More Trouble for Apple

Apple disclosed that it is facing several significant lawsuits. One alleges that the link between the iPod and iTunes software is a monopoly, not unlike the link between Windows and Internet Explorer that has caused Microsoft tons of problems for many years. Another suit alleges a patent infringement for the Nike+iPod product. Finally, some are alleging that the logic board on the iBook G4 fails at a high rate. This all in addition to the securities and service problems from the past few weeks. The price of success.

Zune Off

Popular Science suggests new uses for the word that names our favorite failure of the year, Zune. My favorite:

2. I think I just zuned in my mouth a little bit.

Finally, what we've all been waiting for...

Need I say more?

Apple Is Being Probed

Uh oh?

Christmas Nearly Melts Apple

Millions of new iPod and gift certificate owners swamped iTunes over the last couple of days causing site slowdowns, interrupted downloads and a variety of other problems.

MacRumors is reporting that Amazon.com's best selling laptops, desktops, and MP3 players this holiday season were all made by Apple Computer.

And MacsimumNews reports traffic to iTunes was up 413% over last year.

Looks like Apple had a good Christmas, as did millions of new iPod, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini owners.

iPod Skyscraper

Check out Dubai's iPod Building. I'd like to live in that!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from all of us at iPod/Mac Mania!

$2000 iPod Dock

So you thought $30 was too much for the Apple iPod dock? Check this one out. The iLink iPod Dock boasts true digital output for the true audiophile.

Why is this important? Well, the iPod converts the digital file to an analog signal in all other outputs - headphones, other docking stations, speaker systems, etc. The iLink extracts the pure digital source and outputs it to a variety of digital sources (Toslink optical, coaxial or balanced AES/EBU) for true-to-CD sound.

The Zune Is A Decoy

Bob Cringely, Apple employee number 12, thinks the Zune is a decoy to distract Apple and others from their real strategy, which is your living room through the Xbox. Read that and more insights to what Apple might be up to.

Apple iPhone Won't Be Called iPhone

Cisco released their iPhone VOIP phones this week ending years of speculation that an Apple-branded mobile phone would be called "iPhone". "Applephone" seems to be the new nickname the blogosphere has assigned for now.

Hershey Squirts

Microsoft continues perfecting it's astonishing track record at copying everything Apple does but at a significantly reduced quality. The latest abomination is a very lame "I'm a Mac" ad parody that demonstrates just how easy it is to get a song on Zune compared to an iPod. It even ends with a self-deprecating poke at the Zune's shit-brown style. Horrific.

Breen's Zune Diary

If you're seriously considering a Zune (what?) or if you're just curious, head on over to Christopher Breen's Zune Diary for the lowdown on his impressions.

For the anti-iPodders out there, I can understand you, believe me, but don't throw money down the toilet on one of these things. It supports the record companies' insanity and is downright clugly (clunky/ugly). If you won't buy an iPod, pick up something from Creative or Sony or a SanDisk Sansa.

Stop Downloading

The popularity of iTunes as well as Xbox Live has caused a surge in broadband utilization over the last few weeks. With the release of Gears of War, Xbox traffic is up 80%. With movie downloads, iTunes 7 traffic is up 140%. So stop downloading or you'll cause the entire meltdown of the interwebs.

Wireless Multi-Room iPod Speakers

Here's an attractive and versitile wireless speaker system for your iPod. The main system will cost you a mere $299.00 USD with additional speaker sets at $129.00 USD. Speakers can be placed up to 150 feet apart. Surprisingly, it doesn't come with a remote, but otherwise looks like a good system. Look for it in March 2007.

Age of Empires III Now Available for Mac

I'm a HUGE fan of the original Age of Empires. My friend Matt and I would play networked games for hours. Age of Empires II was good, had fantastic graphics and gameplay, but more complex. Age of Empires III continues the trend. Play one of 8 conquering nations for control of the new world. If you're looking for a Christmas present for me, hint hint.

Age of Empires III costs US$49.95 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later with a 64MB or better video card. It is an Universal application and works with PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

iPod Power Adapters Outsell Zune

iPod power adapters are more popular than Zunes. :-)

Nike Releases iPod Controlling C.O.R.E. Backpack

I really just don't care enough to comment on the new Nike C.O.R.E. Backpack. If you must know, head on over to Engadget.

via Engadget via iLounge

Beatles Coming To iTunes?

Fortune is claiming to have learned that Apple may be close to an exclusive deal to bring the Beatles to iTunes, at least for a limited time before the other music services do. As previously reported, Apple Records has been in the process of readying the Beatles recordings for the digital age.

"About as Pleasant as Having an Airbag Deploy in Your Face"

Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Andy Ihnatko hate - HATES - the new Microsoft Zune, and he makes some excellent and amusing points:

• Am I really about to manually create and install a .dll file?
• Zune is incompatible with Windows Media Player.
• And why (for the love of God) doesn't it support podcasts?
• The Zune is a complete, humiliating failure.
• Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance.

U.S. Copyright Office Provides New Exemptions Under The DMCA

The U.S. Copyright Office made some surprising exemptions to the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act). Cellphone users can break software locks in order to use the phone on competing carriers. For example, carriers "lock" cellphones in a way that makes them only work on their networks. This new exemption will allow you to break the lock and use your phone with whomever you damn well please.

Other exemptions include academic uses, persons with disabilities, etc.

The most disappointing news is that the long-awaited exemption for making copies of DVDs was not made. I bet you didn't even know that making copies for your personal use (any other use would be piracy) of DVDs that you purchased was illegal. That includes copying DVDs to your iPod with video. This is of course unlike CDs, cassettes or records where you can make copies, mixes and otherwise use the music in any way you want (for your personal use).

Shocker: Zune Not Impacting iPod Sales (yet)

Ah, hype is a funny thing. While the Zune has been on store shelves for only a week or so, the media is of course making as much of a big deal as possible about the Zune vs. iPod competition. MacsimumNews.com is reporting that Zune sales are not impacting iPod sales.

