Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2005.04.15
This Week's iPod News
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review, and
general Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review.
iPod News
iPod Tips
iPod Reviews
New Products
iPod News
iPod as a Security Threat
Inc. Magazine's Lora
Kolodny reports:
"We all know the financial and cultural wonders Steve Jobs
unleashed with the iPod - but did he also unleash a security
threat? According to an FBI/Computer Security Institute study,
insiders commit 70% of computer intrusions and system hacks that
damage businesses. As the popularity, storage capacity, and
connectivity of gadgets like the iPod increase, experts say, so
will the use of such devices to perpetrate these crimes at work.
'Laptops in 2000 had about the same storage capacity as iPods
today,' say Mark Komisky, the CEO of BlueFire Security
Technologies."
Bush's iPod
The New York Times'
Elisabeth Bumiller reports:
"In between his return on Friday from Pope John Paul II's
funeral in Rome and his meeting Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon, President Bush spent an hour and a half on Saturday
on an 18-mile mountain bike ride at his Texas ranch. With him, as
usual, was his indispensable exercise toy: an iPod music player
loaded with country and popular rock tunes aimed at getting the
presidential heart rate up to a chest-pounding 170 beats per
minute.
"Which brings up the inevitable question. What, exactly, is on
the First iPod? In an era of celebrity playlists - Tom Brady, the
New England Patriots quarterback, recently posted his on the iTunes
online music store - what does the presidential selection of
downloaded songs tell us about Bush?"
Easy Listening with George W
The Scotsman's Victoria Ward
says:
"When it comes to the latest trends, US President George Bush
knows how to keep up with the kids - but what exactly does the
leader of the free world listen to on his iPod?
"Joni Mitchell, traditional country, a smattering of popular
rock - it's a 'little hardcore and honky tonk', according to the
experts.
"The president likes nothing more than old country favourites
George Jones, Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney."
2,000 Talmud Tapes - or One Loaded iPod
The New York Times'
Alex Mindlin reports:
"Last month, about 26,000 Orthodox Jews crowded into Madison
Square Garden to mark the completion of the Daf Yomi, a 7 1/2-year
cycle of Talmud learning....
"At the door, handing out leaflets beside the Jews for Jesus and
the teenage collectors for Jewish charities, was a 23-year-old
entrepreneur named Yehuda Shmidman, who was passing out glossy
brochures showing a bearded, black-hatted Orthodox Jew, in
silhouette, wearing a pair of white ear buds.
"Shmidman's product, the ShasPod, is a solution to a vexing
question: How does a commuter study a 2,711-page book?"
FAA to Buy iPods for Airport Neighbors
San Jose Inside's
John McEnery IV reports:
"Angry airport neighbors, up all night listening to America West
planes land, were awakened early this morning by a knock on their
door from FAA agents delivering the popular Apple iPod MP3 player
and an apology.
"In a bold move to alleviate the complaints associated with
allowing 'curfew busting' planes to land after hours, the FAA has
decided to spend $9.4 million on the popular MP3 players so that
neighbors of the airport 'can listen to their favorite music rather
than the shrill sound of jet engines all hours of the night.'"
iPod Hits Town - on a Scooter
Extreme iPod's Ian
Betteridge reports:
"Terminally hip scooter riders who want to combine the latest in
environmentally-friendly transport with the sound of the iPod may
soon have their dream machine, if a concept vehicle from Yamaha
comes to market.
"Yamaha has produced a special version of its EC-02 electric
scooter which feature stereo speakers built-in to the side, linked
to a fourth-generation iPod dock in front of the seat. The
arrangement allows the rider to play music for the masses as he
rides around town."
iPod Reviews
6 GB iPod mini Review
Trusted Reviews reports:
"In a hundred years' time, if there one object was to be chosen
to represent the Western world of the early 21st Century, the iPod
would be a strong contender. Once merely a music player it's become
the 'must have' fashion accessory of the moment. And even with its
ubiquity, there's no backlash yet in sight, writes Benny
Har-Even.
