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In today’s podcast, I discuss the awesome “Delete Song” button on my new Sansa Clip Plus, and how the simple approach to life flies right in the face of fads like GTD, “debt reduction systems”, and our economy. Have a listen and leave a comment!
(If you can’t see the “play” button, click the title of the post!)
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In today’s podcast, I talk about selling my beloved Zune for a simpler MP3 player and the value of cutting back and simplifying your life. I also give more shout-outs to listeners. If you’re a listener, you should probably listen. Drop some feedback in the comments!
(As always, if you can’t see the “play” button at the top of this post, click the post title and it should show up.)
Is there anything more frustrating than the local radio? Never is this more evident than at Christmastime. In Milwaukee, the only two Christmas songs available are that “Canon In D” thing with the boys’ choir, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by freaking Mariah Carey. Yes sir, nothing gets me in the spirit like Mariah Carey. Ugh.
I love Christmas music, but this was killing me. Even better, at nighttime when they might play a few different ones, we have an annoying DJ named Delilah who intersperses each song with over-the-top mushiness and “inspirational” messages. Pandora came to the rescue, and here I am, still using it more and more.
Pandora Radio is a little web application where you tell the service an artist you like and it plays music by that artist and others like it. You can give the ol’ thumbs-up or thumbs-down to songs, and it will adjust your playlist accordingly. The more you rate, the better it gets at picking music you’ll like. You can even add more artists to a radio station for variety and even better chances of getting music you like. For music lovers like me, this service is a Godsend, as it is free and easy to use, and it helps me discover new music. But why else is it so great?
You can make as many stations as you want in Pandora. So I can make a country station if I want by just adding a few country artists I like. As you can see above, I added a Rockapella station to listen to a cappella covers of songs any time I want (I never said I was cool). What about Christmastime? Pandora had a couple Christmas stations created, and you can create stations with your favorite artists singing holiday songs, too. Bye-bye, Mariah, hello Straight No Chaser!
My biggest beef with local radio is the commercials. First, they take commercial breaks like every five minutes. We have a station here called FM 106.1, which is an all-country station, and they actually advertise the “No-Talk Triple-Play” where they play, wait for it… THREE whole songs in a row! WOW. And I think there’s something written in the laws of radio that every station has to take commercial breaks at the exact same time. It bothers me. A lot. If I’m in the car for 10 minutes, I don’t want to listen to commercials for 8 of those minutes.
Yes, I love my Zune with all my heart. But what about the days when I just want to sit back and let somebody else pick the music for me? That’s why Pandora comes in handy. When I’m in the car, some days I’ll just plug the adapter into my Blackberry and let Pandora entertain me. Most are hits, there are a few misses occasionally, but it’s nice to have a variety without dealing with all the crap of local radio. I even get (a limited number of) skips (per hour) that I can use for songs that drive me nuts.
Is there anything more pointless than the radio DJ anymore? I understand if you are on talk radio. For example, I’m a huge fan of Dave Ramsey’s radio show. But in those situations, I want to hear the guy talk, not play music. Delilah kills me. At Christmastime, I was listening to a local station during the day while I ran some errands, and they decided to spend 10 minutes in an interview with Ray Romano. *siiiiiiiiggghhhhhh*… With Pandora, it’s computer-generated and analyzed. I don’t have to listen to anybody explain any garbage to me about anything. I don’t have to listen to people winning money and big giveaways. I just get the music.
If you’ve got a pair of headphones, you can listen to Pandora anytime. First, it runs in a web browser, so if you are near a computer, just plug the ol’ headphones in and start listening. Or, if you’re at home, crank up the speakers! As you can see above, it’s available on almost any type of smartphone. I use the Blackberry app myself, and I love it. Plug that bad boy into the cassette adapter or FM transmitter, and it feels like you’re just listening to regular radio. [Bonus feature: when you get a call or a text, it pauses the station for you to take care of it, and then unpauses when you’re done automatically. Cool!]
