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Enjoy all 54 news bursts about the Apple iPod posted during 2004. It was a good year for iPod, and Apple is planning on doubling sales in 2005. Let's see if they can do it! ... 2004_ipod.html
Mac guru David Pogue says that there are several iPod Mini rivals worth a look: "Inevitably, the Mini inspired other companies to send in the clones.... choose from four impressive iPod Mini competitors, courtesy of Dell, Rio, Creative and Virgin Electronics.... " www.globetechnology.com
According to this eWeek story, two radiologists recently developed open-source software to display and manipulate medial images on iPods. This is an inventive use of iPods. Perhaps we will see more of these types of uses as time goes by. Read the full story at ... eweek.com
This was mentioned by a member of the InfinitiLoop mailing list. It is the cheapest and smallest FM transmitter I have seen. It is even near my price point. HOpe to have it before my next road trip. See it at ... www.xtrememac.com
Apple has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz USA, Volvo, Nissan, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari to deliver iPod integration with their car stereo systems in 2005 Read more...
MaMug's Dan East says : "iFashion, iBling, I like it!" in this first review of the new iPod shufffle from Apple ... UGN Articles
Markus Giesler, a 28-year-old assistant professor of marketing at York University (Toronto) has earned the moniker 'Professor iPod' conducting a study of iPod users and their music-listening habits. Giesler argues that the iPod is leading the charge toward 'cyborg consumerism,' in which technology is married to the body and we plug into a vast 'hybrid entertainment matrix.'
A company by the name of LoadPod has been offering nationwide a service that will install music from a CD collection to the owners iPod. (Apple Corp of Dallas has a member that does it too.) Now they are offering training. Who'd have thought that it was neccessary. But I know I have had to go to Apple's web site to find out how to move music to my new Mac. See their web site at: www.loadpod.com
We told you about this once before, but no one believed us. Now, Washington Post reporter Robert MacMillan reports New York City transportation officials say portable electronic devices, notably iPods, are almost entirely responsible for a spike in subway crime since the beginning of the year. MacMillan writes: "I hoped to write about something different today, but when Apple's diminutive music players -- or rather, their theft -- can bring Gotham City to its knees, we feel obliged to bring you the details."
The New York Times wrote an article about the new business of iPod Loading. That is for a fee, you can have all your CDs loaded to your iPod. Fees typically run from $1.00 to $1.49 per disk. Perhaps this is a service your user group could perform. Just remember, that the format of the iPod hard drive depends on what type of computer that it is first connected. ... see the full story...
This is an unbelievable use of two Photo iPods. They are attached to an old fashioned stereoscope. This gives the illusion of 3D effect. Check it out at ... www.boingboing.net
A group of students have done a funny take off on the original 1984 Mac commercial in a style that could relate to the iPod marketing. ... see the full story...
The "Unofficial Apple Weblog" is speculating that a FireWire port on the Mac mini could be used to develop an iPod dock. I have seen a lot of speculation that the Mac mini could be Apple's true digital hub. So it sounds like a firm idea. Apple has a story ... or, here's what the Register has to say
The only software that enables iPod compatibility with Windows 98SE and Me, now works just as well with the iPod shuffle. Read more...
New York University has begun publicly warning its students against wearing their iPod earbud headphones in New York city. iPod's signature white earbud headphones are a blatant invitation for thieves looking to hijack iPods. There have been an increasing number reports from students who've been mugged for their iPods. They suggest it's time Apple begins offering a less recognizable alternative. Read more...
That's right, podcast listening using Mac OS 10.2. And they said it couldn't be done. This one I am going to have to try, as my Beige G3 won't run any system above 10.2.5.
This blog has a really good story on how this particular user got Pod casting working on his Jaguar machine. He found as I had, that all the applications listed at iPodder.org, said that they require Mac OS X 10.3. So what to do. He says that NetNewWire version 2.0 (beta) supports downloading enclosures and works on his Mac OS X 10.2.8 system. According to the Ranchero web site, it works with 10.2. Download the beta at: ranchero.com Read his story at: myipodblog.blogspot.com
Wired has an article about how the South Huntington Public Library on Long Island is checking out iPod shuffles to its patrons. It is loaded with a digital book; because a audio book can be as much as $60 cheaper than the CD version. Personally, I wonder where they are purcasing their files as I never saw those kind of savings on audio.com ... Read more...
This is really an intriguing site. It really isn't an iPod hack each day. The web site has links to other hacks, cell phones, Playstation, Macs, etc. But there are a number of iPod hacks you can try. If you dare. See it at ... ipod.hackaday.com
This week's Shareware Manager includes fun add-on apps for iLife including: a Recorder that saves iChats, Sound Bytes, Simple captions for iMovie, a PDA for your iPod, iSpeak It makes iPod talk, Synergy puts iTunes in your Menu, MusicMagic Mixer and more. Have fun with these!
