Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Computer-Assisted Self Awareness
by Tom Bozzo
My prospective iPod application would be as a moderately less expensive and higher-functioning alternative to an in-car CD changer — a not insignificant appeal of the device for those of us who don't walk around in the course of the day to the extent of typical Manhattanites. However, as something of a data- as well as partly reformed music junkie myself, it would be potentially jarring to replace an idea of what my most played song of '04 was from having some sense of when I hit the steering wheel button for a replay with a hard fact. (The song I'd nominate was likely played more than 100 times, and a very diligent reader [*] could make a better than 1-in-40 million guess from information previously posted here.)
Addendum: Article in USA Today.
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[*] C.f. the latest Site Meter musings at The Columnist Manifesto.
Over at JFW — back and on a roll (please don't burn out!) — Jeremy reports on the results of iTunes spying on his listening habits. This leads me to a question of iPod functionality. I'd suppose (though don't know, not being so equipped) that an iPod might report play counts to the iTunes mother ship in the synchronization process.
My prospective iPod application would be as a moderately less expensive and higher-functioning alternative to an in-car CD changer — a not insignificant appeal of the device for those of us who don't walk around in the course of the day to the extent of typical Manhattanites. However, as something of a data- as well as partly reformed music junkie myself, it would be potentially jarring to replace an idea of what my most played song of '04 was from having some sense of when I hit the steering wheel button for a replay with a hard fact. (The song I'd nominate was likely played more than 100 times, and a very diligent reader [*] could make a better than 1-in-40 million guess from information previously posted here.)
Addendum: Article in USA Today.
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[*] C.f. the latest Site Meter musings at The Columnist Manifesto.
