Ask iLounge 10-11-07

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

Q: As a teacher that is administering a class set of iPods, do you know of a cable or adapter that will allow me to connect multiple iPods to a single computer at once, or a way to charge multiple iPods at once? I am using iPod Nanos and 5th Gen iPods.

- Jeff

A: Depending upon how many iPods you’re administering and how often you need to do so, there are a couple of possible solutions.

The first and most inexpensive solution is simply to use a USB hub. One computer running iTunes can easily sync content to multiple iPod devices, and these can all be connected at the same time and will appear in iTunes as separate iPod devices. Although synchronization of each device is managed individually, you can use synchronization of selected playlists or smart playlists to standardize the content across multiple iPods, or even simply stay with the default setting to sync ALL iTunes content. Likewise, as long as the USB hub is powered, it will also charge any and all iPods that are connected to it. Due to most USB hubs having limited ports, however, this may be cumbersome if you are managing more than about 8-12 iPods.

For a much more sophisticated solution, you might want to check out Apple’s iPod Learning Lab, which provides a cart that allows up to 40 iPod or iPod nano players to be charged at once, and sync 20 at a time to the same computer. At a retail price of $2,299 for just the cart, this is not an inexpensive solution, but definitely provides more sophisticated options for managing a large class set of iPods. The cart is available by itself, or a custom configuration including iPods and other accessories can be worked out on Apple’s education site at http://education.apple.com/custom_ipod_lab/, which provides an online tool that will even generate a PDF proposal that can be submitted for purchasing purposes.

Q: I was hoping you could address a topic that I am very curious about in light of the latest news from Microsoft regarding new and prior generation of Zune players.

My understanding is that the new generation of Zune players has a new user interface and that Microsoft plans on releasing an update that will allow the first generation Zune players to upgrade to the latest user interface.

That said, why can’t Apple provide the means to allow prior iPod generations to be updated with the iPod interface that is now on the classic and new nanos? I know it may not be possible on some of the older models, but I don’t see why for example the 5G Video iPod can not be upgraded to match the user interface of the current iPod classic.

- Dennis

A: This is an issue that has been hotly debated in our iLounge Discussion Forums following the release of the new iPod models, and there are a number of theories as to why this is the case.

A common theory is that this is being done to sell more iPods, and certainly this is a consideration. The new interface is a selling feature of the new iPod models, and therefore restricting it to the newer models encourages people to either upgrade, or to purchase a new model instead of an older used/refurbished unit.

However, the actual reasons may be far more technical in nature. Despite looking very similar in exterior design, the new iPod models are based on a new hardware architecture internally. This renders the new firmware completely incompatible with the older iPod models, so it’s certainly not as simple as just making the new firmware available for the fifth-generation iPod models—it would have to be rewritten specifically for the fifth-generation iPod.

This is not unprecedented for Apple, either—the second-generation iPod nano, despite using a very similar interface to the first-generation model, was based on a completely different chipset, and therefore required a completely different firmware. In this case, the two firmware packages simply happened to look and work in mostly the same way, so the average end-user really didn’t notice any significant differences.

It is also important to understand that the iPod operating system, or “firmware” operates on the basis of a lot of low-level interaction with the underlying hardware. It has not been designed in the same way that an application on your PC or Mac would be designed, and therefore isn’t as simple as just recompiling it or installing a plug-in.

Further, the new iPod may have a processor that is more optimized for the new features such as Cover Flow and the split-screen artwork. Even if Apple were to design this feature into the fifth-generation iPod, it may not work at an acceptable level of performance.

Ultimately, this means that for Apple to provide the new interface on the older iPod models they would need to invest time and resources in re-architecting the new firmware so that it was compatible with the older models. This involves not only development time, but also thorough testing. Further, it creates potential support issues for Apple—if they provide a firmware update for an out-of-warranty iPod and something breaks in the process, who is responsible for fixing the issue? Suddenly they will be required to handle an influx of support calls for iPods that were just fine before the update.

