Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.01.05
This Week's iPod News
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.
News and Comment
Tips
Products
Software
Video iPod Content and Software
News and Comment
'Your Best Bet Is an iPod'
Kiplinger's Sean O'Neill says:
"What terms do you need to understand to buy the right music
player for you? And which tools for downloading music will work
best with your PC? Find out in our Buyer's Guide for Music
Players.
"We fall into two camps when it comes to MP3 players - those
mini machines with massive memories, best known by the standard
bearer, Apple's iPod. While some of us consider them glorified
Walkmen, others consider them the fifth lobe of our brains....
"No technology since the VCR is as revolutionary to personal
entertainment as the MP3 player. And the revolution is just
beginning. More than a third of homes that have computers will also
have iPods within two years, according to analysts at Merrill
Lynch....
"To start, your best bet is an iPod . . . Apple's MP3
players are the easiest to use...."
Link:
In the iPod Zone
Automakers Support the iPod
TechWeb News's Antone Gonsalves reports:
"Automakers are expected to ride the popularity of the iPod and
add support for Apple Computer's portable music player in millions
of cars over the next six years, a research firm said
Wednesday.
"By 2011, the number of U.S. autos with iPod adapters is
expected to reach 28 million from 500,000 this year, according to
the Telematics Research Group. Worldwide, iPod support is expected
in 73 million vehicles in six years from 900,000 this year."
Link:
Automakers Embrace the iPod
Podcasts, Downloads Bringing People to
Church
The Daily Post reports:
"Churches across Merseyside are using the latest technology to
connect with their congregations.
"The use of Internet downloads and podcasts has also encouraged
more people to actually attend services, say church leaders.
"Steve Evans, who runs the podcast service at Bridge Chapel
Christian church in Liverpool, says the online sermons have led to
a surge in worshippers attending in person....
"He said: 'Large numbers of new people are coming down to the
church and joining our congregation simply because of the Internet
downloads and podcasts....
"The Bible is also available to buy as a 77-hour MP3 and the
Vatican's own radio show is streamed on the Internet to download to
music players.
"The Rev Dr Shannon Ledbetter, of St Mary's Church in Knowsley
Village, believes the iPod could revolutionise worshipping for the
young and old alike.
"Dr Ledbetter, 43, who appeared in the 1997 James Bond film,
Tomorrow Never Dies, believes the technological breakthrough
could be a 'godsend' for the housebound.
"She said: 'For the elderly and housebound, this is a fantastic
- all you need to do is fix them up with an iPod and they're good
to go.'"
Link:
iPod Link Tunes in for Churches
How to Fill Your Video iPod for Free
The Canadian Press's Scott Edmonds says:
"So, you're the lucky possessor of a new video iPod.
"Just what are you going to use it for? Think about that one for
a minute.
"You could shell out $1.99 US to watch an old episode of
Desperate Housewives on the small screen. And we are talking really
SMALL screen here.
"Oh, whoops, you're a Canadian and you can't even do that. On
this side of the 49th, you're stuck with Pixar animated shorts and
music videos from the iTunes store....
"Just as nature abhors a vacuum, content providers hate a medium
without a message.
"Some must have been poised to start offering video podcasts
(a.k.a., vodcasts, vidcasts) almost before Apple's Steve Jobs
walked off the stage where he unveiled his latest baby last
October....
"And the good news is plenty are absolutely free, although
sometimes it's easy to see why.
"Here's a sample of what can be found on the web by those who
want to keep the cost of stuffing their new video iPod to a
minimum...."
Link: How
to Fill That Video iPod - for Free
A Competitive Nation - by Design
BusinessWeek says:
"'Designed in the USA, built in China.' These words, which
appear on the bottom of every iPod, underscore Apple's (AAPL)
justly deserved reputation for understanding the value of design
and its relevance to corporate strategy. A quick search on Google
(GOOG) reveals that a few other U.S. manufacturers make the claim
'Designed in the USA' for their products....
"Without the global success of Apple's iPod, would these words
carry the same value? And what is the importance of this phrase,
globally, in the context of increasing concern regarding America's
battle for competitive advantage as India and China raise their
innovative profile and GDPs?"
Link: A
Competitive Nation, by Design
Tips
DIY FM Transmitter for Your iPod shuffle
Ars Technica's Jeff Smykil reports:
"We like hacks. We like when someone takes their Macintosh or
Macintosh-related accessory, or just a bunch of parts really, and
creates something new or unique out of it. We really like it when
said hack is clean and looks professional or factory made. That's
why we like the iMouse FM Transmitter that Make pointed us to this
morning."
Link: DIY
"iMouse" FM Transmitter with Your iPod shuffle
Products
iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger
PR: iTrip Auto, the newest addition to the iTrip lineup,
is the most versatile iTrip to date, accommodating every dock
connector iPod, including iPod nano and 5th Generation iPods with
video. iTrip Auto combines Griffin's renowned FM transmitter
technology with an integrated charger.
Designed
specifically for use in the car, iTrip Auto's large, easy-to-read
backlit LCD screen affords quick, precise station selection and
easy status at a glance.
iTrip Auto uses the audio line out from the iPod's dock
connector and optimizes the output volume. Speaker volume can be
controlled solely from the car stereo controls, without having to
adjust the iPod's volume level.
iTrip Auto brings with it all the innovations of its iTrip
lineage, including selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality
audio under real-world conditions, US and International tuning
modes, Griffin's RF technology, and the trademark Griffin
world-class industrial design.
