Apple

UK and Mexico consumers file own Nano suit

iPod Nano owners from the United Kingdom and Mexico filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple Computer last week claiming the wee music player is defectively designed with a scratch-prone screen. The new case, filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is similar to one filed in October on behalf of U.S. consumers.

The new complaint asserts that the manufacturer "knew of the iPod Nano's design flaw but chose to ignore them in an effort to speed the product to market," according to a press statement from the plaintiffs. … Read more

Let your eyes be the judge:

Another salvo has been fired in the Apple iPod advertising controversy.

Shoemaker Lugz issued a cease and desist order last week against Apple, asking the computer maker to halt using its iPod advertising campaign that features silhouetted figures against a fiery colored, cityscape backdrop, according to a report in Adweek.

Lugz is claiming its 2002 television advertising campaign, as well as its print ads, have a striking resemblance to Apple's advertising campaign for its popular iPod.

An Apple spokeswoman declined comment on the Lugz cease and desist order, noting the iPod ads are still accessible through its iPod and … Read more

Jobs questions mental health of father's biography writer

New York Daily News gossip columnist Lloyd Grove (formerly of The Washington Post's "Reliable Source") wrote earlier this week about Steve Jobs and his alleged reaction to author Fredric Alan Maxwell's 4,000-word still unpublished article on Jobs' biological father "a Syrian immigrant and political science professor named Abdulfattah Jandali."

In response to the piece, Grove said Jobs offered the following one-liner: "Are you a nut case?"

iPod sites duke it out

What started as 19-year-old Yegor Simpson's Web-based plan to raise money for an iPod that he would then smash on film, has evolved into a dispute between two rival sites: the original SmashMyIpod.com and knock-off Buy Me An iPod.com.

According to the Cult of Mac blog, Buy Me An iPod.com "briefly hijacked SmashMyiPod.com's traffic--if you visited SmashMyiPod.com at about 4 p.m. PST (Wednesday), you would have been redirected to Buy Me an iPod.com."

"The hijacking was only possible because SmashMyiPod.com contained hidden code to Buy Me An … Read more

iPod site sponsors cute baby-off

Yo baby, you think you're the "Apple" of your parents' eyes now? Just think of how spoiled rotten you'd be if you helped them win a whole "family" of iPods through iPodMyBaby's "World's Cutest Baby" contest.

All you need your parents to do is submit a photo of you in a "Click Wheel" outfit, either one purchased through the iPodMyBaby site, or made using click wheel art downloaded from the site. A panel of "celebrity judges" will then pick a winner to be announced around Dec. … Read more

Lighten up your travel bag

If paperback travel guides are weighing you down, Wcities might offer some relief.

The travel information provider recently launched its Pod City Guides, which let you download information onto your iPod for up to 300 cities, from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand.

The downloads are free, but registration is required. The guides include detailed descriptions and address information for hotels, restaurants, attractions, events, and more, according to the company.

Belkin battery keeps iPod movin'

Belkin jumped on the iPod battery extender bandwagon on Monday with the release of its TunePower for third and fourth generation iPod and iPod mini players.

Priced at $79.99, the rechargeable battery pack allows for 8-10 hours of additional play time and is available at major retailers.

The add-on features a 2-cell lithium ion battery that fits in one of three sleeves--10/15/20GB iPod; 30/40GB iPod; or iPod mini.

You can charge your iPod with the TunePower add-on simultaneously with the Apple AC wall charger included with your iPod or through a FireWire port from your PC.… Read more

Site posts video of iPod being smashed

If you caught wind earlier in the month of a new site, SmashMyiPod.com, and have been anxiously awaiting the posting of video, well, it went up Friday night. Watch away, but put aside 10 minutes to do so, and prepare for a slow first half.

The video is targeted at those members of what just might be a growing anti-iPod movement. But, putting all judgment aside, it's likely to also appeal to those who just get pleasure out of seeing carefully crafted devices smashed into pieces.

"Yegor," a 19-year-old Toronto resident, launched the site, "dedicated … Read more

iBelieve questioned by people of little faith

We weren't the only ones in the blogosphere left scratching our heads (while amused) over a site, www.devoted1.com, selling the "iBelieve" cross-shaped replacement cap and lanyard for the iPod Shuffle.

With the site's faux Bible quote from "2 Jobs 3:15: But now bring me a man who plays music. And when the man played music, the groove came upon them," iBelieve appeared a clever spoof add-on for the popular music player. Yet it also had the makings of a legitimate product. After all, religion-related iPod products seem to be gaining apostles.… Read more

Solar charger for cell phones or iPods

Tired of being tethered to a power outlet? Let the sun shine in, says Dutch firm Soldius.

The company out of Apeldoorn, Holland, has developed a consumer-use solar charger for mobile devices such as Apple's iPod, Research In Motion's BlackBerry or cell phones from Nokia, Motorola and others.

The 5-inch by 3-inch device known as Soldius1 converts solar energy into 6.58 volts at a maximum of 320 milliamperes of power after only about three hours in direct sunlight.

Battery life varies depending on the device, but you can keep it hooked up while in use, the company … Read more