Ask iLounge 5-2-08

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:

How do you transfer personal videos from a Canon SD850 camera to the iPod nano? I have the videos in my iPhoto library and tried to transfer them to my nano and it will not play or recognize the videos.

- Kenny

Due to the differences and complexity between various video formats, the iPod supports a relatively limited set of video formats—confined primarily to H.264 and MPEG-4 with certain maximum resolutions and bit-rates.

Most digital cameras do not store their videos in an iPod or iTunes compatible format, and these videos therefore have to be converted using one of the many tools available for this specific purpose. Our Guide to iPod and iPhone Video Formats and Display Resolutions and iPod/iPhone Video Conversion (Mac) provide more information on the formats supported and converting your own home video content.

A notable exception to this digital camera format limitation is the Casio Exilim EX-S10 Digital Camera which does record video clips in an iPod-ready format.

Note, however, that even though iPhoto will store videos, these are not transferred to the iPod, even if they are in a compatible format. Only photos are supported for synchronization from iPhoto. To transfer a compatible home video to your iPod, you must import it into iTunes directly in the same way you would any other music or video track—by dragging-and-dropping it into your library or using the File, Add to Library menu option. It is then synchronized to your iPod using the “Movies” tab on your iPod’s settings in iTunes.

Is there a way I can shuffle a playlist or Smart Playlist. For example if I have a Smart Playlist with the Blues, rather than playing them in the same order over and over (and if it is long enough never getting to the end), can I shuffle it instead. Random seems to do a random selection, but never changes it.

- Joe

There is no option in the Smart Playlist criteria itself to always force the Smart Playlist to be shuffled. As you’ve noted, the “random” setting simply selects a random collection of content for the Smart Playlist—it does not present it in a random order.

If you want your Smart Playlist to refresh with random content, you will need to add additional criteria to trigger a Smart Playlist update, and perhaps limit the selection more effectively. Criteria such as “Last Played” and “Play Count” can be useful for limiting a Smart Playlist’s content and thereby causing it to refresh when you sync with your iPod.

If the question is simply a matter of getting what is already in the Smart Playlist to play in a random order, the normal “Shuffle” settings on the iPod and iTunes itself can be used in the same way that they can for any other playlist. On the traditional iPod models the shuffle option can be found under the “Settings” menu, and the 2007 iPod classic and iPod nano also provide the ability to switch the shuffle mode while playing simply by pressing the centre button on the iPod two or three times until the shuffle options appear.

For the iPod touch and the iPhone, a “Shuffle” menu option is presented at the top of each playlist that you can select instead of an individual track, or you can toggle shuffle on and off during playback by tapping the album artwork and tapping the small shuffle icon in the top-right corner beside the progress bar.

In iTunes, the shuffle option can be found on the “Controls” menu, or as the second button from the left in the bottom right corner of the iTunes window.

Note that in iTunes if you are sorting your playlist by anything other than it’s natural sort order, the “Shuffle” setting will have no effect, as your sort order overrides it. To be able to shuffle a playlist or Smart Playlist in iTunes, you must first sort it by the left-most number column:

Once sorted by the number column, you can manually drag-and-drop tracks up and down the playlist into any order you like, or you can click the “Shuffle” option to randomize the play order.

Note that any sort order or manual re-ordering you specify for the Smart Playlist in iTunes will transfer to the iPod, including the shuffled order. This may be another option for changing the order of a playlist on your iPod, however the shuffled order in iTunes is static—it does not automatically update between iPod syncs, so you would need to toggle the “Shuffle” option in iTunes on and off each time you wanted to re-shuffle the playlist.

One last point to note: You cannot re-order a playlist while the “Shuffle” setting is turned on. However, if you would like to start with a random shuffled order but make a few manual changes, you can copy the shuffled order to the playlists “normal” play order by right-clicking on the playlist in iTunes, and choosing the Copy To Play Order menu option:

This will set the normal order of tracks to however they are currently displayed (this works for sorting by columns as well). You can then turn off shuffle and/or return to the default sort by clicking on the left-mosto column heading again—the tracks will remain in whatever order they were in when you selected the “Copy to Play Order” option, and you can then drag-and-drop them up and down in the playlist to re-order them further.

