I love the Internet as an amazing tool for learning. Dale told us about students podcasting down-under. The Internet community encyclopedia, Wikipedia shows the value of collaborative education. And yes, even YouTube has worked to inform us with viral videos and user comments.

It was on YouTube that I found this 35 minute video. It’s a rare video of a young Steve Jobs giving a demo of the NeXTSTEP operating system.
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I’ve had a number of friends recently switch to Mac. They may have known how to use their Windows PCs well enough, but they weren’t what some may call “power users.” Having switched to the Mac, they’re finding themselves actually enjoying the use of their new computer, and wanting to know more. One of the first things I show them is some simple tips for browsing the web with Mac OS X’s built-in browser, Safari.

In our last Back to Basics, we explored how adding contacts to Address Book can add additional functionality to Safari.

This time, let’s look at some more basic features of the modern browsers that can dramatically improve your every day browsing.
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Manufacturer: Belkin
Price: $79.99US
iPod Compatibility: 1G/2G nano, iPod mini, 4G and 5G iPod
More Information: Wirelessly Control Your iPod with the Belkin SportCommand™ for iPod®

On Monday, Belkin announced a rugged wireless remote for the iPod. The target market is for outdoor sports enthusiasts, regardless of the weather. The idea is that you expose the remote to the elements, while keeping your iPod safe in a bag or in your jacket.

The controls themselves are made out of a durable fabric that attaches with Velcro™ to a flexible armband that you wear on the outside of your winter jacket or outer gear. The basic buttons are there—PLAY/PAUSE, FF/REW, and Volume UP/DOWN. They look chunky and tactile, so you can easily skip to the next track with your gloves on.

Just below the controls is a screw-tight piece where the battery resides. I read from a large image of the SportCommand that there’s an indicator light for battery level, but it wasn’t readily apparent where that indicator is on the front of the device. The remotes wireless bits are probably stored inside that same compartment.

The SportCommand remote velcros to the armband, which looks rugged as well.

The press release doesn’t show the other side of the equation, that is, the part that connects to your iPod. Also, the SportCommand is simply a remote, you’ll still have to run your headphones from wherever you’ve stashed your iPod to your ears.

If you play hard in in-climate weather, and you don’t want to pay to have your iPod built into your jacket, the $79.99US Belkin SportCommand for iPod looks like a great solution.

You can find more information about the SportCommand here.

A little bit of information can go a long way—this is especially the case in Mac OS X. As you may have read in my previous two posts in this series (1 | 2), taking some time with your Mac’s built-in Address Book app can pay off in spades in functionality in other applications. Last time we looked at Mail app, this time, we’ll take a quick look at a few native and 3rd-party OS X apps.

Browsers

Didn’t think that your web browser would bother looking up information from your contacts? Think again. There are at least two web browsers made for OS X that will allow you to look up a contact’s website, without even launching Address Book.

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Recently, we let you know about the availability of a new armband for your iPod nano. I received a set of the Sweats in the mail and wanted to let the MacCast community know how they worked out.
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Publisher: Microsoft
Software Version: 6.0
Price: FREE
Processor: Universal (Intel/PPC)
More Information: Microsoft Messenger 6.0

Today, Microsoft released a new version of their instant messaging app, Messenger, version 6.0. This version brings Intel based Mac support as a universal binary, and packs a other new and notable features:
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One of the real strengths of OS X is how information given to one app is be pulled into another automatically. This post will build on the previous one, showing how another apps that come with Mac OS X, in this case Mail, can use all the contact information you’ve already painstakingly added to Address Book. Let’s have a look, shall we?
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Remember back in the 70s and early 80s when sweatbands were all the rage? Well, the folks over at iMojo have released an armband called the nano Sweats which holds the 1G and 2G iPod nano. It’s made out of that same elastic-like cotton weave that was so popular with runners of yore, that fits around your forearm, instead of your wrists or head.
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If you’re a Mac switcher from either Windows or Linux like I was a few years ago, one of the first applications you’ll want to get to know is Address Book. The sooner you import your contacts into Mac OS X’s Address Book, the sooner you’ll appreciate how a little bit of data like your contacts transform and compliment the Mac’s usability in other applications. Let’s take a look…
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