Apple iPod Essentials   Tracking the Pulse of iPod

Seems Apple Computer has listened to the media criticism about the entry price for iPod Minis. And it sounds like the iPod line is converging on the Photo and Mini models. The only non-Photo starndard size iPod available now is the 20GB model.

Apple iPod Mini - 4GB, 6GB - $199

The second generation iPod mini lineup features a new 4GB model priced at just $199 and a new 6GB model priced at $249. Both iPod mini models feature increased battery life of up to 18 hours, USB charging and an ultra-portable, lightweight design available in four vibrant colors. The Mini's colors have also been kicked up.

Apple iPod Photo - 30GB, 60GB - $349

Updating the iPod photo lineup, Apple introduced a new slim 30GB model, holding up to 7,500 songs, for just $349 and a new 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs, for $449. iPod photo features a stunning high-resolution color screen for displaying photos and enhancing the entire iPod music experience. Both models hold up to 25,000 digital photos and can import photos from your digital camera via the new iPod Camera Connector for instant viewing and slide show playback on iPod photo.



Of course, had I waited two weeks, I could have gotten a new 30GB iPod Photo for the same price I paid for the 20GB pod.... Well, hopefully others have been on the fence about buying a iPod, and can now run out and order one. No word yet on how the stocks are or if the consumer outlets have received shipments.

The Mini and Photo models no longer include a FireWire cable ("Sold Separately...").

Analysts estimate that Apple makes a 40 percent profit margin on each device.

"If it had a screen, it would no longer be a Shuffle. Apple is getting a lot of marketing mileage out of clever slogans about shuffling."
     - IdaRose Sylvester, a senior semiconductor research analyst at IDC

Analysts at IDC took apart an iPod Shuffle to come up with an estimate of how much each one costs Apple Computer to manufacture. the flash memory was deemed the most expensive component, followed by the digital music decoder. Sylvester estimates that Apple is making about $40 profit on each unit.

The article had no mention of the fact that Apple doesn't receive $99 per shuffle. There are channel discounts, marketing expenses, etc. So the article at best is just an estimate of manufacturing costs and really can't be interpreted as estimating Apple's margin on the diminuitive Poddie.

Buy.com is running a special on Apple iPod 20GB, 40GB and 60GB models. You'll also avoid paying sales tax if you have the Poddie shipped to any state other than California, Maryland or Massachusetts.



Use the following links to get take advantage of this limited-time offer.

• All iPod Special Offers
• Apple 20GB iPod w/ Clickwheel


• Apple iPod 40GB Photo w/ Clickwheel
• Apple iPod 40GB Photo w/ Clickwheel

When you purchase music from the Apple iTunes Music Store (ITMS), you can only play the songs on computers which you have authorized by logging into the Music Store. Apple allows you to have up to five computers authorized simultaneously. There is also a mechanism for deauthorizing a computer to free up a slot for later use. This is known as Digital Rights Management, or DTM.

Stories abound from iTunes-users who have unwittingly used up their five allotments then had a computer go dead on them, or sell it before deauthorizing it. You can petition Apple if you've lost the ability to deauthorize a computer you no longer have access to, but I suspect it's not a simple process. Apple has several pages related to iTunes and Computer Authorization on their Web site for the curious out there. Deauthorizing a computer you have access to is a simple process, just look under iTunes Advanced menu.



Apple's DRM system is named PlayFair. "PlayFair" was an Open Source project which used source code written by Jon Lech Johansen to remove the FairPlay DRM encryption in AAC MP4 files. The FairPlay name, while a clever dig at Apple's protection scheme, embodies the beliefs held by proponents of fair-use under copyright law.

Apple Computer issued a cease and desist order to Sourceforge to shut down the PlayFair Web site (http://playfair.sourceforge.net). But now "The PlayFair free software project is back online, with both the maintainer of the project and the hosting service willing to face a legal challenge from Apple." It has a new name as well, Hear Your Music Anywhere -- Hymn. The Hymn homepage offers the following introduction to their project:

Why use Hymn?

• To decrypt your iTunes protected AAC files so that they can be played on operating systems for which no official version of iTunes exists, such as Linux.