I have a PC with a complete iTunes library. I have set up a second PC and have copied the entire library from the first PC to the second PC. My daughter has multiple playlists on the iTunes library in the first PC. How can we transfer the various playlists on to the iTunes library in the second PC?

- Peter

If the tracks themselves exist on both computers, the simplest way to transfer your playlists is to export them from your first iTunes library, and then import them into the second iTunes library. Unfortunately, there is no simple way to do this en-masse unless you really want to move the entire library, including all ratings and play counts as well.

To export an individual playlist, simply select the playlist in iTunes, and choose File, Export… from the iTunes menu:

You will be prompted for a file name and location to save the exported playlist to. By default, this should be the name of the playlist followed by the XML extension. These defaults should work fine in most cases.

Once you’ve exported your playlists, simply copy them over to the second computer, and bring them into the second iTunes library using the File, Import option:

Specify the name of the XML file that you exported earlier, and the playlist will be created in your second iTunes library, with references to all of the tracks that exist in that library.

Note that this procedure does not move over any of the files themselves. These must already exist in the target library and have the same track and artist names in order to be properly identified for the imported playlist.

I’m trying to take an audio book from a CD or web site and put it into my iPod classic as an audio book and the files keep going into the Music section. I’ve tried a drag and drop and several other things and can not figure what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

- Dan

The key to getting an audiobook to appear in the “Audiobooks” section in iTunes is simply based on the format and extension of the file. Audiobooks firstly must be in the AAC format—MP3 audiobooks will need to be converted in order for them to appear in the “Audiobooks” section of your iTunes application or your iPod.

If your tracks are in MP3 format, iTunes can handle the conversion to AAC for you. Simply ensure that your default “Importing” preferences are set to the “AAC Encoder” under iTunes/Edit, Preferences, Advanced, Importing:

You can then select the audiobook track(s) you would like to convert, and choose Advanced, Convert Selection to AAC:

Once the track has been converted to the AAC format, it will be named with a .M4A extension, and will still appear under the “Music” section. The next step is to copy the track out of your iTunes library—you can do this by dragging and dropping it to your desktop—and then delete it it from within iTunes completely. If you converted from an MP3 file, ensure that you remove both the AAC and MP3 versions in the process.

Take the resulting file on your desktop, and rename it to have a .M4B extension, and then add it back into iTunes by dragging and dropping it, or choosing File, Add to Library from the iTunes menu. The result should be that it appears under the “Audiobooks” section within iTunes, and will also appear in the corresponding section when synchronized to your iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV.

Tracks imported properly into the “Audiobooks” section as M4B files will automatically be set to remember their playback position in iTunes and on the iPod (sometimes referred to as the track being “Bookmarkable”) and set to be skipped when shuffling. You can confirm this by selecting the audiobook within iTunes, and choosing File, Get Info to display it’s properties. Select the Options tab and you can see that the “Remember Playback Position” and “Skip when Shuffling” options are selected and greyed out:

Note that a track does not have to be set as an audiobook to enable this option. The “Remember Playback Position” option is set by default for Movies, TV Shows, and Podcasts and forced on for Audiobooks, but can actually be set on any track, including even normal music tracks.

I am a complete iPod novice and I am the wrong side of 50. However, I like my music and have recently purchased the iPod classic. I have been putting some favourite albums on, such as Motown Greatest Hits - the Isley Brothers. Some of the albums have gone on under the Compilations section (even though they are not compilations) and, although it is listing the Isley Brothers as the Artist, it is not listing The Isley Brothers under artists category on my iPod. I can only find it under albums on my iPod. This is also happening to a few other CD’s such as Otis Reading. Is this because the CD’s are old? Also, do I have to subscribe to Itunes to get the album art and , if so, what is the cost for each piece of album art?

