The first iPod ever made, was iPod classic. Although it didn't have this label, iPod classic is supposed to be the continuous evolution of the first iPod. This is adequate in a certain matter of looking to the picture. You see, Apple concluded that the classic iPod line is the successor of the first iPod ever made. Apple only used this pretext in order to keep the iPod legend alive. However, the first iPod will always remain a milestone element in Apple's history. Since October 23, 2001 iPod classic is the best sold iPod for the time being.

Until today, iPod classic has reached the 6^th generation improving its specs list in a dramatic way. The classic logo was added to the iPod on September 5, 2007 on the same day iPod nano 3^rd generation was released along with the iPod touch.

Therefore, the iPod classic we now know of is part of the new iPod line rebranded over two years ago. The controls found on the 6^th generation of iPod classic are the same from the 4^th and 5^th generation, included in the click wheel (Menu up, play and pause down, right skip forward and fast forward, left skip backwards and fast reverse, while the center is the ok button). The first generation sported the scroll wheel, while the 2^nd generation and 3^rd generation included a touch wheel. The iPod classic's memory over the last eight years increased from 5 GB to 160 GB. Nowadays you can find the 6^th generation of iPod classic sporting an 160 GB internal memory which should be enough for 40000 songs in 128 Kb per second AAC format, or 200 hours of video (H.264 with an average 1.5 MB per second video 640 x 480 resolution, with 128 Kb per second audio), or maybe 25000 pictures.

The design offered by this second revision of this 6^th iPod classic model is the same as the previous model. The front cover sports the click wheel under the display and a matte plastic cover (either white or black), whiles the back sport an anodized aluminum and polished steel lines around the iPod classic sides. With a height of 103.5 mm (4.1 inches), wide of 61.8 mm (2.4 inches), deep of 10.5 mm (0.41 inches), iPod classic weight about 140 grams or 4.9 ounces. It is not the smallest design out there, but it can sure hold your entire media library.

On top of the classic you get the hold switch. iPod classic contains a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. It supports a few audio formats such as AAC (up to 320 Kb per second), MP3 VBR, MP3 (up to 320 Kb per second), and other formats such as WAV and AIFF. The video is quite narrow in compatible file formats. You get H.264 video support, and MPEG4 video support. You can easily configure this two video encoding however you like, from resolution to audio profile. Beside the audio and video compatibility, iPod classic also brings some other features such as the Genius Mix, or iPod games, and even the TV out feature (connect iPod classic to a TV by using an optional Apple cable, composite AV cable).

Apple included in the iPod classic, since 2008 a 2.5 inches color LCD with LED backlight sporting a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Other ports and jacks on the iPod classic are the dock connecter, and the 3.5 mm audio jack. The current iPod classic model features the 2.0.1 operating system (being the seventh operating system offered by Apple for the iPod classic). The USB connectivity is present on the classic iPod models since the 4^th generation, while the first and second generation only had Fire Wire (the 3th and 4^th generation sported both Fire Wire and USB connection).

Because Apple wanted to improve the iPod classic battery life, it replaced the Lithium Polymer with Lithium Ion battery. The current iPod classic has a music playback time of 36 hours or video playback time of 6 hours. It takes about 2 hours to charge the battery up to 80% and it will take about 4 hours for a full charge. If you are interested about system requirements then you should know you need iTunes 9 or later to connect your iPod classic with your computer or MacBook. Apple ships iPod classic with earphones, 2.0 USB cable, dock adapter, and a quick start guide in the retail box.

Therefore, iPod classic is an excellent choice if you are looking for a media player that not only looks great but delivers everything it's supposed to. Also, the huge internal memory of 160 GB of the iPod touch is more than a bargain for the $249 price tag.

When it comes to Apple, everything is well planned, builds and presented on the market. It is not all about devices, gadgets, iPods, accessories or computer. Apple also needs something stronger than hardware, because half of Apple's success is caused by the software provided. Therefore, it is no surprise when I am going to tell you that iTunes Store is the genius application Apple could have invented. Even more, now with the App Store everything is just "German" (works excellent, flawless).

The Games category is probably one of the most used categories in App Store. Today, October 03, 2009, the top three free games on App Store looks quite obvious I might add. The first two spots are covered by two social networks game and I think you already know what developer has created these games, while the third spot is occupied by an interesting game cards released by none other than the famous, by now, Gameloft. On the first place we can find "World War - 35 Honor Points".

This game was released (its latest version) on September 10, 2009, by Storm8 LLC. This game is compatible with both iPod touch and iPhone running the second or third generation operating system for iPhone mobile platform. However, for a better user experience you should definitely chose to play this game on your iPhone, because you need a stable internet connection and Wi-Fi is only stable indoors and certainly not outdoors.