Have other needs? Well, some boombox-type devices support Pandora music, and Pioneer has announced plans to bring Pandora to more cars in 2010. In addition, I have recently discovered Jamcast, which streams your audio to different supported devices, including my XBox 360 (see link for full list of supported devices, including PS3 and various DVD players), so that I can play Pandora on my computer and listen to it in my living room on my TV. Slick!
Yup. There’s no better argument than this one. It doesn’t cost a dime. You can pay for it if you’d like, and Pandora One offers some nice features, too. But if you want to stick with free, there’s nothing stopping you. The limitations aren’t ridiculous like some services out there, and you can still enjoy it fully.
Yeah, Pandora isn’t big news to anybody who’s been online for the past few years. But if you’re not all that tech-savvy, this can be a great new discovery for you. Check it out today!
No, this isn’t going to be another debate on why I like my Zune better than the iPod. Today, we’re all together: we are owners of portable media players. And it’s not just limited to us: there are those who were more economical and chose simpler, non-brand-name media players, and even some that use their mobile phones, such as their Blackberry or Droid, to carry around music and video.
In any case, the main reason we got these things was music. We love us some music, right? Heck, even the option to carry around some video is pretty cool too (if we can). But our little media players can do us one better, and I learned it while I was sitting at a desk.
Recently, I took upon a rather boring desk job to pay a few bills (one being this giant party I’m throwing next October). This job basically entails staring at a computer screen and answering customer service emails for 8 hours a day, second shift. It ain’t glamorous, I’ll tell you that right now. But while there, I realized that I needed brain stimulation if I wanted any chance of surviving this job.
As I’ve stated before, I’ve got a Microsoft Zune. While putzing around on the Zune Marketplace, I started perusing the podcasts. I’d always thought about grabbing a podcast – after all, they seem to be pretty popular, but I never really knew anybody that listened to them. I figured this would be a good chance to try a few out.
Holy cow. I should be kicking myself for not trying this years ago.
Think about all the time you spend doing mindless activities: driving a car, sitting at work (for some of us), cleaning the house, working out, etc. There are about a billion different times of day when we could be putting our brain to good use. Enter the podcast. Here are a few cool reasons to start loading up:
A podcast, for those of you who have gotten this far and still don’t know what they are, is essentially a radio show. For some podcasters out there, it’s adapted from their actual radio show. For others, it’s like their blog on steroids – interviews, audio clips, and special content can be found on their podcasts. What kinds of stuff can you find out there? Anything.
After some trial and error, I’ve hammered down the podcasts I look forward to listening to every day (links go to the RSS feed address to add to your podcasting software):
There are tons more out there, from comedy to Christian, food to music. Go search around, either in your iTunes, Zune Marketplace, or even Google. You’ll find some good stuff.
One way is through your media software. The iTunes Store and the Zune Marketplace both have dedicated sections to podcasts. If you don’t use either of those, there is another very popular option: Juice.
Juice is a cross-platform podcast subscriber that organizes your podcasts and syncs them up with your media player of choice (or, if you want, you can just play them through the software).
Podcasts give your brain a little food to work with. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. After all, learning is an ongoing process throughout your life. Why not give it a try? Do you have any favorite podcasts you want to recommend? Let’s hear about it in the comments!
A note before we get started with this post: Not every commenter on the Zune/iPod post was disrespectful. There were several commenters who were iPod fans that clearly read my side of the story, and added their two cents thoroughly and respectfully. Thanks to those of you who did!
Last week, on a whim, I wrote a 1:00am post entitled, Why Apple’s Success Makes No Sense to Me, and Why the Zune Breaks My Heart. It was a little opinion piece defending my position that the Microsoft Zune is the best music experience you can get from a portable player, and that the iPod/iPhone was more focused on applications instead – the “jack of all trades, master of none” argument.
Little did I know the can of worms I would open!
As I was sawing wood (sleeping to those of you who don’t get that), my article was linked to on a website called MacSurfer, where the Apple fans of the world congregate and read articles about iPods. As a result, well over 500 visitors came through last Saturday, and many of them had choice words for me, a Zune fan.