- Suzy

When you insert a CD to import into your iTunes library, iTunes looks up the CD track information from an online CD database (CDDB) that has been built up by user contributions over the years. Since this database is based on user-submitted data, it’s not uncommon for the “Part of a Compilation” flag to be set on albums that in reality do not require this option. In fact, there’s a mistaken impression among many novice Gracenote CDDB contributors that the “Compilation” option refers to things like “Greatest Hits” albums (ie, “compilations” of an artist’s work), rather than its intended purpose of identifying albums that have more than one artist (ie, “Various Artists” albums).

The “Compilations” feature in iTunes and on the iPod is primarily intended to group these types of albums into a separate listing while also filtering out “one-hit-wonders”—artists that may only have done a single track on a movie soundtrack, for instance, and therefore don’t deserve a place in your “Artists” listing.

Fortunately, even if the CD Database supplies the “Compilation” information incorrectly, you can easily adjust this yourself before importing the CD. When you insert the CD and are prompted by iTunes to import it, select “No” and you will be shown a listing of the tracks on the CD, with the information for them that was supplied from CDDB. You can then modify this track information prior to actually importing the CD. This can also be useful if information like track names or artist names are spelled incorrectly (again, CDDB is a user-contributed database, so it’s not uncommon to see typographical errors show up from time to time).

To modify the CD track information prior to import, simply insert the CD into your computer and response “No” if iTunes prompts you to automatically import the tracks. Instead of immediately importing the CD, you will see a listing of the CD tracks, and can then modify the information and/or select or unselect individual tracks before importing the CD.

To modify the “Compilation” flag, simply select all of the tracks by choosing Edit, Select All, and then once all tracks are highlighted, edit their properties by choosing File, Get Info:

In the bottom-left corner of the file info dialog, you will see the “Compilation” setting. Simply set this to “No” and click OK (you can also modify any other album-related information here that you may want to change, such as the album title or artist name).

Once you’ve adjusted your settings, simply click on the “Import CD” button in the bottom-right corner of the iTunes window to actually import the CD. The tracks will be created with the information that you have filled in, including the “Compilation” option being turned off.

You can also submit any changes you’ve made to the CDDB system yourself, thus helping to correct errors that you may encounter. Simply choose Advanced, Submit CD Track Names and the changes you’ve made will be uploaded to the CDDB servers to assist them in maintaining accurate CD information.

Note that if you have tracks you have already imported that have the “Part of a Compilation” setting turned on, you can also change this for those existing tracks that are already in your iTunes library. Simply follow the same steps above to select the tracks in your iTunes library, choose File, Get Info and adjust the track settings in the same way—the options and dialog boxes for editing track information are the same whether you’re working with a CD or with existing tracks that are already in your library.

I want to make a CD for a “Name That Tune” game. I know how to specify the length of the tune, the starting point and the ending point. How can I increase the length of the silence between tunes? Right now, as soon as one song is finished, the next song begins immediately. I would like a 30 second gap between songs.

- J.A.

The CD burning preferences in iTunes will allow you to specify a longer gap between tracks, however the maximum value that you can specify using this method is about 5 seconds, which is probably still too short for your needs.

One solution to this problem within iTunes itself would be to create or import an actual MP3 file that contains no audio for 30 seconds, and intersperse your actual song tracks with these 30-second blank tracks. If you are using a Mac, you can easily create a track like this with GarageBand, although numerous other utilities for both the Mac and Windows platform exist to record audio.

Unfortunately, this method won’t work if you plan to “shuffle” the CD during playback, since the blank tracks would be randomly shuffled along with the song tracks. In this case, the only solution might be to actually edit the existing tracks to add a thirty-second silence at the end of each one. This can be done either by using a tool to join the existing track to a silent audio file, or opening each track in an audio editing application.