• To use non-Apple AAC-capable hardware to play your music.
• To eliminate the five computer limit imposed by iTunes.
• To make archival backups of your music.
• As the first step in converting your music from protected AAC to MP3, Ogg, or your other favorite audio file format, for use with your non-iPod portable audio player.
• To demonstrate your belief in the principles of fair-use under copyright law.

I spent a few minutes tonight with the JHymn software and found it very easy to use (at least running on Mac OS X). It's predominantly Java-based but has a bit of everything under the hood (JNI libraries written in C, the LAME MP3 encoder, and AppleScripts for updating your iTunes library after the protected ACC files are converted). I only converted a single song, but it was quick and after importing back into iTunes, it was exactly the same as the purchased copy except for the PlayFair information.



Hymn runs on Mac OS 10.3.3, Gentoo Linux and Windows XP Pro. There's a Cocoa GUI for Mac OS X, and a command line interface for all supported platforms. A derivative project called iOpener runs on Windows. if you have your iPod mounted on the Desktop, Hymn will locate the key it needs to open up the ACC files, otherwise Hymn will ask you to authorize through the itunes Music Store to get this information.
While Apple will continue to try and thwart users' unrestricted access to their purchased music, for now at least, you have an option to play your music where you want.

Links:
The Hymn Web Site: hymn-project.org

Jon Lech Johansen (nanocrew.net) is the person who first reverse-engineered the FairPlay DRM scheme but is more widely known for his work on DeCSS, which was a program that allowed DVDs to be played on unsupported devices and operating systems.

www.asleep.net/blog/Daeken/2004/08/25/316/ offers a description of the FairPlay DRM Scheme (the Hymn documentation also has an interesting description complete with diagrams. :-)

Here are a couple of tips on how to keep your iPod battery strong.
1. Use your iPod regularly (As if we wouldn't!!!) But in case you don't, make sure it gets one full charge each month.

2. Make sure you are current with your iPod updates, those geniuses over at Apple are always coming up with new and improved ways to optimize performance, including finding efficient new ways of preserving your battery life!!

3. USE THE HOLD BUTTON WHEN YOU TURN YOUR iPod OFF!!!!!

4. Make playlists that you want to listen to rather than skipping through songs. When you fast-forward a lot your iPod fills its cache quicker, causing your battery to lose more power.

5. Don't expose your iPod, or its battery to extreme temperatures. It is happy between 32°F and 90°F (2C° - 32°C). So if you forget it in the car on a hot summer day or a cold winter night you risk damaging your battery, which is upwards of $105 to replace through Apple

This post was originally about a product from the company DVForge. Having learned of some apparently shady practices by DVForge's owner in which he misappropriated images of furniture from another company's web site, and attempted to sell the furniture as his own designs (MacTables) and at a much higher price then the manufacturer,

More information on Jack Campbell's antics is available in this Macintouch thread

Jack explains his past and defends himself in a thread posted on SpyMac.com

iPod problems???
Check out www.iPodResQ for all your iPod problems. They fix any and all problems including LCD Screen repair, battary replacements, Sync, scroll wheel, audio jack and firewire problems. They can fix all iPod models and all repairs are done within 24 hours. Here is how it works. For $29.00 you receive an ibox which you place your iPod in and ship to them, they will give you an estimate, should you decide to have them repair it they fix the problem and ship it back to you. You are NOT obligated to have them fix your iPod. If you do decide to have them fix it you can also get a new battery for only $30.00 ($79.00 if you just want the battery replaced). You can also trade in or sell your iPod with iPodResQ.com. All replacements come with a 90 day warrenty, extended warenties are also available.

Check out some of their happy shopper's comments:

After I stupidly dunked my 2 year-old iPod into the swimming pool, I thought it was a "goner." You worked wonders and were able to breathe new life into it. This has meant so much to me because my iPod was a very special gift from my children on my 60th birthday. Thank you, thank you a million for your fast work. You were able to get it back to me while I was still on vacation. Since you had to replace the logic board, I decided to also replace the battery for just a little bit more. Now it's like new! Carol Carrillo

YOU GUYS RULE! To think my local Apple dealer wanted to charge me about $850 to replace the screen cable, something called inverters and the screen (he assured me that they NEEDED to be replaced) and charged me $45 for not even opening up the case! I have already recommended you to all my Mac-using friends. A now LOYAL customer, Wayne J. Bishop

