“Tuned in” explains the difference between Apple Newton’s failure and iPod’s success. Apple wasn’t tuned in when it created Newton, but when it promoted “1000 songs in your pocket,” Apple solved several problems: giving people a way to carry their songs in something small, making it easy to get songs from computer to iPod and creating a product that is easy to use.

Not all stories in Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs come from big and innovative companies like Apple. In fact, we learn about a tuned in magician (one-person business), niche camera (not a well-known brand), StubHub and a company’s newsletter.

Many companies fail to ask prospects what problems they need solving. Instead, they create a problem and a solution that they think people need. An excellent example comes from Magnavox. Did the company think people needed more features on their TV sets?

No. Instead, Magnavox interviewed customers to find out what problems they had with their TVs. Sometimes customers don’t know that answer and it’s up to the tuned in company to help them figure it out. Through this process, Magnavox stumbled on a problem we all have (including my own household) — we lose our remotes on a regular basis (as hard as I try to teach my kids to put things back, they conveniently forget to do it).

So what does the company do? Added a button on its TV sets to locate the remote. Now I wish I knew about this before I bought my last TV. And this feature should become a standard for ALL TV-related products that come with a remote.

Some employees think talking to friends and family helps them tune in. But really, it doesn’t. They can’t always be the dream customer for a company’s products and services. Here’s where knowing customers enters the picture. When a company knows its customers well enough, it knows where to find them and interview them to tune in.

The book could use more examples especially of one-person or very small business stories like the magician who found his niche. The start of the book captivates, but then it drags by the middle as it falls in the trap of what some business books tend to do and starts spending too much time on its framework. The examples draws the reader in more than anything else.

For the most part, the Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs is a fast and breezy read offering valuable insight into the six-step process for tuning in by using real-life examples.

• Title: Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs
• Authors: Craig Stull, Phil Myers, David Meerman Scott
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISBN: 047026036X / 13: 978-0470260364
• Date: 2008
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 224
• Cover Price: USD: $27.95 / Amazon Price: $16.77

I’ve been noticing this trend lately (thanks to teen daughter)… people keep their ears plugged in while talking to others. Even if the iPod is off (or maybe it isn’t), having earbuds in your ears during a conversation indicates the other person isn’t important.

This is where headphones have an advantage. Just pull them down around your neck when someone comes to talk to you. But really… how hard is it to pull out the earbuds?

This is a business issue as many work environments allow employees to listen to audio while working as long as they use headphones so they don’t disturb neighbors.

Whenever my coworkers or manager stopped by, I immediately pulled off my headphones even if I could hear them with the headphones on. It’s about perception not about hearing.

Being deaf, I have a habit of always looking at people when they talk and expecting them to look at me even when I’m talking. Can’t tell ya how many times my hubby would have eyes someplace else and ears open. I just can’t talk to him that way though he doesn’t need to look at me to listen.

It takes a moment to unplug the headphones and earbuds and send a positive message to the other person that you want to focus on what he has to say.

• Professional lexicographer Erin McKean is behind Dictionary Evangelist and Verbatim Magazine. I’ve heard great things about her TED speech on redefining the dictionary.
• Insanely Creative Portfolios from around the Web: Collection of design portfolios.
• Worried about iPod or iPhone theft? With Hideapod, put it inside something no one wants… Zune. [Link: Steve Bass]
• Hole in the ground. Fascinating pictures of holes — seriously! [Link: Steve Bass]
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game turns 100. The song lives on the walls of my son’s baseball-themed bedroom.
• D.B. Cooper parachute investigated. Mysterious story might receive an update…

• Hemingway’s Rules of Writing Can Still Work to help you write simple
• Wacky iPod Cases
• Puppy Bowl: awwww
• Beat Blank Page Syndrome: I’ve had it and some of these tips are what helped me past it.
• Yahoo! vs. Google: Enter words to see how their results compare on the two sites.
• 25 Ways to Become an Effective Freelancer
• 10 Effective Productivity Tips for Writers

The iPod has that certain something that leads its users to adore it like nothing before. People want nothing but an iPod. No substitutes even when the non-iPod has more memory, comes in your favorite color and costs over $100 less than an iPod. So how did the iPod earn this special treatment and the ability to compel people to say, “Cool” when they hold one?

A book cover in the disguise of an iPod, albeit on paper, still manages to ooze coolness though it isn’t the real thing. Scroll your finger over the cover’s button and scroll wheel and you can feel the smooth button extend slightly above the scroll wheel. Apple has established itself as a company that goes all out when creating a product, but there’s much more to the iPod story than people realize. The Perfect Thing explores many aspects of the story.

As a deaf person, I’m hardly the music lover who would take an interest in the iPod. I received the book as an abstract assignment and it gripped me from page 1 to the index. I received an iPod video for a gift (I do enjoy some songs that I pick up and learn by heart. Plus, I used it to listen to children’s books in audio to practice listening), but someone stole it.

