For most people and their money, Apple TV is  the best choice for media extenders. The only problem before at this adapter it was the missing of a remote. The Logitech Harmony remote works pretty fine with the Apple TV device, the only problem been that it is too small and it is easy to be lost.

Logitech Harmony Remote is an assembly line of remote controls made and sold by Logitech, made for an universal purpose.  They was created in 2001 by Easy Zapper, a Canadian company and released in November, same year.  After its success, the company changed its name into Intrigue Technologies and its base to Ontario, Canada. In may 2004 it was sold to Logitech for 29 million of dollars.

Their first product, Harmony 360, was configured to work with the 360 Xbox Console and had special buttons and media center controls right under the LCD display. They started after the release of the Harmony 510 model to produce remotes for the universal use. The last released in the Harmony line was the Harmony One model, on January, 2008. It features a touch color display and it is rechargeable. As the most reviews said, this model is one of the best universal applicability remotes commercialized today.

The software used on this remote allows the persons who is using it to update  and reconfigure, learn new IR command lines and upgrade the firmware.

Elder versions of this software, present on the early models of the remote were only browser based. The new ones use Java as foundation, but they still need uninterrupted connectivity to internet for properly work, because their control codes and lines are downloaded from Logitech, admitting upgrades to the device's database and to the codes and serials. This will allow to Logitech to study the market to decide and check the future upgrades , so that they will cover with next models all user's necessities.

The control software from Harmony remote is agreeable with Mac OS X and Windows, but a group of researchers and developers are working to an operating system for Linux platforms.

The reviews for this universal remote are mostly optimistic and favorable. CNET networks, a  media company from California, said about this product that is one of the excellent jobs in this domain because of its ergonomically and cosmetically design, its perfect shape for the hand, its back lighted buttons and, of course its functionality, precisely accurate for Apple TV.

To make this remote work with the Apple device you can follow this step -by -step guide, developed by users. After hours of trying to make the work properly, they found out that this is quite simple.

If you figure that it would be more simple just to memorize IR commands for  every single setting you are wrong. That will never work and the remote will simply not sense the command lines and the Apple TV will move slowly or very lacking in completeness.

The trick is quite simple and you only have to add up a new Apple computer  and set and activate  references for its buttons. You will also have to set its delays to 100 milliseconds. After doing this steps, go in Harmony remote's software and click Add device. Choose "Computer" and  two times "next". Now choose Apple and again the "next" button. In the box below type this words: Mac Mini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo and press  next until you reach to the Main Screen again. From here, go to the Activities window and choose to add a new one manually. Press the Utility button and then the Generic Activity. Here you will be able to add or remove the devices that you don't need. For sure you will want to leave the TV, the Apple TV device, your computer or the amplifiers for the sound system. Press next until you're done.

To assign the correct buttons for the Apple TV device on the remote you will need to go to the "Apple TV activity" and click the "customize buttons" option. Than you will need just to go down and select your device and appropriate command lines. Now you are done. A simple and quick way to make your devices work properly together and let you enjoy your entertainment activities.

The principal feature of the iPod is that it can play media files, as it descriptions as a PMP says. The most use of an iPod is for music listening, Apple developing an entire accessory line and programs to help users at this chapter.

The accessory line starts with the white ear buds shipped specially for any portable media player designed and commercialized by Apple Inc. These ear phones are fabricated by Fostex, a big profile corporation from Japan. This earbuds become, in time, a symbol of the iPod brand even if the doctors said that they are very bad for our ears or the fashion designers told that, because of their color they contrast with the dark outlines of our clothes. Since the first generation of iPods, they were revised and upgraded, year after year, until they become smaller and more aerodynamic. The 4^th generation of iPod Nano introduced also, as a special feature, the ear phones made from a material more different, that makes them more individual, but they let them to have a tendency to damage.

Starting with the 3^rd generation of iPod Shuffle, Apple introduced a remote control  located on the right earphone, and later, on the 3^rd generation of iPod Touch, also with a  microphone incorporated.

