What You Need To Know About Ipod Docking Stations

The iPod docking station is probably the “must have” accessory to go with your iPod, especially if you are a constant or frequent user. The docking station allows the iPod to fully charge while still allowing the listener to enjoy their music without interruption. The docking station also keeps the iPod safe and secure, avoiding the chance of damage if it were simply left on a chair or on a table.

There are several different options in iPod docking stations and the choice is largely one of price and convenience. For the tiny iPod Nano, a simple docking cradle gives the basic stability to the player and allows the Nano to be synched to the computer for downloads while charging. While the simple cradle does not have speakers of its own, an audio-out port allows the Nano in the docking cradle to be connected to external speakers, headphones, or even through your computer to play all your favorite songs while charging the battery. Typically these smaller cradle style docking stations are less than $20.00 US.

Larger docking stations for iPod Video or MP3 players typically have built-in speakers on either side of the docking cradle. These speakers are designed to be ultra high quality to preserve the sound from the iPod itself. Many of the larger docking stations come with surround sound speakers, subwoofers, tweeters and 3-D sound processors for an amazing sound quality from a small package. As with the simple cradle docking stations, the iPod is easily connected to the computer with a USB cable or FireWire connection. This allows synchronizing and downloading of songs while charging the batteries on the iPod and listening to tracks through the speakers.

Some docking stations have optional battery power to charge the iPods, typically using four or more AA batteries. This additional battery feature makes it an ideal choice for having to connect to a computer in areas where there are not enough power outlets, or even for playing and charging your iPod outside or in remote areas. Most of the larger, speaker-equipped docking stations range in price from $30.00 to under $100.00. There are some very unique in-wall docking stations that keep your iPod in a safely recessed dock that is permanently mounted to a wall behind or near your computer, but these are usually quite a bit more expensive. In addition many of the docking stations also have radios and additional features to make them more versatile.

When purchasing an iPod docking station it is important to carefully read what size and type of iPod the docking station can handle. Typically iPod docking stations will have additional inserts to allow them to hold a Nano but not all can hold the smaller, new generation of iPods.


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Pricey, hard-to-replace battery has lots of iPods users throwing them out

Environmentalists are targeting the iPod, Apple Computer's phenomenally successful digital music player, as a symbol of the growing problem of electronic waste.

The Computer Take Back Campaign, an umbrella organization for dozens of environmental groups, is trying to force Apple to beef up its recycling program and to redesign the iPod, which has a battery that can wear out in just 18 months and is not easily replaced.

Last month, protesters gathered outside the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters carrying signs including messages like "from iPod to iWaste -- toxic trash in your pocket" and "Dell and HP do, why don't you?"

Protesters also turned up at the company's recent Macworld Expo in San Francisco. and have generated thousands of letters to Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs. They are vowing to take their complaints to shareholders at the company's annual meeting in April.

"If they think we're going away, they are wrong," said Robin Schneider, executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment, part of the coalition. "All they have to do is call up Dell and they will find out we're very persistent."

Two years ago, the campaign targeted Dell, one of the world's largest PC manufacturers. Dell wound up revising its policies so that customers can ship their old computers free to the company for recycling.

Apple charges a $30 fee to recycle computers and generally does not go out of its way to make it easy for customers to recycle, environmentalists said.

Apple has avoided any public acknowledgement of the complaints.

Over the next few years, an estimated 300 million to 600 million desktop and laptop computers in the United States will become obsolete. Hundreds of toxic chemicals and heavy metals are used in the manufacture of computers, cell phones and other electronics, many of which end up in landfills or incinerators after only a few years.

The iPod, launched in October 2001, has an internal, non-removable, lithium-based rechargeable battery. Like many iPod customers, New York City filmmakers Casey and Van Neistat found that after 18 months of use the battery's ability to recharge had eroded to the point where it would die after only an hour's use.

"It was unusable," said Casey Neistat, 23. "It was like having a cell phone that works for just one call."

When the Neistat brothers contacted Apple, they were told it would cost them $250 to replace the battery -- roughly what it cost to buy the iPod.

Incensed, the Neistats made a three-minute movie, "iPod's Dirty Secret," about the non-replaceable battery and put it on their Web site. The movie has been viewed more than 2 million times.

The poor publicity doesn't appear to have hurt sales. Apple has sold more than 10 million iPods, and the company's stock has surged 270 percent since the iPod was introduced.

Apple now offers a two-year warranty on the battery for $50. After that, customers have to ship the iPod to Apple and pay $100 to have the battery replaced.

Critics say the inconvenience and high cost of replacing the battery encourages customers to throw away their iPods after only a couple of years.

"The iPod is an example of the kind of poor design and obsolescence that's occurring in the electronics industry," said Sheila Davis of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, part of the campaign. "We want Apple to assume some responsibility."


