Do you get a giant stack of DVD's for Christmas? Want to watch them on your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV? Here's a tutorial that explains how to use an awesome program called Handbrake to rip DVD's into iTunes friendly MPEG-4 video files. Tis' the season for ripping!

Tutorial: How to Rip DVD's for Your iPod, Apple TV or iPhone




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Labels: iphone, ipod, itunes, tutorial, video

Microsoft Windows assigns drive letters to disk volumes to help tell them apart. For example, the default letter assigned to your computer’s hard drive is probably ‘c.’ Each time you dock the iPod to a PC, Windows will assign the iPod the next available drive letter, such as ‘f’ or ‘g.’ But isn’t the letter ‘i’ the most appropriate drive letter assignment for the iPod?




Here’s a simple tutorial on how to assign the drive letter ‘i’ to an iPod connected to a PC using Microsoft Windows.

Tutorial: Assign Your iPod to Microsoft Windows Drive Letter ‘i’


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Labels: gadgets, ipod, tutorial

Here's a remix edit of Steve Jobs latest Apple keynote address. Is Apple brainwashing us into buying their great incredible really cool amazing easy gorgeous beautiful awesome products like the new iPod Nano?!

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Labels: apple, ipod, video

The new iPod Nano unveiled by Steve Jobs last week has a serious design flaw: Stupid Camera Placement!

The camera is actually on the back BEHIND the click wheel -- exactly where your hand is! There is virtually NO way to hold the new little iPod Nano and NOT have your damn finger in the way of the lens. No joke. What was Apple the thinking?

I went into the Apple Store yesterday and wanted to buy a new Nano. The video camera was so poorly placed that I refused to buy it. I looked at five different Nanos and all of them had test shots by customers. Virtually all photos had fingers in the picture.





Think I'm kidding? Go try it. I asked an insufferable hipster Apple employee about this flaw and he nervously confessed they've heard nothing but complaints since the new iPod Nanos arrived. (This pimply-faced, unshowered hipster by the way, was wearing a wool ski cap inside on a sunny, 80 degree New York day.)

Insane! Apple is usually excellent at this sort of common sense... Who puts a f-ing camera right where your hand holds the device?

99.9% of all shots have the user's finger in the way!


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, ipod

Tekkeon's NavDock is a home media center all wrapped up into an iPod dock. The NavDock lets you navigate your iPod through an on-screen menu to play videos, photos, and music on a connected standard definition television.

NavDock browses directly through your iPod menus, so finding and playing music and videos is easy. And you can use the 16-button remote to adjust or mute volume, shuffle, repeat or skip songs, and fast forward or rewind through music or videos. The remote offers a 5-way navigation pad and quick keys that you jump directly to the videos, photos, music, or settings menus.

And the damn thing isn't even that expensive. But it's also not perfect. If you want to connect your iPod to your TV, should you splurge and get an Apple TV, buy a cheap $5 AV iPod cable or get the NavDock? Let's find out.



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Labels: gadgets, ipod, review

Is your iPod or iPhone frozen? This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a reset much like the way your computer needs a restart once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.


Sometimes the iPhone just gets confused. For example, the iPhone may be powered on but it won't respond to any button, switch, or touchscreen input. Try pressing and holding the Home button on the front of the iPhone for 6 seconds until the active program closes.

If this technique does not resolve the issue or the iPhone is in a different state such as showing a persistent Apple logo on the display, then you should reset the iPhone.









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Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod, tutorial

Don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch? As long as you have a "click wheel" model iPod, you can still play games from the iTunes Store. Unfortunately your selection is dramatically reduced compared to the App Store, but there are still some good games available like Bejeweled, Sims Bowling and Texas Hold'em.

