Discovering the beauty of Podcast (part 2)...

Back to the topic of podcast. The best way to describe it is, 'radio with choices' but with different content. Mainstream wave signal radio stations mainly runs the recent popular songs, with a bit of news and commentary on the side. However, Podcast content are rarely songs, but usually shows that involve a group of people discussing a topic. Imagine a talk show with a much more focused listening audience. Interest range from the usual news to the eccentric 'how to make your cats do tricks' topics.

Honestly, this form of material isn't that new on the Internet but what Podcast has done was integrate all this material to one common down loadable format and making it easily accessible without browsing through pages and pages of eye hurting, ad popping, turtle ass slow loading websites.

Which brings us to iTunes. All you need to do is download iTunes from Apples website (you don't need an iPod to use iTunes) and and go through the usual boring process of installing and running it. After that head over (click it!) to the iTunes Store which icon can be distinguished as a green shopping bag (bad choice of colour in my opinion. Never seen a green shopping bag before). Conveniently situated on the top right corner, use the the search field to look for any topics you like. Some are free, some are not, either way choose to download it by clicking subscribe. It's as easy as that. (Tip: click on the price field to lump all the free Podcast together for easy browsing).
It'll download the recent podcast for that show and you can get to the previous shows by clicking on the arrow button beside the title. To browse or listen to your content, just click the Podcast icon on the left bar. Here you can listen, delete and unsubscribe to all your podcast shows. Again, use the arrow button to access all the previous download and down loadable content.
The beauty of the iPod is that I can just sync it up with my iTunes and bring all these Podcast everywhere I go. Listening to what I want to, when I want to, where I want to, as much as I want to. It's excellent. Of course you don't need an iPod to get iTunes, so you can just use your computer to listen to all the downloaded Podcasts.

Try it out. For all those who want to learn Japanese, I suggest subscribing to 'JapanesePod101.com'.

Blogging off....

Discovering the beauty of Podcast (part 1)...

Honestly, I never liked Apple. Must be the engineering bone that's grown in me. I find no logic in the disgusting conduct of purchasing an overpriced PC for the sake of user-friendly set-up times (and avoid hours of fun struggling with drivers installations?*...where's the fun in that?), seamless user interfaces and overall product design that's suppose to lift you on the altar of unparalleled 'coolness'. And for the same exact reasons, I despise the iPod infestation spreading throughout the world.

Hence pops up a saying "without ability to afford, comes hatred", which I claim as my own.... Shamelessly taking it from another saying I care not to mention (hint: has something to do with lack of knowledge and fear).

Due to some stroke of luck or a faulty internet campaign, I was graced with a free iPod Nano with the registration of my broad band internet service (being a customer in Japan is full of perks). Not that I wanted one, mind you. They just gave it to me, and I had a devious plan of selling it of to one of the second hand electronic shops for a bit of cashola.

I stopped the urge, and decided to give the iPod a try. I mean if half of the mobile music listening community is using it, it has to have some good experience bundled in. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks of music listening I was left unimpressed. The sound quality, though not ear bleeding does leave something to be desired and the iTunes/sync mechanism was a bit too clunky for my liking. Another one of those "I own coz' I'm cool" items.... or so I thought.

I was ready to call it quits, pack and sell it off to salvage what I can, when suddenly I stumbled upon something called Podcasts...... (to be continued - I promised it'll take less than a week, cross fingers >_< )

*asterisks are scattered in my blogs to identify points where I express 'sarcasm'

Blogging off....

Designed Icon

Icon done by my creative Japanese friends (hats of to Tanechan), who is also the moderator for the upcoming leveling up site (no to be confused with the leveling up blog site). Probably will be used for that site as well. And yes, both (site and blog) are terribly behind schedule and have received less attention than i would care to admit. (T_T)...

Treading the unknown...

Have a few projects rolling. Might make it work if i put my head in to it, and other distracting elements out.

In any case, this blog has received as much attention as the unwashed rotting shoes on my balcony. I'll have to get this blog up and going as usual. I'll probably start by dumping away those shoes first... hmmm.....

Blogging out....