News
French Mac Site Posts New iPod Photos
- April 30, 2003
MacBidouille has posted several photos of a new iPod sent in by reader Emmanuel who was lucky enough to have already gotten one.
“Billboard: Apple Sells 275,000 Songs in First 18 Hours”
- April 30, 2003
O’Gradys Powerpage has posted a story from the Billboard Daily Bulletin fax reporting that Apple’s iTunes Music Store sold an estimated 275,000 songs at .99 cents each in the first 18 hours.
WSJ: Apple’s iPod Raises Bar For Digital Music Players
- April 30, 2003
Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Mossberg reviews the new iPod.
WSJ: Apple’s New Service Beats Illegal Free Sites
- April 30, 2003
Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Mossberg reviews the iTunes Music Store.
Time: Steve Jobs: ‘It’s So Cool’
- April 30, 2003
Time Online Edition has posted an interview with Steve Jobs about the hot topic of the day, the iTunes Music Store.
Update: iPod Software 1.3 vs. 2.0
- April 30, 2003
iLoungers in our forums are disappointed that iPod Software 1.3 is missing most of the new features which will debut in new iPods (iPod Software 2.0). Windows users are out of luck all together until Apple releases an update for Windows iPod. A sad fact for owners of 1st and 2nd generation iPods. We have requested that iLoungers voice their opinion on this matter by sending Apple feedback and request new features to be supported in older iPods.
Update: We have replaced our comparison of features with Apple’s recently posted KnowledgeBase Document comparing iPod Software 2.0 and 1.3. For a complete list of features, click the “Read more” link below.
Apple seeks Software Engineer to build iTunes for Windows
- April 30, 2003
MacRumors is reporting that Apple is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for iTunes for Windows.
Apple KnowledgeBase Docs Updated
- April 30, 2003
Apple has posted updated Knowledge Base Documents for iPods.
iPod: How to Distinguish Models
iPod: How to Update
iPod: How to Find The Serial Number
iPod: How to Restore
iPod: How to Adjust the Sound Volume
iPod: How to Find Out How Much Space Is Left on iPod
Griffin Announces New PowerPod for New iPods
- April 30, 2003
Griffin has announced their PowerPod Auto Charger has been redesigned to work with new iPods.
“‘We originally designed the PowerPod with a separate cable and module to
give our customers the flexibility to use any FireWire cable they wanted.
Turns out our iPod Auto Charger is even more flexible than we thought.’ said
Paul Griffin, CEO Griffin Technology. ‘The new Dock Connector to FireWire
Cable that comes with every new iPod fits directly into our PowerPod Auto
Charger Module right now. This means current PowerPod owners upgrading their
iPods don’t have to also buy a new auto charger - and new iPod owners have a
choice that’ll save them $20 bucks and is shipping now’.”
“How to Link to Items in the iTunes Store”
- April 30, 2003
Todd Dominey and “Fuse” have discovered that you can create a hyperlink to an individual track in the iTunes Music Store. Dominey’s weblog “What Do I Know” has detailed instructions on how to do so. “Fuse” has instructions on how to perform iTunes Music Store searches using your browser.
Todd Dominey -
“basic structure of the hyperlink is:
itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/
wa/advancedSearchResults
From there, there are four possible variables that can be passed in the query - songTerm, artistTerm, albumTerm, and composerTerm.
So say you wanted to link to music by Beck. You would enter:
itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/
wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Beck
If your artist name has two or more words in it, insert %20 in place of the white space.”
The iPod is an American icon
- April 30, 2003
Rolling Stones magazine has named the iPod an American icon in its 35th Anniversay issue (on newstands now). The iPod is joined by; Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, The Backstage Pass, The Dead Rock Star, The Blonde Bombshell and Homer Simpson.
iPod Software v2.0 only for new models
- April 30, 2003
A moderator for Apple’s Knowledge Base discussion forums weighed in on whether iPod Software 2.0 would be compatible with older iPods, and the answer is NO:
“iPod software 2.0 and its features are only compatible with new iPods.
iPod software 1.3 allows existing iPod customers to play back AAC music purchased from the iTunes Music Store or ripped from a user’s CD collection on their iPod.
Gayle
AppleCare Discussions”
(Thanks to iLounger huggies for pointing this out.)
