Ever sit next to someone on the bus or subway who was listening to their iPod so loud you couldn't think? Maybe you've been in the elevator with someone whose iPod is louder than the John Tesh Muzak oozing out of the speaker overhead.

Some people just listen to music in their headphones so loud that it's annoying. If you've ever felt this way, Apple's new iPod update with a maximum volume limit setting, may be music to your ears.

Apple has sold over 40 million iPods since October 2001, so why are they just adding this volume limit feature now? Apparently this is in response to Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) who asked the National Institute of Health to investigate hearing problems associated with the iPod.

Many MP3 players, like the iPod, can produce volume levels as high as 120 decibels. FYI- That's as loud as a police siren. Prolonged exposure to 90 decibels or more may cause some hearing loss, according to the Mayo Clinic's Web site.

Parents worried about their children's hearing can even assign a combination to prevent the max volume setting from being changed. If they attempt to turn the volume all the way up after you've set a volume limit, then they will see a lock icon in the Now Playing screens volume bar.

The iPod update with the volume limit software is available as a free download on Apple's website.

Is the above picture evidence of a few Windows users who have reached their breaking point, after what seems to be the never-ending stream of pro-Apple news of late, and decided to declare war on Apple, starting with their retail stores? Breaking, ironically enough, their Windows?

Not exactly.

Actually it is an attention grabbing store display to advertise Apple's new iPod HiFi speaker system. The window pictured above can be seen at the Michigan avenue store in Chicago, and was snapped by blogger Scott Hodge.



The iPod HiFi is really starting to grow on me, and the seemingly non-stop publishing of positive reviews aren't hurting any. In fact I was very close to pulling the trigger this past Saturday and picking one up for a party that I was having at my house over the weekend. The only thing holding me back is the potential promise of even bigger and better things being released at the rumored announcement said to take place at the end of this month.

One thing is for certain, if there is no "true Video iPod" released by the second week of April I will be adding an iPod HiFi to the game room in my house. And there is nothing my credit card can do to stop it. Unless it figures out how to cut itself up before then.

- AH
StationA.net

Source: MacDailyNews

Since it's an emulator running on an emulator running on a slow processor, the whole thing takes about 4 hours to boot. But who cares?! Turn it on, go to work and then use it when you get home. Just cross your fingers it doesn't crash.

[Source: digital-yume.net]

Ignoring the age old adage "never kick a man (or company) when he is down" Forbes tears Microsoft a new one regarding yesterdays admission that Vista has fallen behind schedule yet again, and won't see the light of day until January 2007 at the earliest (at least as far as the consumer market is concerned, enterprises are scheduled to receive their copies before the year is out, maybe..).

From Daniel Lyons of Forbes.com;

"The new version of Microsoft Windows, called Vista, has slipped again. It was originally going to ship in 2003. Then 2005. Then 2006. Now in early 2007. I'm not surprised, having seen a demo of Microsoft's new programs at an "event" for tech buyers in New York last week.

"Worst of all, I can't believe Microsoft actually held this big nonevent "event" only a few days before announcing another screw-up in Vista. If Ballmer knew he was about to announce a delay and still had this event, he's crazy. If he didn't know Vista was about to slip again, then Microsoft is in worse shape than anyone realizes," Lyons writes. "Given Microsoft's delays I can't believe open-source stuff still hasn't caught on for desktop computers... Why not at least switch to an Apple Computer Mac? Apple's new operating system is stable, reliable and easy to use. The applications are simple, gorgeous and work well together. And they're here. Today. Steve Jobs must be waking up a happy man this morning."

The entire article is a good read for it's "raw" perspective on Microsoft's seemingly empty promise of a forthcoming operating system, and it's a great read if you are particularly delighted by Microsoft's continued futility in getting Longhorn, Vista, Vaporware, whatever you want to call it, out the door. There is no question this presents an amazing opportunity for Jobs & Co. to put a dent in Microsoft's dominance in the consumer desktop market. The question is does Apple recognize this announcement for what it is, an opening, and will they choose to act on it. If so, how?