There are presently five forms of iPod ear phones. The first Apple earphones, without controls, ships on every iPod model, excepting the ones from 3^rd generation. The Shuffle Headphones with a remote, ships only with the third generation iPods. The earphones that include the remote and the microphone are sold apart from others. This model was introduced in 2008 at the start of September.

The remote models have commodious buttons that will let the user to adjust the volume, to forward or backward the music, and control video playing. The control container which is located on the right earpiece's cable include 3 buttons, and a small microphone for the late 2 models. The first button helps the user to adjust volume by pressing the "+" and "-" controls. The second will play or pause the videos or the music tracks. The last one will record sounds and voice memos on the sustained models.

iTunes is a protected trademark application of Apple, utilized for replaying and organize of digital files like music or videos, and it was special designed for iPods and iPhones. It also include a store that can be accessed  via internet, and let the users to buy and transfer to their devices music videos, music, radios, TV shows, games for iPods, applications, pod casts, ring tones and movie renting.

This feature was released on January 9, 2001, by Apple Inc., at the MacWorld Expo, a conference that it is dedicated to Apple Macintosh platform and which is held annually in San Francisco. In 2009, in a Stevenote, Apple announced the release of  the 9^th version of iTunes.

This application is available for free download for some operating systems as Windows Vista and XP, Mac OS X version 10.4+ and Windows 7 and can be accessed from Apple's site. Also it is bundled up with all Mac products and some Dell and Hp computers. There are also and some elder versions that can be downloaded for MAC OS 9 and Mac OS X version 10.0-3 and for Windows 2000.

This application let users to manage videos and music on their personal iPods, using as media player Quick Time, a multimedia framework free of charge which it is capable to handle several formats of video, audio, text, sound and animations. Also, there are some alternatives at this software like XPlay or Winamp for iPods. Someone who will use this feature can devise their music files into play lists and libraries, edit the file's information, record some CDs, copy existing files to another digital audio player, purchase media files from its built in store, download pod casts, back up their files to digital supports like CDs or DVDs, run graphical effects into a visualizer, encode their music in some distinctly formats. Also, as a cool feature it is the availability of a huge collection of free internet radio broadcast stations prepared to be listened.



By creating a virtual library, in a specific data base, users can access and edit music attributes, known also as metadata, which are stored in 2 different library files. The first one, named iTunes Library, it is a binary file and uses the ITL file format. Using the ID3 tag, it stashes information like genre of the music and the artists that sings.

The iTunes Music Library it have the ability to refresh itself every time when the information is changed in iTunes. This library uses an .xml format letting the users to write easily some applications to access the information.

Released by Apple Inc., as a portable media player, in 2005, iPod Nano was designed with an implemented camera marketed by the same company. Since the first generation, iPod Nano it is using a flash memory, like the Shuffle iPod, but it is having a display with a 2.2 inch diagonal and a wheel that can be clicked, like the Classic iPod. Now, after 4 years since it was announced first time, it is at the 5^th generation, which have the ability to  video recording, regarding to a microphone implemented for voice memo, a more larger screen and a pedometer.

The first generation had a small size, measuring 1.6 in width, 3,5 in length and 2,27 thick, weighting only 42 grams.  The screen was measuring only 38 mm and could display up to 65, 536 colors.

After only 9 months before the announced launch date they start to develop and design this product. The iPod Nano was first launched in two colors, the classical black and the bright white, with two size available: 2gigabytes which could store up to 500 songs and the 4 gigabytes size. At the start of 2006, Apple updated this line with a model that had only 1 gigabyte capacity.

The iPod Nano used integrated circuits instead of the usual chips  that are smaller and cheaper. Now, at the 5^th generation, iPod Nano it is using a Portal Player PP5021C chip, which have a dual processor ARM 7TDMI. Yet, the people responded positive to this device and  Apple Inc. sold in only 17 days over one million units. Many have seen the release of iPod Nano, with the purpose to replace the iPod Mini, as a risky move, but they argued that it was pretty necessary because the competitors were starting to catch up their model in terms of features and design. They were right and the introducing on the market of iPod Nano was a real success. There were some incidents reported al over the world so they decided to investigate and upgrade that model.