REVIEW: iPod Click Wheel Games

Here's the complete list of iPod Click Wheel Games available in the iTunes Store (as of April 2009):

• Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
• Bejeweled
• Block Breaker Deluxe
• Bomberman
• Brain Challenge
• Bubble Bash
• Cake Mania 3
• Chalkboard Sports Baseball
• Chess
• Backgammon
• Chinese Checkers
• Crystal Defenders
• CSI: Miami
• Cubis 2
• iQuiz
• Lode Runner
• Lost
• Mahjong
• Mini Golf
• Monopoly
• Ms. PAC-MAN
• Musika
• Mystery Mansion Pinball
• Naval Battle
• PAC-MAN
• Peggle
• Phase
• Pirates: Aegir’s Fire
• Pole Position: Remix
• Real Soccer 2009
• Reversi
• Royal Solitaire
• Scrabble
• The Sims Bowling
• The Sims DJ
• The Sims Pool
• Slyder Adventures
• Song Summoner
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• SPORE Origins
• Star Trigon
• Sudoku
• Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World
• Tetris
• Texas Hold ’em
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour
• Trivial Pursuit
• UNO
• Vortex
• Wonder Blocks
• Yahtzee
• Zuma

methodshop

Labels: games, ipod, itunes

Over the years, we've gotten a bowl-load of these "Help! I dropped my iPod in the toilet!" emails. It's an epidemic.

Here's a sample: "Yes, it really happened, and I'd rather not go into it right now. It was submerged in water for 3-4 seconds, and now the screen is on and not responding. It's making a little sound like it's still running.

I tried opening it but couldn't get the case open except for a corner. SOMEONE HELP! 15GB new iPod. What a shame."

This is such a common problem that we've created a rather gross iPod toilet graphic (see above) and made a special "iPod Toilet Trap" tech support page. If you've dropped your iPod in the toilet, this page might prove useful.

Free iPod Support: The iPod Toilet Trap

For those of you who haven't dropped your iPod in the toilet yet, try not to take your iPod in the bathroom. If you really need to hear music, try singing the next time you are in the shower.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, ipod

Is your iPod or iPhone frozen? This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a restart much like the way your computer needs a reset once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.


Sometimes the iPhone just gets confused. For example, the iPhone may be powered on but it won't respond to any button, switch, or touchscreen input. Try pressing and holding the Home button on the front of the iPhone for 6 seconds until the active program closes.

If this technique does not resolve the issue or the iPhone is in a different state such as showing a persistent Apple logo on the display, then you should reset the iPhone.






methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod, tutorial

Apparently the R&D department at Rapid Repair has been busy. When they aren't repairing broken iPods from methodshop.com users (Rapid Repair is our repair partner), they are cramming insane amounts of storage into iPods. Their latest success is the creation of a 240GB iPod.

"The mod is actually very simple to do on a 5th gen iPod. And with a 240GB iPod you can finally carry your entire $57,667.50 iTunes library" Rapid Repair CEO Ben Levy said in an email to us today.

Ready to do the upgrade? What model iPod do you have? Unfortunately the Toshiba's MK2431GAH 240GB drive is only compatible with the iPod Video 5G and original iPod Video (30GB, 60GB and 80GB ONLY). Rapid Repair hopes to add the iPod Classic and Zune 2G to the compatible list very soon.

How much does all this cost? About $1 a GB. You can find out more on this page on the Rapid Repair website.


methodshop

Labels: ipod, tech news

Oops! Did you accidentally change you iPod's language to Chinese, Japanese or Icelandic? Want to switch it back to English or another language you understand? Here's how:

1. Press the Menu button like 20 times. You want to be sure you are on the Main Menu screen.
2. Scroll all the way down to the last menu option - but don't select it.
3. Scroll up one menu item. This should be the Settings option.
4. Press the Center (Select) button.
   
5. You are now in the Settings menu.
6. Scroll down to the last menu option. It should say "Reset All Settings" in English - but don't select it.
7. Scroll up to the third menu item from the bottom. This should be the Language option.
8. Press the Center button to select Language.
9. Select your preferred language from the list.

For more tutorials and help articles, checkout the methodsop.com iPod/iPhone Help Section.


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Labels: gadgets, ipod, tutorial

Move over iFart, iSteam is now the hottest thing in the iTunes App Store.

iSteam turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a foggy glass surface and allows you to wipe it clean with your fingertips. Exactly like a mirror after a hot shower.

