Thursday, June 13, 2002
“Who wouldn’t love to have an iPod?”
John Manzione at MacNet2 writes about his personal experiences with his iPod.
“I use my iPod every day now. In the beginning, (I bought it when it was started shipping) it used to lie around for a couple of weeks a time without being touched. It wasn’t that I had no use for it; it was because I didn’t have the time to set up iTunes properly, with playlists and such.”
Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Software: XPlay Beta 2 Released
“XPlay Beta 2 is faster, more reliable, and more powerful than the last release. Most everything that was right about Beta 1 is even better in Beta 2, and most of the few things that weren’t quite right in Beta 1 are addressed in Beta 2.”
Software: XPlay Beta 1 Released
- What does XPlay Beta 1 do?
- Makes a drive letter appear for your Apple iPod.
- Enables you to copy MP3, AIF and WAV files to your Apple® iPod™ through both Windows Media Player and a special XPlay music folder, accessible through Explorer; see the What to expect section below for details.
- Makes your Apple iPod appear as a Portable Device in Windows Media Player.
- Enables you to play songs from your iPod through Windows Media Player, Winamp, Music Match, Real One, or your other MP3-playback software of choice.
- Provides read/write access to the iPod hard drive for data files of all types, just like MacDrive.
- Enables you to access the Contacts folder in the root of the iPod hard drive, in which you may place vCard (.vcf) files that will be accessible when the iPod is used as a portable device.
- Automatically makes the appropriate icons and file name extensions appear for Mac files on the iPod hard drive.
Note: XPlay Beta 1 will function through June 23rd, 2002.
System Requirements: XPlay Beta 1 is for use under Windows Me, 98SE, 2000 and XP
iPod 10GB for $471.97
Amazon.com is offering the iPod 10GB for $471.97 and ships free with Super Saver Shipping. Orders may take an additional 3 to 5 days for delivery.
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
Forums: Did you buy a case for your iPod?
We are conducting a poll in the forums asking, “Did you buy a case for your iPod?”. We encourage all forum members to participate, the more the better. Please register to be eligible to vote in the forums. Thank you.
iPod chipmaker gets $42 million in funding
News.Com is reporting that PortalPlayer, the makers of the chip used in the iPod, have received $42 million in fourth-round funding from various investors including J.P. Morgan Partners, Investcorp International, Shamrock Capital Advisors and others.
Refurbished iPod 5GB for $299
iLounger, Russel F. wanted to remind our readers that the refurbished iPod 5GB is available at the online Apple Store for $299. Click “Special deals” at the bottom of the page.
MacDirectory’s iPod Review
MacDirectory has published a review of the iPod accompanied by the iPod appearing in fashion photographs.
“Taking a closer look at iPod, it is immediately clear that it is an Apple device, with all of the company’s attention to industrial design at work in a music player.”
iPod Dies by Drowning in Toilet
A humorous iPod tale is being reported at French Mac news website, Mac4Ever. Seems that a Mister X accidently dropped his iPod into the toilet and it died by drowning. But the good news is that Apple has replaced it. The translation is very rough and we could barely make out the story, but funny nonetheless.
Note: Use Babel Fish if you would like to read the English translation. The Mac4Ever website uses frames, so we cannot display a direct link to the English translation.
MacOpener for $39.99
EphPod developer, Joe Freshman, has informed us of a deal on MacOpener for EphPod users. Buy it for $39.99 for a limited time only. It includes a 30-day money back guarantee. There is no indication when the deal will expire.
Also, Joe would like to take this time and invite EphPod users to send him suggestions on new features you want to see in future EphPod versions. “Don’t be shy”, says Joe.
EphPod suggestions…
MacOpener deal…
MacOpener Supports FireWire for iPod on a PC
“DataViz, Inc. today announced an updated version of its Mac-mounting software, MacOpener, to support FireWire for the iPod. This new update allows MacOpener customers to use popular music programs such as EphPod by TrentSoft, Inc. to transfer, organize, and play MP3s from the iPod on a Windows computer equipped with a FireWire card.”
iPod Designer Jonathan Ive
Sathnam Sanghera of the Financial Times has published a story talking with Jonathan Ive, designer of several award winning Apple products, including the iPod. Seems that Mr. Ive was a bit testy during the interview.