The story line is realistic and dark in the same time. The action is set in 2010, in a post nuclear war world. The small countries have been destroyed, while the surviving ones have merged in five great nations. The game puts you into the shoes of a general. However, this is just the beginning. Your mission is to evolve as much as you can until you can proclaim the victory of this catastrophic war (dictator, anyone?). The graphics are exceptional and the sound effects with the special soundtrack improve this game as much as it can. As the rest of the Storm8 games, you have to join the online community in order to actually play this game. You will successfully achieve your goals by battling the other players. No need to worry about future updates because their offered free of charge. In order to survive and win you have to ally with other players. Success is just a state of mind. Important is how you achieve it.


By the way, if you were wondering about what counties survived the war then you will be happy to know (or sad if you don't live in any of them) that USA, Russia, UK, China and Germany successfully survived the nuclear war. Overall, this game is excellent and reminds quite a lot in terms of game play with the other games released by Storm8. Shocking or not, depends on who you ask, the second position on our top three free games is "Racing Live - 15 Prestige Points". This game was last time on the first position on this top. As you may recall its seller and developer is the same Storm8 LLC.

And in order to play this game you have to join the online network (which already contains over 4.2 million players). It seems like the social network games are very popular, especially because of the connection with other players. The games become more real, and have to offer more than just action. On the third position on today's top three free games on App Store is "UNO". Released on August 17, 2009, by Gameloft, "UNO" is one of the best card games made for either iPod touch or iPhone running the second or third generation operating system for iPhone mobile platform.

One of the best features of this card games is that you can play with up to three other players. You can still play in single mode also, but the fun is when you play with other people. You can easily customize your game with up to nine different rules. You have to use your Wi-Fi connection when playing in multi player mode. Therefore, be careful with your iPod touch or iPhone's battery.

The graphics are normal, but then again the game is not too demanding, and the controls are intuitive. In other order of words, this game is really nice, and helps you play with your friends and family card games without actually play cards. Today's top three free games on App Store is somewhat not surprising. As the last top, Storm8 is still in charge with two out of three games. These games are great, offering excellent game play value and overall fun for free.

App Store is one of the useful inventions Apple ever created. It's not all about games. You can find so many applications under different categories such as Books, Entertainment, Educations, Weather, Utilities, Social Networking, Navigation, Music, and Medical, Finance, Productivity and many other more. The App Store is the marketing element used to merge the business department with iPod touch or iPhone, which at their core are only multimedia devices.

Although, customers and users of business applications use only the best products, which usually are the most expensive found on App Store, they might want to consider using the free versions. Either you choose a lite version (offered free) to see if that certain business application suites your demands, or you just need for a couple of days one certain application, you should always check the top free business applications on App Store before making any further purchases.

Today, September 28, 2009, on App Store you can find the next top three free business applications: the winner is the one and only "Job Search" (excellent in this unstable times - mandatory as a free application), on the second sport you get "Jobs" (an older search engine for jobs), and last but not least "ZIP Finder: Free ZIP code locator" (excellent if you live in large cities). The first application, "Job Search" was released on March 24, 2009 by Indeed. You can find it for free on App Store with the latest version 1.0.1. This is a pretty straightforward application, allowing you to have a good search engine for jobs directly on your iPod touch or iPhone. "Job Search" is easy to use, works fast, has a history log, and allows you to view the complete set of job search results. Also, after the searching process is finished, "Job Search" will underline the searched jobs from the database. Also for a better mobility, you can directly send yourself or to others an email with the job description.

The second application from the top three free business applications is "Jobs" released on July 09, 2008 by CareerBuilder.com. You can find this application on App Store under the Business category with the latest version 1.1. Just like the first application, "Jobs" allows you to search through the whole CareerBuilder.com database from you iPod touch or iPhone your perfect job. You can easily search for jobs by applying several filters, such as salary, keyword, or job description, and others. A nice feature in this application is the use of iPhone's geo-tagging function. Therefore, the search engine will look for jobs in your area.

The third application on our top three is "ZIP Finder: Free ZIP Code Locator" released on December 16, 2008, by Bottle Rocket. You can find it on App Store under the same Business category for free, with the latest version available for download 1.0.02. This application is more amazing than you might think. It easily retrieves the ZIP code based on your current location. You can also search for other ZIP codes anywhere in the United States. You can even find a location by using a ZIP code and Google Maps. Practically, you get an excellent locator when combining "ZIP Finder: Free ZIP Code Locator" with Google Maps. You can use this application to find out traffic information, or find out about new movie theaters.

A weird, but useful feature is the possibility of finding out about the crime rate in a specific ZIP code area. If you are an overprotective parent, then install "ZIP Finder: Free ZIP Code Locator" on your child's iPod touch or iPhone, and make him or her take a screen shot of the ZIP code him or her is in. there are so many implementations of this application in real life. You just have to downloaded it, install it, and have some educative fun. You should, however, know that ZIP Finder will use your geo location technology from your Apple device. You can make this work with Wi-Fi connection to, but the most accurate is the 3G connectivity.

Overall, "ZIP Finder: Free ZIP Code Locator" is an application that is worthy of your time (from searching it, download it, and install it). It offers many features, and delivers an exceptional result. All these three applications from the top three business applications work on iPod touch and iPhone running the second and third operating system from the iPhone mobile platform. You should check from time to time, the free applications available on App Store because some of them might just be what you are looking for (and their even free).

