First, a little history on how I found out how to get a cheap iPod.  My 2 lucky kids got brand new iPod touches for Christmas last year.  The thing is, that they are now both dead with cracked glass, plus covered in kiddie tears too.

I started looking into how I could get them repaired and came across lots of websites where you can get the glass repaired for around £85 - a fairly hefty portion of the cost of the original iPod Touch.

I knew that the Apple Stores do hold stock of replacement items (as I found out when I tried to get a new iPhone, because the volume button had fallen off and they wanted to charge be £190 for a new one).  After a little bit of reading up, I found that the 8gb iPod Touch can be replaced by Apple for £82.44!

At the same time, I was also looking on eBay to see how much cracked glass iPod's sell for, 2nd hand.  They seem to sell for around £40, the higher capacity ones sell for more - but no that much more....

So, if you put the 2 together, Apple Store and eBay, you get the choice of buying a broken screen iPod from eBay and then taking it to the Apple Store to have the glass replaced for around £85... great!  Especially if you can get yourself a 32gb model from eBay - you will be laughing!

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 8 GB cracked glass $45.00

Apple iPod touch 1st Generation 8 GB Cracked Glass Works Great $26.00

Apple 16gb 2nd generation iPod Touch MB531LL with cracked glass but still works $21.50

Apple iPod touch 4th Gen 8 GB Latest Model AS IS CRACKED GLASS SCREEN $99.00

APPLE IPOD TOUCH 2ND GEB 16GB CRACKED GLASS WHITE SCREEN AS IS PARTS REPAIR $73.45

iPod Touch 8GB 4th Gen As Is Cracked Broken Glass Screen Works 100 $94.93

REPAIR CRACKED GLASS SCREEN FOR IPOD TOUCH 2ND GEN NEW $15.95

Apple iPod Touch 2nd Generation 8GB Cracked Glass $89.99

iPod Touch 4th Gen Cracked Broken Glass Screen Bad Digitizer LCD Repair Service $65.00

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB CRACKED GLASS OTHER AS IS $110.00

Apple iPod Touch 1st Generation 8 GB CRACKED GLASS AS IS $60.00

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 16 GB CRACKED GLASS OTHER AS IS $65.00

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 32 GB Cracked Glass $39.99

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 16 GB Cracked Glass Jailbroken $39.99

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 32 GB NO POWER CRACKED GLASS AS IS $50.05

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 8 GB NO RESERVE CRACKED GLASS $9.00

APPLE IPOD TOUCH 2ND GEN 16GB WORKS BUT HAS CRACKED GLASS AS IS PARTS REPAIR $86.43

iPod Touch 4th Gen Cracked Broken Glass Screen Digitizer White Repair Service $75.00

Vinyl Skin Decal for iPod Touch 4G 4th Generation Cracked Glass $6.99

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 8 GB NO POWER CRACKED GLASS AS IS $30.00

Apple iPod Touch 32GB 2nd Generation Cracked Glass Dead Pixels $114.99

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 8 GB CRACKED GLASS OTHER AS IS $40.05

iPod Touch 2nd GEN Cracked Glass Replacement Service $34.50

iPod Touch 4th GEN Cracked Glass Replacement Service $75.50

iPod iTouch 4th Cracked Glass LCD Touch Digitizer Screen Repair Service $89.95

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 32 GB Cracked Glass AS IS $150.00

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB Cracked Glass No Power read NICE $69.00

iPod Touch 4th Gen Cracked Broken Glass Screen Bad Digitizer LCD Repair Service $44.95

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB Latest Model cracked glass $89.00

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 8 GB NO POWER CRACKED GLASS AS IS $40.00

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 32 GB NO POWER CRACKED GLASS AS IS $45.00

IPOD TOUCH 2 CRACKED LCD GLASS SCREEN COVER REPLACEMENT $11.95

IPOD TOUCH ITOUCH 2 CRACK LCD GLASS SCREEN REPLACEMENT $13.50

IPOD TOUCH 3 CRACKED LCD GLASS SCREEN COVER REPLACEMENT $12.65

Apple iPod Touch 1st Generation 8 GB CRACKED GLASS OTHER AS IS $45.15

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB Cracked Glass Screen Works very NICE $92.00

iPod Touch 4th Gen Broken Cracked Digitizer LCD Glass Screen Repair Service $55.00

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB CRACKED GLASS NO POWER AS IS $85.05

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 32 GB CRACKED GLASS OTHER AS IS $60.05

Apple iPod touch 4th Generation Black 8 GB CRACKED GLASS AS IS $100.00

<b>Recent broken iPods sold on eBay:</b>

Recent searches:

Much like receiving rough prison-style anal sex, the thought of getting an iPhone was not very high on my agenda.

