Two For The Road
Recently I discovered a couple of ways to make the grind of the daily automobile commute a little bit easier to take.
The first is to pick up a course on CD offered by The Teaching Company. They have an amazing selection of topics and top notch instructors who deliver the lectures. It's a great way to learn more about a subject that you're interested in, but probably would never have enough to sit down and read about. I just got through the eighteen CDs containing thirty-six lectures on the history of China called, From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History. My knowledge of Chinese history, especially pre-twentieth century, was scant and this course provided a comprehensive overview which puts me on far solider footing on the subject.
The other find was the TransPod All-in-One Car Solution for iPod (made by Digital Lifestyles Outfitters). If you own an iPod, this is a great way to take your tunes on the road with you. The package includes a transmitter to play your iPod on your car's stereo, a recharger that plugs into your car lighter, and mounting kits which offer you a couple of alternatives. I've been driving around with it for the last few days and am impressed.
Hardcore audiophiles will likely grumble that the sound isn't CD quality, but I think that's a small price to pay for the luxury of having thousands of songs at your fingertips. I actually found the sound quality to be good (it will vary of course depending on the quality of the sound files on your iPod). It was simple to "install" (if you even call it that) and use. When I initially set it up in my wife's Jetta it was in the way of the stick, but after a few adjustments, I found a workable position. It's easy to disconnect the iPod at any time which is nice. You don't want to be leaving a tempting target like that in plain view.
You can find the TransPod online for as little as $75. I picked mine up at Target and paid a bit more. It's definitely a good investment for anyone who has an iPod and spends any amount of time behind the wheel. The way iPod sales are skyrocketing and traffic congestion worsening, I'd say that's a fair number of people these days.
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