OK, so you're a pretty important person in your own right. You know, the most powerful man in the free world, leader of the biggest of the world super powers. But then you have to meet someone who perhaps isn't quite as powerful as you, but sure as hell is more famous than you are. And you have to take a gift. So, what do you give the person who just about has everything?

Well, if you're US President Barack Obama and you have to meet Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain at the beginning of the G20 summit, the answer is simple. Get her an iPod! And that's just what President Obama did on his recent visit to Buckingham Palace where he and First Lady Michelle Obama had their first meeting with Britain’s first family.

The Obama's were hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in the lead up to the G20 summit which is attended by the leaders of the 20 biggest economies in the world.

The Obama's personalised the gift of the iPod Classic to the Queen by loading it with video of the Queen's 2007 visit to Washington and Virginia, making it the perfect gift for the 82-year-old monarch.

So there you have it. When the call comes and you have to meet a world leader, what better introductory gift than an Apple iPod - the gift fit for a Queen!

.: iPod – the gift fit for a Queen is a post from: iPhone Frenzy

One of the major criticisms of the iPod range is the fact that each has a built in; not replaceable rechargeable battery. iPods are equipped with a built in LiIon (Lithium-ion) battery, which no matter how well you look after it is only good for about 400 – 500 complete charge / discharge cycles. Once you’ve reached that critical point, the battery will no longer take a full charge – all night on the charger may only give you a couple of hours play time as distinct from the 20 to 30 hours you’ve been used to. How quick you reach this point is based totally on how much use your iPod gets.

Once your battery play life reduces significantly, you’ve probably got three options, and unfortunately all cost a fair quid and some are more complex and difficult that the others.

1. Upgrade. The simplest solution is to accept that modern consumer electronic equipment has a designated ‘life span’ and upgrade to a new iPod. Whilst this is a fairly expensive and in some ways a wasteful option, you get a brand new item, probably packing some new or better technology and probably with a new generation battery which may have a longer life span anyway.
2. A new Apple battery. Apple operates a battery replacement program, which sees the installation of a brand new Apple battery into your iPod. The cost can be up towards $100 depending on your iPod model, but the job is carried out by Apple, so everything should be sweet.
3. Third Party Battery. If you have a bit of a look around, you will find that there are a number of low-cost third party replacement battery kits available on the market. Just remember you often get what you pay for and you need a fair bit of skill and patience to install the kits, so even if you try this method, you may end up back at option 1.

At the end of the day, the thing you have to remember is that your battery will eventually give up the ghost, and there’s not much you can do in the mean time to prevent it. You just need to factor this tact into your plans when you make the splash and buy an iPod.

.: iPod Battery – Life after death? is a post from: iPhone Frenzy

Your iPod battery will eventually die – that’s a fact!

20 to 30 hours listening time on a full charge will eventually become two or three hours. Whatever your battery life may be, there are a few things you can do to make sure you get the most out of your iPod battery, no matter its condition. Try these tips to maximise the play time of your battery.

Keep the file size small.

This is impossible if you’re playing lots of video, but for music keep your file size small – well below 9MB if possible. This is particularly important with hard drive based players (such as the iPod Classic) as the larger file size chews up more battery power than when using smaller files.

Turn the equaliser off.

Unless you are an audiophile (and if you were you probably would be using an iPod anyway) the equaliser adds very little to the quality of the music you hear through your ear buds. Turning the equaliser off reduces the drain on the battery. Turn it off through Settings >>> EQ >>> Off.

Don’t cook your iPod.

Apple recommends that iPods work best a room temperature, so leaving your iPod in high temperature places, such as in your car, will affect the unit and the battery.

Turn the backlight off.

Powering up the backlight uses battery power, so by turning it off, you are reducing drag on the battery. Turn it off through Settings >>> Backlight Timer >>> Off.

.: Extend your iPod battery life is a post from: iPhone Frenzy

In a first for digital music players, the new Shuffle uses a VoiceOver software function to tell its owner the name of the artist and track they are listening to. The unit can ‘speak’ in 14 different languages, including English, Mandarin, Turkish and Japanese.

