pda | ipod | mobile phone | GPS Info

When you connect the iPod, you see a graphic at the bottom of the iPod Summary window in iTunes showing what kinds of files you have: video, photos, music, and other. For some reason, it seemed to be much more than it should have been. “Other” contains your album artwork, any files you have on the iPod if you use it in hard disk mode, and games, but it seemed that the space used was excessive.

So, with Terminal, I started rooting around. (The iPod should be in hard disk mode to do this.) I found the following folder:

/Volumes/Dark Star/.TemporaryItems/folders.501/TemporaryItems

which contained a whopping 300 MB of files, named “Temp file 1″, etc. I deleted these files, and recovered a fair amount of space.

To find the appropriate folder, replace the part of the path following Volumes with the name of your iPod, then, if you are not the first user on your Mac, look inside the .TemporaryItems folder to see which folders it contains. User 501 is the first user created on your Mac; 502 is the second; etc. You may need to check several folders, if you have used the iPod as different users. After you have cded to the appropriate folder, you can type open . to display its contents in the Finder and delete the files by moving them to the Trash and emptying the Trash.
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When it comes to choosing a mobile phone there are so many different aspects to consider. Technology moves forward at such an incredible pace it is often difficult to keep up. It wasn’t that long ago that mobile phones had mono screens. Today’s phones are a world away from that, who knows what they will be like in the future?

Most people in the UK take out a contract when purchasing a mobile phone. This is usually for a minimum of 12 months and includes a free handset. This is good news for the consumer as it means that they get a new handset every year.

When you choose a mobile phone it is important to consider the features that are included. Do you need a mobile phone that will replace your Mp3 player? Perhaps you need a phone that can take excellent quality pictures? Perhaps battery life is important, especially if you are away from a charger for long periods of time.

With so many mobile phones in the marketplace there is bound to be a mobile phone that is right for you. Before choosing one, make sure that you have read some reviews on a number of popular mobile phone review websites. Many websites provide honest consumer reviews and their experiences of using a mobile phone.
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First came the Clapper, which allowed a generation of the lazy to turn on lights and radios all over the house from the comfort of their easy chairs. Then there was the Flowbee, which vacuums up your hair while giving you “professional hairstyling results.” And let’s not forget the self-twirling spaghetti fork.

But now, there’s an invention that may trump all of the above in sheer pointlessness. German lingerie producer Triumph has come up with, of all things, a solar-powered bathing suit. The rather awkward-looking one-piece garment comes complete with photovoltaic cells to capture energy from the sun. What to do with that energy, you might ask? It’s perfect, the company assures its potential customers, for recharging your phone or iPod while lying on the beach.

The unflattering get-up was produced in conjunction with the Hamburg-based renewable energy company Conergy and, perhaps appropriately, presented by Spanish synchronized swimming star Gemma Mengual in Valencia earlier this week. The Solar Swimsuit, on a nice sunny day, has an output of four watts, and the plug-in is integrated into the suit.
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Like mushrooms after a spring rain, podcasting is sprouting up everywhere. Chalk it up to the insanely popular Apple iPod, which at last count has sold fourteen kajillion units. Not content to merely listen, iPod devotees now want to jump into the broadcast booth. Anyone with a microphone and an Internet connection suddenly seems to have a podcast, and for good reason: It’s very easy to produce and upload audio clips. The tools are cheap, the files are easy to share, and just about anyone can do it. Does it make sense for your classroom? Let’s parse out the basics.

For years, savvy teachers have used various media to help their students connect to the world. Kids have conducted livinghistory interviews with elderly relatives or other community members or opened up discussions with other children in distant places. Students having difficulty writing essays can find that producing audio clips gives them an outlet to tell their story.

The cool thing about podcasting is that you really don’t need much equipment — essentially, a computer with a microphone jack, and a microphone. Even better, the gear doesn’t need to be the latest and greatest: You can achieve very respectable results with that old PC in the corner of the room and a $20 mic. To get those longdistance interviews, podcast gurus use online telephony services such as Skype or iChat to record their subjects. Once you have your audio sources ready, use soundediting software such as Audacity to mix in soundtracks and edit out those long pauses. For inspiration, check out the Education Podcast Network to hear what other educators are producing.
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I might just send a smooch-encrusted fan letter to the folks at the Federal Communications Commission. Perhaps you’d like to add a smooch of your own.

The agency recently announced that, for now, it will keep in place rules banning cell phone use on airplanes. That’s a victory for those of us who have been dreading the idea of enduring long flights belted in between seatmates chatting away on cell phones and worrying about being expected to field work calls while in flight. “I’d rather be strapped to the wing!,” one frequent traveler told me.

Half of all Americans now have cell phones. Someday everyone will. But as use of these handy and sometimes life-saving devices spreads, so too will the incidence of people using their phones inappropriately in public spaces. I recently heard a lawyer in a public restroom stall negotiating the details of her client’s divorce. And as headsets get smaller and smaller I find it harder and harder to tell if someone is trying to strike up a conversation with me or simply calling home to their sweetie. (more…)

Yougetitback, a well-known lost and found company, recently unveiled the e-tag, the first electronic lost and found
tagging service for cell phones and PDA’s. Yougetitback is an ingenious lost and found service designed to assist portable electronics users recover lost items.

Once activated, the e-tag sits as an application on lost cell phones and PDA’s, preventing non-user calls being made and providing a tracking system to help return the device to its rightful owner. This service also provides a denial of service, remote delete, data backup and recovery, and guaranteed replacement functions.

When a cell phone or PDA is lost, users simply visit Yougetitback’s website and activate the e-tag wallpaper on their lost electronic device. Once activated the wallpaper sits on the phone screen and only allows Yougetitback’s 24/7 call center to be contacted. Yougetitback’s mediated service actively helps return the lost item back to its right owner in a timely fashion. The finder receives a small reward. For owners with mission critical information, Yougetitback offers a remote backup and delete facility and, should a phone not be returned, the company can store and transfer contact information to new phones. Should a lost cell phone or PDA be found unexpectedly by the owner, the e-tag can be deactivated at any time.
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