Your iPod is a fantastic mp3 player: but it can do so much more.

This ebook will show you how to use your iPod to its MAXIMUM. Use it as a PDA, a bootable hard drive, back-up your computer, and to record voice notes. 

This eBook is also your iPod's missing manual. Solve problems such as freezes, crashes, poor battery capacity, working with multiple machines, updating its firmware. 

Don't spend hours and hours surfing the internet to find the answer to your problem: just look it up in this ebook. 

Take this quick quiz: 

1. Are you using your iPod to back up your important files (from your PC or Mac or BOTH!), boot your Mac, copy music to other people's Machines, and store your contacts and notes? 

2. Do you know how to restart your iPod after it's crashed or frozen and how to update its software? 

3. Are you getting frustrated with the limited battery life but don't know how to maximise it? 

4. Do you know how to connect your iPod to your car radio, home stereo and DVD player? 

5. Do you know what iPod accessories are available and what they do? 

6. Do you know what iPod software is available for both PCs and Macs? 

7. Do you know how to change the battery in your iPod? 

8. Do you know what to do if you accidentally erase your iPod's hard drive? 

9. Do you know how to use your iPod with two different machines? 

10. Did you know you can replace your ipod's hard drive or perform other iPod hacks? 

Did you answer "No" to any of these questions? If so, you will find plenty of useful information in this ebook that will show you how you can use your iPod for a myriad of tasks and what to do when things go wrong. 

Why was this ebook written? 

When I bought my first iPod, I spent days trying to learn how to use it properly and to get it syncing with MUSICMATCH. It didn't work! I consulted the little booklet that Apple ships with an iPod. That didn't help much. So, I trawled the net to find solutions to all the problems I was having. It wasn't easy! I found a range of different sites that had snippets of information, but it was often difficult to find exactly what I was looking for. v After changing software (to iTunes), solving some freezing problems, updating my iPods firmware, and discovering how to use the one iPod with both my Mac and PC, I am now crazy about my iPod and can't imagine music without it. I thought that other people were probably experiencing some similar frustrations and might benefit from learning how to solve common problems with a minimum of effort. 

As I began to master my iPod, I also learnt about all the other things you could do with an iPod, as well as the range of third party software designed to maximise the utility of your iPod. Basically, I learnt a lot. So, I thought it might be useful to write it down: put all this information in the one spot to make it easy for people to enjoy their iPod from Day 1 and, once they have mastered the basics, to learn how to do a whole stack of other things with their iPod. Or, if you've already got an iPod, then this ebook will help you to get the most from this technology. 

What is in the ebooK? 
In this ebook, you will learn: 

how to update your iPod's software (Windows and Mac) 

how to boot your Mac from your iPod (which is a great way to back up your Mac's hard disk and to make sure that if your hard drive ever fails, you aren't up the proverbial creek without a paddle) (Mac only). 

how to troubleshoot your iPod (eg when it freezes or won't turn on, how to reset the PMU, when the touchwheel and buttons don't respond, when you've accidentally erased your iPod's drive). 

how to use your iPod to store data (such as word files, pictures, movies) (Windows and Mac).

how to maximise your iPod's battery capacity and what to do if you still need more (Windows and Mac). 

how to synchronise your contacts, calendar and email between your Mac/PC and your iPod (Windows and Mac). 

how to store notes on your iPod (Windows and Mac) including using scripts to automate these processes (Mac only). 

how to use your iPod to DJ. 

what you need to use your iPod as a voice recorder (so you can tape lectures, meetings, interviews or just make voice memos for yourself) (Windows and Mac). 

what you need to turn your iPod into a multi-media card reader (Windows and Mac). 

how to play music until you sleep and how to use your iPod to wake you up again (Windows and Mac). 

how to use your iPod with your home stereo system, dvd player or car stereo to have all your music with you wherever you are (Windows and Mac). 

how to copy songs from your iPod to your Mac or PC (Windows and Mac). 

how to use your iPod with multiple Machines (Windows and Mac). 
how to replace your iPod's battery (Windows and Mac). 

how to replace your iPod's hard drive (Windows and Mac). 
what software is available for your iPod, what does it do, where can you find it and where can you find more (Windows and Mac). 

I spent hours and hours of my holidays just learning how to do some basic things with my iPod (and I've been using computers for nearly 20 years). I had a few freezes and crashes, the battery didn't seem to want to charge and I couldn't get songs to transfer from my music software onto the iPod. Arrgghh! It drove me crazy. So, I set my sights on learning as much about the iPod as I could, to make sure I got value for money. I finally have and I love my iPod. Don't waste the time I did. 

