An Amazing Discovery

Last year I went on a hunt for an iPod adapter for the car. I'm not even sure if that's the right name for it but I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. I was actually looking for one for my boss and after trying bunches from the Apple store, online, and Best Buy as well as pricing an in car installation I finally came to her defeated and promised to burn all her Italian lessons and any music she wanted onto discs for her CD player. Which was met with "You can do that?!"

It's nice to be an everyday hero.

With my upcoming "drive to Seattle to shop" trip just around the corner I made plans to have a CD burning party with Lana because I figured after trying all those adapters before there likely wasn't one that was going to all of a sudden work now. And even less a chance that I would be able to find it. But I decided to give it one last shot since the thought of burning a bajillion CDs and then having to figure out where to put them in my car and try to figure out what I wanted while driving seemed a little silly.

There are three ways to listen to music from an iPod through your car stereo if you don't have something installed. You can do the whole faux tape in the tape player thing, use a cord that plugs into the headphone jack and your stereo, or use an FM transmitter. I don't have a tape deck in my car and I'm actually wondering when they will stop making those cassette tape things for your car. I remember my 7th grade crush connecting his Discman to his mom's car stereo with one of those tapes. I'm fairly certain it's not long before those are a thing of the past. Anyways, I also don't have a jack for whatever that cord is called on my stereo. So that leaves me with the most sucky option which is the FM transmitter.

I have an amazing talent for losing ever single iPod I come in contact with so even though I'm pretty sure there are about seven of them hidden somewhere in my things I can't find any. Since I needed to get one anyways I figured I'd do this thing backwards and pick the radio transmitter then an iPod that would work with it. So I walked into the Apple store and a lovely girl approached me and very cheerfully asked if I needed any help. I waved my hand in the general direction of the wall of car adapters and told her I needed one of those. One that works. Then she said "An iPad?" which was nowhere near what I was pointing at but she smiled a lot so I forgave her for pushing her useless product on me. She found someone to help me and he was actually not very helpful other than taking every option off the wall and reading the packages to me. I think the people who work in Apple stores must have to deal with some ridiculously stupid people because sometimes I feel like they're talking to me the way one might a pre-schooler.

Basically I just ended up picking something out myself as well as an iPod touch...iTouch...I don't know. Whatever they're calling it now. It seemed easiest to control while driving.

I was prepared for this to not at all work and for me to just have to return it but surprise of surprises it's actually more than decent. There have been a couple static spots but nothing that doesn't clear itself up in a few seconds. I mostly noticed it while passing a radio station and in a very forest-y area.

The one I got is called the TuneBase LIVE FM by Belkin. I'm using it only with an iPod so while it looks like a couple people had problems with using it with an iPhone and switching between hands free calling and their music, that's not an issue for me. I also love that it charges your device for you since I am the worst ever at doing that. Aaaaand it has this handy dandy little dock thing on a bendy arm so you can adjust things to your liking.

I've only used mine for a couple days but so far I'm very impressed.