Version 2.0 of iPodder software has been released. iPodder continues to be free and cross-platform, playing on Windows (2000/XP), Macintosh (10.3) and Linux (Beta) platforms. Some of the new features are:
* New GUI
* New streamlined subscription process with an ability to check and uncheck items for download
* Maintains a history of downloads and click to play abilities
* Threaded scans/downloads and resumable downloads
* Import and Export OPML to enable easy transport of data between other apps
iPodder continue to be free, multi-language support, has a public license (GPL) and is fast, even with a lot of subscriptions. Download it
The Unofficial Apple Weblog has an article about how to use Mac OS X's Terminal program to find all those invisible iTunes songs. ... see the full story...
Here is a dongle that is added to the iPod so that it can broadcast to Bluetooth devices. Specifically ther stereo headset. The site doesn't say it will work with other Bluetooth devices, but they do have a picture showing it in contact with a notebook and a cell phone. So some devices must work. ... see the full story...
It is now possible to run Linux on the first three generations of iPods. (Still working on the fourth, mini and photo.) It is possible to run Linux version of Tetris, Pong, Asteroids and other programs on the iPod. Read more...
David Lazarus, San Francisco Chronicle, takes a careful look at the latest scams to hit online: "free iPod" offers. Tons and tons of spam hawking free iPods and all kinds of other products -- but then you sadly discover you've signed a contract that is anything but free. Read the article and -- BEWARE!
If you buy a General Motors automobile next year you'll be able to order it with iPod connectivity. The audio systems include an auxiliary channel and front mounted auxiliary input jack, so that an iPod or other audio source can be easily plugged in and played through the vehicle sound system. 2006 models of the Chevy HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo; Saturn VUE and ION; Pontiac Solstice; Buick Lucerne; and Cadillac DTS. www.gm.com
It is now possible to run Linux on the first three generations of iPods. (Still working on the fourth, mini and photo.) It is possible to run Linux version of Tetris, Pong, Asteroids and other programs on the iPod. Read about it at: extremeipod.com
TechRestore announced last week, a new service where they will put a larger hard drive in an iPod in 24 hours in any full-sized iPod. Charges for the service run $120 to $180 depending on the iPod and they also have an $80 battery replacement service. ... see the full story...
Well, if the world's leading Windows computer manufacturer, HP, is any measure, we'd have to say the iPod is getting pretty popular. CNET News.com says the first computer with a built-in spot for an iPod is not a Mac, but HP's new Media Center m7000 desktop PC. I'm not sure about this story though, knocking around the HP site turns up no such computer. Hmmmmmm. But then, here's the photo. Remember that Windows people like music too! Read more...
LAJ Design has rolled out version 1.0.1 of MaxPod. MaxPod is a cross-platform application that helps you to maximize what your iPod can do. MaxPod takes the core functions of the iPod and adds a few more
Hilton International provides alarm clock that will accept an MP3 player. The alarm has a jack for most any audio input, but they are promoting it by giving away and iPod.
For sometime now, the iPodLounge blog has had a section called Ask iPodLounge. They have now collected them as a FAQ type of style and have them at the following link: ipodlounge.com
Mel Karmazin, of Sirius Rado is saying that he is having preliminary talkes with Apple, Songy and Motorola to embed its radios into iPods, PSPs and cellphones. So it is quite possible that we will soon be able to listen in on new versions of the iPod. Read the AdAge interview at: www.adage.com
Spice up your iPod Photo today with these awesome pre-rendered worlds, scenic landscapes, and serene realistic environments. iVistas Launch Onto Your iPod! Awesome backgrounds from Vistapro Renderer ... see the full story...
Last week, Bill Gates told a European audience that the iPod will soon be replaced by a cell phone as the primary way to listen to music. Mike Wendland in the Detroit Free Press agrees with Gates, but says that it is likely that Apple will produce the phones. I hope he is right, but the iTunes phone from Motorolat seems to be having trouble finding any wireless company willing to distribute. Here's a picture
Read Mike's story ... and see Yahoo's story.
I came across an article propposing that Apple add the ability to connect the iPod to cell phones and cameras via an SD memory card slot. Summarizing:
"Hadley's statement on Nextel, Verizon blocking the iTunes mobile version got me thinking - if the smartphone market is going to be so crucial, what can Apple do to bypass these wireless companies but still have a presence in the smartphone market ?
