8 Cool (and Useful) Mods for iPods and iTunes
- — 22 February, 2008 16:58
Listen to Your iPod in the Shower
Compatible with: Most iPods
Sand and surf do not mix well with iPods, which explains the appeal of the TearDrop iPod Water Resistant Bathroom Speaker. Compatible with most iPod models (anything with dimensions not exceeding 2.5 inches by 4.2 inches by 0.8 inch) and suitable for kitchens, beaches, bathrooms, and even showers, the TearDrop keeps your player dry and debris-free while cranking out the tunes from its downward-facing speaker. Granted, it's not really a mod, and you do have to unscrew the top and fiddle with the controls any time you want to skip tracks or adjust the volume--but what's that minor inconvenience in exchange for being able to sing along with "Drowning in a Sea of Love" while soaking in the bathtub? The TearDrop sells for $58.
Give Your Video iPod a Touch of iPod Touch
Compatible with: Fifth-generation and later Video iPods
If you love your aging Video iPod but covet a slick new iPod Classic or Touch interface, give your iPod a menu makeover.
Download and unzip the hack, and then download the free iPodWizard utility for loading third-party firmware onto your iPod. Run the program, change the Edit Mode to Firmware File, click Open Firmware, and navigate to the fifth-generation iPod Touch firmware file you downloaded. Confirm that your plugged-in iPod is listed in the iPodWizard Essentials area to the right. If the list shows only an "unmounted" iPod, click the Mount button and wait until the proper iPod name appears there.
Now click Write to iPod, wait a few seconds for the process to finish, and click the Eject button; your iPod should reboot itself. Wait for the computer to redetect it; then click Eject again. Unplug the iPod, and you should be good to go.
When downloading the firmware, be sure to get the proper version for your particular Video iPod. Firmware designed for a 5G iPod won't work on a 5.5G iPod, and vice versa. If things go wrong or you don't like the new interface, merely return to iPodWizard and click the Downgrade Firmware button to restore your iPod's original firmware.
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