MP3 Players

So probably about a year ago my iPod screen cracked. I've replaced the battery in my iPod before so I thought I could just buy a screen and replace it. Well it did not turn out so well. I would try doing it again if I had to but in the process of trying to replace the screen I broke a piece off of the logic board which connects to the screen. So now I have a broken screen and a broken logic board. I figure it is probably not worth saving. So I started shopping for something new. I ended up deciding on an iRiver E100 depicted to the left. I have really enjoyed this mp3 player and it was cheap.

Pros
The player plays ogg, mp3 and I think some others but I do not really use the others. It also can display videos, and pictures. The model I got is the 4GB version, but also has a slot for a microSD card which supports up to 32GB. It has an FM radio and a rechargeable battery. It supports drag and drop music management so it works very well with Linux and it integrates very well with Banshee. One of my most favorite features is the stereo speakers on the back of the player. I don't even need headphones to listen to music and it makes it very easy to listen to music with a friend. Also the overall quality of music is very good.

Cons
It is a little slow, or unresponsive. You have to wait a second to click your next action. The FM radio requires that headphones be connected to listen, because they act as the antenna. I have not figured out how to create playlists using linux. The SD card storage and the internal storage do not get treated as continuous storage and are always separate. The screen resolution does not seem to be great, but I do not really use it for pictures or videos so that doesn't bother me.

Overall though I love it and would buy another one. I love the fact that I got a 4GB mp3 player with more features than an iPod nano for $70 instead of the nano that would have cost me about twice that. The only thing the nano does better is have a better screen, but I will give that up easily for the ogg support, speakers, FM radio, and drag and drop management.

Happy Pi Day

I wanted to just say Happy Pi day to everyone. Also I warned everyone this would be a geeky blog so you should have expected nothing less. Actually today was pointed out to me by someone else today and I thought it was very clever.

Two more podcasts

I forgot to mention the other day about 2 other podcasts I listen to. Well kind of.. one hasn't launched yet but I am excited for it to launch soon.

Escape Pod - A podcast with great production and sound quality. It presents a short sci-fi story weekly. It covers a whole range of sci-fi. Sometimes the content is a little edgy, but the host, Steve, gives a warning if this is the case. Although in my opinion it could be a little stricter, but I have not been truly offended yet just sometimes caught off guard.

PodCastle - Done from the same people who do Escape Pod except this one is fantasy based, which is another genre I enjoy. This was has not officially started yet but they are ready and are just waiting for April 1, no joke.

I should also mention that the stories presented in these podcasts are usually very good. They pay authors for their stories and frequently these authors are famous or at least well known.

That's it for now.

Thanks and God bless,
Aaron

Podcasts

I wanted to go ahead and add a real post on top of just the welcome post.
About 2 years ago I got hooked on podcasts. For those who do not know... a podcast is basically a downloaded radio show, you can then take with you and listen whenever and wherever you want. You DO NOT need to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. I do have an iPod and have loved it but if I were to go back and do it again I would get an mp3 player that was more OSS friendly. Anyways Here are a few podcasts that I love.

Linux Reality - This was the podcast that got me hooked on podcasts and Linux. Unfortunately it is about to be retired, but the episodes are just incredible for the new Linux user.

LottaLinuxLinks - This podcast is more advance but I love the host. He is very funny, and very humble. He also does a lot of work for his church which I love to hear about.

The Linux Action Show - This podcast is more on the news side of things than the others, also this podcast sometimes has some foul language, but nothing too harsh in my opinion.

Antioch Church of Christ Sermons - Full disclosure I run this podcast. I am not responsible for the content as these are the sermons of the church I currently attend. For more info on the church go to http://www.antiochcofc.org.

Woodland Hills Church - The pastor is Greg Boyd who is amazingly smart. Rarely I disagree with some of his theology, as I tend to agree more with the Church of Christ. However if you ever have any questions about Christianity I suggest you do what I do and read the Bible, it is the only 100% true and accurate authority.

Also if you like literature I suggest you check out http://www.podiobooks.com. They have freely downloadable audio books. If you like the book I would then suggest giving money to the author for their work.

Hope y'all enjoy!

As I find more podcasts I will let everyone know.

Thanks and God bless,
Aaron