The concept behind iSteam may sound simple, but it has already earned the 22-year old kids who created it $100,000 in only one month. Since being released on December 30, iSteam has sold over 1 million copies and overtaken iBeer, iFart, Ocarina, Whoopie Cushion and Pull My Finger to become #1 "entertainment" application in the App Store.

iSteam sells for $0.99 in the iTunes App Store [link].




methodshop

Labels: iphone, ipod, itunes

The most common problem iPod and iPhone users will experience is an occasional freeze or lockup.

Occasionally an iPod or iPhone may freeze or fail to respond to your commands. This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a restart much like the way your computer needs a reset once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.

This MethodShop.com tutorial will show you how to restart a frozen iPod Shuffle, iPhone, iPod Touch, and even older iPods from 1G to 4G.

Tutorial: How to restart or reboot your iPod/iPhone

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Labels: ipod, tutorial

Do you have a ton of DVD's? Want to watch them on your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV? Here's a tutorial that explains how to use an awesome DVD ripping program called Handbrake.

Handbrake will rip any standard video DVD into an iTunes compatible MPEG-4 video file.

Tutorial: How to Rip DVDs into MPEG4




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Labels: iphone, ipod, tutorial

Line Rider, the popular drawing game, is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch for $2.99 in the iTunes App Store.

The game allows you to draw a landscape with a simple pencil tool, creating ramps, hills and jumps. Then you test out your landscape by sending a boy on a sled down the hill, until he wipes out.

The web version of Line Rider has attracted million of players and created a cult following since its debut in September 2006.



According to game developer inXile, the iPhone/iPod Touch version of Line Rider also includes a "movie" mode for players to record tracks, and an upload feature so you can share tracks online.

"In just the first day Line Rider is in the top 10 of paid applications on iTunes," said Brian Fargo, chief executive officer of inXile. "Our strong and vocal audience has been asking for an iPhone/iPod Touch version of Line Rider ever since the touch interface was introduced... Line Rider is a natural fit for the iPhone as mobile users will be able to share their tracks and ride the lines almost anywhere now."

iTunes App Store: Line Rider ($2.99)




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Labels: games, iphone, ipod

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs was thin, but the new iPods were thinner at Apple's "Let's Rock" press conference yesterday. In addition to new versions of the iPod Nano and iPod Touch, Jobs also announced iTunes 8.0 and a "Genius" feature.

Apple is revamping its iPod line up. The thicker iPod classic is history. It will be replaced with a slimmer 120 GB model for $249. The new iPod Nano promises to be the thinnest iPod yet and ships with the "Genius" ability to create intuitive playlists without having to connect to iTunes. A new version of the iPod Touch, which will be out in time for the holidays, is also thinner and comes with integrated speakers for listening to music and online radio on the go. Both new models will also ship with new headphones that include a remote control and a microphone.




iTunes 8.0 gets a new "Genius" feature that automatically generating playlists of songs that "go great together." The Genius Sidebar can be set to upload your library contents to the iTunes Store so that it's better equipped to recommend songs you might like. If you've ever used the streaming music service Pandora, then you probably have a good idea of what the Genius Sidebar is capible of.

It looks like Kevin Rose's blog post that predicted Apple would release new iPods and an iTunes update this month was correct. The raw image mockup was even right.





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Labels: apple, ipod, tech news

Recharge your cellphone, iPod, iPhone and camera with this USB solar powered bonsai tree by French designer Vivien Muller.

Thanks to 54 tiny photovoltaic panels, the iBonsai (we just made that name up) will store energy in a hidden battery during the day, allowing you to recharge your gadgets even at night.

Hate wire clutter? Who doesn't. The bonsai charging tree cleverly hides all wires and plugs under the tray.




Need to slim down the tree's girth so you can fit it on your desk? No problem. You can rotate each part individually and produce an endless number of different shapes. It's like metal adult LEGOS.



The iBonsai Tree is decorative, good for the environment and sexy. It's also just still a concept, so sorry. You can't buy this yet. Hopefully Vivien will sell his concept and get the tree mass produced soon.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod

Is Digg.com founder and Diggnation star Kevin Rose abusing his Apple contacts? This past weekend Rose blogged about some new stuff being released by Apple next month including new iPods and an iTunes update.