Another option is to export the tracks from iTunes itself and use another CD burning software application that allows for a longer gap between tracks. Applications such as Roxio Toast (Mac) or Nero (Windows) will permit longer delays to be added between tracks, for example.

Note that if these are protected tracks purchased from the iTunes Store then they can only be burned from within iTunes itself, and cannot be edited or converted due to the digital rights management (DRM). In this case, your only option would be to either insert blank third-second tracks manually and not use shuffle mode when playing the CD, or burn the tracks to an audio CD and reimport them into a format such as MP3 so they could then be RE-burned using another application.

Share This Article & Win an iTunes Gift Card. Click Here to Enter.

Submit A News Tip

Ask iLounge Archives:

10-30-09: Authorization problems with iPod touch, Changing Grid View background in iTunes, iTunes library and Music Folder are different sizes, Older iPods and firmware updates, Reconciling two different iTunes libraries, Syncing multiple devices to one iTunes library

10-23-09: Using a laptop with an iTunes library on an external hard drive, Transferring YouTube videos to iPod, iPod touch accessibility settings, Disabling Shake to Shuffle on iPod nano, Purchased songs fail to download from iTunes Store, Charging and powering off iPhone

10-16-09: Moving iTunes to a new computer, Transferring contacts from Blackberry to an iPhone, Disabling iPhone Backups, Using AV cables for audio only, Problems syncing photos to iPod touch, Memorex iFlip and iPhone compatibility

10-9-09: iPhone OS and external keyboards, Adjusting ratings in a remote iTunes library, Excluding tracks from Genius Mixes, Moving iTunes library out of My Documents, Playlist folders on iPod touch, Refreshing random Smart Playlists

9-25-09: iTunes 9 and Shopping Cart, Restoring iTunes to an external hard drive, Using an HTTP Proxy over 3G, Problems transferring movies from iTunes to IPhone, iPod touch shuffle mode, Using an iPhone without a SIM card

See the rest of the Archives...

9-18-09: Recovering unlisted media content from iPod, Repeat and continuous video playback on iPod touch, iPhone 3G vs 3GS, Customizing iTunes sorting, Rebuilding an iTunes library, Removing artwork from iPod in iTunes 9

9-11-09: Genius Mixes and iPod classic, Drag-and-drop content to iPod, Sharing home libraries in iTunes 9, Using an iPod without iTunes, Waking to a playlist on iPod touch, Kensington LiquidAUX, Disabling Geotagging Warnings

8-28-09: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries, iPod touch Bluetooth headset compatibility, iPod holds less than advertised number of songs, Transferring media between iTunes Store accounts

8-21-09: Recover Contact/Calendar info from iPod touch, Connect iPod without automatic sync, Managing On-The-Go playlists, iPhone and Stereo Bluetooth Support, Sharing an iTunes library between multiple users on the same computer, Disabling Shake-to-Shuffle on iPod nano

8-14-09: Syncing iPod touch apps and data with a new iTunes library, Automatically adding media files to multiple iTunes libraries from a network share, Downgrading to iTunes 7, iPod nano and disk mode, Displaying release dates on iPod, Playing iPod through TV USB port

8-7-09: Clean up album artwork in iTunes, Syncing media content and calendar/contact info from different computers, Reorganizing recovered tracks in iTunes, Using multiple iPods and iPhones on one computer

7-31-09: Using an iPod and a Zune, iPod and on-TV menus, Backing up Notes from IPod touch, Sharing an iTunes library between a Mac and a PC, Waterproof earphones, 3G iPod and iPhone Accessory compatibility, Shure earphones

7-24-09: Displaying recent plays on web site, iPhone and car integration, iPod classic TV output, Renaming iPhone, Sound quality on different iPod models, iPod shuffle accessory compatibility

7-17-09: Transferring saved application data to new iPhone, Recovering Content from Mac iPod on Windows, iPhone 3GS and charging accessories, Recreating Recently Added playlist, Restoring old iPod touch, Track sorting on iPod classic

