There are two kinds of people in the world when it comes to iPods. Sensible people who like iPods, and everyone else.

smashmyipod.com is a website operated by and for those in the second category. Ben Simpson (the guy who apparently runs the place) raised $400 through his website for the express purpose of buying an iPod and then destroying it.

Personally, I think this is great. 400 iPod haters get to see an iPod smashed without spending any more than it would cost to feed a starving child for a day. Ben Simpson gets to face his Podphobia head-on without expensive therapy, and those of us who know how great iPods really are get that rush that only comes with the knowledge that we are superior to others.

Everyone wins!  

Filling the void Apple left when they left iPod video conversion functionality out of iTunes 6, free tools for this purpose are beginning to appear.

For Windows, use Videora.

For Macintosh, you can use Ari Bader-Natal's Export front movie to iTunes Applescript, which when run from QuickTime Player, will export the open movie to iTunes in the proper format. A similar Automator script is also available for users of OSX 10.4.

An aside: Take a look at the simplicity of Bader-Natal's Applescript source code posted on his website. This is a great example of why I have long held that Apple should do a better job of enabling Mac users to learn this simple scripting language.

Do you know of other tools for Windows or Mac? If so, please comment.  

Consumer Reports has posted a review if the new iPod. Normally I don't link to every review that comes down the line, but this one is notable in that it comes from Consumer Reports. (Consumer Reports is trusted by many, despite a lack of sophistication in their reporting of products on the cutting edge of technology.)

The high points: They liked all the new features that Apple added to the iPod without increasing the price, though they said the new iPod is merely "competent" when it comes to video.

Most notably, they said "Our tests of the new 30-GB model did turn up some drawbacks. Among them is a durability problem that arose with some of the Nanos: a scratch-prone screen. In an informal test, we found the screen on the new iPod softer than the one on previous high-capacity iPods; we could easily scratch it with fingernails." FreeiPodGuy presumes the 60-GB model uses the same material.

CR gave Apple a little too much credit in the area of video conversion, saying "You can even convert other video content to an iPod-compatible format (H.264 or MPEG-4 only) using iMovie (bundled with Mac OS X) or QuickTime 7 Pro ($30)." True, but not easy enough for the average user. On the other hand, they incorrectly noted that the iPod's battery is not replacable. Though FreeiPodGuy is unaware of any aftermarket battery replacement options at this early date, they will surely appear soon, just as they have for all other models. I guess the two screwups cancel each other out, eh?  

OK, so I had this great entry planned about these cool vending machines (sound more like robotic stores though) in airports that you can buy iPods from without having to deal with actual human beings.

But I was watching Diggnation tonight and they mentioned this online Flash game, Gravity, and once I started playing, I couldn't stop. I mean, I got addicted to it, and it isn't even made by Apple. What's up with that?!

So no blog entry tonight. Oh wait...  

Disney seemed to indicate yesterday that the meager offerings of Lost and Desparate Housewives in the iTunes Music Store are just the beginning of a broad campaign to increase availability of their video content to mobile customers.

Also yesterday, Apple announced the availability, finally, of the iTunes Music Store in Australia. Record companies had previously foiled attempts by Apple to sell music digitally down under. Item pricing starts at A$1.69 per song, A$3.39 per video and A$16.99 for most albums including GST.  

This won't help me, but if you recently purchased an iPod or another product which was recently replaced in Apple's whirlwind of product updates, you might be able to replace it with the newer product. Your product must have been purchased through Apple's online store. (Brick-and-mortar Apple stores might also qualify, but you won't be able to use the self-service website, which requires an order number. Call the Apple Store to find out more.)

Here's the link: Self Service Transition Program  

Thought the scratched iPod nano issue was history? Think again.

Several news outlets are reporting that Apple was sued a few days ago by a class of recent iPod nano purchasers who were disillusioned not only by the iPod's scratchability, but also by Apple's response ("there isn't a problem; go buy a case").

Prediction time:

Here's what's going to happen. Since the basis of the claim is that Apple intentionally sold defective iPod nanos, Apple will have to gather the legal eagles and produce engineering documents to prove that it isn't. Doing so will not only be expensive, but will probably also require Apple to prevail upon the court to seal such documentation from the public due to legitimate concerns over the release of trade secrets. To avoid such expense and risk, Apple will likely settle out of court with the plaintiff for an amount which is much less than the relief they claim to seek, but which will nonetheless line the attorneys' pockets nicely.

Actually, it would not remotely surprise me to learn that the attorneys representing the plaintiff, and not the plaintiff himself, initiated this action. Frankly, I'm surprised that some other ambulance chaser didn't beat them to it. Apple's Phil Schiller made his remarks on the topic on about September 25, and it took until October 19 for this to be filed. Who has more motivation to file the suit--a group of nano owners with nothing to gain except their money back and satisfaction for their indignation, or a law firm who stands to make millions if they get their Christmas wish of "disgorgement of all unlawful or illegal profits received by Defendant as a result of the...deceptive conduct alleged"?

At my job, I have the opportunity to observe lawyers both on a personal level and in their professional capacities, and I have come to the conclusion that lawyers' brains have an extra feature lacking in the general populace. Specifically, they have the ability to turn off their moral compass at work. (In other words, they aren't "bad people", but their profession gives them license to remove themselves from the arena of moral judgements.)

People want money. Lawyers are hired. Someone is sued. The client asserts he was just following his attorney's advice. His attorney asserts that he was just acting in the best interests of his client, regardless of his own personal morals. It's a system in which wrongs are perpetrated by lawyers and the clients they represent, yet all consciences are conveniently clean.

Is that what's happening in the nano case? There's no way to know for sure. Maybe Apple really did screw people with defective nanos, and maybe they didn't. Maybe the attorneys involved are a den of vipers, and maybe they aren't. Maybe Apple screwed up AND the vipers are happy to capitalize on that.

Settling out of court could be the result of (a) Apple wanting to avoid embarrassment, or (b) wanting to take the cheapest way out, even if they aren't at fault. I hope Apple defends against this suit rather than settling. It's the only way for the public to find out the truth.

Anyone interested can read the complaint.  

Yahoo! has posted in their blog instructions for setting up a customized RSS feed for use with iTunes which will automatically deliver keyword-related video content to your desktop for importing into your iPod. iTunes Applescript afficionado Doug Adams has written a script, "Yahoo! Video Search" to help Mac users take advantage of this feature.

Pretty handy, considering the cornerstone of the few negative reviews the new iPod has received, has been the supposed lack of content.

(However, I'll be the first to say that although it is possible to stick pretty much any video you want into the new iPod, iTunes does not give you any help getting the video files ready. In the same way that it was iTunes that spurred the recent popularity of podcasting, iPod's video features will not be widely used until iTunes makes it really really easy, like it has done with other features. When that happens, look out.)