New AppleScript to help find album artwork
- April 30, 2003
Brett O’Connor’s AppleScript, Find Album Artwork with Google will do an image search on Google for album artwork. This could come in quite handy for users eager to use iTunes 4’s new Album Artwork feature.
“iTunes Music Store DRM Summary”
- April 29, 2003
MacRumors has written an article about Apple’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) system and how it is using protected AAC for iTunes Music Store downloads.
Dr. Bott Introduces Amp Jacket Adapter for New iPods
- April 29, 2003
Dr. Bott has released an adapter for new iPods to work with older connections in the Amp Jacket. It retails for $24.95.
“AMP Interface allows owners of Burton’s Amp Jacket to use their new third generation iPod (with dock connector) with the integrated SOFTswitch technology.
AMP Interface replaces the interface of the jacket with one that incorporates the remote connector and headphone jack of the new iPod.
AMP Interface for 3G iPod is compatible with the new 10GB (M8976LL/A ), 15GB (M8946LL/A) and 20GB (M8948LL/A ) iPods that have the dock connector.”
Belkin Announces New Accessories for New iPods
- April 29, 2003
Yesterday we mentioned that Belkin had new iPod accessories appearing on the Apple website. Today, Belkin has officially announced the new Belkin products for new iPods via a press release.
Belkin Auto Kit for iPod $39.99
“The Belkin Auto Kit connects the new iPod to the car’s power source and speaker system, and includes an exclusive Belkin cable that charges the unit from the car’s cigarette lighter. The Auto Kit also provides an adjustable amplifier and 3.5mm audio-out jack that allows the user to play the iPod through the car stereo or other audio equipment while in the car. The unit is also engineered with a replaceable safety fuse to protect from potentially damaging spikes or short circuits.”
Belkin Backup Battery Pack for iPod $59.99
“The Belkin Backup Battery Pack allows the user to power the new iPod with replaceable batteries—even when the internal battery is drained. It is an ideal solution for long plane fights, hikes or for any other instances where an AC outlet is inaccessible. The Battery Pack provides 15-20 hours of playing time and incorporates a power-level indicator to signify when the batteries are running low. Additionally, the Battery Pack includes discreet suction cups (plus two spare), four standard ‘AA’ alkaline batteries, a secure power switch and dock connector.”
Belkin Mobile Cassette Adapter $19.99
“The Belkin Mobile Cassette Adapter easily connects the new iPod to a car stereo through the car’s in-dash cassette player. Providing an easy way to transfer quality sound from any portable audio equipment to a car stereo, it is designed for outstanding audio performance and use on the road. The Adapter reduces noise by automatically maintaining the correct tension within the cassette deck while driving. The device includes a 3.5mm connector and works with front- and side-loading cassette players. It also works for portable MP3, CD and cassette player, PCs or laptops.”
RIAA Warns with IMs
- April 29, 2003
Wired reports that the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) sent IMs to Grokster and Kazaa users warning them about stealing music. The report also says that at least a million messages or more per week will be sent.
“The copyright infringement warnings, which were sent by the Recording Industry Association of America, on behalf of the major record labels, said in part:
‘It appears that you are offering copyrighted music to others from your computer…. When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON’T STEAL MUSIC, either by offering it to others to copy or downloading it on a ‘file-sharing’ system like this. When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified.’”
The Press Reacts: iTunes Music Store
- April 29, 2003
We’ve compiled a list of press reactions to the announcement of Apple’s new iTunes Music Store. Click the “Read more” link to view the complete list of links to articles.
Doug’s AppleScripts Updated for iTunes 4
- April 29, 2003
- Mac Software
Over at Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes, “power correspondents” are posting updates to AppleScripts for functionality with iTunes 4 and iPod firmware 1.3
The popular iTunes Library Manager has been updated to make it compatible with iTunes 4. The download also contains an Updater utility for users of earlier versions of iTLM which will update your backed-up iTunes 3 Libraries so they can work with iTunes 4.
Import Selected iPod Tracks to iTunes has been updated to make it compatible with iTunes 4. And to allow transfer of m4a (AAC) files from the iPod to iTunes.
Mac: iTunes-BPM Inspector - 0.9.1
- April 29, 2003
- Mac Software
iTunes 4 comes with BPM tagging ability; use iTunes BPM Inspector to determine BPMs. A suggested use for this utility might be to have an aid in making smart playlists based on tempo.