A furious push to get OS X 10.5, Leopard, out the door well before the year is out, offering customers looking to pick up a new computer for the holidays a brand new, even more polished, alternative to MS? A renewed focus on advertising the benefits of Mac OS X to consumers? Hell, advertising anything other than iPod or iTunes would be an improvement! Perhaps the release of another consumer device, like the iPod, which would only serve to intensify the focus on everything Apple does, furthering the "Halo Effect" we hear so much about, which results in the sale of more Macs then ever before?

All I know is the view from Cupertino has to be extra sunny today, regardless of what Jobs' Weather Widget tells him it looks like outside.

- AH
StationA.net


Related Article: Microsoft employees speak, and what comes out sounds suspiciously like an implosion.

Source: MacDailyNews & MacDailyNews

[Via StationA.net]

According to an article on MacRumors.com, Leopard, the next version of OS X may include virtualization software, code named Chameleon, that will allow Mac's to run more than one operating system at the SAME TIME!

While Booting Windows XP on Intel Macs is now possible thanks to two hackers named "narf2006" and "blanka", many users look forward to using a virtual Windows XP environment alongside Mac OS X. This sort of side-by-side existence would prevent the need for rebooting to use a particular application like in the System 6 and System 7 days. When you need to open that Windows app just instantaneously switch over to Windows. When you are done, go back to OS X.

Come on you little skank, please stop making it so easy for US to make YOU look like an idiot! We know you're stupid, but wearing your stupidity on a tighty whitey? Look, at the ripe old age of 25, if you still don't know the difference between your and you're (and you printed it on a t-shirt), it's time to retire from the grind that is your empty life of whoring around the globe on your Grandfather's private jet.

I finally decided to ask the question. Who's fault is it that this talentless whore remains on the cover of magazines, in the news, and on TV? It's simple, since 1980 the world has been infatuated with young blonde woman from Manhattan with perky breasts and loose morals. Specifically, Lacey Underalls, the spoiled rich bitch from the movie Caddyshack.

Paris Hilton can't act, can't sing, has trouble with simple math, is rumored to have herpes, and based on this picture needs to get hooked on phonics, instead of the hardest and richest stud in the room. But she remains the queen of gossip. What's even scarier, is that someone hasn't stepped-in and sterilized this poor girl before she's allowed to produce an offspring to waste our precious oxygen.

Not a believer? Still not convinced? Here's an in-depth comparison between Paris Hilton and Lacey Underalls.

Put on an anti-viral panty liner and let the battle between the spoiled blonde rich bitches begin!

[Via Methodshop]

Speculating on the possibility of Apple making an iPod phone has almost become a part-time hobby for analysts and Apple rumor web sites. Everyone thinks Apple will eventually make an iPod phone but there was no solid proof... until now.

According to SmartHouse.com, BenQ, a Taiwanese phone manufacturer confirms that an Apple product called the iPhone is in the works. Apparently while the rest of the world speculates on the possibility of Apple producing an iPod phone, among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge.

So why is BenQ leaking information about the iPhone to the press? Maybe it's just sour grapes. Johnny Chan, a J.P. Morgan analyst based in Hong Kong, believes that Hon Hai Precision, a competitor to BenQ, will probably get the contract to build the iPhone. Also, several of BenQ's suppliers have been requested to supply parts for the iPhone. Perhaps BenQ doesn't want Apple to monopolize its supply chain.

So when should we expect to see this so called iPhone? Here's what the professionals say:

- Q4 of 2006; Bill Shope of J.P Morgan
- 75% chance in the next 12 months: Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray

I'll take a gamble and say by the end of the 2006 Holiday Season we'll be calling our friends and family on iPhones.

NOTE: The image used in this article is just a concept image and not the real thing.

Came across the above pic on Flickr this morning and was instantly impressed by the ingenuity exhibited by the shop owner responsible for this stores window. The picture has little in the way of a description, but it looks like it was taken yesterday in Japan by Flickr user "thorner".