While reading The Perfect Thing, I couldn’t help but order an iPod Nano straight from Apple’s Web site complete with my name engraved on its beautiful red skin. I also bought a cover to protect the iPod as I don’t like it when my gadgets get marks on them. But then I reached the part where Steve Jobs took offense to seeing Levy’s iPod covered up. Because of that, the beautiful red color and the way the aluminum felt — I took off the cover for good.

The chapters, like iPod’s shuffle feature, are independent and don’t go in a specific order except the first chapter. I don’t know if that’s true, as I haven’t seen another hard copy of the book.

“Perfect,” goes behind the scenes of iPod’s launch in October 2001, not the greatest timing after 9/11. “Download” covers the revolution of downloading and digitizing music including codec, MP3s, WinAmp, Napster and the record companies suing. “What makes an item cool?” sets the tone for the chapter titled, “Cool.” Can there be a formula for coolness? This chapter teaches great marketing lessons from Apple’s design, packaging and advertising of the iPod.

“Origin” returns to the iPod’s roots on its development and the things that came before iPod that affected the iPod’s creation. There’s a reason we use the word podcast instead of audiocasts when referring to audio feeds. “Podcast” visits the formation of citizen broadcasting from CB radio to podcasting.

People judge each other by the clothing they wear, they do the same by the playlists they carry in their iPods as “Identity” delves into the fashion statement of playlists. No one expected Apple to make a comeback, not even when Steve Jobs returned in 2000, and “Apple” touches upon the comeback and how Apple surpassed the market’s expectations. The iPod attracts thieves and the earbuds send a message to the public “to leave me alone” as the “Personal” chapter looks back at the Sony Walkman, the white earbuds, hearing loss and how users personalize their iPods.

The shuffle feature scrambles music hence the name for the cheapest and smallest iPod Shuffle. The feature is simple, yet the chapter on “Shuffle” offers fascinating insight into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the shuffle formula. Some people swear that some songs, artists and whatnot get more attention than others do. But everyone at Apple, including the engineers, says shuffle works randomly. Intriguing stuff anyway.

Marketers, iPod lovers, Apple lovers, Mac lovers, business people, technology people, gadget people. The book will appeal to all of them. After all, Levy writes, “The iPod is a pebble with tsunami-sized cultural ripples.”

Title: The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness
Author: Steven Levy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743285220
Date: October 2006
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Cover Price: USD: $25.00 Amazon: $16.50

Been reading The Perfect Thing, which covers everything you wanted to know about iPod from its origins to its popularity. Steve Jobs deserves much of the credit for the iPod’s existence and success. Jonathan Ive, who works for Jobs, also had a lot to do with the design.

The iPod has so much power that even my kids wanted iPods. My 13-year-old didn’t want another brand even though it could hold more music and came in more colors. So she received a 2gb black Nano. My eight-year-old originally didn’t care about the iPod — probably because he didn’t know of it. He was happy with his 6gb black Zen Micro.

Even Paul preferred the Zen over the iPod. I gave him an older iPod of mine and that thing didn’t last long before it died. But it was stolen first. The thief returned the iPod to his desk when the batteries died (strange, no?). My iPod also got stolen. Who wants an MP3 player that thieves love?

Now my eight-year-old wants an iPod, even a Shuffle like his friend’s. We told him the Shuffle doesn’t let him control songs and doesn’t hold as much music as the one he has. Talk about the power of iPod. My kids want the real thing. The original. THE MP3 player.

I recently got another iPod (since the company responsible made right on the stolen one), a beautiful red 4gb iPod Nano similar to the photo except it has white buttons instead of black. I like it more than the original 30gb video iPod. It’s lighter, prettier and feels good to hold. I’m not even a big music fan (hearing loss, you know) and I love looking at this thing plus I listen to music far more than I used to in the past.

The Zen Micros are nice, small and techno looking. But they don’t have the same feel and lightness as the iPod Nano. Apple took a lot of care into creating and upgrading the iPod. The company doesn’t simply design something to look pretty, but also cares about its functionality and operation. Something many tech companies don’t get.

The book gave many examples of how iPod boosted or renewed its owner’s love for music. Some owners treat their iPods like people or pets. One owner mourned the passing of her original iPod even though she replaced it with a new one.

No matter how the industry feels about Jobs, his fanatical attention to Apple’s products turns them into hits. And in the case of the iPod, Apple changed music and all Apple set out to do was sell iPods. That’s the power of marketing and attention to a product’s detail.

The Boostaroo Revolution from UpBeat Audio is a pocket-sized portable headphone amplifier and splitter that boosts sound. Before I plugged in to my iPod, I had the iPod volume at about 75%. With Revolution, the volume is at 30% leaving me with plenty of room to make it louder if needed. Also, due to the volume being lower, the Revolution extends the battery life of the audio device.