Works with
- 3rd Generation iPod with touch wheel and buttons
- iPod mini
- 4th Generation iPod with Click Wheel
- iPod photo
- iPod U2 Special Edition
- 4th Generation iPod with Color Screen
- iPod nano
- 5th Generation iPod with Video
Price: $69
Link: iTrip
Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod
Sonnet's USB Power Adapters for iPod
PR: Sonnet Technologies has announced a new line of
compact USB power adapters for 4th and 5th generation iPod models,
iPod mini, iPod shuffle, and iPod nano. Sonnet's iPod USB Power
Adapter is small, curvy, and versatile - it's about 2/3 the size of
its competition - the blades fold away when not in use for easy
travel storage, and its universal power compatibility enables
worldwide use. Its non-polarized blades allow the adapter to be
plugged in with the USB outlet face up or down, perfect for use in
tight spots. With an MSRP of only US$19.95, it's a great value too
- the included USB-to-dock connector cable is a $19 value
alone!
Sonnet's iPod USB Power Adapter is a simply fast way to
charge an iPod without starting up a computer. Just plug in the
adapter, and then connect the included cable between it and the
iPod (iPod shuffle connects without the cable). "With each
succeeding generation, the number of accessories bundled with iPod
has been reduced, and the power adapter brick is no longer
included," states Robert Farnsworth, Sonnet CEO. "Sonnet's USB
power adapters offer iPod users an attractive and inexpensive
choice for charging the device anywhere there's a power outlet."
Farnsworth noted that the included cable may also be used with a
computer, providing the user even more flexibility. At home or
away, Sonnet USB power adapters let you love your iPod even
longer!
Key Features
- Charges iPod any time it isn't connected to a computer
- Available in black or white, and includes matching dock
cable
- Best value charger for iPod
- Supports iPod fast charge
- Wall socket prongs fold away for easy travel storage
- 100-240V, 50/60 Hz universal compatibility for worldwide
use
- 1 year limited warranty
iPod Compatibility
Sonnet's iPod USB Power Adapters are compatible with the
following models:
iPod with video, iPod with color display, iPod photo, iPod with
Click Wheel, iPod mini, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle
Sonnet's iPod USB Power Adapters (Part numbers IPOD-AC-CHG-W and
IPOD-AC-CHG-B, for US, Canada, and Japan) are available immediately
with an MSRP of USD $19.95.
Also Available
Sonnet will release iPod USB Power Adapters (Part numbers
IPOD-AC-CHG-WE and IPOD-AC-CHG-BE) for the European market
(excluding the UK) on January 3, 2006. Nearly identical to the US
version, these adapters include Euro plugs that do not fold
away.
Link: Sonnet
Technologies USB Power Adapter for iPod
Pelican i1030 Micro Case Protects iPod and iPod
mini
PR: Digital music lovers can breathe a little easier
knowing their Apple iPod is protected in the new Pelican Products
i1030 Micro Case
The i1030 is a tough, watertight case with a molded rubber
compartment that fits the Apple iPod (3rd and 4th generations),
iPod mini with belt clip, and the new iPod video. A separate cavity
holds the USB or FireWire cable and the lid has plenty of space to
organize music-lovers' earphones and AC adapter. A detachable
light-reflecting nylon strap is also included.
The i1030 Micro Case with Pelican's trademarked "Dual Band"
design has a high impact polycarbonate shell that stands up to
punishing conditions. The strong latch with stainless steel pins
keeps the case closed after drops and hard knocks, and the
shock-absorbing liner doubles as a watertight seal. Plus, the
pressure-balancing Gore-Tex® valve keeps moisture out and makes
it easier to open the case after altitude changes.
The i1030 has a tough polycarbonate shell that stands up to
extreme environments. The strong latch with stainless steel pins
keeps the case closed after drops and hard knocks. The shock
absorbing molded rubber liner doubles as a watertight seal. Plus,
the automatic pressure release valve with one-way membrane
equalizes air pressure at high altitudes and keeps water molecules
out. The i1030 is available in white or yellow.
Features:
- Tough watertight protector for the iPod 3G, 4G, 5G
- Lid organizer holds accessories
- Automatic pressure release valve equalizes air pressure and
keeps water out
- Detachable nylon strap
- As with all Pelican products, the i1030 Micro Case is backed by
a Legendary Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence: "You break it we
replace it . . . forever."
Compatible with all iPod and iPod mini models.
Price: $39.95
DLO Relaxed Leather Cases for video iPod and
iPod nano
PR: You've never seen any iPod case like this before.
Choose from relaxed styles that mix browns and suedes, and anything
but basic black, to give your iPod a personality that's as
individual as you are.
Protect your iPod - from normalcy
The DLO Relaxed Leather designer cases come in suede and
distressed leather styles that feature touches like contrast
stitching and brass rivets. Styles range from the Snowflake to the
Zig Zag stitch - six different designs for you to choose from.
The Relaxed Leather cases each
feature a protective flip-over cover with its own style and feel.
The beautiful DLO Relaxed Leather cases are made from genuine
rawhide that only gets softer and cooler looking as its worn and
broken in. They feature a leather covered belt clip for an easy fit
on your hip.
The handy inside pocket will store ID, business cards or cash.
The play-thru design offers access to all iPod controls, dock
connector and headphone port. So get your leather on with DLO's new
Relaxed Leather cases for iPod.