Second generation was released on 12 September, in the year 2006. This type of iPod Nano had an aluminum case and a scratch resisting display. Also it was available in multiple colors: silver, black, green, pink and blue, characteristics borrowed from the earlier Mini iPod. Also, it dispose of a  battery upgrade, a more brighter screen and more flash memory capacity.  It had and a new search type and supported gapless playback of audio format. On the end of 2006, Apple released the Red iPod Nano with a 4 gigabytes capacity of storage and started a donation campaign. Two weeks later they introduced and an 8 GB model of the same product.

Third generation was updated on 2007, in September and featured a 320 x 240 display and a shorter and heavier design, available in new colors. Also, it had and a new interface named Cover Flow and could video playback. It was available in 5 colors: silver, green, turquoise, black and the already old Product Red. It has an aluminum front and a steel black plate, as a combination of old models with a new and attractive design. The iPod Nano from the 3^rd generation had, like the iPod Shuffle, a minimalistic power switch, at the bottom. It was pretty special because it had the smallest line pitch of any Apple Inc. product, counting on a 51 mm screen exactly the same pixels as a 64 mm screen.

To improve the Cover Flow software, in October 6, 2007, Apple updated the firmware via iTunes, both for iPod Nano and for iPod Classic.

The fourth generation was released at the Let's Rock Event, a brand of Apple Inc. ,at the start of September 2008. It looks with the 1^st and 2^nd generation but it still have the 2 inch display model, as the 3^rd generation. It is, also, smaller than the previous generations measuring only 38.7 mm wide and 90,7 tall, at an weight of 36,8 grams. It had a glass screen and the same aluminum case, but a little more curved. The battery was made to last 24 hours if you are listening only music and four hours of video play backing, compared with the 3^rd generation that was able to replay 5 hours of videos.

On September 9, 2009, at an Apple event, the fifth generation of iPod Nano was announced with a reduced price.  It is available in 9 colors, starting with the classic black and silver and continuing with purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, pink and the usual product red. It have an 2.2 inches diagonal screen, bigger than the previous generations, and an integrated camera which can support video effects. Also it have FM Radio via RDS, a speaker, Nike iPod support and a capacity of 5 gigabytes.

I guess every now and then, it is useful to read about news in any forms you can find it, newsletter, magazines, online on official websites, or maybe on blog sites. Otherwise, you can easily loose the reality touch, and find yourself in questions, I a matter of half a year. Yes, we live hectic lives, which can easily create anxiety and depression, if we are not careful with balancing the work hours, with sleep hours and fun hours. If you can jest open a windows, or get outside into your backyard and just enjoy a nice half hour everyday you will be healthier than others. However, some people just can't let go of their gadgets, making the relaxation process a little difficult then it should be.

For the games fans, I advise them to own a mobile platform and to sit by a window or in the back yard and relax with some free games, without having to worry about costs. Always keep in mind, you are not a machine, your iPod touch or iPhone may be considered smart gadgets, and even small machines, but you are the user not the gadget. Therefore, you should know, that in today's top three free application, on the very own top stop you can find a new social networking game to help you relax in your own way, while interacting with people using your iPod touch or iPhone.

The first place in today's top three free games on App Store is "Ninjas Live - 30 Honor Points", a social networking game. Released on September 10, 2009, by seller Storm8 LLC, "Ninjas Live - 30 Honor Points" is part of the Storm8 LLC master plan to attract as many users as they can on their network. You can currently find this application on App Store under the Games category with the latest version, 1.0, free for download.


The "Ninjas Live - 30 Honor Points" is compatible with both iPod touch and iPhone running the second or third generation operating system for the iPhone mobile platform. The story line is quite impressive, just like the other story lines from the rest of the Storm8 LLC games. Again, you are placed into the same city, which is confronting with many creatures of the dark interested in bringing terror. The game puts you into the shoes of a ninja.

