Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2005.09.01
This Week's iPod News
Three
stories have received a lot of coverage this past week: The iTunes
phone, which we may see next week, rumors of a flash-based iPod
mini, and settlement of the iPod battery class action suit.
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. News about Apple's
transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is covered in
The Macintel Report.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
The iTunes Phone
Flash iPod mini
iPod Battery Settlement
News and Comment
Advice
Products and Services
Software
The iTunes Phone
The oft-rumored iTunes cell phone has been in the
news this week. The phone is made by Motorola and will be available
through Cingular in the US.
Motorola Cell Phone Will Include iTunes
The New York Times' Matt Richtel reports:
"Apple Computer and Motorola plan next week to unveil a
long-awaited mobile phone and music player that will incorporate
Apple's iTunes software, a telecommunications industry analyst who
has been briefed on the announcement said Monday.
"The development marks a melding of two of the digital era's
most popular devices, the cell phone and the iPod, which has become
largely synonymous with the concept of downloading songs from the
Internet or transferring them from compact discs.
"Roger Entner, a telecommunications analyst with Ovum, a market
research firm, said he had been told by an industry executive that
the new phone, made by Motorola, would be marketed by Cingular
Wireless. Entner said it would include iTunes software, which helps
power the iPod."
iTunes Cell Phone Set to Launch
AP Technology Writer Greg Sandoval reports:
"A long-delayed cell phone from Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola
Inc. that can play iTunes music downloads is finally set to debut
through Cingular Wireless, a research analyst said.
"The new phone will be equipped with software that would allow
it to play songs purchased at Apple's iTunes Web site, according to
Roger Entner, an analyst for research firm Ovum who said he learned
of the plans from an industry executive.
"Representatives from Apple, Cingular and Motorola declined to
comment, but the three companies are expected to roll out the
device at an event here next week. Apple announced Monday that it
would host a news conference Sept. 7."
iTunes Phone May Underwhelm
Forbes' David M. Ewalt and Peter Kafka say:
"For more than a year, Apple and Motorola's plans to release an
iTunes-enabled phone have tantalized the music and mobile phone
businesses. Now, with the two companies set to unveil the
long-rumored handset Sept. 7, they might be underdelivering.
"A person who has seen a version of the phone says it was
designed to accommodate just 25 songs, which would be 'sideloaded'
from a user's computer using iTunes. The phone was equipped with a
128-megabyte SanDisk TransFlash memory card - just one-quarter the
capacity of Apple's smallest iPod, the 512-megabyte shuffle, which
holds about 120 songs."
Flash iPod mini
Flash memory is hot. It's faster than hard
drives, but until now it's been more expensive per MB. That seems
to be changing, leading to tales of higher capacity iPod shuffles,
iPod minis with flash memory, and even flash-based notebook
computers.
Apple to Buy 40% of Samsung's Flash Chips
Reuters' Jennifer Tan reports:
"Apple Computer Inc. plans to buy as much as 40 percent of
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s flash memory output in the second
half for its new flash-based iPod mini MP3 player, iSuppli and
Deutsche Bank analysts said on Wednesday.
"Apple, known for its wildly popular iPod digital music player,
is expected to introduce a 4-gigabyte version of the iPod mini that
uses NAND flash memory instead of a hard disk drive for the
Christmas season."
Apple Using Flash in Next iPod mini
Red Herring reports:
"Apple will produce a Flash memory-based iPod mini digital music
player to replace its hard drive line and plans to buy up to 40
percent of Samsung Electronics' output of NAND Flash memory chips
for the holiday season, according to a report on Wednesday from the
research firm iSuppli.
"Apple will be introducing a 4 gigabyte (GB) version of the iPod
Mini using Samsung's NAND Flash memory. Apple already produces an
iPod Shuffle that uses Flash memory from Samsung instead of a hard
drive. The model is popular with iPod users who prefer the Flash
model when they are running or exercising."
Flash Memory in the iPod mini
The Street's Troy Wolverton and Bill Snyder report:
"In a move that could have big implications for the storage and
chip markets, Apple will unveil a new flash memory-based iPod later
this year, say analysts.
"The company will soon replace its hard drive-based 4 GB iPod
mini with a flash memory-based version that has the same storage
capacity, Nam Hyung Kim, an analyst with industry research firm
iSuppli, says in a recent report."
iPod Battery Settlement
Apple was sued over the batteries in 1st and 2nd
generation iPods, which sometimes lost much of their storage
capacity within the first year of use. Here's how that's being
settled.