7-10-09: Passwords on iPod touch, iPod headphone jack problems, Tagging tracks imported from CD, Adding chapter markers to audiobooks, first-generation iPhone and stereo Bluetooth, Nike+ shoes

7-3-09: iPhone Recent Calls list and location info, iPod touch Bluetooth audio support, Car interface fails after 3.0 upgrade, iPhone battery life, iPhone stereo audio recording,

6-26-09: Recovering a dead iPod touch after 3.0 update, Battery Percentage Display on iPhone 3.0, Options hidden after 3.0 update, iPhone locked after 3.0 update, Managing videos on iPhone, iPod classic accessory compatibility

6-12-09: Conserving power on iPhone, Syncing iPhone Notes, Syncing Apps on new iPod touch, Block pop-ups in Safari, Syncing new iPhone, Playing multiple albums

5-29-09: Sorting tracks in iTunes, iPhone Bluetooth Headset Dock, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Screen damage on 4G iPod nano, Syncing purchased tracks back to iTunes, Managing a class set of iPods

5-22-09: Syncing iTunes content between computers, Importing music into iTunes, Re-transferring apps from a new iTunes library, New iPods and charging accessories, Using multiple iTunes libraries

5-15-09: Starting out with an external hard drive, Syncing playlists manually, Recovering lost iPod serial number, Music count vs Playlist count, Multiple iTunes Store accounts on the same computer, Optimizing album artwork

5-8-09: Organizing audiobooks, Problems transferring purchased items back to iTunes, Keeping played podcast episodes on iPod, Transferring iTunes library to a new computer, iPod shows no content, Using a new iPod with an existing iTunes library

4-24-09: Playing iTunes purchases on a non-networked computer, Finding iPod manuals online, Sharing an iTunes library between separate user accounts, Equalizer on iPod shuffle, Recovering content from Apple TV, Screenshots on iPod touch

4-17-09: Converting tracks to higher bit-rates, Using iPod with non-iTunes content, Using iTunes with an external hard drive, Expired rentals don't delete on iPod, Using only part of a song, Restoring 4G iPod stuck on AC adapter icon

3-27-09: Transferring iTunes library from XP to Vista, Using iPhone as an alarm clock, Splitting iTunes library across two iPods, Recovering iPod onto a computer with an existing iTunes library, Purchased TV Shows stuck in downloads folder, Tagging tracks as Audiobooks in iTunes 8

3-20-09: Using two iPods on a single computer, iPod shuffle 2G/3G accessory compatibility, Displaying TV Show seasons separately in iTunes, Playing iPod through secondary computer, Stopping iPod playback on iPhone, iPod touch 2G and Dock audio

3-13-09: iPod touch vs iPhone, Storing music only on your iPod, Problems transferring rented content, Managing content manually on iPod shuffle, iPod lyrics display, Playing video out to TV from iPhone

3-6-09: iPhone playback on other computers, Games on iPod classic and 5G, Transferring iTunes tracks to SD cards, Group compilations on iPhone, Transferring your iTunes library, iPhone Car Integration

2-27-09: Problems transferring iTunes content to external hard drives, Using an iTunes library database from an external hard drive, Converting Palm address book for iPod touch, How iTunes organizes music videos, Preventing iPhoto from opening when connecting an iPod touch

2-20-09: Video docks for 5G iPod, Connecting an old iPod to a new iTunes library, Downloading iTunes 8 on another computer, Erasing a used iPod and starting fresh, Recovering photos from an iPod, Tracking purchases in iTunes

2-13-09: Waterproof cases and sound quality, Upgrading to iTunes Plus with a manually managed iPod, Reinstalling games on the iPhone, iPhone 3G Dock options, Fixing album artwork problems, Display iTunes Applications category

2-6-09: iPod nano voice memo format, Buying iPods abroad, Skipping a playlist when shuffling, Adjusting playback speed of music tracks, Not all TV Shows syncing to iPod, Checking and unchecking multiple items in iTunes