"Introducing the Mini was certainly a very smart move on Apple's
part, and the player could be seen as the most important of the
entire current iPod line-up. By moving from a 1.8in HDD to a 1in
drive, Apple was able to shrink the already svelte iPod to an
irresistibly cute, highly pocketable package. It opened up the iPod
to a whole range of new listeners, such as girls and accountants,
to whom having a tiny, cool looking MP3 player was far more
important than being able to carry round their entire music
collection."
iPod shuffle vs. Rio Forge Sport Teardown
Analysis
emsnow.com
reports:
"In the trendy market for MP3 players, the 'cool factor' counts
for a lot. But what makes one MP3 player cooler than another?
"A dissection of two hot products - Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod
Shuffle and Rio's Forge Sport - conducted by iSuppli Corp.'s
Teardown Analysis service, shows the design tradeoffs and marketing
choices made by MP3 manufacturers as they strive to attain
coolness, while attempting to balance off other considerations,
such as cost and power consumption. The teardown also illustrates
how a small, simple and elegantly designed product can be more
appealing to consumers - and cheaper to manufacture - than a
larger, more complex device with a less sophisticated design."
iPod Tips
How to Change iPod's EQ Setting
A new Apple
Knowledge Base article says:
"With the introduction of iPod
Software 1.5, iPod Software 2.3, and iPod Software 3.0.2, the EQ
setting is no longer displayed in the Settings menu....
"Instead, to see the current EQ setting, you will need to select
EQ in the Settings menu (Settings > EQ). On the next screen the
current EQ setting will be highlighted. This change makes the EQ
setting identical to the iPod mini and iPod photo."
Maximizing iPod Battery Life
A new Apple
Article says:
"Paying attention to just a few common sense pointers will pay
off with a longer battery lifespan and battery life for your iPod.
The most important thing is to keep your iPod out of the sun or a
hot car (even the glove box). Heat will degrade your battery's
performance the most.
"'Battery life' means the time your iPod will run before it must
be recharged (sometimes this is also called 'playtime' or
'runtime'). 'Battery lifespan' means the total amount of time your
battery will last before it must be replaced."
-36 Error When Syncing iPod in
iTunes
A new Apple
Knowledge Base Article says:
"When you sync your iPod with iTunes, iTunes may display an
error message that reads, 'An unknown error has occurred (-36).'
This can happen with any iPod.
"-36 errors can occur anytime iTunes can't write information to
the iPod. Here are some things that can cause this...."
New Products
iPod & iTunes 'Missing Manual' -
Make Your iPod Do More Than You Thought Possible
PR: "You know how Macintosh computers inspire such
emotional attachment from their fans?" asks author and New York
Times tech columnist J. D. Biersdorfer. "The iPod inspires
similar devotion: iPod web sites, iPod shareware add-ons, an iPod
accessory industry - in short, the invasion of the iPod People."
But conspicuously absent from this profusion of iPod gear is an
iPod manual. Thankfully, for Podlings everywhere - or anyone about
to become one - there's iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual,
Third Edition, (O'Reilly, US $24.95), written by Biersdorfer and
edited by Missing Manual series creator David Pogue.
For getting much more out of an iPod, as well as putting much
more into it, this newly updated edition blows open the secret
doors of the chrome-and-white beauty and its many siblings,
including the iPod mini, iPod photo, and the tiny iPod Shuffle.
"This book is one-stop shopping for iPod reference and
information," promises Biersdorfer. "It takes you on a joyride
through the iPod subculture. And it guides you through all the cool
musical and nonmusical things you can do with your iPod, from
looking up phone numbers to checking the weather report. You'll
also find heaping helpings of the Three T's: tips, tricks, and
troubleshooting."
Both geek obsession and fashion statement, the iPod can be many
things to many people. With humor and authority, Biersdorfer lays
bare an astonishing collection of iPod secrets and shortcuts like
these:
- iPod as PalmPilot: The iPod can become a handy personal
organizer by sucking in the calendar, address book, to-do list, and
notes from a Mac or PC and then displaying them at the touch of a
button. It also doubles as an alarm clock and sleep timer.