Most comments made me laugh. Some made me simply shake my head. I think it’s time we all learn how to discuss an issue with respect to all parties involved. The media has shown us the wrong way all too often in today’s politics. The internet has made it possible for us to talk to each other in ways we would never communicate face-to-face. Our attitudes are shifting, and it’s a problem. Using some of the comments as illustrations, let’s take a look at the right way, and the wrong way, to debate:
Let’s take a step back: a blogger who averages 75 hits a day on a good day made comments on a portable media player. He was not insulting your choice of media player, he was simply explaining his.
I’m a nobody right now in the wide world of the internet. I plan to be somebody, and I am taking steps to do so, but by and large, I hold very little authority in the grand scheme. I didn’t write the post for MacSurfer. In fact, I didn’t even know the site existed! I didn’t market the blog post at all before things started going haywire. In other words, they came to me. All I was doing was expressing an opinion.
And also, think about the topic: portable media players. That’s it. We’re not talking about universal health care, legalizing marijuana, public education, or censorship in the media. We are talking about gadgets that play music and video. This is not earth-shattering stuff. This is not stuff that will cause your children great pain when they grow up. This is a recreational topic. If you are dealing with a topic that really doesn’t affect your life, take a deep breath before entering your response. It’s not that big of a deal!
My favorite comment about the post was from my cousin, Ethan, which he posted on Facebook:
"Tech nerds are not, and never have been, the target market for the post-Macintosh (1984+) Apple. Apple software and hardware just works. Actual people like that. Crawl back into your parent’s basement and keep running Windoze on your self-constructed PC.” “Dear Nerds, Keep using Microsoft programs and products. They are perfect. For you at least. And you can score with a girl too! Because PCs with Windows installed are so crappy that no normal person can figure out how to fix them when something goes wrong (type one of hundreds of problems you encountered with your pc), there must be tons of chicks just waiting for someone to fix that pc for them. If you don’t like Apple, Mac or whatever, just don’t use it. Stop writing bullshit and annoying people.”
"Tech nerds are not, and never have been, the target market for the post-Macintosh (1984+) Apple. Apple software and hardware just works. Actual people like that. Crawl back into your parent’s basement and keep running Windoze on your self-constructed PC.”
“Dear Nerds, Keep using Microsoft programs and products. They are perfect. For you at least. And you can score with a girl too! Because PCs with Windows installed are so crappy that no normal person can figure out how to fix them when something goes wrong (type one of hundreds of problems you encountered with your pc), there must be tons of chicks just waiting for someone to fix that pc for them. If you don’t like Apple, Mac or whatever, just don’t use it. Stop writing bullshit and annoying people.”
First, a word of warning to all of you who comment on The Practical Nerd: if you want to offend me, calling me a “nerd” won’t do anything. That’s a compliment to me. And if you find my writing “annoying”, then don’t read it. There’s a lot of other stuff to read online.
We are not on the playground in elementary school anymore. So many people online today think that they will look like a big shot if they personally insult somebody they’ve never met. In fact, the only thing these people know about me is that I like my Zune. Apparently that is grounds for calling me names, “yelling” at me, and making various insults about my manhood.
Stick to the topic at hand. Don’t get distracted by your personal feelings for somebody. If you want to win an argument, state your case and stick to the facts. Diving head-first into opinions, especially these kinds, won’t help you win anything. In fact, you’ll just wind up looking stupider.
“But, but there is TODAY such a pass on the Iphone: Spotify. So where is REALLY the problem for Apple ? But on my Iphone i Can also have Access to more than 6 millions of music, i can download plenty of really good games, i Can read Ebook, i Can use Genius (far better than Smart DJ), I can use a lot of GPS, I can go on the internet with a far better navigator. It isn’t only a music player, it’s a computer in the pocket… And this computer in the pocket is at the same price than your Zune. So, the conclusion is easy…”
The Apple App Store is a smart piece of business. I never denied that. But my argument was about the music. Responding to my post by saying “iPods are better because of the App Store” misses the entire point I was making. I didn’t ignore the App Store. But that wasn’t part of the discussion.