In the end, there are definite expenses on the part of Apple to do this, and it is therefore a business decision on the part of Apple as to whether they want to invest any time and money in providing new features on a model that has been discontinued. It is reasonable to assume that the business case for doing this would likely be relatively weak, particularly considering the technical hardware differences between the two models.

In the case of other devices such as the Zune, it is entirely possible that the internal hardware architecture is similar enough that a new firmware update requires less development and testing on the older models. Further, even if there are differences, other manufacturers may have different business reasons that justify the expense of providing new features to older models.

Q: I have Windows ME. But iPod Nano setup requires Windows XP. Is there a solution other than installing Windows XP?

- Fennell

A: As you don’t specifically mention which model of iPod nano you have, it is difficult to say for certain what your options are. The newest iPod models are only compatible with Windows XP, and at this point the third-party software options are extremely limited due to some changes to the design of the internal iPod database in the latest iPod models.

However, if you’re using an older iPod nano (first or second generation), you may have a few more options available. Although iTunes itself will not run on Windows ME, there are third-party software applications that will allow you to manage your iPod on older Windows versions. A number of options can be found in our Software Downloads section.

Note that many of these will not provide all of the functionality of iTunes itself, but should definitely allow for basic management of audio content. The most significant limitation to not using iTunes in this case is that you will not be able to apply firmware updates to your iPod, since these must be installed via iTunes.

Ideally, upgrading to Windows XP is the preferable solution for maximum compatibility. It should be noted that Microsoft officially discontinued ALL support for Windows ME as of July 11, 2006. This means that any issues, bugs, or security vulnerabilities in Windows ME are no longer being addressed by Microsoft in the form of patches or other technical support.

Q: I have always wondered why iPod and iTunes sort artist names alphabetically by first name rather than last name. “John Coltrane” is in the Js, not the Cs. Yet, in any (brick & mortar) music store, CDs are sorted by last name. My CD collection is sorted by last name. So I am wondering why Apple set up iPod and iTunes this way. And more practically, is there anything I can do to have sort-by-last-name as the default, other than manually change all the tags from “John Coltrane” to “Coltrane, John”?

- Ron

A: iTunes has traditionally taken a relatively simplistic approach to sorting, and tries to avoid making assumptions about how things should be sorted. For example, while it’s logical to assume that “John Coltrane” could be sorted as “Coltrane, John” it would not be reasonable to most people for a group such as “The Barenaked Ladies” to be sorted as “Ladies, Barenaked.” iTunes would of course have no way of knowing the difference, and most people would probably find the latter method to be more confusing than the former.

Fortunately, as of iTunes 7.1, you can now override these sort orders yourself without having to change your actual artist names. This is handled through the “Sorting” tab which appears when viewing a track’s properties by selecting File, Get Info:

Within the sorting tab, you can override the sort order for any of the key sorting fields. To do this, simply enter the text based on how you would prefer that the track be sorted, as shown in the example above (ie, “Coltrane, John"). iTunes will sort that particular track according to how the text is entered in these sort fields.

Unfortunately, the sorting tab is not available when editing multiple tracks, which can be a bit confusing when trying to apply sort preferences to all tracks on a single album, or by a single artist. Instead of editing these tracks individually, you setup your preferred sort order on a given track as a sort of “template” and then apply that sort order to other tracks with the same tag information.

This is done by selecting the track that you’ve already modified the sort order for, and then right-clicking, and choosing “Apply Sort Field” and choosing which matching tracks to apply the sort order to:

For example, choosing “Same Artist” would apply the sort fields from the current track to all other tracks in your iTunes library that happen to have the same name in the “Artist” field. Note that this applies ALL of the sort fields that are set on the current track, so you will want to be cautious when selecting the scope of this option based on which sort fields you have filled in on your “template” track.

