As I expect for the batteries on my new iPod nanos to enfeeble I retrieve I ’d offer up a few betting odds and ends come to to the new iPods and iTunes that you may have missed .
Voice memos for nanos
During the Macworld Podcast that Jason Snell , Dan Frakes , and I record on Tuesday , I mentioned that the fresh iPod nanos , unlike the first - generation nanos , can record voice memos . Just like the 5 G iPod , the nanos can record both low- and high-pitched - calibre audio files with a compatible mike . I ’ve examine the feature on all three second - multiplication nano role model with bothBelkin ’s TuneTalkandXtremeMac ’s MicroMemoand it works .
These equipment were designed to work with a full - sized iPod so they look ungainly when attached to the nano but it ’s nice to see the feature brought to Apple ’s mid - sized iPods .
Multi-volume library
The latest version of iTunes lets you hive away media in more than one localization . This is a godsend for those with tumid libraries ( or who will soon have enceinte library after they ’ve buy several movies from the iTunes Store ) . Here ’s how to go about it :
Go to iTunes > Preferences and snap the Advanced check . Choose General , click the Change button , and pick out a new shoes for your file cabinet — an international hard drive , for instance .
Sounds familiar , right ? Right . In the past , this was how you told iTunes to stack away music elsewhere . The difference of opinion here is that iTunes wo n’t ignore the files in the original location when you tell it to store music elsewhere . alternatively , its database will keep track of files in that original fix as well as the Modern emplacement you just created . When you add up new track and videos , they ’ll be stored in this new location but they ’ll play no matter of where you hive away them previously .
CoverFlow and compilations
If you have an iTunes subroutine library crammed with greatest hits , genre collections , and tribute record album , you ’re undoubtedly frustrated by iTunes ’ newfangled art and CoverFlow opinion . Scan through your music collection and you ’ll in all likelihood regain multiple entering for the same record album . The closed book to putting things correct is to activate the Compilation tag .
To do so , select all the tracks that should belong to a particular collection , opt File > Get Info to call up the Multiple Item Information windowpane , and choose Yes from the Compilation pop - up menu . This tells iTunes that these tracks are guess to go together . Click OK . As a import , the album ’s tracks will appear under a single artwork or CoverFlow entryway .
Dan Frakes tell me that album artwork can also get mess up up if you ’ve tagged your medicine with a genre that contradict the genre used by Apple . If record album art is n’t showing up when it should , see how Apple ’s labeled it and make tags that fit Apple ’s options .
Missing album art
If you ’re see a mass of generic black covers bearing a couple of eighth notes , do n’t despair . iTunes snatch report graphics for only those albums that are available from The Store . So , if you have an extensive Beatles or Led Zepplin collection , you ’re going to be looking at a lot of dull artwork unless you grab some of your North Korean won . That ’s right , iTunes will exhibit any artwork that ’s contained in a track ’s Artwork tag . Use one of the countless service program out there to catch album nontextual matter or do it yourself by visiting Amazon , grabbing a large image , and adding it to the Artwork field of an open Multiple Item Information windowpane .
Variable album heading
Macworld ’s Dan Miller showed me this one : render click the Album entry in iTunes 7 . Hey , look at that . Doing so cycles the aim through Album , Album by Artist , and Album by Year .
open up an data window and you ’ll see that it contain a new Album Artist field , a courteous way to further parse your music .
And your problem is…?
Dan Frakes describe that Apple has reworked its iPod synchronize error dialog boxful . In the past you find single computer warning notice that told you that some of the track , such as XYZ , were n’t remove because they could n’t be played on the iPod . You now see a exclusive alert message that stand a modest triangle . flick the trigon to see a list of all the errors — helpful should you wish to fasten some but not others . Select the mistake you need to trade with and its full details appear . Click the “ go away ” button , iTunes compute you ’re not interested in each problem , and pass on about its line of work .
Digging into Visualizer
If you have n’t explored all the Visualizer ’s hidden features , now ’s the clip . Start Visualizer and press H to see a list of commands . The “ ? ” cay demo you more . Enjoy .
About those nano accessories
Yes , the unexampled nano has the same loading dock connector and earphone port on the bottom , but they ’re spaced otherwise than previously . This means that any nano accessory you now have that require both the dock connector and earphone port ( a laniard or FM sender , for example ) wo n’t work with your new nano . Bummer .
Minor details
Among a leaning of details , these are the most minor .
• The iPod druthers screen accurately reflects the color of your iPod . Jack a gamy nano into your computer , and the preference represent its honest gloss . This operate with older iPods too . iPod preferences recognized that my 6 GB iPod mini is greenish .
• While in the iPod preferences screen , try clicking on the Capacity bar at the bottom . When you do so you ’ll see that the readout toggles among the amount of data ( 7 GB , for example ) , figure of items , and the amount of clip that media would take to play ( 2.4 day , for illustration ) .
• Right - select your iPod in the Source lean and instead of reading “ Update iPod ” as it once did , it now reads “ Sync . ”
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