What Are You Lookin' At???
by Gary Woods

The hottest product around these days is Apple's iPod. The latest incarnation of this phenomenon is the iPod Photo. iPod Photo is available in two models, the $499, 40GB model and the $599, 60GB version. These new models feature new graphics capabilities, as well as increased play times and the power to send photos to a television via composite or S-Video cables.

With the new color screen everything is easier to read. Red calendar events really standout and Solitaire finally offers cards distinguishable enough to make the game playable.

Aside from its graphic enhancements and its color screen, the iPod Photo is a fourth-generation iPod which means that it sports the same Click Wheel controller and ports as the most-recent monochrome iPods and iPod Minis.

The iPod Photo displays your photos either in a 25-thumbnail grid or as full-screen images that take up most of the iPod's two-inch diagonal display. The display in the grid view is crisp enough that you can distinguish dissimilar images.

Picture navigation is great using the scroll wheel to quickly advance through an album and you then you select a picture by using the yellow selection box. Displaying a slide show is just as straight forward. All you do is choose how much time per slide, the audio play list you want to accompany your show and which transitions to use. If you like carrying around a lot of pictures is what you need.

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910