Will Kelly

External Battery for iPod

My iPod has become a constant companion with my metro commute and life on a client site cube farm. In fact, I recently upgraded to a 5G iPod for my upcoming Paris trip.

While I am not looking forward to the long plane flight, I picked up an external battery for my iPod in hopes of keeping myself entertained. Here are the technical specs:

External Battery Pack: Compatible with all Apple iPods with dock connection, Lithium-ion cell battery pack will last 40~48hrs on a full charge, Chemistry: Lithium-ion cell, Capacity: 3200mAh, Input: 5~12V, Output Voltage: 5V, Output Current: 1000mA max, Charge Time: 5-7hrs (travel charger) included, Charge Time: 9-11hrs (USB data dock cable) not included, Cycle Life: 500 times, Operating Temperature: -10C~40C, Storage and Transportation Temperature: -20C~50C, Dimension: 101x60x16 mm, Weight: 136g

Challenging the iPod?

Gates: We will challenge iPod (from news.com)

REDMOND, Wash.--Microsoft and its hardware partners will continue to develop new digital media devices aimed at challenging the dominance of Apple Computer's ubiquitous iPod music player, Chairman Bill Gates said on Friday.

Microsoft has never needed to be the first to market with anything. They sit back and study new markets and let other players be the first one out of the gate. Mistakes in the market happen and Microsoft learns from them.

Now, Microsoft is turning its guns on the Apple iPod, a firmly entrenched market leader with a successful product that has knocked some MP3 Player Manufacturers out of the market.

Let the games begin...

 

Video iPod Rumors

Commuting on the metro and sharing a sometimes noisy office means I spend a lot of time listening to music on my iPod. My iPod also goes to the gym with me. Since I write about mobile computing for PC Today Magazine, I've also started following iPod news developments in earnest.

Video iPod Revealed (Maybe)  from Gizmodo carries a rumor about the next release of the Video iPod.

Listening to Music at Work

iPods in our Pods (from washingtonpost.com)

Phyllis Davis, a business etiquette expert, condemns listening to music on the job as "tantamount to stealing" because, she said, workers who are listening to digital players aren't as focused.

So listening to music on the job is tanatamount to stealing? What about the dull roar of personal conversations on the phone that aren't work related? Is that stealing? What about cubicle neighbors chatting with each other? Stealing? What about the aroma delivered from a spicy lunch to the rest of unsuspecting cubicle dwelling masses? Would Phyllis consider that stealing?

Obviously, ole Phyllis has never  had to endure a cube farm during her business career.

Leesburg had good cheap beer and music

The band was a good cover band

Moving to the iPod

I recently bought a 20GB iPod. Why did I waste my time with the Dell JukeBox and MusicMatch!?! The first few days with the iPod have been pure joy.  I haven't made a technology purchase that foolish since I bought a Texas Instrutments laptop once upon a time. When is the last time you saw a TI laptop?

My new iPod kept the playlists of my travel to New York City for recent business.

Even opening up the iPod box for the first time is a rich customer experience. The arts of branding, packaging and customer experience are alive and well at Apple.