“The real success of Apple’s designs, adds Ive, is not their distinctiveness, but the fact that they are not intrusive. “With the new iMac, if you just sit there for 10 minutes and move the display around, you quickly forget about its design. The design gets out of the way. We are not interested in design statements. We do everything we can to simplify design. One of our victories and successes with the iPod and iMac is that we have removed the clutter that should, by functional right, be there.”
Software: iPat Randomizer 2.1b5 Released
Big Dave Slack of Snake Oil Software writes us with his release of iPat (beta freeware), the iTunes randomizer for OS X.
“iPat Randomizer is an AppleScript Studio application developed specifically for creating iPod playlists from large iTunes music collections, but can be used to create random playlists for whatever use the user desires. The user can designate a specific size, track count and/or name for the random playlist, and can filter tracks used for the random playlist based on whether the Library track is enabled.”
System requirements: At least 128MB of RAM, OS X 10.1.4 and iTunes 2.0.4.
Download…
Monday, June 10, 2002
Software: EphPod v2.35 Beta Released
“EphPod is a program designed to make your iPod work with Windows. You will need a program to let you read Mac drives through Windows for EphPod to work properly. Currently, we recommend MacOpener. It has a free trial, so you can try it before you have to pay for it.”
- What’s new in 2.35:
- Includes Help File and Context-Sensitive Help now
- Option to delete corresponding songs when deleting a playlist
- Built-in Weather Downloading
- You can now change the iPod Drive in Configuration (in case you
- select the wrong one)
- EphPod now saves column sizes so you can fit everything on one
- screen.
- Misc. Cosmetic Changes
- Bug fixes:
- Fixed Synchronization bug with having directories that recursed
- Playlist Synchronization should work now.
System requirements:
Windows 98SE/ME/NT/2000/XP
Mac-Drive reading software (like MacOpener)
FireWire Card
For more info and download…
Will Smith Dropped his iPod
Ogrady’s Powerpage reports that reader Caleb Wright spotted Will Smith on MTV with his iPod.
“Will Smith uses an iPod too, I spotted him with one on MTV’s Making the Video for “Nod Your Head.” He was filming getting out of his car and he accidently dropped it :-\ Do you think that he gets priority technical support?”
New Apple Ads Aimed at PC Users
Apple has unleashed their latest ad campaign to get PC users to switch to Macs. Larger than the “Think Different” campaign, the “Real People” print ads and TV commercials will entice PC users to forever switch to the Macintosh platform by letting the average PC user tell it like it is. Apple has developed a mini-website with compelling information on why a PC user should switch at www.Apple.com/switch.
Among the information is a list of 10 reasons why a PC user should switch to a Mac. The number 3 reason to switch to the Mac…
“The critics all agree (and how often does that happen?) – not only does iTunes turn the Mac into an unequalled digital jukebox, but iPod has no peer among MP3 players on the market today. iTunes makes it easy to convert the music from your CD collection into MP3 files. Lets you make playlists to match your every mood. Offers one-button burning of audio CDs. And seamless integration with MP3 players. Like iPod. Which fits in your pocket, weighs just 6.5 ounces, holds up to 2,000 songs, features lightning-fast music transfers via FireWire, plays for up to ten hours and lets you bring your music go wherever you go. “
Read the other 9 reasons to switch…
Sunday, June 9, 2002
French Website iPodsource Launched
Online French retailer, New Edge has recently launched iPodsource, showcasing the iPod and various iPod accessories available for online purchase. Among the items listed for sale; XtremeMac Deluxe iPod case (79 €), Waterfield Designs’ Sooper Dooper iPod case (45 €), Groove Jacket iPod case (39 €), and the iPod 5GB (528 €) and 10GB (690 €).