The Magical iPod Touch

Not everyone can afford the iPhone and the AT&T cellular contract that comes along with it. I personally have been using T-Mobile for my cell phone, so an iPhone isn’t in my near future.

However, I did trade in my iPod Nano for an iPod Touch. When the Touch came out, I wasn’t too sure what the point of it was. Why have all those application on an iPod. But now that I’m using it every day, I fully appreciate all of its features.

I bought the iPod Touch with 8 Gigabytes of memory for $230. It’s about 4 inches high by 2.5 inches wide. It’s a mere 1/3″ thick. Amazingly thin, in my opinion. The home and power buttons are the only actual push-buttons. Every other feature is done using the touchscreen.

What’s great about the iPod Touch is that it does more than just store files and play music and movies. Much more. Most applications and programs that can run on the iPhone will also run on the iPod touch. Basically, the Touch is an iPhone without the phone (more on that a little later).

Besides using the iTunes song and podcast features, I also use other programs daily.

Calendar
I use this simple calendar program to use as reminders for my appointments and dates.

Notes
This is a simple note taking application. Typing long notes using the touchscreen keyboard can be a bit tricky until you get used to it, which really only takes a couple minutes.

To Do’s
This is one of my most used aps. It doesn’t come standard. I transferred it for free using the iTunes store (the same way you add more music to the iPod). I create “tasks” and can add details and set the task’s priority. Then you tap to check them off as you complete them. My only wish is that it integrated with the Calendar program.

ShopShop
This is another free program I use. Type in what you need and the quantity, and it adds the item to a list. When you buy it, you check it off the list. You can even have more than one list. It remembers what you’ve bought before so you can quickly add them again later to a different list.

Safari, Last.fm, Public Radio Tuner, Mail, Tweetie
I also use these programs, but they are all internet-based applications. This is where the iPod Touch is different from the iPhone. With the iPhone you can make cellphone calls everywhere as well as using the internet everywhere. But with the Touch, you have to be in an internet wifi zone to use the internet programs.

Chess, Books, Maps, etc.
There’s just too many included and free applications that you can add to the Touch. Free books are available for download that you can read on you iPod. You can also get free games and 3D games that you play using the touch screen and gyroscopic accelerator that really enhances game-playing because it controls the game by not only the touchscreen, but also how you move the iPod up and down and around.

Jailbreak
This is for super advanced users only. Basically using instructions from the internet, you can hack into the iPod and install really sweet programs that truly expand the possibilities. The downside of this is that there is a chance you will irrevocably break your iPod. And Apple won’t refund or fix it for you if you’ve attempted to “jailbreak” it. If you do jailbreak your iPod, you can add more free programs and utilities. The especially awesome program you can add is one that turns you iPod into a phone that can use free calling services like Skype, but you do have to be in an internet wifi zone for this to work.

Apple Store
Lifehacker’s list of good and FREE iPhone and/or iPod Touch programs
Feature Guide for the iPod Touch (pdf)
Gizmodo’s review of the iPod Touch

The happy knitter

I only took up knitting a couple of years ago to pass the time and relieve stress. When I first started knitting, I didn’t know I had more options available to me than socks, blankets and hats (even though those are all fun to make).  But with growing popularity of knitting, many new and interesting patterns and books are available. Here are a few sites and resources I use when looking for new projects.

• Ravelry- I only recently discovered this site, but it’s great! You do have to register for the site to view the patterns, but registration is free. Most patterns are free, but some designers do charge for their patterns. Fortunately, prices usually cost less than $5. 
• Knitty- Whereas Ravelry only gives you patterns, Knitty is your online knitting resource. If you have questions on what an abreviation in a pattern means, or how to execute a certain technique, Knitty will answer them all. Knitty also has free patterns available and a knitters blog located on the site. This is a fabulous, go-to site for beginning to experienced knitters.
• Knit Happens- If you are a fan of the Stich ‘n Bitch series, this is the official website of the books. You’ll find free patterns, and a message board for knitters. Sometimes we all need someone to talk us through patterns.
• CADL- Don’t forget the library! CADL is a wonderful resource to find knitting books. The library has the Stich ‘n Bitch series, and hundreds of other knitting books. So stop in, and look around!

