iPod mini space upgrade
Just this weekend I had the priviledge of replacing a battery in an iPod mini. At the time I noticed that the storage media appeared to be an off the shell MicroDrive. I did not realize that iTunes would restore the lights on software when it synced…
Details here iPod mini 8GB Upgrade.
Via froogle it looks like $150-$200 will get you 8 Gigs, $100-$150 will get you 6 gigs, and $70 to $80 will get you 4 gigs.
April 24th, 2006
Have I thanked you enough? Because I’m really not sure I ever could. I listened to my ipod all day today, and instead of being chained to the charger, it went with me when I left my desk. It went to the gym with me. It stopped by the store with me.
I don’t think I spoke to anyone all day. I do love the way the ipod allows me to be anti-social and not talk to people, yet totally polite, because I’ve always got a smile on my face when it’s on. :)
I don’t know that the upgrade is really for me. As much as I love my pink (peenk!) mini, if I shell out $200 for 8 gig–I may as well add another $99 and just get a 30 gig ipod. I could always knit myself a pink sock for my ipod. ;p
April 25th, 2006
I’m not sure I’ve done the world a favor if I have facilitated your slide into anti-social isolationism… ;-)
Bring that battery back.
April 25th, 2006
Um…no. :p
Besides, do you really want me talking to all those strangers? There are some seriously loopy people around these parts, you know. ;)
April 27th, 2006
Generalization time.
I don’t pay much attention to personal isolation devices such as the Apple iPod. I’m certain there are abundant uses to which they are put which bring pleasure to owners. I look at this, then I look at the proliferation of web log, chat, dating, community, networking, ad nauseum sites which are alleged to build community. When I am in public space, as I frequently am being a regular mass transit user and heavy walker; I see more and more people isolating themselves while within public spaces. I even see this at my health club where music is already piped in for the pleasure of exercisers.
I look at these things and wonder: if we put the isolation devices down while we are in public spaces, perhaps we’d have opportunities to build real community with our fellow persons, rather than moving from the isolation of one’s iPod to the isolation of one’s home, wherein we then visit “communities” such as MySpace.
There is a great deal of generalizing here. I say that because it is indefensible. I merely offer food for more critical and complete thought on these seemingly related matters.
April 27th, 2006
I think Mark has a very interesting point that I have never thought of. We are becoming more isolationist in the general public and more open to new people on the interweb.
However I think there are a few of reasons for that.
1. People tend to seek out their own kind which is certainly easier to do on the net then on the bus.
2. places like myspace etc, allow you to find people and talk to them in a somewhat safer enviornment then say the subway or a bar.
3. Some of us spend all day dealing with people and their problems and really have no desire to strike it up with strangers after work
Me, I am some of 1 & 3. I am pretty sure I am not going to meet that many tattooed freak lawyers out there in knoxville but certainly there has to be a dozen or so on the web. I wear a mp3 player at the gym not so much to be left alone but because of the dreck they pump in. I do sometimes want to be left alone though as well.
April 28th, 2006
Thanks. I was hoping that point might interest you. Unless I’m very tired or distracted, I try to make conversation with people on mass transit and in the street. You never know what you’re going to encounter and that keeps it interesting. I’d like to address your reasons.
1. You are right. It is human nature to seek out those similar to yourself. I’ve no quarrel with it but it has been my experience that you can learn more from those different. Not all of us value learning so highly, and many people experience varying degrees of xenophobia. The web, with its highly specialized sorting, is an excellent tool for discriminating users who wish only to seek out those who share their interests. I use it this way, though I also tend to go out of my way to seek divergent views to help make my own thinking better.
2. I am not certain that virtual communities are inherently safer than real communal venues such as bars. They certainly tend to feel safer, if my conversations with enthusiasts provide an accurate measure. Given the reporting of online predation, the high frequency of alias use, especially by minors posing as adults & vice versa, lack of physical proximity brings risks that either do not exist, or are much lessened by physical proximity.
3. This is certainly understandable, especially to a fan of H.D. Thoreau. Idleness is considered a bad thing by our society and it is a necessary thing if we want to get a handle on living a worthwhile life. The result of our “go, go, go” society is that people are discouraged from ever taking a break, aside from the official vacation offered by some employers. Even then, it seems that most folks these days remain accessible via phone, e-mail, or their mobile devices while supposedly relaxing and forgetting about the mundane work-a-day world. Back when pagers were common and mobile phones rare, I used to choose my vacation spots partially on the basis of them lacking signals that might disturb or tempt me while I relaxed and forgot about the outside world. I found these trips very refreshing. Sadly, those havens long ago went over to the wireless side and there is no escape unless you leave your gadgets turned off, which is what I now do.
Having said all of this, there is nothing wrong with seeking out those who are similar to yourself, or share similar interests. This can be very enjoyable. I advocate not limiting yourself solely to that, and I suspect your business, if nothing else, prevents it happening. I suspect your clients come from all walks of life, the only common thread they possess is that they are considering bankruptcy protection.
As for the gym, your reason makes perfect sense. I sometimes find the music played at my club annoying, but I refuse to physically tune out. There is nothing wrong with it, but I prefer to take an internal approach. My grandmother, during her last few demented years, would often ask if I heard music. She could often name the tune, but I would have to tell her no one else could hear it. She would joke that she had her own personal radio station. I have taken this approach to tune out when I am in an environment that I don’t care for, so long as it isn’t dangerous. This could be fatal in a dangerous environment because it can be very distracting.
Alone is good and I would argue, necessary for nearly all of us in varying doses. I remember my wife and daughter wondering why I was angry with them when I told them I was taking a few days of vacation alone. I told them they would be going afterward. My wife reluctantly went and when she returned, she understood, thanked me, and regularly took time for herself, away from her family so she could better appreciate us when things weren’t at their best. My daughter took her first trip of this sort when she was 6 or 7. She is 23 now and still takes off on her own to enjoy some idleness and responsibility only to self. I’m encouraging her husband, who is coming around to the idea, to do likewise. He and I will take a trip together sometime this year, and I look forward to it.
If you want to read a fantastic rant, take time to read Thoreau’s best known work, “Walden”. It is a series of journal entries presented as essays. He is a serious crank, but a well thought out one who puts his money where his mouth is. I can’t say I’d follow in his footsteps but I think he can be very helpful to those who wish to moderate the center of their lives and learn how to appreciate things that aren’t material wealth.