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/pp/05052/460540.stm

Replacing Your Old Apple iPod Battery

Apple has done a great job in providing a portable Music Player in the Apple iPod, with its simple design and great looks you would think it has no faults. BUT for one thing, the BATTERY LIFE! Everyone reading this knows what I am talking about, Apple has continued to produce sub standard battery life in their iPods since they started making them. What happens to your iPod and music if the battery runs out due to long use? You would think that is the end of the road for your iPod but it is possible to replace the battery in your iPod with a little DIY and a replacement battery. Battery manufacturers knew that the iPod had poor battery life and decided to get in on the act, they usually provide kits that include a replacement battery for your iPod and also neoprene tools so you don’t damage your iPod when replacing the battery. Looking at your iPod would suggest to you that you cannot open the iPod from any side but it can be done. READ ON!

Since the iPod has no screws or rivets to open it, you would think to yourself how can I possibly get into this iPod to replace the battery. It is done my applying pressure at the side of the iPod to squeeze up the metal and then trying to insert the neoprene tools to try and open the Ipod. Full instructions below:

IPOD BATTERY REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• Put your iPod face down on a piece of cloth or a non scratch surface. Using the neoprene opening tools, press your fingers into the iPod metal back case to try and get an opening so you can insert the tools, slowly insert it under the cover and begin to pry off the cover. NOTE: this can take quite a bit of force in the 3g iPods, but the 1g,2g,and 4g are not too difficult in opening. You should hear it crack open, don’t worry if you hear a crack, this is just the iPod case opening. Work your way around by sliding the tool all around the edges.

• The iPod is made up of two halves. The first half is the empty shell and the other half is the part that includes the hard drive and the most important thing-the BATTERY.You will see that the battery is connected to the main circuit board of your iPod. Now take a note of what side of the connector plugs in. Carefully unplug the old battery by pulling on the end of the connector. Take a lot of care on this as you do not want to ruin your hard drive and therefore messing up your iPod. Make sure to take your time.

• Get your new battery and plug in into the connector socket on your iPod’s circuit board. The connector will only go in one way so do make sure you insert it the right way up. Do not try and force the connector in if it doesn’t fit in.

• Once it’s all connected up, put the cover back on by pressing the edges of the two halves together. Always take your time when changing your battery!!

• Plug your charger in and let your new iPod charge up for at least 3-4 hours. All new batteries should get a longer than normal charge the first time around. Try and let your iPod charge and recharge a few times to get the most out of your battery.

http://www.ipod-secrets.info/Articles3/replacing-your-old-apple-ipod-battery.php

The 24 Hour iPod Battery

The 24 hour iPod Battery: Fact or Fiction? It would be great if our iPods could play non-stop for 24 hours but is it really possible that such a battery exists? How does consumer usage effect the iPod battery life and can such a tiny design space truly accommodate the capacity specifications required to power an iPod for 24 hours?

Apple has just introduced the completely remastered iPod Nano. The new Nano is more of the same with the exception of its new ability to hold up to 2,000 songs and can come to you in 5 new colors.

Apple’s marketing spin touts that the remastered iPod Nano, with its new anodized aluminum enclosure and rounded edges, makes the iPod nano look as dazzling as it feels. Apple says the new iPod Nano is sleeker than ever—3.5 inches tall, 1.6 inches wide, and just over quarter of an inch thin. Plus with the iPod Nano’s brighter color screen, album art & photos gain even more brilliance thanks to a 1.5-inch color display that's 40% brighter than before. The new iPod Nano’s can come in silver, green, pink, blue, and black.

Apple also announced new movie downloads from their iTune service. You can buy and download movies starting at $10.00. The final announcement from Apple is that they unveiled a new 80 Gb iPod Video player.

All of these new announcements would be great if they were coupled with a practical 24 hour battery life for watching those movies and listening to those iTunes and MP3 files! The reality is contrary to that! For example:

The ipod battery life of an ipod classic with a 2200 mAh, measured in hours is UP TO 20 hours, or 79% longer than the original ipod classic battery.

The ipod battery life of an ipod 3rd gen with a 850 mAh, measured in hours is UP TO 13 hours or 35% longer than the original ipod 3rd gen battery.

The ipod battery life of an ipod 4th gen with a 830 mAh, measured in hours is UP TO 12 hours or 32% longer than the original ipod 4th gen battery.

The ipod battery life of an ipod mini with a 500 mAh, measured in hours is UP TO 6 hours or 25% longer than the original ipod mini battery.

The ipod battery life of an ipod photo with a 900 mAh, measured in hours is UP TO 14 hours or 29% longer than the original ipod photo battery.

When considering battery life claims remember to consider just like Apple’s legal team is careful to stipulate that the real nature of iPod Batteries is that the iPod battery can power iPods “Up to” the indicated times with music playback only. Also like Apple’s legal stipulations “Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced and that battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings.”