Q: I have a third-generation iPod and I have a hookup on my car radio, a Clarion DXZ575USB that is supposed to allow me to control the iPod directly from the car radio. However, the iPod that I have is not working properly in this regard—it will let me turn on the iPod manually and play it through the radio, but the controls on the car radio itself do not actually work for the iPod. I was told it needed to be updated as it is a 2.3 firmware version and needs to be higher. How do i update it? I have restored it and that did not help.

- Rodney

A: Normally, the latest firmware is applied via iTunes 7, or by using a standalone iPod Updater application for older versions of iTunes. A “Restore” will normally apply the latest version of the iPod firmware.

In this case, however, v2.3 is the latest version of the firmware for the third-generation iPod. Clarion’s support site does not seem to provide any specifics on which iPod model is required for their system, although some other dealer sites list third-generation iPod compatibility. Based on the information that your iPod requires an update, it is possible that the advanced control features may not be compatible with third-genreation iPod models.

If you know anybody who has a fourth-generation or later iPod model, it might be worth trying a later model to see if this makes a difference. If a fourth or fifth-generation iPod does not work, then it is possible that the source unit itself or the iPod interface may be the issue, since these features should definitely be supported on later-model iPods.

Q: I just bought an iPod nano and accidently bumped the wrong language everything is in Russian how do I get it back to English

- Blake

A: Regardless of the language, the positions of the menu items themselves do not actually change. In a default menu configuration, the “Settings” menu should be second from the bottom on the main iPod menu (which you can always return to by holding down the menu button for a few seconds), and the “Language” menu should be the third option from the bottom in the “Settings” menu. Selecting these options will once again present you with a list of languages to choose from, and you should then be able to select the appropriate language.

The new iPod nano (video) makes this a bit easier as well, since the right-hand pane will provide some visual cues to which option is currently highlighted.

Alternatively, once in the “Settings” menu, you should also notice that the “Reset All Settings” option remains shown in English. Selecting this option will reset all of your iPod configuration settings back to the defaults (no content will be erased), and present you with the language menu again.

If all else fails, you can also connect your iPod to iTunes and perform a “Restore” operation by clicking the appropriate button in iTunes. Note that this will erase everything on your iPod, returning it to a blank slate and an out-of-the-box configuration. Once the restore is complete, you will again be prompted to select your preferred language.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

5-16-08: Using the iPhone with integrated in-car Bluetooth, Problems with iPods and depleted batteries, Transferring content to a new iPod, iPod displays audio but no video, Removing photos and album artwork from iTunes, Overdrive Media and iPods

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

See the rest of the Archives...

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

7-26-07: Transferring photos from iPhone, Using iPhone speaker and dock, Song volume adjustments in iTunes, Transfer from a Mac-formatted iPod in Windows Vista, iTunes Other category and TV show syncing, Printing track lists from iTunes

7-19-07: Importing MP3 CDs, Using two iPods on one computer, Showing current track in Windows Messenger, iPod nano accessory compatibility, Keeping content only on the iPod, Transferring between two iTunes libraries

7-12-07: Sorting in iTunes 7.3, Joining CD tracks, Selecting TV Shows for sync, Recovering photos from iPod, Tagging multiple video tracks, iPhone activation requirements

7-5-07: Managing your iPod content with Smart Playlists, External hard drives and iTunes, Problems getting CD info from CDDB, Grouping by Album Artist, Using iPod as a removable hard drive

6-28-07: Manual mode and preventing auto-sync, Transferring iTunes library, Burning, ripping and sound check, Saving your place in multi-track audiobooks, Renaming your iPod, Resolving lost iPod content, Drivers and Software for 4G iPods

6-21-07: Smart Playlists for Podcasts, Incorrect track info when importing CDs, Deauthorizing computers revisited, Problems transferring purchased tracks, Transferring photos from iPod to computer, Deleting On-The-Go playlists, Songs not appearing under Artist name

6-14-07: Problems syncing re-ripped MP3s in iTunes 7.2, Grouping albums with multiple artists, Radio tuners for older iPod models, Managing Podcasts, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Selecting items for synchronization, iTunes not showing full iPod capacity