Although I am an Apple fan I had not even seeked out the device to play with whilst Mr Spotty Teenager sales assistant at Carphone Whorehouse hovered round me like a priest round his "young flock" - waiting for the weakest to fall, and then pouncing for the kill.

The iPhone is certainly one of those things that is best stayed away from, lest you fall under it's magical spell and succumb to a life of £35 a month contracts and endless "i-monikered" peripheral devices.

But I have seen one.  I have touched one.  And I want one!  My colleague traded his Girlfriend for one and seems much happier as a result.  It really does change lives!

It's much better than I even thought.  Quicky, zoomy, fadey and most of all, Appley.

As Shakespeare once said... "give me a fucking iPhone for Christmas now... forsooth!" 

Air Vent Clip Cradle Stand Car Mount Holder Accessory For Apple iPhone 4G 4S 4 G $0.01

Wireless Transmitter FM for Apple iPhone 3G iPod Touch $8.98

HARD RUBBER CASE COVER BACK COATING APPLE IPHONE 4 4G $3.32

Black Business Cards Hard Case for iPhone 4 4G 4S + Screen Protector $2.99

White Business Cards Hard Case for iPhone 4 4G 4S + Screen Protector $2.99

USB Wall Charger + Cable For IPod Touch IPhone 3G 3GS $0.99

Pink Business Cards Hard Case for iPhone 4 4G 4S + Screen Protector $2.99

Blue Business Cards Hard Case for iPhone 4 4G 4S + Screen Protector $2.99

HQ Black Sport Running Gym Armband Soft Cover Case for iPhone 4 S 4G 4S ZVAB014 $1.99

SOFT CRYSTAL TPU SKIN RUBBE CASE FOR APPLE IPHONE 4 4G $3.32

Green Business Cards Hard Case for iPhone 4 4G 4S + Screen Protector $2.99

Black Silicone Skin Cover for iPhone 3G Blue Frog Eyes $6.12

Black White Zebra Pattern Back Case Shell for iPhone 4 4G $5.13

10W USB Charger AC Adaptor FOR ipod nano Touch classic iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4G iPad 2 $0.01

White Nintendo Game Boy Style Back Hard Case Cover For Apple iPhone 3G 3GS Gift $0.01

Black Tire Tread Skin Case+Cable+Fast Car Charger For iPhone 4 4th 4G 16G 32G $5.51

USB Wall Charger+Cable For iPod Touch Classic iPhone 3GS 4 4S+Earphone Earphones $7.55

Leather Case Belt Clip Pouch APPLE IPHONE 4 4G 3GS 3G $0.01

Silicone Soft Skin Case Cover for iPhone 3G 3GS $0.99

9 Accessory Bundle Pack Kit Leather Case Car Holder for Apple iPhone 4 4G 4S HD $17.17

1X Apple Iphone 4 4G Cassette Tape Silicone Case Cover 9 Colors to Choose $1.07

4X MATTE EDGE APPLE IPHONE 4 4S HARD CASE COVER 10 COLORS TO CHOOSE $3.23

HARD RUBBER RUBBERIZED CASE COVER FR APPLE IPHONE 4 4G $3.32

Bling Crystal Jet Hematite Rhinstones iPhone 4 4S Case using Swarovski Element $22.26

Black Soft Gel Back Rubber Silicone Case Cover for ATT Sprint iPhone 4 4G 4S 4th $4.32

HARD RUBBER RUBBERIZED CASE COVER FOR APPLE IPHONE 4 4G $4.51

USB Car Charger + Cable For iPod Touch iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4G $2.51

4PCS Pretty Flower Back Case Cover Skin for Apple Iphone 4 4G YAE $0.01

worlds first 360 Piece Stand Hard Cover Case For iPhone4 4G 4GS case new $9.90

3x Pairs colorful beatiful earphone for girl lady MP3 Radio PSP lady NDS iphone4 $9.99

