Bharath's Tech Blog

Apple released the iphone/ipod firmware 3.0 version recently.
The catch for ipod touch users is that this firmware upgrade is that it activates(unlocks) the bluetooth chip in ipod touch.Ever since it was released,there was no bluetooth option in ipod touch,but it had an option to connect with Nike gadgets.
The chip that was used for Nike is now being unlocked to provide bluetooth access to ipod touch,enabling multiplayer games,wireless headphones etc.
But, there is a catch here too, the firmware upgrade is not available for free.
It needs to be purchased for 9.95$ (USD). (file size 257.8MB)
Normally, it is the duty of the vendor to provide firmware updates for free.
Imagine Nokia selling its phone's firmware updates,or Microsoft selling service packs!
Apple has monopoly in this segment since they are the leaders.

And then, there is this problem of Apple bundling stuff.
Quick time is bundled with itunes.Why cant Apple integrate quicktimes' codecs into itunes itself?
I have itunes 8.1 and its been bugging me to upgrade to itunes 8.2,but i declined the upgrade. So, what Apple did was to bundle the ipod touch 3.0 firmware with itunes 8.2!I need to upgrade to itunes 8.2 in order to upgrade to 3.0 firmware which i bought for 10USD.

All in all, the bluetooth unlocking is too good to resist.
The upgrades in 3.0 include,

Stereo Bluetooth

Multiplayer peer-2-peer gaming

Landscape mode typing in Safari,Notes etc

Cut/Copy/Paste

Labels: apple, ipod, itunes, microsoft, nokia

Posted by bharath at 6/26/2009 06:12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bought my Ipod touch (8GB)for 12,000 INR on 23rd Dec 2008 at TNagar,Chennai.
Its features include 3.5inch touchscreen(multi-touch),533MHZ ARM processor,WIFI...

I was a bit disappointed at the time of purchase due to the fact that the ipod wont even start up until its connected to a PC with iTunes.Sadly, iTunes isnt provided in a CD.It simply said "Connect to iTunes" till i connected it via datacable to a PC with iTunes.
Thats where the disappointment ends.

As soon as it starts up,its a very feature-filled device.
The menus and navigation are excellent.
This is the starting screen(Home screen).

One row at the bottom is dedicated to Music,Videos,Photos and iTunes.
Sadly, entering into iTunes says "This store is not available in your country(India)".

Let me list out the apps available by default.
1.Safari
2.Mail
3.Contacts
4.Clock
4.YouTube
5.Calendar
6.Stocks
7.Maps
8.Weather
9.Calculator
10.Notes
Then there is the settings icon and App store icon.
Safari browser works great,zooming in and out are done with simple gestures using two fingers.
There is support for opening multiple webpages,and the browser changes to landscape mode upon rotating it sidewise.
Youtube application provides Youtube integration and is ised to browse and view YouTube videos directly without opening the browser.

One more drawback is that it is not possible to download from the AppStore without providing a credit card.
Actually, there are loads of free apps on the AppStore and you may never need to spend a single rupee to get those free apps,but, you still need a credit card to create a iTunes account.The iTunes account is required to download any app from the AppStore.
But, once an account is registered, more than 15,000 applications await at the AppStore.

Most free apps and games are enough to provide entertainment/functionality, but there are some must own apps that can only be bought, albeit at a very small price.

Another headache is iTunes.
It is not possible to acces the device in PC without involving iTunes.
iTunes is responsible for managing music,videos,photos and apps.
And,its not possible to transfer and view ebooks(pdf)/documents(word,ppt,excel etc).
But, such files can be viewed on the browser if the files are opened via internet.
Here is a simple workaround i found.
I bought this "Memory Stick" app from Appstore for 45Rs (0.99$).This app can store any file and the file can be opened in iPod,and documents can be viewed from within the app. There are some free apps to provide this functionality too,but they have certain limitations.

Here are some photos of the ipod.

In standby,

Locked screen,

Safari browser,

Safari in landscape view,

Audio player app,library view of Albums,

Audio player, "Now Playing" screen,

YouTube app,

The "stocks" app,

AppStore, Category view,

Mail app,

Maps app,

Glossy, mirror like bottom-side of iPod Touch,

Sorry about the amateur photos, thats what i could make out of a N73 camera during night.

Update:
A warning note to all ipod users, never set your ipod headphone volume to more than 80% maximum.It leads to loss of hearing gradually.Apple is being sued to indicate this warning on its ipods.Read more about volume limiting here.