Daily Twaddle

That’s right folks… I left my iPod in my workout sweater and then I washed it. I realized I killed my iPod when I needed the headphones to plug into my computer to play games while Roch studied.

Dang it!

I was so sad. I cried for my little iPod. I pictured it buried under all the dirty clothes, with the water level rising… I didn’t even use warm water - I set the cycle for cold! Oh! I don’t deserve electronics!

So, there it is. Broken, but still beautiful. I think I will give it a proper farewell. Perhaps a viking funeral so I can set it aflame and send it to the ends of the earth in all its glory.

We’re going to the city tomorrow and I might stop by an Apple retailer to see if my AppleCare protection plan covers iPod neglect.

Sniff, sniff… snivel…

Update: It works… I willed it back to life.

I think this will work for the iPhone too, but I have the iPod Touch (lucky me, I know).

Quick Overview

1) Install “iPod Touch January Software Upgrade” from the iTunes store.
2) Use Safari on your iPod to navigate to apple.com/webapps
3) Touch “View Web App” on whichever app you like.
4) Touch the plus sign (+) in the middle of the browser.
5) Touch “Add to Home Screen”

The Nitty Gritty

This was quite frustrating to figure out. First of all… a “web app” is just a webpage sized for the tiny iPod screen. You’re not downloading a program onto your iPod that you can use offline. You’re just viewing a website. You need a wifi connection to use web apps.

Important: don’t do any of the crazy “jailbreak” or “install.app” stuff you might find on the internet. These “hacks” were necessary before apple allowed third party applications. Another tip: you must use the Safari browser on the iPod to get apps - not your computer/iTunes.

Lets Begin

You need to install the “iPod Touch January Software Upgrade” from apple. This is located in the iTunes Store. It costs $19.99 and you must have a store account (with credit card) to purchase the upgrade.

This upgrade will give you some new apps like maps and weather. But what it really does is let you create “bookmarks/favorites” on your home screen. These are your web apps.

After you’ve installed this upgrade, use Safari on your iPod Touch and go to apple.com/webapps to browse the different apps. Touch the button that says “View Web App.” Voila… you’re now playing with the web app.

If you like it, click the plus (+) button located at the middle-bottom of the Safari screen. Choose “Add to Home Screen.”

Now you have a new web app on your home screen! Whoop-whoop!