Judge OKs Settlement in iPod Battery Suit
CNET News.com's Ina Fried reports:
"A Superior Court judge in San Mateo County, Calif., has given
final approval to a settlement that will compensate iPod owners
whose music players' batteries failed to hold a charge.
"A preliminary settlement was reached in May. Under the terms of
the deal, buyers of first- and second-generation iPods with battery
issues who bought their iPods on or before May 31, 2004 can get
either a $25 check or $50 in credit at an Apple Computer
store."
Apple's Voucher Plan for iPod Users Wins
Approval
Bloomberg News's Joel Rosenblatt reports:
"A judge has approved Apple Computer Inc.'s plan to issue $50
vouchers to settle a lawsuit filed by consumers who complained
about the battery life of older versions of the iPod music
player.
"Judge Beth Freeman in San Mateo, Calif., approved the
settlement Thursday. Under the agreement, Apple will issue the
vouchers or extend service warranties to as many as 1.4 million
customers who experienced battery problems, said Steven N.
Williams, a lawyer at Cotchett, Pitre, Simon & McCarthy in
Burlingame, Calif., who represented consumers."
Proposed Settlement of Class Action Re iPod
Batteries
From the Apple iPod Settlement website:
The above-captioned proceeding ("Litigation") is pending before
the Superior Court of California for San Mateo County ("Court"). In
the Litigation, Plaintiffs Lisa Chin, Andrew Westley, Courtney
Craft, Joseph Smiley, Brenda Keegan, Sylvia Kieta, Sam Wagya, and
Steve Yamin ("Representative Plaintiffs") claim that the Apple iPod
Digital Music Player ("iPod") did not have the battery life
represented and/or that the battery's capacity to take and hold a
charge substantially diminished over time. Defendant Apple
Computer, Inc. ("Apple") has denied the Representative Plaintiffs'
allegations and asserted various affirmative defenses in the
Litigation.
The Court has conditionally ruled that the Litigation may be
maintained on behalf of the following Class:
All persons or entities residing in the United States who
purchased or obtained a First, Second, or Third Generation iPod on
or before May 31, 2004.
Apple iPod Settlement Administration
Website
This site provides viewable versions of the Class Notice and
Instructions, as well as printable versions (in PDF form).
This site provides the following information:
- Important Dates and Information, including court filing
deadlines;
- The Notice of Pendency and Proposed Settlement of Class Action
that describes the case and the rights of Class Members;
- The Claim Form that must be filled out by Class Members;
- The Instructions to assist in completing the Claim Form;
and
- A list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the case.
Link: Apple iPod
Settlement Administration Website
News and Comment
Apple to Sell 7.1 Million iPods This
Quarter
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
"American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu believes Apple
will sell 7.1 million iPods in the current quarter.
"The figure is up 15 per cent, quarter-on-quarter, but he warns
that average selling prices in iPods may come under, 'greater than
expected pressure', he wrote in a note to clients obtained by
Macworld UK."
Apple's Reign 'Will Collapse in Less
Than a Year'
The Inquirer's Nick Farrell says:
"The maker of entertainment gear, Apple had better enjoy its
reign of the online music biz while it lasts.
"Hacks at the music bible Billboard have been sacrificing a few
goats and invoked a God or Goddess of prophecy and are convinced
that Apple's eyePod and iTunes will start to dwindle into bit
players within 12 to 18 months.
"The main problem for Apple is that it can't support the amount
of interest that the online music business will generate, the
magazine reckons.
"The only reason that Apple has the 80 per cent of the market
figure that it has is that its rivals cannot match the Cappuccino
based outfit's hardware and software integration."
Don't Bring a Stolen iPod Back to the
Store You Lifted It From
engadget's Barb Dybwad says:
"File this one in the 'doh!' category: a UK iPod thief was
caught red-handed when he brought the device to a local Apple
retailer looking for cables for it - unfortunately for the thief,
the manager of the Nottingham-based store he walked into was
actually the guy he stole the iPod from...."
'Godcasting': Spirituality on Demand, on
Your iPod
The New York Times' Tania Ralli reports:
"Kyle Lewis, 25, missed going to church one Sunday last month.