Quick Facts
- Genuine leather iPod cases fit the current look with casual
style
- Every case is hand crafted from 100% leather making each case
unique
- Concealed pocket on underside of flap is perfect fro ID cards,
notes, or cash money
- Play-thru design offers access to all controls, dock connector
& headphone jack
- Flexible case adjusts to fit all sizes of 4G iPods including 20
GB, 30 GB, 40 GB, 60 GB, and U2 iPods
Relaxed Leather - $34.99
"Relaxed Leather Cases" for iPod nano
Relaxed Leather cases as unique as you are.
Unique. With the millions of iPod nanos in the
world, it's getting harder to call your iPod nano special.
Introducing the Relaxed Leather cases from DLO. Original designs
that protect your iPod nano - from normalcy.
The new Relaxed Leather Cases for iPod nano come in 10 different
styles and are made from high-quality genuine leather. Each case
has a specific design on its flip-up cover that sets it apart.
Styles range from Suede and Antique Leather to Distressed Leather
with Railroad Stitch and even a "Stingray" case.
The Relaxed Leather cases each feature a protective flip-over
cover with its own style and feel. The beautiful DLO Relaxed
Leather cases for nano are made from genuine rawhide that only gets
softer and cooler looking as its worn and broken in. They feature a
leather covered belt clip for an easy fit on your hip.
Quick Facts
- Genuine leather iPod nano cases fit the current look with
casual style
- Every case is hand crafted from 100% leather making each case
unique
- Play-thru design offers access to all controls, dock connector
& headphone jack
Relaxed Leather for nano $29.99
Link: Relaxed
Leather Case for video iPod
Link:
Relaxed Leather Case for iPod nano
Silicone Skins Protect iPod nano from
Scratching
PR: After increasing media reports about the Apple iPod
nano's susceptibility to scratches, Laserline introduced an iPod
nano accessory that repels dust and scratches. Laserline's Silicone
Skins are made of lightweight, high-grade, waterproof silicone
elastomer that won't break, snap, tear, pill or split like
rubber.
The Laserline silicone skins are translucent membranes that fit
snugly around the Apple iPod nano. The shock-absorbing material
protects against accidental bumps as well
as annoying fingerprints and scratches. The skins have an
antistatic feature which repels the dust that can scratch and harm
an iPod. Because the skins are waterproof, rain, snow or sweat are
not problems, so users can take their music with them wherever they
go in complete comfort and style.
"This is a stylish and affordable way to protect your
investment," says Jack Graham, vice president of sales for
Laserline. "And we have Silicone Skins to fit all iPod models not
just the nano."
Apple iPod nanos are so portable they can be slipped into a
shirt pocket or the small coin pocket of a user's jeans - but left
unprotected, they are subject to annoying scratches that can
distort the screen and impact their sleek look. The Laserline
Silicone Skins are the perfect iPod nano accessory.
Laserline Silicone skins for the Apple iPod nano are available
in a variety of colors including: pale baby pink, icy blue, pearly
white and not-so-basic black. Customers can also purchase the skins
in convenient two-packs of white/black, pink/purple and blue/green.
Five-packs of white, black, blue, green and pink are also
available.
Laserline Silicone skins are available online at iPod nano
accessory skins for $14.99 and come with a free neck lanyard and
wrist strap.
Link: Laserline
foneGear Launches tuneGear Music
Accessories
PR: foneGear LLC has announced the product launch and
forthcoming availability of tuneGear, a complete line of
high-quality iPod and audio accessories, which will be on display
at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas,
Nevada (Booth 35632).
"tuneGear is a brand new concept in accessorizing the audio
after-market," according to Jonathan Stein, foneGear's marketing
manager. "We are the first company to develop and market a complete
'one-stop' approach to audio accessories - you can get everything
from premium earbud headphones to charging solutions to FM radio
transmitters to exquisite leather cases from tuneGear."
The tuneGear line will be initially comprised of five main
categories: headphones, charging solutions, carrying solutions,
FM-radio transmitters, and "Music Experience Enhancements."
Headphones will be available in several universally compatible
varieties. All tuneGear headsets provide a high quality stereo
listening experience, and include basic ear buds, "audio-foam"
cushioned headsets with volume control, ear-clip sports ear buds
with volume control, and premium ear buds with volume control, a
lightweight aluminum housing, and high fidelity stereo sound.
Premium ear buds produce deep bass through upgraded 14mm speakers.
The tuneGear headphone line also includes versions of the premium
ear buds included in lanyard holders for both Apple iPod®
Shuffle® and iPod nano® music players.
Charging solutions will initially cover the Apple iPod music
players, the iPod mini®, and the iPod nano. Products include
12V vehicle chargers, retractable USB sync and charging cables, and
home and away travel chargers. Also available for all covered
models is a computer dock that allows the player to sync and charge
with a computer while displaying the iPod upright.
tuneGear carrying solutions include a wide range of products for
a variety of players. tuneGear cases will be available in premium
leather for in both clear-front pouch and protective cover flap
versions for the Apple iPod music players, the iPod mini, and the
iPod nano. A premium leather case with a protective flap will also
be available for the iPod Shuffle. Durable tuneGear leather
holsters will be available for the Apple iPod, the iPod mini, and
the iPod nano. A universal armband kit will provide four holders in
one package for carrying any iPod music player on an included
elastic armband.