1-23-09: Synchronizing contacts to iPod touch, Pairing iPhone Remote app, iPhone call audio via Dock Connector, Recovering iPhone apps, New iPods and charging, Remote control of Windows via iPhone

1-16-09: Creating Smart Playlists based on other playlists, Transferring or syncing an iTunes library between two computers, Converting Mac-formatted iPod to Windows, Using Artist and Sort Artist fields, Using an iPod on more than one computer, Importing audiobook CDs as audiobooks

1-2-09: Parents controls on iPod touch, Running iTunes from an external hard drive, Search feature on 5G iPods, Syncing videos to iPod touch, Safari problems on iPod touch, Other content on iPod shuffle

12-19-08: Keeping podcast episodes, iPod and TV USB inputs, Converting PC-formatted iPod to Mac, iPod touch e-mail accounts, Backing up iTunes to a hard drive, Managing and syncing iPod touch On-The-Go playlists

12-12-08: Classifying videos in iTunes 8, Sharing music between iPods, Sharing apps between iTunes libraries on the same computer, iH9 and iPhone compatibility, Recreating Purchased folder, Locating Music Videos

12-5-08: Creating custom slideshows for Apple TV, Optimal album artwork size, Transferring iPod touch from PC to Mac, Upgrading to a new iPod touch, Authorizing iPod Games on new computer, Managing iPod content manually

11-21-08: iPod keeps resetting, Organizing iPhone apps, iPod touch video accessories, iPod-compatible online music sources, Reordering playlists manually

11-14-08: Cover Flow on 4G iPod nano, Setting up iPod touch without Internet access, Internet radio for iPod touch, Apps button missing on iPod touch, mm50 speakers and new iPod models, Including Year field on iPod

10-31-08: iPod charging accessory compatibility, Adding tracks to multiple albums, Removing pre-installed games, Transferring contacts from iPod touch to a second computer, iPod touch accessory compatibility, iPod synchronization to a new computer

10-24-08: Importing folders with M3U files, AV cables with 2008 iPods, Moving iTunes libraries between computers, Unknown albums after importing music, Newly added tracks don't show up on iPod

10-17-08: Backup up your iPod, iPods and viruses, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Managing photos on an iPod manually, Adding iTunes Shared Music to iPod, iPod video out

10-3-08: Displaying lyrics on iPod touch, Calculating playlist sizes, Transferring tracks to iPod in manual mode, Purchasing older iPod models, Using iPhone without phone service, Shuffle modes

9-26-08: iTunes HD TV episodes showing up twice, Shure MPA-3C and iPod touch, Synchronizing iPod to a new iTunes library, Problems updating iPhone applications, Managing iTunes media files on an external hard drive, Managing multiple iPods on one computer

9-19-08: Removing Genre column in iTunes 8, Syncing TV Shows by playlist, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Recovering photos from iPod, XtremeMac Luna X2, iPod flash memory capacity, Restoring older iPod models

9-12-08: Managing iPhone Backups, iPod disk mode and deleted items, iPod Plays only single tracks, iPhone and T9 predictive text, Copying ratings and play counts from iPod to computer, Automatically retrieving CD information and album artwork

9-5-08: AV output from iPhone 3G dock, New playlists not appearing on iPod, Transferring music on iPod touch from multiple computers, Resetting iTunes Store authorization counts, Editing tag information, iPhone task applications

8-29-08: Disabling data on iPhone 3G, iTunes Plus and Apple Backup, Deleting photos from iPod, iPhone v2.0 and TV Out accessories, Consolidating multiple iTunes libraries, Restoring iPod touch from backup

8-22-08: Cleaning up applications in iTunes, Playing back all songs on iPod, Excluding podcasts from Smart Playlists, Bookmarking tracks, Playing tracks back at a consistent volume level

8-15-08: Transferring play counts back to iTunes, Playing iPod while charging, Customizing iPhone alerts, Syncing movies to iPod nano, iTunes not recognizing new CDs, Sudoku reviews