- iPod as eBook: The pocket-sized iPod makes an excellent
electronic book reader, capable of displaying and scrolling through
recipes, driving directions, book chapters, and even web
pages.
- iPod as GameBoy: While it's not exactly a GameBoy, the iPod's
games are perfect time-killers for waiting rooms, bus rides, and
lines at the DMV.
- iPod as hard drive: An iPod can serve as an external drive to
be used for copying, backing up, or transferring gigantic files
from place to place.
Totally up to date and covering all iPod models for both Mac and
Windows, iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Third Edition is
the ultimate guide to the iTunes software, the iTunes Music store
for both Mac and Windows, and the online world of iPod People.
Free iStory Creator Creates Interactive
Stories for Your iPod
PR: iStory
Creator is an application made to allow people the
opportunity to create their very own iPod text games. It allows
people with absolutely no HTML or coding experience the chance to
be able to contribute games for the iPod that are engaging and rich
with fun. "iStories" are text games for the iPod that have a block
of text like a book and then when certain things happen in the
story, the user is able to make choices that affect how the story
ultimately progresses. This can lead to games that are similar to
RPG's, quiz-type games, tutorials, demos, references and basically
anything you can think of doing with a linked text files. The
iStories can be very similar to a "Choose your own ending" type of
novel or can be anything else you put your mind to authoring. These
games make for some great entertainment. So, be sure download the
creator, start thinking of a fun idea for an iStory and get
cracking on making a great text game!
New in this version:
- Built in iStory Preview
- Built in help system
- 6 extra link choices
- Story Preferences for Author name, email etc
- iPod Detection and upload
- And much more...
System requirements: Any Macintosh with Mac OS X 10.3 or
above
iStory Creator is freeware.
iPresent It Presentation Software for
iPod photo
PR: Who needs a laptop to give a presentation?
Make your next pitch using your iPod photo. With iPresent It you
can convert your PowerPoint, PDF and Keynote presentations into
slideshows that are synced with your iPod photo. Never carry a
laptop into a presentation again; it's all on your iPod!
Features:
- Create slideshow images from any of your PowerPoint, Keynote or
PDF presentations.
- Saves presentations as albums in iPhoto or sub-folders of a
folder (such as the folder being used to sync to your iPod photo
via iTunes).
- Keynote 2 support includes full build extraction, each build
step is converted into a unique image for displaying via your iPod
photo.
- Easily update your slideshows whenever you make changes to a
presentation. With built-in tracking to indicate which
presentations need updating you'll never be caught without your
latest changes.
- Easily remove slideshows when they are no longer needed.
Removing them from iPresent It ensures they will be removed from
your iPod photo the next time you sync.
- Preview slides as they're converted into a slideshow.
Also works with digital cameras and projectors that support USB
flash drives (see the FAQ for details).
- $17.95
- Trial version limits slideshows to the first 6 slides of a
presentation
- Requires Mac OS X 10.3 or greater
HP Introduces Spring iPod Lineup
PR: HP has announced two additions to its
Apple iPod from HP line of digital music players. The
new iPod products allow consumers to carry and enjoy an extensive
music and photo library wherever they go.
The Apple iPod from HP is available in two sizes - 30 GB, which
holds up to 7,500 songs, and 60 GB, which holds up to 15,000 songs.
In addition to a music library, the new players can each store up
to 25,000 digital photos and can display them on a vivid,
high-resolution color display.
Consumers can use an optional audio-visual cable accessory to
share slideshows on big screen televisions and projectors.
"HP offers consumers simple, fun ways to enjoy and personalize
their music and photo experiences," said Siobhan O'Connor, vice
president, Consumer Brand and Marketing, HP. "Along with products
such as our new Media Center PCs, now available with an integrated
iPod dock and pre-installed Apple iTunes software, these new iPods
round out a complete music solution from HP."