In another break with iPod tradition, there are no operating controls on the aluminium chassis. Apple are moving closer to producing button-less gadgets, and the new Shuffle is no exception, taking a big step towards being totally button free. There is a simple power on / off switch which also operates a couple of play modes. The majority of the units’ controls are incorporated into the headphone cable. The downside to this of course, is that if the cable is lost or damaged, a new unit can only come from Apple or authorised resellers.

Retailing at around $129, the cheapest and smallest of the iPod stable has a 4GB capacity, meaning it can hold about 1000 songs. It is slightly smaller than an AA battery. Don’t let the size fool you - it’s a beauty!

.: Baby Shuffle’s first words is a post from: iPhone Frenzy

Keep your iPod’s firmware up to date.

All iPod’s have inbuilt “hard wired” software which makes the unit run. This software is called the “firmware” and is hard wired into the unit when it’s produced. Most electronic equipment will have some sort of firmware. Electronics manufactures will from time to time release updated firmware for their products. Apple is no different in this regard, and release firmware updates for the various iPod units from time to time. Apple recommends you update your firmware to extend battery life, but it is also good for ironing out any of those little wrinkles Apple may have identified. So the tip here is: - if you’re on iTunes and there is a new firmware version available for your iPod – install it!

New iPod? Make these tips habits.

If you’ve been lucky enough to score yourself your very first iPod, there are a number of things you need to know – and you need to make them habits if your are going to enjoy using your iPod.

1. Download and install iTunes on your computer.

The only way you can get your music from your computer to you iPod is by using the iTunes software. You can download iTunes from the Apple web site (www.apple.com/au/itunes). Remember, that iTunes will install onto a Windows or a Mac OS computer, but will not run on computers using the Linux based operating systems. So if you’re a real techo running a Linux box, you will have to dual boot or run a virtual machine to synch up your iPod.

2. Keep an eye on your USB port.

iPod’s have an inbuilt rechargeable battery, which can charge through the USB port on your computer. Most inbuilt USB ports on computers these days are powered; however some cheaper external USB hubs are not. To prevent battery damage, make sure the USB port you use to connect your iPod to your computer is powered.

3. Before you use it – charge it.

Most iPods ship with only a small or partial charge in the inbuilt battery. It is good practice to fully charge your iPod (or any battery powered device for that matter, such as an iPhone) prior to first use.

4. Always properly eject

You know how it is. You’re finished using your USB device, so you grab it and yank it out of the port and you’re away. That’s certainly the wrong way to go with your iPod, and may cause you to lose your iPod data – especially when you are using a Windows computer. To avoid problems, always use the safe disconnect option on your computer.

.: Get the most from your iPod is a post from: iPhone Frenzy

Remember also, that you cannot use Windows Explorer to copy music or other files across to your iPod. Whilst Windows Explorer will recognise you iPod and will see folders, you cannot sync music to the iPod database of music folders. If you have a dislike for iTunes, there is a swag of free iTunes alternatives available on the web. Just watch out for the alternatives with advertising or spyware built in. In my view, stick with iTunes.

Music is one thing, but video is a totally different kettle of fish. There is heaps of video available for download from iTunes – video clips, movies and TV shows. But iTunes cannot convert other video files you may have to the correct format to play on your iPod or iPhone. So that means, although you may have heaps of DVD’s at home, you can’t rip them down with iTunes to watch on your iPod.

Setting aside the legalities of watching your own legally owned video in a different format, there are a number of programs out there that will convert various video formats for play back on your iPod. And whilst there is a bit of work required, the results can be quite impressive.

There are a number of different third party converting programs available for download and use, however some of them are a bit complex to use. You can give programs such as MediaCoder (http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/) or SUPER (http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html) and try and determine if the trouble is worth the results.

.: iPod File Formats is a post from: iPhone Frenzy