iPods: Store text in them?

[ktinkel]

I am thinking of getting an iPod (the original — even if it doesn’t come in charming colors). Our local NPR stations are either giving up music or reverting to weird music, especially at night. So I figured an iPod with a dock/radio thingie would let us program our own evening music and still wake up to Morning Edition as we do now.

But I also wonder what else can be stored on an iPod, and how you get it in there.

Pretty sure one or two of you have one of these gadgets, so thought I would ask!

[JVegVT]

I am thinking of getting an iPod (the original — even if it doesn’t come in charming colors). Our local NPR stations are either giving up music or reverting to weird music, especially at night. So I figured an iPod with a dock/radio thingie would let us program our own evening music and still wake up to Morning Edition as we do now.

But I also wonder what else can be stored on an iPod, and how you get it in there.

I think I suggested this before to someone, but why not listen to some other station over the Internet? Our public radio station split into two services a couple of years ago: one covers news, yakking, and music other than classical; one is all-classical 24/7. The classical station's coverage is spotty though they are trying to improve it. We couldn't get it over regular radio. So I turned to the computer and haven't missed a beat. The wonders of streaming audio!

Paste http://vprclassical.streamguys.net/vprclassical128.mp3 into your media player's Open dialogue. Another station I listen to often is KUSC from southern California. Their URL is http://68.181.156.19:8000/kuscaudio96.mp3 .

While the streaming audio is a lifesaver, if the Internet connection has problems as is sometimes the case, no music. So we finally got sick of it and bought an HD radio. It broadcasts three multicasts that come in very well: one for the regular yakking; one for 24-hour classical; and one for BBC (107.9-1, 107.9-2, 107.9-3).

As for the iPod, I don't have one though I have an MP3 player. I suspect that with an iPod you download whatever you want to listen to to your computer and then use iTunes to transfer the files to your iPod through a USB connection.
--Judy M.

[DTP Guy]

I believe that you can store text on iPods but you have to use iTunes to enable it. I think it has something to do with allowing the hard drive in the iPod to be actually used as a hard drive (some kind of toggle in iTunes).

Dunno about reading the text once on there though.

[Steve Rindsberg]

That's about the gist of it (I played with it when I first got the iPod, decided it wasn't anything I'd use, promptly forgot about it).

We're talking text as in "the amount you'd put on a sticky note" here, not as in "novel" or even "reader's digest articles".

[ktinkel]

Thanks. One of the other problems with our bedroom is that we cannot get internet reception there; and FM is also spotty, especially on overcast days.

Besides that, I kind of like the idea of controlling what we listen to late in the evening. I don’t mind pot luck all day, but at night feel much less adventurous.

I know how to get music into the iPod, or think I do. I was curious about how to get other types of stuff (not including videos!) into it, or whether it was worth it even to try.

[ktinkel]

I believe that you can store text on iPods but you have to use iTunes to enable it. I think it has something to do with allowing the hard drive in the iPod to be actually used as a hard drive (some kind of toggle in iTunes).

Dunno about reading the text once on there though.Good thought. Me neither.

Maybe I am just groping for more justifications to buy myself a toy.

[ktinkel]

That's about the gist of it (I played with it when I first got the iPod, decided it wasn't anything I'd use, promptly forgot about it).

We're talking text as in "the amount you'd put on a sticky note" here, not as in "novel" or even "reader's digest articles".I see. Well, let’s not worry about that, then.

:)

[Steve Rindsberg]

I see. Well, let’s not worry about that, then.

:)
One less worry. Good.

Podcasts, on the other hand, are a made-in-heaven match for the iPod.

iTunes makes it simple to find them and keep them updated (though I'm not sure if that's just the stuff Apple points me at or whether it's as simple for other 'casts. Will have to check that out).

They also make adapters that let you d/l photos from your camera's SD card to the iPod. The one I got from Belkin was not worth the money ... badly made, doesn't connect reliably (and that's the replacement for the first one, which was DOA, near as I could figure). Maybe somebody makes a better one now.

[ktinkel]

Don’t think I want pictures on an iPod.

For now, I am thinking of putting music that I converted to MP3 by listening to a CD in my computer, and saving the result. We have so many old CDs (not to mention old vinyl) that we do not get to listen to that it would foolish to buy much more.

But I figured I would at least try some podcasts. We’ll see; hope to have the thing tomorrow.

[Steve Rindsberg]

Don’t think I want pictures on an iPod.

For now, I am thinking of putting music that I converted to MP3 by listening to a CD in my computer, and saving the result. We have so many old CDs (not to mention old vinyl) that we do not get to listen to that it would foolish to buy much more.