...Thanks to IDC's IdaRose Sylvester who opened up the iPod Shuffle and identified the key components - a Sigmatel STMP3550 chip (costs $7.50 volume pricing) and a Samsung 512MB/1GB Flash memory chip.
...If the iPod SDIO really existed it could instantly be added to a Smartphone (based on Palm OS or PocketPC OS) with a SD slot with SDIO capability, and iTunes mobile software could take advantage of the GPRS/EDGE or EVDO services so that customers could directly access the iTunes store and download songs completely bypassing the wireless company but using the data service offered by the wireless company.... Also if the Smartphone is like the latest Samsung with 3GB storage (although Samsung uses Transflash slot, this idea could be extended), the iPod SDIO could use its internal flash chip just for buffering but store the tunes on the smartphone's internal hard disk."
Note: This looks to me like it could be done by a third party. Read the full proposal at: sastwingees.blogharbor.com
The lawsuit, which was filed by eight disgruntled iPod owners in the fall of 2003, charged the company had exaggerated claims that the rechargeable battery would last the lifetime of the player and would allow for continuous use up to 10 hours. However, the plaintiffs claimed it would last only approximately four hours and complained the batteries needed to be replaced after less than a year-and-a-half of use.
Eligible members of the lawsuit include those who bought a first-, second- or third-generation iPod, according to the agreement.
Because the settlement provides for different options and benefits depending on the type of iPod affected, it could be hard to gauge how many iPod owners will submit a claim. ... see the full story...
iPod Network News is reporting that HP is adding the iPod mini to its group of music players. So look for them at a store near you soon! Read their article with other links at: www.ipodnn.com
Here you go... for all those who want to throw away your iPod, Apple has announced a free recycling program. You can bring iPods you no longer want to any of Apple's 100 retail stores in the US for environmentally friendly disposal -- completely free.
For your trouble, you'll receive a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod that day. Isn't it nice to know that rather than replacing the battery, you can throw away the MP3 player you spent several hundred dollars for just a few years ago and it won't cost you a dime? www.apple.com
Now, more women buy iPods than men. Surprised? In her column at the "Babe Taxi" site, Carly Simone provides some insight into the iPod cultural phenomenon from a woman's perspective. Forget Diamonds! An iPod Is Really A Girl's Best Friend
Now, more women buy iPods than men. Surprised? In her column at the "Babe Taxi" site, Carly Simone provides some insight into the iPod cultural phenomenon from a woman's perspective. Forget Diamonds! An iPod Is Really A Girl's Best Friend www.babetaxi.com
This $149 headset will allow you to go as far as 30 feet from you iPod and never miss a note or a line of a audio file. Sounds really cool, but I doubt that I will have the cash to get one any time soon. Someone want to send me a review product? Read the press release at: www.logitech.com
Apple has reduced the price of the 1GB iPod shuffle to just $129. So now you can revel in uncertainty--and enjoy the smallest, most wearable iPod ever--for less. Read more...
It is hard to believe, but there actually is a company willing to take on Apple. They have introduced a MP4 player called an Ipod. (Note the capitalization - don't think that will appease Apple's lawyers.) Read more...
It is possible to broadcast video casts to iTunes NOW. MacDailyNews has a story about Apple doing just that. It is obviously for test purposes at this point, but it is interesting and works with both Mac and Windows versions of iTunes. Read more at: macdailynews.com
Don't sell that OS 9 Mac just yet. Recording labels are circling the wagons with their latest copy-protected CDs. The news is buzzing that iPod users won't have a solution. A new Dave Matthews Band CD purchased last week wouldn't work on iTunes or iPod... the scuttle is it copied quickly and easily with OS 9.1 using Casady and Green's Sound Jam. And, there's always the old RCA plugs. ow the industry is saying "It's up to Apple to flip the switch" but that very statement alone betrays their recent arrived on the digital music scene. www.ipodnn.com
Creative was issued a patent on software that it says is used in the interface in Apple's iPod. I think that it is something that other companies can find ways to protect their intellectual property while Apple keeps losing theirs. Perhaps Apple should hire a new team of lawyers. Read the full story at: www.techweb.com
Can you imagine? Over 1000 ways to "upgrade" your iPod. Of course how many of those thousand are covers and cases? We may never know. But it still is an impressive number. Read more...
Chicago Public Schools are rewarding schools and families for going to school. The schools will spend about a half a million dollars trying to make sure that students show up for classes. They are not just being generous, because for every 1 percent increase in school attendance, they will get $18 million more from the state. Prizes include iPods, Macs, concert tickets, movie passes and more. And here I thought winning was its own reward. Read the full story with free registration at the chicagotribune.com
Recover lost or damaged music, repair corrupted data structures, backup your iPod to an exact copy, permanently delete unwanted files, or optimize the file layout of your music and more... Read more...
a revolutionary full-featured iPod that holds 1,000 songs yet is thinner than a standard #2 pencil ; color monitor ; photo support ; and more ... see the full story...