Black with Chrome Stand Rubber Plastic Case Cover+Screen Shield For iPhone 4 4S $6.47

2pcs Male to 2 Female Audio Extension Cable For iPhone $0.99

iPOD iPHONE DOCK DOCKING STATION ALARM CLOCK RADIO SPEAKER SYSTEM TOUCH NANO NEW $74.80

3x Pairs beatiful earphone for MP3 Radio PSP lady NDS iphone4 cell phone laptop $9.99

Red with White Dots Rubber Hard Case+Car Holder+Fast Charger For iPhone 4 4S $9.06

Hot Pink Black Checkered Snap On Hard Case Cover+2x LCD For iPhone 4 4G 4S $5.04

New Black Leather Diamond Patterned iPhone 4G Case Cover w Screen Protector $6.95

8PCS Hard Back Skin Case Cover For Apple iPhone 4G R17 $0.01

Universal Extrernal Battery1400mAh for Mobile phone MP3 MP4 PSP NDS iPod iPhone $18.49

2x Pair Colorful Earphones for MP3 MP5 PSP Gift pc laptop ipod iphone4 men women $7.20

I am still just a little kid at heart - getting excited about new things.

In my youth it was the excitement of a new StarWars film coming out. But now it's new hardware and software that gives me a mental stiffy.

Yesterday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did another one of his Keynote speeches and announced a whole new set of iPods, software and hardware. I sat on my sofa and streamed the whole thing! Over 1 hours worth!

• The iPod will get a brighter screen, more battery life, some new search features and better quality video.
• The iPod Nano will get larger memory capacity, an aluminium casing - also available in different colors, and all of the same new features that its larger brother has now got.
• The iPod shuffle has been totally redesigned and is now "the smallest MP3 player in the world!" coming in at a tiny 1.6 inches long! It also has it's own clip to allow it to be attached to your clothing, belt, nipple etc.
• iTunes gets an upgrade to version 7 and features new album art based browsing features, a slight new design and iPod managability sections. You also get free album art downloaded for any CDs you have ripped - as long as you have an iTunes account.
• iTunes will offer movies for sale (US only at the moment). They will be at 640x480 resolution which is apparently "near DVD quality".

Steve also demo'ed their new upcoming product which, at the moment, is known as "iTV".

This small box, similar in design to the MacMini will plug into your TV and will allow streaming of audio, video, photos, podcasts and movie trailers wirelessly direct to your screen. It will work with iTunes on PCs and Macs. Almost like having "Front Row" plugged into your TV.

This iTV device is what impressed me most. I have used iTunes to share music between my PC and Macbook and it works perfectly and without any hassles at all. If the iTV can do this for visual and audio content that can be displayed on the TV - then it will be brilliant! I hope that it will also allow streaming content of movies you have imported into iTunes. DivX is pretty cool - but can be difficult to get working on remote devices due to different compression ratios and codecs being used in the creation process. I assume that converting them to H.264, the compression codec used by Quicktime will allow them to work on the iTV too.

The iTV is coming out early next year and looks freakin cool.

I want one already!

HDMI TV Adapter Accessory For Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation Gen 32GB 4 4G HDTV $34.05

Apple TV 1st Gen 160GB in Original Packaging with Cord Remote $91.09

Apple TV Remote Control Battery $9.99

Apple TV 40GB $61.09

VIDEO AV STEREO AUDIO TV COMPOSITE CABLE FOR APPLE IPOD VIDEO 30GB 60GB 80GB U2 $5.99

Video AV TV Out USB Composite Cable for Apple iPod Touch Classic Photo iPhone 3G $0.01

Apple TV 2 Jailbroken XBMC Plex Pandora Icefilms HULU Navi X MANY Extras $96.00

Apple TV 40GB First Generation with Updates $76.11

Apple Tv 2nd Gen $75.00

Apple TV Digital Media Streaming Device for HDTVs $73.33

Apple TV 2nd Generationbox $31.00

Apple iPod classic 6th Generation Black 120 GB Bundled Music and TV Shows $349.99

1965 Tempting Eve Bites Apple Sylvania TV Photo Ad $9.99

Apple TV 1st Generation 160GB $76.11

video av tv audio cable for apple ipod video 30 80 160 retractable cable wire $4.99

