Ask iLounge 12-21-07

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: iTunes shows space being taken up by something called “Other” on my iPod nano? How can I delete this to free up more space?

- Lil

A: The orange “Other” category shown in the iPod capacity bar in iTunes normally represents data stored on the iPod that simply does not fit into one of the main categories: Audio, Video or Photos.

This will normally include anywhere from 50-100 MB just for the iPod’s own operating files and library database (depending upon how much content is stored on your iPod), and may also include album artwork (around 24 KB per track for the iPod nano), and iPod Games (which vary in size depending upon the game itself). Further, any files you may have stored on your iPod directly in “Disk Mode” will also show up in the “Other” category.

Some of this information, such as the iPod library database, cannot be removed, and will always take up some space. Other information such as iPod games, album artwork, and data files can of course be removed from the iPod by modifying the appropriate sync options (note that the pre-installed games on the third-generation iPod nano cannot be removed, however).

The amount of space taken up by album artwork and the iTunes library database will be directly proportional to the number of media files that you have stored on the iPod. More files means more database entries and more album artwork.

Normally, on an iPod nano, the “Other” category shouldn’t grow much larger than around 300 MB—perhaps a bit larger if you’ve loaded on a lot of purchased games. On a full-size iPod (iPod classic or fifth-generation iPod), this category can grow significantly larger, however, since not only can you store many more tracks on an 80GB or 160GB iPod, but the album artwork images are also larger (100KB per track) due to the larger screen. It is not abnormal for a 160GB iPod classic to have over 2GB of storage showing in the “Other” category.

Note that there is one other possible source of “Other” content, and this is in the form of “Orphaned” tracks. These are audio or video files that have been copied to the iPod by iTunes, but are not listed in the iPod library database. Since iTunes (and the iPod) cannot identify these files based on a library entry, they show up as “Other” space. This problem can often result from disconnecting the iPod without ejecting it, particularly immediately after you’ve transferred tracks onto it.

If the “Other” category has grown disproportionately large, this may indicate that you have a problem with orphaned files. Unfortunately, the only reliable way to deal with this problem is to perform a “Restore” on your iPod via iTunes, which will erase everything on the iPod, and then simply reload your content back on from your iTunes library.

Q: How can I search my music library on my iPod touch? I know how to search the music store, but did Apple remove the search feature for the songs I already have on my iPod touch? I don’t understand why they would do this, if this is the case, as now you can actually type with an on-screen keyboard now instead of trying to “type” with the clickwheel.

- Tyler

A: Unfortunately, the “Search” function, which was introduced with the 2006 Enhanced Fifth-Generation iPod, is not present on the iPod touch or the iPhone. It’s not really a question of Apple having removed the feature, since the iPod touch uses a completely different operating system from the traditional iPod, but it would appear that the feature has simply not made it to the iPod touch (or iPhone) as of yet.

It is certainly possible that this may be added in a future firmware update for these devices. You can offer your feedback and suggestions to Apple at their Product Feedback page at http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Q: I recently purchased the Apple iPhone, and this is the first Apple product that I’ve bought. My quetion is how can I upload ringtones on the iPhone? I downloaded ringtones from one website but they won’t upload?

- Hawra

A: Ringtones with the iPhone are a slightly tricky issue right now, as Apple has only recently changed their position on user-created ringtones.

With the introduction of user-installable ringtones this past September, originally only tracks purchased from the iTunes Store could be turned into ringtones, and then at an additional cost of $0.99 per ringtone. Although several third-party workarounds were available to allow user-created ringtones to be placed on the iPhone, various iTunes and iPhone software updates continued to block this capability.

As of iTunes 7.5 and the iPhone v1.1.2 firmware, Apple has now opened up the ability to add third-party ringtones to the iPhone, and has in fact provided a GarageBand update for Mac users that now directly supports sending audio tracks from GarageBand to iTunes to be used as an ringtone. GarageBand ‘08 is part of the iLife ‘08 suite, which is bundled with all new Macs purchased after August 2007.

Ringtones are normally synchronized through iTunes itself, although there are also a number of third-party tools available to assist with this process. You can import a ringtone file into iTunes in much the same way as you would any other media track—simply drag it to the iTunes window, or use the File, Add to Library menu option.

Once added to iTunes, ringtones will appear under the “Ringtones” category in the Source list on the left-hand side of the iTunes window. This category normally only appears once you have added at least one ringtone to your iTunes library, but can also be enabled/disabled via your iTunes Preferences.

Ringtones contained in your iTunes library are selected for synchronization to the iPhone in much the same way as any media other content. You can find these settings on the “Ringtones” tab in your iPhone sync preferences in iTunes:

Note that third-party ringtones from other sources may not import into iTunes properly. The first thing you should check when trying to do this is that the file in question has a “.M4R” extension—if not, rename the file with the proper extension and try importing it again. If that still doesn’t work, then you may need to look to a third-party software tool to assist you in transferring these ringtones either into iTunes, or directly to your iPhone itself. Two popular tools for Mac users are iToner (http://www.ambrosiasw.com, $15, trial available) and MakeiPhoneRingTone (http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/, free). Windows users can check out iPhoneRingToneMaker (http://www.iphoneringtonemaker.com/, $15, trial available). Note that these applications allow the creation of ringtones in addition to providing the ability to transfer these ringtones into your iTunes library or directly onto your iPod.

If you’re a Mac user, be sure to also check out our Ten Step Guide to iPhone Custom Ringtones in GarageBand ‘08.

