Will Apple ever update the firmware for the iPods to provide a few more toys? One thing about the iPod is that they haven’t been to good with firmware updates. They seem reluctant to give even the slightest enhancements. They likely port over easily as there’s really no large difference between versions under the hood (it’s revisions more than complete overhauls, such as the infamous PortalPlayer chip).
Remember the days when updates with enhancements were available for download?
After seeing on Slashdot that you can browse the web using the PSP (and it doen’t look to bad), I do wonder if Minimo can be ported to work on the PSP. With Small Screen Rendering (SSR), it might actually be a pretty cool device for casual web browsing. It already has WiFi. I’m betting this is the first of many hacks we’ll see for Sony’s new mobile platform.
Get a Free PSP (need 5 people) and help me in the process. I already got a Mac Mini and an iPod. Also looking for some help on an iPod Shuffle (need 3 people). Free gear is good.
I’ve gotten several emails about this now, so it’s time for an update. I’ve been busy with many other projects, and have been slow on this for a little while. It’s almost at 0.1 (our first release). Asa’s working on some icon love, and I’ve been testing a few things. I’m hoping to have a release out soon (few more weeks). Some general notes in no particular order or relevance (make what you will of it):
Summary
0.1 will be a rather rough release, just to get an idea of what we can do, and how it can be done. It’s far from a release quality product, and only recommended for those willing to give detailed feedback for fixing bugs.
Update [12-26-2005]: It’s out, and available here.
I’ve got a bunch of things in the works:
So things may be a little quiet as I wrap some stuff up, and keep up with school work. All are looking pretty good at this point. So I’m rather excited. So much work being done, and so little to actually show right now. But hopefully at some point in the future things will start seeing the light of day.
So keep your eyes on this general space for a new amazing design, big announcements (some bigger than others), and a secret something to be unveiled (the secret may be under wraps for quite some time) to be unveiled on a day of the week that ends in ‘y’. And yes, that’s the only hint I’m giving.
Don’t you love it when I post stuff like this?
Update [12-26-2005]: It’s out, and available here.
Got my iSkin for my iPod today. Boy is this a cool product. Some quick observations:
Things that rock
Things that can be improved
It’s not perfect for those who use an iPod dock (though you can pull the iPod partially out through the clickwheel hole, and sync that way). I’d recommend a cable for ease.
Overall it’s a well made product. It’s a very simple design that compliments the iPod very well. It’s sleek, comfortable, and protective. It does provide a little padding for your iPod, not to mention a screen cover. It’s also made of water resistant material (though don’t test that out).
Products Mentioned
iSkin eVo2 4G iPod 20GB – Arctic
iSkin eVo2 4G iPod 40GB – Arctic
[Crossposted from MacVillage.net]
I’ve promised mozPod for some time, well it’s getting close to a 0.1 release, just a few more things I want to do. Some cool things in the past few days:
It’s not done yet, but were starting to look usable, and that’s a good thing 😀
Update [12-26-2005]: It’s out, and available here.
I mentioned a little while ago that I was working on mozPod, to bring iPod sync to Mozilla products. I stopped for a while because I don’t have USB 2 on my laptop, and that makes hooking an iPod up really really bad. In fact, it’s pretty much been sitting in a box since November (yea, that’s bad). Well I ordered a USB 2 Card for my laptop the other day. It shipped, so I should get it in a few days. But it will be another few days until I get a protective case for my iPod, so I won’t be taking it with me, so I’ll only be doing a tiny bit of hacking.
Oh yea, the reporter tool has been consuming a ton of the time I devote to open source work. So as that starts to slow down a bit, mozPod gets a little more time.
Now if anyone wants to write some synchronization code, feel free to do so. 😉
Update [12-26-2005]: It’s out, and available here.
Ability to sync your Thunderbird Address Book to your iPod.
A. Still working on it
A. Mac/PC initially. I’ll explore Linux after.
A. iPod with version 1.2+ of the iPod Software, or iPod Photo 1.0+ (Free Updates from Apple)
A. Because I’m tired.
A. Most likely I’ll have something for you all to play with in the very near future.
Update [12-26-2005]: It’s out, and available here.
Got my 40GB iPod today… very cool. I <3 the Apple store 😀 I could spend days weeks there and not get bored.
I’ve got some geeky ideas on making it even cooler… you’ll hopefully see soon 😉 Very cool. I’m psyched to get going, I just have some other things to take care of first.
FreeiPods.com actually delivered.
Today it happened. FedEx dropped off my free iPod. It’s a 20GB 4th Generation Apple iPod. I was just about to leave, so I took a few pics with my Camera Phone and left. I’m to busy to open and play for at least a few days. I’m pretty sure it’s not an empty box (because I know someone will suggest that), since it came directly from Apple’s Shanghai manufacturing contractor/facility.
Of course I posted those pictures for you to see. Go ahead, look, enjoy. They are low quality, from a camera phone, but they should be compatible with most human eyes version 1.0+.
Bottom Line
Freeipods.com/Gratis Internet at least appears legitimate. I did get my offer. They “sent to vendor” 9/15, and I got it today, 10/25. Reportedly shipping has picked up to being about a week or two. Though some Sept people are still waiting for their iPods. I got my iPod for trying a silly offer, and getting a few others to do so. Some sound like good offers, so you may want to seriously consider it. Others are just downright rediculus (like these magic pills). So pick with caution, and read the offer. Some are only free if you cancel within the trial period. Some never bill unless you use the service. Some like eBay don’t require billing.
Spam Report
I am still getting about 3 spam emails a day that originate through this offer (I used a unique address, so only Gratis has used it. This is despite unsubscribing from all mailing through their website 2 weeks ago.
So is it a scam/multi-level-marketing/pyramid scheme
That’s hard to say. If you say it is, then technically any health club providing free membership to those who recommend friends would be too. There was no signup fee, I didn’t pay Gratis a penny. So it’s not really a Pyramid scheme (since those you normally pay to join, then get others to pay you). I’d really consider it to be on the level of how banks used to give out things like Clock Radio’s when you opened an account with them. Or a used car dealer throws in a toaster if you buy a car. With Gratis the condition is you have to refer a friend prior.
Should you do it
If you have time, patience, and think you can find a few friends to help you out… go for it. Otherwise, don’t even bother wasting your time.
Lesson Learned
Don’t fall for anything until you see some evidence. In my case, Wired.com provided that, as well as an interview on TechTV. There are some hoax impostor sites trying to cash in on Gratis’s reputation. Be very careful.
Will I try another
I do have a freeflatscreens.com account. Feel free to signup and help me. We’ll see if Gratis strikes twice with a shipment.
This is part of a multi-part story: First Post