4:33 AM - Great Ways to Get More from Your iPod and Keep Your iPod Security While Traveling
Did you know that you can stream movies from your PC to the iPod, move music from ipod to computer, or in other words you can control your ipod freely and easily as long as you would like. You use it as a secondary monitor, connect USB speakers and keyboards, and browse Web sites with actual tabs, Here's how to get the most from Apple's iPod.
Turn Your iPod into a Secondary Desktop Display
With its big, high-resolution display, it's a shame to just
park an iPod when switching
ipod to computer.
Instead, Air Display makes your iPod a second screen for your Mac,
extending the desktop. The tool has just been submitted to the App
Store and should be released soon.
You install a utility on the computer and connect with the
Air Display System Preference. The iPod then behaves just like an
extra screen. You reposition it in the Displays System Preference
like a real monitor, in a portrait or landscape view. Although it
lags a little when showing video, it refreshes quickly enough for
most work. You can even tap on the iPod to click.
Stream Movies From Your PC
Even if you bought the largest-capacity iPod, it can't fit
all of your videos, it's too small. Instead of trying to cram
everything into the device, you can stream videos from a local or
online PC. The process has one main caveat; if you bought movies or
TV shows from the iTunes store, DRM restrictions block those files.
(Podcasts and music videos should work.). But you can watch your
own videos or DRM-free downloads without taking up ipod storage.
Of the many options available, I think the Air Video is the
best. (A free version includes the same functions but limits the
number of files you can browse in each folder). Similar to
competitors, you run a server utility on your PC or Mac in order to
route data to the iPod.
Unfortunately, from coffee shops to planes, trains, and
cruise ships, we've become accustomed to having ready access to the
Internet just about anywhere. The problem is, it's easy to forget
how vulnerable that makes us to security threats. And then how can
we ensure these are secure when we are traveling?
1. Make sure your software is up-to-date. The first line of
defense, is to make sure that all your software is up-to-date.
Before every trip, or at least every few weeks, it's a good idea to
check the manufacturer's Web site (or search Google) to see if a
software or firmware update is available. If there's a new one,
download it, unless there's a massive firestorm of negative reviews
from early adopters. For example if we want to
transfer
ipod music to computer, we can download a ipod to computer
software in advance and keep updating it.
2. Employ strong passwords. Be sure to use some combination
of letters, numbers and/or special characters of 8 characters or
more. Avoid using dictionary words. Instead, we can use acronyms
for things like favorite songs, restaurants or other items known
only to you. And change the password frequently--at least once
every six months. If you're just not feeling clever enough to
create your own passwords, programs like RoboForm will do it for
you.