According to Kevin, Apple will announce the following within the next few weeks:

• the iPod nano will take on a slimmer, more rounded look
• the iPod Touch will get an update with a new 2.1 operating system
• Prices of the iPod line will drop to differentiate the product from the iPhone
• iTunes 8.0 will be a major new release with several additional features
• Further out Apple is planning to add Blu-ray support to Mac OS X

Why would Rose risk exposing his Apple contacts by announcing this information? And why now? Rose mentions his Twitter account multiple times in his blog post and urges people to "follow" him on Twitter to get more information. Perhaps Rose is bitter that Barack Obama took the top slot away from him on Twitter earlier this month.



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Labels: apple, iphone, ipod, itunes

Got an old broken iPhone laying around the house? Want to upgrade to an iPhone 3G but feel guilty because your old iPhone still works?

RapidRepair.com is offering up to $200 for your fully functional 1st gen iPhone regardless of the condition. Even if the iPhone has a cracked screen, Rapid Repair will still buy it. They want it for parts.

Rapid Repair will also repair your existing broken iPhone or sell you a cheaper refurbished 1st generation iPhone with a 90-day warranty. It's a much better deal than buying a sketchy iPhone from eBay or Craigslist.

For more information, check out Rapid Repair's service page here.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod

When you can't get your iPod to mount or show up on your computer there are a few things you can do to trouble shoot this problem. Please follow these suggestions in order.

Free iPod Support: How to get your iPod connected with your computer






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Labels: ipod, tutorial

When Apple launched their new App Store on July 10th, everyone knew it would be a success. But no one could have known it would be this BIG of a success.

The App Store has delivered more than 60 million apps to iPhone/iPod Touch owners in less than a month. According to an interview in the Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs says that the App Store is bringing in an average of $1 million a day for the fee-based apps which range from $1-$10. That's right. Apple is on track to make $360 million per year from their brand new App Store division even though Apple gives 70% of all App Store revenue to developers.

"I've never seen anything like this in my career for software," ~ Steve Jobs

Sega's Super Monkey Ball ($9.99) game remains the top app, selling 300,000 copies during the store's first 20 days. We'll do the math for you on that one: 300,000 * 9.99 = $2,997,000. Not bad for a game Sega only spent 8 weeks working on.


Sega's Super Monkey Ball game.



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Labels: apple, iphone, ipod, itunes

We just a ton of emails everyday from people with iPod related questions. Most questions can be easily answered by forwarding a link from our Free iPod Support section but every once in awhile we'll get an email good enough to share... like this one.

The following email is from Anthony who owns several beautiful cottages near Newcastle, Britain in the UK.

"I do not possess an iPod but I have a question about them. I own a holiday cottage business and recently we have had a complaint from a customer. While staying in one of our cottages both her kids 2 year old iPods broke. The lights in the cottage had been flickering and there had been a couple of occasions when the electricity had been tripped. Could this affect iPods seriously enough to damage them?"

One of Anthony's guest cottages


Yes. A power surge could have damaged the iPods... but only if they were plugged in to an electrical outlet at the time of the surge. Power surges and electrical storms can't damage an iPod unless they have a physical connection with the device. As long as the iPods weren't plugged into an electrical outlet or struck by lightning, they can't be damaged by a massive burst of power.

Here's an extreme example of iPod damage by a burst of electrical power. In the summer of 2006, an American teenager named Jason Bunch was mowing his lawn while listening to his iPod when a storm front moved in and lightning struck his iPod. Unfortunately Jason's ears were severely burned and he lost some of his hearing. His iPod was also obviously destroyed.



So unless both of the iPods in question were charging and physically connected to a power outlet in one of your cottages, you are not responsible for any damage. Going forward, make sure you place surge protectors in all of your cottages. The last thing you want is for one of your guests to ruin their $6,000 super laptop while staying at your cottage.