According to Canadian news sources: Qualifying owners of iPods who were charged a fee under the copyright protection program are entitled to a rebate, as the fee was ruled improper by the courts earlier this year. That means there will be no levy applied to digital audio recorders such as Apple's popular IPod and IPod Shuffle as well as other MP3 players like IRiver. To request a refund, you must print out, complete, and sign a claim form (downloadable PDF) ... see the full story...
Apple has posted iPod Updater 2005-09-23, an update to its firmware for the iPod shuffle. Apple says the update offers bug fixes for iPod shuffle. The download, however, includes the latest firmware for all the iPods and is 32MB in size. www.apple.com
Matt Reed reports on Transit officials in New York and San Francisco who have launched a copyright crackdown on a website offering free downloadable subway maps designed to be viewed on the iPod.
www.IPodSubwayMaps.com is the home of iPod-sized maps of nearly two dozen different transit systems around the world, from the Paris Metro to the London Underground ... see the full story...
Here's a follow-upt to the bestselling "Cult Of Mac" that examines the iPod phenomenon... Apple's popular MP3 player gets the star treatment in this new book by Leander Kahney of Wired News ... The Cult of iPod
Adam Engst writes on TidBITS that he discovered the hardway that Apple is stopping people from using their trademarks in AdWords, which are used to help find web sites. (Entering Mac might bring up MacMall for example.) Fortunately so far, it is only effecting Google's European web site, but who knows what's next. Sounds like a stupid idea to me. Read more...
I don't know who started the "made for" licensing idea. But I think it is a good idea. Except, if rumor is true, Apple is asking for up to 10% of the product selling price as a fee. That seems rather extreme, especially since Apple gains from sales of all these devices, because they encourage the purchase of iPods. Read more...
Apple did have that "One more thing" conference last week. (And apparently having another announcement this week.) Last week, they announced new iMacs with built in video cameras, new iTunes store features and of course, the new video iPod. You can see the presentation (Requires Quicktime 7) at Apple.com or see it here
Helen Nersesova writes in to tell us about the Win iPod Nano with BeLight Halloween Contest! BeLight Software's Halloween Contest invites you to send your cool Halloween flyer, photo, drawing or story to dracula@belightsoft.com from October 17th till October 31st, 2005. All participants will get 15% discount on Swift Publisher. Dracula says:
"Spending my eternal life in a haunted castle I got very lonely and bored. No phone calls, no Christmas cards for the last 500 years -- when the guys from BeLight gave me a chance to start enjoying my life again. Halloween is coming! So, guys, cheer me up with your emails at dracula@belightsoft.com! The one who manages to bring light into MY life will get an iPod Nano!" belightsoft.com
... and if you want to see them, then download this PDF from Jefferies and Company. They have torn down the video iPod, revealing the various component manufacturers, and estimating a gross margin for Apple Computer on the device at 52 percent. Read more...
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple Computer over the iPod nano's suceptibility to scratches. The Red Herring reports that Jason Tomczak has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple Computer on behalf of all iPod nano owners, demanding that customers get their money back as well as a share of the company’s profits on the music player’s sales." The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California in San Jose on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, according to the report. (See: Scratches Mar New iPod's Beauty by Walter Mossberg; and Macworld's "Apple Confirms" ) Matthew Peterson had set up the "Flawed Music Player" web site when the complaints started to fly, but the site has now been taken down. ... see the full story...
In a Macworld UK article Jonny Evans writes, "Sites from the dark side of the Web are already rushing to buy QuickTime Pro licenses so they can create viral transmissions intended to pounce down the broadband pipe into Apple's new media players... embracing this new iPod-driven, portable-video gold rush."
This picture is worth a thosand words... (200 150), but making it a reality could cost you $125,000 bucks! Mercedes-Benz announced the first 2,300 CLK350 and CLK500 coupes produced for the 2006 model year will be equipped with an iPod integration kit and a 4GB silver iPod Mini at no additional charge. Feast your eyes on this! and drool. If you get one, call me -- I want a ride! ... see the full story...
Take any technology, no matter how cool it is, and criminals will figure out a way to exploit it for profit. Podcasting is no different. Yahoo Finance was the first to draw the media's attention to the latest and greatest thing for spammers, phishers and stalkers: Podcasting. ... see the full story...