I recently got my iPod back from being repaired and I just wanted to say great work. You guys know how to do customer service and do fine work. I recently had the hard drive on my PC crap out so I the only place that my music was stored was the iPod. Apple told me I would lose all my data and was only going to send me a "new, used or refurbished" ipod, but you guys didn't touch the data and actually fixed only what was wrong. Thanks again, Adam Burnett

REMEMBER!!!!!!!!!! Its always a good idea to back up your songs before shipping your iPod off (if you can). Afterall, you don't want to risk losing all those songs you've downloaded.... Do you??

www.iPodResQ

Bloomberg News reported yesterday that:

shipments of iPods soared more than sevenfold last quarter to 4.58 million, for a total of more than 10 million. The music player's success has lifted sales of Cupertino, California-based Apple's other products and helped make the stock the second-best performer on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index last year.

On February 18, 2005 Apple stock (AAPL) will split 2-1.

iPod vs the Cassette is a humorous comparison between ... you guessed it!

And this, the early inspiration for iPod:
The Origins of iPod

"NO!"

Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio says Steve Jobs does "not believe iPod users needed anything other than the ability to download thousands of songs."

Nor is Jobs apparently interested in XM radio.

Jobs to Satellite Broadcasters: "Not on MY iPod!"
 

I predict we'll be seeing wireless capabilities being built-in to the next generation iPod models, no doubt as an option initially (given that it would likely add $100 to the base price). While syncing a lot of music over current wireless protocols wouldn't be nearly as fast as plugging in the FireWire cable, there are plenty of cool uses for it. to wit:

• Syncing contacts
• Exchanging vCards with friends and strangers
• Trading your custom playlists with friends (sans the actual songs...)
• Or my favorite future application: a proximity dating service; you program into your Pod all your wonderful qualities, and indicate what type of mate-or-date you're seeking, and when you get within range of someone compatible (who also happens to be carrying a similiarly configured 5th generation iPod) the iPod sounds an alert to you. The strong the alert, THE MORE COMPATIBLE THE PERSON IS FOR YOU! :-) Then you just have to figure out who it is on the subway that's emitting those pheromones.
  

for more information on Sirius Satellite Radio, visit our sponsored link: SIRIUS Satellite Radio - Over 120 channels of digital satellite radio

Here's something I wish I would have thought of (though I wonder if they aren't somehow infringing Apple advertising copyrights...).


From their web site (ipodmyphoto.com):

"Transform your photos into colorful and exciting iPod ads. iPod My Photo will customize any photo and once you've seen the amazing results, you can print your own unique iPodified photo on t-shirts, greeting cards and much more"

Here's another sample from their web site:



I wonder if they've gotten many nudies! :-)

If you've tried this service, please leave me some feedback in comments. I'm curious about how long it takes them to turn around your photo, how pleased you were with the results, etc. thanks.

(Note: I just came across another service offering similar services: www.ipodyourphoto.com -2/12/2005).

MacWorld UK has a short article today stating that the new iPod Shuffle is incompatible with G4 iMacs and eMacs.

A note on Apple's support Web site explains: "Because of its design, iPod shuffle cannot be connected to the USB ports on the side of iMac G3 and eMac computers — it will not fit. You can connect iPod shuffle to your keyboard's USB ports if your computer has Mac OS X 10.3.6 or later, however, iPod shuffle will not charge due to the keyboard's low-power USB ports."

Stumped for gift ideas??? Why not give the gift of music?? iTunes has made shoping easy with their electronic and paper gift certificates (available from $10 - $200). Wait till the last minute? Not to worry, electronic gift certificates are delivered within minutes. If you prefer paper just stop by iTunes, enter the amount and your gift will on its way within 1-3 business days, or send a pre-paid card available in $15-$25.

Have a real music buff in your life? Why not give them the gift that keeps on giving? Set up a monthly allowance, you can give as little as $10 and as much as $200 per month. Great idea for holidays and birthdays!!!

Apple and Motorola jointly announced (click the post title for the PR statement) that iTunes Music Player will be able to transfer songs to Motorola’s Next-Generation Mobile Phones via USB or BlueTooth connections.