You must decide if you are going to use your powers to stop the evil forces or to overtop them, becoming the cities most powerful treat. Just like the rest of the Storm8 LLC games, the "Ninjas Live - 30 Honor Points" provides you an open strategy for you to evolve from a simple ninja student to shadow ninja, the legendary ninja knows in the word. Just like the other Storm8 LLC games, this game includes nice looking graphics, combined with excellent sound effects, with an adequate soundtrack.


The current database game includes over 750.000 players (not as much as the rest of the Storm8 LLC, but this value is justifiable since this game is new). You can fight with any other players in the database, and you will need to do this in order to evolve. In order to survive and achieve as many as you can in little time, ask your friends to join the game, and create your own clan including your friends in it. Not only the game is free, but also the future updates Storm8 LLC is going to release, including new weapons, missions and other game elements. You can chose what kind of ninja, your character will be, mercenary, mystic, thief, or assassin.

Play as much as you can, especially the dangerous missions and achieve or unlock as many fight techniques, or collect unlock able items. Remember, this is a social network game. Therefore, you can easily comment with other players. Also, if you are using an iPod touch you must necessary be connected to a Wi-Fi spot in order to play the game. Overall, the "Ninjas Live - 30 Honor Points" is an excellent game, result that was easy to guess since its developer is Storm8 LLC.

The second place on the top three free games on App Store is the "XenoWarsLite" a free demo game which merges two types of games into one style. Released on October 02, 2009, by seller Juhong Min under the Loco En's umbrella, "XenoWarsLite" provides nice game play for anyone who enjoys puzzle games, since this game is at its core a combination of three puzzle games. You can currently find this application on the App Store, under the Games category, with the current available version, 1.0.0, free for download. "XenoWarsLite" is compatible with both iPod touch and iPhone running the second or third generation operating system for the iPhone mobile platform.

This game really seams familiar, with a resemblance with the "Cartoon Wars". The main mission is to protect your castle against all the enemies coming your way. To do so you must collect Mana and gather Gold, for creating units respectively upgrading them. Also it is important to collect the Action Points in order for your units to learn new skills. In the demo (or lite) version of the main game, you get only 10 stages.

The graphics are quite simple, very "Cartoon Wars" like, with average sound effects, intuitive controls with proper feedback. The game has some issues, but then again this is only the lite version, which will not receive important upgrades, since the main focus is directed on the main game. Overall, if you played an enjoyed "Cartoon Wars" you will enjoy this free demo. Otherwise, if you enjoy puzzle games, you will love "XenoWarsLite". For the rest of you, this demo is really what you need to see if puzzle games are for you or not. The third spot on the top three free games on App Store is occupied by  an online racing game (and no its not Storm8 LLC, so don't expect too much out of this game). On October 02, 2009, Addmired Inc released the latest version of "Race or Die".

You can currently find this application on App Store under the Games category with the latest version, 2.01, free for download. "Race or Die" (which is kind of an extremist title, reminding of the fabulous political campaign made by Paris Hilton, "Vote or Die", and we all know how that turned out) is compatible with both iPod touch or iPhone running the second or third generation operating system for the iPhone mobile platform. This game is trying too hard to impress. Otherwise, you get a multi player database allowing you to race with other players, strangers or friends. You can easily communicate with anyone. Also, the future upgrades regarding the cars, mission and other are free of charge. The graphics are average with normal sound effects.

Overall, I have to take into consideration that this game is free just like the Storm8 LLC games. Therefore, it's not the price that will separate this social network games. After all, even if "Race or Die" offers sufficient elements for a free game, Storm8's LLC games are the ones who really make a difference in the social networking game line. This top three free games on App Store was somewhat predictable, with one Storm8 LLC game on top, a puzzle game, and another social networking game, today's top certainly offers fun games for free.

The only explanation that I can give you regarding to the continuous change of tops on the App Store is the constant flow of new applications. It is obvious these new applications will always determine people to download them, improving and consolidating their position on App Store, only for a few days. This process goes in both Business Category and Games Category. However, the top free applications, is more shifting then the top paid application. This is due to the current economy, which is bounding people to purchase less. Therefore, today, October 5, 2009, we are going to take a look at the top three free games on App Store that you can download and install on your iPod touch or iPhone without worrying about prices.


