Ipod flashcards

[niedec]

I'm not sure what Belton is using to edit, but for the actual audio, there's a freeware program for windows (and maybe mac) called Audacity. It's more or less the audio editing software from Adobe Premier, but slightly easier to navegate. Just download the LAME codec and open up the audio files. Then just edit whatever you need, save as an MP3, and convert it to AAC later in iTunes. I'm not quite sure if that would make things easier or harder, but since you could cut things down to less than a second, it might make the audio cleaner.

Ganbatte, Belton. Your painstaking ideas and editing are nothing short of brilliant.

[Belton]

Glad you like the ideas.

I use Final Cut Express on a Mac. A video tool but I prefer the way it works and it's interface to any audio editing tools I've come across. I like to have a trim bin. (I learnt to edit pre computer age! and still think in terms of pieces of tape and physically cutting!)

The audio on JPod is very clean, maybe the levels are a bit high for my taste but it's not muddy or clipped and there's no noise. As I'd expect for something recorded in a studio.

If you source sound elsewhere the sound can be a bit poor. Computer fan noise is one favourite and also background noise. I understand with Podcasts but I've come across really poor sound on things people wanted to charge money for. (one sounded like it was recorded in an empty bath). But using a noise gate filter can do wonders for a lot of sound.

The hardest thing sometimes on single words is getting them separate from the other words and that comes down to how they were spoken to begin with although following the waveform helps get it as clean as possible. Also the tone of the English can be odd when it's only one word. Instead of being flat it's rising in a question for instance. Fine in context but odd when listening to a word list.

Audicity is available here
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

[niedec]

Yeah. My friend prefers the one in Adobe Premier. I still prefer the nice, simple, freeware, though. For all its limitations, it's the simplest for me. I just export what can't be fixed to a better program if necessary.

I can see how english would be hard to edit in context, though japanese has its own intonation problems, too, lsuch as in 'honto'. Even with following the audio wavelength and being able to get things down to the millisecond, some things still sound weird. I just change the pitch and normalize, hence the suggestion. I forgot to consider the studio quality, though. I'm inpressed with JPod more and more. Oh, and I've also seen some AWFUL fee-based podcasts. The absolute worst is the effect when the mic is too close or the speaker is too loud. I've seen some that sounds like they're not only using their computer mic, but sticking it in their mouth while screaming at it.

Just wanted to make sure you weren't trying to make flashcards in Windows Movie Maker and Sound Recorder.

[Elfunko]

Im not on your guys' level, but I don't think iPod has the ability to do flashcards, at least not right now.

But, have you guys concidered Zune? That this has tons of abilities and games, a small flashcard app like KanjiGold might work.

Anyway, this is a great idea. But I think you guys are ahead of your time.

[Belton]

(What I'd really like is iPods massive hard drive mated to a Sony Clie with PalmOS so some programs could be run as well as music, Newton reborn!!!!　ハハハ。）

Quoting myself what vanity!

The iPhone seems to be what I wished for.
As long as the built-in browser can access local html files (or to be really cool Flash files or wired Quicktime files) the possibilities are endless. well for the five hour battery life anyway.
If you're rich or depending on web charging (by time or by MB? ) you could access JapanesePod directly!
Of course it may never get out of the US. and it's pretty expensive for a phone but who knows what may happen in a year or two. I'd be happy with a phoneless iPhone if it could do WiFi and access local files on it's hard disk with full browser functionality.

[Gregster]

With all the discussion about flashcards on the iPod, no-one's mentioned the Games feature on the iPod. I'd hate to think there was a single feature on these little gadgets that we didn't exploit to improve our Japanese!

I don't know EXACTLY how iPod games are programmed, but I'm pretty sure that if a game "shell" were developed, it could reference a text file downloaded from each person's Kanji or Vocab Bank from the Jpod101 website to their iPod, and the game would then display only the appropriate flashcards.

Any game developers out there amongst the Jpod listeners? Jpod team, any finance available to contract a game developer?

[Belton]

Unfortunatly the iPod is a closed platform (as is the iPhone) Apple won't allow any 3rd party development for it. Hence the huge lack of shareware games.

So unless Apple does it no-one will. It's a pity I'd like to see some third party development.

I think a flash card system would be a large bonus on the iPod.
I'd be willing to pay $5 for the base program and $1 or $2 or so per card set. More even. Well designed it'd be useful for so many people learning all kinds of things.