Geez people, it's been a whole week. Give it a rest.

I finally had a brief moment to check out the Zune today at my local Target. It's not as big, dumb and clunky as it looks in pictures and video. I like the bigger screen. I'm not sure about the interface tho. It could be that I'm just so used to the simple, easy iPod interface, but there's an awful lot going on in the Zune interface. Everything seems to take an extra click or two to get to than the iPod.

Black Friday

Thinking about an Apple product? New MacBook or MacBook Pro? Mac Pro? iMac? iPod? You might want to wait until 23 November, also known as Black Friday - the official start of the Christmas frenzy buying season.

Last year Apple.com and Apple Retail Stores offered discounts on a wide variety of products, including computers. As you probably know, Apple doesn't discount their computers very often.

Demand for Shuffle Exceeds Supply

AppleInsider is reporting that demand for the new iPod Shuffle is exceeding supply. If you plan on getting one of these things as a gift this year, get it now!.

As of Friday Amazon.com was out of stock and one of its resellers was charging a $30 premium. Other retailers are out of stock and can't get more. Apple.com has up to a 5 day wait depending on where you are in the world (other iPods ship within 24 hours).

Guess Who Praises The iPod; Zune a "Modest" Competitor

Bill Gates recently mused about the "phenomenal, unbelievable, fantastic" iPod and calls his own company's foray into MP3 devices "more modest" at Stanford University.

Tip - Smart Playlists

David Gagne has some excellent tips for creating useful smart playlists.

Update Those Genres

Rate Those Songs

Separate The Slow Stuff

Cycle Your Songs

The Hidden Secret: Groupings

via DavidGagne.net

Zune vs. iPod Round 1.0

Peter Lewis over at Fortune Magazine has a great blow-by-blow comparison of the iPod and Zune. Zune was launched today of course to what appears to be a not surprising lukewarm reception.

Some things I hadn't really realized that the article points out: The Zune Marketplace apparently shows songs and artists it doesn't actually sell; it only plays music from the marketplace - not the "plays for sure" scheme Microsoft try to con everyone (including their partners) into; the 3/3 sharing of music is not universal - some artists and songs have a different limit or do not allow sharing at all; while that screen looks huge on the Zune, it's only 1/2 an inch larger than that on the iPod.

In-Air iPod Connectivity

Apple announced today deals with 4 major airlines to provide iPod power and seatback LCD screen connectivity for travelers' iPods. Delta, United, Continental and Emirate airlines will begin providing seat connections in mid-2007.

This is actually pretty cool. One of the rare places I use my iPod outside of my car is on flights. It would be very cool to charge my iPod and watch movies in-flight on the larger seatback LCD screen.

EFI Firmware Update Now Available

Intel-based iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro users should run Software Update to get the latest EFI firmware upgrade. This fixes issues with Boot Camp, start up and wake-up-from-sleep issues.

BTW - the previous MacBook Firmware upgrade and/or 10.4.8 really cools the machine down. It was extremely warm (that's just below "hot" on the thermometer) before, but now it's just "warm".

Tip - Set Unique Headphone Volume

If you have a new Intel Mac there's a little-known tip for setting a unique volume preference for headphones. Previous Macs would not enable you to store a volume preference for headphones, but the Intel Macs can. Just plug in your headphones, pop on over to the sound control panel and set your preference. Easy.

Credit for Singles

MacRumors is reporting a possible credit system in iTunes to help incentivize album sales. If you buy a single and then later decide to buy the album, you're double-paying for that song. This scheme would somehow credit you back for all or a portion of the single purchase.

Zune Unboxed

The good people at Engadget have unboxed their new Zune a day ahead of the official launch (14 November 2006). Very anti-Microsoft packaging - clean, simple, very Apple-esque. Right down to the Zune window decal a-la Apple.

While it will be a cold day in hell when they pry my iPod out of my cold, dead hands; I'm still very intriqued by what they've come up with.

Update: Just as I was going back to Engadget to continue reading today's stories, they just updated with their experience installing the Zune. Well, the packaging may be very Apple-esque, the installation is all Microsoft.

Japanese Get A Mac Ads

Check out Apple's Get A Mac ads in Japan. Funny. Because they're talking in Japanese. And it's funny to hear Japanese.

Great Idea, Way Overpriced

Here's what I think is a great idea, but it's just a bit overpriced.

I primarily use my iPod in the car. And yes, when I go into a store, restaurant or whatever, I generally leave my iPod in plain view. Or if I do put it in the console, it's still pretty apparent I have an iPod with the cassette adapter, charger, etc.

iDisguise offers disguises for your iPod in the form of candy tins. For a mere $11 you can have one too, sans mints. Or for a mere $2, you can have mints and when you're done, a place to put your iPod.

They are at least being smart - they will change the design of the tins every so often so thieves don't get too familiar with a particular design.

I just think the price should be around $6. And include free mints.

New Mac Guy?

RadarOnline is reporting that Justin Long, the Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign is being replaced. I liked the interplay of him and John Hodges, but I would admit that Hodges' portrayal of a PC was actually more fun than the Mac.

*Update: According to Macsimum News, Justin Long is still the Mac guy despite the above report.

xMovies

No, not adult movies (who would want to watch single-x anyway?). Microsoft has launched a movie download service via their XBox Live. It should be an interesting race to see who captures the most downloaded movies. I think the concept of downloading movies is quite different from music. Apple really ought to consider the rental model for movies. While people do want to own some movies, they typically rent far more than buy.

MacBook Upgrade

Apple announced today that the MacBook now sports a Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 25% speed bump compared to the previous model.

I've got two MacBooks and I LOVE them. Best laptops Apple has made so far for the consumer market. Go buy yours today.

Let's Get Naked

Repair that Cracked iPod LCD Screen

If you crack your iPod's LCD screen all is not lost. For a mere $40 (nano) or $50 (video), you can replace it yourself. FastMac will send you a new LCD screen and do-it-yourself tools & instructions.

Not handy? For an extra $40 they'll do it for you.