NEW APPLE TV 2nd Generation NEVER USED $85.00

Apple TV 40GB 1st generation For Parts or Repair $22.00

Apple TV 2nd Generation Jailbroken Hulu XBMC NitoTV Icefilms FreeCable $75.32

Apple TV 40GB 1st Gen MA711LL A Internet TV HD HDMI with New Apple Remote $99.00

Apple TV 500 GB UPGRADE SERVICE Brand NEW $158.00

AppleTV 40GB Model A1218 $47.00

Apple TV 2nd Generation Brand new Factory Sealed $74.32

Apple TV 2 Jailbroken 444 Icefilms Hulu XBMC Adult Content NitoTv Navi X $144.99

Apple TV 2nd Gen Unlocked with XBMCs Icefilms Hulu Navi X and more $115.00

VINTAGE USA FRANCISCAN APPLE CUP SAUCER TV STAMP MADE IN CALIFORNIA $4.99

TV Tressemann Vogt LIMOGES Hand Painted PLATE APPLE BLOSSOMS 1907 1919 GOLD $94.99

TIM CONWAY DON KNOTTS 8X10 Publicity Photo APPLE DUMPLING GANG WALT DISNEY $14.99

Apple TV 2 FULLY LOADED JAILBROKEN Includes HDMI CABLE $160.00

First Generation Apple TV 160GB $75.00

Apple Apple TV 40GB Works Great $27.25

Apple TV 2nd Generation Unlocked with XBMC Hulu Navi X and more $165.00

Apple TV 2nd Generation Jailbroken Adds Additional Content $145.99

Apple TV2 Jailbroken 444 untethered w XBMC NitoTV IceFilms installed $75.00

FOR Apple IPOD VIDEO Photo MP3 AV TV RCA AUDIO CABLE WIRE CORD Black $5.99

Apple TV 2 2nd Gen Jailbroken w XBMC HULU PLEX nitoTV Icefiilms $149.99

Apple TV MC572LL A NEWEST VERSION FREE SHIP $114.95

Apple TV Jailbroken XBMC HULU Adult XXX Loaded USPS Priority Worldwide $132.99

Apple TV2 New Jailbroken Loaded XBMC nitoTV Hulu Navi X HDMI cable included $100.00

AV Composite Video To TV RCA Cable USB for Apple ipod iPHONE 4 4G Free Shipment $19.69

Dock to AV Video TV adapter USB Cable Charger for Apple ipod iphone 4 4G 3G New $9.99

Those iPod luvvies over at iLounge have released their new “Free iPod Book” featuring all things iPod, iTunes, iAccessories and iOtherStuff.

I downloaded the iPod buyers guide from them back in 2004bi (before iPod) and it was really good.  This one looks even better!

On my weekly sabatical to Birmingham yesterday I dragged my colleague to the Apple store at the Bullring to check out the new Macbook. I did look for them at my local John Lewis at the weekend but they were no-where to be found.

I was impressed by them too. Small, light, neat, smart, fast, clever and great at oral sex too!

But after looking at the 20 inch iMacs and also after reading that my matey WhiteBoyBob has just bought one (and not managed to break it), I am wondering if one of those might be a better purchase. I have also been reading some benchmarks on gaming with the 20 inch iMac using XP and Boot Camp. They do seem impressive too. I think I will have to install XP via Boot Camp as the kids use some games on XP still and the wife will probably get all confused over OSX and will not be able to work her Home Accounts Spreadsheet properly without ringing me all the time.

I do use my laptop at home a little. Not lots though - just a little. Sometimes after a hard days internet surfing work I don’t want to be huddled over another PC in the corner of the room. Sitting on the sofa, slowly cooking my legs with the laptop on wifi is quite nice really. I have done more of my “Blogger Template Overhaul” series using the laptop than anything else. My desktop PC setup at home is not perfect for spending lots of time at the screen. Stuck in the corner next to the dinner table, it is quite restrictive to use and the desk it sits on gets piled with paper, toys, mobile phones and recently, my Xbox360, controllers and headset as I now play that via my LCD monitor.

But the 20 inch iMacs are nice and they are faster and have a bigger hard disk too! I do quite a bit of photoshop stuff so maybe that would be a better purchase? But the laptops are nice and “free” and I can take it on holiday and stuff too. Oh… crap…. more decisions.

I have spent all morning a little time trying to research using the iPod to store photographs and quite specifically - what the quality is like when it outputs the photos to a TV.