6-7-07: Using two iPods with the same library, Converting to AAC to Apple Lossless, Corrupt iPod errors, Sound Check and Crossfade, Exporting from iMovie to iPod and Apple TV formats, Copying from DVR to the iPod

5-31-07: iTunes Plus DRM-free music, Using iTunes songs in Windows Movie Maker, Storing notes on the iPod, Restoring the iPod, Synchronizing Watched TV Shows, Adding music from a second library, Viewing iPod menus on a TV screen

5-24-07: Storing artwork on an external hard drive, Nike+iPod kit and treadmills, Setting up a new iPod with an existing library, Using the iPod as an alarm clock, iTunes fails to transfer all tracks to the iPod, Syncing selected items to iPod, Identifying iPod models

5-17-07: Converting e-books for iPod, Problems Syncing Selected Playlists, Normalizing volume between tracks, iTunes truncating long filenames, Sorting tracks properly within albums, Pausing and remember playback position on the iPod

5-11-07: Video conversion: iPod vs Apple TV format, Automatically adding music to iTunes, Finding iPod-compatible music online, Organizing tracks on the iPod, Bluetooth speaker accessories, iHome speakers

5-3-07: Tagging content for your Apple TV, Organizing your Music Videos, Duplicate copies of your iTunes library files, Using the Universal Dock line-out, Problems restoring your iPod, Power adapter compatibility, Unlocking your iPod's volume limit

4-27-07: Transferring purchased content between iTunes accounts, FireWire/USB connections, External batteries, Problems turning off iPod, Sharing iPods on the same computer, Sorting tracks when importing CDs

4-19-07: iPod widescreen mode, Transcoding lossy formats, Locating missing music files, Assigning artwork to multiple tracks, Transferring iTunes purchases, Playing single tracks

4-12-07: Converting DVDs to iPod, Resetting Screen Lock, Moving an iTunes library to a new computer, Deleting songs manually from an iPod, Compatibility with overseas accessories, Finding accessories for the 5G iPod, Speakers for charging a 3G iPod

4-5-07: Playing iPod through iTunes, Preventing Apple Remote from controlling Universal Dock, Resetting iTunes authorizations, Transferring podcasts from a secondary computer, Finding music by composer tags, Sorting tracks on the iPod Shuffle

3-29-07: iPod photo transfer performance and accessories, Sorting photos on iPod, Syncing music and contacts from two different computers, iTunes video storage and formats, Converting AAC to MP3, Burning MP3 CDs

3-22-07: Album artwork and Other storage on the iPod, Storage size of iPod Games, Multiple iPods on the same computer, Etymotic Earjacks, Charging iPod while recording audio, Syncing TV Shows to iPod, Properly Tagging Albums

3-16-07: Converting Windows-formatted iPods for Mac use, Importing Calendar and Contacts from Outlook, Moving iTunes content to another hard drive, Recovering Playlists from iPod, Recording Lectures, Calculating iPod Storage

3-10-07: Understanding the new sort fields in iTunes 7.1, Smart playlists and rating preference, RSS feeds for new iTunes content, Checkboxes and synchronizing music to small iPods

2-22-07: Hiding the iTunes Store from view, Restoring iTunes' "Recently Played" smart playlist, Restoring an iPod's missing free space, Using third-party A/V cables, Apple TV and Wi-Fi network protocols, Authorizing iPod games

2-1-07: Windows Vista iTunes issues, Music Video organization in iTunes, Removing songs from Shuffle play, Sorting albums by year

1-17-07: iPhone Questions, Apple TV Stereo Connections, Car Stereos with USB ports, Now Playing screen on TV, Locating playlists a song belongs to, Playing podcasts sequentially

12-29-06: Charging iPod video with old AC adapter, Identifying iPod generations, Preventing iTunes from accessing the store, Accessing and playing video with DLO HomeDock Deluxe, Nike+iPod Sport Kit compatibility

12-14-06: Searching the comment field in iTunes, Buying an aux-in cable for the car, Making a recent top 25 playlist, Multiple genres per song, Radio Charts in iTunes

