2.10. Restoring your iPod Photo to its Factory Settings

If you have been adventurous and somehow messed up your iPod photo, you can perform the following steps to restore it to its factory settings:

• Reset your iPod photo (see Section 2.9)

• Quit iTunes if it is running

• Run the iPod Updater (available on the CD, or visit http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/) (see Figure 2-43). Ensure that you are running the correct version of the iPod Updater. You should see the iPod icon with the red circle with a slash in it.

Figure 2-43. Using the iPod Updater

• Connect your iPod photo to your Mac and click on the Restore button to reformat your iPod photo (see Figure 2-44).

Figure 2-44. Use the iPod Updater to update or restore your iPod photo

Your iPod photo is now back to its original settings. You need to connect it to iTunes to synchronize all the songs and photos again.

2.11. Diagnosing your iPod Photo

If you are the adventurous sort and are always fascinated with whatever tricks your iPod photo can perform, you may be interested to try the diagnostic utility that Apple has built into the iPod photo.

The diagnostic utility is meant as a troubleshooting tool for Apple technical people and shows the various states of the iPod photo. To invoke the diagnostic tool, you need to invoke two keys sequences (see Figure 2-45):

• Sequence 1 - Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons for about 6 seconds; the Apple logo will then appear

• Sequence 2 - Press and hold the Previous and Select buttons until you hear a beep sound.

Figure 2-45. The key sequences to invoke the iPod diagnostics utility

You should be able to see the iPod Diagnostics screen (see Figure 2-46) after performing the above 2 key sequences.

Figure 2-46. The main screen of the iPod diagnostics utility

Use the Click Wheel to scroll through all the different options. One interesting feature is the "Mic" recording ability (under the IO->Audio options). With a microphone attached to the iPod photo, you can record a 6-second audio stream. You can then play back the recorded stream (see Figure 2-47).

Figure 2-47. Recording and playing back a record audio stream

Another interesting feature is the hard disk info (see Figure 2-48). It shows the maker and size of the hard disk as well as the current temperature of the drive.

Figure 2-48. Displaying hard disk information on the iPod photo

Chapter 3. Accessories

In this final chapter, I will take a look at some accessories you can use together with your iPod photo.

3.1. Transferring Photos from your Digital Camera to your iPod Photo

Due to its relatively large storage capacity, the iPod photo is very well suited to be a portable storage solution. One good use is for storing photos from your digital camera. Though there is no direct way for you to transfer the photos from your digital camera to the iPod photo, you can use the Belkin Digital Camera Link (see Figure 3-1). Using the Digital Camera Link, you can simply connect your digital camera to the Digital Camera Link via an USB cable and the photos on your digital camera will then be copied onto your iPod photo.

Figure 3-1. The Belkin Digital Camera Link for iPod w/ Dock Connector

If you don't fancy connecting your digital camera directly to the Digital Camera Link, you can alternatively use the Belkin Media Reader (see Figure 3-2), which reads memory cards of the following formats:

• Compact Flash (type I or II)

• Memory Stick

• SecureDigital (SD)

• SmartMedia

• Multimedia Card (MMC)

Figure 3-2. The Belkin Media Reader for iPod w/ Dock Connector

Note that even though your photos are copied to the iPod photo, you cannot view them on your iPod photo. This is because the photos on your iPod must be compressed before they are viewable.

3.1.1. Remote control your iPod Photo

In Chapter 2, I mentioned that you can use your iPod photo to store your presentation slides. A great complement to this solution is to equip your iPod photo with an infrared remote control. The NaviPod IR Remote from Ten Technology is one such device (see Figure 3-3).

Figure 3-3. The Ten Technology NaviPod IR Remote for iPod

Using the NaviPod IR Remote, you can now remotely control your iPod photo to move between slides!

3.1.2. Extending the iPod Battery Life

Even though Apple claims you can enjoy up to 15 hours of continuous music; or up to 5 hours of continuous slideshows with music, your mileage may vary depending on how you use your iPod photo. In this case, it is always wise to bring a spare battery pack to juice up your iPod photo, especially if you are going to do a very important presentation.

The Belkin TunePower Rechargeable Battery Pack (see Figure 3-4) provides an additional 8-10 hours of power and comes with a power-level indicator to tell you if your battery power is running low.

Figure 3-4. The Belkin TunePower Rechargeable Battery Pack