Three FM-radio transmitters will initially be available from
tuneGear. The '3-in-1' 12V transmitter is a vehicle cradle for the
Apple iPod, the iPod mini, and the iPod nano, that allows users to
play their iPod over their vehicle's FM radio, charge their iPod,
and safely cradle it at a viewable angle. The '3-in-1' 12V
transmitter for iPod Shuffle is a vehicle cradle for the Apple
Shuffle player that allows users to play their iPod Shuffle over
their vehicle's FM radio, charge their iPod, and safely cradle it
while driving. The tuneGear battery-powered FM-radio transmitter is
a universal device for any music player with a 3.5mm audio jack. It
uses two AAA-sized batteries to transmit to any home or vehicle FM
radio.
Music Experience Enhancements include a range of products
designed to increase the utility and fun factor of any music
player. Available products will include dashboard sticky pads,
signal splitters to allow multiple users to listen to the same
player, and powerful, compact portable speakers that fold for
travel and work easily with any iPod, MP3 player, notebook computer
or CD player with 3.5mm audio jack to provide clear, room-filling
sound.
"To say we're excited about tuneGear is the understatement of
the year," said Ken Eisenbraun, president of foneGear. "Our goal is
to make tuneGear the one-stop brand for high-quality music
accessories, and we are looking forward to beginning sales in
January." The complete tuneGear line, which will be on sale in
January 2006, will be on display along with the entire line of
foneGear wireless phone accessories in Booth 35632 at the 2006 CES
Show.
Software
Rip to iPod
PR: Rip to iPod rips each enabled (check-marked) CD track
to iTunes and immediately copies it to your iPod, deletes the file,
and removes the track from the iTunes library, giving the
appearance of seamless CD-to-iPod importing. You can also change
your encoder on-the-fly and your Preferences-set encoder will be
restored after the rip. Works in OS 9 and OS X.
- Latest version allows you to select one of two or more loaded
CDs, one of two or more mounted iPods.
- See the entry at .
New in version 1.5:
- Choose one of two or more loaded CDs to rip enabled tracks
from
- Choose one of two or more mounted iPods to which to load ripped
CD files
System requirements:
- Mac OS 9.0 or later
- CarbonLib
- iTunes 2.0.4 or later
Free
Link: Rip to
iPod
iPod.iTunes: And the Music Goes on
PR: iPod.iTunes allows you to sync your iPod to Apple's
iTunes MP3 playing software. It copies your tracks and playlists
from your iPod to iTunes.
Unlike other iPod software to copy songs off the iPod,
iPod.iTunes does real add-synchronization, even in two directions
if desired:
Source Target
iPod - -> iTunes
iTunes - -> iPod(from iTunes to iPod is especially useful if
you want to synchronize from iTunes to a non-linked iPod)
iPod.iTunes evaluates the source for songs, videos and/or
playlists that are not in the target and only adds these
seamlessly, avoiding duplicates, saving your time. Unlike iTunes'
"auto update" function iPod.iTunes generally does not delete
content in the target. iPod.iTunes can also transfer song dependent
data like "My Rating", "Last Played", "Play Count", album artwork,
etc...
8 synchronization modes in 2 directions (from iPod to iTunes and
from iTunes to iPod).
Simple one click synchronization (Screenshot).
Option to choose songs manually if you don't want to synchronize
them all. You can listen to songs before you choose to transfer
them.
Songs and playlist entries can be synchronized together or
separately. If the songs on the iPod are already in the iTunes
library and you only want the iPod playlists, you can use the
playlist synchronization alone.
With every song synchronization iPod.iTunes creates a
date&time stamped playlist in iTunes containing the songs which
were transferred. This gives the option to easily add those songs
to existing playlists or to create new playlists from the
transferred songs.
Support for the iPod's "On The Go" playlist.
Copies by default seamlessly to the iTunes music folder and
creates a folder structure based on artist/album, as in iTunes
(with options).
File naming based on song number and song name, as in
iTunes.
File formats: MP3, AAC/MP4, Protected AAC (iTunes Music Store),
Audible audio books, Podcasts, Apple Lossless, Video.
Support for Windows-formatted iPods.
iPod.iTunes can run directly from the iPod, so it's always there
when you need it.
Registration is independent of the computer. You can just
connect your iPod to any Mac without registering every machine.
iPod.iTunes can be used to
Keep songs, videos and playlists on different Macs and iPods up
to date.
Do a full restore of songs, videos and playlists from iPod- i.e.
after a hard disk failure or if you buy a new Mac.
Revert accident deletion of songs, videos and/or playlists in
iTunes, if these are still on your iPod.
Transfer an iTunes library from one Mac to another via the
iPod.
Update a foreign iPod which is not linked to your iTunes library
(without deleting content on it or touching the link).
Update a linked iPod (without deleting content on it as iTunes'
"auto update" does when tracks on the iPod are no longer in the
iTunes library).
Clone an iPod (see Help menu in iPod.iTunes).
New in version 3.0
- Synchronization in two directions: Beside synchronization from
iPod to iTunes you can now also synchronize from iTunes to iPod.
This is helpful if you want to:
- update a foreign iPod which is not linked to your iTunes
library (without deleting content on it or touching the link).
- update a linked iPod (without deleting content on it as iTunes'
"auto update" does when tracks on the iPod are no longer in the
iTunes library).
- Many small changes in the user interface.
- Various small improvements and bug fixes.