The legal stipulation that Apple makes clear can be broken down as follows:

First, rechargeable iPod batteries once their useful life is complete will stop working. This is no surprise since a battery is a device that stores chemical energy and through an electrochemical process (electromotive force) converts the stored chemical energy into electric energy via a direct current. The chemical conversion is a process of chemical change created by adding or losing chemical substances (electrons, oxygen, lithium etc.) inside the battery and used by a connecting iPod. As the chemical conversion begins a reaction produces an electron flow. Once the chemical is activated oxidation and reduction occurs and the flow of electrons takes place, thereby creating a direct electrical current. Considering that electrons flow 62 quintillion per second (62,000,000,000,000,000,000 electrons per second) then it takes only a very small moment for power to be created and here is the kicker – the only way to stop the electron flow is to let the chemical exhaust itself! The chemical inside the iPod battery can be activated by placing a load on the battery (i.e. by connecting your battery to a device regardless if the device is turned on). Once the load is placed on the iPod battery electrons collect on the negative electrode, when an electrolyte separates and conducts electrons between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. This flow creates a current. The electron current, or electricity, can then be directed to an iPod and used as a power stream. Once electrical current is established then the only way to stop it is to let the chemical degrade to the point where the capacity is almost non-existent. This is called battery degradation and begins once the chemistry has been activated. Battery degradation is the normal wear and tear effect of battery usage and its inevitable effects are declining capacity, increasing internal resistance, elevated self-discharge, and premature voltage cut-off on discharge.

Second, iPod Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. What this means is that Apple designed the iPod battery to power an iPod under specific conditions (i.e. controlled test conditions). From those tests Apple made their claim about the iPod battery life span. There is nothing wrong with this whatsoever; however what is critical to remember is that consumers don't live in a controlled test environment. Having worked with hundreds of thousands of battery users I can tell you confidently that every user of rechargeable battery devise (i.e. iPods, PDAs, Laptops, DVD Players, Cameras, Cellphones) user their device slightly different. These differences impact how long or how little your rechargeable battery will last. This is a fact. You can test this yourself by using your iPod battery in different tests and time each test to see how long your battery will last. It will be different each time.

But regarding Apple’s iPod battery life claim again the key phrase to remember is "up to". So even if the battery lasts an hour Apple is legally covered!

For example Apple claims that the 30GB iPod Video will play music for 14 hours, photo and music slideshows for 3 hours, and iPod on-screen video for 2 hours. In a iLounge test they found that the new iPod Video played music for 15 hours and 30 minutes, photo slideshows for 2 hours and 32 minutes, on-iPod video for 2 hours and 10 minutes, and iPod-to-TV video for 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Apple also claims that the new 60GB iPod will play music for 20 hours, photo and music slideshows for 4 hours, and video for 3 hours. Again in In a iLounge test they found that the new iPod Video played music for 19 hours, 50 minutes, but exceeded Apple’s photo and video claims, playing a music photo slideshow for 4 hours, 47 minutes, iPod-screen video for 3 hours, 23 minutes, and on-TV video for a hefty 5 hours and 24 minutes.

But again everyone may experience slightly different battery life play times. For example here is a situation from a user quoted from the Apple fourms:

"It is clear that when you use the click wheel a lot, you assume that your battery life gets smaller quickly. I had a problem with my ipod 5G 30Gb battery life : Firstly, I charged it (as soon as i received it) until the plug icon appeared on the screen (1h 30mn) . Then I listened music 'til it was fully discharged. The battery life was approximately 8hrs. Then, this battery life decreased to 5hrs last day. I called Applecare ; the guy told me to restore my ipod, then to let it discharge fully, and to refill it for 4 hrs even if the plug icon appear on the ipod screen. After that, I synchronized ipod to itunes and let it play all night long to see the battery life now. It played music with default settings during 15hrs 'til it shut down. These are the Apple specifications for that ipod. My problem wasn't the battery, but the battery life calibration, which has not been done as it should."

The reality is all batteries including batteries designed specifically for iPods (regardless of generation) have a certain amount of capacity and once the full amount of the capacity has been used then your battery will stop working. This is the normal function of battery design.

In fact consider this taken from Apple iPod Warranty Care: "Your one year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your coverage to two years with AppleCare Protection Plan. During the second year, Apple will replace the battery if it drops below 50% of its original capacity. If it is out of warranty, Apple offers a battery replacement for $59, plus $6.95 shipping. Apple disposes your battery in an environmentally-friendly manner." So basically Apple is correctly telling you that your battery will die with time and use. No questions about that; and that Apple is telling you that your battery replacement plan will cost you a total of $59, plus $6.95 shipping. Folks: iPod batteries can be bought for $9.99 depending on your iPod model.

The admittance by Apple that your ipod battery will eventually die is based on real limitations of the battery's internal design specifically the iPod battery’s capacity.

http://www.ipod-secrets.info/Articles3/the-24-hour-ipod-battery.php