iPod Touch: 4th Generation.


I use my iPod a lot and I take it absolutely everywhere with me. When I first looked into buying one I wasn't sure whether to get an iPod or an iPhone however I have always disliked the idea of people being able to ring me when I am listening to some music or taking a photo so I settled on an iPod. I have had iPods for years and followed them through the stages of their development. I have always found them to work well and be very reliable so I didn't mind spending a large amount of money on this iPod as I knew that it would last me some time.

The iPod comes in a clear plastic box which isn't much bigger than the iPod itself. It appears stylish and uses minimal packaging which I like. I bought a 32GB iPod as I have a lot of music and I wanted to make good use of the camera so I wanted to make sure that I had enough memory to save a lot of pictures and videos. The box includes the iPod, earphones, a USB cable and 2 very mini information booklets. There is quite a bit of information about the iPod on the back of the case and on the front it simply says 'Designed by Apple in California'.



iTunes


As this wasn't my first iPod I already had iTunes installed onto my computer. You can download iTunes from the Apple website very quickly and easily at no cost. Once it is on your computer it will load every time you plug your iPod in. iTunes is by far one of the best music tools out there, not only can you transfer music onto your iPod and create play lists you can buy music too from the iTunes store.
To get music or videos onto your iPod you can load files on through your PC or you can buy items in the iTunes store on your iPod and it will automatically download and store it. iTunes is already installed onto the iPod when you buy it so you can browse and buy straight away.

To buy items from iTunes you have to set up an account which is very simple and can be done quickly. If you register your card with iTunes then to buy things you just have to enter your username and password, you don't have to keep re-entering your bank details. iTunes will then send you an overall statement declaring what you have spent. There are so many things to buy, all at affordable prices fr example; films, TV programmes, music videos and music. iTunes is very up-to-date and has genres to suit everyone.



App Store


In my opinion one of the best features on the iPod touch is the apps that are available to download. To download apps you go to the app store on your iPod which is already installed. You can then browse through over 200,00 apps which are available. Some of the apps are free and some of them you have to pay for, the money gets charged to your iTunes account. There are so many apps available and some of them are really useful and fun to use. Apps are grouped into categories for example, books, business, education, entertainment and finance etc. Once you have downloaded some apps you can put them into specific folders so that they don't use up too much of your screen space. You can download as many apps as you like or as many as your memory allows you to have on your iPod. Updates for apps will appear regularly in the app store so that you can keep them as up-to-date as possible.

Some of my favourite apps are:
1. Sky News: great for checking up on the latest news.
2. Radio Rai: my favourite Italian radio station.
3. Angry Birds: a very addictive game.
4. TV Catchup: watch live TV from your iPod.
5. VEVO: watch almost every music video ever made.
6. Skype: talk with friends who live abroad.
7. Groupon: great for browsing local deals.
8. ITV Player: great for catching up on the X Factor.
9. Cupcakes!: recipes for my favourite cakes.
10. Scene it?: a great movie trivia game.



Music


I love listening to music on my iPod touch because I don't have to always put my headphones in as it has a built-in speaker. When listening to music you can rotate your iPod and you will be able to flick through your music by album covers. The quality of sound is fantastic and it is really easy to find songs as they are grouped in different sections, e.g. artists, songs, albums and genres. You can make play lists easy on your iPod just click on create and then add the songs you want. When playing a song it is easy to control the volume, skip a song, turn on shuffle and see the lyrics of the songs (if you have them on your iTunes). I listen to music on my iPod a lot, especially when I am using apps as you can listen to music and for example read a book.



Videos


Videos play at an amazing quality on this device. I thought that maybe it would be odd watching videos on such a small screen but it works really well! It is perfect for travelling and for catching quick glimpses of film trailers and TV shows. I watch videos a lot more than what I thought I would on this iPod as I did originally buy it to use for mainly music but I was delighted at how good the video quality is.



FaceTime


FaceTime is a device used to video call others. As long as you have contacts and an internet connection then you can call others. It is just like Skype really. I love FaceTime as it uses my favourite feature of the iPod touch 4th Gen which is the double sided camera. You can switch the view of the camera whilst talking to someone so you can show them your surroundings, it is really fun!