You can even get a new higher-capacity battery installed.

Which iPod is Right for YOU?

There's a myriad of choices if you're looking for an iPod. I think the simplest way to think about it is prioritizing size, storage, usage and price.

Size
If you're looking for the smallest and lightest iPod, the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle is your choice. This thing is tiny. And the most wearable with its innovative built-in clip.

But there is a price to pay if smallest and lightest is a high priority. The iPod Shuffle lacks a display. Your choices are to play music sequencially or shuffle. And forget about video or photos of course. Your color choices are silver and silver.

If size is important, but a display and flexibility is essential, there's the iPod nano. Choose one of 6 colors - blue, silver, green, red, black and pink. Its 1.5 inch color display lets you choose your music by artist, playlist, album, podcast, etc. Also display photos on it. But no video. It also doesn't play any games. The nano is larger than the Shuffle, but it's thin and extremely light.


Storage
How many songs do you have? Need to have ALL of them on your iPod?
iPod Shuffle: up to 240 songs
iPod nano: 2GB - 500 songs; 4GB - 1,000 songs; 8GB - 2,000 songs
iPod with video: 30GB - 7,500 songs/10,000 photos/40 hours of video; 80GB - 20,000 songs/25,000 photos/100 hours of video or a combination of all three.


Usage
How and where will you use your iPod? If you do a lot of travel, and choice is essential, the iPod nano or iPod with video is probably your best bet. Do you want to watch movies or tv shows? The iPod with video is your only choice (in black or white). Want to kill time with games? Only the iPod with video can do that. Not so with the nano (small screen) or Shuffle (no screen). Will you be using the iPod for exercise? The small size of the Shuffle or nano is probably best. Any iPod will work in the car, but if you want to use an FM transmitter, the iPod nano or iPod with video is the only option.


Price
Least expensive: iPod Shuffle at $79 (silver only)
Most expensive: iPod with video 80GB at $349 (black or white)
Least expensive with a screen: iPod nano 4GB at $149 (silver is the only color option at this price)
Least expensive with video: iPod with video 30GB at $249 (black or white)
Color choices: Silver - iPod Shuffle or iPod nano 2GB; Blue/Green/Pink- iPod nano 4GB; Black - iPod nano 8GB, iPod with video 30GB/80GB; Red - iPod nano 4GB or 5GB; White - iPod with video 30GB/80GB

If price is a huge consideration (when isn't it?) consider a refurbished iPod. You might be able to afford the iPod you really want without breaking the bank. Get up to 70% off the original price.


Nuances
The RED iPod nano is only available at Apple retail stores or Apple.com.

When will the next version of the iPod come out? Any day now. If you wait for the latest & greatest, you'll never buy anything. Will Apple release a new version of the iPod right after you buy yours? Probably. That's the price of innovation and staying on the bleeding edge. Get your iPod today. I mean it. You won't regret it, and you'll rediscover music.

8GB iPod nano RED Available Today

In addition to the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle Apple also released a new 8GB version of the iPod nano RED today.

Previously the 8GB iPod nano was only available in black. If you want my personal opinion, and if you're reading my blog you might, I think the RED is the best color maybe next to black. The others are just too intense for my tastes.

The 8GB iPod nano RED is at the same cost as the black, $249 USD.

Yet Another FM Transmitter - But with a Boost

XtremeMac has announced the AirPlay Boost. Now there are a lot of FM transmitters out there. And for the most part, they all suck. Why? Reception. They just don't transmit far or strong enough.

What makes the AirPlay Boost different is that it has an external antenna. It's very slim and doesn't look like it would get in the way. In addition, it has a pass-through dock for charging, on-screen display, stereo/mono mode, etc.

All I know is that my next car will have a direct iPod connection. I don't want to fool around with FM transmitters or tape adapters anymore.

Zune Walkthrough

Engadget has a great video of the upcoming Zune interface.

I have to say I like the larger screen and appreciate the interface opportunities the screen real estates affords. The integration of the album art is really nice. The interface looks a little busy to me, but it could just be that I'm so used to the simple elegance of the iPod.

The much-talked about wireless connectivity is certainly interesting. Steve Jobs said recently that "it takes too long". I don't think so at all - it took about 10 seconds or so for a song to transfer over. Now of course the two Zunes were 1 inch away from each other and in a controlled environment so real-world scenarios might be different. The fact that you can only listen to the song no more than 3 times or for no more than 3 days (whichever comes first) is still pretty lame.

I can't wait to see what the desktop software for the Zune looks like.

The device itself still looks really clunky and does not have a "cool" or "wow" factor at all. I think Microsoft is counting on their community strategy to overcome that. We'll have to wait and see.

Apple Crack

Here's an interesting all-Apple workaround for Apple's DRM using iMovie if you're so inclined. Of course, if you commit to Apple's excellent products and avoid legally-dubious activities, you don't really need this, but I suppose that's what it comes down to.

MacBook Firmware Update Addresses Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS)

MacBook owners should upgrade to MacBook SMC Firmware 1.1 at their earliest convenience. Apple improved internal monitoring systems and claims to have fixed the random shutdowns occuring in some MacBooks.

iPod Shuffle Now Shipping

The second generation ipod Shuffle is now starting to ship. This is the new shuffle which is 1/2 the size of the original and has the innovative built-in clip.

*Update - The Shuffle will be available starting on Friday 01 November 2006.

Boot Camp Beta 1.1.2

Apple has released Boot Camp Beta 1.1.2.

This version includes:

- Support for the latest Intel-based Macintosh computers
- Easier partitioning using presets for popular sizes
- Ability to install Windows XP on any internal disk
- Support for built-in iSight cameras
- Support for built-in microphones
- Support for the Apple USB Modem
- Trackpad scrolling and right-click support on Apple Laptops
- Improved Apple keyboard support including Delete, PrintScreen, NumLock, and ScrollLock keys
- Improved International Apple keyboard support

MacBook Pro Speed Bump

Apple upgraded the MacBook Pro with 64-bit Core 2 Duo chips that perform up to 39 percent faster than the previous MacBook Pro.

