7 posts tagged “ipod touch”

Today Apple released updated versions of their iPod line - the biggest update being for the iPod Nano which now sports some great media capturing tools:

iPod Nano

• Camera for video (& images?), sync to YouTube via iPhoto
• Built-in microphone and speaker for audio recording
• Pedometer - good for exercise!
• Nike+ built-in
• FM Radio

So Apple now have a great media capturing device at an affordable price point for students. Like a 'Flip' video camera built into an iPod! Camera records at close to DVD quality (640x480, 30fps, H264). Audio includes AIFF, WAV, AAC, MP3 formats. So a potential staged implementation of WMDs for students could look like:

• students buy iPod Nano in Y1,
• iPhone in Y2,
• Mac 'Tablet' or MacBook in Y3...

Pricing: iPod nano 8GB NZ$259 16GB NZ$318 inc GST

iTunes9

New features include ability to remotely organise iPhone screens - i.e. organise apps. Also Apple gave statistics on games for the iPhone - way ahead of PSP & Wii!!!

Check out the Novation Automap application for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

• MIDI CONTROL IN YOUR PALM
• Now you can turn your iPhone / iPod touch into a MIDI controller, with multiple faders and buttons easily assigned to parameters in any software that allows MIDI control, and even some that don't!

Check out this amazing 'band' - all using iPhone/iPod touch music applications to form a band! They have some great videos and audio samples on their website - awesome!

iBand

iPhone Drumming demo:

iBand performance:

SLOrk

Currently highlighted on Apples website is SLOrk - the Stanford Laptop Orchestra! http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/slork/ http://slork.stanford.edu/

Reviewed by MacLife Magazine http://www.maclife.com/articles/reviews/software/ipod_and_iphone?EMC-ZR6187445606

The v2.0 software ($9US) for the ipod touch adds several new features - including third party applications that can be either synched from iTunes or downloaded directly to the iPod. My favourite apps so far include: Mobile Flickr uploader, Shozu, and the ability to take snapshots of the iPod screen (hold down 'home' button & press 'off' button to capture screenshot to 'saved pictures' folder on iPod) - great for creating examples & tutorials, and a way of creating images on the iPod touch without a camera ;-) .

The above Apps (Top line are web apps, rest are from itunes App store) are all free except Mobile Flickr (a bargain at $5). The V2 software update adds ann 'Apps' store icon to the iPod main screen - apps can be purchased & downloaded directly over WiFi to the iPod Touch. To purchase (or download freebies) and synch to iPod via iTunes you need to update iTunes to V7.7 - this adds an 'applications' menu to iTunes.

Screenshots of several iPod Apps below:

 
NetNewsWire (free) - RSS reader that synchs with http://www.newsgator.com account online, as well as desktop and Java mobile readers (NetNewsWire on Mac, FeedDemon on PC, Newsgator Go on Java capable phone).

AIM Instant Messanger App (Free). AIM or .Mac only.

VR Viewing App (Free). Also allows you to link to and share your own VR content.

Mobile Flickr ($5). Although other apps link to Flickr for free (e.g. Shozu), Mobile Flickr provides access to almost all of your Flickr account options from the iPod Touch. So I thought the small investment worthwhile!

SHOZU (Free) on iPod Touch. A great app for uploading pics and comments to a host of popular blog and media sites, and downloading a selection of Podcasts.A couple of issues with Shozu though:
 
1. Unfortunately Shozu appears to only synch with one mobile device - so each mobile device requires it's own Shozu account or Shozu gets 'confused' and posts go missing!
 
2. Shozu only posts to your blog host by uploading a picture - no text only blog posts from Shozu. However, this is nicely covered by a Web App from Sixapart - BLOGIT. I've made a web app shortcut to Blogit on my iPod Touch and linked my Blogger, Wordpress, and VOX blogs to Blogit. What I'd really like to see is an iPod/iPhone app version of my favourite Mac Blog editor "MarsEdit"!

The Apps really find wings with the iPhone - using the camera for capture & 3G connectivity - but they also significantly enhance the iPod Touch as well.

Pics from session2. We covered: 1. Creating your Blackboard Homepage 2. Setting up GMail 3. Setting up your Vox blog/eportfolio 4. iPod Touch mail setup.

Today we started an iPod Touch mobile trial with Diploma of Contemporary Music students! Great fun - everyone got their iPod Touch configured and setup on the WiFi network.

Participants: 12 students – students volunteer to participate using provided iPod Touch. Course Tutors Technology Steward (Thom Cochrane – CTLI) The main focus of this project is on the support and enhancement of face to face teaching and learning by using mobile wireless devices (iPod Touch) as a means to leverage the potential of current and emerging collaborative and reflective e-learning tools (e.g. blogs, wikis, RSS, instant messaging, podcasting, social book marking, etc…). These are often called “social software” tools. The iPod’s wireless connectivity and data gathering abilities (e.g. photoblogging, video recording, voice recording, and text input) allow for bridging the on and off campus learning contexts – facilitating “real world learning”. The learning outcomes for students are

• Developing critical reflective skills
• Facilitating group communication
• Developing an online eportfolio
• Developing a potentially world-wide peer support and critique network
• Learning how to maximise technology to enhance the learning environment across multiple contexts

Students and teaching staff will be provided with an iPod Touch (16GB) for the duration of the trial (2008). Internet connectivity will also be available via Unitec WiFi network while on campus. This provides faster, free web access while on campus. The project will be guided and supported by weekly “technology sessions” facilitated by Thom Cochrane (CTLI). The core activity of the project is the creation and maintenance of a reflective Blog as part of a course group project. However the iPod can be used to enhance almost any aspect of the course: The project will use the iPod Touch and PCs (Macs) for the following activities:

• A reflective Blog (Vox.com)
• An eportfolio (Vox.com)
• Email (GMail)
• RSS (Newsgator.com)
• Shared Calendars (Google Calenders)
• Image Blogging (Flickr)
• Video Blogging (YouTube)
• Podcasting
• Instant Messaging and Skype
• Shared bookmarks (Delicious)
• Accessing the Course Management System (Blackboard)
• Document reading (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF using QuickOffice and Google Docs)