With the all-new Flip MinoHD, it-Feets now even easier to capture incredible HD video and share it with the world. MinoHD features 120 minutes of record time, so you-Feetll never have to miss another minute. A super-slim, pocket-sized design means you can take your MinoHD with you everywhere you go. And a large, 2-Inch anti-glare display lets you enjoy your videos directly on your camcorder. Plus, MinoHD comes pre-loaded with FlipShare software, which makes it easy to organize, create and share your videos.

Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (Brushed Metal) NEWEST MODEL by Flip Video
newest version

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MinoHD Overview

• All-new MinoHD is the world’s sleekest HD camcorder
• Slim, sleek design fits in any pocket or purse–perfect for shooting video on the go
• Captures 120 minutes of stunning HD video on 8 GB of built-in memory; no additional memory needed
• Simple user interface–power on and press record to start capturing HD video in moments
• Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software
• FlipShare software makes it easy to email videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies, capture still-image snapshots, and upload video to MySpace, YouTube and other sharing sites
• Large, 2-inch anti-glare color display to play back and delete videos
• Internal Lithium-ion battery recharges through built-in USB; also recharges when connected to Flip Video Power Adapter (not included)
• HDMI output (mini-HDMI connector) makes it easy to watch your videos on your HDTV
• All-new design features a unique brushed-metal front and soft, rounded edges
• Features a flat-back panel with touch-sensitive, backlit buttons
• Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per seconds (fps) progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files

Click here for an interactive tour

The World’s Sleekest HD Camcorder Is Now Even Better With the all-new Flip MinoHD, it’s now even easier to capture incredible HD video and share it with the world. MinoHD features 120 minutes of record time, so you’ll never have to miss another minute. A super-slim, pocket-sized design means you can take your MinoHD with you everywhere you go. And a large, 2-inch anti-glare display lets you enjoy your videos directly on your camcorder. Plus, MinoHD comes pre-loaded with FlipShare software, which makes it easy to organize, create and share your videos. Sleek, Pocket-Sized Design Super-sleek MinoHD features an all-new design, complete with a unique, brushed-metal front and soft, rounded edges. Plus, MinoHD is slim and small enough to fit into any pocket or purse, meaning you can take it with you wherever you go. Whether you’re enjoying an adventurous vacation, hitting the town with friends, or just taking it easy at home, your MinoHD will let you capture all the action. Incredible HD Video MinoHD may be small, but it produces incredible HD video, even in low-light situations. Capture up to 120 minutes of video that will look crisp and vibrant on your HDTV. Plus, premier AAC audio means your videos will sound clearer than ever, too. And included HDMI output makes it simple to enjoy your videos on your HDTV. Easy to Use Like all Flip camcorders, the new MinoHD is incredibly easy to use. Power on, press record, and start capturing high-quality HD video within seconds. It’s really that simple. When you’re ready to share your video, flip out the signature USB arm and connect to your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software. Pre-Loaded FlipShare Software

Click here to learn more about FlipShare software

MinoHD comes pre-loaded with FlipShare software, which makes it easy to organize, create and share your videos:

• Organize your videos. Drag and drop your videos into folders you’ve created, or use the automatic date-stamped folders.
• Create custom movies. Make movies featuring your favorite video clips, and add your own music to provide a more personal touch.
• Capture still-image snapshots. Use enhanced freeze-frame capabilities to grab a snapshot from any of the thirty frames that comprise each second of your video.
• Share privately. Send videos to your friends and family using attachment-free emails. Or create private Flip Channels to share your videos with specific groups of friends and family.
• Share with the world. Publish your videos directly to MySpace, YouTube and other sites, all with the click of a button.

From http://wiweb2you.com

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

The iPod touch has always been an amazing iPod. And with its groundbreaking technologies–including a Multi-Touch screen, the accelerometer, and 3D graphics–and access to hundreds of games, iPod touch puts an amazing gaming experience in the palm of your hand. It comes in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models with new volume controls and a built-in speaker. Play hours of music. Create a Genius Playlist of songs that go great together. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Browse YouTube videos. And shop the App Store for games and applications.

The iPod touch feels even better in your hand, thanks to the stunningly thin, contoured enclosure made of polished stainless steel.

Just turn iPod touch on its side and flick through your music to find the album you want to hear. Click to enlarge.

Carry hours of video with you, and watch it on a crisp, clear 3.5-inch widescreen color display.

Developers all over the world are creating exciting games unlike anything you’ve ever seen on an iPod or mobile device. Click to enlarge.

The built-in wireless capability in iPod touch gives you access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, where you can choose from millions of songs with a tap.

iPod touch features Safari, the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device.

Email on iPod touch looks and works just like email on your computer.

When you’re connected via Wi-Fi, you can get directions, find local businesses, and check traffic with Maps.

Love to watch the latest YouTube videos? iPod touch gives you all the fun of the web’s best videos–pocket-size.

iPod touch uses iTunes to sync photos you have in iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Album on a PC.

Keep your schedule at your fingertips with iPod touch.

Build your contacts list on your Mac with Address Book or on your PC with Microsoft Outlook, then sync everything to your iPod touch using iTunes.

Reviews from Customers

“Updated iPod Touch Delivers Nice New Features”
The iPod Touch debuted only one year ago, and this is the first update. I was excited to pick up the new iPod Touch at the Apple Store because I had never owned a first generation, though I do own iPhones.

I want to concentrate primarily on the new features:

First, physical volume buttons are now placed on the side of the iPod Touch as they are on the iPhone. This is very convenient. It allows you to adjust the volume of your music, without having to pull the entire device out of your pocket and activate the screen. A time saver.

Second, many people requested a built-in speaker for the iPod Touch like is available on the iPhone. Apple listened. However, there is one important point to make on this! The iPod Touch is incredibly small, and Apple is forced to put an incredibly small speaker. The speaker in the iPod Touch sounds worst than the speaker in the iPhone. I have compared it side by side, and it’s fairly significant, and the iPhone speaker isn’t that great to begin with. However, in a quiet room, the speaker is still useful for previewing a song you might want to buy, or for playing games. However, still, if you want great sound, you need to connect your headphones.

Genius – This new feature is really surprisingly good. When you’re listening to a song you enjoy, select the genius option. It will create a playlist for you, with songs that go together nicely with the one you started with. It helps you rediscover great music from your collection with a playlist suited to the mood you’re in. I didn’t think it would do a good job compiling this list, but it has been quite impressive.

Applications – It’s great to have the ability to buy (or get some free) applications right on the iPod Touch. Furthermore, with the software update this new iPod Touch comes with, the Application installation process is so much smoother than it had been even on my iPhone. It now works how you want it to, seamlessly. I like having a weather application that includes doppler radar images, and that is free. I also have several games on it. There is a great variety of applications available from hundreds of third-parties right on the iPod itself, so you are certain to find something that interests you. I really like the new release of Spore, for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple is really pushing the games and quietly suggest they are challenging Nintendo and Sony. They are innovative and interesting games, but I think they have a ways to go, to challenge those game makers.

Nike + is now built in too, so if you have the shoes and the puck, the iPod Touch is ready to receive the data from it. Battery life is improved to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. I find the audio number fairly accurate if you don’t light up the display much, but the video number is a slight bit harder to achieve.