This is also not the only comment to mention Spotify. I won’t argue it: Spotify looks like a fantastic service. But it’s not available in the United States. At all. Period. To be honest, from the people I’ve talked to, it doesn’t look like it will be any time soon, if at all. I mentioned this in a couple of my replies in the comments section, and guess what? More people kept repeating how great Spotify is.
At least this makes me feel cool: I have a good number of international readers!
Anyway, if you’re trying to make a point, make sure it’s relevant to the argument at hand. You should be countering the arguments that were made by the other party. If you don’t, it shows that you are ignoring what they are trying to say. And guess what? They’ll ignore your argument then, too.
"Zune is Dead." “this is your 3rd zoon you say? lolz. bang the drum and wave that penance.”
"Zune is Dead."
“this is your 3rd zoon you say? lolz. bang the drum and wave that penance.”
You might as well stick your tongue out or shoot spitballs at me in retaliation, because that’s how mature you look when you argue like this. In real life, it’s like repeating what the other person is saying, just in a funny voice. Knock it off.
There is a way to “agree to disagree”, particularly when you are debating about opinions. I didn’t change anybody’s mind, and nobody changed my mind. In this world, you can exchange ideas and points of view and still be honest and respectful about it. Here are two of my favorite comments that make good points while still being respectful to me:
"First, I am a long time Apple user (1979 – Apple ][+) but I have used most micro OS’s from TRS to Commodore to Apple // to Apple /// to Lisa to Mac (OS1 to 9 & OSX 10.2 to 10.4) to CP/M to MS-DOS to Windows 1, 2, 3, 95 & XP plus some UNIX and Linux (not in order of usage). . You think apps are not so important while music is so so important. Your opinion. For me, music is nice, but I don’t go through so much music myself. To each their own, and what turns me on about technology is what the technology can do for me. I use what works, and Apple product most of the time works better for me than what Microsoft product does. I use what works best and I have a pile of Dell’s, have built my own PC boxes and have helped others with theirs. I use a Mac as my personal system for email and web browsing for the safety of not being infected by all the Windows malware out there. . I don’t have a cell phone at present, have only an iPod shuffle (1st gen) that I use periodically. Being in Canada, a Zune HD is reportedly not going to be available, and if true, is just not an option. The radio HD part is US only so the rest of the world loses out on access, which limits the appeal and market share of the product, while Apple makes a product that can be used almost anywhere in the world. The iPhone is a world phone, the Touch can be used anywhere, the Nano with the FM radio can be used anywhere, the list goes on for almost all Apple product. . So, while the Zune has gotten better from its first incarnation, I don’t hold out much hope for you for its future. MS discontinues products that don’t work out in its global domination drive, sometimes replacing them with a new model that instantly obsoletes the previous models, ala the first Zunes, the original XBox, etc. Apple on the other hand has brought the first iPhones and iPod Touches up to date as much as the hardware will allow with OS updates. Other iPods have been firmware updated to allow for bug fixes and feature enhancements. MS with their Windows CE/Mobile is just not that upgradable and other than a desktop PC, most Microsoft product is ultimately not upgradable and is instantly obsolete when a new version of the product appears. . For me for the most part, I like Apple and how they handle their product upgrades and upgradability. Your mileage may vary of course. Good luck with your Zune."
“Actually, Sony makes a rather brilliant MP3 player and even includes an excellent set of noise canceling headphones. that far outmatch both MSFT and APPL. Frankly, even the Zune HD is overloaded with features. Audiophiles want true uncompressed music delivered as purely and as distortion free as possible. I don’t think they need a game or a web browser to go a long with their favorite musician. But, since most of America’s youth suffer from ADD and have a lousy ear for sound, then overloaded players like the Zune, Archos, and iPod will easily get their business. Nice read though."
Thanks to everybody who commented – I’m glad I hit a nerve! Do you have any tips for debating points with others? Share them in our new and improved comments section!