In order for this to work, Apple will have to create a new iTunes mobile music player, which Motorola says it will make the standard music application on all their mass-market music phones, expected to be available in the first half of 2005. Sounds like yet another agressive marketing move on Apple's part.

Apple has already joined forces with top-end auto manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, BWM, Alfa Romeo Nissan and Ferrari to offer in-car iTunes support. This not only provides a docking station for your Pod, but typically you can control the iPod or iPod Mini from built-in controls in the steering wheel or dashboard.

While researching an article I'm writing about getting free iPods through various marketing companies, I came across someone who had successfully completed all requirements to receive a free 20GB iPod, who cleverly DID NOT OPEN THE BOX, but instead ran down to a local Apple Retail Store and schemed his way into exchanging it for a 40GB iPod. I just had to share a quote from his story because it resonates with a conversation I had last night with a friend who just bought a non-iPod mp3 player...

if you don't open your iPod, you can go to an Apple store, exchange it, and with a student ID, pay $70 for the 40GB. Keep in mind, also, that the 40GB, unlike the 20GB, comes with the dock, which is worth $40 on its own. So really, you're paying $40 for the dock, and $30 for twice the storage space.
...
...And holy crap is this thing awesome. 40 gigs is a lot of god damned music. I have 7512 songs on there, with 1.9 gigs left for more. A decent chunk of my mp3s are ripped at 192kbps or better, so Apple's estimate of 10,000 songs is a little high if your songs aren't all at 128kbps. But still. 7512 songs is a whole lot of music. That's every song I love, every song I have that's even just pretty good, plus a lot of songs I don't know very well, but am giving a chance. I mean, Jesus. 40 gigs. Remember when a 10 gig hard drive was a huge deal? This is a 40 gig hard drive, that plays mp3s, and is the size of a deck of cards.

You might think you don't need one. If you ever hold one of these in your hands and play with it for 5 minutes, you'll change your mind. It's quite possibly the coolest gadget ever invented by mankind. Apple's always been the king of usability and hardware that "just works", but to say an iPod "just works" is like saying Jimi Hendrix "just plays guitar". Did I mention the new iPods have 12 hours of battery life on a single charge? And, you can recharge it from your computer through the USB or FireWire connection.

What caught my eye about this guy's passionate expression (highlighted in blue text above) was remembering a conversation I had with an acquaintance last night down in my little mountain town. He was excited for having just bought an mp3 player from the local Best Buy. "Staring at an iPod box you're not allowed to open is perhaps one of the greatest pains to come out of our technological society."
    -Jay BeesThe first words out of my mouth (in retrospect, I think somewhat rudely) were "you should have gotten an iPod". He asked what was better about an iPod. "If you ever had one in your hands for five minutes, you'd know...", and I realized it was pointless and crass to harp on about iPods after he had already spent $250 on his music player, and was obviously thrilled with it. Indeed, as I explored his toy for a few minutes, naturally I found the interface and controls clunky, it was heavy, large(r than the full-size iPods) and you could feel the hard disk spinning inside it whenever it read a new song into memory.

There's just something about iPods (and Apple hardware in general) which other manufacturers can't come close to matching. Do you agree? I'd like to hear your thoughts whether you're passionate about your iPod, pining for one still, or think they're overrated.

Wow! Now this is cool. I've always thought Bose made pretty good audio eqipment, if not a little pricey.



The Bose™ SoundDock™ digital music system was specifically designed to expand and enhance your enjoyment of the music stored on your iPod® or iPod mini. Just slip it into the docking cradle for the Bose sound your favorite songs deserve. The iPod charges as it plays, so you enjoy music without interruption. Its sleek, slender design fits almost any room’s décor. And the included remote lets you control the SoundDock system from across the room.

I did some poking around on the net looking for reviews for this product. Here are comments from Amazon.com:

The Bose SoundDock has, by far, the best sound of all three: Absolutely beautiful, clear and rich, with powerful base. Note that it's too big to easily throw in your suitcase for a 2 week vacation, but is small enough to easily move between rooms. If you want great sound, are OK with generally leaving this home, and are OK with the price, this is the one to get. IMO the remote is just the best for these kinds of systems: It has an instant off button that will turn off your iPod backlight and screen while it continues to charge (this issue is a bit of a hassle on the other systems), as well as buttons for next/previous track (or scan within track) and volume control.

