The Apple of My Eye -- My Favorite Gadgets

What is 'the apple of my eye' you ask? You'll need to read this lens to find out!

When someone describes something as 'the apple of my eye,' it can mean any number of things that are specific to that particular person. It could possibly be a golden delicious or maybe a granny smith apple, but not usually. For me, the 'apple of my eye' is more than one thing -- and they are techie gadgets. Read on to learn more ...

The apple of my eye -- what does that mean exactly?

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Figurative & Literal Meanings

Complete this statement, if you can: the apple of my eye is ...

Figuratively: it is something, or more usually someone, cherished above others.

Originally: meaning the central aperture of the eye.

Origin of this expression

The phrase is exceedingly old and first appears in Old English in a work attributed to King Aelfred (the Great) of Wessex, AD 885, entitled Gregory's Pastoral Care. The earliest recorded use in modern English is in Sir Walter Scott's Old Mortality, 1816:

Poor Richard was to me as an eldest son, the apple of my eye.
It also appears in the Bible, Deuteronomy 32:10 (King James Version):

He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Zechariah 2:8:

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Clue #1: Transistor Radio

"The apple of my eye" in junior high was the transistor radio.

It was my first "cherished" electronic gifted from my father.

Transistor radio at a glance

A transistor radio is a small transistor-based radio receiver.

Bell Laboratories demonstrated the first transistor on December 23, 1947. After obtaining patent protection, the company held a news conference on June 30, 1948, at which a prototype transistor radio was demonstrated. There are many claimants to the title of the first company to produce practical transistor radios, often incorrectly attributed to Sony.

Texas Instruments had demonstrated all-transistor AM (amplitude modulation) radios as early as 1952, but their performance was well below that of equivalent vacuum tube models. A workable all-transistor radio was demonstrated in August 1953 at the Duesseldorf Radio Fair by the German firm Intermetall. It was built with four of Intermetall's hand-made transistors, based upon the 1948 invention of Herbert Matare and Heinrich Welker. However, as with the early Texas units only prototypes were ever built; it was never put into commercial production.

Texas Instruments was behind the Regency transistor radio. In May 1954, they had designed and built a prototype and were looking for an established radio manufacturer to develop and market a radio using their transistors. None of the major radio makers were interested.

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Clue #2: Sony Walkman

"The apple of my eye" in my twenties was my first Sony Walkman.

Definitely a step up over the transistor radio.

Walkman at a glance

Walkman is Sony's portable audio cassette player brand, now used to market its portable audio and video players. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits, allowing people to carry music with them.

The device was built in 1978 by audio division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-chairman Akio Morita, who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips. The original Walkman was marketed in 1979 as the Walkman in Japan, the Soundabout in many other countries including the US, Freestyle in Sweden and the Stowaway in the UK.

The names "Walkman", "Pressman", "Watchman", "Scoopman", "Discman", and "Talkman" are trademarks of Sony, and have been applied to a wide range of portable entertainment devices manufactured by the company. Sony continues to use the "Walkman" brand name for most of their portable audio devices, after the "Discman" name for CD players was dropped in the late 1990s. According to Sony, the plural form is "Walkman Personal Stereos", rather than "Walkmans" or "Walkmen."

In March 2007, Sony extended the Video Walkman brand by launching its first all-digital, flash-based video Walkman, the A800 series, where A stands for "All in one", "Advanced", and "Attractive".

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Clue #3: Sony Portable CD Player

"The apple of my eye" after the Sony Walkman was naturally the portable CD player.

Now, what to do with all those cassettes?

Portable CD player at a glance

A portable CD player is a portable audio player used to play Compact Discs. Portable Compact Disc Players were first introduced in the 1980s. Companies introduced Electronic Skip Protection in 1993 to minimize audio skipping.

The basic features to a portable CD player are:
* Play/Pause
* Stop
* Rewind
* Fast-Forward
* Hold (Some models)
* Liquid crystal display
* Headphones

Some CD players also have anti-shake protection, MP3 capabilities and CD-R/CD-RW capabilities.

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Clue #4: Apple iPod nano

Ding ding ding !!! Yes, "the apple of my eye" today is the Apple iPod nano 8GB 3rd generation!

I've held out for a long time before succumbing to purchasing this!

iPod nano at a glance

The iPod nano is a portable media player with a video camera designed and marketed by Apple. The first generation of the iPod nano was introduced in 2005. It uses flash memory, like the iPod Shuffle, but with a 2.2 inch (diagonal) QVGA display and the "click wheel" found on the iPod Classic. The iPod nano has gone through five models, or generations, since its introduction. The fifth generation (current) supports video recording, a microphone for voice memos, a pedometer, and a slightly larger screen than that of the previous generation.

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"My FIRST Apple iPod purchase is a pink one. I wanted red, but couldn't find one at the right price."

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Pink

Technical Specs

MP3 Storage Capacity: 8GB
Number of Songs (approx.): Up to 2,000 songs in ACC format
Display: 2" color LCD with LED backlight
Battery Type: Li-Ion
Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
Digital Audio Formats: AAC, protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF
Photo Formats: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats
Video Formats: .m4v, .mp4, and .mov
Interface: USB through dock connector
PC Compatible: Yes
MAC Compatible: Yes
Accessories Included: Earphones, USB cable, dock adapter
Dimensions: 2.75"H x 2.06"W x 0.26"D

The Apple of My Eye -- My Favorite Gadgets

What is 'the apple of my eye' you ask? You'll need to read this lens to find out!

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

The apple of my eye -- what does that mean exactly?

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Figurative & Literal Meanings

Origin of this expression

Clue #1: Transistor Radio

Transistor radio at a glance

Clue #2: Sony Walkman

Walkman at a glance

Clue #3: Sony Portable CD Player

Portable CD player at a glance

Clue #4: Apple iPod nano

iPod nano at a glance

"My FIRST Apple iPod purchase is a pink one. I wanted red, but couldn't find one at the right price."

Technical Specs

What's your favorite color?

Apple iPod nano 8 GB

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"My SECOND--yes!--purchase is an Apple ipod green that I'm gifting my hubby!"

iPod at a glance

Portable media player at a glance

"Oh, I will definitely be buying one of the Sonic Impact speaker systems as shown below!"

Sonic Impact iPod Portable Speakers

Accessorizing your Apple iPod nano ...

Is it possible to pick just one item?

What is the BEST accessory?

Definitely a case--either silicone or hard body.

24websurf says:

It's a dock cradle charger--got to have it!

Can you pick just one of these?

Silicone skin for iPod nano

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Do you prefer a hard case?

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Boombox and Docking System

Got my eye on the pink one!

Dock Cradle Chargers

Apple Inc. at a glance

iTunes at a glance

iTunes Store at a glance

Uploading CDs to my iPod ...

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