The man in the photo is plugged into a headphone port mounted into a store window. What is he listening to? Music? A Podcast? A looping audio track promoting something inside the store?

Just another example of the virtually limitless number of ways to put an iPod to work. Effective advertising is when you can catch a potential customers eye, and entice that individual to spend some time getting to know your product. So given the fact we are all prospective customers for one business or another, how many of you would pass up the opportunity to jack in if you were passing a store window like this one?

That's effective advertising.

[Via StationA.net]

Didn't get a Sirius satellite radio yet? Miss hearing Howard Stern in the mornings? You're not alone. FM ratings have plummeted since Stern left terrestrial radio and people who didn't make the move to satellite are looking for other places to get their daily Stern fix.

According to TheRawFeed.com, illegal downloading of Howard Stern's Sirius satellite radio show is "rampant." At first, the amount of avid Stern downloaders was relatively small. That all changed after the Los Angeles Times reported that bootlegged versions of the Stern show are easily available on file-sharing networks like BitTorrent. This Los Angeles Times article didn't go unnoticed. As a result, illegal Howard Stern downloading has increased radically.

BitTorrent isn't the only place to find illegal versions of the Howard Stern show. Grab a FM radio and scan through the channels slowly. You might just hear Howard. Pirate radio stations in New York and New Jersey are broadcasting Stern's morning show over unused portions of the FM spectrum.

But the easiest and most reliable way to hear Howard Stern each and every morning is to just cough up the $0.40 a day and get a Sirius satellite radio.

Jack Black, the star of Paramount Pictures' Nacho Libre, will take audiences behind the scenes with exclusive "confessionals" about what it was like to make the upcoming comedy film in a series of video podcasts debuting on the iTunes Music Store and QuickTime.com.

Beginning March 15 and continuing for 10 weeks, leading up to the release of the film, new podcasts will appear every Tuesday and Thursday, downloadable free of charge for the video iPod and at QuickTime.com.

The film Nacho Libre opens in theaters nationwide on June 2. You can access the Podcasts via iTunes here.

[Source: PR Newswire]

"The Man has taken everything from you. Your free time, your soul, your will to live, and now (ever since He installed that firewall)...your IM.

Meebo is going to help you fight back.

Meebo is a web-based instant messaging program (no download or installation necessary) that lets you log on to your IM network from any Internet browser, with no firewall issues. Meebo supports AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber IM programs—you just go to its web site and log on to your network of choice.

Even better, Meebo runs pretty much like your actual IM program would. For those with lots of time, friends or ADD, you can log onto multiple accounts at once (or create a free Meebo account that remembers all your IM accounts for you). It's easy to use and constantly being upgraded with new features. We didn't find a firewall that could stop it.

We're not sure if avoiding your company's firewall truly counts as sticking it to The Man, but at least it's one less way The Man is sticking it to you. ." [Via urbandaddy.com]

The MethodShop Bottom Line: Thanks to PimpWiz.com for the tip.

Consumers who come upon web ads for Dimension Films' Scary Movie 4 will get an unfamiliar invitation to "Download Videos to iPod." Accepting this invitation will subscribe users to a video Podcast that can be automatically synced with their video iPods.

This Scary Movie 4 Podcast will literally establish a bond between Dimension Films and willing consumers. It's a creative way to help promote the new film and was developed in-house by the studio's interactive ad agency, Deep Focus.

"When you click on this display ad, you're actually signing up to receive a stream of video over time from Dimension," explained Deep Focus founder and CEO Ian Schafer.

Into consumers' podcast folders will flow "Scary Movie" trailers, movie clips like a pillow fight between Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, and whatever other short-form video that Deep Focus and Dimension decide to send out.

The ads, slated for release on March 31, will be running on Yahoo, Fandango.com, Movietickets.com, and World Wrestling Entertainment's Web site, WWE.com, among others.

For now, anything that Dimension and Deep Focus send to consumers' podcast folders will be related to "Scary Movie 4," said Schafer. In the future, however, it is not implausible that Dimension could use that channel to promote, say, "Scary Movie 5".

