Ever since I got my 3rd generation iPod Touch, I've been looking for better ways to protect it. The perfect case probably doesn't exist, and there are a VAST number of cases out there to try. But maybe I can save you some trouble. I've tried four different cases, each with it's own set of pros and cons.
The first case I tried was the Case-Mate "Naked". As the title implies, it's a clear case with one black stripe around the bezel. With the iPod inside, this looks stunning! The best part about this case is that it has a built-in screen protector that works extremely well. Some users have reported that the closure mechanism on the back scratched their iPod's back, but I have not experienced this. The huge downside for me was that it protected a bit too well. The only headphones I could get to plug in were Apple's included earbuds, everything else was too big to fit in the opening. And I had the same problem with the dock connector; only Apple's newest slimmed-down sync cable would fit. Pressing the sleep and volume buttons was a bit difficult but not a deal-breaker. And if you use a dock regularly, forget it. This case is very hard to get off.
I really wanted to like this case; it looks great and protects well without being bulky. But the small sync and headphone openings make using it difficult. Plus, I dock it often so getting this thing off is a pain. And with the chance that taking it off and on might scratch my stainless steel back, the Case-Mate "Naked" doesn't get used very often.
Official Video:
Review:
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
19 Random iTunes References
1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends
1.) What do your friends think of you?
"Age of the Broken Heart" -- Mark Heard
2.) If someone says "Is this okay?", you say:
"When I'm 64" - the Beatles
3.) How would you describe yourself?
"The Message" - 4Him
4.) What do you like in a guy/girl?
"One Million Reasons" - Aaron/Jeoffrey
5.) How do you feel today?
"Overcome" - Scarecrow & Tinman
6.) What is your life's purpose?
"Last Good Time In Town" - the Eagles
7.) What is your motto?
"One More Song" - Big Tent Revival
8.) What do you think about very often?
"O Holy Night" - Mark Harris
9.) What do you think of your best friend?
"Church Punks" - Audio Adrenaline
10.) What do you think of the person you like?
"Like Walking On Water" - Phil Keaggy & Jeff Johnson
11.) What is your life story?
"Great Awakening" - 4Him
12.) What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Bye Bye Love" - Everly Bros.
13.) What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Domino" - Van Morrison
14.) What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Holiness" - SonicFlood
15.) What will they play at your funeral?
"Bodhram Brawl" - Phil Keaggy
16.) What is your hobby/interest?
"Look of Love" - Dave Beegle
17.) What is your biggest fear?
"Here Comes My Girl" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
18.) What is your biggest secret?
"Two of Us" - the Beatles
19.) What do you think of your friends?
"I Will Be Your Friend" - Michael W. Smith
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends
1.) What do your friends think of you?
"Age of the Broken Heart" -- Mark Heard
2.) If someone says "Is this okay?", you say:
"When I'm 64" - the Beatles
3.) How would you describe yourself?
"The Message" - 4Him
4.) What do you like in a guy/girl?
"One Million Reasons" - Aaron/Jeoffrey
5.) How do you feel today?
"Overcome" - Scarecrow & Tinman
6.) What is your life's purpose?
"Last Good Time In Town" - the Eagles
7.) What is your motto?
"One More Song" - Big Tent Revival
8.) What do you think about very often?
"O Holy Night" - Mark Harris
9.) What do you think of your best friend?
"Church Punks" - Audio Adrenaline
10.) What do you think of the person you like?
"Like Walking On Water" - Phil Keaggy & Jeff Johnson
11.) What is your life story?
"Great Awakening" - 4Him
12.) What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Bye Bye Love" - Everly Bros.
13.) What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Domino" - Van Morrison
14.) What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Holiness" - SonicFlood
15.) What will they play at your funeral?
"Bodhram Brawl" - Phil Keaggy
16.) What is your hobby/interest?
"Look of Love" - Dave Beegle
17.) What is your biggest fear?
"Here Comes My Girl" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
18.) What is your biggest secret?
"Two of Us" - the Beatles
19.) What do you think of your friends?
"I Will Be Your Friend" - Michael W. Smith
Thursday, July 22, 2010
FB'ers Who Have Passed Away
I read an article this evening by the New York Times describing the difficult time Facebook is having identifying (and verifying) users who have died. With roughly 500 million users, it happens. When Facebook was in it's infancy and consisted primarily of young college students, the death rate was lower and more manageable, but often very tragic. At first, the social networking site simply deleted the profiles, but following the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy, users begged the administration to keep profiles online to help them grieve and memorialize their loved ones.
Now, however, older adults are flocking to Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. But with the growing number of older users, Facebook is having a difficult time identifying members who have passed away. Currently the site has a form users can fill out to inform the admins of a user's passing requiring a only a link to a newspaper article or online obituary. This is far from prank-proof and has been exploited by at least one "friend" willing to create a convincing website. The company has also explored using a computer algorithm to search user's walls for multiple occurrences of phrases like "rest in peace" and "I'll miss you" but this also has it's obvious shortcomings.