Who is behind the iPod

Apple Computers came out with their first computer on April 1, 1976. It was AppleI but this one did not go over very well, but when these two Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs, created Apple II, the computer became a success. Over the years they produced quality computers and computer accessories, but began to notice less sales and public demand decreasing. 

Then in October 2001, announced a non-computer product that would have them back on the top of charts once again. It was the iPod. The very first one, came with a large price tag but was a designed smart and was a great way to carry around your favorite tunes. 

Apple iPod now creates some of the most popular iPod’s you can find all of which would be wonderful gifts for any occasion. 

Apple has a variety of unique and original iPods to choose from and finding one that is perfect for you or a friend or even a family member will be as easy as browsing through their selection. 

The iPod shuffle is one of the most unique iPods around. This is a flash MP3 player so it is great for anyone who is active and enjoys listening to music while jogging, rock climbing, or exercising. You will be listening to your own favorite tunes, but in a random order which is decided by the iPod. You never know which song will be coming up next. It can hold up to 240 songs and will play up to 3 hours of continuous music. Not only will you enjoy the great music and sound but you will also like the size. This cool iPod does not weigh any more than your car keys. Prices of the iPod Shuffle differ according to how many MB’s you prefer. For the 1GB iPod Shuffle you will find it for £99.00 and the 512MB is only £69.00.

An introduction, and more fun with drafting!

My machines

I would like you all to meet my long-neglected serger, Janomelock JL-603A, to be precise.

She is no beauty. She has neither the range of features of a new serger (4-thread setup, differential feed, easy to thread) nor the charm of a truly vintage machine (though as sergers go, I guess she’s pretty vintage). I’m guessing she dates to the late 80s or early nineties, when my mother-in-law used her to create figure-skating costumes for my sister-in-law . I wrangled her out of my mother-in-law five or six years ago (possibly to my sister-in-law’s disappointment, although she got the regular machine and doesn’t use it as far as I can tell). Whatever manual she came with has long since been lost, and my efforts at finding one online have come up completely bust, so I really have only the sketchiest idea of how to use her. In her favour, she serged just fine for me for the first three or four years I had her, even though I didn’t even know how to thread her properly for most of that time.

Then, about two years ago, I tried serging without the blade. I can’t even remember why, except that I knew the blade could flip up and I wanted to see how it would work. It worked fine, although there’s not a lot of room to the right of the needle/blade to maneuver fabric, so it’s really not much use. Then I went to put the blade back down and serge something normally.

The blade is stiff and kind of fiddly. I somehow put it down halfway.

Everything locked up in a terrifying grinding machine-screech.

I freaked out, ran around the room, eventually figured out the problem and got the blade in place properly, but the damage had been done. Everything sewed just fine—but the loops didn’t form. One of the loopers was hopelessly out of position.

And there she sat for about two years. Intermittently I’d take her out, vainly hoping that by re-threading yet again she’d magically recover. It didn’t, of course, work. Finally, a few weeks ago, I bundled her up and trotted her down to the sewing-machine repair shop. And there, for the low, low price of $100, they not only revived her, they threw in a package of needles.

This would be a bit more thrilling if I hadn’t seen a nearly-new, barely-used serger on Kijiji a little while ago for only $150. But anyway—

I can has serger! Now I have no excuse not to finish my seams. My knit tees can be

Syo's shirt

that much closer to the holy grail of “Ready To Wear”. And, I have the perfect project to try her our on:

Syo wants a shirt like my I was not super-keen on the off-the-shoulders look for a seven-year-old (ok, largely because she wouldn’t be able to wear it to school), so with some back-and-forth, we settled on the design on the right, which is off the shoulders but with wide straps. She requested the short sleeves, as she always gets too hot with long sleeves (weird child).

I hunted through my rather limited stash of children’s patterns and found an early 90s-cum-50s ensemble that includes a fairly basic shirt to use as the block. Drafting the “cowl” wasn’t too tough (just a bunch of measuring off the block), assuming it ends up looking vaguely like the picture. The fabric will be (to the left in the picture) that Syo picked out from the bargain section a while ago.

Syo's cowl pattern

In sick-baby news, Syo is much recovered, Tyo is sick and moping but not actually vomiting, my stomach is unsettled but that might just be from sympathy. So aside from cramping my style, all is well.