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The iPod Gets WiFi, Sort Of
thecounterfeit writes "Engadget has a story on Pocketster Pro, a new application that lets you add WiFi to the iPod. The catch? You have to connect it to a Pocket PC with both USB Host capability and WiFi first, but once it's up and running you can wirelessly swap tunes with any other similarly equipped iPods."
While the iPod can play copy-protected files, the protection that Apple uses currently allows protected files to play on an unlimited number of iPods.
The iPod can, however, also play unprotected MP3s and AAC files.
If you either A) use unprotected MP3s or B) use iTunes to rip CDs to AAC format, its all unprotected.
iTunes simply outputs standard old M4A files, not the copy protected ITMS ones.
"Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you."
Only music downloaded from the iTunes music store is protected - normal MP3s etc, which the iPod supports, are not.
a full-fledged computer can barely do acceptable voice recognition after hours of training (or not, depending on your tolerance for error). It's going to be a while before you can "tell your phone what you're looking for."
Unless you meant typing it on the phone's chiclet-keyboard. Eww...
he said he had a second gen not a third gen ipod. ie the ones that had touch pad scroll wheels. the docks are only for 3rd gen ipods.
One of the iPods must have iPodLinux installed, which should include firewire support, as well as SBP2 support. Compile this as a module, and then connect the two iPods together with the Sendstation Pocketdock if they are 3G, or just a regular 6pin to 6pin FW cable if they are 1st or 2nd generation. Put the other iPod into firewire disk mode, and the one running linux should be able to mount it and access the files. This is incredibly impractical, as typing on the iPod requires turning the scroll wheel until the right character appears (incredibly annoying), and also very slow. However, it just goes to show that it _is_ possible for iPods to share files with just minimal extra hardware.
I think if you have a snoop around, you can find all the goodies hiding away in a hidden directory. That's how they appear on macs or linux machines.
I think part of this is to slow down average joes from copying their music onto random computers, but the other part is that the iPod uses xml trees to store track information, etc, instead of just scanning the files ( which it's too slow to do ). Making sure that users add and remove tracks via a specific interface ensures that the xml is kept up to date.
FYI the Toshiba e740 Pocket PC comes with a 802.11b adapter built in and has USB Host functionality (and VGA functionality) with a Toshiba expansion pack. I have one of these but I would not connect my iPod to it. The battery does not last very long (an hour) if you have WiFi enabled. They have a switch to turn it on and off. It would probably be worse when enabling USB host function. I have a 2 gig CF card with mp3s in it in the PDA. I also have additional storage on an SD/MMC slot that it is also built in. I use an iPod clone mp3 player on my PDA.
It didn't come with it, but the good news is, you can run a Newton with WiFi!
You can do it two ways:
- Use a card that is compatible with Hirochi's drivers.
- Use a Newton compatible ethernet card and a wireless ethernet bridge.
I'm currently using a Farallon PN595 hooked up to a wireless ethernet bridge, so I have access to my contacts and notes through NPDS using a web browser.Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
Sure you can. Plug the iPod in. Open up a terminal window. Type in (replacing iPodName with the actual name of the iPod):I'm using the ditto command (a standard shell tool that comes with Mac OS X) because it properly preserves data forks and file metadata. You can use any copying tool you want, but some may not get all of the filesystem metadata. The files will still play fine but they might lose custom icons and stuff like that. No big deal either way.
You can copy the files directly through the Finder but that's a little tougher since the Music directory is an invisible folder. There are ways of making it visible but its just easier to use the Terminal.
By the way, it's more fun to use this command because then you can see each file listed as it is copied:When the copy operation is finished you'll have a folder named Music on your Desktop (assuming Mac OS X here). Just import the whole folder into iTunes - much easier because the files are sorted in a way that doesn't make much sense at a first glance (the folders are a type of hash that makes it easy for the iPod to find a song quickly against an internal table).
Sapere aude!
bluetooth is too slow for use with isync, it's much slower than usb1.1 and would use twice the battery power to transfer the same amount of data.
1) it's not really fast enough, nor does it have long enough range to provide much of a benefit, except with the possible possibility of people wanting to share (at fairly slow speeds), whilst sitting next to eachother. It's just as easy to plug it in for 99% of it's use; tons faster, and it recharges.
2) cost
3) RIAA
RIAA is not a monopoly - you are right; they are a cartel. RIAA members do not fix prices for consumers - they don't sell directly to consumers (unless you are a part of some "11 CDs for the price of 1 plus 'shipping'" club). RIAA and its members fix wholesale prices to stores - i.e. they are not competing against each other on the pricing basis. One of the reasons, as I understand it, is that they want to keep more small stores on par with big businesses so they can have more outlets for their products while reeling in more cash. I don't know what the actual numbers are but the cartel controls most (nearly all) of the market by both units sold and sales amounts; so they are in a position to do this with their non-compete agreements amongst each other.
This actually makes more sense if you consider that RIAA member companies are also part of or own other media channels like broadcast media and movie production; in which they also hold majority shares. The media outlets that they do not directly control, they have asked (read bribed) the Congress to enact legislation to help them out: indefinite extension of copyrights, broadcasters/webcasters fees, taxes from sales of consumer products that can copy content, DMCA, as well as newly proposed acts like INDUCE act, CBDTPA, etc. This is generally bad for consumers as it prevents true competition in the industry by guaranteeing revenue models for the cartel members; mostly non-competitive state of the industry also prevents any innovation in the type of content, its price and its delivery methods.
Such behavior is not only bad for consumers, it's also bad for artists; but I'll let you figure that out yourself since I gotta sleep now.