You'll remember we reported on the growing dissatisfaction with the iPod Nano being more susceptible to scratches than any other iPod model, Now, it seems Apple is now shipping the the ultra-thin digital music player along with a new protective sleeve. Could it be admission of guilt... or just calming the waters? (Thanks to Mobility Today's Katie Marsal) Click for a picture
Someone is not telling the truth in the debate whether or not Apple will remove copyprotection from CDs... TMC is reporting that the EMI Group record label said music from its copy-protected CDs will soon play on Apple's iPod digital music players, but Apple says the information is not true. This will be one to follow if you want to get the new CDs onto your iPods...
News.com's Scott Ard says : "When it comes to buzzwords, TiVo's announcement Monday was loaded: quick, easy, download, TV shows, mobile, PSP and, of course, iPod." TiVo is expanding that service by permitting owners of TiVo boxes transfer TV shows to their computers and Sony's portable game machine, the PlayStation Portable, and to iPods capable of playing video. Read more...
According to Taiwan's DigiTimes, Apple's iPod has driven out yet another competitor from the Taiwan music player market. We checked the BenQ website, but its Joybee series MP3 player models (picture) seem to still be marketed there in force. Yet the news reports say due "to strong competition from the Apple Computer iPod series," BenQ plans to phase out MP3 players. Add that one to Rio and Olympus as victims in the ongoing march of the iPod.
In the same news day, Apple announced that it has shipped over 30 million iPods since 2001. Apple also said it has sold over 600 million songs via its iTunes Music Store since its launch. ... see the full story...
TVMyPod Introduces Pre-loaded Video iPods, where consumers can buy brand-new iPods pre-loaded with the DVDs of their choice -- skipping the agonizing drill of converting video to iPod format!
While we all know about iPods, you know they're becoming ubiquitous when our nation's leaders use them and ABC news talks about them.
Yesterday's story about Vice President Dick Cheney's iPod was evidence enough that Jobs has finally achieved his dream of the 1980s "to invent a household appliance."
Returning to Washington after a four-day trip to the Middle East, Vice-President Dick Cheney used one of the only working power outlets on Air Force Two to charge his iPod. ... www.ugnn.com/2005/12/ipod_one.html
We knew it wouldn't take long. Macnn has posted an article referencing AOL's annual spam survey. AOL says the iPod is now among top ten marketing ploys used by spammers. But it didn't take AOL to tell us that. These hucksters have even made it into the main stream of Google Ads. You'll see many offers saying you can get a free iPod, or Adobe Photoshop for $39, or free -- but don't believe them. You'll get spammed and scammed. The iPod Nano, PS3 and Xbox 360 are among the top of hundreds of billions of attempted spam messages targeting AOL users. Read more...
This blogger has a story about putting 4 1 Gig iPod Shuffles on to a 4 port USB hub to produce a raid device that has almost 4 gigs of RAM. This is like a waste of good iPods to me, but it would give you a fast small hard drive equivalent. Read about it at: www.wrightthisway.com
According to this Scripps Howard News Service article, the iPod is becoming a real environmental hazard. This is due to the fact that the batteries are hard and expensive to replace, so they are being tossed by their owners.
Sheila Davis of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition said:
"The iPod is an example of the kind of poor design and obsolescence that's occurring in the electronics industry. We want Apple to assume some responsibility." ... see the full story...
Apple has announced a software update to the iPod software. It updates the iPod shuffle software to support the iPod shuffle Battery Pack and improves the stability of the software. For the iPod mini, there is support for the second-generation and adds support for charging and syncing over USB with Mac OS X 10 v2.8 or 10.3.4. For 3rd Generation iPods and later, it adds the Shuffle Song selection and provides support for iTunes 4.7. Update through Apple software update.
Apple has updated its iPod photo lineup by introducing a new slim 30GB model, holding up to 7,500 songs, for just $349 and a new 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs, for $449. Read more...
The second generation iPod mini from $199 and up to 6GB feature up to 18 hours increased battery life, USB charging... still in four vibrant colors! Read more...
Sony Corp said it would release a product by the end of the year to compete with Apple Computer's popular portable digital music player, iPod. "We are confident of being able to offer by the end of the year a product that is much more competitive than the iPod," president Kunitake Ando said. Ando said Apple's success was in developing a product that is simple to use. "We have to develop software that makes use of our products more intuitive and simple," he told reporters. Ando also dismissed rumours the company will buy Apple, saying it "has become too expensive because of the success of iPod." Chairman and chief executive Nobuyuki Idei added: "We have put in place a very aggressive plan to become number one again" in portable music. ... see the full story...
Have a great week...
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