Everything else is the about the same except the hard drive capacity and SuperDrive speeds have been bumped to 120GB and 6x, respectively, for the 15-inch models and 160GB and 8x for the 17-inch. In addition, Apple has re-included a FireWire 800 port which was missing in the transistion from PowerBooks to MacBook Pros.

Pricing remains the same: $1,999 (15-inch, 2.16GHz), $2,499 (15-inch 2.33GHz), $2,799 (17-inch, 2.33GHz).

Do You See What I See?

The iPod is only five years old? Google Earth may show evidence that the iPod's roots go farther back than even Steve Jobs could imagine!

Thanks Boing Boing.

Happy Birthday iPod!

The iPod is 5 years old today (23 October). I remember my first iPod like it was yesterday. I received my annual bonus and a colleague and I rushed down to the local MicroCenter (there were no Apple Stores in Atlanta then) and picked one up.

$399 and 5GB. It's come a long way. There is a part of me that wishes I hadn't sold that first generation iPod. What a clunky classic. The scroll wheel that actually scrolled, the buttons in a circle around it, and that low-res greyscale LCD screen.

But boy did it reignite my love of music. At that point I had been married for about 5 years and was in the midsts of having our first child. As those of you know, that is all consuming and certainly a priority over everything else. But the iPod made its way into the hectic schedule in a way that was not only easy, but fun too.

I'm now on my 5th generation iPod with video and couldn't imagine life without it.

Wired has a nice, if short, article on how the iPod came to be.

Don't You Love Haloes?

Apple is looking good. All the numbers seem to keep skyrocketing, but what is intriguing to me is that it is now estimated that Apple has 5.8 percent of the computer market compared to 4.3 percent a year ago. The halo effect does seem to be working.

Also, AP has a review of the new line of iPods. Overall, it's very positive, particularly for the nano. He had some complaints about the video iPods though.

Cool Down Your MacBook, MacBook Pro or Mac Mini

Some folks have complained about the heat generated by their MacBook, MacBook Pro or Mac Mini.

Eidac now has a new application which will let you control the speed of the fan(s). I'm using it now and it works like a charm. Play around with the speed to find that nice balance of sound and heat.

Everyone Has Lips

Steve Jobs is interviewed for Newsweek magazine and talks about how he doesn't believe the iPod will lose its momentum anytime soon as well as his thoughts on consumer electronics.

Oh yeah, and he uses a really bad analogy to describe it.


:-)

Wikipod

Here's a novel idea (pun intended). Download some or all of Wikipedia to your iPod. Wikipod brings it to you. Now you have something to read on the airplane/bus/train.

Be More Flexible

Now you can get your favorite PBS programs via iTunes. I mean, who doesn't want to hand over their $300 iPod to their kids so they can watch episodes of Arthur and Cyberchase they've seen thirteen times already?

This certainly isn't revolutionary news except the fact that one of the programs, the excellent Nova, is being priced much higher at $7.99 than the typical TV episode at $1.99. Nova isn't typical, which likely explains it according to Macworld. Nonetheless, it shows Apple is willing to play with the numbers for the sake of quality.

Related: Below I've posted a few links to original podcasts from the crew at Iowa Public Television. I have connections.

Dantastic You Dos
Market to Market: Market Analysis
Market to Market: Market Plus

Red Is The Color That My Baby Wore

Stop, you're embarrassing it.

iPod nano looks awfully purty in her new red dress. It's all for a good cause ... a cool new color in the nano lineup. I kid. The good cause is (Product) Red, which is designed to capture a bit of the philanthropic spirit from everyday consumers buying products from Apple, Gap, Motorola, etc. to benefit the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Not surprisingly, Bono had something to do with it. And despite Oprah's involvement, it's a good thing. Ten bucks of every nano purchased will go to the Global Fund. It doesn't sound like much, but I assure you, when you're selling millions of these things, it'll add up quickly.

Purchase online or at Apple retail stores.

Hands-On With Zune

AppleInsider has some hands-on experience with a pre-production Zune. Summary: A respectable contender, but still falls short. Only time will tell....

:-)

True Video iPod Coming Soon?

Okay - I've stopped posting rumors up here for the most part, and this will likely be another rumor, but the fact that the good folks at Engadget are reporting it give it some validity.

Only time will tell...

New Get A Mac Ads

1. Counselor
2. Better Results (guest-starring Gisele Bündchen)
3. Self Pity

"Better Results" is pretty funny. So is Self Pity. Alright fine, they're all pretty funny.

Now Target Begins To Whine

Okay, it's one thing when Wal*Mart starts to whine, but now Target?

Target is saying they'll have to "rethink their investment in the DVD business" if online download pricing doesn't level out with DVD sales.

Um, hello people. If I am hogging up my precious bandwidth for 30-60 minutes to download a movie at "almost DVD" quality, no packaging, no bonus material, no ability to burn it onto a real DVD and all sorts of other limitations, it BETTER be cheaper than a real DVD.

Update: Motley Fool has an excellent rebuttal that Hollywood should send Wal*Mart and Target:

Dear Wal-Mart and/or Target,

Congratulations! We concede to your demands. You can now have the same wholesale pricing as our digital downloading partners do. Please keep in mind that you will be required to burn your purchases for your eventual customers and provide the clamshell with original artwork. The disc will contain just the movie at a feasible streamed compression quality. You will pay us immediately. Naturally you will swallow any returns.

It has been a pleasure doing business with you. Let us know if you would like to revert to the old pricing and product specs in order to hold off your obsolescence for a few years longer.

Your friend,

Hollywood

Zune Biggest Flop of 2007

MP3.com founder Michael Robertson predicts that Microsoft's Zune will be the biggest flop of 2007.

We'll check back a year from now...

Top 10 Rules for Buying Apple

iLounge.com has a great article that all new buyers of Apple products should read.

The Zune Price Match

Microsoft's iPod-killer the Zune's price was announced today. A shocking $249. Hmmmm....what is the price of the iPod again? Hmmmm...I wonder.