Of course, the new ipod Touch does look and feel even better than the first generation, from my small experiences with the previous one. I also think it feels cooler than my iPhones, but obviously your interpretation may very. I like the metal back on the iPod Touch. It looks classy, though it is prone to scratches.

One of my favorite features continues to be, when in my home on Wi-Fi, to reach down for the Touch, use Safari web browser and look something up. It’s great.

Overall, it was a solid update for the iPod Touch. I wish the speaker could be better on it, but I believe that is due to the physical restrictions of the small device. I could have knocked it to four stars for that, but I think most people realize a built in speaker isn’t the way you want to listen to most audio on an iPod to begin with. I’m impressed by the second generation iPod Touch, and I think with the third party applications getting better and becoming more popular, more people will consider the Touch.

“Almost “Untouchable”"
One year ago I purchased the 16GB original iPod Touch. At that time, I found that even though it had some flaws, the over-all package made it one of the best iPods available. Now, one year later, Apple has released the next generation Touch. I’ve now had it for a few days, and here’s what I found: the second gen iPod Touch is a marked improvement over the the first gen, and comes even closer to perfection. Keeping this in mind, this review will show one big, and a number of smaller shortcomings. It may also be difficult to justify upgrading from the 1st to 2nd gen unless you simply must have one of the few hardware improvements, and can live with the fact that you may have to re-purchase some of your accessories.

Size and Dimensions

The iPod Touch now sports a more rounded design on the back, making it look slightly thinner and more like the iPhone than the original did (it is not really thinner than it’s predecessor, just looks that way). Unfortunately, the back plate is still made from stainless steel, and this plate attacts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. After one year of near-constant use the backplate of my first gen Touch looks a bit like a wild etch-a-sketch (I carry the Touch in my pocket). Interestingly, the glass on the front appears (after one year of heavy use) to be absolutely scratch-resistant. It’s the backside (that also carries the custom engraving) that quickly becomes blemished. I would have preferred a brushed metal/aluminium backplate. I had to look it up, but the new Touch is slightly lighter (a few grams) – but it looks thinner (thanks to the tapered edge design). The rounded edges make it fit my palm slightly better, making it feel just right (to be honest, the original Touch was already very, very good in this respect). Other than that the outside dimensions exactly match that of the original Touch. The most visible change from the front is that the steel from the backplate now frames the glass much like it did on the original iPhone.

Touch Screen and Controls

The screen is simply gorgeous. It’s bright, crisp, has great contrast, and can adapt it’s brightness to the ambient light. In direct sunlight, much like it’s predecessor it becomes difficult to read correctly. In shade it’s perfectly readable — a feat considering how bright a display has to be to achieve that. Color temperature of the display has shifted slightly downwards (or, to sound less pompuous: the display’s colors have shifted slightly from a blueish to a golden tinge, something you wouldn’t notice unless you have the two devices side by side).

The touch screen is very responsive, and as I stated before, absolutely scratch-resistant. Surviving a full year in my pocket along with metallic objects such as my keys is a testament to it’s durability (looking at the stainles steel backside is a constant reminder just how badly it could have been scratched). As with the original Touch, the same problems occur when you try to control the device ‘blind’ (i.e. while it is in your pocket): without looking at it, you simply can’t. Fortunately, Apple has addressed the most important drawback with this design: a hardware volume control. The screen’s resolution remains at 480×320, which is very good (certainly better than my iPod Classic’s). Interestingly, I’ve found out that ripping videos to this resolution does not necessarily yield noticeably better results than for the iPod classic’s (320×240) screen, so I now rip to that resolution, conserving some memory.

iPod / iTunes

After one year of owning the original Touch I have to remind myself that this device originally is an iPod — or rather a digital music player. As it turns out, although I also use it for music playing, this function has more and more been relegated to a background task — a task, nontheless, that it handles really well. The coverflow, browsing and display functionality has evolved nicely from the original (1.0 and 2.0) versions, and are still the best in the market. The interface improvements support nice touches such as displaying a song’s lyrics on single tap, bringing up the volume/cue controls on double-tap of the home button, an alphabetic slide rule when browsing titles, etc. Still missing is a search function, though. And, especially in light of the gorgeous display capabilities and the recent addition of a new visualitzer (in additional to the existing ones in iTunes), I would have loved to see a visualizer on the Touch as well. The biggest (and in my oppinion delibarate (as in spiteful)) omission is this: you still can’t enable ‘hard drive mode’, i.e. use the Touch as a mass storage device. The biggest boon is improved battery life.

Video is crisp (still no contrast control, though), and audio playback is just as you expect (again: I’m no audiophile. I’m absolutely happy with most player’s audio capabilities). Again I’m not using the Apple-provided white and quite sub-par headphones. I’m using separately purchased ones. New for the second gen is a built-in speaker. Audio quality here is not actually terrible, but close. The sound is tinny, weak, and just somehow comes out of the iPod (mono, of course). I believe that the addition of the speaker has a specific reason different from HiFi: it makes playing games on the Touch without headphones so much more enjoyable. But for listening to music I would prefer headphones or active speakers. To be honest, I prefer not listening to music from that speaker.

iTunes integration is top-notch as before. Some sort of bug-fix now has made data backup much faster, and both iTunes and the Touch now sport a new kind of smart playlist that is called ‘Genius’. Initially, I wasn’t impressed by this feature. Although iTunes 8 has had this feature I regarded it primarily as a well executed new way to sell song and hence didn’t use it. On my iPod, however (which only carries a subset of my library due to memory contraints), this feature literally rocks. On my first day alone it had me re-discover five songs I never knew I had (much less liked).

On the downside, the Touch still does not support playlist groups, which is a constant annoyance to me. I’m also disappointed to see that the Touch still can’t synch wirelessly, nor can it be used to access shared playlists (other than downloading them, of course). An application in the App store offers this functionality, albeit only for non-DRM’d titles, proving the point that this is possible.

Images (from iPhoto) can also be synched to the Touch, and nothing is more fun than showing off your iPod’s capabilities using a nice picture and ‘pinch’ and ’swipe’. Interestingly (or rather: unfortunately), iTunes appears to down-sample large images to a smaller resolution, probably to conserve memory. This may make sense, but I would like to be able to have more control over this feature (i.e. decide myself what the image’s resolution on the iPod should be).

Accessories – the Big Bad Ugly

Unfortunately, Apple has changed the pin-out (*again*) for the iPod connector. As a result, some ‘made for iPod’ accessories either don’t work, or don’t work fully any more. For example, my Altec Lansing active speakers can’t charge the Touch any more (it was able to charge the 1st gen Touch). This is truly, truly annoying as you don’t know if your iPod works with your ‘made for iPod’ devices any longer, and makes purchasing new accessories a game of chance. My car has a (hideously expensive) iPod integration that luckily still works (including re-charging). Still, the iPod connector compatibility (or lack thereof) is becoming a big mess. Just imagine you want to buy an accessory for your kid or friend, and too late find out that it does not work with it.