But he did not miss the sermon.
"Lewis, who regularly attends services of the National Community
Church in Alexandria, Virginia, listened to the sermon while he was
at the gym, through a recording he had downloaded to his iPod.
Instead of listening to the rock music his gym usually plays, he
heard his pastor's voice.
"'Having an iPod is a guaranteed way to get the sermon if you're
going to be out of town,' Lewis said, adding that he normally
listened to the pastor's podcast at least once more during the
week, usually while driving to work, even if he attended the
service....
"Sending spiritual messages over the airwaves is nothing new.
The Vatican made its first radio broadcast in 1931 and today offers
worldwide programming in 34 languages and some programs as
podcasts, as well....
"New technology like podcasting updates the mission, although on
a much smaller scale for now. But Batterson said he believed that
podcasting would have an impact on the church as profound as that
of the printing press when the first Bibles were printed in the
15th century....
"One of the most popular Christian podcasts, Catholic Insider,
already has more than 10,000 listeners for each program."
iPod Battery Failure
D'Arcy Norman reports:
"I know my battery life is really sucking on my 3G iPod. I get
just enough juice to commute home and back to work (a grand
total of 1 hour of use) before having to plug it in for enough
charge to repeat the cycle again. On the weekend, if I just leave
it 'off' without charging it, it will be completely dead on Monday
morning (which makes D'Arcy grumpy on the bus on the way to
campus).
"I didn't realize that this was officially categorized as
'battery failure' - I thought it was acceptable degradation of the
battery life over time. Apparently it's a bit more than that. If I
were American, it looks like the recent iPod Battery Settlement
would have me covered, and I'd either get a new battery or a deep
discount on a replacement."
Artist Creates Wooden 'PiiPod'
The Guardian's Patrick Barkham reports:
"It could be the solution for anyone trying to give up their
iPod. A surrogate MP3 player carved out of wood has been created by
a Dutch artist to mark a new exhibition featuring bronze laptops
filled with genetically modified grain.
"The artist, known only as Pii, claimed that his 'PiiPod' solves
the problem of MP3-related muggings and the risk of deafness by
being 'specially designed to be unable to play music and sound
files'. Crucially, however, the recycled wooden device still
delivers an iPod-style 'fix' by producing a bulge the size of a
personal music player in the carrier's pocket."
Kraft Offers Free Recipes to iPod
Users
Ad Jab's Chris Thilk reports:
"Kraft has presented itself as the next in line to try and
capitalize on the popularity of Apple's iPod. The food giant has
made recipes available for download and viewing in the 'Notes'
field on the music player. The recipes are broken up for easy
viewing on the iPod's small screen but take up very little space.
So far Kraft has made 6,000 recipes available for download from
KraftFoods.com."
Stylish iPod Owners Add Extras
The Washington Post's Anjali Athavaley reports:
"For Suzy Wagner, owning a naked Apple iPod is so yesterday.
"To keep up with other digerati, she is styling it up. The
35-year-old advertising sales manager recently walked out of an
Apple Store with a bag full of new accessories: an FM transmitter,
a car charger, a cable that connects the iPod to her television and
a pink case (she wouldn't want to scratch it if she were to drop
it), all for $135.
"iPod owners spend an average of more than $150 on accessories,
according to the Envisioneering Group, a market research firm based
in Seaford, N.Y."
iPod's Journey Marks Arrival of
Just-in-Time Global Economy
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jim McKay reports:
"'There are a lot of obsessed people out there,' Allison
Sobczak, a spokeswoman for Moon, Pa.-based FedEx Ground, said after
reviewing Internet blogs about the iPod's international travels.
'It's really what customers want. Customers want package
information.'
"Because great ideas deserve great technology. When you're
bringing ideas to life, your desktops, notebooks and servers should
work with you, not against you. So why wait? Get new systems today
and start creating tomorrow.
"You can get a glimpse of how the just-in-time global economy
has evolved by tracing the trip of more than 7,000 miles that an
Apple iPod took from Shanghai, China, where it was manufactured, to
Pittsburgh."
Sounding Off About the 'iPod'
Generation
Edinburgh Evening News Online's Jennifer Veitch says:
"I am frankly surprised that it has taken so long, but someone
has finally come up with a syndrome which uses the word 'iPod' as
an acronym.
