When my little video camera croaked I wanted to replace it, but of course whatever replaced it had to be as cheap as possible. 'Cheap' meaning 'not costing a lot' but also 'lasts a reasonable length of time.' That video camera, a Sanyo Xacti (the teeny weeny model), didn't cost a lot, had some nice features (I looked at every camera on the market and compared), and broke quickly. I keep it now only as a holder for the 8 gig mini SD card I bought for it until I get another device that needs one :/

So I started looking around. I needed at least 1280x720 video, decent still size, and any other features going. I'd long been watching the iPod Touch, which started out with no camera but which, with the 4th generation, had a decent video camera, semi-ok still camera, crappy front camera, and a lot more scope than a video camera for a similar price. I reasoned that I could use Dropbox to throw files onto and therefore didn't require much internal memory. I decided to get it (don't remember what I paid but it was about the cost of the Sanyo).

Because my hands don't work and it'd get dropped I needed a very cheap, somewhat cushioned case with a lanyard. The one I got drives me somewhat nutsicle, but it has saved the pod from smashage numerous times.

At first I didn't use it much. Now I use it a lot. I can read my email while I drink coffee, take pictures and video, use Instagram and other image apps, listen to the radio and music, I've used it as a phone (I hate phones though), sometimes I read various things or surf the web, make 3d flowers with Helloflower. It's small, yes, and as many times as that's been a liability it has been a strength. It works for me because I live with wifi; without wifi it'd be less useful but still worth it.

Dropbox works perfectly. Flickr, Vimeo, and YouTube have good apps. Blogger, Twitter, and Gmail have good apps. The camera apps I have are Camera+ and Tripod, Miniatures and Time Lapse, VidEditorFree. I haven't found Tripod or VidEditorFree very useful, but I haven't decided to drop them yet. The app store has loads of interesting and fun things to try. So far the most delightful app I've found when judging interfaces is Percolator, which is a novelty image editor. It is inspired and delightful in its functionality, something my brain labels as 'creamy.'

Most apps are uninspired in the way they operate, which is ok if they do the task. Some are downright ugly. Others are ugly AND don't work correctly. I have an app for a Seattle radio station which is ugly and doesn't work correctly and for which there is no substitute except to send my ears elsewhere. Even the ICON makes my eyes bleed.

I have a crush on the Miniatures app, which saves me countless hours of bother by directly creating time lapse videos, with tilt shift effects if you want them. I use a plastic plate display stand for a tripod. I have a fabbo tripod I bought at a yard sale 15 or more years ago then never used as it just wasn't right for what I needed, that will be just the ticket I believe when summer and its attendant lack of gale-force winds arrives.

I get crushes on machines; I have a crush on that little tripod. I got a huge crush on a projector I found at a Tacoma Goodwill, once. I searched for ages and finally found its cord and bought it though it had no bulb. I replaced the bulb and it worked perfectly, a joy forever :-D I used to buy mass tons of movie cameras, projectors, films, etc. Even old photos and slides. I need to dredge out my Nixon slides. Once I found a disposable camera in the street and had it developed.

Labels: iPoddery