WiFi / Internet

A year ago I purchased an iPod, and got a fully integrated web accesory kit. As it turned out, the addition of WiFi and full internet access is a killer feature to me. The web browser (a mobile version of Safari) is very capable. Much has been said about the fact that Mobile Safari does not support Flash. This is annoying if you visit sites that use it. The pinch/slide gesture-based interface works so well that I regularely use the Touch for normal web surfing. The general experience has increased over the past few month, no doubt in no small amounts due to the fact that many sites have beed re-designed with the iPhone in mind. Since the Touch’s browser is exactly the same, it inherits the benefit. WiFi speed is good (although it still uses the 802.11b/g, not the n variant) – and mostly depends on the hotspot you are connected to. It remembers the hotspots it has connected to (much like a laptop would), and can also connect using WPA. There are other Web enabled applications that come with the iPod (Maps, which can pinpoint your location by the position of hotspots close to you), Stocks, YouTube, and Weather, which are nice, but remarkable. WiFi reception range is average, but definitely below that of some PC laptops.

Then, the Touch also comes with Mail, Calendar and Adressboock, and these do become killer fieatures, especially when coupled with an Exchange server or (as Apple would prefer) MobileMe. Mail supports ‘push’ technology, meaning that (almost) as soon an there is an incoming mail (and your Touch is connected to a hotspot), you are notified by a little discreep ‘bleep’. Reading emails, including mails with rich content works very well. Composing any but the shortes emails, on the other hand, is bothersome, verging on annoying due to the small virtual keyboard). Still, simply being able to do this makes all the difference. Live Calender updates have saved my bacon a few times already, as you do not have to remember to actively synch your iPod after you have made a change to the calender.

Integration with Exchange (at the point of writing) remains a tad spotty, with no messages appearing for s few hours, and then suddenly many appearing at once (I initially suspected a configuration issue on the Exchange Server, but this appears not to be the case). Depending upon how you configure MobileMe on your Mac, the results are similar to what you can expect from Exchange (with the difference, of course, that Apple is running the servers for you). Unfortunately, MobileMe currently does not synch your Notes.

Nicely executed is the integrated iTunes store. While possibly just another mechanism to generate sales, I simply love the fact that if I hear or remember a song, I can almost always instantly purchase it and have it on my touch within seconds. Songs purchased on the Touch synchronize back to your main library in iTunes (into a rather silly ‘Purchased on Touch’ playlist). If a download has to discontinue because the network connection was lost (or for any other reasons), it will continue as soon as the connection to the Internet is restored.

Interestingly, the touch sports (I’m a sucker for lame puns) the required hardware to connect to the ‘Nike + iPod’ sports accessories built-in (i.e. you do not have to connect the dongle). I say interestingly because these devices utilize the bluetooth frequency band, yet the Touch does not support bluetooth devices (headphones, mikes, car integration and printers come to mind). Since I use a shuffle for work-out, this is not a must-have feature for me.

If Mail, Calendar and Browser are killer apps, Apple has added another killer feature to the Touch (and iPhone) that expands the device’s usability (and customizability) by orders of magnitude: the App store. In appearance similar to the iTunes Store, here you can choose from literally hundrets of applictions (of greatly varying quality, though), purchase and install them instantly. Prices run from free to roughly 10 USD (there are some more expensive titles, but the majority are priced at a couple of USD). The apps are presented in three different ways (‘featured’, ‘top’, browse by category), plus you have the ability to search for keywords.

Although the ’signal to noise’ ratio isn’t that great (there are quite a lot of useless or awfully executed applications), there are some jaw-droppingly good apps that truly enhance your Touch. Among the first to mention is Apple’s own (free) ‘Remote’ app, which allows you to remote-control iTunes on your Mac or Apple TV – with real-time full visual feedback, and full search capability (allegedly, it is also a real boon for Apple TV users, as it provides a virtual keyboard as input means. Not having Apple TV, I can’t comment on this). Then there is an application that allows you to stream all your music (well, the unprotecte at least) to your Touch – over the Internet to wherever you are (interestingly, this App was not produced by Apple).

Greatly enhancing the Touch’s usability are eBook readers (the Touch is almost perfect for rading books, giving you that ‘Star Trek’ info pad feeling) as well as off-line news readers. Another important category are applications that enable you to easily transfer (and view) files from your Mac/PC to the Touch. I would have expected Apple to integrate this feature into iTunes (perhaps rudimentary support for PDF), but third party providers are more than happy to bridge this gap for you. And for the geeks there are VNC and SSH clients that finally allow them to control their server cluster using an iPod.

For those who want radio, there are lots of offerings for IP radios. Of course this means that your iPod must remain in range of a hotspot to use this feature. Mine does, so I alos now have radio — and re-discovered just why I never missed it. I’m simply not a radio guy, I guess. I do know that many people miss it, and wish apple had gone the last mile and also added an FM tuner.

Two Apps I’m sure that will arrive soon at the App store is due to another addition to the Touch: support for extenal microphones. Apple’s hi-end earphones have both a remote and mike built in, and are said to be compatible with the 2nd (and only 2nd) gen Touch. Audio note pads, and VoIP apps (a la Skype) that allows phone functionality over WiFi are sure to follow soon (note: I have seen these apps available in the US stores; sadly they are not yet available here in Switzerland Also, I interpret Apple’s docs that the 2nd gen Touch supports external microphones, as they have not yet shipped the combined mike/remote headphones to me).

And then there are games. They currently are the biggest category of all applications. The Touch, with it’s integrated accelerometer, 480×320 color screen and touch interface makes a nice gaming device, and developers have come up with some truly fun and innovative games (‘Toy Bot’ may serve as a great example). Apple may have realized that this is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the Touch: the Gen 2 device sports a speaker that makes little sense – except to improve the gaming experience (believe me: playing an accelerometer-based game with headphones on can be verry little fun when it gets exciting). And improving the experience it does. The Touch is ill suited for classic ‘control pad’ based games (e.g. Tetris, Pac Man), and most of their Touch adaptations suffer accordingly. Other games, however, adapt nicely to touch/accelerometer input (Monkey Ball, Crash Cart etc), or are a natural fit (Labyrinth, Sudoku, Solitair, Othello)

Super-geeks can also download the iPhone/Touch SDK and create their own applications. This is not for the faint of heart, as you first download a few gigabytes (Apple’s XCode development environment), and then will have to code in Objective-C (an extension to standard C) and use the Cocoa framework. Plus, you’ll need a Mac to do so. The environment is actually very good, and includes an iPhone simulator to test your software before deployment.

I should mention that most of the improvements (with the exception of the hardware upgrades: mike support, built-in nike support, volume buttons and battery life) can be had for free on your 1st gen Touch (if you have the 2.0 Update), or a couple of bucks if you havn’t upgraded yet. Unless you (like me) want the larger memory (my first gen only has 16GB), the decision to upgrade to 2nd gen may be difficult.

