An unlikely addition for your workshop

[John-Som]

An iPod is probably not the first item that comes to mind when adding to your workshop equipment. But bear with me on this. I recently replaced my ageing iPod with an iPod Touch and discovered that as an ancillary piece of kit for the workshop it has a great deal to offer.
Please excuse the poor picture quality – I guess it’s the camera pixels fighting with the iPod pixels. The fact that I am a rubbish photographer doesn't help much either ! In reality the quality of the images on the iPod screen are crystal clear.

This is the opening home menu screen……



First of all it is a mini PC  enabling you to receive and send e-mails in the workshop assuming you have a home wi-fi network. There is a touch screen keyboard which despite its diminutive size is reasonably easy to use and becomes easier with a little practice.



You can also connect to the internet using ‘Safari’ web browser giving me access to Madmodder  and of course any other website that may take your fancy – bookmark your favourites for easy access. I find it great for referencing tutorials in the workshop…



Apart from giving you internet access the iPod Touch has a few other tricks up its protective cover (an extra but worthwhile purchase).  You can store your favourite pics and, as in my case, videos of your engineering feats to impress your friends and relatives when you are away from home…



You can also buy useful add on utility programmes, many as little as .59p each ($0.87). For example I bought a clinometer which is surprisingly sensitive and a convenient way of setting workpieces to required angles for machining….



I also bought an internet radio access programme, again for .59p which provides hundreds of radio stations which can be enjoyed through the iPods own tiny inbuilt speaker though for decent  sound quality you do need a docking/speaker facility.

In the summer I spend time away at our holiday caravan and this iPod will be a convenient way of keeping in touch.

Oh, and by the way, it’s also pretty good for storing and playing back your music collection !

JohnS

[Darren]

I think they are brill, the 15yr old girl in our house got a touch for Xmas, Helen my partner bought it for her and I paid little attn to it.

Till I was asked to set it up for the net (did it by itself btw)

I took a look, had a play and thought "wow" what a neat little gadget, now I want one too....

[bogstandard]

Got to get me one of those.

Just a few questions.

How often do you have to wind it up, and what is wifi? Is that Yorkshire slang for smelly, as in wifi feet or wifi armpits.

And the last one, can I take that angle thingy off the front to help me get shelves level. For 59p I just might get a couple of those and keep them in my toolbox.

Bogstupid

[SPiN Racing]

But can you make a phone call with it?


:P

I have been back and forth over them for so long its silly.

I LOATHE Mac.  I truly dont like them.  I mean wow.  I have been using computers since 78, and still detest the Company Mac. Not the Hardware. They make some nice stuff. They are just soo poorly managed. /cry.

My Nieces (all 4 of them) have I-Phones.
My Nephews(Both of them) have I Phones.
Several people In my department do as well.

I have seen it all and think they are great.. but One thing I was annoyed with..

My niece was letting me send some text messages with it, and I have to say it annoyed the crap out of me doing this wierd slidey thumb clicking thing. And there are no keys to touch.. so its.. sorta a guessing game.
My Blackjack pfone has a little real keyboard on it with nicely spaced buttons.. and since I can type decent.. I can actually type a message while driving without looking at the phone. I-Phone.. Not so much. No keys to touch.

Now.. the thing that once again stabs me in the heart to buy one.
In addition to the cool angle finder you kill me with.

A complete datalogging application for cars.
You can jack into the computer system of your car, and view all the engine parameters realtime.. and depending on the computer, correct sensor errors, and or make changes to the mapping of the engine On the FLY.

Oh and there is a GPS linked application.. so when you are connected to the car, you can RECORD lap after lap of a RACE, with g-sensors etc, and it will draw a map of the track as it goes. /cry.

Now I want one just for those features... Oh and I can make calls too? SWEET!

[Divided he ad]

Didn't I bring my Touch to show you some pic's and videos John?

Oh well I'll have to bring it along next time.... Or you may see Stew's before then?


I haven't got anywhere near as many fun things as Stew has on his though..... I'm going to have to go searching.... They might not all work on mine, it's the older one 




Nice gadget to have.... It's the thing that has helped me create all of my works..... I don't work as well without music   



Ralph.

[John Stevenson]

Does anyone know how you get a slide rule to connect via wifi ?

I have tried it with the slidy bit right in, right out and the plastic bit to the left.

JS

[sbwhart]

I'm still trying to change the batteries in my abacus.

[bogstandard]

Ralph, I think you are mixing up John S with Stew (look at the original poster). Time to get yourself off the wine gums.

It definitely looks to be a handy bit of kit, but you know what I am like, if it isn't there to earn a living, it don't get in, unless it is a freebie.

Will give it a good dose of looking at though.


Bogs

[bogstandard]

Gave it a looksee, and came to the conclusion it wasn't for me.

I've got an old steam powered mobile phone, and I can't even use that properly, so there is no way I would use all of this machines facilities. I've got ten thumbs, and can't recite the alphabet because I have forgotten the words to the tune. But to someone a little more forwards looking and PC than myself, I am sure it would be a good addition to their workshop machinery.

I will stick to my notebook, pencil and C-o-C.

Bogs

[rleete]

Agreed.

A while back a friend showed me a pocket PC type thing that was given to all the guys where he works.  After demonstrating it, all I could thing was that I do the same stuff with pad and pencil for a lot cheaper.  And, if I drop it, it still works!  Gotta learn to sketch before learning CAD anyway.

I'm no technophobe (actually a bit of a computer geek), but there's a limit to how many gadgets I want to carry around with me.  Bonus that I can't be called while I'm on break or in the men's room.

[Divided he ad]

Ralph, I think you are mixing up John S with Stew (look at the original poster). Time to get yourself off the wine gums.

DOH!!!! 


That's what you get for reading too many posts and then trying to reply to them in rapid (well ok about an hour or so) succession!!!


Sorry for the b@*ls up!!!


I'm going to get some sleep before I make another blooper!



Ralph.