Tags: nano, ipod, iPhone, Apple, Downloads, Music

Everyone wants to keep their iPod looking as good as new, but this can be difficult sometimes, especially since the product seems to attract scratches.

Purchase a case to cover the iPod. Cases are available in a variety of colors and material. They usually have a vinyl material that covers the screen. Sometimes cases can be bulky and inconvenient. Not only that, they hide the sleek design of the iPod.

The Apple store offers trendy socks that are fitted to the iPod. The socks come in a set of six different colors. To use, simply slide the iPod into the sock to keep it from being exposed to elements that will scratch its surface. One of the drawbacks to using a sock is that you will have to slide it in and out of the sock whenever you need to use the click wheel. The iPod sock is compatible with all iPod models except iPod shuffle.

Also available from the iPod store are iPod nano Tubes. As the name suggests these are designed specifically for the iPod nano. The tubes come in a set of five colors. The tube is made from silicone and is resistant to dirt and stains. There is clear cover for the display screen and it allows the user to access the click wheel and hold button.

iSkin designed specifically for the iPod Nano designed to protect your iPod during athletic activities such as running or exercising. iSkin offers iSkin slims and iSkin DuoBand, both as exercise companions. Both have a polycarbonate layer that allows the user to view the device screen and access the click wheel to adjust volume or change songs.

Purchase a shield or film product. These kinds of products cover the scratchable surface of the iPod with a clear film that keeps the body from getting scratched. Since these products are clear, you can still keep the look of the iPod and keep it free from scratches.

There are several options available. The first is invisibleSHIELD. This is a clear cover that is made from a material that is also used to protect helicopter blades. The film is cut perfectly to cover everything except the corners of the iPod. The cover uses an adhesive to stick to the iPod and claims not to leave a residue. Screen protectors and click wheel covers are available if you do not wish to cover the entire iPod.

Power Support offers two film covers; one for the iPod Nano and one for the 5G iPod. Both films are made from a more rigid material. Some users claim this film is more durable than the soft flexible films. The Power Support film does not leave a sticky residue because it uses a static cling to adhere to the product. The sets include three pieces: a film for the front of the iPod (excluding the click wheel), a film for the back cover, and a cover for the click wheel. The film set does not cover the sides so that there are no hanging edges that could eventually peel. Both the invisibleSHIELD and the Power Support Film Sets are thin enough so that a case can still be used if desired.

To remove scratches that are already on your iPod you can use Brasso. The product is available in most grocery and hardware stores. Apply Brasso to a cotton ball or cotton round and scrub the parts of the iPod that have scratches. Be careful not to confuse the dirt and grime with thinking your iPod is melting. This is just the product doing its job. If you are cleaning an iPod nano, you might want to use a cloth that is less abrasive than cotton balls to avoid adding new scratches. You can use water to rinse the Brasso from the iPod after you have finished scrubbing the scratches.

Since there are various methods to protect your iPod, you can decide the one that is best for you by first deciding if you want to accessorize with color or preserve the sleek look of your iPod. If you want to add some color to your protection, an iPod case is the best selection for you. On the other hand, if you want to sport the sleek look of the iPod without adding extra color, the shield and film products are best for you. Of course, you can always double the protection and do both.



By: Jason Cox

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Apple’s new nano is designed to improve upon the past models and add some functionality. The improved video, smaller thinner body and updated firmware are enough to make it stand out.

The Looks

First the aesthetics. Some people will prefer the gen2 nano’s longer body with the larger click wheel. Apple shortened the body in order to limit breaks due to the former generation flexing in people’s pockets and bags.

The longer nano was prone to bend (and sometimes break) when people put them in their pocket and sat down or moved around.

Another change motivated by durability is the metal face. The old clear composite face was a magnet for smudges and scratches.

The new metal face holds up nicer. Be warned though; it does chip and scratch some more, so get a cover. Apple does lose some points for the smaller click-wheel being awkward. It’s a trade-off.

The Sound

Sound quality is not significantly improved from previous models. The slight improvements touted in Apple’s marketing are exagerated.

However, let’s be fair to Apple here. They are not alone when it comes to high cost MP3 players with only moderate fidelity sound.

Almost no MP3 players are actually designed for audiophiles / musicians / sound engineers; i.e., the people who could tell the difference between good sound and great sound.

Keep in mind also that MP3 is a compression technology that does experience quality loss. Particularly, with a lower bitrate your MP3 files will lose more and more of the sound integrity from the original recording.

Combine that with the fact many people rip from CDs that are not digitally mastered, and you would get inferior sound quality with any device.

Features

Other than the changes in the body design, not many new features are noteworthy with this device.

There are some changes in the components and software that do make the screen brighter and allow you to do more things, including watch videos and play games. Some complain there isn’t enough memory for video.

But you can still get enough on here for a cross-country flight. It’s a nice extra even if these nanos don’t have tremendous memory.