8-8-08: iPhone and SIM card contacts, Syncing iPhone contacts, Hiding SMS previews on iPhone, Playing iPod touch on secondary computer, Syncing photos to iPod, Resuming interrupted iTunes WiFI Store downloads

8-8-08: iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz responds to reader questions on all things iLounge, including technical issues related to iPhone 3G, and behind-the-scenes editorial issues

8-1-08: iPhone Edition: Switching between apps, Car charging accessories, Activating older iPhone models, Sending MMS, App Store in wrong language, Excel and A2DP support

7-25-08: MobileMe on iPhone for Calendars only, Buying iPods for International use, Voice recorders for 4G iPods, Free Music for iPod, Problems transferring purchased content to iPod, Playing AAC files in Windows Media Player

7-18-08: Ask iLounge iPhone v2.0 Edition: Installing apps on multiple devices, Converting videos for iPhone 3G, Activating first-gen iPhones, Saved photos on iPod touch, Push e-mail support

7-4-08: Recovering a corrupt iPod, Hard cases for iPhone, Reimporting CDs into iTunes, iPod shows only Other content, Managing multiple audio formats in iTunes, Optimum iPod video output cables

6-27-08: Creating Smart Playlists for Purchased items, Keeping place in multi-track audiobooks, Backing up iTunes before a reformat, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Editing CD tracks before import, Getting Album Artwork automatically

6-20-08: Third-party iPod management tools, Transferring large files on iPod, Shuffling On-The-Go Playlists, Removing played podcasts from iPod, Continuously playing one track, Moving iTunes from PC to Mac

6-13-08: Artists not appearing on iPod, Unchecked items do not play in iTunes, iTunes shows incorrect CD track information, Podcast support on older iPod models, Upgrading to a new iPod, Photo albums on iPod touch

6-6-08: Downloading YouTube videos onto iPod, Selling old iPod models, Fit iTunes Window to Screen, Handing down an iPod, Dock Compatible iPod cases, Problems transferring music from iPod to Mac

5-30-08: Burning iTunes purchases to an MP3 CD, Playing iPhone via computer, Pre-loading a gift iPod on another computer, Music Video playlists on Apple TV, Music videos on 2G iPod nano, Importing existing MP3 and WMA files into iTunes.

5-23-08: Finding and backing up purchased music, Syncing duplicate tracks to iPod, Restoring 4G iPod and AC power, Syncing iPod to a laptop when travelling, Finding photos on iPod, Storing a large iTunes library in multiple folders

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

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

Next: iDesign Interview: On JBL's Radical, Whimsical Speakers

Previous: iDesign Interview: Belkin, On Collaboration and Solutions

Comments

1

Suzy, don’t worry about being on the wrong side of 50. You’ll eventually get to be on the right side.

Posted by otaku on May 2, 2008 at 11:45 AM (PDT)

2

re: Suzy - “Also, do I have to subscribe to Itunes to get the album art and , if so, what is the cost for each piece of album art?”

To get iTunes to fetch album art, you must set up and iTunes account, which requires a credit card. However, there is no cost for album art.

Posted by josh on May 3, 2008 at 12:17 AM (PDT)

3

Every time I reformat my PC, I have to reinstall all my music. Is there an easy way to back up and restore your library

Posted by Pete on May 3, 2008 at 3:49 PM (PDT)

4

I recently purchased a 8G Nano. I have an iTunes library at home and one at the office. Yesterday I was trying to download an audiobook, but it deleted the other 72 songs I had on there. Why?

Posted by Ellen on May 8, 2008 at 8:18 AM (PDT)

If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.

Recent Reviews

Recent Articles

Shop for Accessories: Cases, speakers, chargers, etc.

Amazon.com Widgets

iLounge

Article

Ask iLounge 5-2-08

By Jesse David Hollington

Comments

1

2

3

4

Recent News

Recent Reviews

Recent Articles