Silicon.com questions iPod quality, brand

The first signs have started to emerge this week that Apple's must-have iPod music players are "actually not that great," silicon.com says. The article looks at iPod quality a "damaged brand" as factors contributing to this sentiment. The article cites Duke University's iPod program as evidence of the latter. "Only" one third of freshmen used their free iPods for academic purposes. As for build quality, the article points to poor battery life on some test units. "The battery on one unit now lasts for just an hour after a full charge and the click wheel has given up the game, rendering the iPod mini virtually unusable." Brand experts claim "Apple has cheapened the image of the whole iPod range with an average product like the Shuffle. We're betting the mini's dead batteries and broken click wheels didn't help, either [...] Is this the first wave of an iPod backlash?"

Sony frustrated by Apple's rejection of latest DRM

Apple is standing in the way of Sony's latest CD anti-piracy measures. "[Sony's] use of the software, which is designed to limit consumers to making no more than three copies of a CD, reflects an effort to alter a format that is two decades old and contains music that can be readily copied and digitally distributed," the New York Times reports. The companies have been pressing Apple to amend its software to make it compatible with the tools used to restrict copying. The restrictive software Sony BMG is using on CDs -- like it did earlier this year with Stand Up by the Dave Matthews Band -- is not compatible with Apple's popular iPod. "It's just a proprietary decision by Apple to decide whether to play along or not," Thomas Hesse of Sony BMG said. "I don't know what more waiting we have to do. We think we need to move this forward. Time is ticking, infringement of intellectual property is happening all over, and we've got to put a stop to it I think."

Apple to highlight music at Glastonbury Festival

Apple plans to underline its link with music and popular culture with a launch at Glastonbury Festival this week, Macworld UK reports. "While details remain scarce, third-party reports suggest the plan will emerge on Friday June 24 at the East Dance stage," where the first act up is called, "iTunes present..." The Dance stage will be opened up by the winners of a competition run between iTunes and Hit40UK. This asked entrants to create a five-song iMix of tracks they felt would be ideal to open the Dance stage this year.

Creative struggles to top Apple, iPod

Creative's Technology founder Sim Wong Hoo, of Singapore, is facing his toughest challenge since boldly stating he intended to rival Apple as the world's leading maker of portable music players, reports AustralianIT. Although Creative is still selling millions of portable music players, profits are slumping because consumers don't consider Sim's products as cool as Apple's iPod, analysts say.Locked in a fierce price war with Apple and other electronics giants, Creative's net profits in the March quarter fell 72 per cent to $15.9 million from $57 million a year earlier. In contrast, Apple's profits for its March quarter shot up six-fold to $290 million, driven mainly by the iPod.

iFill records Internet radio to your iPod

Griffin's iFill streams audio files from thousands of free radio stations directly to an iPod. You can choose several stations at once and select from many different genres. "Since iFill goes directly to your iPod, it won't clutter up your hard drive with extra files," explains Griffin. "iFill is a great fit for your active lifestyle. With iFill, you can go to bed while charging your iPod, and wake up to an iPod full of new music, ready to go jogging with you." iFill includes features "specifically designed to help you in your enjoyment of streaming webcasts." For example, many online radio stations send song information that's not in sync with the audio. iFill provides an intuitive graphical editor that allows you to correct the syncing. A one-week trial is available.

FastMac upgrade extends iPod battery life...

FastMac today announced an iPod battery upgrade that utilizes nanoparticle technology to "dramatically extend battery lifespan." This upgrade is available for first, second, and third generation iPods and comes with a 2-year warranty and 30 day money back guaranty. The FastMac upgrade replaces the iPod’s original internal Lithium-Polymer or Lithium-Ion battery with a larger capacity and longer lasting "advanced power cell." The upgrade offers up to 70 percent more capacity than the original and up to 7.5 times as many charge cycles, according to the manufacturer. "This is accomplished through the use of patented nanoparticle technology codenamed TruePower, which significantly slows the degradation of the battery." Pricing ranges from $30 to $40.

BT not launching "iPod killer"

BT will not be launching an 'iPod killer' today, as widely reported in the media, according to silicon.com. However, it is reportedly looking into the possibility of doing an iTunes-type download store for mobile devices next year. The company launched a pilot of its mobile TV project, called BT Livetime, starting today. The company is now trialling the service with 1,000 Virgin Mobile customers, allowing them to watch a selection of satellite channels and listen to more than 50 DAB digital radio channels. A BT spokeswoman said the telco might look at putting together a service for release in the first half of next year but "it's not designed to compete with the iPod."

J&R offers custom painted iPod minis

J&R Electronics is offering custom-painted iPod minis in Ferrari Red, Smoke White, and Lamborghini Yellow. The company is offering the 4GB version of the iPod mini for $250. Paint jobs are done by professional painter ColorWare. The coating renders it stronger & more scratch-resistant than the original case, according to ColorWare. The custom painted iPod has a 1 Year "Colorware Warranty." The iPod's Click Wheel is also painted, but maintains the "same durability and sensitivity" as an unpainted version. The custom painted iPod mini will not fit into the iPod mini Dock. J&R is an Authorized Apple Reseller.

U.K. iPod Party to take place on Worcester riverboat...

iPod-Party.org.uk has announced an iPod Party on Worcester's favorite riverboat "The Pride of the Midlands," taking place July 8th. According to organizers, the party is the first ever U.K. iPod Party to be held outside of London. "Simply bring your iPod or other MP3 player along loaded with a three track playlist and when your turn comes you get to make your way to the decks and jack your white and chrome beauty into our sound system and share your tunes with the rest of the boat." Organizers have teamed up with iPodX.co.uk to bring "loads of great prizes including iSkins, T-shirts, iPod Shuffles and Altec Lansing inMotion speakers." There's a free drink for everyone that brings an iPod or other MP3 player to the party.

TechRestore launches iPod Battery Freedom service

TechRestore today announced its new lifetime iPod battery replacement service, which it says eliminates "the headaches and high costs associated with replacing their iPod battery, for as long as they own their iPod." The TechRestore iPod Battery Freedom service is available starting at $100. All full-sized iPod models are eligible for the service as well as the iPod photo and iPod mini series. The service includes installation of a replacement high capacity iPod battery with at least 30% more capacity than the original iPod battery and return overnight shipping for the first battery replacement. The users old iPod battery is recycled in conjunction with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.