Summary:

The 2nd generation iPod Touch is an almost perfect device. It combines top-notch video/audio, world-class UI, great casual gaming, hundrets of apps, and full access to the Internet into a single, beautiful package. To sum it up neatly: Untouchable. Well — almost. It has one big flaw if you have invested in accessories: it may not be compatible with them, as Apple has changed the iPod connector pin-out (again). With those reservations, I recommend the Touch to anyone. Also great: owners of the 1st gen Touch can get most of these goodies with a simple, inexpensive software upgrade.
See all detials of Apple iPod touch 32 GB (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

Apple iPod nano 2 GB Silver (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

This product has been Factory-Refurbished to perform as if it were new. It includes a 90-Day Warranty. Apple iPod nano – Like a before and after picture, this updated iPod nano sports a slimmer, more attractive, all-aluminum body; as well as a 1.5″ LCD. But if you need brains with your beauty, then Apple has you covered there as well. You get a new, higher capacity battery that can playback up to 24 hours of music, or 5 hours of photo slideshows. The best part is, for about the same price of an older iPod nano, you’re getting twice the capacity! Syncs seamlessly with iTunes Connector for Optional dock Stereo Minijack Hold Switch Charge Time – about 3 hours (1.5 hour fast charge to 80% capacity) Audio Support – AAC (16 to 320 Kbps) / Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store) / MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps) / MP3 VBR / Audible (formats 2, 3, & 4) / Apple Lossless / WAV / AIFF Photo Support – JPEG / BMP / GIF / TIFF / PSD (Mac only) / PNG Sync & Charge via USB Cable Adjust audiobook playback speed Create multiple on-the-go playlists Shuffle songs or albums Repeat one or all 20 Equalizer settings Backlight Timer Display Contrast Alarm – On / Off / Silent Sleep Timer Date & Time Display time in menu bar Color – Silver Supports – Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later, Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later, Mac OS X v10.3.4 or later Unit Dimensions – 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.26 Unit Weight – 1.41 ounces

Reviews from Customers

“Small But Perfectly Formed !!”
Ok… This might be the first iPod that I’ve owned but I’ve been an admirier of Apple’s work for some time. I have several friends with various generations of the original iPod and always loved the combination of art and technology that goes into them.

I had been the owner of a Sony mp3 player for about 2 years and until this summer had no reason to think about replacing it. 256meg of memory seemed enough for me and it was small too. What more did I need really ?? However, over the summer my trusty sony got washed and so it was time to look for something to replace it.

In the run up to my birthday Apple launched the Nano and I instantly fell in love with it. I have no real need for 60 gigabytes of storage but knew that 256 meg was limiting the amount of music I could carry around with me. Even the 2gig version which held 500 songs would be fine for me. I added a Nano to my birthday wish list and waited !!

Last Friday I opened up the sleek box to feast my eyes on my Nano for the first time. Even though I’d read pages of reviews about the player, I was still amazed at the size (or lack of size) of this unit. It’s just tiny !! Not so small that you’d lose it but small enough that when It’s in your pocket you can forget its there. The screen is so bright and clear and the sound !!…. WOW. For such a small player, it certainly packs quite a punch in the volume department. Full volume would certainly lead to hearing damage after a short time.

The iTunes software that comes with it is easy to install and easy to use. I was soon burning my CD’s onto my PC with ease. A 10-12 track CD takes around 2-3 minutes to load onto the PC but uploading those same songs onto the iPod takes a fraction of that time. Infact on day 1 I loaded about 450 songs onto my player and it can’t have taken more than 5 or 6 minutes. The product specs say that the 2gig version will hold 500 songs. Well I’ve got about 560 on mine at the moment and there is still about 250 meg free. I’m sure that the actual storage capabilities depend on the length of the songs you’re loading.

I’d read lots about the problems with early versions of the Nano with regard to failing screens and scratches etc. but guess what ??… stuff gets scratched and damaged, thats just how it is. if you;re silly enough to think that anything will stay as pristine as the day it was bought, then you’re bound to be dissappointed. I will be buying a case for mine (probably an Agent18 hard case) because I want to keep it in the best shape possible. I’d reccommend others do the same, not because it will fall apart if you don’t but because when you’re spending $200 on something, you want to look after it !!

I’m not going to tell anyone that the iPod Nano is the best value mp3 player on the market. There are plenty of others that have it beat hands down in terms of storage and price. However, I am willing to say that It’s probably the sexiest mp3 player around and has the competition beat when it comes to looks. Add to that the fact that 500+ songs is probably more than enough for most users, that the quality of the sound is excellent and that (sor far) battery life has been up there with most of the others on the market, this really is an awesome piece of kit and well worth considering if you don’t need the ability to carry around 25,000 songs !!

Bottom line… if you want a great looking player that is very capable and also has some neat additional functions that most of the others don’t have then get out there and get yourself a Nano. If you want something thats gonna hold thousands and thousands of songs and withstand you throwing it around all the time, look elsewhere !!

I love mine

Mark

“The Mini Mini”
I have been reeling over when to buy a new ipod for a long time now. I have a 3rd generation 10gb ipod that I got for Xmas in ‘03 and it was immediately filled to the brim with music. I have probably used the thing every day since I’ve had it but the battery isn’t what it used to be and I have to charge the thing for a good hour and a half during my work day just so I can listen to it for the last few hours. This has become an inconvenience for me considering that my job is extremely boring and the workplace is fairly loud and I find myself getting easily frustrated without music. The new nano commercial certainly is flashy and very persuasive. I want to point out that the click wheel does not glow up at all-I think that Apple falsely advertises that it does and that they should look into changing this misrepresentation. I am sure that they did this in the commercial for a greater effect but I can bet that people who haven’t seen it in person and purchase this item online will be a little disappointed when receiving it.

Considering how fast I filled up my 10gb ipod I was torn between getting the new 30gb model with 3 times the amount of space I had before, or, the nano with considerable less space but a much longer battery life. It was a very tough decision but I went with the 4gb nano because of its long battery life. I know that Apple is going to continuously have new and improved models so I decided that the nano could hold me over until a 30gb model with a better battery life (for music and videos) and other improved features comes out.

The nano itself… I would say that I wasn’t all that impressed at first sight of the nano, it looked different than the previous nano and very similar to the mini which I thought looked silly. My impression has totally changed considering the fact that I haven’t been able to put the thing down since I got it last week. I can’t stop holding it and marveling at how compact, light and sturdy it is (compared to the previous model). The screen is colorful and bright and I am happy with the resolution of the photos (albeit on a really small screen). The new headphones are an improvement since the previous ones didn’t fit in my ears too well. I haven’t noticed much of an improvement regarding the sound quality but I am extremely satisfied since these are more comfortable in the ears than the previous model, the cord is longer, and they also will not wind up together since they are separated by a handy little piece of rubber that you can adjust to your preference.

Some small gripes…I have noticed that the games tend to slow down at times, not really a big deal since these games get boring within the first 2 minutes of playing them. Transitioning from one screen to another isn’t as smooth as on the other models–probably due to the fact that the nano is flash drive based. The click wheel isn’t the most stable and certainly takes some getting used to. I have noticed that turning the backlight on and off isn’t as easy as it used to be. On my older Ipod all I needed to do was to hold down the Menu button for a few seconds for the backlight to turn on. It isn’t possible to do that anymore so you have to make sure that the backlight settings are turned on. I also would like to say that my previous model came with a white plug that you can put into the data outlet to protect the outlet from dust and other hazardous circumstances. I think that the little piece of plastic is essential to the life cycle of the ipod and it should be included with every Ipod model.