The Bose Sounddock is quite good if not amazing. I ordered it at Apple.com after the holidays and it came in 3 days with regular shipping. It is ridiculously easy to set up, and fits nicely anywhere, because it has a nice small size that can seem at times underwhelming. I say this because the sound is great, yet it is amazing it is coming from a little speaker. The remote is small like all bose remotes are...

Bose SoundDock - Amazon Price: $299

Search for Bose SoundDock Reviews

Just came across this while browsing iPod utility software titles. The utility in question allowed one to drag music off the iPod into iTunes even if the tunes did not exist in the iTunes library to begin with. One legitimate use for this would be if you crashed your drive and lost all your ripped music, but it still existed on your iPod.

From: ProHosting Abuse Department
To: sylvain demongeot (wildbits.com)
Subject: Fw: Urgent/Legal Notice (our ref#0677)

We received the following complaint regarding your website from Apple
Computer, Inc.

You must remove the offending link/files within 24hrs or your account
will be closed for violating our Acceptable Use Policy.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

ProHosting Abuse Department
abuse@prohosting.com

Forwarded by ProHosting Abuse Department
====================
Specifically, we have learned that unauthorized Apple iTunes® software
code is being used in a computer program called "iPodDownload 1.0". The
material is currently available for download on the wildbits.com web site,
hosted by your company, at the following URL:

http://www.wildbits.com/ipoddownload/

Another site mentions this:

iTunes 4.7 disabled a popular and useful utility called "iPod Download" which lets you drag and drop files from the iPod to anywhere you choose.

www.engadget.com has information on getting around the iTunes 4.7 changes.

I don't know about you, but there is nothing I hate more then waking up to radio chit chat... Call it my Taurean nature, but I like to be woken up by songs that are going to get me ready to face the day, not Wally the Weather Wanker. Well... good news folks. Your mini iPod has an alarm feature on it. Just go to Extras>Clock>Alarm Clock.

If you don't have mini speakers to connect your iPod to, you can select the Beep and your alarm will function with the internal speakers. If you have mini speakers or head phones, you can set your alarm to whatever song you want to wake up to!! This great feature comes in handy at home and on the go!!!

iPodRip is the definitive iPod companion application. iPodRip allows you to get the most out of your iPod -- you can transfer music from your iPod back to your iTunes Library, listen to music directly on your iPod (allowing you to save valuable disk space) -- plus much more. iPodRip supports all iPod Media Types -- MP3, AAC, Protected AAC or Audible.com Content.

• Imports all iTunes file-types.
• Play songs direct from iPod
• iTunes Integration
• Support for extensive file information, including song ratings
• SmartSync - For keeping two Macs in sync
• Playlist Viewing
• Playlist and Ratings Importing
• Drag & Drop Support
• iTunes-like Browser
• Imports more than 20% faster than nearest competitor
• Localized in Japanese, Dutch
• Menubar icons to control the playing song.

Price: $15 (shareware) iPodRip Download

Jenny-with-the-blue-iPod has joined me as a co-contributor to the blog. Jen and I have been friends (and sometimes enemies) for more than five years now. This past summer she fell in love with the Mini Cooper (color: blue), and later, the iPod Mini (color: blue) when it was first released. Not owning her own computer at the time (a topic I should write about in another post), I took control of her Mini for a day and filled it with a couple thousand songs from my collection. As with the just released iPod Shuffle, the iPod Mini was difficult to get ahold of right after it came out; as I recall it was backordered about eight weeks. She wanted one way too much to wait that long -- cause they were sooo coool, and soooo lucious (and even came in color blue): eBay to the rescue! A week later it was waiting for her at the concierge desk of her building! My was she excited.

Jen and I met one summer during her University break while she was underage bartending at the Redding Roadhouse in Redding, Connecticut. After finishing school, she spent a few years in Wales and outside of London working as an I.T. Recruiter then returned to the States in time for Christmas with the folks, 2003. We got back in touch in April of last year as she was grooving back into the American accents and a new, post-graduation life. (adulthood seems to be a bit of a bummer for her, but I think she's starting to adjust.) As you can read in her profile, she's now doing post-grad work in Education.