Revolution looks like a white rectangle box with nothing but a couple of holes for the jacks and two AAAA batteries (that’s not a typo — 4A batteries). The package also includes two patch cords: one is three and the other is six inches long. When the jack is plugged in, the LED power indicator light comes on so you know it’s in use. It’s designed for use with high-end (60 ohm+) headphones. Anything less than that can’t handle the Revolution’s power.

The technology provides the listener with a surround sound feel, like being in a quality concert hall. The device weighs six ounces and comes in white, black, silver, and black/silver.

To use it, simply plug your headphones into the top of the Revolution. Then take one of the Revolution jacks and plug it into the side of the Revolution with the other end plugged into the audio player. If another person wants to connect, then plug the headphones into the other open jack.

Users who have attempted to share audio find using a splitter sacrifices the sound and quality. Revolution doesn’t have this problem as each listener can hear as well as they would if they weren’t sharing. Travelers can stop straining to hear portable devices in an airplane, gym, or other noisy setting. The device also adds power to cheaper headphones, but remember the headphones need to be able to handle 60 ohm+.

Its battery door feels fragile — like it could break while I was putting the door back on. But it is unlikely it could be stronger as the purpose of this product is to be as small and lightweight as possible.

Its use is not limited to audio players. It works with DVD players, Windows Mobile devices, PalmOS devices, notebooks, laptops, and satellite radio. The batteries are supposed to last for approximately 24 hours of constant use. The device comes with a 12-month warranty on parts and services. Revolution retails for $79.95.

Parents enjoy Halloween. It’s the time after that becomes a problem… kids asking for candy every day until the loot is gone. Some trick ‘r treaters manage to get enough candy to last them till the next Halloween. What parent wants to deal with that or be tempted to steal a few for herself?

The solution? Trade candy for a prize. The more candy the child turns in, the bigger the prize. We did this with my oldest and started it last year with my middle child. It’s worked well. They only keep about five pieces, if that much … eat a couple of them after trick ‘r treating (hey, they walked a lot, so they gotta refuel!) and then save a couple for the next day. Then it’s over. Thank goodness.
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Zork. Remember it? I think I hear a mixture of, “What the hey?” and “Oh, yeah! Wow, that brings back memories.” For the former group, Zork was a text-based adventure game from INFOCOM — one of the the first interactive computer games. It resembles the Choose Your Own Adventure books only instead of flipping pages, you enter the command and the story continues.

Play interactive fiction again (or try it out) with the series from Malinche Entertainment. After a glitch — five times over — I got the game working. It was the luck of the draw as I had a bad CD and then instructions that could be read several ways. No one’s fault except for CD problem. The First Mile is available in several versions: PC ($19.95 by download) and iPod ($9.95).

In the PC version, you enter the commands and tell the game what you want to do in the story while the iPod / cell phone version provides you with a few choices and you select what you want to do.

Want to see what it’s like to get involved with the story? Malinche offers a training academy — beware the side effect of training the academy… addiction.

The First Mile is horror fiction, perhaps something torn out of Stephen King’s notebook. As soon as the game begins, my heart thumps harder with each move I make as I encounter a body, hear a hellhound growling, and see many empty buildings and homes. Am I the only person in Dead Rock? Could this be Twilight Zone?

I try to calm my nerves by playing music while living the game, which is possible to do on the iPod and PC. Not even music or a baseball field brings comfort. I shall stop here as it’s all I can take for the time being. At least, I did this much — me who has never read Stephen King nor have I watched horror films at the slumber parties I attended as a teen.

If you can’t get your teen to read a book and she constantly plays video games, sneak this into her computer, iPod, or Smartphone and she’ll convert and read without hesitance. Good news. When she finishes the game, there are more available from Malinche Entertainment. Heck, this works on spouses, friends, and family, too.

Tips:

* The First Mile is a large story. To start back at the beginning, hold down [Menu] and the center click button at the same time — keep holding till you see the screen blink to the Apple logo, then you can let go. It takes at least six seconds for the logo to appear.

* There isn’t any way to quit and pick up where you left off due to the limitations of the current iPod software. Watch this Web site for updates. Malinche Entertainment has asked Apple to consider adding a “Bookmark” feature.

I have to share an awesome Mother’s Day card I got from my sister. My kids and hubby gave me wonderful cards. My sister’s takes the cake in originality, humor and fits me to a tee.

The cover has a mom sleeping on the sofa in her robe. Dad and kids have their mouths wide up in shock. “OH, NO!!!” appears on top.

Open the card and it says, “The server’s down!”

I wish I had thought of that and submitted it to the greeting card companies.

This year’s Mother’s Day has been lovely. We had lunch and also celebrated the baby’s 2nd birthday. I hope Moms, Grandmas, caretakers, and everyone who takes care of kids has had a delightful day. I finally got the long-elusive iPod. I’m blessed with a wonderful family.