Touch Me

How do I know I'm a geek? I get excited when I hear the words "external volume controls." That is one of the features that supposedly will be a part of the new ipod touch when it is introduced next week.

My plan this summer was to use my tax rebate to buy an ipod touch, but then I started to hear whispers of a new version to be introduced soon. Even as prices fell and I could have found one very cheaply off craigslist from a college student who got a free one with their purchase of a mac this summer, I held out, until i heard more about the new ones. Apple itself finally confirmed, in a way, the rumors in the past few days by announcing an event for next week (like apple though, the company did not release any specifics).

Well, it appears my patience has paid off. Today on ilounge, dimensional drawings for what very well may be the new nano and touch are pictured. The new touch has external volume controls, something that was missing on the current versions -- without the external volume controls, people listening to a touch would have to touch around the screen to bring up the volume control, instead of just being able to control the volume by reaching to the touch, whether it was on your hip, in your hand or in a bag.

Also, according to the ilounge, the new touch has a tapered design, making it similar to the iphone, and appears to be thicker.

I can hardly wait for them to be released.

September Song

It's been a true test of whatever willpower I have, but I have delayed my planned summer purchase of an ipod touch until at least September, when, according to all the rumors, a new and improved (and possibly less expensive) version goes on sale. It seems there may be some truth to the rumors, since apple is dumping their supplies of the current crop of touches, tossing one in for free for college kids who buy a mac and making quite a lot of noise about their sale of refurbished" touches through the apple store. 

I have also found out that Morrissey's new studio album, "Years of Reversal," is complete and will go on sale in September. Patience rewarded, yet again. I can hardly think of a better thing to do with my birthday month than to get a snazzy new ipod and the first album I would download onto it would be the new Morrissey. It's nice to have such things to look forward to.

 

Do the Shuffle

I hope that when I inevitably adopt a new 16GB Ipod Touch my Ipod Shuffle doesn't feel left out and unloved, like a puppy when a baby joins the household, because I really think it is a brilliant invention and I don't think I could walk or jog or exer-bike or lift as much as I do these days without it providing me with my blood-pumping soundtrack. 

Last Friday I went for a little jog/walk and I didn't turn the shuffle off once I got home. Tonight I went to work out and found the shuffle was still on. Oh crap, I thought. But alas, the battery was still strong and powered my shuffle through tonight's heavy lifting workout. Amazing, especially since my Nano can barely hold a full charge more than a few hours.

Not so much luck with the used G3 Imac I bought last November. I've had to perform computer CPR on it a few times and whenever it is turned off, it loses settings and such and twice already I have lost my itunes library (backup, backup, backup. Always backup!) Last week it lost the itunes library again, so I had to re-authorize the shuffle and then go through my restored library to put together a bunch of either fast and hard or just plain hard, songs to make up my shuffle playlist (since I really only use it to run or lift along with).

So, here's what I'm listening to these days to get my feet moving or my blood pumping so I can lift heavy things.

*Mother -- Danzig

*Don't Stop Me Now -- Queen

*I Want It All -- Queen

*Bring The Noise (Remix) -- Public Enemy

*All You Need Is Me -- Morrissey

*Proper Education -- (It's a Dance Remix of Pink Floyd's "We Don't Need No Education")

*I Was made For Loving You -- (No, not the original, but a dance remix of the Kiss song)

*Tutto Nero -- Caterina Caselli (an Italian version of "Paint it Black")

*Tainted Love -- Gloria Jones (the original)

*I Want a Lover -- Pet Shop Boys (surprisingly, a good song to lift or do cardio to, with its dark, dirty beats)

*Heart -- Pet Shop Boys (see above comment)

*Go West -- Pet Shop Boys (a great, celebratory running song)

*Proud -- Heather Small

*Send Me An Angel -- Pepper Mashay

*Piece of Me -- Britney Spears (yeah, I said it. Britney. And it's a great nasty, lifting song.)

*Don't Start Me Down -- A mash-up of Pink V. ELO. Fun stuff.

*Spotlight -- Jennifer Hudson (Great to hear as soon as the run is over.)