iPod Mini Tips and Tricks

Seeing as how EVERYONE in my company just got an iPod mini, I thought I would pass along some tips and tricks that I've learned (during my first two days of ownership).

For basic how-to type info, check out Apple's ipod site where they will teach you things like:

• The basics
• Transferring your music to your iPod
• Playing songs
• Working with playlists on your iPod

Here are some of my own tips:

1. Download and use iTunes. It's free and you simply need this music player to take full advantage of your iPod.
2. Control the volume by rotating softly cycling around the white sphere. This is an awesome user interface trick, but not necessarily intuitive... Note that you simply MUST figure out this cycle trick because it is also how you cycle through songs and other options. If this still seems mysterious, then ask someone until you figure it out!
   
3. Turn off your iPod by simply pausing the music. After a minute or two the iPod will shut itself off. UPDATE: Thanks to a verbal tip I found out you can also turn off the iPod off by holding down the pause button!
4. You power it up by simply leaving it plugged into your computer.
   
5. Where do you get music? (1) Find someone with a collection of digital music that you like and borrow!!! (2) "Burn" your favorite CDs to your iPod through iTunes. (To do this, simply insert a CD in your computer, open up iTunes and hit the "import" button.) (3) Purchase the music from iTunes at 99 cents a song. (Hint: There is probably someone in your office with a huge stash of mp3 files on their computer. If you don't know who that is, ask me, and I'll hook you up with an appropriate person!)
6. Podcasts are kind of like a radio show you can carry with you and listen at your leisure. Most shows have a pretty amateur feel to them, although some shows are well put together and have a feel closer to NPR. One of the reasons you needs iTunes is that it lets you browse for podcasts that interest you and then lets you subscribe to them. After subscribing, the program will automatically sync the most recent podcasts to your iPod every time you plug your iPod into your computer. It is shockingly simple to keep up-to-date on your favorite programs.
   
7. I hear that the iPods can get scratched up pretty easily, so consider getting a case if you are going to use it a lot

By the way, if you have some other tips you'd like to share (or you have some questions), list them below in the comments.

AND now for the fun part... My first podcast (but don't expect to learn too much because I'm just reiterating what's written above):

• Podcast: iPod Mini Tips and Tricks