Bit, Byte, Megabyte – Say What?

When it comes to understanding computer processor storage, real and virtual memory or disk storage capacity and transmission rates, confusion is an understatement. Okay a byte can be made up from five to twelve bits, but 8 bits is the most common size. Each bit denoting a single binary value of 1 or 0. Lost yet?  Now comes the messy part; according to the Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, a megabyte means either 1,000,000 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes. Say what? I’m saying no more, except if you want to try and figure this out go to: www.whatsabyte.com/ ,  www.kb.iu.edu/data/ackw.html  or  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megabyte 

New Computer Class Schedule

Finally, the April through June schedule is up on the website. Please click on the link: computer classes to see the pdf schedule.

Also check out the computer class offerings from our other branches. You can find them in the Events Calendar under the name of the Branch.

Word 2007 help!!

Having some trouble finding that button! Where are my toolbars! Where are the menus!!

Well, try this site from Computerworld: Word 2007 Quick Reference Chart. This article is long, but oh so useful in learning the ribbon. 

All you need to do is click on the Word 2007 Quick Reference Charts in the Word 2007 Cheat Sheet section above. The link takes you to a page listing the drop down menues of Word 2003. Click on the menu choice you want and you will see a chart like this:

Word 2007 Chart

Each chart will show you the 2003 function and its location and its corresponding 2007 location. You also get the shortcut key in both the 2003 and 2007 versions. Very handy! The same type of quick reference charts are available for Excel and PowerPoint.

Do It Yourself- Home Improvement and Repair

With more and more people looking to trim their budgets, and add more to their savings, do-it-yourself projects have become quite popular. Just recently, my aunt and uncle completed a full-scale remodel on their bathroom, all on their own. It took them a few months to finish the remodel (factoring in children, jobs, and sleep), but the finished product is lovely!  All new bathroom fixtures, floors, and tile completed for a fraction of the cost a professional would charge.  Not bad at all for two people who had never before attempted such a thing. 

Here are a few internet sites my aunt and uncle used to learn how to do a bathroom remodel from start to finish. These sites are also great for small repairs and preventitive maintenance around the house.  Also, don’t forget, the employees at Lowe’s and Home Depot have a wealth of information on home repair and remodels.

• http://www.diynetwork.com/
• http://www.doityourself.com/
• http://home.ivillage.com/homeimprovement/fixit/topics/0,,4tm4,00.html

Water Gardening? Ponds?

 

New Orlean Frogs making music

What is Blu-ray Anyway?

Blu-ray is a blue laser

Citizenship class

The Library offers free classes to help prepare you to take the citizenship test. Classes currently meet every Thursday on the 3rd floor of the Capital Area District Library from 6:30pm to 7:45pm. New classes will also be offered this April. You can learn more about these classes as well as get more information for improving English as a second language here.

Food Bank Community Gardens

The economy has a lot of people worried. Or hurting. And thinking about new ways of doing things. Those of us who are considering growing our own gardens this year might want to begin a relationship with the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

The Food Bank has a Garden Project division, which seeks to educate and aid gardeners. The Garden Project offers education, garden tilling to income-qualified home gardeners, and plots in community gardens around Lansing and East Lansing. In addition, the Project’s resource center lends tools and offers seeds and plant starts to registered home and community gardeners. What an unfathomable resource.

I grew up with a garden in the back yard and can think of no better taste on earth than a fresh, garden tomato. As an apartment dweller, I have gorilla-planted tomatoes into the landscaping (those were the young, reckless days), crammed the porch with pots of tomatoes and basil, and offered my tending efforts to friends with gardens who could pay me in tomatoes. Thanks to a community garden about a mile from my current apartment, I can garden responsibly, without the hassle of buying (and storing!) all the necessary tools.  Apart from the simple, profound joy of eating something that has been cared for from seed to table, here is what I love about gardening: saving money, connecting to the community, having a great excuse to putt around outside, and sharing the extras.

For more information about the Greater Lansing Food Bank, visit http://lansingfoodbank.org/about.

To learn more about the Garden Project, visit http://lansingfoodbank.org/garden-project.

The GP newsletter is available at http://lansingfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/newsletter091.pdf, and a downloadable community garden registration application is can be printed from http://lansingfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/09registration.pdf.