12-9-06: Gifting specific items from the iTunes Store, Linking to photos from the iPod's Notes feature, Properly listening to iPod music in loud places, Using Mac-formatted iPods with an XBOX 360

12-1-06: iTunes visualizers, Programs stored on iPod, Converting music en masse, Charging second-generation iPod shuffle, Adding chapter markers to videos

11-23-06: iPod deals, Continuously playing videos on iPod, Getting replacement iPod manuals, Finding size and playtime of a group of tracks, Fixing podcasts that reset iPod

11-16-06: Extracting audio from videos, Transferring albums to iPod easily, Using iTunes Store gift cards, Dealing with a scratched iPod backing, Recovering contacts from iPod

11-10-06: Volume limit on iPod shuffle, Preserving On-The-Go playlists between syncs, Storing Audiobooks in proper iTunes library, Apple Lossless on iPod shuffle

11-3-06: iTunes Store displayed in foreign language, All tracks begin where they were last stopped, Converting tracks to mono in iTunes, iPod wakes up and plays tunes on its own, Greatest Hits album won't show on iPod

10-26-06: Loading TiVo/DVR TV Shows on iPod, Accessing iTunes music with a Media Center PC, Leaving an iPod in the car, iPod Hi-Fi remote control, Tagging tracks just added to the library

10-20-06: Disc capacity & song quality tradeoff, iPod sleep behavior explained, Ordering albums by year on iPod, Using an iPod while charging via USB, Restoring a deleted playlist in iTunes

10-12-06: Displaying singles in iPod's Artists menu, Party Shuffle not advancing tracks, Two+ iPods on one computer - revisited, Finding songs not in any playlist, Returning to beginning of iPod shuffle playlist

10-5-06: Only one song plays at a time in iTunes, Playing interactive booklets, Resetting iPod's language, Shuffle anywhere on iPod, Isolating MP3 songs from AAC

9-28-06: Suppressing 'Explicit' tags in iTunes Library, Restoring the 'Purchased' playlist, Differentiating 5G 30GB models, Album Artist on iPod, Just for You in iTunes 7

9-21-06: Splitting "hidden" tracks from other songs, Multiple iTunes libraries, Movie trailers in the iTunes Store, iTunes-fetched artwork on iPod, Isolating Music Videos from songs in iTunes

9-13-06: iTunes 7 issues: Preserving library upon upgrade, Authorizing games for iPod, Audio severely distorted with static, Album artwork retrieval problems, Enhanced podcasts menu

9-7-06: Reverting to former iPod software updaters, iPod crashes and loses library, iPod not storing advertised song capacity, Cleaning out one's iTunes Library safely, Deleting Album Artwork en masse

8-30-06: Unchecked songs in smart playlist, Connecting iPod to car Aux-In jack, Deleting songs from iTunes, Filling iPods completely, Playing only one song in iTunes

8-25-06: Quickly erasing duplicate songs, Replacing iPod's front panel, Excluding videos from playlists, Using albums in smart playlists, Album art missing from iPod

8-17-06: Tags disappearing on play, Third party headphones on iPod, eAAC and eAAC+ codecs, Creating random batches of songs with smart playlists, Transferring iTunes Music Store tracks

8-9-06: Size of Smart Playlists, Changing an iPod's file system format, Backing up iTMS video purchases, iPod not automatically disconnecting, iPod shuffling problems

8-2-06: Airport Express not working under "Multiple Speakers", Tuning radio remote in 0.1 increments, Ordering albums properly, Video podcasts on older iPods, Multiple album artwork files per track on iPod

7-27-06: Exclamation marks near playlists, Artist column on far left of library?, Songs in multiple playlists, No options in for iPod slideshow music, Song numbering in iTunes' Library

7-20-06: Speaker icon next to currently-playing song, Sound lost in one headphone channel, Finding songs not in any playlist, iPod mini shuffling by album, Removing contacts and calendars from iPod