Q: I was transfering songs to my iPod from iTunes and suddenly my computer started to shutdown! Not thinking, I unplugged my iPod and all of my 2,500+ songs are now gone! My songs are still in my iTunes library, but when I plug in my iPod they are not showing up in my iTunes. I have a 20GB iPod and it is showing that I have 0 songs on it now, but only 9.37GB free space. What’s taking up the other half of my space if all my songs are gone? Are they somehow still on my iPod and I’m not able to access them?

- Anonymous

A: The most likely scenario in this case is that the iPod library database (on the iPod itself) has become corrupted and no longer recognizes the media files that are stored on the iPod.

Basically, when a file is transferred to your iPod, the file is copied and an entry is added to a database on the iPod to catalogue the information about that file and to allow the iPod and iTunes to locate that track. This is much more efficient that requiring the iPod to search every single media file and dynamically build the menus on the fly. Unfortunately, this also means that if this library database is damaged, the iPod (and iTunes) will not be able to “see” any of the media files on your iPod. The files may still physically be stored on the iPod, but they are now “orphaned” in that the iPod doesn’t know where they are, or even what they are.

These files will remain on the iPod taking up disk space, since iTunes will err on the side of caution and not automatically erase anything that it cannot identity.

If you still have all of the media content in your iTunes library, the simplest solution to this problem is to connect your iPod to iTunes and hit the “Restore” button. This will erase everything on your iPod, effectively reformatting it to a brand new out-of-the-box configuration. You can then connect it and retransfer all of your music from your iTunes library as you normally would.

In the event that your music is not all present in your iTunes library, you will likely want to connect the iPod and recover the missing content. The good news is that the files are likely still there, but you’ll have to go into the iPod in “Disk Mode” (accessing the iPod as an external storage device via Windows Explorer or Finder), and copy the files off manually. Our tutorial, Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer explains how to do this. In the event that the iPod database has been damaged, you’ll likely want to refer to the “Brute Force Method” described in that article, although there are some third-party tools that can also recover content from an iPod when the database is damaged or not present.

Q: I bought my husband the new 160 GB iPod classic for Christmas, and was wondering about the different models of the DLO Homedock Deluxe. Will any of these models work well with these new iPod classic? If they don’t, what are our options to play the music, photos and videos through our stereo system?

- Rhonda

A: Unfortunately, at this point almost no third-party iPod dock provides video output from the 2007 iPod models. (A notable exception is Bexy’s iMirror, which does, but is in the process of being revised to become bug-free with the new iPods.) Docks such as the DLO Homedock Deluxe will still provide audio output from the new iPod models, and may also support the on-TV menu features to browse your music library, but video output requires a new authentication chip that manufacturers have not yet been including in their accessories. We do expect to see some accessories showing up in the new year to provide this support, but at this point TV Output can only be provided with the Apple A/V Cables.

Q: I sometimes see that the same artist name will appear twice (or more than twice) once added to my iPod, and I’m not certain why. I want to see how I can combine them when I can. They do seem to appear spelled exactly the same when I see them listed in iTunes. Also, sometimes the albums listed underneath an artist will also display numerous times - sometimes an album with twelve tracks will display two views within the iPod; the first will list the album as having ten tracks, and the second listing will show the exact same album title and display two tracks. Again, I’m uncertain why the iPod would split apart the tracks (it all lists together in iTunes). Any suggestions how I can consoldate a bit more? Thanks so much!

- Peter

A: This is a fairly common problem caused by “whitespace” that may be present at the end of an artist name. Frequently something as seemingly-innocuous as a blank space following an artist name can cause iTunes (and the iPod) to see these as two different entries, and therefore list them separately.

Although you can hunt for these discrepancies on a track-by-track basis, the simplest way to fix this is to simply select all of the tracks that are supposed to be from the same artist (you can either use the browser in iTunes to select multiple artists, or sort the main library listing by the Artist column), and then use the File->Get Info option to modify the artist name for all tracks at once. Either paste in or type in the correct artist name and click OK, and iTunes will update this information into all of the selected tracks.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

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

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

See the rest of the Archives...

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

3-2-06: Removing intro/outro material from songs, Organizing Compilations in iTunes & iPod, Determining what playlists a song belongs to, Printing jewel case inserts from iTunes playlists.

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Next: Ask iLounge 12-27-07

Previous: The iPod + iPhone Year in Review 2007

Comments

1

Please help me, my 30gig video ipod’s audio jack has totally blown out, it won’t allow any sound through headsets nor speakers. The ipod works fine when played through the itunes software on my computer, so I think the audio jack is the only issue. Is there a way to listen to headset and speakers the same way as listening through my computer, via USB, or some adapter, connector, etc?
Thank you, Karen Mashler

Posted by KarenMash on December 22, 2007 at 7:51 PM (PDT)

2

whenever the battery goes flat in my i pod nano, much to my annoyance all my tunes are wiped. Any ideas

Posted by bazza49 on December 23, 2007 at 9:16 AM (PDT)

3

I am trying to play my i-pod nano through an amplifier but I end up with a very poor quality sound as well as distortion. I have tried 2 different amplifiers as well as different rca jacks and different speakers, can anyone help with this? Thanks in advance.

Posted by DANNY2503 on December 24, 2007 at 3:05 PM (PDT)

4

hi,
i’ve got the ipod nano 8gig.
it’s showing 2.31 gig of audio and (get this) 5.06 gig of other with 40mbs free.
i’ve tried restoring but it only repeats again. what am i doing wrong??
thanks, John.

Posted by gypsy road hog on February 11, 2008 at 5:28 PM (PDT)

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