System requirements:
iPod.iTunes 3.0 supports:
- Mac OS 10.2 up to 10.4.3
- iTunes 3.0.1 up to 6.0.1
- Mac/PC-formatted iPod with firmware 1.0 up to 6.0. Does
currently not work with the iPod shuffle.
Download
iPod.iTunes 1.8.1 supports:
- Mac OS 10.1.2 up to 10.1.5
- iTunes 2.0.4 up to 3.0.1
- Mac-formatted iPod with firmware 1.0 up to 1.2.2. Does not work
with the iPod shuffle.
Download old version
iPod.iTunes is not free. If you like it, you can register here.
iPod.iTunes can be tested without a registration to see it in
action. The unregistered version skips about 50% of songs during
synchronization (the exact rate depends on the contents on the
iPod). When registering later, iPod.iTunes will transfer the rest
of songs and/or playlists seamlessly to the iTunes library, without
duplicates.
Link: iPod.iTunes
iPodDisk Makes Copying Music from Your
iPod Easy
PR: iPodDisk is designed to make it easy and intuitive to
copy music off iPod; it enables you to do so within the Finder, or
whatever application that can read files.
iPodDisk 1.0 beta 1 Released
This iPodDisk's first step toward a 1.0 release, changes since
0.3.1 are relatively small:
- fixed a bug found in 0.3.1 that iPodDisk.app couldn't be shared
among accounts on a Mac when installed by the administrator.
- clean up temporary files and release resources upon exit.
It's the same as nightly build 2005-12-21, so if you already
have that build you don't need to download it again.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Free
Link: iPodDisk
iPod2Copy 1.2
PR: With iPod2Copy, recover and save all your songs in
your iTunes library, it saves all the playlists in one click and is
made to run with iTunes,
- Backup iPod playlists,
- Keep song and playlists order,
- Many exportation format in subfolders,
- Retrieve your play count, last date played and ratings
informations
New in version 1.2:
- adds support of specials characters in playlists
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
Demoware
Link: iPod2Copy
Pod2Go 1.6
PR: Pod2Go 1.6 has been released! Lyrics has been
reworked completely, syncing has been heavily improved for Apps and
News, multiple iPods can be handled more gracefully, News now
imports feeds from other applications, Backup uses rsync to produce
faster backups, Music correctly plays back videos from the new
iPods with video, and much more! Pod2Go is also now a Universal
Binary!
Think your iPod was designed just for music? Think again!
If you're not taking full use of your iPod's extended
capabilities, then you're missing out! You may ask, "What other
capabilities?" The iPod has a few extra features on it that allow
you to view your address book contacts, calendars, to-dos, and even
notes!
This is where Pod2Go comes in to play. Pod2Go takes any iPod
(except the shuffle), whether it's the first iPod ever created, a
brand new iPod color, or an iPod mini, and expands the
functionality of it by putting a variety of textual content onto it
for your reading enjoyment.
For example, on your ride to work, you could be staying
up-to-date with the latest news, checking tomorrow's weather
forecast, browsing the local theater's movie showtimes, or getting
directions to that new restaurant across town. Or if you're a
college student, you could be studying those Word formatted notes
your buddy emailed you before your exam, without books or papers.
If you're an email addict, you can keep those important messages
with you wherever you go. There's an endless stream of
possibilities!
New in this version:
General
- Pod2Go now can optionally be setup to only sync to one iPod for
each user account on your computer. Settings for this can be
changed in the Preferences
- The new iPods do not contain a file that Pod2Go reads to get
the iPod's name - this was causing some issues with the Notes
utility not showing, and the iPod menu not loading, resulting in no
syncing. This has been fixed.
- If you hold down the Option key, the Sync menu in the iPod menu
now becomes "Sync and Eject"
- If you have the preferences setup to sync when your iPod is
connected, you can now disable the automatic sync when you connect
your iPod by holding down the Option and Command keys
simultaneously
- A big request for download timeouts has been implemented.
Whenever a server went down, or the URL would take too long to
download, Pod2Go would just hang, and you'd have to cancel the sync
and start over. Now it just skips it and moves on after a few
seconds. You can change the download timeout in the Preferences
window.
- Improved "rendering" of text. Pod2Go attempts to parse HTML
entities and removes any text between <style> and
<select> tags in web pages
- The Utilities window now remembers the last selected
utility
- When clearing the sync log entries, you must confirm the action
by pressing OK
- Pod2Go's now a Universal Binary, so it requires 10.3.9 or
greater
- The "Last Sync Info" note that can be optionally synced to your
iPod should now be properly localized
Apps
- Mail has been completely reworked. No longer does it use
AppleScript to communicate with Mail.app (which required Mail.app
to be open). Now it reads from the same files Mail.app does, and is
significantly faster (although the first sync will be slower).
Syncing will be slightly faster when Mail is not open also. Also
added an option "Flagged messages only".
- I've also implemented a new sync method for iCal. This new
method is how it should have been done a long, long time ago. It
doesn't use any AppleScripts, and works fast.
- With the new iPods (5G), you can have a photo displayed with
any contact in full living color. This is to my knowledge the only
other feature besides Videos that the new iPod has separate from
the nano. If you don't have a 5G iPod, leave the option to display
photos turned off, as it will keep the vCard file size down. Make
sure in Address Book.app, under the vCard item in Preferences that
you have the vCard version set to 3.0 if you want photo
output.