Another challenge is what to do with the deceased's profile. Having these "ghosts" pop up as a friend suggestion or reconnect opportunity is a tad creepy. The current memorialization process removes those actions. Other Facebook users can write on the wall but can't be added as friends so friends and family who join after the user has been marked as deceased are stuck with the privacy settings that user set up for people who aren't friends. So, for example, if the deceased user marked his wall, photos, videos, or information as "Friends Only", new users won't be able to see them.
Until now, most of the above information was in the New York Times article. You're welcome to read it for yourself, of course, but it requires you sign up for their site. Membership is free, but I thought I'd save you the hassle.
Facebook, if your listening, I have a few suggestions:
First, you could require the funeral home's name, address and phone number, and the funeral details in the death report form. Check the phone book to make sure they are legit, then call them to verify the person is deceased. Perhaps include the deceased's FB profile for them to look up. Perhaps you could request (or require) some other info from the users, such as middle name, parents' names--some specific detail that would distinguish one John Q. Public from another.
Second, how about appointing a guardian, such as a family member or friend, to a memorialized profile? That would allow the deceased to approve friends and family after they've died, upload photos, and whatever else needs done. It could be very similar to the current system for pages.
I'm no expert, but those are a few suggestions that come to mind. Take them for what they're worth. I have a few people I've lost who are still on Facebook and it has been very helpful to have their profiles still up; thank you Facebook for taking steps to keep them available.
Now, however, older adults are flocking to Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. But with the growing number of older users, Facebook is having a difficult time identifying members who have passed away. Currently the site has a form users can fill out to inform the admins of a user's passing requiring a only a link to a newspaper article or online obituary. This is far from prank-proof and has been exploited by at least one "friend" willing to create a convincing website. The company has also explored using a computer algorithm to search user's walls for multiple occurrences of phrases like "rest in peace" and "I'll miss you" but this also has it's obvious shortcomings.
Another challenge is what to do with the deceased's profile. Having these "ghosts" pop up as a friend suggestion or reconnect opportunity is a tad creepy. The current memorialization process removes those actions. Other Facebook users can write on the wall but can't be added as friends so friends and family who join after the user has been marked as deceased are stuck with the privacy settings that user set up for people who aren't friends. So, for example, if the deceased user marked his wall, photos, videos, or information as "Friends Only", new users won't be able to see them.
Until now, most of the above information was in the New York Times article. You're welcome to read it for yourself, of course, but it requires you sign up for their site. Membership is free, but I thought I'd save you the hassle.
Facebook, if your listening, I have a few suggestions:
First, you could require the funeral home's name, address and phone number, and the funeral details in the death report form. Check the phone book to make sure they are legit, then call them to verify the person is deceased. Perhaps include the deceased's FB profile for them to look up. Perhaps you could request (or require) some other info from the users, such as middle name, parents' names--some specific detail that would distinguish one John Q. Public from another.
Second, how about appointing a guardian, such as a family member or friend, to a memorialized profile? That would allow the deceased to approve friends and family after they've died, upload photos, and whatever else needs done. It could be very similar to the current system for pages.
I'm no expert, but those are a few suggestions that come to mind. Take them for what they're worth. I have a few people I've lost who are still on Facebook and it has been very helpful to have their profiles still up; thank you Facebook for taking steps to keep them available.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Afters Light Up The Sky EP
It's here!!! The new EP from the Afters is on iTunes!
01. Light Up The Sky
02. We Won't Give Up
03. Runaway
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Hot Chelle Rae Sing "Bleed" on Lopez Tonight
Nice job last night guys, but why the lack of close-ups on Ian???
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)
01 - I share a birthday (April 14th) with Anne Sullivan (teacher of Helen Keller), Pete Rose and Anthony Michael Hall among others. In addition, the Titanic hit an iceberg and president Lincoln was shot on that day
02 - The first CD I ever bought was Tom Petty & the Hearbreakers' 'Into the Great Wide Open'. The most recent was Brad Paisley's 'Play: The Guitar Album'. I have broad tastes.
03 - My first concert was Cheap Trick, Starship and REO Speedwagon in June 1994. I was taking summer classes at a local community college and most of my class was at the concert. Our professor had no clue why half the class was deaf the following day!
04 - Thanks to #3, I've smelled marijuana. Heidi--you're not missing anything!
05 - I have a half sister named Barbara I've never met.
06 - I took weightlifting in high school.
07 - I spent 3 college spring breaks in Panama City Beach, Florida sharing the gospel instead of partying hard. Not surprisingly, I *remember* the fun I had!
08 - I'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it.
09 - My best friend in high school was also named Stephanie. We were also lab partners in high school and college chemistry and when our teacher (Mr. Highland!) wanted us, all he'd say was "Stephanie..." and he'd get both of us.
10 - I have built and flown model rockets.
11 - I've always wanted to play the drums.
