Recycled Computing

All I Want for Christmas Is a New iPod touch

- 2010.12.08

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Short link: http://bit.ly/hqIQ0k

It's true: Santa and I have not been the best of correspondents every since that pony incident back in 1965, but this year I'm asking the big fella to deliver me a brand new iPod touch.

4G iPod touch I realize that I am the King of Outdated Hardware, and it is against my MO to buy the new instead of hanging on to the old, but I just had to.

I have a first generation iPod touch, and it has been my faithful companion since I first got it. The iPod syncs painlessly with my Google calendars at work, so I can look at my lab schedules on the go. (Yes, teachers will see me away from my desktop and assume that my mental faculties are so powerful that, off the top of my head, I can tell them that a lab is open B block this Friday.)

I also use the iPod to keep track of my blood sugar levels and blood pressure. There are some good apps to have for CPR (yes, I'm certified) and first aid. It's easy to access my work email, Gmail from Google, and Mobile Me's email as well.

I carry my complete iTunes library with me, although I should make a playlist that only has songs that I regularly listen to. I have downloaded videos to the iPod and used it to watch the occasional video from the Internet.

It's pretty safe to say that I have the iPod touch with me all the time. But now I yearn for the new updated software and the cameras - just think, I can photograph people and things for my address book! And, frankly, I have run out of memory in my current 16 GB iPod touch.

I also look forward to having a built in microphone so I can use my iPod touch as a Skype phone. Onwards to progress!

Other Christmas Gift Suggestions

I have been able to find some neat little things that have made my life with Macs much better. However, I don't know whether you can locate these things, because I bought them at Marshalls, a chain discount store. Marshalls buys clothing (and other things) from major suppliers - overstocks, write-offs, etc. It then passes the savings right to you.

Nike hat with built-in headphones Marshalls also has an assortment of computer accessories with the same savings.

Nike hat with built-in headphones I managed to find a Nike hat that contains built-in headphones. Now before the fashionistas start with their snippy remarks, I live in a state that has the unofficial motto of "Live, Freeze, or Die". We wear hats here, because we don't like to freeze our ears.

If you notice in the close-up photo, the hat has a little pocket, which fits my first generation iPod shuffle and (perhaps) a second or third generation Nano. Thus equipped, I can wear the hat without dangling wires and listen to "all Humble Pie, all the time."

laptop cooling stand I also bought this neat cooling stand from Marshalls. It is collapsible, and when the "legs" are extended, it provides a stable stand for my 12" Powerbook G4. The 12" model has a reputation for running hot, but I think that the aluminum skin heats up (vs. polycarbonate) and alters our perceptions a little as to what is actually going on inside.

Nevertheless, because of it's compact design, this stand is more effective than others I have tried, and it keeps the Powerbook's temperature around 45°C. It also folds up and takes up very little space in my computer bag. For the life of me, I can't remember the brand of it, but it is made in China by Sakar.

Season's Greetings to all!

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