- Added a "Do Not Clear Calendars/Contacts" option in Address
Book and iCal so if you are syncing calendars and contacts to your
iPod from more than one computer, they will not be erased each time
you sync. For example, at Home you would sync calendars and
contacts, and then go to Work and do the same. Normally when you
sync at Work, all your Home contacts/calendars are erased. But with
these options, they are not erased, even if you uncheck iCal or
Address Book in the Apps tool
- Fixed a bug where if you had no apps checked, but the sync
before you had 1 or more, the notes wouldn't be deleted from your
iPod.
Lyrics
- The entire interface and code has been reworked for 1.6 since
1.5. You can now easily download lyrics for your iTunes music
(requires iTunes 5 or later) and then import those lyrics to your
iPod (click the iPod button below or drag and drop), which sync as
before like Notes or Contacts. There is also a button for clearing
the lyrics of any selected songs. Be careful - when editing iTunes
lyrics there is no undo of any kind! And Pod2Go will overwrite any
lyrics without asking!
News
- Support for importing NetNewsWire feeds has been added. These
will show up in the Sources window when you click the + button. You
can also import any RSS or Atom feeds you have bookmarked in Safari
(requires Safari 2.0+ for Tiger) too.
- The window for adding new feeds has been refreshed and
reorganized.
- Added support for feed:// URLs
- Command-I now works for the info button at the bottom
Backup
- Backup now uses the rsync utility (built-in to Mac OS X) to do
its backups. This is a much faster method, and the Backup syncs can
now be canceled almost immediately.
Text
- Instead of the 3-tabbed interface for adding text files, Text
now uses a little pop up at the bottom.
- A bug has been fixed where some plain text files that weren't
UTF-8 encoded weren't loading.
- Added support for plain text files without extensions
Music
- Music has also been updated to correctly handle the playing of
videos off the new 5G iPods, which appear in a new window and pause
any music that you're currently playing in Pod2Go when played.
- Fixed a bug with audio files that change their album art (i.e.
New Music Tuesday podcast). When playing these songs, the album art
would show up in the top left corner of the screen.
Launcher
- If Launcher is syncing .app's created from an Automator
actions, it will wait for the app to finish execution before it
continues
Link: Pod2Go
iWriter: Take Full Advantage of the iPod
Notes Feature
PR: iWriter allows users of all experience levels to take
full advantage of the iPod Notes feature. iWriter is an extremely
open-ended utility that has a wide array of uses ranging all the
way from entertainment to education. By allowing users to create
iPod projects with linked pages, iWriter helps you design and
construct elaborate interactive text documents that effortlessly
allow people to access endless varieties of information.
Multi Page Notes
iWriter lets you create multi page notes that link to each other
so you can get past the 4k size limit on iPods. You can also link
to audio files which can play while you read the text
Built-in Preview
You can preview your notes without the need to transfer to an
iPod with iWriter's built in preview.
Export to iPod
iWriter lets you export your notes straight to the Notes folder
of your iPod so there's no need to drag several files over via the
file system.
Export as a Website
If keeping your notes on your iPod isn't good enough, then
iWriter lets you export them as a website - using one of several
themes - so that you can share your notes online with the rest of
the world.
New in version 1.0.3
- Fixed crash when saving large amounts of text
- Fixed crash cause when iWriter can't connect to the server to
check for updates
- Vastly improved undo feature
- Improved preview output
- Cleaned up XNP output
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later
iWriter lets you create notes for the following types of iPod: -
5G iPod (Video) - 4G iPod (Click Wheel) - 3G iPod (Touch Wheel) -
iPod mini - iPod nano - U2 iPod - iPod photo
$12 Shareware - Try iWriter's features for free for 15 days
before you decide to buy
Link: iWriter
iStar Composer 1.1
PR: iStar Composer creates synchronized lyrics on the Mac
to export to the iPod and iTunes. iStar Composer finds lyrics, but
more importantly allows you to sync them to a song and then allows
you to export the synchronized lyrics into a new music file (AAC)
that will play/display in iTunes and on the iPod.
Musicians
Composers, Garage Band users, singers, song writers, recording
studios and music publishers will all find that iStar Composer is a
powerful tool to create, promote and enhance their music. Test out
that new song with different lyrics. Export your latest songs with
embedded lyrics that can be seen by others in iTunes and on the
iPod. Rock, classical, jazz, opera, blues, country, and
international music all benefit. Be understood not just heard.
Podcasters
iStar Composer lets podcasters add extra detail to their
podcasts. Now you can add extra information such as notes,
translations and the names of guests. iStar Composer can even allow
the hearing impaired to experience a podcast for the first
time.
Educators
iStar Composer is a great tool for education. Add notes to a
professors lecture. Learn lines to a play or opera. Listen to
foreign languages and immediately see the translation.
Kids and Parents
iStar Composer is also great for creating nursery rhymes, find
some music add the lyrics, export to iTunes. Bedtimes will never be
the same.
Bring Lyrics Back To Life
Downloadable music is very convenient but it has always been
missing one thing that was available in the past and that is
LYRICS! In the 60's and 70's records had lyrics on the back of the
albums. In the 80's and 90's CD's had lyrics in the inserts.
