iLounge

Brigid Alverson of the Melrose Free Press has written an article about John Cameron, a computer crimes detective in Melrose, Virginia who’s done everything from impersonating a 14-year-old girl online, capturing computer con artists, and stopping credit card fraud.

There is also an active thread in the forums about eBay auctions gone bad.

Delamac: Several readers note that Dell Home offers Apple’s iPod 30GB for $449.10 in its Software and Peripherals store. Apply coupon code “479FC56ACC2E” to knock $50 off, yielding a net price of $399.10. That’s $5 off our last mention and nearly $80 less than what most other merchants charge. Shipping is free. Offer ends today.

Rogier Van Bakel writes an interesting article about the consumption of music, be it MP3 or CDs.

Apple today posted a net profit of $19 million and revenues for the third quarter were $1.545 billion in its financial results for fiscal 2003.

Booq has released a new iPod case called PodPaq. Made of ballistic nylon and trimmed in nappa leather, the PodPaq features a snap closure flap lined in Neoprene and sides made of Neoprene. It’s only made for 15 and 30GB iPods. The case also has a quick release belt clip and access to all of iPod’s functions. PodPaq retails for $39.50, is in-stock and will ship July 22nd.

Dealmac: The XtremeMac Inventory Clearance Blowout discounts several iPod products. The Premium iPod Car Charger costs $7.95, $12 off. The HipTunes Bundle (case, belt clip, earbud pouch) costs $15.95, $24 off. The Xtra Case & Earbud Pouch costs $9.95, $25 off. All are intended for first-generation iPods. In related news, XtremeMac recently cut its price on its U.F.O., a USB/FireWire organizer for flat-panel iMacs, to $99.95, $30 less than our last mention.

Update: Griffin has informed us that they plan to incorporate a one-click ‘transfer to iPod’ button in the software which controls the RadioSHARK.

Want to record your favorite radio show and take it with you on your iPod? Griffin Technology has developed the RadioSHARK AM-FM radio for OS X that can record AM, FM or Internet radio to your hard disk in AIFF format. You can then transfer the AIFF file to your iPod for listening on-the-go. The RadioSHARK features similar technology used in TiVo known as ‘time-shift’ recording which allows you to “pause a live broadcast and then return to it moments, or even hours later and continue from where you left off. You can also schedule a recording to happen while you’re away and then listen to the show at a later time.” The RadioSHARK is available for pre-ordering for $49.99 and is expected to ship at end of summer 2003.

Also announced is the iFire Amplifier and Adaptor which allows any computer with FireWire to use Apple’s Pro Speakers, including iPod. The iFire is also available for preorder for $39.99 and is expected to ship end of summer. You can see both products first-hand at booth number #240 at Macworld NY.

Wireless Supersite Editor Ross Rubin writes about “the glory as well as some gotchas in Apple’s iPod and music strategy.”

MacWarehouse has a great deal on brand new iPod 20GB for Mac at $299.

Delamac: MegaMacs.com has the factory-refurbished Apple 20GB iPod for PC for $359.49 plus around $5 shipping. That’s around $10 less than the best price we know to be available for the latest 15GB model. (20GB iPods are no longer produced.) A one-year Apple warranty applies.

It’s exciting to see two companies that fit so well together acknowledging that harmony they enjoy. What interested me most was the mention of a “Volkswagen iPod connectivity kit.” Maybe VW is solving the problem of so many messy wires being needed to connect an iPod with decent sound. Here’s hoping it will be available for current VW/iPod owners.

Editor’s note: We had first heard about a possible partnership in April 2002 in a report from one of our readers. But instead of the Jetta, it is the Beetle which is getting the special iPod connectivity kit.

Apple has updated its Pro section with a story about watchmaker, Fossil and how the in-house design team uses Apple products. In a sidebar story titled ‘iPod Does Booth Duty’, Tim Hale, Fossil’s Senior VP tells how he and his workers use iPod to play music at trade show booths and manage their to-do list.

Source: MacMinute

The iTunes Music Store was awarded the number 2 spot in this year’s Blender 100 of the most sizzling stars, gadgets, bands and booties. The list is only available in the print edition. What’s really strange is that the iPod did appear anywhere in the list of 100. How could this be?

Source: MacMinute

To be eligible to win, you have to register and mix a track using Bacardi’s online music mixer then enter the contest. The music mix with the highest number of online votes will be selected the Grand Prize Music Mix Contest Winner. Grand prize consists of (1) 2,000 gift certificate toward DJ equipement, 2nd prize is twelve 10GB iPods and 3rd prize is (100) t-shirt, CD and sticker. There are also random winners who will recieve one set of Harmon Kardon SoundSticks. Contest ends on July 15, 2003.

For all the DJs out there… wouldn’t it be nice to have pitch control on your iPod for mixing live sets? Wired magazine (August 2003) reports that Apple invited world famous DJ, Ritchie Hawtin to perform at the opening of the Soho NY store, but Hawtin’s mixes were ‘choppy’ due to the lack of pitch control on the dualing iPods.

Not sure if you guys already know about the CBDTPA bill, but it is an important bill for us iPod users and music listeners in general. The “Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act” is a plan to restrict our freedom through computers.

Sign the petition to tell these senators their bill is out of line and against our rights as citizens of the United States.