The next iPod...flash memory...well, maybe.

Will our next iPods be flash memory? According to a piece from the AppleInsider we may be close. Nothing has been confirmed but maybe the next generation iPod will have NAND flash memory instead of the HDD(Hard Disk Drive) beginning late 2007. Right now the iPod uses a 1.8-inch hard drive and giving the fact that it's has the capacity to have 80gigs is pretty amazing. But imagine having a lighter ipod(which weights what, 1pound or so) and the battery life longer what be a big plus.

From what I have read right now the largest in flash memory is 32GB (if I'm wrong please correct me) and the price tag would be>>>more

Thursday Tech News & Commentary

Building a Better Battery>>>more
from Wired Magazine

Wouldn't we want the ultimate battery for our PDAs, our mp3 players, and especially our laptops. I go to the Barnes and Noble, Borders, St. Louis Bread Company restaraunts (everywhere else they are called Pantera Bread Company) some people are using their batteries for their laptops but most of us are searching for a free power outlet(admit it, you do...I know I do). Right now I work on some laptops that is considered dinosaurs. The killing part is when I finally do get around and buy new laptops I will still have the same problems...battery life.

Some of the laptops now have pretty good battery life but I don't believe they have reached the "8" hour mark and I understand why; unlike our mp3 players which really has one function, our laptops, PDAs are doing multiple functions at one time. Safety is a factor as well. Thank the Lord that no one has not been injured during these batteries having a melt down and even though it's a small number of batteries that has been defective, this is not good for Sony.

I have a 3rd generation iPod and the battery life in that puppy sucks big time. the longest it can go is maybe 8 hours (it's helps if I have the equalizer set for flat and why would I have it set that way, I want to hear every sound possible in songs because I listen to mostly instrumental tracks), I also have a mini 6GB mini ipod before the Nano was released. I really like that small mp3 player. The battery life is much better than my older iPod because of the technology. The new Nano are really nice because of the flash memory card which needs less energy because there is no hard drive which means no moving part inside. The article from CNet has many researchers trying to come up with the "ultimate" battery, which would be nice.

The laptops battery life I believe has been helped along by faster and better processors but more needs to be done and from this article they are hard at work but as always, there is not quick solution. I thank the Lord that we even have the technology to do what I'm able to do now. Hey if I haven't received my flying car by now I'm patient enough to wait for a better battery.

One thing that has been looked at is larger flash based so not only would it make the laptop lighter but less components moving meaning longer battery life but I believe that's down the road but for right now I will settle for a safer battery so you and I do not have to worry about not being able to carry our laptops on airplanes or having a picture taken of our laptop after exploding. Just give me a safer battery for now and I will be a happy camper.

Be Blessed,
Be Safe, &
Have a Great Day

more tech news: Mylo has potential, but it has holes, too, Blind Web surfers sue Target, Phones for That Other System

Christian wisdom: Haunting Sin, Caring for the Care Givers, Yielding

Christian & Tech netcast: The Priority of Peacemaking, dl.tv 103; False Premises of Retirement, Your Calls & Emails; NerdTV - Show 2 - Max Levchin

for headline news>>>click here

image: google image

Hackers Claim To Have Cracked iPod Music Code

Hacker Unlocks Apple Music from Information Week

SAN FRANCISCO - A hacker who as a teen cracked the encryption on DVDs has found a way to unlock the code that prevents iPod users from playing songs from download music stores other than Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, his company said Tuesday.

Jon Lech Johansen, a 22-year-old Norway native who lives in San Francisco, cracked Apple's FairPlay copy-protection technology, said Monique Farantzos, managing director at DoubleTwist, the company that plans to license the code to businesses.