Downloadable music does not have lyrics. This loss is remedied by
iStar Composer an original application that doesn't just add lyrics
but makes synchronized lyrics available on the Mac, in iTunes and
on the iPod.
iStar Composer has some very original tools and techniques to
line up the lyrics with the music. These tools make it easy to
quickly add synchronized lyrics for any kind of song you own."
iStar Composer can be used for editing and displaying lyrics,
opera, karaoke, jokeoke (where people imitate a Robin Williams or
another comedy routine), poetryoke (poems done to music),
children's stories or children music, translation of text or
lyrics, display of text for any audio track. And it is fun almost
like playing a video game.
User Created Examples
Music, speeches, lectures, stories, in the future there will be
examples you can download here. Feel free to contact and send us
your compositions.
Much more to come
iStar Composer is just beginning. We have many features and
surprises on the way and we welcome your contributions.
System requirements:
- Mac OS 10.4
- QuickTime 7.0.3
- Apple's Chapter Tool
- color or video iPod (optional)
iStar Composer sells for $30
Link: iStar
Composer
Video iPod Content and Software
Pod Comic Caster
PR: Pod Comic Caster v 1.0 is designed to publish 320 x
240 Comics for 5th Generation iPods. Comic Caster is a QuickTime
based action that speeds up the process in a few mouse clicks. Your
End Product will be a QuickTime File that will run a page in a
chosen slide duration. That will be sized and formatted to view on
a video iPod.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.4 or later,
- QuickTime 7 Pro,
- 5th Generation (video) iPod.
Free
Link: Pod Comic Caster 1.0
LoadPod launches DVD Movie Loading
Service for Video iPod
PR: LoadPod has launched a DVD movie loading service for
users of the new Fifth Generation "video iPod" in eight major U.S.
cities. LoadPod picks up the customer's video iPod and DVD
collection at the customer's home or office, and returns the iPod
fully loaded in a few days. Movies are encoded into 320x240 display
format, ideal for the video iPod's screen, and take up an average
of less than one gigabyte of iPod space apiece. iPod Movie Loading
service is currently available in New York City, Chicago, Fort
Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and
Seattle.
LoadPod invented the iPod loading industry in early 2004 when it
became the first and only nationwide service to load a customer's
existing music CD collection into their iPod via in-person service.
Today, LoadPod is proud to extend its services to include loading a
customer's existing DVD movie collection into their video iPod. As
with all LoadPod services, iPod Movie Loading requires no shipping,
traveling, labor, or hassle on the part of the customer. Customers
can place their iPod Movie Loading order starting today.
Link: LoadPod DVD Movie
Loading Service
Podner 1.2.1
PR: Wondering how to make the most of the new iPod - the
one that plays movies and music videos? Looking for an easy way to
get your movies into an iTunes-compatible format? Not sure how to
get the best results from QuickTime Pro? Say howdy to your new
Podner.
Reformatting your movie collection into iPod-ready files is a
cinch with Podner. And, it's up to six times faster than QuickTime
Pro's Movie to iPod (320 x 240) option. Just drag your movie files
to the Podner window, tweak the settings (if you want) then let
Podner get to work. You can even set up a batch of dozens of files
and simply walk away.
Afterwards, your movies show up in a special playlist in iTunes.
Then, just let iTunes synchronize with your iPod and you're good to
go. It's all in a day's work for you and Podner.
Even if you're still waiting for your new iPod, or just want to
use iTunes to manage your movies, you can get started now. Podner
can reformat your movie files or just make them iTunes-compatible,
but it doesn't require an iPod. It's even friendly with DivX and
WMV files when the appropriate QuickTime components are
installed.
Sound difficult? Shoot us an email and we'll get back to you
pronto with extra help. Splasm is known for its fast and friendly
customer support.
Minimum System Requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.3.9
- iTunes 6 *
- QuickTime 7.0.3 *
- Temporary hard drive space equivalent to 3x the size of each
processed movie file
* Both iTunes and QuickTime can be downloaded or updated for
free at www.apple.com
Podner Pricing: $9.95.
Download Podner and convert 2.5 minutes of any movies you have
to view on your iPod or within iTunes.
Link: Podner
1.2
iSquint iPod Video Conversion App
PR: iSquint is an iPod video conversion app. It's up to 5
times faster than Apple's method, works well with AVIs and MPEGs,
and it's infinitely free-er.
It's also rather easy.
Drag in your file, click "Start", and away you go. You can even
set screen-size and quality preferences.
On a 1.5 GHz G4, iSquint can convert most video files to
iPod-screen-sized videos in realtime. Depending on a few factors, a
20 minute video will take up anywhere from 50-150 MB of disk
space.
New in version 0.9m:
- H.264 SUPPORT! ...and I mean it this time! H.264 gets the same
5 quality presets tailored for iPod compliance.
- Resizable interface!
- TV-sized files that are iPod-resolution-kosher don't get
resized while converting.
- I now rename all files to end in .m4v.
- Made some improvements to time-remaining estimations.
- Fixed some weird aspect-detection problems with some weird
clips.
- Wow. I did a lot today. I don't even remember half the things I
did...
- Figured out the weird AppleScript number variable issue.
Affected users are informed.
- There is no 0.9l. Sans-serif lowercase L is a wimpy, stupid
letter. Imagine living in Illinois. Doesn't that look ridiculous? I
deal with it every day.
