This week we are going to start our discussion on mp3 players; and what better way to start this discussion than by researching iPods. The first iPods were released in October 2001. These small portable music players could hold up to 1,000 songs, which at the time was a lot. Through the years the looks changed and customer satisfaction grew. Today, some of the iPod models are on their 6th generation. Today some of the models can view pictures, watch videos, and play/download games.

Today, there are 4 different iPod models: shuffle, nano, classic, and touch. Starting with the smallest iPod, the shuffle holds 2-4GB of music. That’s 500-1000 songs! The shuffle was designed to “plug and play.” When you turn the shuffle on it “shuffles” you music. Because of the simplicity of it, the battery life is good. Next in line is the iPod nano. The nano hold 8-16GB of songs and photos. As of 2009 the nano doubles as a camera. In fact, the nano can hold anywhere from 7,000-14,000 photos, 2,000-4,000 songs, and 8-16 hrs of video. This device is very popular because of its versatility. The next iPod is the classic. This iPod has kept its same look since it release. The classic holds 160GB of music (40,000 songs), photos (25,000 photos), and video (200 hrs. video). This iPod also costs you a pretty penny at $249. The last iPod we are going to discuss is the touch. The third generation touches is by far the coolest mp3 on the market and like the other does more than play music. The third gen. touch holds 32-64GB of music (7,000-14,000 songs), photos (40,000-90,000 songs), and video (40-80 hrs video). The touch can also download games from the App Store. In fact, there are few differences from the iPod touch and the iPhone (see our blog on the iPhone).

As you have read, the iPod is a nice device and in my opinion #1 when it comes to mp3 players. Until next time, happy teching!

This week we will be talking about Windows Mobile phones. Windows based cell phones are more popular than most people think. Microsoft currently has 53 devices licensed with Windows Mobile operating system. HTC is by far the biggest Windows Mobile carrier. Currently HTC has 18 Windows Mobile phones. Out of the 53 phones, 4 major service providers in the US carry a Windows Mobile phone. Verizon Wireless is the largest carrier of Windows Mobile phones with 12.

So why should I look into a Windows based phone? Windows has always strived to have products that are user friendly. Most of their operating systems, such as Windows XP and 7 have accomplished that. Windows mobile phones have a “Start” menu just like the desktop versions. Anyone who has used a Windows computer before knows this is where to access most, if not all your computer programs. Another cool feature about Windows Mobile phones is the ability to create and edit documents. “Docs to go” allows you to create and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and zip files. This is very useful for those who are constantly on the go. Windows mobile also has a wide range of apps available to download via the MarketPlace.
Until next time, happy teching!

So what are features that I can use daily with the iPhone? The iPhone was designed with both the general public and businesses in mind. In saying that, let’s start with the general features and work our way up. Like most phones, the iPhone has a camera. The 3GS version records video and allows you to edit the video when finished recording. This is great for birthdays, vacations, and other family events. Another feature that comes with all iPhones is the iPod feature. Yes, the iPhone is a fully fledged iPod. This allows for music to play at any time. iTunes is also on the iPhone. This literally means you can purchase videos, music, and games from the comfort of your home; better yet, the comfort of your bed. The iPhone also doubled as a mini computer. Like we mentioned earlier, the iPhone 3GS has a processor that allows for fast internet browsing. Another thing Apple did when creating the iPhone was, think about children’s safety. Apple added Parental Controls to the iPhone. This allows parents to have control over what apps can be downloaded, when songs can be downloaded from iTunes, and what they can watch on YouTube. You can say it’s mom’s best friend. Of course, what phone is complete without messaging feature? The iPhone has almost every kind of messaging feature available today: texting, I.M., email, audio messages, picture messaging, etc. The iPhone can also use Skype.

For the business person, the iPhone is still a great phone. You can set your business email on your phone. Stay in contact with colleagues with the messaging feature discussed earlier. The iPhone also has a built in calendar. You can integrate your Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo calendar on the iPhone. You can also set reminders.

The iPhoneis truly a phone in another league with the 185,000+ apps for download and the processing speed the 3GS offers, not many phones compare. Be sure to listen to our Tech Tuesday interview with Leslie Woodall, Admin. Assistant for BPL as we interview her about her experiences with the iPhone 3GS. Until next time, happy teching!

So how can a BlackBerry be beneficial as a “non-work phone?” As mentioned earlier, a BlackBerry is very handy when keeping in touch with family and friends. With the BlackBerry Messenger app, you can start an instant conversation with a push of the “track ball.” Personal email, such as Gmail, can be accessed on your BlackBerry via a Gmail app. This allows you to send and receive email from your personal Gmail account without logging into a computer. The Gmail app also synchronizes your Google Calendar with the calendar on your phone. Of course like all cell phones now days, BlackBerrys have a texting feature. The good thing about most BlackBerrys is they come with a full keyboard. This makes texting, emailing, and web browsing much easier. Another great feature that comes on all but one BlackBerry is the ease of navigation. Instead of pushing buttons to navigate through menus and the internet, the BlackBerry phones have a track ball; which is basically a computer mouse on your phone. The one BlackBerry, the Storm, is touch screen.

BlackBerrys are reliable phones. They have good battery life and are built tough. I have dropped mine more times than I can count and it still works. If I do happen to break it, loose it, or it becomes submerged in water, then the insurance plan available for these phone would send me a new one. Of course I send them $50, but I think that’s a fair trade off. But anyways, tomorrow I will interview Delbert Terry about his experiences with his BlackBerry. Until next, happy teching!