The winner of today's top is what else than a Storm8 LLC game. Released on September 10, 2009, by Storm8 LLC "Zombie Live - 10 Loyalty Points" is a social network game which will provide a good quality user experience. This game was developed for iPod touch (keep in mind you need a stable internet connection in order to play this game) and iPhone running both second and third operating system for the iPhone mobile platform. The game begins in a cold morgue, in a late night, when, well you "arise". Yes, you are a zombie, not Resident Evil - zombie with no brains but just hunger.

Even so, the hunger is in your veins, but you can easily think and plan all your next steps. Soon you will feed on your first humans, the morgue attendants. I don't know why this sounds so good, even better than being a vampire. So, you begin your new "life" as a zombie newborn. Your goal is to successfully become the crypt lord, by just creating your horde and bringing into it as many zombies that want to follow you; in the mean while attack your city and lay terror on it. Be careful, because in the city you will have to fight the vampires from the other Storm8 LLC game, "Vampires Live".


Because this is a social network game, you will join over 2.2 million players. Your strategy has to be flawless and your luck at hand, because you will have to fight both zombies and vampires to become the most terrorizing creature in town. Depending on how efficient you are as a zombie you will successfully improve your abilities and your strength. About strength, you really need to improve it in order to survive stronger actions.

"Zombie Live - 10 Loyalty Points" provides good graphics and excellent sounds. You should bring the same game play as the one used in "Vampires Live", bring your fiends into your horde to make it stronger. And another excellent feature is that Storm8 LLC will provide you free of charge with all updates that are to come. The conclusion is quite clear, another excellent social networking game form Storm8 LLC, which must not be missed.


The second game on the top three free games is "Beer Pong Beirut" a drinking game which is not exactly something to put on App Store, but hey it is in our top, so it must be something fun. Released on February 04, 2009, by seller Corey Ledin, "Beer Pong Beirut" just reached our top, making its journey quite long. The game play is rather well stupid. You and your opponent will battle by drinking all your opponent's cups. The first one to win is the first one who drank all the cups. The latest version, 1.5, is the third one released for this game and it will put you into Corey shoes. You will have, not only to drink all the cups, but also to watch out of the drunken meter. Also, you have to through a ping pong ball into your enemy's empty cups.

As drunken you get as harder it is to too aim the cups. Overall, this game provides acceptable graphics, good sound effects, and nice music. Also you can choose to turn of the sounds in case you get nausea and just listen to your very own playlists. The controls are intuitive, by just tapping on the cup you want to drink or shoot at. You get no difficulty modes, no achievements, and no repayable value. However, if you are interested into scoring the best time, you should now, that the best time, by now, is 38 seconds. Therefore, if you like this game play, have fun trying to beat the best time. The third game on the top three free games is actually a simple, rather limited but fun game. On September 18, 2009, seller Robert Stewart, under the App Tech Studios umbrella released "Stick Escape Lite", a funny game about a stick family (yes a family made out of stick people) that must be saved against the weather storms.


"Stick Escape Lite" was created for the iPod touch and iPhone running the second and third generation operating system for iPhone mobile platform. Basically the game play is quite fun. On one night the storm appears out of nowhere passing through the peaceful city Stickville. You mission is to keep all the stick people safe until the morning. In order to do so, you just have to control their movements using your controls (just that on a stick people to change its direction).

The game increases its difficulty in time, and also introduces new crazy stick people, like Junior, who in storm time is climbing up and down a ladder. Beside the regular game play you also get another three levels for you to play in most confidence that if you choose to drawn Mr. Stick into water or lava, no one in Stickville will find out (after all this is an extra mission, do whatever you like). Anyway, the storyline is catchy and the game is fun. The graphics are, well simple and the sounds limited. But hey, it a free funny game with four different characters, seven levels, which will definitely make you pick up your iPod touch and iPhone and just play without stopping. Therefore, the top three free games on App Store, is made today out of one social networking game, and two simple games, one for alcoholics, and the other ones for anyone who wants to have simple fun.