The flash memory in this device could have been a higher speed. However, the main advantages of the flash player are still here: less risk of hardware failure associated with a hard disk drive player (better for running or working out).

The device does seem to have a slighly shorter battery life than advertised. Perhaps there is a trade-off with the shorter form factor.

Few users will notice this as they are still likely to get a day’s worth of use from a full charge.

Apple’s software is still a weakness with very limited direct control over your device library and few file options. However, most users have limited needs and will not notice. Apple hits the minimum compatibility needs of most of the market.

Coverflow is little more than a gimmick. It’s still buggy and covers tend to blank out if you scroll quickly.

Cover art has been downloaded with previous software versions and with other players, so the ability to scroll covers is not really a breakthough.

Keep in mind that the iPod actually still has less features than most competitive devices. It doesn’t have a radio tuner, voice recorder, bluetooth, WMA support, etc. But what it does it does well.

Overall this device is an improvement. Apple really wins with sleek design and a wealth of accessories.

This unit is no different. While it is not perfect, none of the competition is good enough to dominate it any time soon.



By: Ricardo D Argence

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With the ever-increasing popularity of the iPod and all its various forms, it follows that more and more accessories will become both important and appealing to iPod owners. Here are three new accessories that iPod owners may want to consider purchasing.

Podolock The Podolock is a hard acrylic case for the iPod mini that helps to secure it from theft or unauthorized use. Along with the case is a cable that goes through the top of the case that enables the user to dock the iPod to a table, steering wheel, or other stable base. With the increasing numbers of iPods being stolen, cases like these may become handy for iPod owners. Podolocks will begin shipping next month and will be available for about $20, with the cables ranging from about $10 to $20.

TuffWrap Accent TuffWrap Accents are new cases for iPod Video that will protect the devices from scratches and bumps. Optional inserts protect the screen and click wheel. There are three options for these two-tone silicone cases: blue and gray, yellow and black, red and black. The cases also feature ribbed sides for a more secure grip, and the texture of the overall case prevents the iPod from sliding unnecessarily. TuffWrap Accents sell for about $29.95.

Iconz Iconz are stylish and fun durable cases that feature a logo, icons, or images that cover the face of the iPod Video. The backs of the cases are translucent, and the Iconz feature play-through control for the click wheel and integrated screen protection. Available images include cartoon and/or movie icons such as the Superman or Batman logo, your favorite MLB team, or your NBA team. Iconz with NBA images including a team and, in some cases, a player are available for the iPod Nano. Iconz for the iPod Video are available for about $29.95, while the Iconz for the iPod Nano are available for about $24.95.

iPods



By: Jason Hahn

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0carina asked:


I accidentally pulled the cord of the headphones, making the ipod fall. There are no scratches, but is there anything to worry about internally? And aren’t nanos built in with flash memory?

Amaunette asked:


I just got an 80 GB iPod Classic. I needed a new ipod because my 2nd Gen got dropped at the gym too many times. What is the best iPod case for impact protection? Do the hard clear plastic ones work well? How about the silicone ones? Leather? I am not as worried about scratches, since even my old cheap neopropene case protected against that. Please note I am not intentionally dropping my iPod, but it does happen sometimes.

Waiting for Madelyn asked:


I left my ipod in my purse next to a package of candy and the packaging left colored spots on my ipod clickwheel. I also have some scratches on the back but Im not to concerned with those. Any ideas on what to use to clean it?

When it comes to ipod handling, we need to be very careful. Normally people after getting the ipod just un-wrap it and start using immediately. However we have seen in many cases of dirtied or scratched ipods including scratched ipod screen or as well broken ipod screen. Here are few ways to take good care of your iPod once it is out of the box.

IPod Nano and Video

The risky areas comprise the iPod screen, iPod click wheel and also the back. It is really good to buy iPod screen and wheeling protector immediately at the point of purchase. Get a good silicone screen and wheel protector, which does not use adhesive glue. Next, you should consider a silicone or a leather case. Generally people prefer a leather case as it makes your IPod classier and leather cases of various color could be found. It is very important to buy correct size case. If you can afford, it is good to buy an original leather case as it makes the iPod much classier. An open top Apple leather case is good, but however it is more expensive.

IPod mini

The iPod Mini is stronger than the normal iPod as it is shaped up of aluminum. It does not grate easily nor does it go dirty easily. However, the iPod Mini screen and wheel stay in danger and it is strongly encouraged that you buy a screen and wheel protector for it. Once you have bought a skin wrap, a case could be optional, as it is protected well. Many people still love to carry a case as iPod mini has huge range of cases and it has become fairly in style statement.

IPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle is made up of hard-bitten acrylic and an external case is not really necessary. For people who like to use the shuffle for extreme activities or sports, an outer silicone case would be good to prevent it form scratches. There are many brands available but be sure to buy one, which has a cut-out or a thinned skin when the iPod shuffle controls are so that you could control the shuffle even in its casing. A lanyard is another high-quality idea as the original shuffle lanyard is not working with an external skin.



By: Sheeba

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