All in all I couldn’t be more pleased with this item. I would definitely advise you to purchase a case that would shield the nano from everyday hazards. The new anodized aluminum casing should protect this item better than the previous models which were easily scratched. I will probably purchase a case from Otterbox when it becomes available because it appears that it will be the best protection available for this fragile investment. Hopefully I won’t regret not getting the larger storage model but as of right now I am 100 percent satisfied with my new ipod 4gb nano. It has all that you really need in an mp3 player.

“Love it”
(This is my mom and dad’s account, I’m really only 14, and named Kaylee) I have wanted an iPod for sooooo long. I saved my money and bought one myself, my parents did NOT pay for it. They color is even better than in the picture, which was a pleasant suprise. The earphones are really nice, not like the crapy ones all my friends have on their video and first generation nanos. The outside non-scratch is awesome. I got my iPod on Sept. 29 of 2006, (a friday) and left to go camping less than 4 hours later. Ofcourse I took my iPod with. We camped on DNR land in the middle of no where in our trailor. So I ran around, rode my dirtbike, climbed trees, and a whole lotta other stuff while carrying it in my pocket. I dropped it a few times, and it doesn’t have a scratch!!!! The only bad thing is it’s so small, and easy to loose. I recomend getting a screen cover though. But you really don’t need a case to keep it safe, cuz that would just hide the color of your iPod. It has 4 great games on it, and stores a ton of photos. It loads super fast, and is easy to update. The color screen rocks to the fullest. It’s definatly worth the money. Besides, it’s a 4g which in my town niether Wal-Mart or Cosco carry, only 2g. I’d buy it again in a heartbeat.

See all detials of Apple iPod nano 2 GB Silver (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

Creative Labs Vado HD 4 GB Pocket Video Camcorder, 2nd Generation (White Gloss with Green Accents) NEWEST MODEL

Catch the perfect snowboarding stunt, your baby’s first steps or your kid’s graduation, share it online and save it for a lifetime with Creative’s Vado HD Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and it captures video in 720P high-definition quality with just the touch of a button. Sharing videos online is simple with built-in software that helps you post videos to YouTube, Photobucket or Box.net. The Vado HD is the only pocket video cam to feature true HDMI connectivity (cable not included) for a superior viewing experience on an HDTV. Take the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam with you everywhere you go and never miss a moment. Product specs include 720p high-definition video, wide-angle glass lens, 2x digital zoom, 4GB of video storage capacity, up to one hours of recording and playback per charge, up to four hours of recording time at 640×480 at 30 frames per second, HDMI and RCA connections for TV, A/V and HDMI cables sold separately, removable and rechargeable lithium battery, Vado Central software for simple video editing and sharing. System requirements include Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Vista, Intel Pentium III or higher, 512MB of memory, USB port, 500MB free hard disk space, and 16MB of Video Memory or above. Product ships with silicon skin, and USB cable.

Reviews from Customers

“Video Review on the 2nd Gen. Vado HD”
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1SO2TSIUE8AKE While other brands may catch more headlines the Vado HD is the small portable video cam for you. It combines portability, ease of use, quality with features that are not found on competing models. One thing that separates the Vado for the competition is its ability to record in standard definition, HD and HD+. Why is it important to be able to video quality options? Some medias do not need HD quality – when you upload videos to Facebook or YouTube HD videos take significantly longer to upload. However, there are times when it is great to record in HD… vacations… weddings… and so on.

Pros

- The ability to record using three levels of video quality.

- Great capacity! 2 hours of HD and 8 hours of standard definition

- Comes with a replaceable rechargeable battery

- Very large viewing screen, especially for the size of the camera

- Comes with a rubberized case

- Very simple to use – works great with both a Mac and a PC/Windows

- Smaller than a typical cell phone

- Comes with a HDMI port and cables – this allows you to plug the Vado HD directly into your HD television

Final verdict – A great camera that offers a significant amount of recording flexibility. The only real area for improvement is some sort of image stabilization capability , however to my knowledge, none of the cameras in this class offers this feature. My recommendation, buy with confidence!

5 Stars

“I judge consumer electronics by my mother’s user experience”
I rate this Creative VADO HD a five-star performer. Why? Because I bought it for my 70 year old mother [a complete technophobe] who wanted a video camera to keep me up to date on her gardens and her life. With virtually no guidance, Mom was Video-documenting her daily life. If her 10 year old Volvo had a strange noise, I was suddenly sent a Volvo video from Mom asking my advice. If the dog was sleeping close to the mangy cat – I was sent a “isn’t this cute” video. When the city decided to change an intersection, Mom was there documenting the shoddy work to show/email the city supervisors. Spectacular sunsets on the beach? Mom’s got her VADO in her pocket. As an aside, Michael Moore and Francis Ford Coppola probably shouldn’t be worried about the competition.

The video quality is pretty good [even with Mom's Parkinsons]. The colors are rich, the adaptation to different lighting is good. The sound quality is not bad [for such a tiny device]. The huge amount of video that can be shot is staggering [We had to increase Mom's bandwidth on her DSL line because of all the video she is shooting/sharing].

Mom likes the Vado so much, she bought me one. While we live on opposite coasts [Mom on Cape Cod and my wife and I in Santa Cruz], we often swap sunset videos. Vado brings us closer. And that’s worth many times more than the few hundred dollars that Vado costs.

“The VADO HD – Part DEUX!”
Creative has released the 2nd generation of the VADO. Did they listen to my gripes after my first review…and did anything change?

In a WORD – YES!!!!

My review for the first generation can be read via the following product link:

Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black)

Excerpt from Past Review:

“What I diskliked (which is why its 4/5):

The buttons (right left up down) are way too sensitive for my needs. “

Was the rocker panel fixed? – YES – I just tested the 2nd gen and it seems that it is not as sensitive as the 1st generation model. That alone earns this camera 5/5.

Now for the review:

What is in the Box:

Camera

Battery

Silicon Skin

Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable (AWESOME ADDITION, EVEN CANON does not include these with their $1,000+ cameras).

USB Extension Cable

Documentation

The Vado HD 2nd generation is quite similar in every aspect to the first generation device. Therefore I would be duplicating the review I did for the first unit. The changes to the 2nd gen device are in the looks….ie. the ruby red buttons on the right hand side of the back and the rocker panel having better usability.

Everything else is 100% identical to the first generation: (please visit the 1st gen product via the link above and view the most helpful review…it is the one I did for the 1st gen).

Testing with new operating systems:

Windows 7 with the free Windows Live Movie Maker – I personally am not in favor of installing applications that are included with devices. I like to run lean operating systems and use whatever utilities are available with them. Such is the case here. I used Windows Live Movie Maker, a free utility from Microsoft. Once the VADO was plugged into the USB port it came up as a removable drive in windows. I simply launched Windows Live Movie maker, opened an AVI file from the VADO and VOILA I was able to apply effects, add text, add transitions, and ultimately burn to DVD…all with an included utility and no third party software. AWESOME!!!!

OS X – Snow Leopard – No drivers needed. Showed up as a USB Volume immediately. However, in order to play videos (AVI files) in Quicktime X you will need to download a third party utility known as PERIAN…a quick Google search of the same name should find the application for you in the top spot.

This camera earns a 5/5 in every category and I applaud CREATIVE for listening and reading reviews on their original product. It is seldom that a manufacturer corrects the shortcomings from a first generation product.

