Comments on: Steven Levy talks about his iPod book http://www.wordyard.com/2006/10/29/levy-ipod/ Technology, politics, culture Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:04:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Steve http://www.wordyard.com/2006/10/29/levy-ipod/#comment-313 Steve Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:59:16 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1152#comment-313 I've often wondered about the RNG the iPod uses the shuffle the playlist, as I've noticed the clustering effect many times. The clusters are always different, though; sometimes it plays a lot of one artist, sometimes a lot of one genre, and sometimes a lot of songs with very similar titles. I enjoy the shuffle function for the hidden gems it unearths in my record collection. Like many people, I bought some albums for one or two "hit" tracks they contained, and ignored the rest. Now a whole lot of wonderful music I'd ignored in the past (because I was too young to appreciate the lyrics - it's delightful and yet somewhat frightening what 20 years of additional life experience can do to you) comes pouring out of the headphones. The 1980s weren't a musical wasteland after all; what a pity the same can't be said for the 1990s ;-) I'd like to know how the iPod detects that song that's been stuck in you head all morning (usually after a line from the song has been quoted, unintentionally, in passing conversation), so it can then proceed to play you numerous tracks by the same artist. Spooky.... I’ve often wondered about the RNG the iPod uses the shuffle the playlist, as I’ve noticed the clustering effect many times. The clusters are always different, though; sometimes it plays a lot of one artist, sometimes a lot of one genre, and sometimes a lot of songs with very similar titles.

I enjoy the shuffle function for the hidden gems it unearths in my record collection. Like many people, I bought some albums for one or two “hit” tracks they contained, and ignored the rest. Now a whole lot of wonderful music I’d ignored in the past (because I was too young to appreciate the lyrics - it’s delightful and yet somewhat frightening what 20 years of additional life experience can do to you) comes pouring out of the headphones. The 1980s weren’t a musical wasteland after all; what a pity the same can’t be said for the 1990s ;-)

I’d like to know how the iPod detects that song that’s been stuck in you head all morning (usually after a line from the song has been quoted, unintentionally, in passing conversation), so it can then proceed to play you numerous tracks by the same artist. Spooky….

]]> By: Ben http://www.wordyard.com/2006/10/29/levy-ipod/#comment-312 Ben Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:51:26 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1152#comment-312 YAAWWWNNN...who cares what a commie thinks. Salon sucks. YAAWWWNNN…who cares what a commie thinks. Salon sucks.

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