The Newest Thing Presentation

Monkey Bites definitely keeps one informed on the happenings in the technology world of today. The topics featured are so varied. Everything from “stikkit”, the digital post it note… to “blogmailr” which allows you to email posts to your blog …to “nottr” an application that organizes your notes for you. The topics are endless.

The one topic of conversation that came up continuously was how to download music from one’s iPod. I don’t even own an iPod and I found myself caught up in the details of whether or not it was possible. Several “cross platform solutions” as they were termed were identified. Programs like iPodRip were available for Mac as well as Windows users, as well as iPod Access that also interfaced well with Mac and Windows. After all was said and done, Monkey Bites seemed to identify Yamipod as the preferred option for retrieving ones favorite playlists. As a result of all the iPod discussion one thing is for certain, I’m getting an iPod for Christmas.


Another neat site that Monkey Bites introduced me to was RockYou. This site allows you to upload your photos and create really cool slideshows equipped with neat graphics and music. I upload my husband’s tux photo and incorporated the “James Bond” theme song along with the “Casino Royale” chips floating graphic and created my own personal 007 agent. (Smile) This is a creative tool that I will be using for personal photos from now on.

One other topic that I must mention was about Flixster. This “social networking site” is centered on movies. The site allows you to rate as well as preview movies. You can check out movie reviews, make recommendations to your friends, and play the “never ending movie quiz”. For frequent movie watchers this is a must "check-out".

Lastly, I have to include the Line Rider as one of my favorite newest things learned from this class. Thanks to the E-entertainment group, I’m hooked. The line rider is so cool! I’ve gotten pretty good at it, and now my little sleigh rider is flipping through hoops and tunnels. If you haven’t tried the game, visit linerider.com and give it a try.

Monkey Bites is a great resource and one site that will be on my bookmark forever.

Well Its About Time...

Or is it? When I saw this blog message "Games 4 Girls Gamestop" I thought well its about time. How neat is this? Finally, us women have games specifically for us. Who says we're not interested in having a little fun during our downtime? Unfortunately, some of the female critics thought the Bratz and Barbie games with all the pink frilly stuff was a bit much. The gripe was it doesn't appeal to women who are already into games. Perhaps this explains my interest in the pink, cutesy games. I'm not an avid game player so what do I know. I thought the intentions of the game industry were admirable. According, to ardent female game players it wasn't. It was a smack in the face. The game industry is marketing to young girls, and not adult women who want games in the games section marketed to them. Sounds like the game industry is missing out on some big bucks. Perhaps, in time, the "ole boys club" of the game industry will learn that they need some women representation to help market games to women. What's FUBU's philosophy? "For Us By Us". I think the same could apply here.

The slick, mini device called iPod is changing the way people enjoy music. These super, cool devices can hold up to 20,000 songs! Some even allow you to download up to 25,000 pictures as well as, hours of video. In my opinion, this little gadget has revolutionized the wonkman, sound systems, digital cameras and DVD's. You can hold just about everything on this little device that fits into the palm of your hand.

The iPod can come with cases, or car kits, or loading docks for "convenient syncing." I even saw in the JCPenney catalog where your iPod can be docked on clock/radio allowing you to listen to your favorite playlists anywhere in your home. According to the catalogue description it "works with all iPod models and recharges the batteries while plugged in".

Believe it or not, for the first time a week ago, I got a chance to see a real, deal iPod. A co-worker in the office was working away while she was plugged in via "earbuds" listening to her favorite playlist. The device was so tiny. I was amazed at how much music it held. She explained to me that she simple downloaded music from her PC or from iTunes. She had enough music that she could listen to for days without having to repeat a song. Really neat technology.

According to wikipedia, "The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands". After witnessing my co-worker's iPod, I am definitely adding this gadget to my Christmas list.

One of the challenges faced with the popular iPod gadget is how to get your music off of the iPod. According to Monkey Bites, it is not easy. "In fact, using only the tools provided by Apple, is impossible; there is no way to transfer songs from an iPod to anywhere else." The reason for this is so consumers won't go around copying one another's music from their iPod. But Monkey Bites explains that there are a number of very legitimate reasons why one may need to "transfer songs from an iPod to your hard drive. For instance, suppose your hard drive crashes taking all your MP3 with it? What if the capacity of your iPod is larger than your notebook hard drive and, as you load music onto your iPod, you delete it off your hard drive to conserve space?"

This seems reasonable to me. But I believe the iPod brings up the entire issue of music piracy and how to properly monitor or enforce music downloads. I'm not sure that I understand how different this is from the old days of taping music from the radio or copying a tape from my neighbor. Anyways, one thing is certain people are, and will learn how to transfer music from their iPod. The question I raise is, will it be legal?