The iPod as photo album
Want to show off copies of your favorite digital photos on your iPod without having to print them, smudge them or drag your laptop around? Just click
the Photos tab on the iPod’s preferences screen.
Here, you can choose to copy photos from your com -
puter’s Pictures folder or from a program such as Adobe
Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Album or Apple’s own iPhoto. You can even select certain albums of photos from these programs. After you check the boxes for the pictures you want, click the “Apply” button to send copies to the iPod. Later, you can corner your friends with your
vacation photos by going to the iPod’s Photos menu
and selecting the pictures you want to share.
The iPod on the big screen
As cool as those photos look on the small screen, they look even cooler
when you jack your iPod into a television set to display them. You can do this
with the videos you have on your iPod, too. For this, you need an extra bit of
hardware: an iPod-compatible AV cable, which sells for around $50 on Apple’s
Web site. With the iPod tethered to the TV, go to the iPod’s Photos or Videos
menu, select the Settings area, then hit the “TV Out” option to play your photo
slide shows or videos on the big TV screen.
And photos aren’t the only images you can show off on the TV or
conference-room display system. You can display your Keynote or PowerPoint presentations up there as well. To do so, just save your presentation
as individual slides in the JPEG format with the “Save As” command and
drag them into your photo program or pictures folder. Then sync them in
i Tunes to the iPod, as you would with regular pictures. Once you connect
your iPod to a TV or monitor with the AV cable, you can advance through your
slides by clicking or tapping the
iPod’s controls.
These are just a sampling
of the non-music things you can
do with an iPod. If you let the device live up to its full potential,
life gets simpler—and your bag,
pocket or purse can get much
lighter. A
TIPS &TRICKS
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HOW NOISE-CANCELING
HEADPHONES WORK
NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES allow you
to block out irritating background noise and
enjoy your music in peace. Smart noise-canceling technology enhances the pleasure
of listening at lower volume levels in noisy
environments. It’s particularly good at removing
low frequencies, such as jet engine noise, so
you can enjoy soft music on flights, trains and
similar places without hearing a distracting
buzz in the background.
How is the noise actually canceled? The
creation of a waveform equal to but opposite to
the unwanted noise effectively cancels it.
The proper fit is essential for this technology
to work properly. Look for super-soft ear
cushions, which enclose the speakers around
the ears to create a perfect seal. With very
little pressure on the ears, you can use the
headphones comfortably for long periods
of time.
Other features to look for include a good
carrying case, adjustable headband, mute
button, audio jack and airplane adapter. A
J.D. Biersdorfer is the author of iPod: The Missing Manual, published by O’Reilly
Media ( www.missingmanuals.com). She is also the co-author of The Internet: The
Missing Manual and Google: The Missing Manual.