Please let me know if you have any questions via the comments and I will try to answer them as best as I can.

See all detials of Creative Labs Vado HD 4 GB Pocket Video Camcorder, 2nd Generation (White Gloss with Green Accents) NEWEST MODEL

REGISTRY: Paon – 2nd Generation
ENTRY NUMBER: 002
REPORTER: Antonia Paon
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

SUMMARY: I, Antonia Paon, confirm my suspicions about being pregnant. The offspring on its way is the consequence of a brief relationship with Ramon Watt, a self-employed repairman. After drinking a solution of exotic plants and sugar water prepared by a co-worker, Tomas Paon experiences a significant improvement on his work performance and considers moving out. Clara Paon and Wilson Keaton finally tie the knot. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

NARRATIVE: I, grunt Antonia Paon, contacted Ramon Watt Plumbery at 11am on a Thursday’s morning (Evidence A: Yellow Pages’ advertisement). After a brief chat, we agreed that the fixing of two clogged toilets and a broken shower at the Paon estate would cost $50 simoleons as well as it would be done on the same day. So, at 1 pm, Ramon Watt crossed my apartment’s door to fix the first clogged toilet. Less than 20 minutes later, he proceed to my sister apartment’s to fix the shower and the second clogged toilet.

The repairs were completed around 2:20 pm. I payed Ramon the agreed sum while we were standing at the front yard. We exchanged a few words about the weather and the view. Watt pointed out the Paon’s estate was the only one in Summer Hills lacking landscape and that he liked it that way. Just after speaking out, he seemed embarrassed and quickly excused himself for daring a comment. Willing to avoid any misunderstanding between us, I said there wasn’t any reason to be sorry adding that I wasn’t an art or decor fancier myself.

After this first contact, we saw each other two more times. Ramon showed up when the dishwasher broke and when the pipes were again refusing to work properly. Since he had worked on the same toilet before, he performed the second fix for free, urging it was part of the Ramon Watt’s Plumbery service guarantee. I thanked him by inviting him to Tomas and Maximiliano’s young adulthood birthday’s party.

Our relations gradually evolve from a cordial business understanding to a sincere friendship and eventually to a love affair. Softened by three pints of beer on a Friday escapade, I ended asking Ramon to spend the night at my apartment. It was around 1 am when we got back to my house and we went straight to the bedroom. We laid side by side cuddling and kissing, but when I tried to go further, Ramon said no and left the house promptly.

The next day he showed unannounced at the estate at 6:15 pm. He apologized for his behavior on the night before and explained he couldn’t start a relationship with someone as young as me. Until that moment I was unaware of Ramon’s age: his brown skin masked well any wrinkles and if asked to guess I wouldn’t bet he was over his 40s. But he was. In fact, he was over his 50s and had even celebrated his elderly birthday that very same day. Since my career taught me to respect and admire older men, I didn’t see a problem in our age difference. I enjoyed his company and confessed my attraction for greyish hair. We woo-hooded on that Saturday night.

On Sunday I woke up first at 7:30 am and went to Clara’s apartment for full disclosure. I wanted to properly introduce Ramon as my boyfriend during lunch and I didn’t want the information to come as a big surprise. While at Clara’s living room, waiting for her to finish her morning hygiene so we could talk, I heard a bumping sound. I ran back to my apartment and found Ramon on the bathroom’s floor. The autopsy (Evidence B: Sacred Spleen Memorial Hospital Autopsy Registry) performed by Clara Paon, now a Resident at Sacred Spleen Memorial Hospital, revealed he had a heart attack.

For the next 36 mornings I woke up to heartburns and vomit and assumed it was a physical reaction from my grieving process. By the beginning of the 37th week since the symptoms weren’t get any better, I went to see a doctor. Twenty four hours later I received a call from the laboratory confirming the positive result of my pregnancy test.

My pregnancy marched on as well as life itself at the Paon estate. Tomas Paon, a test subject at the Landgraab Industries Science Facility, drank a solution of exotic plants and sugar water prepared by a co-worker and experienced a major increase on his job performance. The improvement ensured him a permanent raise of $3 and he considered moving out of Paon state. By the time he informed Clara of his intentions, they got into a severe argument and Tomas gave up looking for lofts to rent at least until further notice.

On Saturday 4 May, 2013 at 6 pm, Clara and Wilson Keaton tied the knot at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church (Evidence C: Wedding invitation). The marriage was the consequence of a two-years long relationship between Clara and Wilson. They met during the burial of our mother, Brigida Paon. Wilson was very supportive of Clara not only after Brigida’s death, but also and specially after Leighton’s death.

Before the ceremony, some problems arose and were successfully taken care of: Clara had a minor nervous breakdown, refusing to dress properly for the wedding and talking nonsense to herself, I almost fainted due an abrupt fall of my blood pressure and Wilson had second thoughts before finally crossing the church’s door.

I was the one responsible for taking care of Clara’s breakdown, whispering calming and encouraging words to her ears and helping her put the bridal gown. But the task wore me out and I almost collapsed. It was then Clara’s turn of supporting me: using her medical knowledge – and a bit of salt, she raised my blood pressure again. Devon and Renzo talked Wilson into the church just before it would be too late for the groom proper arrival.

Among the ceremony guests were our family counselor and my half brother Sam Sekemoto, flight officer Angelica Page, the Langerak’s heiress Carey Langerak and Wilson’s brother Devon Keaton.

The ceremony was described as epic by the majority of guests, with Carey and Sam being the most emotional Sims attending to it.

Creative Labs Vado HD 4 GB Pocket Video Camcorder, 2nd Generation (White Gloss with Green Accents) NEWEST MODEL

Catch the perfect snowboarding stunt, your baby’s first steps or your kid’s graduation, share it online and save it for a lifetime with Creative’s Vado HD Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and it captures video in 720P high-definition quality with just the touch of a button. Sharing videos online is simple with built-in software that helps you post videos to YouTube, Photobucket or Box.net. The Vado HD is the only pocket video cam to feature true HDMI connectivity (cable not included) for a superior viewing experience on an HDTV.Take the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam with you everywhere you go and never miss a moment. Product specs include 720p high-definition video, wide-angle glass lens, 2x digital zoom, 4GB of video storage capacity, up to one hours of recording and playback per charge, up to four hours of recording time at 640×480 at 30 frames per second, HDMI and RCA connections for TV, A/V and HDMI cables sold separately, removable and rechargeable lithium battery, Vado Central software for simple video editing and sharing. System requirements include Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Vista, Intel Pentium III or higher, 512MB of memory, USB port, 500MB free hard disk space, and 16MB of Video Memory or above. Product ships with silicon skin, and USB cable.

Reviews from Customers

“Video Review on the 2nd Gen. Vado HD”
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1SO2TSIUE8AKE While other brands may catch more headlines the Vado HD is the small portable video cam for you. It combines portability, ease of use, quality with features that are not found on competing models. One thing that separates the Vado for the competition is its ability to record in standard definition, HD and HD+. Why is it important to be able to video quality options? Some medias do not need HD quality – when you upload videos to Facebook or YouTube HD videos take significantly longer to upload. However, there are times when it is great to record in HD… vacations… weddings… and so on.

Pros

- The ability to record using three levels of video quality.