But I figured I would at least try some podcasts. We’ll see; hope to have the thing tomorrow.
re Pics on da Pod

For storing, not for viewing, in case that matters. IOW, it can be a handy little portable drive. And a music player. And a calendar. And stuff. No ginzu knives though. Sorry.

I've never moved pre-made MP3s into iTunes for shuffling off to the Pod, but iTunes makes it stone simple to rip CDs into its library and then synch them with the iPod.

[ElyseC]

Maybe I am just groping for more justifications to buy myself a toy.I think I've finally got enough justification for buying one and am now waiting until I get a new computer and it's current operating system.

In fact, I might get two iPods -- the Touch and a Classic or large Nano (because the Touch doesn't yet work with any of the iPod sound recording gizmos). I want to use the Touch as a PDA and the other pod would be for voice recording. I want to be able to record family history as recalled by my mom and Bruce's folks, then preserve it all on CDs. Many is the time I wish I could hear again some of the wonderful things my dad or grandparents told me and I wish I had them to play for my kid and, some day his kids.

Now, if my mobile phone carrier could be AT&T, I'd get an iPhone and be done with it, but they have only spotty coverage around here. In fact, at their site they have coverage maps for the various types of service they offer and the maps allow you to drill down to a particular location. When I do that, the map indicates a nearly complete dead spot directly over my house. If I lived one lot east an iPhone might marginally work, but the map indicates that over my lot is a data dead zone and I'd probably have no coverage if inside the house.

[Mike]

You could always go for a WiFi Internet radio then you're not limited to stuff you've downloaded or bought.

If I'm reading in bed I listen to classical music from King FM from Seattle, in the workshop I generally listen to a Swiss radio station that specialises in swing and easy-listening jazz. Towards the end of the working day I sometimes wake myself up with some reggae from a Jamaican radio station or I maybe listen to a Whistler episode or two on Antioch OTR. At other times we use the Internet radio to listen to the BBC or catch up on some of the programmes that we've missed.

If you have a WiFi network then Internet radios are the best thing since sliced bread.

[Kelvyn]

For now, I am thinking of putting music that I converted to MP3 by listening to a CD in my computer, and saving the result.

I'm steadily working my way through my collection, saving in FLAC format for future playing through my media system and 320Kbps MP3 for playing on my Sony Walkman. The lossless FLAC provides a sound as good as the original CD with the 320MP3 not far behind, and much better that "standard" 128Kbps MP3, but the Walkman won't handle FLAC. I use FreeRIP for ripping. I found iTunes to be a real annoying program, trying to poke into every corner of my setup that I deleted it - and have to delete it again every time there is a QT update.

I tried the iPod & Walkman (and some others) before buying and bought the Sony because the sound quality was (to me) a lot better. It also has a battery life of over 30hrs - and was a third of the iPod price. :)

Over here I see a lot of "boutique" hotels are now putting iPod docking stations into their bedrooms!

BTW, I also download a lot of material I have not already got in my collection. A good source of quality music files for download can be found on www.hdtracks.com (http://www.hdtracks.com)

[ktinkel]

Thanks — lots of information.

I like the idea of saving in a lossless format, but from a quick Google do not see an easy way of doing it. Have to look into that, though.

[ktinkel]

Our wireless router does not reach the bedroom. This house is not as ancient as yours, but it was a nice solid 1929 house to which they added a couple of boxes, and those form our kitchen and bedroom.

I could try updating the Airport or moving it or something, but it would be difficult to work out all the bits and pieces. So for now I think I will be happy with an iPod — that will at least give me some control over what I hear; freedom from Eliot Carter anyway.

[terrie]

elyse: I want to be able to record family history as recalled by my mom and Bruce's folks, then preserve it all on CDs. Many is the time I wish I could hear again some of the wonderful things my dad or grandparents told me and I wish I had them to play for my kid and, some day his kids.If I might suggest...as an ongoing project, you might be wise to transcribe these to text if for no other reason than it's a form of backing up the audio...

Terrie

[Steve Rindsberg]

>> I found iTunes to be a real annoying program, trying to poke into every corner of my setup that I deleted it - and have to delete it again every time there is a QT update.

Were you using it on a Mac or did you, in a moment of weakness, permit it to infest a Windows computer?

[ktinkel]

Do you know how to get and keep the iPod icon on the iMac desktop? I finally worked out how to sync it with the iMac, but the iPod disappeared from the desktop.

One is firmly warned to delete it before disconnecting, but it is a bit difficult when there is nothing to delete.

I downloaded the PDF manual; guess I will try to find the answer there. But if anyone knows, please let me know.

[Kelvyn]

Were you using it on a Mac or did you, in a moment of weakness, permit it to infest a Windows computer?