There seems to be lots of sites that cover viewing the photos on the iPod screen and with the new 5th Gen iPods you also get groovy transitions between each photo. However, they never go into a real detail about the TV display, the speed the images load onto the TV screen or the output quality.

It's actually not research for me. Although I would love to have a video playing/picture displaying iPod to replace my 4th Gen one, it's for my Father. A keen photographer, he recently purchased a Sandisk Digital TV Player to display his digital snaps and scans on the TV. He was less than impressed though as the time it took to display each picture was like going back to downloading porn pics over a 9600bps dial up connection - slow and frustrating. So he took the device back to the retailler within a few days of purchase.

We were then talking about iPods as someone he knows is getting a 30gb 5G model for her leaving present at work and I suggested he get one for displaying his photos on the TV as I knew they had that functionality. He could also get the iPod Camera Connector to upload photos from his camera when on holiday.

But I cannot really find much information about it. Can anyone help? Do you have a 5th Gen iPod and have first hand experience of displaying the photos on a TV?

When I plugged in my iPod to my home PC running iTunes this morning, it quite happily overwrote the database and the tracks from "Northern Exposure - Expeditions" that I added here at work yesterday have all gone.

Shame.

But as Yamipod is so cute and I don't buy from iTunes - there is nothing stopping me using Yamipod as the manager for my iPod.

DamoB blogged about Anapod Explorer as an alternative to using iTunes, but as you have to install it onto a PC to use it - it's not quite what I wanted.

I just found this application via a list of "handy programs" to take around with you on your USB memory stick. YamiPod is a freeware application that allows you to manage your iPod without the need for iTunes.

The most impressive feature is that the application does not need to be installed and can be run from the iPod when it is plugged into the PC and operating in disk mode.

Yamipod allows you to copy music files to and from the iPod, edit, export or create playlists, rate songs, change the ID3 tag details and many more things too.  The application is also available for Mac, x86 and Linux too.

Does anything get any better?
Well… it could do, as after editing and uploading songs and playlists to the iPod using Yamipod at work - as soon as you get home and sync with iTunes - it all gets overwritten with the local iTunes database stored on your PC….

Then again - I have not "fully" tested this "unfortunate feature" yet, so I will report back.
I'm off to find some people on our corporate network who have iTunes installed to leach some tracks for the bike ride home!

When I was in New York, I purchased a XtremeMac Airplay FM transmitter for my iPod and have been using it in my car to and from work each day.

The thing is tiny and the quality is pretty good - although I have doubts as to wether the signal is in stereoscopic sound or not. When I shuffle to some Beatles tracks, that should tell me. There is also some background hum and hiss from interferance which gets worse when its raining. The signal is better when plugged into my nipple. Well… what I mean is - when it's in my shirt pocket and my metal endo-skeleton is acting as a signal conductor. It also makes me look quite "star trek" when changing tracks - but makes me look all "cheap porn nipple caressing" when increasing the volume!

Generally the product is very good and I am impressed with it. I was even more suprised to find that ipod ubersite, iLounge gave it an A marking and said that it was even better that the iTrip, which was the device I had been planning to get. I decided to get the Airplay as I was also purchasing an XBox360 Play-n-charge kit from the same shop and it seemed to be the best option at the time.

The Airplay's frequency can be manually changed in .2 increments between 88 and 109FM so you can quite easily override everyone who is listening to Radio1 on the way to work with some techno from the likes of the Plump DJs. I was even able to broadcast "Dare" by Gorillaz from downstairs in my home, over the top of my sons radio whilst he was listening to Classic FM (100.3FM) at bedtime. Having Shaun Ryder in your dreams is not good for a six year old's mind.

My advice: get it!
Oh.. hold on.. it's illegal in the UK. Sorry Officer…

And yes, DriverChris, you can have that "POS" Belkin back next time I see you.

Technorati Tags: ipod, airplay, fm, apple, nipple, star trek

Well..

It was'nt quite as I predicted the Apple iPod "Boombox" would be like.

But it's not too bad. Quite minimalistic and low tech, but for ?249, I would want it to make my cups of tea for me too!

"iPod Hi-Fi Teasmade" anyone?

EDIT: Someone's already got their hands on one and has posted shots of it being "un-boxed" on their Flickr page. It looks really big!

Technorati Tags: ipod, apple, hi-fi, boombox, steve jobs