Taking it with you - uses for an iPod Shuffle
There has been a lot of talk about how universally useful an iPhone can be. I read on an online university forum this morning that my fellow student has greasy fingerprints all over her regular computer screen from trying to apply the touch screen technology to other technology. You can download software to make you more fluent in Japanese, or more able to look up kanji... but what do you do if you don't have an iPhone. Don't fret! You can still do some very useful things, even if you only have an iPod shuffle. Of course anything you can do on a shuffle you can do on an iPod touch or iPhone probably much better.... but the shuffle still does have some advantages over the bigger cousins.
1. It's really small. That means it fits anywhere... you can use it as a bookmark in your daily schedule, you can clip it to your coat, you can slip it in your purse. This makes it an extremely convenient option for....
2. Your daily jog. For this you'll need earphones especially designed not to fall out but you can run with any combination of run-friendly music that you like. And if running's not your thing, then why not....
3. Swim! Swim? Yes, I said swim. I recently bought a silicon iPod cover by H20 that allows me to take my shuffle in the pool with me. Bic Camera had the larger sized classic iPod version also for sale, but the shuffle fits MUCH better in my swimwear. I find the best way to swim with the headphones is either to wear a swim cap to keep the headphones in place, or to tread water (my swimming pool is 2.5 meters deep).
Size isn't the only benefit your shuffle can offer. Because it's the shuffle, of limited size, you're constantly updating what goes on there so that you don't get bored with the list of tunes that will just keep going around. Here are a few ideas to fill your shuffle productively.
1.JapanesePod101.com is a podcast for learning Japanese... listen to the audio content on the train or in the pool - it will keep your mind working in the right direction.
2.Another idea for learning Japanese - prepare for karaoke greatness by filling your iPod with Japanese songs you'd like to learn. Get a few tips from friends before you start, then expand from there.
3.If you're a student, or a professional who takes part in professional development courses, make sure to take your laptop to classes that are bound to be food for thought. If you've got a Mac with a built-in microphone, it will be easy to make an audio recording of classes so you can go back later and review ideas. It's like your own personal podcast.
4.Did you know you can use the shuffle to store data? It's not my favourite use of this little darling, but it can be done, and it's as compact as one of those memory sticks.
5.Finally, if you've got kids on a very long journey (be it plane, car, or train), get a headset splitter so that two people can listen. Arguments can easily erupt if there is a visual element (because invariably both kids can't see properly), but with a shuffle, you've only got audio to worry about. Just download your kids favourite audio books and songs for a hassle-free trip.
1. It's really small. That means it fits anywhere... you can use it as a bookmark in your daily schedule, you can clip it to your coat, you can slip it in your purse. This makes it an extremely convenient option for....
2. Your daily jog. For this you'll need earphones especially designed not to fall out but you can run with any combination of run-friendly music that you like. And if running's not your thing, then why not....
3. Swim! Swim? Yes, I said swim. I recently bought a silicon iPod cover by H20 that allows me to take my shuffle in the pool with me. Bic Camera had the larger sized classic iPod version also for sale, but the shuffle fits MUCH better in my swimwear. I find the best way to swim with the headphones is either to wear a swim cap to keep the headphones in place, or to tread water (my swimming pool is 2.5 meters deep).
Size isn't the only benefit your shuffle can offer. Because it's the shuffle, of limited size, you're constantly updating what goes on there so that you don't get bored with the list of tunes that will just keep going around. Here are a few ideas to fill your shuffle productively.
1.JapanesePod101.com is a podcast for learning Japanese... listen to the audio content on the train or in the pool - it will keep your mind working in the right direction.
2.Another idea for learning Japanese - prepare for karaoke greatness by filling your iPod with Japanese songs you'd like to learn. Get a few tips from friends before you start, then expand from there.
3.If you're a student, or a professional who takes part in professional development courses, make sure to take your laptop to classes that are bound to be food for thought. If you've got a Mac with a built-in microphone, it will be easy to make an audio recording of classes so you can go back later and review ideas. It's like your own personal podcast.
4.Did you know you can use the shuffle to store data? It's not my favourite use of this little darling, but it can be done, and it's as compact as one of those memory sticks.
5.Finally, if you've got kids on a very long journey (be it plane, car, or train), get a headset splitter so that two people can listen. Arguments can easily erupt if there is a visual element (because invariably both kids can't see properly), but with a shuffle, you've only got audio to worry about. Just download your kids favourite audio books and songs for a hassle-free trip.
