KEY POINTS:
My ancient, formerly shiny 20Gb iPod might be a little scuffed and is not as swish as a new iPod Touch - but thanks to a bunch of free applications and utilities, I've managed to resuscitate it, giving it functionality I never knew existed.
If you're the proud owner of a senior citizen iPod, read on, I've searched high and low to bring you some cool utilities to help you pimp your iPod.
Pod Pimp 101
Its interface may not be touch-sensitive, and it mightn't be in colour, but with these third party applications I've expanded the functionality and added bling to my ageing iPod's interface that's way beyond what Apple ever envisioned.
Both these apps require you make some fairly fundamental changes to your iPod's operating system, so be sure to read any and all instructions carefully before commencing either upgrade.
Rockbox: is a whole new open source operating system for older iPods (and a number of other brand MP3 players) that's been around for ages and has just had its first update in three years. Able to be installed on 5th generation and older iPods, Rockbox includes Last.fm support, games, video playback, and album art plus support for a wider range of digital music formats. The new Rockbox release now comes with RockboxUtility which works with Windows PC, Macs, and Linux boxes to make installation easier than falling off a log.
iPod Linux: If Rockbox doesn't cut the mustard, and you're a big fan of the penguin, try installing iPod Linux.
Aside from a spiffing new interface, iPod Linux also allows you to install and play games for free on your iPod. If you do pine for a dose of your original iPod's interface, don't panic, iPod Linux can boot back into your old iPod interface.
Sync and Play
One of the most compelling reasons for owning an iPod is the fact that syncing music borders on being idiot proof. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for pulling music back off your iPod and transferring it to another PC - until now.
myPodder: I'm a huge fan of Podcasts, as they allow me to catch up on the latest tech news whilst on the way to work. Syncing Podcasts to my iPod using iTunes at home is a relatively straightforward process, but more often then not, I find myself at work wanting to sync the latest podcasts before going to the gym or heading home.
This was a bit inconvenient, as iTunes lives on my PC at home rather than at work. Thanks to myPodder (which is available for Windows PCs, Macs and Linux machines), I can now download, manage, and sync podcasts to my iPod from work.
Floola: Is it just me or does iTunes run like a dog with fleas? Even on my Mac, music transfers are strictly a one-way affair. Thanks to Floola (available for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs), bomb proof music syncing and real flexibility finally come together.
Foola is not only free, but copying music, videos and Podcasts to and from my iPod to multiple PCs is now a complete no-brainer. Best of all, I now have a working backup of my music should my PC or Mac's hard drive ever goes to that big digital graveyard in the sky.
iPod to Folder: If you're happy with iTunes but still want to be able to pull your music collection back off your iPod, try iPod - > Folder for size. It's dead easy to use - simply start it up, show it where to find your iPod, and then point it at the folder on your PC or Mac that you're looking to dump your iPod's music, and voilà.
iPod Shuffle Database Builder: If you're an iPod shuffle owner but want more control over what music gets played, try iPod Shuffle Database Builder. It runs on Windows PCs, Macs and Linux machines and allows you to add music to your shuffle simply by dragging and dropping onto your shuffle, completely skipping iTunes and letting you take control of your Shuffles music.
Get Converted
Purchasing movies from iTunes might be a point and click exercise, but more often than not, I find that shelling out cash for a movie I already on DVD simply doesn't make sense. Nowadays however I use these utilities to convert DVD movies and YouTube videos so they'll work fine with my iPod.
Zamzar: Okay, Zamzar might be a website, but it's able to convert nearly any video file to any other video format. I tend to use it to convert iTunes videos so they're playable on my iPod. Doing so is as simple as entering the URL of the YouTube video and choosing to convert it for your iPod. Zamzar then emails the finished video to you once the conversion is done.
Handbrake: Costing zip, Handbrake runs on Windows PCs, Macs and Linux boxes, and provides a simple way to Rip DVDs to my iPod, PSP or PS3 or even AppleTV. Using Handbrake is as simple as popping a DVD into my PC's DVD ROM drive, telling Handbrake that I want the video for my iPod and clicking go.