[encosion]

I'm really keen on something like this too... Has anyone made any photo flashcards for the latest iPods they'd like to share yet? I'm particularly interested in Kanji being the main thing on each 'flash card' with a little strip at the bottom for the english and romanji <-- can be covered up by a piece of paper of you hand or something...

I'll probably end up having to make these myself I guess... I'm just a little new to the writing system (and the speaking for that matter!) so it's going to take a while...

Does anyone perhaps have katakana or hiragana flash cards already made? That's where I need to be starting really!

[Trout]

I don't know if this thread is still alive (iPod Flashcards), but
I haven't seen anyone mention Garage Band. If you create a Podcast project in Garage Band, it will give you a picture track. You can drag pictures into the timeline, and it will automatically create cue points at those times in the audio timeline. When you export this to iTunes (as a podcast), it will automatically make this an enhanced podcast, and a picture-capable iPod will display the images along with the audio when you play it. Since the cue points are there, you can leap ahead. You may even be able to pause at cue points (so the flash card will stay until you hit "next").
- You would have to make the Kanji/Kana/Definition into jpeg images to use them this way. You could also save actual photos of what the word means though as well (hon shows a book for instance).
- The only other drawback I see is the iPod will try to save battery life, thus dimming the screen while you are trying to watch. There may be a way around this too I haven't looked (it certainly doesn't do this while playing video for instance).

I didn't see anyone mention this so thought I'd throw it out there.
I am amazed so few people have been using this capability -- especially for learning languages!

Thanks!
-Trout

[ThisistheHenry]

I do not have this game, so correct if I am wrong, but doesn't the iQuiz game sold on iTunes for 5G iPods allow for uploadable "quizzes"? Could this game be used for iPod flashcards? (Unfortunately, this game isn't free, and *obviously* a 5G iPod is far from cheap)

[Belton]

I was waiting for this to come up on the Forums.

Yes I believe it could provide Flashcards. I've been playing with JLPT questions and it works quite well. The little program itself isn't expensive. The editor is free.

While I'm back on this thread.
Check out WordChamp (registration required but it's free)
http://www.wordchamp.com/
Amongst other things it will generate custom lists of words as MP3's not only English--Japanese but potentially other language combinations. Spanish--Japanese, French--Japanese etc.

[RNobleman]

Does anyone know if the iLearning center features (line by line audio, flashcards, etc.) will work on the iPhone just as they do an on iPod? I was thinking about getting an iPhone, but it won't always be in range of WiFi or the Edge network, so I'll have to upload the files like on an iPod.

Thanks!

[jemstone]

i suspect so since the iphone is basically just like an ipod with phone features. but i'm not loaded enough to own an iphone (and coz i'm living in the southeast asia, it won't arrive here till 2008).

a colleague of my girlfriend does own an ipod touch, which is an iphone without the phone feature (that's what apple claims). works just like an ipod with regards to uploading files.

or you could just walk into an apple store and while they are giving you a demo, bring them to jpod101 website and try downloading a lesson, and then uploading it to the iphone. most (if not all) apple store will have internet connection and it's usually wifi.

[bakerb04]

Sorry for the bump but I thought this was relevant. iQuizr has a number of iQuiz files for download and I will start making some for the minna no nihongo I vocabularies.. probably to simple for most people here, still you might be interested in making some yourself.

To try go to:

http://iquizr.com/download/310

That will download the file. It can then be placed in either (guess not copy and paste) ~\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iPod Games\iPod Quiz or <i pod drive>\iPod_Control\Games_RO\<a number>\UserTrivia\Packs. If you didn't put is straight on your ipod then you will have to sync it first.

Give it a shot. Also, anyone know of a good place to get minna no nihongo wordlists? I use http://www.japandiary.ch/vocabulary.html but they are badly formatted. (Lots of junk whitespace. Or does anyone know of other iQuiz's or well formatted free notes.

[bakerb04]

Sorry for the bump but I thought this was relevant. iQuizr has a number of iQuiz files for download and I will start making some for the minna no nihongo I vocabularies.. probably to simple for most people here, still you might be interested in making some yourself.

Dang, thats what you get for jumping in before you read things properly and testing. For this to work properly you cant use the stuff generated from this site. Instead you have to alter it and add the kana yourself. You also need to set your iPod to japanese... hmm.. I'll work on getting some iQuizs done before the weekend.