Abby and Me » Gadgets

An Easy Way to Transfer from iPod to iTunes

Abby — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:20:00 +0000

I was called upon this weekend by a friend whose computer died. She and her daughter had about 1,000 songs between their two iPods, which were purchased online, as well as copied from their own CDs, into iTunes. Their songs were now trapped on the dead computer and on their two iPods. What to do? Good news for any of you in this dilemma – with little time and effort and at the low cost of $14.99 you can transfer your music from your iPod to iTunes.

If their broken computer was functional, I would have attached an external hard drive (like an extra brain) to the computer. Then I could have moved their music libraries to the external hard drive and onto the new computer. But, that wasn’t an option.

If I plugged their iPods into their new computer and did a sync (making the computer and iPod combine content), iTunes would have wiped out everything on the iPods. Obviously not an option.

Instead, I visited the wesbite http://www.purpleghost.com/ and downloaded (moved from the website to their computer) the program TuneJack. Have your credit card at the ready. Be sure to print the receipt when your purchase is complete. TuneJack will send you an e-mail with a license number that is required to begin the installation of the program onto your computer.

Before you start the download process, open iTunes and make the following change:

1) Click Edit.

2) Click Preferences.

3) Click on Devices tab.

4) Click in the box to the left of “Prevent iPods and iPhones from syncing automatically.”

5) Click OK.

This stops iTunes from automatically syncing when your iPod is plugged in. There can be times when you don’t want to sync automatically. This is one of those times.

Next, plug in your iPod. There’s one more change we want to make before we install TuneJack.

1) Wait until iTunes identifies your iPod, click on your device in the left hand sidebar.

2) Click in box to left of “Automatically sync when iPod or iPhone is connected” to remove the check – deactivating the choice.

3) Click Apply.

4) Click on “eject” symbol to the right of your device name then unplug your iPod.

iTunes will now NOT open automatically when you plug in the iPod. (We don’t want iTunes to be open when we use TuneJack. They don’t play well together.)

Next close any open programs on your computer – especially iTunes.

Great! Now you can install TuneJack by following their very clear instructions. I always like to turn my computer off and back on after I install a new program. That’s your call.

A shortcut for TuneJack will appear on your desktop. Double-click on the icon and follow their step-by-step instructions. (A warning window will appear asking you to deactivate the auto sync at plug-in. We’ve already done that, but you can double check. Be sure to close iTunes after checking.)

At the step where TuneJack wants to find your iPod, plug in your iPod and wait patiently. When I did the initial transfer from the iPod to iTunes an error message appeared. I didn’t panic. I just repeated all the steps again and it worked perfectly the second time around.

Be patient, read what’s in front of you, and take deep breaths. Keep in touch and let me know how it worked.

For those of you that don’t know an iPod from your elbow (and you’re not alone), take a peek at Chapter 24 – Extra, Extra, Read All About It: The Scoop on Cell Phones, PDAs, Blackberries, iPods and iPhones in “Is This Thing On?” A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes and the Kicking & Screaming (p. 349).

Is It Time For A Kindle?

Abby — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:47:52 +0000

Beside my suitcase, next to my bathing suit, snorkel and mask, and my three-ounce bottles of sunscreen, is a stack of several paperbacks. You guessed it. I’m about to head out on vacation – Nevis to be specific. I take pride in packing light and only check luggage when absolutely necessary. And there’s that pile of books, which will make my case heavy and take up valuable real estate. What comes to mind is Amazon’s Kindle. It stores over 1,500 books on a gizmo as thin as a pencil and weighs less than one of my paperbacks. For me the Kindle will never replace the sensation of holding a book in my hands, but there are times it could come in very handy. Perhaps this is one of those times…

Before I show you how to work the Kindle, let’s discuss how books, newspapers and magazines get stored on the device. At the time of purchase, or after receiving the Kindle as a gift (lucky you!), you’ll be required to register* it at amazon.com/kindle. Click on Manage Your Kindle. While you’re on Amazon’s Kindle page, watch the Kindle video. It’s a good overview of the device.

When you register you’ll need to supply Amazon with an e-mail address, password of your choosing, and your credit card information. (Refer to Chapter 16, Practical Precautions, in “Is This Thing On?” to help you choose a secure password and review safety measures when shopping online.)

Once you’ve registered with Amazon visit their Kindle Store to see what’s available. You’ll find that not only can you buy books for the Kindle, but certain magazines and newspapers are available as well. The miraculous part is, that less than a minute after you buy the book or periodical of your choice, it wirelessly arrives on the Kindle. Poof!

Crazy isn’t it? You can have the New York Times delivered to your Kindle every morning for you to enjoy on the subway, while waiting for your dental appointment, or tucked in bed without killing a single tree.

Now let’s look at how to operate the Kindle…Running along the left and right side of the Kindle are a series of controls. Both the right and left side let you move from page to page. Simply depress and release NEXT PAGE or PREV PAGE. The right side has some additional controls.