The players come with a USB 2.0 cable to connect easily to a PC
for syncing of music, playlists, photos and album artwork. Plus,
extended battery life gives users up to 15 hours of music playback
or up to 5 hours of slideshows.(3) Both models are backed by HP's
Total Care customer support, which includes one year of phone
support and a one-year warranty.
The new iPods are also compatible with HP Printable Tattoos,
HP's innovative way to allow consumers to personalize their iPods
with artwork, designs and photography. At http://www.hp.com/music, consumers
can find a gallery full of tattoo designs, including album art from
the hottest bands and recording artists, as well as unique artwork
and images.
Consumers can also upload their own photos and images to print
as Tattoos at home. The ultra-thin HP Printable Tattoos are easy to
apply and remove from the player's exterior. Durable and
water-resistant, they help to protect from scratches while adding a
touch of personal style.
HP Printable Tattoos are sold in 10-packs of printable glossy
paper that are pre-cut to fit any Apple iPod from HP. The retail
price for HP Printable Tattoos is $14.99. The Apple iPod from HP 30
GB is $349 and the Apple iPod from HP 60 GB is $449. HP also
continues to offer the popular Apple iPod from HP 20 GB for
$299.(4) The new Apple iPod from HP models and HP Printable Tattoos
are available online at hpshopping.com and at many major retailers,
including Circuit City, Radio Shack, Sears and
Walmart.
PodLock by Micromat
PR: Your iPod is probably your favorite gadget. You can
make it even better using PodLock
from Micromat.
PodLock helps you and your iPod in many ways:
- Backup and restore. PodLock allows you to seamlessly
backup and restore your primary iPod volume to your Macintosh drive
(excluding your music files). This is especially useful if you
store files for transport on your iPod.
- Optimize the data on your iPod. By using PodLock's
defragment tool, your iPod's drive will run faster. This means
songs will load more quickly and data can be retrieved much
faster.
- Hide your important files. PodLock allows you to create
an "invisible" partition. It's like having a secret drive for your
data files that only you can see by entering your personal
password.* If you use your iPod as an external drive to transport
data, you'll want this protection in case you should ever lose your
iPod.
- Manage pictures and voice recordings. PodLock gives you
an easy and convenient way to access other types of data on your
iPod.
- Learn Technical Details about your iPod. Find out when
and where your iPod
was manufactured, the current version of the iPod system
software as well as other important technical information.
* PodLock's secret partition only prevents casual observers
from gaining access to your iPod data. For truly secure data
protection, you should also use the file encryption features of
FileVault, which is included with the Mac OS X operating
system.
New in this version:
- Added support for new 30 GB and 60 GB iPod photo models.
- Added support for new 4 GB and 6 GB iPod mini models.
- Added identification support for iPod shuffle models.
- Added format field to main status display.
- Added iPod photo support for Photos folder.
- Fixed application screen position on initial launch.
- Other minor fixes and updates.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
- FireWire connection
- An iPod
PodLock price: $39.97
iPodderX Podcasting and Podcast
Directory
PR: "Podcasting is the way of the future, and iPodderX is the premiere Podcast
client for the Mac. It receives Internet-based Podcasts,
automatically downloads those files to your computer, ready to be
heard, seen, or read.
iPodderX uses the power of RSS 2.0 feeds to bring fresh content
to your desktop automatically. Just like a newspaper or a cable TV
subscription, RSS feeds can contain different types of content.
Depending on which RSS feeds or Podcasts you subscribe to, iPodderX
will deliver Audio, Movies, Images, Documents, and any other kind
of file right to your computer. With iPodderX, you'll always have
fresh content!
iPodderX Does Audio - Whenever your Podcast subscriptions
contain audio files, iPodderX can move these files into iTunes so
they're ready for you to listen to them. If you've got an iPod,
simply sync it with iTunes, and you've got internet radio to
go!
iPodderX Does Images - iPodderX is also integrated with iPhoto.
