iPod Nano

Update: They finally did give the guy I work with a new Nano. Aparently there were some that were flawed and cracked. for the most part I haven't been hearing about problems with them.

 

I have a nano. It is really, really nice. I love it. I filled up my 40gig iPod and it actually started to be cumbersome to use just for quick jaunts. On the nano, I put on a few playlists that I update a lot (incl recently added), pictures of my kid (to show people), my contact info, and podcasts. It's great. If I was going on a road trip, I'd take the big one. When I play through my stereo at home, I use the big one. But the nano is great for slipping in my pocket and going to the store.

 

Hehe, that was my fault. I looked at some pictures and thought it was a nano, but indeed upon further inspection it was a mini.

 

Ipod = far from delicate:

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/1

Works after throwing from a 50mph car, driving over it, throwing it, etc.

That said, are cell phones that play mp3 NEW in America? Live in Korea, old hat here. Satellite TV, MMOG internet gaming, mp3, all rather standard on phones here. Why's America so slow to adopt decent tech?

 

It is rather new. The reason why phones don't come with all those special features is because in reality, no one wants to spend more than maybe $50 tops on a cell phone. Only techies are willing to spend money on a smart phone.

 

I've heard that a system is being developed where you can wave your cell phone in front of a vending machine in order to pay for the product.

Sad thing is, it'll be at least 10 years before we see it here.

 

It's not that sad that another method that Americans will use to bury themselves in debt is that far off. Just let them continue to **** up their credit with cards.

 

Speaking of vending machines--the greatest invention I've encountered since coming to Korea (newly arrived a month ago), is that you can put a freaking bill into a vending machine any way--upside down, backwards, whatever. You don't have to have the bill facing a certain way. Now THAT is amazing to me. Including arcade change machines when I was a kid through adult years, I've probably wasted a good 10 hours of my life getting the bill facing the right way...heh.

 

Plus when dollar bills have that one little crimp in it, and you spend 5 minutes trying to track down a guy who you can exchange your crimpled bill up for a new bill.

Speaking of American ideas that didn't work out.

 

Is that an American idea though? Britain has used a one-pound coin since the early 80s.

 

$$$

Americans tend to spend their money more on their cars and homes instead of technology devices. It's just what the market here demands.

 

Indeed we have. Is that a picture of a $1 coin?
The reason we got rid of the £1 note (last guy on it was Sir Isaac Newton) was that the average length of life of a note is 6 months. A coin lasts...well...longer.

 

Yes, its our latest ill-fated attempt to get Americans to use dollar coins. Of course almost no one uses them, most people preferring bills to coins here.

 

I'm not entirely sure how that would be remedied. I can't remember too well the problems when we got rid of £1 notes (was about 5 years old or so), but I do know some were against it (the unwashed public) but it went ahead anyway. I guess the impetus for change isn't that strong in the US. Who does the currency in the US? I guess there's still money in producing notes that will be burnt in a few months rather than conservation and efficiency.

 

Coins are produced by the U.S. Mint, while bills are printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Both agencies are part of the Treasury Department. People don't want to change for pretty much the same reason they don't want to go to the metric system. They're too f'in lazy to learn a new system, and in truth it doesn't benefit most people since they so rarely leave the country.

I remember coming back from Europe in the mid-90s, and showing my friends coins for the pound, franc, and Deutsche mark and seeing them astounded that coins were readily available for such large currency values.

 

We haven't had $1 bills since 1987, and the $2 bill was phased out in 1996.

Takes a little getting used to, but having all of that change makes your wallet look fatter

 

The US used to have $20 coins, $5 coins, etc. but production was stopped.

 

Apple admits problem with iPod nano

Apple: Small Number of IPod Nanos Flawed

They will replace all defective units that have cracked screens...

 

Shhhhhhh...... don't tell the Steve Jobs groupies about Apple's on-going quality control issues. You'll cut in on their swoon-time with their iPods.