Here are some good surge protectors:

• UK power: Belkin PureAV Home Cinema Surge Protector
• US power: Monster Cable MP AV600 Power Protector
  

Why did both of the cottage guests' iPods die at the same time? Perhaps the iPods were knocked around en route to the cottage or dropped during unpacking. Without a physical inspection it's hard to tell. You can get broken iPods and iPhones repaired here.


methodshop

Labels: ipod

The long awaited iPhone 3G was released on Friday, July 11th. But what should have been a happy and joyous day for iPhone fans, ended up being an exercise in frustration for many.

After waiting in line outside of Apple Stores for hours (or even days), some consumers then spent up to 7 hours inside because of "network problems" that slowed or even halted the activation of new iPhones.


The iPhone 3G line outside the Manhattan Apple Store on 14th Street at 12:52PM.
Estimated wait time was ~4 hours.


Apparently Apple's authentication servers weren't prepared to handle the amount of global network traffic from new iPhone 3G activations. Network slowdowns were first reported after stores opened in Europe. The network then came to a halt after US East Coast stores opened. By the time American West Coast stores had started selling iPhones, Apple's servers just couldn't take it anymore and started crashing. It was AT&T's insistence that all phones get activated in the store that caused the problem. During last year's iPhone 1.0 launch Apple had everyone activate their own phone at home through iTunes.


Fanboys try beat the heat with umbrellas while waiting in line for an iPhone 3G.


Some customers were even sent home with a new iPhone and instructions on how to finish activating the phone at home or even worse... a rain check. This definitely made quite a few people mad.

"I skipped work and waited in line from 12 noon to 2AM to get my boyfriend a new iPhone only to walk away with rain check slip," Paul Hahn told MethodShop.com. "The [authentication] servers were down most of the day and [an Apple store employee] told me I should to come back [Sunday] morning. This sucks. I'm so angry and so hungry right now." Paul also said that employees at the Apple Store were were giving away Apple umbrellas and waters to try to keep the crowd happy.



The new iPhone 3G.


Unfortunately, Apple's network problems also caused headaches for original iPhone and iPod Touch owners who tried to upgrade to the new 2.0 software. "After one of my officemates came back from his lunch hour with a new iPhone, I tried upgrading the software on my old iPod Touch," said Collin Pisarra, a graphic designer in Manhattan. "I really wanted to check out the new App Store but I guess Apple's network problems messed up [my iPod Touch]. It got bricked. I hope I can restore it when Apple's servers are back online. Right now I'm getting an error message that says: [We could not complete your iTunes Store request. An unknown error occurred (type -9838).]"


Networking problems left many users with both iPhones and iPod Touches that couldn't complete the 2.0 update process.


Apple wasn't responding to requests for comments, but a spokesman for AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier in the United States, said the problems were caused by iTunes servers and referred further questions to Apple.


Network problems caused many iPhone and iPod Touch users to see this iTunes error screen when attempting to update their device to the new 2.0 software.


Earlier this week, Apple also had problems with the relaunch of their data service now called MobileMe (it was previously called iTools and .Mac). The MobileMe service is designed to synchronize a user's personal data across devices, including the iPhone, but many users were denied access to their accounts this week, including Frank Accarrino.

"I've been trying to upload pictures from iPhoto to my .Mac website for the past few days but it's offline. I can't even get to my Mac mail. I bet Steve Jobs is pissed right now," Frank said.

Apple is usually known for flawless product launch events. Let's hope Apple solves these network issues for next time. It's estimated that 1 million iPhone 3G models were sold in the U.S. this weekend.


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Labels: apple, iphone, ipod, tech news

Like to listen to music while you work but find your workplace a little too dangerous and dirty for your fragile little iPod? Bosch, a company more famous for their power tools than stereo equipment just might have the perfect solution for you.

The Bosch Power Box is a feature-rich stereo system that not only sounds great, but has a protective roll cage that keeps it safe in busy commercial and outdoor work environments. When used with the Bosch Power Box iPod Dock (sold separately) you can bring your job sites into the digital music age. The Bosch iPod Dock easily connects to the Power Box where it not only protects your iPod but recharges it too.

The Bosch Power Box and iPod Dock sound like a powerful combo, but let's take a look at all the features of each item and how well they perform together in a busy work environment.

Review: Bosch iPod Power Box


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Labels: gadgets, ipod, music, review