The DigitalRV Blog

Months ago I walked my friend Rich Luhr into the Reno Apple store. He was in need of some more hard drive space. More importantly, he was in need of backing up some of his work.

We looked at LaCie drives, Fire Lites, and Video IPods. Of course, I egged him on and suggested a Video IPod given his initial backup needs. Long story short, he walked away from the Apple Store with an IPod (wish I got a cut of each Apple sale I’ve initiated). But he didn’t leave the shop with everything he needed.

Before we left I suggested he check out the IPod cases. He didn’t want to spring for a case at the time, and said he’d be careful with the IPod. Famous last words.

By the time we got to International Rally in Salem, OR he’d put a scratch on the window of the new IPod, and it didn’t seem so new any longer. Meanwhile, my IPod was safely tucked inside a Countour IPod Case, and looked as new as the day I got it. The case on the other hand looked thoroughly abused.

At about the same time I was contacted by the makers of Invisible Shield regarding their IPod protection product. They don’t make cases, but instead a clear film product that is supposed to protect your IPod. The big thing you really need to protect on the latest IPods is the screen, as Video IPods get used for Video after all. Who wants to watch an episode of Lost with a giant scratch through the scenery?

When I got into Cortez Colorado this summer I got my hands on an Invisible Shield for my IPod Video. So I popped my Ipod out of its Countour case and applied the Invisible Shield to it. Then I crossed my fingers. Experimenting with your own personal hardware, and a favorite item no less, can sometimes be a little unnerving.

The product provided, The Video IPod Full Body Shield, came with several sheets of sticky transparent material. It also came with an applicator spray, and a little piece of plastic to help push bubbles out of the sheet once applied to the IPod. You might think that’s a little over kill, but I’ve applied other IPod screen protectors, and left a bubble under the sheet every time. This time I actually didn’t.

With the kit I protected the front of the IPod, the selector wheel (be sure to use the wheel protector), and the back and sides as well. The sheet for the back and sides was a little harder to handle. Keep in mind, I’m one of those kids who failed cut and paste in first grade.

I’ve now traveled cross country from East to West, and then West to East. My IPod has remained “factory new” the entire way. And it’s been used heavily every day. Taking it out of the Countour case made me a little nervous, but as I’ve found from Colorado to Florida, the Invisible Shield actually protects my Video IPod fine.

This is one of the first times I’ve been contacted by a manufacturer directly. Usually I contact them, and let you know when I’ve been given something for review. 9 times out of 10 I write about what I’ve personally purchased. While the Invisible Shield wasn’t a purchase I made, it is an item that I’d recomend. It works, and it really sticks to my IPod.

I’ve had other Invisible Shield like products. Walk into any Apple Store and you’ll see several sticky clear film products that go over the face and sometimes back of your IPod. I’ve tried several. The reason I’ve tried several is they usually stop sticking in a few months and fall off. So far in about 3,000 miles of road abuse, and now Florida humidity, the Shield has stayed on.

This is definitely a recomended product. If you don’t like walling your IPod off in a heavy awkward case, or you need to be able to drop it into other devices quickly (which you can’t do when it’s in a case), check out the Invisible Shield.

My one regret when I first talked to the folks at Invisible Shield…..I should have asked more questions about what else they made the product for. They’ve got protective film for Laptops, PDA’s, Cell Phones, etc. My cell phone has taken a lot of abuse over the past few months of traveling. And my laptop has been used round the clock daily. They could both use some additional protection. I suppose if I ask nice, maybe I’ll get to review their MacBook Pro Full Body Shield.

I’ve got fork & knife in hand.  Plenty of salt, because flavor is important.  And there’s a sizable plate waiting for me.

Not too long ago I did a review on IPods for the RV.  I’m a huge fan of the IPod, so no word eating there.  But I did have reservations about the value of being able to play video on an IPod.  There’s nothing like hands on positive experiences to make a fella start shaking the salt and digging in.

The tech junkie in me could no longer resist adding the latest IPod to the household.  With the upgrades on EyeTV, and a slew of Video Podcasts on my Itunes (many free podcasts out there), I really needed to do some long term testing outside of a store.  Plus today’s weather was terrible.  The frigid weather is back in full force, snow was flying, and the false spring has gone away.

It’s at this point we’ll go through my rationalizations….

• EyeTV2 offers converting saved video to the Video IPod.  That’s reason 1.
• I’ve got a bunch of Video Podcasts from Mac World’s Expo, and other tech shows.  Number 2
• Horrible weather.  Number 3

If you need to justify getting your next tech toy, you can borrow my reasons.  Add to them if you like. It will help ease your mind.

Now, with that out of the way……  Video on the new IPod is viewable.  Not only viewable, but enjoyable.  I got a giggle out of watching a favorite cartoon episode on it after loading the episode from EyeTV2.  Then I watched my tech shows too.  Yes, I can watch them on my Mac, so there was no need to run out and try one today.  If that’s what you’re saying, I suggest you review the list above again.  Learn the list, know the list, and use it whenever you need to justify getting a toy. 

So, I retract all reservations about viewing video on the new IPod.  Even folks with less than perfect vision (I watched with my glasses off) will find that the quality is something in the realm of “unexpected”.

Now, I need some water to go with my meal.  More details will be posted after I finish dinner…… 

For those of you who have an IPod, or use ITunes to get your favorite music, Apple is improving the service further. It’s a good thing in one way, but it sure could get you in trouble.

My wife was getting a few new audiobooks this morning from ITunes. She pointed out a new feature that Apple is testing. On the ITunes main store page is a “Just for you” section. ITunes has a suggested list of other music you might like. I foolishly took a look through.

Since I’ve started using ITunes I’ve occasionally downloaded music. When I realized that a favorite CD from college was lost, I stopped by ITunes. Or when my Jeep was traded in with a CD I really enjoyed, I stopped by ITunes. You get the idea.

Well, ITunes learned from my few purchases, and had a suggested list of artists and albums. As I looked through the list I found myself saying, “Oh yeah, I loved that song / album / artist.” The “buy album now” button was next to each item that brought me down memory lane. So tempting.

There are a great many things in this world that a person could get addicted to. Smoking cigarettes, drinking too much, crack, and now ITunes. Yup, ITunes could get addictive fast especially with the new Just for You section. I had to stop looking, as the temptation to download away was just too much.

If you’re not easily swayed, or a big fan of music, you’ve got no worries. But what I’ve seen so far tells me ITunes will really get to know your preferences. That’s a good thing. You can always find something you like. But it could become a bad thing if you start downloading away, and need to mortage your RV to support your new habit!

The “Just for You” feature is super cool! If you’re looking to build a music library before your next big trip, check it out. Make sure you’ve got a supportive friend nearby to help you step away from the computer. Basically, you’ll need a designated driver for when you go to far……