Nielsen Media Research has released findings from its 3rd Quarter Home Technology Report which show that MP3 players are now found in a quarter of US homes, and that more U.S. households now own DVD players (81.2% of all households) than VCRs (79.2% of households). The penetration of MP3 players has jumped by 150% in the last three years. [Podcasting News]
Category Archives: Gadgets & Apps
But will they have a radio?
iPods are helping to drive increased demand for premium audio options in new cars. According to Telematics Research, 80% of 2007 models for sale in the U.S. will offer branded premium audio options from the likes of Bose and Harman/Kardon as optional or standard equipment up from 67% during the ’06 model year.
The most sought after feature in cars is support for Apple’s iPod. Last year, only 12% of vehicles for sale supported true iPod integration, while nearly 50% of the ’07 models support iPods. Meanwhile, auxiliary input is supported by nearly 60% of ’07 models. [Podcasting News]
BlackBerry Orphans
Interesting story at WSJ.com about how hand-held email devices (BlackBerry, Treo, etc) are cutting into quality time at home. I’m never far from a computer so I have no stones to throw, but there seems to be something even more addictive about these devices. They are just so easy to use. So handy. And Barb’s Treo makes this insidious little tone when a new email comes in (“Check me! Check me!).
One ninth-grader (in the WSJ story) says she has caught her parents typing emails on their Treos during her eighth-grade awards ceremony, at dinner and in darkened movie theaters. “During my dance recital, I’m 99% sure they were emailing except while I was on stage,” she says. “I think that’s kind of rude.”
Most of the senior managers in our company have BlackBerry’s and I’ll bet you a hot oil back rub on Oprah they’re using the little buggers right up until bedtime.
Update: NPR interview with the reporter that did the story and some of the people she interviewed.
Voice recording on the iPod nano
One of my rationalizations for buying a new iPod nano was the Voice Memo feature. Plug a mic in and record directly to the iPod. I had no idea how well this would work until tonight when I plugged in a tiny little mic called the iTalk Pro from Griffin Technology.
Pops into the bottom of the iPod and records in mono or stereo. The interface on the iPod is a wonder of simple design.
I’ll let you decide on the quality but I can certainly imagine recording an interview with this delightful little gadget. And I’ve always got the nano with me anyway, so…
New and improved Blogger
I made the jump from Blogger to Typepad a couple of years ago because Blogger was driving me nuts. All kind of problems and missing features. A number of Learfield bloggers and friends are still using the service so this link is for you. It’s an interview (video) with Eric Case who works on the Blogger team at Google. I’m posting here because it’s easier than trying to remember who to email.