iPod, youPod, weallPod....

I was a bit late in coming to the iPod users group, thinking I would have no use for the thing. I bought one for DH (who adores all things techie) and figured one in the family would be sufficient.

I was wrong.

I have one and love it. I inadvertently left mine at work on Friday, and wished for it all weekend. DSD is dropping not-so-subtle hints about getting one of her own. And I'm finding myself wishing at least one of the family iPods was one of the video iPods. (We have older versions.)

In addition to the coolness of being able to haul your entire music library around with you, there are lots of swell new tools you can add to your iPod. It's really becoming an amazing little toy.

Lifehacker, as usual, regularly reports on the newest and hippest. The Mirriam Webster Dictionary is now available on an iPod. How handy would that have been in college? (How handy would that be now?)

National Geographic Traveler lists a bunch of iPod uses on a trip. Audiobooks, of course, along with playlists. But there are other neato things you can add, such as various guidebooks, subway maps, and podcast tours of various venues. (See? I need one of the video iPods!)

Now, for a library....if the size of some of these swell tools is small enough, perhaps we could consider purchasing a slew of those wee little iPods - the Shuffle. They start at just $69 now. What if an enterprising library chose to buy a few and load them with, say, tourist information...or a book....or a song genre?