12 - My ultimate job would be to go on tour with a Christian band or artist.
13 - As a small child, I refused to eat unless I could put ketchup on my food. While I still use more than the average person, I no longer refuse to eat if I can't put ketchup on my food.
14 - When I was 10 or 11, my parents bet me I couldn't eat an entire bowl of just ketchup hoping I'd get so sick of it, I'd stop using it. They lost two-fold. I got the baseball glove I'd been wanting and I continue to use ketchup.
15 - I have trouble enjoying a meal when I know I'll have to clean up afterwards.
16 - I love traveling with friends, but hate traveling with my parents.
17 - My mother and I had the same first grade teacher.
18 - My work has been published in both a scientific journal and in a CD booklet.
19 - I collect Beanie Babies, but only the dogs.
20 - I started drinking Mountain Dew because my family would take the pop I bought with my allowance without having the courtesy to ask (which is still a pet peeve of mine) or say thank you. Nobody liked Mountain Dew so I began buying that instead.
21 - I hate wearing name tags. It's an unfair advantage for the other people I talk to.
22 - I'm fascinated by aircraft carriers.
23 - I've been an assistant judge at the Physics Olympics.
24 - In high school, I built a miniature bridge made of toothpicks for a class project. Before I started working on the project I sprained my wrist so my bridge was built one-handed. It held a very respectable 7 pounds. For the same class, I also built a device made of 4 pieces of standard paper and a foot of masking tape that would safely allow an egg to fall from more than 15 feet without breaking. It did not get a proper test because the principle wouldn't let us get on the roof to try it out.
25 - I wasn't sure I was going to make it to #25. After I hit "Publish" I will probably think of other things that would've been better.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)
01 - I share a birthday (April 14th) with Anne Sullivan (teacher of Helen Keller), Pete Rose and Anthony Michael Hall among others. In addition, the Titanic hit an iceberg and president Lincoln was shot on that day
02 - The first CD I ever bought was Tom Petty & the Hearbreakers' 'Into the Great Wide Open'. The most recent was Brad Paisley's 'Play: The Guitar Album'. I have broad tastes.
03 - My first concert was Cheap Trick, Starship and REO Speedwagon in June 1994. I was taking summer classes at a local community college and most of my class was at the concert. Our professor had no clue why half the class was deaf the following day!
04 - Thanks to #3, I've smelled marijuana. Heidi--you're not missing anything!
05 - I have a half sister named Barbara I've never met.
06 - I took weightlifting in high school.
07 - I spent 3 college spring breaks in Panama City Beach, Florida sharing the gospel instead of partying hard. Not surprisingly, I *remember* the fun I had!
08 - I'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it.
09 - My best friend in high school was also named Stephanie. We were also lab partners in high school and college chemistry and when our teacher (Mr. Highland!) wanted us, all he'd say was "Stephanie..." and he'd get both of us.
10 - I have built and flown model rockets.
11 - I've always wanted to play the drums.
12 - My ultimate job would be to go on tour with a Christian band or artist.
13 - As a small child, I refused to eat unless I could put ketchup on my food. While I still use more than the average person, I no longer refuse to eat if I can't put ketchup on my food.
14 - When I was 10 or 11, my parents bet me I couldn't eat an entire bowl of just ketchup hoping I'd get so sick of it, I'd stop using it. They lost two-fold. I got the baseball glove I'd been wanting and I continue to use ketchup.
15 - I have trouble enjoying a meal when I know I'll have to clean up afterwards.
16 - I love traveling with friends, but hate traveling with my parents.
17 - My mother and I had the same first grade teacher.
18 - My work has been published in both a scientific journal and in a CD booklet.
19 - I collect Beanie Babies, but only the dogs.
20 - I started drinking Mountain Dew because my family would take the pop I bought with my allowance without having the courtesy to ask (which is still a pet peeve of mine) or say thank you. Nobody liked Mountain Dew so I began buying that instead.
21 - I hate wearing name tags. It's an unfair advantage for the other people I talk to.
22 - I'm fascinated by aircraft carriers.
23 - I've been an assistant judge at the Physics Olympics.
24 - In high school, I built a miniature bridge made of toothpicks for a class project. Before I started working on the project I sprained my wrist so my bridge was built one-handed. It held a very respectable 7 pounds. For the same class, I also built a device made of 4 pieces of standard paper and a foot of masking tape that would safely allow an egg to fall from more than 15 feet without breaking. It did not get a proper test because the principle wouldn't let us get on the roof to try it out.
25 - I wasn't sure I was going to make it to #25. After I hit "Publish" I will probably think of other things that would've been better.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Back On My Soapbox!
Hey everyone! I've decided to start a blog again. I've missed writing about my life. There is something therapeutic about it. C.S. Lewis said that joy was not complete until it was expressed, which I totally agree with. By the same token, there's something about "spilling your guts" when bad things happen that makes us feel a little bit better.
Sit back, relax, and read on!
Sit back, relax, and read on!
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