7-13-06: Maximizing battery life, Slideshows from an iPod nano, Trouble with iPod's volume meter, Powering two devices from one car power port, Smart playlists and sort order

7-6-06: Custom EQ on iPod, Viewing large text files on iPod, Buying an iPod from overseas, Finding iPod setup files online, Lossless vs. Lossy audio files

6-28-06: Unlocking an iPod, Creating a list of albums in iTunes, Restoring missing menu items on iPod, Converting video to iPod, Increasing the iPod's volume

6-21-06: Preserving select podcasts, Locating tracks in playlists, Automatically ejecting iPod after transfer, Microphone for iPod mini, Tracks missing when browsing via "Artist"

6-15-06: Backing up Smart Playlists, Using 4-pin Firewire ports, Viewing hidden data in iTunes, Recording direct to iPod from cassette, Synchronizing a folder of files between computers using iPod

6-7-06: Browsing albums by Genre, Fixing "Library Locked" message in Mac iTunes, Using generic AV cables for iPod TV display, Finding a simple iPod mount for the car, Transferring iTunes Library to a new Mac

5-31-06: Converting WMV video clips to iPod, Party Shuffle on iPod, Burning an MP3 CD from WAV files, Best iPod for running?, Identifying unknown track information

5-25-06: Independent left & right volume controls, Serial numbers on iPod installation?, Dealing with two-disc albums, iPod shuffle headphone jack problems, and the latest new iPod rumors

5-18-06: Organizing Compilations on iPod, Using the iPod's Notes features, Transferring large amounts of photos via iPod Camera Connector, Removing extra Album Art images from songs, Resolving discrepancies between iPod and iTunes smart playlists

5-11-06: Creating a simple, kid-friendly iPod interface, burning multiple playlists at once, viewing iPod photos on an Xbox 360, including multiple genres in one smart playlist

5-4-06: Videos not displaying on iPod, Using the iPod's power adapter overseas, Creating a "Most Played this Month" playlist, Editing iTunes-created playlists on the iPod

4-28-06: iLounge Week in Review podcasts, Creating iPod videos, Made For iPod, New and unpublicized additions to the iLounge site, Publicizing your company to the iLounge community

4-20-06: Shuffling podcasts, extracting files from iTunes, transferring Music Store downloads, battery life and high-bitrate formats, preventing repeated songs while shuffling

4-13-06: Protecting the iPod's Dock Connector, On-TV iPod menu navigation revisited, Contacts and calendars from PC to iPod, Dealing with the 5 iTunes account per iPod limit

4-6-06: Converting MIDI files for iPod, Purchasing iTunes tracks from another country, Unexpected track transfers on sync, Selling an iPod: with or without music, iPod prematurely advances track.

3-30-06: Disable CDDB track information, viewing more iTunes data on the screen at once, locating replacement iPod parts for self-repair, deleting genres from iTunes' pull-down menu

3-23-06: Browsing Composer-tagged classical music on the iPod, Cleaning iTunes' Source list with Folders and sorting, Setting the poster frame for a video file, Queueing TV episode conversion in HandBrake

3-16-06: Half-star ratings in iTunes, Importing photos from iPod Camera Connector, iTunes Videos on other devices, Preventing unchecked videos from syncing, playing a CD while importing

3-9-06: The easiest iPod for audiobooks, removing photos from iPod, determining iTunes library statistics, setting a specific song as an alarm

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Comments

1

I have a 8G Nano and all of a sudden, I can’t seem to drag music on to the nano. Diagnostics are good. Reinstalling ITunes did not work. Everything else is running just like always. A setting maybe? Any ideas?

Posted by gpaaske on October 16, 2007 at 6:33 PM (PDT)

2

Is it possible to get the new ipod interface system with the scrolling via album cover etc on the older model ipods? I have a 30gb ipod video (5th generation I think) and I really want the cool new interface for it if it is available from apple. If anyone can help me out, it is much appreciated.

Posted by tboyhan1 on January 17, 2008 at 10:57 AM (PDT)

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