Wal*Mart Is Evil

MacsimumNews.com is reporting that Wal*Mart is threatening to retaliate against movie studios who work with Apple.

**UpdateWal*Mart claims these stories are not true and that they are not threatening movie studios. Yeah, right.

Awesome Prices on Refurbished iPods

Apple has lowered prices on refurbished iPods. I've always been a big fan of refurbished items and have rarely if ever had a problem with one.

• 2GB iPod nano just $99


• 30GB iPod video just $179


• 60 GB iPod video just $229


• 4GB iPod mini just $99


• 6GB iPod mini just $129

60 GB iPod video for just $229? That's $170 off the original price!

Difference between old 5 and new 5.5 generation iPods

With the new 1.2 iPod updater the 5th generation iPod gets nearly everything the new 5.5 iPod gets with some notable and important differences.

5th Generation iPods updated with 1.2 have the quick scroll feature, gapless playback, game support, 640x480 video resolution, iTS movies, new brightness control.

5.5 iPods offer all of the above, plus a 60% brighter display, longer battery life (3.5 video hours for 30GB, 6.5 video hours for 80GB), more storage for the high end model (80GB vs 60GB), new ear buds and the search-by-letter enhancement.

If I did a ton of cross-Atlantic travel, I'd really want the new iPod for the battery life. I have 8GB free on my 60GB iPod, so I'm not desperate for extra space (yet) and as cool as the search feature is, I can live without it for a while. I'm waiting for the 6th generation iPod anyway.

iTIP - Make songs gapless

In iTunes 7 if you want to make a song gapless with another, highlight the song and select Get Info. In the options tab select "Part of a gapless album".

Fix iPod Scratches

AppleDefects.com is providing a unique way to fix iPod scratches with a CD/DVD scratch kit. I prefer Brasso myself.

Gum Does the Zune

My favorite music blog (stereogum) was invited to a special preview event of Microsoft's Zune - the next supposed iPod killer. Scott does an excellent job of analyzing what is right and wrong about Zune.

What's definitely wrong? Brown. Jesus, brown. What the hell are they thinking?! And what's definitely right? Well, close to right is the capability to share music for three days or three plays, whichever occurs first. That's really the only new feature that Zune offers that intrigues me in the least. It would be cool when I'm out drinking with my buds talking music to share this easily, but it simply is not enough. They sure have a hell of a lot of resources to throw at this thing, but brown ain't going to kill the king.

Another Observation

Not sure if you caught it, but Steve did not wear his usual uniform of a black turtleneck and jeans. The jeans were still there, but the turtleneck was replaced with a black button-down shirt. The times, they are a-changin'.

Minor Observations

iTunes 7 -

- "iTunes Music Store" has quietly changed to "iTunes Store".
- New "Skip Count" view option shows you how many times you've skipped a song.
- Transfer songs from your iPod to a 2nd authorized computer.
- By god, gapless works. Thank the maker. This has been too long coming. However, it is not compatible with crossfade playback, meaning if you have crossfade playback on, it crossfades AND gapless plays the songs. Annoying. Gapless songs should be ignored in crossfade.
- CoverFlow is awesome. Very slick.
- iPod preferences easier than ever with more information than ever.


iPod nano -

- Saw them today at my local Apple Store. Wow - very (very!) bright. Neon-hurt-your-eyes-neon. Pink is hot pink. Green and blue look good though.
- Cool packaging.


24" iMac -

- WOW. I mean WOW. Gotta have one of these. Only 6 inches shy of the incredible 30" display. This is an awesome computer.

Just Watch Us Now

I don't know why anybody would want to make a major tech announcement on the same day as Apple, but NBC did just that. Welcome NBBC. NBC is the latest to try to cash into the YouTube craze. With everybody doing online video these days, it makes me wonder how much better Apple could make it if they ever decided to do something similar (think video iMixes). Until then, you'll just have to be content with music videos, TV shows, and movies on your iPod.

iTunes 7 Now Available

iTunes 7 is now available for free download. This is a first major overhaul of iTunes in some time. Lots of new features and so far all rock-solid in my short experience with it.

Of course the major (expected) announcement is movies. You can now download movies in near-DVD quality from Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax and Pixar. 75 movies are now available with more being added all the time. New releases during pre-order and the first week of release are $12.99, $14.99 after the first week. Most library titles are $9.99. Movies and TV shows' resolution are improved 4x to 640x480 resolution. People with 5-6 megabit broadband (cable modem) can download a movie in about a 1/2 hour.

On to the interface. The source menu is new and better organized. Instead of a library bucket, it is now organized by media type. The new device section shows your connected iPod and CDs. Highlight your iPod and you can now fully control preferences in the main window. The interface is really nicely done and makes so much more sense than how you previously managed iPod preferences.

There are two new views - album and coverflow. Album view organizes your song list by album with the album art. Coverflow is really slick and enables you to quickly scroll through your album art. I think it will be a fantastic way to discover music that might be forgotten. It's a much more visible way to experience music selection. To accompany this, iTunes will find and download free album art. Coverflow also works with TV and Movies.

To me the most important new feature is gapless playback. Experience two songs that were meant to flow seamlessly together without the annoying 1 second gap.

There are lots of other nice tweaks here and there. Download it today.

New iPod Shuffle

I'll admit that I've never really liked the iPod Shuffle. Every single time I've tried to play with it at the Apple Store I've never been able to get it to work. Yes, I'm sure it's a problem between the ear buds, but nonetheless it never works for me.

Anyway, today Apple announced the new iPod Shuffle. It looks much better than the first version. Bathed in annodized aluminum, its most impressive feature is the built-in clip. Now I finally get it. I can seriously see getting one of these for my less-than-consistent workouts.

Pre-order yours today for only $79.

Refreshed iPods

In perhaps the most disappointing announcement today was the refreshed iPods. Same screen size, same profile, same concept. I was really hoping for the much-rumored "true" video iPod. Perhaps another day. This is a true refresh; Apple still refers to the "new" iPods as "5th generation". Rumors have it that the 6th generation is on track for Q1 2007.

