iPod and iTunes, my thoughts

While working in Boston, and then in London, we had the freedom to download iTunes onto our work laptops. So, all music and podcasts were on my London computer. But, now in Paris, we cannot even sneeze on our keyboard without asking for administrator approval it seems. As I try to spend most of my day with headphones on listening to music, I needed to break down and buy one of the original, large storage, iPods as I only have the tiny Shuffle. I bought one when in the States in September.

After spending enough money on the iPod ‘classic’, the newest version too, I have a few suggestions :

1) Volume. I use Shure SE210 sound isolating ear buds (I love these!). Because of the noise reduction, I often turn the volume way down low and still find it loud enough. Problem with my new iPod – the volume cannot be turned down all the way to zero. So its quietest setting is still too loud when I’m walking to the Metro early morning, on the train, etc.

2) When I go to Music, the Artists, why isn’t there an alphabet that allows me to immediately jump to a letter? I hate having to scroll through everything. And, when I’m at Pearl Jam and I want Aerosmith, I might want to go PQRST...XYZA .. why won’t you let me? Why do you insist I go backwards through the alphabet?

3) On the ‘Now Playing’ screen, the song name scrolls past so you can see the whole thing, but why doesn’t the artist name, or the album?

4) I added the clock so it appears in the top left corner, opposite the battery symbol ; and it is in 24h time like I want. But why when the screen fades out does the clock on the main screen show up in 12h?

5) Why can’t I add/change a rating of a song on my iPod? I can change contacts etc in my BlackBerry and that syncs with my computer, so why not with an iPod? (And don’t tell me to get an iPhone, I want the functionality on my iPod)

5a) Same concept – why can’t I add/delete a song from a playlist while on my iPod? If I‘m using this the most and not sitting in front of my computer, what am I supposed to do? Keep a paper list of ratings and/or playlist changes?

6) This is more for iTunes, rather than iPod, but I think a feature should be added so I can see what playlists a song is in. You know, like in Gmail how a message can be in several folders and you can see that plain as day.

Am I missing something in the settings?

Everybody's on the Phone

I got a new laptop at work this week as part of the company’s job to get us upgraded to Vista (from Office 2001). Of course, it is a full year project for our Branch. I was interviewed back in April regarding what software I use, programs, language preferences, etc. Four months later, voila. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, I did get it in August, the month of nearly full-unemployment in Paris as everyone takes 2-6 weeks holiday.

I opted for a French keyboard (AZERTY, not QWERTY) because you can change the settings so it types as if it were the latter - this way if the laptop is given to a French person to use, or if I want to type in French, it’s easier.

However, I did opt for English software (Microsoft Vista). There was no way I was going to continue to suffer with keyboard shortcuts (i.e. CTRL-G for bold, while CTRL-B deletes or closes a program or something sinister like that) Nor was I going to try to learn Vista in another language.

How do I feel about Vista....? BLECH.

It seems like a 3rd grader helped develop the format/layout of all the menu bars. in Excel, Word & PowerPoint - it’s set up more to look pretty than to be functional. I hope I’m not in a hurry any time the next few weeks because there is not much logical in terms of how things are named nor arranged, nor are there many similarities with Windows XP - in my opinion.

Vista reminds me a lot of the operating interface of my MacBook, and that just makes me angry. Is Bill Gates trying to be like Steve Jobs or something? Does Microsoft think that by making its software look similar to iWork that it’ll prevent people from becoming Mac users, or convince Mac users to buy a PC?

For example : there is a tool bar on the desktop that has a calendar, clock, news fee, and options to add other things. Hmmm...it’s just the Dock in Mac, but not as good. The setup of what was Windows Explorer now looks a lot like Finder in Mac. Even things in Excel, how sheets are arranged, is more like Numbers in iWork.

What really irks me is that I liked using a PC at work and a Mac at home - the programs were different enough that my brain could differentiate. Now, my brain is just all sorts of confused.

And, I’ve only had the new PC for 6 hours at work. It’s going to be a long week this week and a more loathsome Monday than usual.

Mac setback

Well, I don't know if I'd call it a 'set back' so much with my MacBook, rather than just frustration and lack of time and energy to figure it all out. Sure, I have the simple things like iTunes and Safari (internet) figured out, but besides that (i.e. the other 99% of the machine), I'm clueless.

For example : 

--I want to upload photos to Flickr, but the whole organisation scheme in iPhoto is taking some getting used to.

--I have discovered the dashboard, but then when I go to Apple's website (which btw with the new software upgrades, the link no longer works) and search for more widgets, I am bombarded with a plethora of choices (something which, if you know me, you know paralyzes me). I'm sure 99% of those choices are not essential and probably would actually degrade my quality of life (in terms of providing useless information, being a time sink, etc.)