If your feed contains images they'll automatically be moved into
their own iPhoto folder. Subscribe to your favorite Flickr feed,
and you will always have fresh images delivered right to you.
iPodderX Does Video - With its built-in media viewer, you can
watch movies and listen to audio right in iPodderX - no extra
software required.
iPodderX Does Any Kind of File - Whatever your RSS feeds bring
you, iPodderX can handle. Files are stored in a download folder
specified by you. Organize your downloads by Date or by Feed -
whichever you prefer!
You can use iPodderX with any RSS 2.0 feed with enclosures. If
you don't know of any feeds using enclosures, you can browse our
Podcast Directory for the most comprehensive list of Podcasts on
the 'Net!
Podscope, the First Engine to Search
Within a Podcast
PR: TVEyes, the real-time broadcast search provider, has
announced Podscope,
the first engine to search within a Podcast. TVEyes' Podscope,
which makes every word searchable within a podcast, enables the
audio indexing of podcast content, which is equally applicable to
video blogs and personal videos. Podcasts are essentially
downloadable radio programs distributed through RSS that can be put
onto a digital media music player or iPod. Podscope will be
generally available later this month.
This announcement comes in the wake of TVEyes' recent
partnership with Yahoo! to provide real-time broadcast search for
Yahoo! TV.
TVEyes, which has been indexing television and radio broadcasts
since 1999, crawls the web with Podscope looking for podcasts and
creates an index against every word, thereby making the contents
searchable. The user can search on a term, generate a list of
results ranked by a variety of methods to find the most relevant
podcast and click to play or click to download.
"With a looming explosion in such user generated rich content as
Podcasts and video blogs, there is a growing need to empower
consumers to find and subscribe to programs that meet their diverse
interests," commented Allen Weiner, Vice President and Research
Director at Gartner. "Searching and indexing these varied audio and
video programs will not only benefit content-hungry consumers, it
also adds legitimacy and velocity to this burgeoning space."
AudioOutfitters, LLC Introduces iPodez
Line of Accessories
PR: Audio
Outfitters, LLC have announced the introduction of the
iPodez (pronounced iPod easy) line of accessories for the Apple
iPod. With the iPodez product line, AudioOutfitters, has brought to
market great products that are ez to understand, ez to use, and ez
to store, and ez to buy.
According to Charlie Bernstein, President of AudioOutfitters,
LLC "The iPod is such a uniquely popular product across all age
groups and musical tastes. One of the successes of the iPod is its'
ability to support a large variety of accessories. iPodez
accessories compliment and enhance an iPod owner's experience.
Customer feedback has been outstanding."
All iPodez products work with iPods with dock connectors
including the iPod mini, 3rd Generation iPods, 4th Generation
iPods, HP iPods, and iPod Photos. Some will work with all models of
iPods. There are three initial products in the iPodez product line
- The ezCharge" Car Charger, ezPower" Wall Adapter, and ezLink"
Cables.
The ezCharge Car Charger - The ezCharge car charger works with
all iPods with Dock Connectors, includes a fuse for protection and
an LED. The cord is coiled so that it stays neat in your car. The
ezCharge's list price is $18.99.
The ezPower Wall Power Adapter - The iPod ezPower wall power
adapter, includes a multi-voltage power supply with a built in LED,
and comes in three models - ezPower US for US AC sockets, ezPower
UK for United Kingdom sockets, and ezPower Euro for European
sockets. The US version is UL certified and the UK and Euro
versions have CE certification. The ezPower List price is $27.99
for the US and Euro versions, and $28.49 for the UK version.
The ezLink Data Cables - ezLink data cables work with all iPods
with Dock Connectors. There are currently two ezLink products
available. ezLink USB provides a USB 2.0 connection on one end and
a Dock Connector on the other. ezLink Combo (USB & Firewire)
provides the Dock Connector on one end and then has two cables, one
with USB 2.0 and the other with Firewire. The ezLink USB list price
is $15.99. The ezLink Combo's list price is $18.99.
iPod Deals
For current iPod prices from a variety of sources, see our
Best iPod Deals.
