For 400 bucks, you would think they would give you a decent battery. They could just send you a battery, but this looks like it is being spun into a new ad campaign for Apple. I bought a $250 PDA which runs on standard AAA’s batteries. The thing just drains the batteries and although it still works it is useless. You can trade it in and get a $50 credit towards accessories when you buy a new PDA. This might be how the Apple deal works. Instead of sending consumers new batteries, Apple gets off with a $50 credit and benefits by selling more stuff since you were “going to upgrade” sooner or later. Right! That’s why it is running bad battery ads in USA Today. Look for rave reviews from the press on how Apple is cutting edge and the ipod is better than ever. The AP story that ran even had a hot link to Apple, which should be good for free web traffic compliments of AP. Thanks! No link to the Apple consumer claims site, if Apple even has a claims site. Reuters reports tha “iPod owners who show proof of purchase receive a one-year extension of their warranty. Consumers who experienced battery failure can make a claim for a new iPod, have their current player fixed or receive a $50 credit for Apple products”. I’ll bet Apple will not be fixing too many units. They aren’t worth fixing. It is cheaper to ship another unit out of a warehouse.

The best thing would be to have consumers send in to Apple the defective batteries in exchange for the new battery. This would be environmentally responsible. Apple would then have to deal with recycling the old batteries, which I’m sure they don’t want anything to do with. If you lost your receipt, the battery is proof you own it. I would send my bad battery back to Apple and demand a new battery or just buy a battery for 30 bucks and forget about it.

Macsales.com has a battery upgrade for $29.95
The site says, “Is your 1st or 2nd Generation
iPod battery wearing out?
Newer Technology has the replacement battery you need! And, as a bonus, our replacement battery for your iPod adds a whopping 46% extra run time! The original Apple battery was rated at 1320mAh, our High Capacity version offers a fantastic 1800mAh!

The Newer Technology replacement battery uses the same Lithium-Polymer battery technology as the original battery that Apple used. A detailed instruction manual, and installation tool is included.”
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BIPOD1800M12/

Is it really a selling point to the non-Geek, that it has:

1. a completely rebuilt installer with 1300 packages on 6 CDs.

2. a unified KDE and GNOME desktop environment featuring shared menus, applications, and user interface.

3. multiple install methods (CD-ROM, FTP, HTTP, NFS), creation of ext3 partitions,

Is this going to attract non-hobbyist users, or intimidate the heck out of them.

I vote for: intimidate the heck out of them, since they have no idea what any of that means.

First was “PlayFair”, associated with DVD Jon of DeCSS fame. It is software which removed the DRM from iTunes songs. Hounded by Apple – even when hosted in India! – the software is now “HYMN” – Hear Your Music aNywhere at:
http://freshmeat.net/projects/hymn/?branch_id=49161&release_id=168607

A recent attempt to bring iTunes to Linux (via Windows emulation?) is from CodeWeavers. Mac-based story at:
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=578

Why would lots of people (“a few hundred thousand”) be using a “super computer” to rip/encode CDs and video?

I thought only a few people needed to rip/encode – then everyone else is just sharing the results. Hence, the idea of the many, that the music is “free”.

Everyone would be distributing the originals to be ripped/encoded, and then collecting the results – for re-distribution? Doesn’t sound very efficient.

Besides, is there anything in existence that hasn’t already been ripped?

All they need are a few hundred thousand users in order for you to have a “super computer” in your own living room. This might make Napster look like a Ford Model T. Here’s a download link
http://www.download.com/GreenTea-P2P-Distributed-Network-Computing-Platform/3000-2411-10123084.html

This P2P stuff is neat!

Other than the Grateful Dead setting-aside room for recorders during their concerts, and encouraging the trading of tapes, I don’t see much “free” music.

Most musicians seem to want to reach the pont where they can “quit their day job” – one of the evils of a capatalistic society – the requirement to have a source of income.

This will eliminate the need for radio which in the future is all consolidated into Windows XZZ-Top http://www.zztop.com/ distributed by LinuXP a unit of Dell.

CJ claims that he just burned his whole CD collection on some cheap disks he picked up on the cheap at eBay and is handing out free copies at the mall. CJ is also taking up a can collection for a local food bank. Drop off a can of pork and beans and grab a CD. Don’t try eating the CD! He says, “With Willie Nelson helping the farmers and all, I figured I’d help the starving people.” No word if CJ is handing out Willie Nelson CD’s.

God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter thine enemies,
And make them fall:
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.

Hey, just a minute, this is the United States calling are we reaching. We don’t even have a Queen. We have Steve McQueen with the cool, loner heroes who spoke through actions and rarely with words. I live for myself and I answer to nobody.

Now for a word from my sponsorer.
“God Save The Queen” is in the public domain and may be used without having to obtain permission from the Government, unlike the new classics telling the kids they should show up at school and kill all the teachers and their classmates with hunting rifles. That stuff is protected by International copyrights, big Hollywood lawyers and the government of the United States of America. We are safer, but we aren’t safe. At least we have Napster under control now.