- Great capacity! 2 hours of HD and 8 hours of standard definition

- Comes with a replaceable rechargeable battery

- Very large viewing screen, especially for the size of the camera

- Comes with a rubberized case

- Very simple to use – works great with both a Mac and a PC/Windows

- Smaller than a typical cell phone

- Comes with a HDMI port and cables – this allows you to plug the Vado HD directly into your HD television

Final verdict – A great camera that offers a significant amount of recording flexibility. The only real area for improvement is some sort of image stabilization capability , however to my knowledge, none of the cameras in this class offers this feature. My recommendation, buy with confidence!

5 Stars

“I judge consumer electronics by my mother’s user experience”
I rate this Creative VADO HD a five-star performer. Why? Because I bought it for my 70 year old mother [a complete technophobe] who wanted a video camera to keep me up to date on her gardens and her life. With virtually no guidance, Mom was Video-documenting her daily life. If her 10 year old Volvo had a strange noise, I was suddenly sent a Volvo video from Mom asking my advice. If the dog was sleeping close to the mangy cat – I was sent a “isn’t this cute” video. When the city decided to change an intersection, Mom was there documenting the shoddy work to show/email the city supervisors. Spectacular sunsets on the beach? Mom’s got her VADO in her pocket. As an aside, Michael Moore and Francis Ford Coppola probably shouldn’t be worried about the competition.

The video quality is pretty good [even with Mom's Parkinsons]. The colors are rich, the adaptation to different lighting is good. The sound quality is not bad [for such a tiny device]. The huge amount of video that can be shot is staggering [We had to increase Mom's bandwidth on her DSL line because of all the video she is shooting/sharing].

Mom likes the Vado so much, she bought me one. While we live on opposite coasts [Mom on Cape Cod and my wife and I in Santa Cruz], we often swap sunset videos. Vado brings us closer. And that’s worth many times more than the few hundred dollars that Vado costs.

“The VADO HD – Part DEUX!”
Creative has released the 2nd generation of the VADO. Did they listen to my gripes after my first review…and did anything change?

In a WORD – YES!!!!

My review for the first generation can be read via the following product link:

Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black)

Excerpt from Past Review:

“What I diskliked (which is why its 4/5):

The buttons (right left up down) are way too sensitive for my needs. “

Was the rocker panel fixed? – YES – I just tested the 2nd gen and it seems that it is not as sensitive as the 1st generation model. That alone earns this camera 5/5.

Now for the review:

What is in the Box:

Camera

Battery

Silicon Skin

Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable (AWESOME ADDITION, EVEN CANON does not include these with their $1,000+ cameras).

USB Extension Cable

Documentation

The Vado HD 2nd generation is quite similar in every aspect to the first generation device. Therefore I would be duplicating the review I did for the first unit. The changes to the 2nd gen device are in the looks….ie. the ruby red buttons on the right hand side of the back and the rocker panel having better usability.

Everything else is 100% identical to the first generation: (please visit the 1st gen product via the link above and view the most helpful review…it is the one I did for the 1st gen).

Testing with new operating systems:

Windows 7 with the free Windows Live Movie Maker – I personally am not in favor of installing applications that are included with devices. I like to run lean operating systems and use whatever utilities are available with them. Such is the case here. I used Windows Live Movie Maker, a free utility from Microsoft. Once the VADO was plugged into the USB port it came up as a removable drive in windows. I simply launched Windows Live Movie maker, opened an AVI file from the VADO and VOILA I was able to apply effects, add text, add transitions, and ultimately burn to DVD…all with an included utility and no third party software. AWESOME!!!!

OS X – Snow Leopard – No drivers needed. Showed up as a USB Volume immediately. However, in order to play videos (AVI files) in Quicktime X you will need to download a third party utility known as PERIAN…a quick Google search of the same name should find the application for you in the top spot.

This camera earns a 5/5 in every category and I applaud CREATIVE for listening and reading reviews on their original product. It is seldom that a manufacturer corrects the shortcomings from a first generation product.

Please let me know if you have any questions via the comments and I will try to answer them as best as I can.

See all detials of Creative Labs Vado HD 4 GB Pocket Video Camcorder, 2nd Generation (White Gloss with Green Accents) NEWEST MODEL

One of my father’s favorite mantras is, “If there is a will, there is a way.” Knowing his personal history, he is one man who did live out this mantra, and in a way, still does. The 2nd generation Korean-American has a lot to learn from our parents’ generation but this area is a glaringly apparent one. If there was a phrase that would describe our fickle, lackadaisical generation, I would have to go with the Chinese proverb “‘作心三日” (pronounced in Korean reading  “jak-shim-sam-il”), meaning one’s heart’s decision lasts only three days. Determination, for whatever reason, is something our generation is very unfamiliar with. To learn from our elders, here’s an interesting (and funny) story on BBC News of a Korean lady determined to get her driving license. Why are we the way we are? Why do we lack such determination and persistence?

REGISTRY: Paon – 2nd Generation
ENTRY NUMBER: 001
REPORTER: Antonia Paon
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

SUMMARY: I, Antonia Paon, resume my way back to the family estate and express my concerns over the way to report the family daily life. Clara Paon assures herself a promotion and keeps showing stress symptoms. Renzo Paon publishes his first book. The twin boys – Tomas and Maximiliano – young adulthood birthday party proves itself as a rapprochement opportunity with Sam Sekemoto. The referred subject becomes a family counselor.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

NARRATIVE: On November 3 I, grunt Antonia Paon, rejoined my sister and brothers at the family estate on Summer Hill 15 after a 18 months absence due my military internship. I agreed on the meeting after my younger twin sister, Clara Paon, then a Paramedic for the Sacred Spleen Memorial Hospital, e-mailed me asking for counseling and support. On the referred e-mail (Evidence A: e-mail copy), sent on October 29 at 07:17pm, she mentions founding a journal that belonged to my mother, Brigida Paon, during the renovation of the family house. On her allegedly writing, Brigida had expressed a wish for one of her daughters to keep living and running the estate after her death.

I assumed Clara would be perfect for the chore since she assisted our father, Leighton Sekemoto, during his final elderly years and was already taking care of the estate and of our three younger brothers – Renzo, a cash register specialist at Divisadero Budget Books and wannabe writer; Maximiliano, a beverage consultant at Sharma Day Spa and amateur painter; and Tomas, then a Produce Quality Assessor at EverFresh Delights Supermarket. Based on such data, I took a cab to Summer Hill 15 assured that all she needed was my blessing.

I arrived at the estate at 5pm and found out that Clara was stressed and willing to slow down. As the evening went on, she revealed to me she was scared and couldn’t possibly fulfill the requirements for a legacy heiress. She said she was feeling sick. I tried to calm her down and followed her to the toilet, advising her to wash her face. While standing at the toilet door I witnessed my sister talking nonsense to herself and this scene caused me to decide assuming the legacy duty.

I refused to read my mother’s journal due private reasons and so Clara and I agreed she would finish it and tell me only what was necessary to fulfill Brigida’s will. As far as I’m concerned – and since Clara hasn’t gone yet through all entries – Brigida didn’t go over many details about how the legacy duty should be performed or reported. There might be room for improvisation. Based on the fact that she herself kept a journal, I chose to keep a log on the family events. I believe objective reports will come in handy for the next generation.

