Section 93. About Third-Party iPod Software


93. About Third-Party iPod Software

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

51 About the Care and Feeding of Your iPod


SEE ALSO

99 Update Your iPod's Software

100 Restore Your iPod to Factory Settings


As cool as the iPod is on its own merits, some owners just crave seeing how much more it can do than is officially intended. These people relentlessly seek out iPod "hacks," which often involve third-party code loaded onto the hidden "system" segment of the iPod's disk or its firmware to modify its operation to do anything from displaying custom status images to downloading your email for you to read on the iPod's screen or burning music CDs straight from the iPod.

These modifications are not supported or endorsed by Apple; indeed, running them may void your iPod's service warranty. Yet for the intrepid iPod owner, the prospect of downloading news feeds to read on the iPod or changing its battery meter to display a numeric voltage readout instead of a graphical bar is just too much to resist.

Almost since the very first days of the iPod's existence, sites such as iPodHacks.com and iPoding .com have showcased the very best (and all the rest) of the available modifications and third-party software designed to alter the iPod's intended functionality. If you're curious , keep an eye on these sitesthey report not only on new developments in the iPod-hacking community, but also on news of upcoming iPod- related products and little-known tips and tricks you can use in the unmodified, shipping version of iTunes.

WEB RESOURCES

http://www.ipodhacks.com

http://www.ipoding.com

http://www.ipodlounge.com

http://www.ipodwizard.net

iPodHacks and iPoding are two of the oldest and most extensive sites that archive hacks and modifications for your iPod. iPodLounge is an excellent news site that aims to keep you abreast of all the happenings in the world of iPod accessories, as well as many in-depth tutorials for some of the iPod's more esoteric functions. The iPodWizard site hosts a utility that allows you to customize your iPod's graphics, among other tricks.


Some kinds of iPod hacks involve simple, non- intrusive modifications, such as copying files to your iPod's hard disk to unlock special debugging features. These kinds of modifications are not destructive and can easily be reversed . However, you should be especially careful of any hack that works by modifying or replacing the iPod's system software or firmware. Such hacks have the potential to permanently disable your iPod, and it might no longer be covered by your warranty if anything goes wrong.

This book won't make any recommendations for specific hacking toolsthey're really best left as an exercise for readers who are keen on living dangerously. However, if you're determined to ride the ragged edge of the iPod lifestyle, you should always remember how to reset the iPod: Hold down the Menu and Select buttons simultaneously for several seconds (press the Menu and Play/Pause on 3G and earlier iPods). You should also know how to restore the iPod's software to the factory conditions (see 100 Restore Your iPod to Factory Settings ). Any hacks that alter the iPod beyond where it can be restored to working order by these methods are just asking for trouble.

That said, though, the iPod user community at the sites mentioned earlier is extensive and helpful. Between them and the folks at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store, chances are that you'll be able to find help no matter what predicament you land in.



iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap
iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672328992
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 152
Authors: Brian Tiemann

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net