"What he did was basically reverse-engineer FairPlay," she said. "This allows other companies to offer content for the iPod.">>>more

to read the devotions & my comments>>>click here

Two Good (and fun) Things Coming This Week To The Web

Firefox 2>>>more
from CNet.com

Two good things are being released this month which to me that makes the web fun...Mozilla Firefox and Vox. Firefox 2.0 web browser has improved their browser and this is the reason I will not make IE7(Internet Explorer 7 now released) my main web browser. What make Firefox a cool browser is the features, the plug-ins, the tabbing (without this tabbing, I could not do my blogs as smooth as I do), the themes I can change, but it's the security that has always sold me on this open source product.

By this being open source it's like having a 24 hour security system for your browser. A couple of other things they have added that is cool is the spell checker, this works great for when you're doing blogs and it's has a tool where you can add words to your personal dictionary as well. CNet gives this product 8.3(how they come with the .3 I have no idea) out of 10. My advise to you, load it on your system and use IE7 only for either your updates for Windows or when you truly have to use the "other" web browser.

Firefox is available for the Mac, Windows, and Linux, check it out.

The other good thing that is being released to the public is a blogging tool from Ben and Mena Trott from Six Apart, Vox. This Thursday they are taking of the beta and invite sticker and releasing it to the public. I have been using Vox for a couple of months now and let me tell you, this to me is the "Apple" of blogging for me. It really makes blogging fun again. From the quick, interchangable templates, to uploading audio, video this let's do what you have always wanted to do...write. I like Blogger, my main blog is with Blogger what I like about it is I can tweak it by adding different items to it but sometime you can get bogged down with just doing that...tweaking it. With Vox (which is my personal blog) I can write and keep going. Some people may not like because you can't tweak it like TypePad, WordPress, or Blogger but to my advise..enjoy Vox for what it is...a fun tool to get to writing. A big shout out to Ben, Mena and the entire group from Six Apart for coming out with this wonderful, fun blogging tool, the Macintosh of blogging.

My advise, download the latest Firefox, use Vox, open upten (I know "upten" is not a word but it's a fun word so bear with me, okay?)tabs on Firefox, load audio tracks on Vox and blog to your hearts content. This way you can listen to tracks from other "Voxers" and write at the same time...a win-win situation.

Be Blessed, Be Safe &, never take that special person in your life for granted.

other tech news: Hacker claims to have cracked iPod restrictions, Microsoft Offers Vista Discounts To Holiday Shoppers, World's fastest texter bested by computer

Christian reading for your soul: Commitment, Characteristics Of Great Leaders, How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

netcasts for your spirit and tech for your head: Replace a Critical Attitude . . . ( Part 2 ), MacBreak Weekly 12: Smokin', The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, NerdTV - Show 1 - Andy Hertzfeld

headline news>>>click here

photo: google image

Just A Reminder....

from my techmusicgospel blog...


I don't know why this has been on my mind but I should share this with you. If you have an iPod (and I'm sure many of you have) there are a couple of great programs that's only $21-$22. They are Tune Transfer & Tune Tools for iPod from ValueSoft (you can find this software at Office Depot, OfficeMax, Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Staples). There may be some freeware programs out there I'm sure but for this price you can't be this little program that will save you much grieve down the road.

I recently lost about 200 songs from a hard drive that died on me and the hard drive wasn't a year old. The hard drive was under warranty but the songs I download from Apple are gone and dumb me, who tell people all the time, "back up your data" didn't backup mine (...i know practice what you preach). I heard that Wil Wheaton got in contact with Apple because he lost his songs and they allowed him to download his songs again (but he starred on Star Trek: TNG) do you think if I tell them I was Worf in Star Trek:TNG they will let me get my songs back? anyway...

This little program will allow you to backup your iTunes or any mp3s you have on your iPod to another folder or another drive. The software is very simple to use and it's worth it. One more piece of advise...burn them to a CD or DVD...soon. I say this because it's always and I do mean ALWAYS good to have a hard copy of your data. This tip you probably have heard before but I implore you to do so...soon because you never know.

Be Blessed,
Be Safe, &
Have a Great and Productive Day. :-)