The screen is 60% brighter than the current model, has twice the battery power for video, enhanced ear buds and has some new interface features.

The most important and significant feature is gapless playback. Finally you can listen to The Wall without that annoying gap between songs. iTunes is also now gapless.

Included with gapless playback is the ability to purchase, download and play enhanced games. Tetris, Pac-Man, Mahjong and others for only $4.99. I enjoy playing solitare, brick and parachute, but they get old fast. The new games look great. These are available for the new iPods as well as all 5th generation iPods.

You can now also search for songs by scrolling in letters in a new search interface. I like the idea. Also, as you scroll through your list the letter you are scrolling through will appear. Nice and much-needed tweaks to the interface.

Overall a decent refresh, but not what I or many people were hoping for. The 30GB model is now more affordable at $249 and the top-of-the-line 80GB model (up from 60GB) is $349.

New iPod nano

As expected, the iPod nano line was updated today with 2x higher capacities, a thinner (is that really possible) design, and most importantly in colors!

At first glance, they look suspiciously like iPod minis - the colors, the rounded edges, the clickwheel. Just imagine that old-school iPod nano as thin as a couple credit cards and as wide as a thumb and a half.

The 2GB model comes only in silver and is $149. The 4GB model comes in silver, blue, pink and green for $199. The 8GB model comes only in black for $249.

I Want My iTV

Among the various announcements today, the one that was most interesting is the iTV set top box. The iTV (working name) will enable you to stream all your video, movies, music, podcasts, photos and more to your TV wirelessly from iTunes on your Mac or PC. About the same diameter as the Mac Mini, but half the thickness, it sports the latest HDMI connectivity along with component video, analog and optical audio. It also includes ethernet and USB ports.

Available in Q1 2007, it will be priced at $299, more than reasonable. Video from the new iTunes 7 is at near-DVD quality and will only get better as compression and broadband technologies improve. I'm pretty sure this will be on my list of must-haves.

New Mac Minis

In addition to the new iMacs, Apple also announced upgrades to the Mac Mini. Now sporting new Core Duo processors, upgrade software bundle and expanded upgrade options. These are really cool machines. The call centers of my company use these to run the front-end GUI of our mainframe reservation system.

iMac Line Updated

Apple upgraded the iMac this week. In addition to new Core 2 Duo chips, they added an awesome 24-inch iMac. Not only is it obviously bigger, but for the first time it sports a FireWire 800 port. This makes it a serious contender for professionals who need speedy external storage.

The new line is also about 1.5 times faster than the previous version and about 6 times faster than my iMac G5.

World Domination

Could it be that Apple has more on its mind than iTunes movies? Macworld speculates how our digital world might change on September 12.

Previously...

Apple iPhone Imminent (again)

AppleInsider.com is reporting an analyst's view of the pending Apple iPhone. The analyst has surprising details about the device.

iTunes Movies Coming September 12

Engadget and AppleInsider are reporting that Apple will be holding one of its infamous special events on September 12. New iPod? iTunes Movies service? You'll just have to wait and see. AppleInsider offers the most details with $14.99 new releases and $9.99 for older movies. Wal*Mart is up to its evil ways as well. Don't shop at Wal*Mart. Shop at Target instead. But Wal*Mart does have cheap diapers. But I digress.

UPDATE: Apple indeed sent invites to the media today stating "It's Showtime". How clever and cute. Apple stock is up $3.10 today.

Run Windows Applications Without Windows

The 60-day trial of Codeweavers is now available. Codeweavers enables you to run Windows software on your Intel-based Mac. Have Parallels you say? Installed Boot Camp have you? Well, that's all nice and well, but do you really want to run Windows?

Codeweavers lets you run selected Windows-based software without Windows! And for the skeptics, you can download the beta for free and try it out.

The Future Record Store

PodBuffet is in development. If you've ever wanted to download tunes from iTunes but you happen to be away from home and stuck in some godawful airport, this might be the best way to get spankin' new tunage straight to your iPod so you can enjoy while you're traveling rather than waiting to get home. I like it.

Free iTunes Alternative

SpiralFrog.com will be offering free music for download. This advertising-supported site will offer songs in crappy DRM'd WMA format which means 85% of music devices out there (aka iPods) won't be able to play it. You can listen to music via a special player on your computer and can only sync to 2 "PlaysForSure" devices. Plus, you have to log onto the service at least once a month to view ads otherwise your music will stop playing.

Apparently the founders of SpiralFrog have completely forgotten about the Dotcom bubble burst. FreePC anyone?

Apple turning evil?

First Al Gore, then Disney, and now Eric Schmidt? The CEO of Google joins Apple's board today. Don't believe Google at least has the potential of being evil? Read their privacy statement. Look at what you're agreeing to when you download and use Google Desktop.

Next we'll be hearing how Apple has partnered with Wal*Mart.

I guess if they topple the evil Microsoft it will be worth it. Or not.

New Get A Mac Ads

Apple has released new Get A Mac ads this week. I think these are the best yet. They actually show more of the Apple product instead of just concepts. "Angel/Devil" highlights the photo book you can make with iPhoto and "Accident" highlights the MagSafe connector on MacBooks. The others stick to more conceptual reasons to Get A Mac. I just like how you can see the actors just having a lot of fun with it.

More Details on Microsoft Zune Emerge

Microsoft recently filed necessary paperwork for their new Zune MP3/Video/Photo device. The filing offers further features of the device some of which are quite interesting.

DJ mode - transmit music, photos and videos wirelessly to up to 4 nearby users.
Share content - send promotional copies of songs, playlists, etc. to a nearby user. If the user likes the song, they can purchase it from the Zune store.
Built-in FM radio - big whoop - I've never understood why this is such a desired feature.
30 GB hard drive.

I like the DJ/Share mode, although I wonder how much it would be used. I could certainly see people in a younger demographic than me sharing their music with friends, etc.