Press HOME to view your library stored on the Kindle.

MENU offers you different features such as Shop in Kindle Store or Text-to-Speech (image seen above right). It’s worth noting that Text-to-Speech is a new feature where text is read aloud to you. The feature can be turned on and off without losing your place in the reading.

The 5 WAY CONTROLLER functions much like your mouse. You toggle it up, down, left, or right to navigate what’s on the screen and push straight down on it to activate a choice. Sort of like a click of the mouse.

There are two features on the keypad worth noting. The AA key allows you to adjust the text to 6 different sizes. SYM accesses symbols when typing with the keypad.

Mention of the keypad segues me to some usability issues with the Kindle. The keys on the keypad are impractical. They’re small and there’s not enough contrast with the colors to decipher them easily. Also, though you can increase the font size for the book or periodical you’re reading, you can’t increase the font size on the Home page or the Menu. What good is Text-to-Speech if you can’t see it to choose it? So, if eyesight is an issue, you may need someone to point out features for you to mark in memory to find later.

Those issues notwithstanding, the Kindle is a remarkable device. Keep yours eyes open for competitors. I hear Sony has already introduced a device that might take the Kindle on a run for its money. But that’s a blog for another day…

* You may have to de-register the person who bought the Kindle for you, before you can register it to your credit card.

Something to Really Flip Over

Abby — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:42:23 +0000

It was March 2008 when I first saw the Flip video camera in David Pogue’s Circuits section of the New York Times. Less than a year after the Flip was introduced, Pure Digital, its manufacturer, has already improved upon their original innovation. What makes you notice the Flip is its size – not much bigger than a cell phone. What makes you love the Flip is its ease of use.

There are a few other things that also make the Flip unique. The Flip requires no cables between it and your computer and there is no videotape or CD involved. The recording is digital, saved on the brain of the video camera until you transfer it to your computer and then decide to delete it off the Flip. There is also no software to install onto your computer. Instead, each time you plug the Flip into your computer using the USB jack that “flips” out (yes, the Flip flips out!) the built in software automatically opens on whatever computer it is plugged into. You can easily view the Flip on your computer or someone else’s. It comes with a cable allowing you to plug into the television for viewing as well.

The final crowning feature is that when you plug it into your computer, and the built-in software that opens, it offers you the opportunity to view the videos, edit and save them to your computer, send them as an e-mail, or post them to video sharing websites (in particular YouTube, MySpace, and AOL). To Pure Digital’s credit, the steps are very easy to follow.

Visit Flip’s website for more information at www.theflip.com. Depending on the model you purchase the prices range from $129.99 to $229.99. Be sure to take a look at the fun accessories (a mounting device for a bike helmet, etc.) and note that you can design your own camera casing.

Below are some guidelines to using the Flip:

As you can see, there are not a lot of controls on the Flip.

• Push the red button (center) to Record or to Stop Recording. The Flip can record up to 60 minutes of video.

• The + and – symbols (north and south of the red Record button) control the Zoom feature. Try holding down the symbols for smoother zooming rather than repeatedly pressing and releasing them.

• The < and > symbols (east and west of the red Record button) offer a way to move between each of your recorded segments.

• The symbol in the upper left that looks like the play button on your stereo is just that. You depress and release the symbol to either Play a segment or Pause during viewing.

• The trashcan, in the upper right, is what you hit to delete an individual recorded segment or all of the segments recorded on the Flip.

• The silver button on the side turns the Flip On or Off.

• The very discreet, black button on the opposite side “flips” open the USB jack to be plugged into your computer.

That’s it for buttons!

The older Flip models use two AA batteries for power. The new Flips have a built in rechargeable battery that charges when plugged into one of your computer’s USB ports.
When you plug the Flip into your computer, wait a minute or so to let the software automatically open for you. It takes a bit of time for your computer to recognize the new device you’ve plugged in.

It may be that the Flip software offers an upgrade when it opens. If you aren’t in too much of a hurry to view your videos, you can accept their offer, otherwise you can click “remind me later” and they’ll ask you the next time you plug in.

Eventually a window opens. (If a window doesn’t open, see if there is a new icon on your Desktop named “FlipVidoe”. If so, double click on it.)

You will be given the choice to Save Videos, Share Videos, Make Movie, or Delete Videos. No harm shall come of experimenting with each of these options. In the case of posting your video to YouTube, MySpace, or AOL you’ll need to go through the steps to register (it’s free) with whichever website you want to post you video on.

Take it nice and slow with your exploration of what you can do with your Flip video recordings. Eventually you’ll save the videos you want to keep onto your computer. Then you can safely remove them from the Flip and continue on with the fun.

I would love to see how you do. E-mail me a video or let me know where to watch: abby@abbyandme.com.

Mr. Flip, I’m ready for my close-up…