Separately, "Scary Movie" has already achieved viral success on the Web, thanks to a relationship struck recently between Dimension, Deep Focus and the wildly popular video-sharing site YouTube.

[Source: Media Post]

Weren't able to get down to Austin, Texas for the 2006 SXSW Music Conference? Don't worry, you can still download about 1,000 MP3s from the attending bands. iTunes is selling the songs for $0.99 each or you can download them all legally for FREE using BitTorrent.

By using BitTorrent to distribute these MP3s, SXSW is able to distribute these MP3s efficiently and economically. You help them distribute the file as you download it, as does everyone who's currently downloading it. The more people downloading the file at any given time, the faster everyone will be able to download it.

Just download the two SXSW 2006 torrent files below and open your favorite BitTotrrent client. It will probably take a day or two to download all the songs, but hey, it's free.

Here are the two SXSW torrent files:

• SXSW 2006 Songs (2.6 Gigs)
• 20 New Songs (85 Megs)

If you are unfamiliar on how to use BitTorrent, MethodShop.com has a step-by-step tutorial to get you started.

Also of note, Bram Cohen, the creator of BitTorrent, was a speaker at SXSW Interactive this year.

First came the songs, then music videos and TV shows, and now Apple may be bringing movies to your home computer or video iPod. Apple took the first step on Tuesday by making the Disney Channel original film "High School Musical" available for a $9.99 download price. The made-for-TV movie is already widely popular among the "tween" set. The music soundtrack is highly sought-after on the iTunes site -- one of its songs is currently listed as the second most popular download in the soundtrack category.

"It shows how fast digital media technology is moving. The iTunes moniker is already wrong," said Phil Leigh, a senior analyst for Inside Digital Media Inc. "It's moving more quickly than Steve Jobs and Apple anticipated."

Several Web sites who closely monitor Apple, such as MacRumors.com, have reported this is the first feature-length film to be offered for download on iTunes and suggest this may signal a move toward a greater release in the near future.

"Apple is widely expected to offer an iTunes Movie service in the coming weeks, but reports indicate that licensing negotiations are holding up the release," the Web site posted last night. But Allen Weiner, an analyst for Gartner Inc., said it's not necessarily a question of offering television versus movies, but what the total experience is for the user. The length of the film could be categorized as a short film or an extended television show.

"I don't believe Apple or any others look at content in old-fashioned ways. Content is content. What they're doing is basing their decisions on what's going to be popular and fit into the experience," he said. "Apple is thriving because the customer experience is simple and almost
transparent." Full-length feature films, however, can be time-consuming to download, Weiner says. (The 99-minute "High School Musical" file weighs in at 487 megabytes.) He sees the bigger idea for the launch of this particular movie is as a vehicle for Apple and Disney to test joint projects.

[Source: MacRumors.com]

As a computer-generated news site, Google News doesn't have a sense of humor -- or much sense at all, bloggers have discovered. By posting made-up articles on I-Newswire, a free press-release posting service, pranksters have discovered an easy way to get just about anything in the news.

It started when Richard Wiggins, an Internet news blogger, noticed that would-be presidential candidate Daniel Imperato was posting press releases announcing his opinion on events of the day and realized that I-Newswire would post just about anything. Then someone used it to falsely report that actor Will Ferrell had died in a "freak paragliding accident." (Bloggers soon confirmed that Ferrell was alive and working on a movie set.) Next, a teenager claimed he had been hired by Google Research. After the fake news made the headlines on tech news website Digg.com,
the kid apologized.

Despite the widely reported gaffes, Google News still carried press releases from I-Newswire as of Wednesday morning.

[Source: CNN]

Apple has initiated a new program for companies wishing to buy large quantities of iPods.

Options available include a custom logo and/or text engraving, iTunes Music Cards, and any desired combinations of shuffles, nanos, and iPods.

Screw the lame office Christmas party. Now good workers have a little more incentive to put in all those extra hours.

Can't think of any catchy company slogans to go under your corporate logo? Here are a few suggestions: Rejected iPod Engravings