It looks like Microsoft finally gets that it is not about the device itself, but about the overall experience. If they can make that experience better than the iPod, they have a chance. I can see the DJ/Share features being a real plus in this web 2.0 world. But let's keep in mind that Microsoft really isn't that good with "experience".

Bluetooth iPod

The good folks over at Engadget are reporting that their new in-car system will be compatible with an upcoming Bluetooth iPod adapter.

Apple Gets More Creative

One thing I missed while reading about the settlement between Apple and Creative is that Creative will be releasing "Made for iPod" accessories later this year. Also, the settlement essentially amounts to a license for Creative's patent. The bottom line for Apple is that some of the $100 million may be recouped if Creative is successful in licensing the patent to other manufacturers.

It's good to see even more competition in the iPod accessory biz. It seems prices have been escalating while quality and variety remain stagnant. Hopefully this will change things. As for the music interface patent, I've never been too sold on it, particularly when you have a full 60gb iPod. It's pretty unruly with that much music unless you make creative use of smart playlists courtesy of iTunes. As always, what makes the iPod a huge success is the whole package.

Screw Sony

Dell was the first to swallow the hard pill of recalling Sony's shoddy batteries, and now our beloved Apple has been forced to do the same. 1.8 million batteries are being recalled, with the iBook G4 and the PowerBook G4 being the only products affected.

Macworld saw it coming.

Pass the Ol' Elgato

This looks good. Elgato is releasing EyeTV Hybrid, which will allow your Mac to receive and record analog and digital TV via a slick USB stick. It's not shipping until September and it'll cost you $150, but if you have one too many TV sets in your house and you're looking to make your Mac a true media center, this could be what you need.

Thanks, Uncrate.

Ditty on the Floor and I Wanna Kick It

Dell submits to the might of the iPod by officially discontinuing the DJ Ditty -- I can't even type that without laughing at what a terrible name Dell came up with. It follows the demise of the hard-drive based DJ line that Dell discontinued in January. Could Dell be having a worse year?

Apple Pays 100 Million to Creative

Apple announced today that they have settled 5 patent lawsuits with Korean-based Creative for $100 million.

SanDisk Launches New iPod Nano Killer

Okay, maybe not killer, but I'm not sure what it is about these SanDisk MP3 Players, but I kinda like them. Don't get me wrong - I'll never give up my iPod, but I wouldn't point, laugh and throw things at someone who bought one.

The SanDisk e280 competes directly with the iPod nano, but has twice as much storage space, a larger screen, and is only slightly thicker than the nano.

SanDisk has actually gained marketshare lately - not at Apple's expense, but at Creative's and others.

iTunes Holdouts No More

Major recording artists that cannot be found on iTunes:
The Beatles
Garth Brooks
Kid Rock
Led Zeppelin
Metallica
Radiohead
Bob Seger

Metallica caved last month and it looks like Kid Rock and Seger are on the verge. I would predict The Beatles and Brooks to be the last ones to give in. With Apple v. Apple, a miracle agreement would have to be forged to break The Beatles' online drought. It'll take some kind of marketing blitz to make it worthwhile. 30th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's is next year -- I'm just saying. Brooks is in bed with Wal-mart but doesn't even make his music available on their iTunes rival service. Most of the other artists claim album integrity and fault iTunes for focusing only on single tunes. Weak argument in my opinion. I can't imagine Kid Rock can sustain a full album's worth of good material anyway!

iTunes Movies Coming Soon

Engadget is reporting that the Lions Gate Film CEO announced that they signed a deal with iTunes for video distribution and that it should be launched by the end of the year.

iLifeStuff iWeb Templates

If you're bored or uninspired by the templates Apple includes in iWeb, check out the templates over at iLifeStuff.com. Templates are $12.99 each or $39.99 for all.

Themes include Pink, Chocolate, Water, Redmodern, Light, Juice and more.

Call L8er

AppleInsider has more on the oft-rumored iPod mobile phone. Evidently Jobs has been leaking the info this time. That's a stretch I think.

Thanks to Engadget for the pic.

MacSaber

In what is quite possibly the most awesome and innovative use for sudden motion sensors, MacSaber turns your MacBook or MacBook Pro into a light saber. Start the program and wave your MacBook around and the sweet sounds of a badass light saber emit from your MacBook. Watch some weirdo demo the software.

Flipskin Case

Speck Products has released the cool FlipSkin case for the 5th Generation iPod. Its innovation is the flip stand. The two-tone rubberized shell and plastic screen protector keeps your iPod safe from most elements. Priced at a reasonable $34.95.

The News and Cartoons - Same Difference

More video on iTunes: CNN and Cartoon Network. Now there are over 150 TV shows available through iTunes.

GM, Ford & Mazda to Integrate iPod

Apple announced today that GM, Ford and Mazda will integrate the iPod into their new vehicles.

Windows Vista Voice Recognition

And they gave Apple a hard time about the early Newton handwriting recognition 10 years ago...

1984 PodBrix Creation

Hey! You rammed your iPod into my Legos! Hey! You rammed your Legos into my iPod!

What could be better than Legos or the iPod? How about a combination of both! PodBrix offers Legos inspired by the iPod ad campaign. Or is the other way around?

Not only is there an iPod made of Legos, but there is a Lego figure in the likeness of Steve Jobs doing one of his patented keynote presentations. Very cool.

Now they've got an extremely limited run recreating Apple Computer's famous 1984 Superbowl Commercial. But hurry - there's only 100 sets offered and after they sell out, they're never to be made available again.

WB & E! Come To iTunes

Apple has just added shows from Warner Brothers Television and E! Television including Friends, Babylon 5, The Jetsons, Talk Soup and much much more.

iPods Last 21 Years. In iPod Years.

Apple says they build iPods to last 4 years. That makes one iPod year worth 20.75 human years. So the average human should purchase at least 20 iPods during their lifetime.

The iPod is 5 years old this year.