"Forget the dinky, oh-so-cool music players manufactured by
Apple: iPod now stands for 'insecure, pressurised,
over-taxed and debt-ridden', according to the
think-tank Reform.
"So if, like me, you are under the age of 35, then you are part
of a younger generation that has apparently never had it so bad.
You'll be struggling to afford to buy a home, up to your eyes in
debt - probably as a result of paying for, or at least subsidising,
your own higher education - and will be shelling out tax for
welfare services like the NHS and pensions that you are unlikely to
benefit much from in the future."
Virtual Silicon Announces Winner of 20
GB iPod
PR: Virtual Silicon Technology, Inc. has announced that
Daniel Sakols, an independent SoC designer, was the first winner of
the Virtual Silicon "Challenge our DFS" contest. The contest,
announced in June of 2005, challenged ASIC designers to review the
capabilities of the Virtual Silicon Mobilize Digital Frequency
Synthesizer PLL for their design and submit a review of its
suitability. Prizes include 20 GB iPods, iPod Shuffles and even a
license to use the Virtual Silicon DFS in a design. Mr. Sakols
evaluated the DFS PLL for use as the conversion clock in an audio
application.
"The Virtual Silicon DFS PLL was great fun to evaluate. It is
highly flexible making it suitable for many applications," Sakols
said.
The Virtual Silicon "Challenge our DFS" contest runs through
October 2005.
Advice
Build a Motion-Based iPod Remote
Control
Peter Tyser writes:
"I thought your readers may find this interesting... As an
independent study at my university I built a remote control for the
iPod the responds to motion. This allows an iPod user to control
their music without the use of their hands. The webpage has
pictures, movies, and schematics."
Create an iPod with HFS and FAT32
Partitions
Mac OS X Hints' Jeff Hopper says:
"I'm not a specialist, but I studied the Create a bootable HFS+
partition and a FAT32 partition on one external drive hint to do
this. It works for me, with a PowerBook, iPod mini 4 GB,
Tiger, and tested on Windows XP.
"Read on to see how I created an iPod with FAT32 and bootable
HFS partitions, while maintaining its ability to be used as an
iPod."
Products and Services
iSkin Releases Dual-Layer iPod Shuffle
Protector
PR: iSkin Inc., a leading provider of iPod accessories,
has announced the availability of its iSkin Shuffle Duo, the
world's first dual layer protective skin covering engineered
specifically for the immensely popular iPod Shuffle. The iSkin
Shuffle Duo features a unique design that includes both an inner
and outer skin that combine to create the perfect barrier against
impurities and even moisture.
iSkin Shuffle Duo
ensures that the music keeps pumping no matter what is going on
around you. The iSkin's moisture resistant design is made of
durable, flexible and long-lasting high-grade silicone and leaves
all control buttons accessible for easy access and uninterrupted
playtime. The iSkin Shuffle Duo's form-fitting, contoured design is
available in two distinct colors: Adrenaline (a vitalizing outer
blue layer combined with an energizing inner green layer), Vigor (a
intense red outer layer with a frosted clear inner layer), Oxygen
(a refreshing frosted clear outer and inner layer) and Impulse (a
strong grey with a frosted clear inner layer).
iSkin Shuffle Duo leaves all control buttons accessible, as well
as the operation status and battery lights visible. The new iSkin
features an integrated headphone port cover and includes a high
quality custom neck strap. iSkin Shuffle Duo is the perfect
companion for Shuffle enthusiasts and is targeted towards those
with active lifestyles. It is priced at US$19.99 and available from
www.iskin.com. The iSkin Shuffle Duo will be available at retail
locations shortly after its debut.
iSkin Inc. introduced its first iSkin iPod protector in
September 2002, creating a new and fashionable way to protect the
iPod without sacrificing the functionality and aesthetics of the
device. Today, iSkin is highly favored among iPod owners. With a
growing line of innovative protective solutions for the iPod,
PowerBook and other Apple products, iSkin is committed to
delivering the best protection using the most advanced technology
available.
Handmade Covers Protect Your iPod from
Scratches
PR: Dear Mr. Moore,
I'm an Austrian student who produces bags to protect iPods,
notebooks, and mobiles from scratches.
Give your iPod, notebook, or mobile phone a perfect fitting,
custom-built "handmade" made from classic cloth or from an
individualistic cloth.
