Join me on a Sunday stroll 'round the BlogHer technology blogroll to see who's been talking about iPods and iTunes recently, ending with BlogHer Elisa Camahort's practical analysis of Apple's approach to digital rights management and my favorite music single to blog by.

Antonella Pavese writes about iPod bliss, in which she finds "perfect if ephemeral moments of happiness" through listening to music on her iPod. I think Antonella's right when she says that music is a quick route to a feeling of being in the moment, similar to what you get when you enter flow as described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's or develop equanimity through Buddhist practices like meditation.

iTunes, Apple's music store that works hand in hand with the iPod, is not just for music. Emily Chang reports that Stanford University has introduced Stanford on iTunes, a collaboration with Apple that provides public access to audio content like faculty lectures and sports reports. I took a quick browse through their offerings and found a few things I'd like to listen to, including a lecture on strengthening the connections between math learning at home and school and another on stress and coping that considers the biology of baboons. I had to upgrade to iTunes 6 to access the Stanford offerings, so if you have problems and haven't upgraded lately, download the latest software.

Technology rarely works just the way we want it to. Kasia relates how she can't charge her iPod at work on her Windows machine because with Windows, charging and using the iPod are mutually exclusive, unlike with Macs. Personally, I'm hoping someone will buy me a Bose SoundDock, a sound system with remote control for the iPod that charges it while you listen to the music through high-quality speakers.

Thinking about what the future may hold for iPods, Sramana Mitra offers an article called simply "PalmPod," where she discusses the potential for an Apple acquisition of Palm. Palm makes mobile devices like the Treo, a so-called smart-phone that combines mobile phone capabilities with email, calendaring, and other features. I would like a phone that was also an iPod; what about you?

Melanie Swan of Broader Perspective, contributes to podcast mania by describing some of the fascinating podcasts you can find in the iTunes podcast listings, including possibilities covering everything from wine to scuba diving to anesthesiology. Thanks, Melanie, I didn't even know iTunes had podcast listings. (In my next installment I'll admit to my ignorance about Skype and instant messaging... maybe my Tech & Web co-editor can give me a tutorial).

Are you wondering, like I have, if there is something unsavory about iPods and iTunes, perhaps the Fairplay digital rights management (DRM) technology Apple uses, or the fact the iTunes only works with iPods? Then get yourself over to Elisa Camahort's personal weblog, where she clears it up for all of us. Elisa, I like your practical, no-nonsense approach, especially because it makes me feel okay about continuing to use iTunes and my iPod.

My most recent music single download for my iPod was Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, which offers inspiring lyrics for writers like us:

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

But not unwritten for long, if we BlogHers have anything to do with it.