I won't have one of those Mac things in the house! Stopped liking them when an Apple II destroyed data I had spent about 6 hours typing in.

No, it invaded my main PC when it installed itself while updating QuickTime. In retrospect I don't think I read the install message box, I just clicked OK, like you do sometimes when you are busy and installing what is usually a routine update. Every now and again it somehow sneaks back in to haunt me.

[DTP Guy]

I'd stick with your idea of a Touch rather than the iPhone - more hard disk space for storing all of those bits!

[Mike]

Our wireless router does not reach the bedroom. This house is not as ancient as yours, but it was a nice solid 1929 house to which they added a couple of boxes, and those form our kitchen and bedroom.


Our base station doesn't reach very far so we have some extenders. One of them uses the mains wiring and a couple of them are WiFi repeaters.

The great thing about them is that you just plug them in a forget about them. I think the mains-based one needed setting up but the extenders just had to be plugged in and held near the base station for a while - once they'd latched on to the base station they could be unplugged and moved to where we wanted them.

With 3-foot thick granite walls our WiFi system didn't reach very far at all initially. Now, I think, we don't have any dead spots at all.

[iamback]

I believe that you can store text on iPods but you have to use iTunes to enable it.I read somewhere you don't need iTunes at all to get to the "closed" or "hidden" parts of am iPod: just tell OS X to show hidden files, and you'll see a normal external HD. You can use this too, to get at the music stored on there (or store music). Give it a try!

[iamback]

Thanks for those links - gives me a nice alternative to my regular list of radio stations; good thing I just discovered how to add radio stations to my new player! Pity these are such low quality (low bitrate: 128 respectively 96 kbps as the URLs suggest) - the 128 is OK-ish, but 96 is audibly bad.

[iamback]

I once downloaded iTunes on my PC to test it out. It didn't survive for more than 5 minutes!

[ktinkel]

I've never moved pre-made MP3s into iTunes for shuffling off to the Pod, but iTunes makes it stone simple to rip CDs into its library and then synch them with the iPod.I guess. I had a maddening time getting any audio out of that thing. First it refused to recognize my old iTunes library. Finally I just went to the directory, used Select All, and flung it at the iTunes panel; voila! They all appeared there.

But it made no rational sense, and I have downloaded the iPod manual from Apple to try to figure out what I was supposed to do.

I found a setting somewhere (I think when I had inserted an audio CD to copy) that let me set the format to Apple Lossless instead of the default . I have to do more tests to see if it makes a serious difference on the iPod. Suspect one would need to run the iPod through a decent audio system (one with some bass and balance controls) to discern much difference. Certainly not much on the dock/playback rig I got.

Apple Lossless seems not to be compatible with anything but iPod and iTunes (see this nifty chart (http://flac.sourceforge.net/comparison.html)). But there are converters, and it appears that .aiff is the lingua franca (even works on iPod but the files are double the iTunes standard size).

I am not really interesting in pursuing all that, but comforted in knowing that there is a way to some other system or format if I (or Jack) got interested. I really hate dead-end situations.

[Steve Rindsberg]

I have a "loose" (we usually use a cruder word) virtual machine on one of the PCs that I allow things like QT onto. That's as far as it's allowed to roam. The very acronym suggests the best treatment for it: QuaranTine.

[Steve Rindsberg]

IIRC, there's a setting in iTunes preferences that allows you to treat the pod like a pod-only or like a removable drive. The "appears on desktop" behavior depends on that setting. YMMV. iVe got a fairly ancient iBook and haven't let it update iTunes in quite iWhile.

[ktinkel]

IIRC, there's a setting in iTunes preferences that allows you to treat the pod like a pod-only or like a removable drive. The "appears on desktop" behavior depends on that setting. That makes sense — it popped up during registration, then disappeared.

It should stay on the desktop if you ask me — that would make better sense, especially as you have to delete it before disconnecting the USB. Took me a while to figure out how to do it (menu item — really weird behavior on a Mac to have a menu be the only option).

[Steve Rindsberg]

Your iPod's name should appear on the left, in the list that includes the Apple store, your various music lists and whatnot.

Rightclick on that (ctrl+click I think, if you have a half-mouse) and there's an eject option.

[ktinkel]

Your iPod's name should appear on the left, in the list that includes the Apple store, your various music lists and whatnot.

Rightclick on that (ctrl+click I think, if you have a half-mouse) and there's an eject option.Oh! Duh. There it is. I didn’t look there and didn’t recognize it when I did because the iPod part of its name doesn’t show. And the eject button is right there in plain sight.

Well. Takes care of that mystery. Thanks.