assistant. From offering a Sleep Timer (alarm clock) function to providing access to calendars and contact lists, iPod offers a portable way of staying on top of things. It even has a Notes function to allow users to keep their “To Do List”, a stop watch, and a World Clock to check the time anywhere in the world. For active users, iPod even has a link with Nike. Through the iPod sport kit a runner can monitor their speed, distance, and calories burned, sync up with the Nike site, and track their performance over time.

iPod may have started as a simple device for listening to music but it has evolved and its future appears to promise even more entertainment functions. Several major car manufacturers will be offering an iPod integration in some models. Will iPod eventually offer Nintendo Games, videoconferencing, the ability to download entire movies, or access to satellite radio? It’s hard to determine, but if the past is a good predictor, it seems likely that more developments are in store for the tiny entertainment device.

The iPod has spawned an entire market and entranced a generation. The elegance and power of this mighty music player is a thing of beauty. Because of the iPod’s popularity, third parties have turned to making iPod accessories in a bewildering array. I thought it would be fun to give you some of the best, most innovative iPod accessories out there.

Pocket Bar & Grill – This is a great little program that, of course, offers up a great array of recipes. Enrique Quintero, the maker, says “Pocket Bar & Grill combines Podtender and PodGourmet into Pocket Bar & Grill. Pocket Bar & Grill has two sections. One is the ‘Bar’ section with 750 mixed drink recipes from A through Z, each drink individually listed. The other section ‘Grill’ contains 225 select gourmet recipe with an index in each category with links to the recipes within that category.” Enrique also offers a vegan version of the Grill. It Requires Macintosh or PC formatted iPod iPod Firmware 2.0 or later and 3rd, 4th or 5th generation iPod or iPod Mini, Nano. The cost of the program is $10. You can find it at: http://www.enriquequinterodesign.com/pocketbargrill.html

wiPod – If you’re a road warrior, you’ll appreciate this little proggie. According to wiPod: “Now when you are on the road you can look up a free hotspot quickly and easily right from your iPod. No, the iPod isn’t wi-fi enabled (yet). wiPod uses the Notes functionality of the iPod OS to store the database in an easy to use format.” And best of all, it’s free – you just have to register at: http://anchorfree.com/wipod/

iSubwayMaps – Everyone is calling for more public transit use. iSubwayMaps helps you by offering, drum roll please, subway maps. There are many maps available, such as: Berlin, Germany; Bilbao, Spain; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Hong Kong; London, UK; Los Angeles, CA; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; Milan, Italy; Montreal, QC; Moscow, Russia; New York, NY; Paris, France; Philadelphia, PA; Salt Lake City; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Tokyo, Japan; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Washington DC. Go get yours – it’s free! You can find it at: http://www.isubwaymaps.com/download.php

ClickWheel – If you love comics, then you are going to love clickwheel. Clickwheel “is a whole new way of using your iPod, and a whole new way of reading comics. Looking for a simple innocent laugh? A dry, sophisticated chuckle? A true story of crime, disaster or ordinary life? A brain-bending exercise in comic art? Turn to us and it’s all in your hands.” That’s straight from the funny folks at Clickwheel. If you’re a comic creator, you can get your comics listed on here for free – with possible commissions if you’re good! Clickwheel is free, get yours at: http://www.clickwheel.net/gallery/list

piPod – New Yorkers love their pizza, there’s no doubt about that. piPod gives them pizza options at their fingertips. “Download piPod, and save it to the Notes directory (in the Extras directory) of your iPod. You’ll get a series of nested menus directing you to the best pizza in the five boroughs of NYC. Browse by borough or pizzeria name.” You have to have an iPod with the notes function. It’s free, you can download it at: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26330

iShield – One of the worst things about owning an iPod is the fear of having it scratched or broken. iShield gives you peace of mind about your iPod (for a full review, see my website below). It is a thin, transparent, durable covering for your iPod. “The invisibleSHIELD is the toughest, most durable screen protector on planet earth. It is made from a film originally created by the military to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling hundreds of miles per hour!” It costs from $10 to $25, depending on the device you purchase it for. You can find it here: http://www.shieldzone.com/

Copyright 2006 Jack Knows Inc.

Use These 4 Quick Steps To Put Videos into your iPod:

1. Do compatibility testing.

You can find out if your video is automatically compatible with your iPod. The easiest way to do this is to simply drag and drop your files from your computer to your iPod. Some videos are compatible with iPod, even if they are not labeled as such. If the transfer goes off smoothly, then it’s compatible. However, if it’s not compatible…

(a) Find conversion programs

iPod stores only Mpeg4 (mp4) format video files so if you’re files are not formatted as such, you need to convert them. Most files from the net are either in .avi or .wmv format. Luckily, there are already websites offering mp4 video downloads so if you can find what you want there, then that’s good. But if not, you still do it the hard way.

There are a lot of programs available for download from the internet. There are also products which you can buy. The choice is all up to you.

(b) From other file types to Mp4

The iTunes installer usually has QuickTime Pro with it and you can use this to convert your videos. First, open the file in QuickTime Pro. After the video has loaded, click File menu and choose Export.

From the Export dialog box, select the Movie to iPod option. Then click on the save button. The conversion process begins and QuickTime will launch a progress bard so you’ll see how the process is doing. A big file will need longer time to convert. After that, the file will be found on your desktop. Open it to see if it’s how you wanted it to look.

You can also use iTunes to do the conversion. What you need to do is to add you video to the iTunes library. Right click and select the “Convert to iPod” option. The program will then start the conversion process, albeit slowly.

2. Get your cable and plug your iPod to the computer

3. Transfer your video files from your computer to your iPod

Now, open your iTunes. Click the option “Add file to library” which is found in the File menu. Browse through your files to find the right one. You can also just drag and drop your files towards the iTunes console to put the video to the iPod.

4. Do some testing

Don’t be complacent about the whole thing. Immediately test the video file by playing it on your iPod. If there are any errors in playing it, try doing the transfer again. If not, there must still be something wrong with your video file format.