Interesting news/reviews/deals from the portable audio market
Music swapping through the mail: La la Media plans to set up a platform where users pay $1.49 to swap compact discs with each other (a buck goes to La la Media and the rest covers shipping). Expect to hear from RIAA’s lawyers soon. Michael Arrington has a bit more. [via]
Rundfunker, the WLAN radio: scans [...]
OS X widget: Amazon Album Art: smooth. Choose the tracks in iTunes, press the widget’s “Get from iTunes” graphic button, when the appropriate cover has been found just click the “Set as album art in iTunes” button and you’re done. A web demo is available. [via]
Also: check our post on album art finder tools.
Guide to iPod accessories: iLounge has written some introductory texts for the various categories of iPod-related accessories. The most noteworthy are:
microphones and microphone adapters
remote controls
speakers
Silent MP3s of various lengths for your listening pleasure. Err, OK. These are meant to help you distinguish when a particular track has ended—you just place the silent MP3 after said track in the playlist. For more details, skip to the first question in iLounge’s Ask column.
30 fascinating pins: geek extraordinaire, Steve Chapman developed a dock that provides all the connections possible through the 30-pin connecton. He then went ahead to develop an app that tests the different commands via the iPod’s serial interface. Now he’s programming a microcontroller to use it.
Unlocking the volume limit for Sony’s NW-A1000 and A3000 devices: a rather long key combination, but hey, turning the volume to 11 rocks no?
6 ways to link a portable audio player with the car stereo: FM modulator, cassette adapter, direct antenna connection + FM modulator, line-in connection, line-in connection via CD changer, and for iPods only, obivously the iPod smart-cable connection. [via]
Just in time for the holidays: Make your own copy-protected CDs: “Make your friends and relatives their very own copy-protected CDs using the same industrial-grade passive protection technology built into XCP and Macrovision discs.” Ain’t that grand? [via]
Seagate has released the CompactFlash Photo hard drive.
Why does this interest you?
If you don’t own an iPod mini (or are not willing to pay the premium to get one), it doesn’t. But if you do, you’ll be happy to hear Seagate’s drive works with your precious device (same formatting, etc.). It just needs a bit [...]
iPod video: formats and display resolutions guide: also, have a look at our wrap-up on guides for transferring video content to your iPod.