**Update** The Apple spokesperson was misquoted. Apple iPods are built to last "for years", not "four years". Darn liberal press. :-)

Apple's 10 Year-Old Newton Beats Newborn Samsung Ultra Moble PC

The UK version of CNET has an interesting battle between the 10 year-old Apple Newton and the newborn Samsung Q1 UMPC. The Newton beats the Samsung in a close battle...

Imbedded Video Game Soundtracks

Playing that action-packed first-person shooter and love the soundtrack? Left Behind Games will be integrating the iTunes Music Store into their games.

doPod?

Apple recently filed for a trademark in Japan for the "DOPOD". Could be something to throw us Apple fanatics off, but buried in the trademark filing is a description of a device that would be a “motion picture apparatus, mobile/video/smart phones, internet e-mail, paging and being a video game machine.” It also includes wireless access to media such as music & video. Apple's next generation iPod or first generation true video Pod is anxiously awaited.

Wireless Mighty Mouse Finally Available

The wireless Mighty Mouse is finally here. Apple has upgraded their first multi-button mouse to bluetooth wireless. I was absolutely dumbfounded that they would release a wired mouse without a wireless version. But it's finally here.

The Mighty Mouse is nice. Might not be the best bluetooth mouse out there, but it's one of the most attractive.

iPod Timeline

Here's a great rundown of the iPod timeline through the current (5th) generation. Ah, memories.

Microsoft Confirms iPod Rival

Microsoft today confirmed they are indeed buiding "music and entertainment devices that are expected to compete with the iPod". They will be called "Zune". Really rolls off the tongue. Not. Can't wait to see what they come up with.

iTunes Movie Rentals

ThinkSecret.com is reporting that Steve Jobs will announce iTunes movie rentals. Rumors always are plentiful this close to WWDC (the Apple World Wide Developers' Conference).

This would certainly be an interesting model - downloadable rentals. Not sure how I feel about this yet. My two concerns with the whole movie download model is time and quality. When I watch a movie I want as close to a real movie experience that I can afford. That means widescreen and DVD quality. I'm having a hard time imagining a movie at DVD quality taking less than at least an hour to download. Probably not something that will be practical for me, especially for movies I want to own. However, I'm probably willing to sacrifice some quality for convenience for movies I want to rent.

I doubt that they will announce this during the WWDC. I could rather see Apple announcing this at a special event or something. I think the focus at WWDC will continue to be Mac OS 10.5 - Leopard. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Although you never know - no one expected Intel-based Macs back in January either.

nVidia to Power Video iPod

Macsimum News is reporting that nVidia will supply Apple with the video chip for the next generation video iPod.

Free iPod Accessory

Reborn to Rock. Buy a Select Refurbished iPod and Get a Free Accessory. Starting at $49 at the Apple Store.

Too Little Too Late

Another supposed iPod killer to be released, this time by Microsoft. Good luck. Microsoft just can't get anything right lately. No wonder Gates wants out.

UPDATE: Is this supposed to kill the iPod?! Bwa ha ha hah!!! Imitation is, so they say, the sincerest form of flattery. (picture via)

Lightning Crashes

WARNING: Do not mow your lawn in a lightning storm, dumbass, regardless of whether you're listening to your iPod or not!

Inevitable

I'm sure it's not the first and I'm sure it won't be the last. Here are some fairly amusing parodies of the new Mac/PC ads:



(via)

Come Together Right Now!

One of the most disappointing (and most complained about) limitations of iTunes is the inevitable split-second gap between tunes on an album that were created to be played seamlessly. I mean, how the hell do you really enjoy Abbey Road or The Wall with these annoying little gaps?! Apple's over-emphasis on single tracks is a real downer for fans of the album.

You could always merge the tunes into one larger file (which can be done through iTunes if they are consecutive and you choose to do so before importing them from a CD - phew), but that is really only half the problem. There are times when you might just want to listen to one of the tunes without the others. Through the magic of Apple Scripts, Doug Adams offers a solution: Join Together. The script will join your selected tracks together, then, using the included Apple ChapterTool application, it will "chapterize" the tune so you can control what you want to listen to and how you want to listen to it. Very cool. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Of course, I have no idea what impact it has on play count and other such features that some can't live without, but until Apple comes up with a better solution, that'll do, pig.

The suggestion is courtesy of iLounge's new free iPod book, which you can download here. It's a great and almost required resource for iPod and iTunes users.

Update: The latest (2006) iPod Updater & version of iTunes (7.0) is now gapless!!

Let's Go Tubing

Want to be able to listen to your iPod in style? Want that luscious warm analogue sound combined with the ease of use of digital technology? We present the Fatman iTube Valve Dock.

Interesting, yet not the most attractive dock I've seen. The logo on the front is obnoxious, but the tube amp sure is cool. I'd love to hear how it sounds.

Audiophile iTunes on the way?

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple may soon be offering songs in ALC (Apple Lossless Codec). What is ALC you ask? It is an encoding method which produces a song without any compression. It results in a song with the quality exactly that of the original CD.

iPod Gramophone

This is the best retro iPod accessory yet. Play it way-old school with your very own iPod gramophone. Looks to be in limited production so you're not going to find this at CompUSA.

XtremeMac MicroMemo

The MicroMemoDigital Audio Recorder from XtremeMac enables you to instantly record in high fidelity 16 bit stereo sound.

Unlike other iPod recorders out there, this one has an innovative microphone and speaker combination. Record memos, meetings, classes or a roaming podcast in clean, crisp, environmentally-safe digital audio.

Coke Is Out

Coca Cola is shutting down its online music store in the UK, www.mycokemusic.com due to substantial market share loss to Apple's iTunes.

Can't wait to watch Garfield on my iPod!

Apple is in active negotiations with major movie studios to offer feature-length releases on iTunes. It is certainly the natural progression of things and would be a perfect marketing tie-in to the release of the long-awaited and much-rumored true video iPod. I love the idea of making all movies $9.99, but I have a feeling the studios will win this battle.

Most Disturbing iPod Accessory Ever

Need I say more?