Playlistmag reports that a Taiwanese company
just announced this clone. It looks exactly like the iPod
Shuffle but also has an FM tuner and voice recording capacity. Nice to have
extra features – an FM tuner would be nice on any iPod. At Engadget there’s even a link to the cloned Apple ads. Where will all this fit
together legally?
The neighbors still had to dig out a little after the plow guy carefully moved the bulk of the snow away from their cars. Our driveway was not too bad. It only took me a big hour to shovel the driveway clean.
The release had been promised for late 2004, but after some delays
and now amidst some controversy (reportedly it would be a reworked version of
the open-source PearPC project and contain it’s code left &
right! ) it’s now available.
Don’t expect any blazing speed. Just
like with VirtualPC (software to emulate a PC on your Mac)
you are running an Operating System on top of an Operating System, so there is
some drag like when you’ve got weeds clinging to the fin on your
windsurfer. CherryOS is mostly geared to PC users who want quick access to a Mac
for web testing and running light applications that don’t have a Mac OS X
equivalent, …
System requirements are a Pentium / Athlon or later
(the faster the better) with 512MB RAM, 5GB HDD space available, an optical
drive and Windows XP Pro or Home.
It’ll be fun to run the trial in
some spare time. The trial download requires some registration, but should be
publicly available.
basement. I wanted to check what they knocked over and saw Seven & Wizard
make a u-turn running back down the basement steps just as they spotted me
coming through the kitchen. I followed them downstairs and saw Seven was
carrying a mouse in her mouth. “Oh no, that might be M!” I thought. They ran
up to the back bedroom and into the bathroom. I grabbed a hold of Seven, who
reluctantly let go of the mouse. Twice releasing & recapturing it before I
could snatch the mouse to safety. The 3rd time the mouse found a way under a
drop cloth (DIY still in progress) causing Wizard & Seven to be
confused. The mouse, turned up at the other side of the cloth where I caught it
under the handy kitchen strainer. “It’s M!” I started a distraction by throwing
a pen into the bedroom …
Long story short: M is
back!
He
does have some injury on his right side from a cat claw or tooth, but he seems
to be doing ok. He loves his crackers, found his water tank and has active
moments. To keep him in confinement, we wrapped his condo in a T-shirt so he
can’t squeeze through wherever the opening between bars may just be a bit wider.
The only thing we haven’t figured out yet, is how to keep the cats
away. Right now we keep both french doors to our office closed. But, Seven knows
where he is. When I ran in to answer the phone without closing the door behind
me, she was on top of the cage in an instant …
I came across this:
According to IRS Publication 525 – Taxable and
Nontaxable Income – page 31 – Other Income
” Stolen
Property.
If you steal property, you must report its fair market
value in your income in the year you steal it unless in the same year you return
it to its rightful owner. “
ROFLOL – Yeah right!
Along the same line
” Found Property.
If you
find and keep property that does not belong to you that has been lost or
abandoned (treasure-trove), it is taxable to you at its fair market value in the
first year it is your undisputed possession. “
There are quite
some interesting things in this publication regarding what you should and
shouldn’t report (not the latter is a problem, really). For online viewing,
click: IRS Publication 525.
quite happy with them, but here’s what we would like to see
improve.
The
iPod’s missing features
#1 – Shuffle Playlist
Shuffle playlist (in
addition to Shuffle Album and Shuffle Songs) is a must have when you have
playlists spanning different albums and your iPod is loaded with different
genres. Right now it will play any song from anywhere on the iPod ~ Rock, New
Age, Holiday, Classical, Podcasts, … and sadly enough the iTrip beep files to
set up the FM frequencies.
[ In my opinion one should be able to set
the iTrip frequency under settings, where you scroll to the frequency you wish
to use, and not via a series of audio clips. Griffin?]
#2 -
OFF
The described turn off function is actually a low sleep mode that
drains the battery over a number of days – weeks. For those with less frequent
listening habits, there should be an option to turn the iPod OFF. Let stand by
be default for everybody, but make an OFF option available. I wouldn’t mind
waiting 30secs for it to boot when I’m on a trip, but, I do mind getting caught
twice on the same trip with a dead iPod. Can you imagine this would be your
digital camera’s behavior: you don’t use your digital camera for a week and it’s
battery went empty?
#3 – Notes
Note files are truncated after
4k? I honestly can’t understand why, when an iPod can handle 20 minutes of
music, equal to xx MB of buffered MP3s. When longer files are moved to the iPod
or played on the iPod it should leave them intact and if there is a technical
insurmountable obstacle, it should load the note in chunks, with read more links
to chunck #2, then chunk #3. Those would preferably be located at both the top
& bottom of the note with a previous & next link as well.
#4 – Games
I don’t know about you, but the games frustrate me.
I can’t play for 10, let alone 20, minutes without getting increasingly
frustrated. How about some entry level difficulty that gradually increases? It
should be entertaining and relaxing. Not raising my blood pressure.
#5 – Charging
Battery level / charge indication while the iPod
is being charged. The animated icon is nice, but it doesn’t tell you anything
more than it’s charging.
Also: installation can be tricky. If during
first installation you select manage music manually, your system / iTunes will
no longer find your iPod with no iPod can be found, or something of that nature.
You have to start with automatic mode and as the files are starting to upload,
quickly cancel it, and then change the preferences. Seems manual mode could use
some double-checking.
On my feature request list would be stereo FM
reception, so when you want to listen to the news or a certain radio show, you
can simply do so on your iPod. Thinking forward, all iPods should come with a
color screen and include recording capability without 3rd party hardware
(built-in mic and line in). Whether those are going to be realized by Apple is a
whole different matter.
PS: There seems to be an import bug in
iTunes. Upon inserting a CD that was previously imported, iTunes warns that the
files already exist and gives the option to replace the existing files or to “do
not import”. Clicking do not import results in the disc being imported anyhow
…
some projects, beta-testing & troubleshooting a few things, some computer
repairs, increased DIY activity, going to the gym again a few times a week and
catching mice – haha – … time really flies.
It looks like our
second bathroom will be finished shortly. It’s been a very long process with
quite a few obstacles and interruptions (you may remember this started last
fall, before the hurricanes … ), but since earlier this week all major
fixtures are in place & operational. Woohoo! Now it’s down to some finishing
touches like grouting the shower, applying sealer, installing molding, hanging a
mirror, towel bars, etc. We can hardly wait ’till it’s finished. That bathroom
has certainly taken more time and effort than I generously anticipated, but then
there were some structural and technical adventures we didn’t know about. Oh
well, once it’s finished, the reward will be double. I’ll share some images
later this week once it’s near final.
Plastering in progress on rear wall.
Last weekend we started
working on the walls and ceiling of the staircase and upper hallway. With all
the wallpaper removed and several gallons of plaster things start to look pretty
smooth. Was that ever a messy job. There was so much dust (from sanding) it
looked like it was like snowing inside. Just a few more little spots to hit here
and there and we can prime it :) We found some non-toxic paint stripper we’re
testing out. Because of the cold weather we can’t keep a door or a window open
for ventilation, but along with the resurfaced hallway we want to get rid of the
dark green trim paint. So, hopefully next weekend we’ll have a white hallway.
It’s been two days now Since M escaped. Wizard & Seven have left
their observation spots in the kitchen for their baskets. Either they think it’s
gone, or are too tired to stay on the lookout. I do miss the little critter. It
was so cute. M, where are you?
Later in the evening he brought another, this one was quite alive and squeeking
as Wizard was trying to recapture him after he dropped him.