Two months has passes since I moved back from the Barracks to Summer Hill 15 and a few notable events have occurred. Clara assured herself a promotion to Medical Intern and spend almost two days all stressed out and showing symptoms of anxiety over the greater work responsibility. She also swore seeing Brigida’s ghost one night.

After achieving his full age, Renzo decided to publish a childhood and teenager years memoir named “Simboy”. The book yielded six royalties payment checks of 33 simoleons each. It has also attracted positive, but minor press coverage (Evidence B: The Sims Standard article). Anyway it stimulated Renzo to write another book and he’s now working on a fiction novel whose work-title is “Sim in the dark”. He denies to reveal further plot details to the family members up to now.

The third notable event was the young adulthood birthday party of Maximiliano and Tomas. The following guests showed up for the referred social gathering: Flight Officer Angelica Page, my immediate superior; Resident Deangelo Andrews, who is head of Clara’s department at the Sacred Spleen Memorial Hospital; Wilson Keaton, who works as a burial specialist and is the current boyfriend of Clara; Federico Langerak, heir for the Langerak family and acquaintance of the twin boys and Sam Sekemoto, Leighton’s son – consequently my half-brother – who works as a stage-hand for jam band The Dave Sims’ Band. The party proved to be an opportunity to built a closer relationship with Sam. During the party I discovered Sam had celebrated his elderly birthday and invited him to a friendly dinner at my apartment asap.

The dinner happened a week after the twin boys’ party. I served pizza, showed Sam around both apartments and ended exchanging tips on how to manage anger feelings and what do to during a fire. His advanced age and experience proved to be useful for my daily routine as a heiress.

He advised me not to push Clara, since she seemed very sensitive since our father’s death and was frequently overloaded with work in her medical career. Being a music industry employee, Sam attracted the attention of Maximiliano and both discussed art for a few hours. I was fed up of the conversation and eventually let them in the backyard and went straight to bed. It was past 11pm and I needed to wake up early for another day at the Military. Sam left me a note (Evidence C: Sam’s note) before taking a cab back to his home later that night.

As I’m sitting in my living room ready to start watching Soledad O’Brien’s Latino in America, I realize that my 4-year-old doesn’t know she is Latina. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever said that word to her! So I start explaining what being Latino means. On an imaginary map, I show her where our countries (Perú and Spain) are in relation to the U.S. She’s fascinated, and wants to know more… Then with a deep look and her eyebrows raised, she points to the “map” and says: “Mami, ¿y donde queda  Halloween?” After laughing uncontrollably, we realize that trying to explain what being a Latino is might not be the right approach. I mean she’s already being brought up as a Latina. She is fully bilingual (English is NOT allowed in our house), she recognizes already people who “son como yo porque también hablan Español” and the food she eats at home is as Latino as it gets (Arroz tapado, Tortilla de patata to name a few).

So we continue speaking about our culture to our daughter and as I am (once again) saying “en Español, ¡qué si no, no te entiendo!; we hear one of the characters in the documentary say “If I could start over, I would speak to my boys only in Spanish”. It felt it was directed to me, because I understand how draining it can get to always be pushing the kids to embrace their parents’ mother tongue. Especially, when they live in a world in English. I know all this effort and determination will some day pay off. I’ve always said I want to raise my kids immersed in the Latino culture, because the American one will come to them by default.

Knowing that every culture has its strengths and weaknesses allows me to see the best in the American culture. A culture that eats lunch at noon and dinner at 6pm; a culture used to leaving the nest at an early age, is constantly on the go and sees family only on holidays. To be honest, as a 1^st Gen. raising two 2^nd Gens. I feel caught in the middle of a dichotomy. And I never quite knew how to put it into words, until I heard a 16 year-old teen on Latino in America say “She wanted me to be American, but she didn’t want me to act like them.” That’s it! That’s exactly how I feel! I thought (and expressed it loudly) I want them to be proud Americans, but I also want them to act Latino. I want them to speak Spanish fluently, be able to roll their “r’s”, be superstitious, be fashionably late, say “Jode”, have dinner at 9pm, be passionate and expressive, dance bachata, jump at concerts, love Gabo and Mafalda, and to be ridiculously close to their family (in Perú, Spain and the U.S).

There’s something fascinating about being responsible for shaping the lives of biculturals. While it is a challenge, it is amusing to see how bits and pieces of each culture merge into each other to create a better and stronger one. Latino in America focused that night on finding out who is actually influencing who in America. And I truly believe reciprocity is the best way to describe this phenomenon. I will continue on my journey to influence my kids with the richest qualities of my culture and will learn to embrace this new culture that is slowly becoming mine. After all, in an ideal world they will be able to recognize the best of each culture and own it. And who knows maybe someday my daughter can show me where Halloween is on the map

Hazel Swayne
Creative @ Latinminds

This is the 3rd Generation

Ipod Nano is now on its 5th generation.  That’s 5 different models of the Ipod Nano, each one undergoing a new change that has helped Nano become one of the most popular Ipods.

Lets take a look at how the Nano’s have changed, generation to generation, starting with number 1.

Ipod Nano 1st Generation:  This Nano occasionally had the problem of overheating, which therefore made it impossible to use the Nano after thi

s happened.  This Nano had corners that were round and the screen was much smaller than the current ones.  It also only came in two colors, black and white.  This Nano generation was released in 2005 and the highest GB that you could purchase was 4.

Ipod Nano 2nd Generation:  Apple went a step up in 2006 to create the Ipod Nano 2nd Generation which you could purchase with the higher GB of 8.  Like the previous year, the corners were still rounded, but maybe somewhat less.  You could also purchase different col

ors now depending on which GB you wanted.  This Nano also offers a search feature which was not programmed into the 1st generation.

Ipod Nano 3rd Generation: One of the biggest steps up for the 3rd generation Ipod Nano was that it offered pretty much every single feature that you can pay more for in the normal Ipod into the Ipod Nano.  For this one, they offered 5 different colors for the 8GB version, which is also a new feature.  Another neat thing they did was that the Red 8GB Ipod Nano supported a organization to fight diseases in Africa.  One of the problems of the 3rd generation Nano was that it would scratch at any little thing as well as leave tons of fingerprints, which for sure isn’t the most attractive thing ever.  This one is wider and

shorter than the newer versions.

Ipod Nano 4th Generation:  This is the second newest version, and the one that I currently own.  It comes in bunches of great colors and I chose purple.  Like the 3rd generation, you can play games on this one.  The 4th generation was made remodeled to be more similar shaped to the first two models, long and skinny, rather than short and wide like the 3rd generation.  When you rotate this nano, whether Horizontal or Vertical, everything will flip so that you can view it in the right direction.  This is handy for when watching a movie considering that you need to watch movies in the horizontal angle.  With just a tur

n of the Ipod, your ready to go!

Ipod Nano 5th Generation:  This is the newest version of the nano.  It comes in 9 different colors.  A great new feature of this nano is that you can record your own videos using it!  It also has the feature of a FM radio which is new.  Another great feature is the pedometer which tracks every step that you take, which makes it great for people that love to exercise!  The biggest GB you can purchase is the 16GB.

Sources:

Apple.com

Macworld.com