Camera & Photos


I love using this camera for photos and videos. It is high quality and there is a zoom available. As it is the perfect camcorder size I do find myself using it a lot for videos. I usually grab my iPod now instead of my digital camera to take a picture as I can upload it straight to Facebook or onto my computer. It is easy to keep on top of your pictures and videos too because they are stored in a photo album where you can scan through them, delete them, make them your wallpaper etc.



Mail & Safari


I always have my work e-mail set up on my iPod so that at one touch of an envelope I can check to see if I have any new e-mails. I find this extremely useful and I use it more often than I do my computer. The iPod checks for mail and then downloads it straight into your mailbox so that you can read it and reply instantly.

The internet browser installed onto the iPod is Safari. It is incredibly easy to use and has all the usual features of a regular internet browser. I don't use it that often as I prefer to browse the web on my laptop however it is ideal for when I am out and I need to check out a web page.



Pre-installed Apps.


The iPod does come with some pre-installed apps, all of which I have kept and use regularly.
Here are a few of my favourites:
1. YouTube: watch the latest videos.
2. Maps: Perfect for figuring out routes.
3. Weather: Great for checking the forecast.
4. Google: the best search engine.
5. Contacts: keep all your important numbers with you at all times.



Touch Screen


It took me a while to get used to the touch screen in the iPod as I hadn't used one regularly before but now I am fine with it. The only thing that I try and avoid is the keyboard as I struggle to write quickly on it. Since I bought my iPod I have smashed the screen once (there was a power cut and I was startled and dropped it) which I managed to get fixed so it is now as good as new. I constantly use plastic screen protectors on my iPod to prevent any scratches or damage, they can be bought on e-bay for a couple of pound and they are very worthwhile.



Essential Info.


The iPod Touch 4th Gen:
*Supports Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
*Bluetooth 2.1
*Battery Life: changeable.
*Memory: 32GB
*Requires USB cable & iTunes 10.
*Designed by Apple in California.



Settings


Here are a few of my favourite settings features:

Airplane Mode: you can switch this on or off. It is great for flights or sometimes if I am trying to concentrate on some work I put my iPod on Airplane Mode so that I am not tempted to browse the web.
Wi-Fi: you can turn the wi-fi on or off. There is a list of available networks and to connect to one of them you just click on it. I find myself using this a lot when I am out and about to connect to free wi-fi.
Notifications: You can control which applications you want notifications from, for example when you have an e-mail you can control if the iPod makes a noise to let you know.
Location Services: This controls which apps can determine your approximate location, for example when you take a picture the iPod will store the location you took it in.

Sounds: You can alter the volume of sounds that your iPod makes and also change sound alerts. I like to have a sound alert for when I receive or send an e-mail. Other sounds include keyboard clicks and lock sounds.
Wallpaper: You can have 2 different wallpapers, one for the background of your iPod and one for the lock screen. I love to use pictures out of my photo album.

General: Here you can reset all of your iPod settings, turn the Bluetooth on and off, change the date & time, change the language and turn on a passcode for security.
Music: You can turn on 'shake to shuffle' which means that when you are listening to music and you shake your iPod it automatically shuffles the songs. You can also change the EQ and volume limit.
Video: You can change captioning and you can choose where your videos play from.
Photos: Here you can determine the time pictures last for in a slideshow.
FaceTime: You can turn FaceTime on or off and add accounts.
Safari: Here you can block pop-ups, clear history and change your search engine.

List of Apps: Each app has its own section where you can change configuration settings and reset settings.

I find the settings section of the iPod really useful as I can customize everything to my own taste an alter the settings according to what I am doing or where I am.



Accessories


There are so many accessories available for this iPod, all of which can be bought in stores and on the net. I have purchased a few e.g. special headphones, covers and a portable speaker. I think that all the gadgets and accessories are great as they allow people to personalise their iPod and they come in such a variety of styles and colours. I would definitely recommend investing in an iPod cover as they protect the iPod from scratches and damage and they look good!



Cost


I bought my iPod about a year ago from the Apple Store and paid approximately £299 for it. I think it was a very worthwhile investment as I use it so much and take it everywhere with me. After all you are paying for so much more than an mp3 device; you are getting a camera, a video player, somewhere you can record notes, check your e-mail, play games and loads more. It really is a mini-computer!



iLove it...


I would be lost without it, I recommend the iPod touch to anyone and everyone! If you are going to invest in an mp3 player/app device then make it this one as you will not be disappointed!


5 out of 5 stars!


Thank you for reading : )


Review also on Ciao under luceey.