A few days ago, the top three free games on the App Store was clear. On first place we found the "Vampire Live - 40 loyalty points" game, released on August 30 (2009), by Storm8 LLC (which is basically an online social network game). The second position was occupied by "Tight Wire Lite" released on August 24, 2009 by iBright LLC (a funny game about an overweight guy trying to from the top of a building to another by walking on a wire), while on the third position we found the "Word Scramble 2 by Zynga" (great word game, providing with sufficient features for you not to get bored). Today, on September 27, 2009, the top three free games on App Store for iPod touch and iPhone was changed.



Therefore we got three new free games for iPod touch and iPhone to check out. The first place is occupied by, what else than, a racing game. On September 10, 2009, Storm8 LLC (which provides with excellent games lately - just search on the App Store to see how many games they have introduced in the database) released "Racing Live - 15 Prestige Points". I don't know if you have noticed but, Storm8 LLC is the same seller and developer of "Vampire Live - 40 loyalty points" game, another winner on our top free game for iPod touch and iPhone.

A real shocker is the story line, which follows the exact steps of its sibling vampire game. You start with a low status, novice street racer and you have to achieve the title of king of the roads. As you have already imagined, this game is all about virtual world, the Racing Live world. In order to play this game you have to join this online world were you will find another 4.2 million players. You have to create your own crew in order to succeed in your power race. The graphics are good, and it provides a nice user experience.

Papaya Farm".

It was released on September 18, 2009, for iPod touch and iPhone running the second and third operating system from the iPhone mobile platform. Papayamobile (the developer and seller) just introduced this game, which only has a 1.0 released version. As you have imagined from the title, "Papaya Farm" is a virtual game about farming. You get all the process included, from sow and grow to harvest time; you have to take care of your lands.

This is a great game for kids, it might teach them one or two things about farming. The only actual fun you can have with this game is if you play it with your friends. However, be careful, because your friends can still your crops if you don't pay attention. This game is part of the new game category that is rising up pretty fast, the social network game category. Therefore, "Papaya Farm" is a social networking game. You don't just grow corn, you socialize, have fun, build your avatar, and other fun activities starting from basic game play. Another excellent feature of these social networking games is that they don't consume your iPod touch or iPhone, making them freeze or crash.

On the last spot of our top three free games on the App Store, is none other than the ex number one from last top three free games, "Vampire Live - 40 loyalty points". Therefore, we own some congratulations to Storm8 LLC for having two games on the top three games for iPod touch and iPhone. It seems that this new game category is becoming very popular. I suggest you download one of these games and start socializing through these excellent free games.

If you are the proud owner of an iPhone - first generation, iPhone 3G, or even iPhone 3GS you are probably looking for the greatest dock offered on the market. We all know Apple is very avaricious when it comes to accessories included in the shipping box. Well, you almost get nothing except your excellent iPhone. This is a drawback, as far as I am concerned, in their marketing department. They should have at list introduces an iPhone deluxe shipping box for the ultimate experience. Even so, you still have plenty of accessories to choose from. When you say great balanced accessories (good design, great features, and normal price tag), you say Griffin technologies.

Their ultimate accessory for the iPhone is named Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier for iPhone. Let's start with the design. Even if the Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier would have just provided a place to put your iPhone it would still be a great purchase. It looks not only unique, but also exquisite. The Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier is made out of a translucent polycarbonate material. It looks overall like a transparent block. With a height of 1.375 inches, wide of 4.75 inches, deep of 3.625 inches, the Air Curve is easy to put wherever you want. Beside the actual Air Curve, Griffin only added in the shipping box two adapters (even if the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS share the same dimensions, while the 2007 iPhone doesn't need an adapter). The adapter is inserted in the middle of the Air Curve.

Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier is not only a dock; it is a no power consumer alarm clock for your iPhone, and even a sound system (by far as powerful as the regular sound systems offered as accessories for iPhone). You should know that you can easily use Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier as a sound system without needing any batteries or adapters to function. The design doesn't let you see how many functions this device has. From afar it simply looks like a bare to minimum iPhone stand, but when you take a closer look you will see the inside curves that collects the sound from your iPhone speaker, processing it (amplify it volume with almost 10 decibels), and delivers the finish sound into the room.

This accessory really does its job without any electronics involved. However don't expect Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier do deliver anything more than your iPhone music louder. You get no sound effect and no bass. Therefore it is not a real audio system. It is just a great stand with exceptional design and unique function. Because the manufacturer of this accessory is no one else then Griffin you should expect some nice surprises.

Griffin Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier also allows you to charge and sync your iPhone. Not by itself, however. But this stand provides a pass through slot. Therefore you can easily insert a cable dock through the Air Curve Acoustic Amplifier. However you have to use the cables that come with your iPhone, or just buy a new one, if you already use that cable on other accessories. Even so, for only $19.95 price tag you not only get a great looking stand for your iPhone, but also an alarm clock and a mini sound system that delivers up to 50% more volume without using any power whatsoever.