Originally I made
such a bag for my friend's iPod and then we had the idea
. . . we started with an easy HTML-site and a post in my
friend's favourite forum.
Since Monday we have a new online-shop.
Rivet Consumers Can Customize Their
iPods with Personal Style
PR: Rivet International, the leading developer of
attachment systems for personal mobile devices and accessories, has
announced the availability of its Rivet GRAB™ for iPod
shuffle, giving users a variety of ways to accessorize their Apple
Shuffle player.
The Rivet GRAB provides Shuffle owners with a colorful way to
turn their players into a fashionable tool. Rivet's Shuffle holder
includes the company's popular GRAB, made of polycarbonate plastic.
The durable and lightweight holder was designed specifically to
complement the style, size and simplicity of the Shuffle. The GRAB
comes in pink, blue, clear or graphite color options.
The GRAB for iPod shuffle also includes a lanyard, with either
colored glass beads or cloth with custom designs, enabling users to
accessorize their Shuffle with their clothing, bags or other
fashion items. Consumers may also choose to wear the Shuffle with a
removable clip that allows attachment to a belt, shirt, pocket or
bag. The durable and discreet lanyard Micro Clip and the compact
snap-on belt clip keep Shuffle control keys accessible at all times
without adding bulk to ensure the Shuffle remains a small and
lightweight music player.
"At such an affordable price point, and with millions in
worldwide circulation, the iPod shuffle has become a status symbol
for mobile music lovers," said Raleigh Wilson, CEO of Rivet
International. "With our GRAB product, consumers now have a
fashionable and secure way to wear their Shuffle, by adding color
and a sense of individual style."
Rivet's high quality manufacturing is backed with a lifetime
warranty. The Rivet GRAB for iPod product line is available
immediately at Apple Stores nationwide and online at the Apple
Store, starting at $19.99.
Software
iPod Music Liberator Copies Music from
Your iPod to Any Computer
PR: Free the music on your iPod
For Windows, Mac, and Linux!
- Copy Music From Your iPod to Any Computer
- Move Music Between Authorized Computers
- Backup Music to Another Computer
- Recover Music From Your iPod
- Move Music to a Newly Bought Computer
- Try it For free
The iPod Music Liberator is now available for the Mac. The iPod
Music Liberator allows you to copy music from your iPod to any
computer.
The iPod Music Liberator allows you to copy music from your iPod
to any computer, filling in a missing feature of iTunes. You see,
iTunes only allows for a one way transfer of music from your
computer to your iPod. But what if you want to move music to
another authorized computer? What if you want to make a backup of
your music? What if your computer crashes and you lose all of the
music on your computer? What if you buy a new computer and need to
move your music? What if ... ? Use the iPod Music Liberator for all
of your iPod music copying needs.
System requirements: Mac OS X
iPod Music Liberator is $15 shareware.
PodSmith Uses Your iPod to Lock/Unlock
Your Files, Folders, and Apps
PR: PodSmith is a utility to make full use of your
iPod.
PodSmith uses your iPod as a key for security and for various
synchronization features.
PodSmith Protects your data with your iPod.
With PodSmith, iPod works as a key for your computer.
You can lock or unlock your Macintosh with your iPod.
Are you tired of iSync that is just auto backup?
You'll have full advantage of auto-sync between Macintosh and
iPod.
A sample use of PodSmith:
Mount an iPod to replace the Safari bookmarks of your Mac with
your iPod's bookmarks.
Then unmount it to go back to the original bookmarks.
Your favorite bookmarks are always in your iPod to share
anywhere, anytime.
How does PodSmith protect my computer?
- Screen Lock: You can lock and unlock the screen by unmounting
and mounting your iPod. Of course you can unlock the computer by
typing your password without your iPod.
- File Lock: Specified folders or files can be locked by
unmounting your iPod.
- Protect your files: Disable all applications except those you
specify.
What about Auto-Sync?
PodSmith supports Safari bookmarks, address book and schedule
for auto-sync.
New features in version 1.1
- Switches to "Restrict applications" :
- Allow or restrict to use the specific applications
- Synchronize Now: Auto-Sync start any time.
- MP3 utility: Wrap MP3 files into one album file.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
- Any iPod, including iPod shuffle
PodSmith is $20 shareware.
iPod Deals
For current iPod prices from a variety of sources, see our
Best iPod Deals.
