Resetting the iPod might help. Try moving the lock switch to locked, then back to unlocked, then holding down menu and the center button for five seconds or so. The screen will flash and then the iPod will spend a while rebooting.

I tried to reboot last night, but the sweet spot where the click wheel works for play/pause is so small I couldn't get it to work. It was making the iPod play music at high speed, though. I tried again just now, and the iPod shut down as if it was going to reboot, and I held it down for at least 10 seconds, but as soon as I lifted my fingers from the buttons, it would just pop back on where it was playing before.

It's now frozen in the on position and still won't reboot. I think I may have to wait for the battery to run down and try again.

Sox, the Google suite of applications has the conferencing feature, as well as real-time editing of Google Docs and Google Spreadsheet. There's another online application that does something similar to Google Docs but is a bit more developed--I'll have to remember the name. That is, if you want your docs to be edited in real-time online.

On paper it would appear that we could get more channels for less money if we switched to DirecTV from Time Warner Cable. Does anybody know of a reason not to do this?

With DirectTV, will you get local stations (e.g. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, etc)? Or will you also need to subscribe to basic basic cable to get those channels?

Do you use TWC for Internet?

Do you have a place to put the dish, with southern exposure?

Do you watch stuff on-demand?

Is there some esoteric channel that you watch that DirecTV doesn't have?

It looks like I have to call them to find out about local channels. It says they are available based on location.

We do use TWC for internet.

We can put the dish anywhere on the roof.

I have never watched anything on demand but I wouldn't rule it out.

I don't think there's any channels they don't have that we watch but I would be sooo happy to get back BBC America and Animal Planet. We lost them when Time Warner bought out our old provider.

I am on Directv and it's a tradeoff. I definitely get more channels for less money than my local cable offers. I do get my local stations through Direct, but they are Phoenix, not my actual local town, which I could still get via antenna if I cared enough. Most major cities should have their locals available by now. When I lived in the desert, I was so far out that they gave me LA/NY locals instead, with a special waiver.

Directv's customer service is not great. It's not ridiculous, either, but I do remember some vague low grade ongoing annoyances.

Do you use Tivo? If you do, you can continue as now, with your Directv receiver and the Tivo using the IR blaster to communicate. Alternately, Direct will try to give you its own DVR, which I feel is subpar, but not from direct experience.

I have the DirecTivo, which is no longer supported, but may be again soon with Direct's new ownership. It has several advantages in that it's cheaper, has a dual tuner (so you can record two shows at once and watch a third previously recorded) and is fully integrated. But, being not supported, it has significant disadvantages like, I can't connect it to my network (the hardware is there, just disabled) and therefore it does have a phone line (which currently isn't working, it's grumpy at VOIP, which is another issue entirely, but doesn't actually affect my day to day usage other than a nag message and I have to schedule PPV over the internet instead of through the remote.)

In general, I like Directv, and have been pleased with the product. The only times I've had interference have been when the dish was literally filled with snow, or in very heavy thunderstorms. However, I am in an arid area, so this is not a frequent occurrence for me. Your weather may vary. But I've had it through three moves, and will continue with it.

I do have my internet separate through cable. I don't have any experience with satellite internet, although I probably will at the new house when it's built.

We got local channels when we had DTV. Weather was a huuuuuuuuge issue- specially here in TX.

TWC gives me BBCA and Animal Planet. Huh.

Does anyone get Trio?

No, alas, I think Trio is dead.

I think I had DirecTV in Chicago some years ago. Seemed like the picture went out any time we had weather and sometimes when we didn't (mostly in the middle of Cubs games.) Luckily in LA weather rarely happens.