I'm hoping she remains as excited about contributing to this blog as she was today when I added her as a team member because I could use someone less focused on the technical and more on the user experience of iPod ownership. I'm a tech guy, she's Apple's target market for iPods. And I like having a female's voice in here to balance my guy sensibilities.

Leave her a welcome greeting in the comments.

This is the first of a regular feature which brings together news and links to the coolest iPod accessories.

DLO TransPod

TransPod FM is the ultimate car solution - it charges the iPod while it is playing, transmits crisp, clear music through your car stereo speakers and mounts iPod using two jointed charger arms - so iPod is right where you can access it while driving, no matter where your cigarette lighter is located.
(Note: best price I found on this was $71.49 at Amazon. The list price is $99 and I've seen it being sold for that at many other stores.)

Attention iPod Couch Potatoes and Control Freaks!

Digital Life Outfitters introduces the iPod Remote Control, iDirect. for "Couch Potatoes & Control Freaks" Manage your iPod with ease, advance through playlists, adjust volume output and power iPod up or down from across the room with theDLO iDirect Remote Control for iPod. $49 from www.everythingipod.com.

Sumajin's SmartWrap stereo earphone cord manager. Unwrap as much cord as you need then hitch it off to one of the cuts in the foam rubber.

iPod Armor 4G Case from Matias

Matias iPod Armor 4G seals your iPod inside a two-piece metal shell without screen visibility or a hole for Click Wheel access. It's one of the most protective cases available, but you do not have easy access to controls. $49 Available from thinkdifferentstore.com

Also check out this item on the Bose SoundDock, it's pretty cool looking.

About 80 percent of Microsoft employees who have a portable music player have an iPod," said one source, a high-level manager who asked to remain anonymous. "It's pretty staggering.

According to this Wired News article, company executives are even sending out memos frowning on its use and employees are hiding their
iPods by swapping the telltale white headphones for a less conspicuous pair.

Chris A., an employee of Microsoft, noted in his blog yesterday that after configuring his wife's iPod, he went back to the store and bought himself a 40GB pod. With comments like this, I'd say he's a true believer:

The industrial design on the iPod is absolutely amazing. The usability of the device is light years beyond anything else I've seen. The accessories are fabulous (RF broadcast, car adapters, docking stations with speakers, etc.). iTunes is a great music player, the "browse" feature is very slick and easy to use.

After buying wife Megan's pod, he describes converting all his music from the proprietary Windows Media format:

I picked it up two days ago, and since have been in process of converting our 3000+ songs from WMA to MP3. I decided that I wasn't going to ever again rip to a proprietary format. I want my music where I want it, not where Microsoft or Apple dictates. I want to share my music between my iPod and my Zen. I own every album I have ripped. They are sitting in a really big pile behind me right now.

Markus Giesler, a 28-year-old assistant professor of marketing at York University in Toronto, is currently conducting a study of iPod users and their music-listening habits. He has set up the iPod Stories website to solicit tales of iPod consumption, which he will craft into an ethnographic study called "iPod Therefore iAm."

There's some interesting links at the iPod Stories web site, including this humorous one, iPod Laughs - Time Passing Utilities for iPod Addicts

Free iPod custom engraving!: Make it personal, make it special.

From now through April 2005, buy any iPod, iPod Photo or iPod mini with up to two lines of laser engraving for free.

Wal-Mart Stores has quietly joined Hewlett-Packard in selling Apple Computer's popular iPod Minis in select stores. Initially only the s will be sold in select Walmart stores.

A report on enthusiast site AppleInsider speculated that Wal-Mart may order as many 250,000 iPod Shuffles.

MacWorld is reporting that BestBuy - which currently sells Apple laptops and desktops through it's online store - "has quietly updated its web site with a note that in-store ability for the Mac mini and US$99 512MB iPod shuffle is coming soon."

The popular retailer had a falling-out with Apple in 1999, when the computer maker insisted that the company carry all five colors of the original G3 iMac. Select Best Buy stores started carrying Macs during the summer of 2003, but the pilot program ended last summer with no publicly announced plans to continue it.