--I bought iWork, and I KNOW it is different from MS Office, but for someone who has spent the past 12 years using MS Office and becoming quite good at Excel, and with keyboard shortcuts and menu functions, this is more than different. When I open one of my Excel files in Numbers and work on it and then save it, why must it save it as a new Numbers file - thus giving me TWO files on my computer, taking up space? It's little things like that that bother me.

So, as I figure out this here new fangled machine, I will upload photos and post more. And yes, I know that there is this thing called the Internet and I can 'do the google' and find all sorts of information. However, that takes time, which I seem to keep losing. Until then, grumble grumble.

Here's hoping

Here's hoping that the two loads of laundry I just put in the automatic washers here in temporary housing all come out the same size and shape as they were when I put them in. I had some issues w/ the "darks" - there might quite possibly be 2x or 3x the normal amount of soap in there! I just don't understand the autmatic machines where soap is included somehow, dials, electronic displays, and instructions in "5 words or less French". Deep breaths!

Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

What would you do if you lost everything on your computer – downloaded emails, photos, music, documents – everything ? Would it matter to you, or is everything on your computer “not essential” to your everyday life and mental well-being? Well, if anything on your computer is worth anything to you – BACK UP NOW.

I am speaking from experience as I “lost” everything on my laptop last week.

Background – My laptop is from 2002 and I haven't really used it the last 2-3 years except for watching DVDs because I had no internet in Allston. Therefore, I hadn't done any tech updates for 2-3 years. So, this summer, I thought I would get upgraded with all the Microsoft software updates, etc. When I did, I got the "blue screen of death." Couldn't get past it, even in 'safe mode.'

My last backup was probably in 2004 or 2005, so everything since then is gone forever. However, since I didn't use my laptop for much, rather saving everything on my work computer, and since I didn't have a digital camera, and since I didn't buy music online, etc... it's not much of a headache. Sure, I know I lost some things - I just cannot think of what besides a handful of documents - nothing major that I can remember now (I don't know if that's good or bad!).

The biggest pain will be restoring everything from the backup CDs and uploading all my music (provided, that is, that my laptop works - I haven't restarted it since I got it back).

For only $100 you can buy 320 GB of memory on an external hard drive. So answer me this : You go to the dentist annually, you take your car in for regular check-ups, you call friends and family to check-in, you pay your insurance premiums and update your policy and safe-deposit box, you have alarm systems on your cars and homes, you might even go to church on “C&E” to save your soul – so why don’t you take your computer in for a check-up and why don’t you back up your data?

Back up your data now. Make it a 2009 resolution. Back up now, back up in July (or after you’ve uploaded your summer vacation photos) and back up at the end of the year. Do it now.

Future Generator

On the London Transport Museum's website, there is a 'game' called Future Generator. It's a fun and informative way to look at how current choices will shape the future landscape of life in a city. It breaks it into 4 possible scenarios (as listed in my results below). Some of the potential results are interesting - such as playground games will replace electronic games!!!

While the Intro is interesting, it's the same global warming information we're all used to. Skip the Intro if you're on board with saving the environment. Watch it if you're one of those crazy people who think global warming isn't a problem.

There are 16 questions total, given in batches of 4. Interestingly enough, if you 'play' again, some of the questions are different. They're set up somewhat like the Myers-Briggs personality test, that is 'which do you prefer: a or b'. At the end of each set, a pie chart appears showing your 'future.' Be careful though, after question 16, you can click on your results, but you won't see this pie chart again.

I was 17% carbon controlled; 73% local living; 0% energy shock; and 10% always on.

Play the game and let me know your results! Click here

Changing Channels

TV is bad…I am now sitting here watching Columbo (give me some credit, the Hallmark channel just called it a “classic” one of two pilots that ‘cemented the shows status for 30 years’). Actually, I’m trying to find any show like CSI … Law & Order, Cold Case, even Diagnosis Murder (i.e. Dick van Dyke, 1993).

What is hilarious about these “older” episodes (1990s) is how unsophisticated the criminals were, and the police investigations! Or maybe it’s just that CSI is so advanced? I mean, in some of these, the criminals are not wearing gloves, they leave clues behind, etc. And the cops never seem to find it. But, in CSI, they can solve a murder from a miniscule trace of a jacket’s fabric.

Anyway, I figured this was a great time to post this link about “People Who Live Without TV”. (And, if you have kids, I really suggest reading the article.)

This was me for 6 years; and, in retrospect, it was nice. I’m sitting here wondering what I’d be doing without a TV right now. Granted, having a cold and having my whole body ache (wait, that’s the flu), I’d probably be watching a DVD on my laptop; but otherwise, I’d be reading, going for a walk, going through the piles of papers around my flat, emailing, and being otherwise productive.

I’m not sure what I’ll do in Paris – part of me says only basic TV, so then I’m forced to listen to the language but part of me says getting a full cable package would be good for days when I just want to listen to English.

Anyway – do you think you watch too much TV? If you didn’t have TV, what would you be doing this weekend instead?

(oh, p.s., in the article, I was not the “guy” interviewed in Boston! Although I wish I had met him!)