System requirements:
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
Free
Link: iSquint
podFlicks: Your Personal iPod Movie
Manager
PR: podFlicks is a standalone application that will
convert your movies into a format acceptable by the Fifth
Generation iPods which have video playback capability (these iPods
are also being referred to as the Wide iPod or Video iPods). No
longer do you need to rely on QuickTime Pro and iTunes to get your
video content onto your iPod. Just select your movie and click a
button; podFlicks will prepare your movie and copy it to the iPod
where you will be able to view the movie with a scroll and a click
on the iPod. It just doesn't get any easier to get your movies from
your Mac computer onto your Video iPod.
podFlicks will take care of all the tedious details of getting
your video content into a format that is compatible with the video
iPods. No longer do you have to guess how to configure QuickTime,
tweak the settings for the best quality and wait for the conversion
process to be complete only to have iTunes reject the converted
movie. podFlicks will automatically convert your content into an
acceptable format and copy the movie directly to your iPod. Once
the conversion is complete - eject your iPod, traverse to the
Video: Movies menu, select your Movie and press play.
Simply open the input movie, select the movie Destination, the
Quality, the Destination iPod and click a button. podFlicks will
convert the input movie to a local file on your hard drive, copy
that file directly to your iPod and update the iPod's database so
that the movie is viewable on it. After the conversion, simply
eject your iPod, traverse to the Video: Movies menu, select your
movie and click the iPod's Play button. It just does not get any
easier than that!
podFlicks interface is simple yet intuitive. Simply pick the
destination for your movies (either the iPod Color Display or the
iPod Video Output) and a quality setting (Good, Better or Best) and
off you go. Your movie will be converted to a file format
acceptable by the iPod. Once the conversion is complete, simply
eject the iPod and the movie will appear in the Video: Movies
folder of the iPod. You can also check a box if you would like the
iPod to remember the playback position - this is preferable for
long movies.
Features
The easiest all in one solution for managing video content for
your iPod.
Convert your movies into an iPod compatible format - no need for
QuickTime Pro.
Transfer Movies directly to your Fifth Generation iPod - no need
to use iTunes to sync to the iPod
The Quickest way to get your movies onto your iPod, configure a
couple of settings, click a button and off you go!
Distinct Movie Library: keep your Movies separate from your
audio collection.
It's a Snap
- Open your input movie.
- Select the Destination: iPod's Color Display or the Video
Output.
- Select the Quality: Good, Better or Best.
- Select the iPod that you would like to copy the movie to.
- Click the Just Do It button.
Requirements
- Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
- QuickTime 7.0 or later.
- iPod which supports video - currently there is only one - the
Wide iPod or Video iPod.
$19.99 Shareware
Link: podFlicks
No Frills DVD2iPod for Mac OS X
PR: Advantages of No Frills DVD2iPod
- Drop a handful of unencrypted .VOB or .mpg files and/or folders
containing unencrypted .VOB files or .mpg files (such as a VIDEO_TS
folder on a DVD you made with iDVD), and all of them will be
converted.
- You can drag the source files/folders even from a non-writable
directory such as a mounted DVD volume.
To use No Frills DVD2iPod, follow these steps.
1. Set the proportions for the converted movie file(s)
Most homemade DVDs will probably be formatted for TV (4:3).
Wide screen and Extra wide screen format options are also
available.
2. Customize the data rate settings.
Use the slider or the text field if you want to customize the
settings. Default data rate is automatically set when you select
the proportions. If you want to customize these settings, you
should do so after making a selection in the proportions area.
3. Choose destination for converted files.
You can choose to select a destination when you click the
Create button or simply let No Frills DVD2iPod put the converted
files in the same locations as the source files. If you drag
sources from locked destinations such as a DVD video disk while the
Same as source choice selected, you will be prompted for a writable
location when you click the Create button.
4. Drag source files and folders onto the picture in No Frills
DVD2iPod's window.
You can drag unencrypted .VOB or .mpg files and/or folders
containing unencrypted .VOB files or .mpg files (such as a VIDEO_TS
folder on a DVD you made with iDVD), even though other files are
present in nested folders, and all of the appropriate files will be
converted. The hierarchy of the dropped items will be reflected at
the destination if you chose to select your specified location for
converted files.
5. Click Create and wait.
An activity indicator will appear and remain until the
conversion(s) is finished, then a dialog will be displayed
indicating that the operation has completed. You can click "OK"
after receiving the "DONE!" notification and drag more items to
begin a new conversion process.
If you installed version 1.x of No Frills DVD2iPod, you can run
the Remove obsolete support items application to get rid of items
previously installed but no longer needed by No Frills
DVD2iPod.
Using 0SEx to combine .VOB files.
0SEx is a tool that extracts video files from DVD disks. While
it can be used in some cases to decrypt protected video files, it's
most useful with No Frills DVD2iPod to combine several .VOB files
so that selected content can be combined and converted to a single
video file then transferred to an iPod using iTunes.
0SEx's default setting for gathering and combining the files is
precisely the setting you need. You simply have to select which
titles, chapters, and audio content are combined into the resulting
.VOB file created by 0SEx.
0SEx's default settings for formatting and segmenting
If two copies of the same title with different screen formatting
are available in 0SEx, You should probably use the one for full
screen (4:3) viewing size.
You can select some chapters and begin the extraction, then stop
0SEx and view the partially extracted file with VLC to see if
you're selecting the right content.
If you prefer, you can convert the .VOB files separately using
No Frills DVD2iPod and add them in the correct order to an iTunes
playlist. The iPod will continue playing each item in the playlist
although there will usually be a brief pause when switching between
files.
Requirements: Mac OS 10.4.3
No Frills DVD2iPod is simple freeware.
Link: DVD2iPod
iPod Deals
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