Another Month, Another iPod Column

by J. Allen Leinberger

Forgive me for yet another iPod article.

Most of the contacts I have in the computer industry agree that the iPod and its associated products, like speakers and belt packs, are the biggest thing happening in the computer world today.

Granted, Apple has switched from Motorola to Intel chips and made the Mac compatible with Windows through its Boot Camp program, but that is half cosmetic and half white flag.

So, let’s get back to the iPod.

I owe you a field test. I recently sang the praises of the Bose Quite Comfort 2 headphones as a replacement for the little plastic ear buds that come with the MP3 unit. But I mentioned in the article that the Bose headset was originally designed as a deterrent to noise in tanks, aircraft and other military vehicles.

So, recognizing my responsibility to you, the IEBJ reader, I climbed aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Ontario to Las Vegas to test the design on a plane.

By way of gratuitous plug, Southwest is the largest airline flying out of Ontario, representing over 50 percent of ONT’s passenger load. They have curbside check-in and all of the dry roasted peanuts and soda pop you can consume while on board. There is no first-class seating, but the coach seats seem to have more legroom than most planes.

I will not say that Southwest is noisy, but any commercial flight has some audible sound, what with the engines and the wind outside. It is inevitable.

The worst flight I ever had for noise was an Air Force C-130, flying over the North Pole in the middle of January many years ago. It had no soundproofing. No insulation. Nothing but a thin aluminum air skin between the elements and me. The powerful C-130 turbo prop engines roared through the cabin. And one of them was out of sink with the other three. The din was deafening. I could not only hear it, I could feel it

But I digress.

Aboard Southwest I began my test with step one. Regular ambient cabin noise. It’s not bad but you do have to speak up in order to order your club soda with lime.

Step two was to put the Bose headset on. There is an immediate noticeable decrease in noise.

Step three is to throw the switch on the headset. This engages the circuitry in the headset that Dr. Bose designed to mute the outside sounds. There is an amazingly noticeable drop in engine noise.

The last step is to turn on the music. The brassy opening riff of John Barry’s orchestra and the soaring voice of Dame Shirley Bassey singing “Goldfinger” effectively cuts out all of the leftover sounds.

The Bose QC2 is remarkably effective with the iPod on or off of a plane. If there is a drawback, it is that I never did hear the captain’s message over his scratchy speaker system telling us that we were preparing to land in Vegas.

Bose now makes a smaller QC3 headset, which fits on top of the ears instead of around them. I am equally impressed with these little “cans.” Both sets are not only better than the stock ear buds; they are also superior to the Koss Sport headphone that I have been using. The Koss phones, however, are smaller and carry easier.

Meanwhile, for those of you who prefer to listen to your MP3 player back here on the ground, Apple has announced that it has teamed up with Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Mazda to deliver seamless iPod integration across the majority of their brands and models, making it easy for iPod users to enjoy and control their iPod’s sound through their car’s stereo system. With the addition of these models, more than 70 percent of 2007-model U.S. automobiles will offer iPod integration.

“We’re delighted that Ford, General Motors and Mazda will support iPod connectivity in nearly all of their new models,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “Now more than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles will offer iPod integration, with General Motors alone making it available on all 56 of its models, representing millions of cars and trucks.”

This will eliminate the one small complaint that I have with the Sonnet Podfreq FM system that I use now. Once in a while it will pick up interference from some random college radio station.

Ford and General Motors will feature iPod integration in the majority of their 2007 models in the U.S. beginning later this year, while Mazda’s entire global 2007 lineup of cars and SUVs will offer iPod connectivity. iPod offerings for Ford, General Motors and Mazda provide drivers with outstanding sound quality while charging the iPod, while conveniently storing the iPod in the glove compartment. Seamless iPod integration also allows drivers to use their car’s multifunction controls to select their music using artist, album, play list or shuffle songs, as well as to easily skip between tracks and play lists. You can find more by checking www.apple.com/ipod/ipodyourcar/.

You may recall that a couple of months ago I predicted that the video iPod would change the way TV is produced. Well, the revolution has begun.

“Aquaman,” a show from the people who brought us “Smallville,” was supposed to begin this fall. With the merger of UPN and the WB, it got cancelled. Nevertheless, the pilot episode was added to the iTunes video library for purchase at $1.99. It immediately became the number one video download on the net.

Other programmers and producers will see this and take note. Watch for download-only programs coming soon to a computer near you.

And if all of that isn’t enough, the iPod is coming to the Inland Empire. The Podcast and Portable Media Expo is scheduled for Sept. 29 – 30 at the Ontario Convention Center.

This international event promises to bring together podcasters, media, corporate executives and device makers. Their Website is www.portablemediaexpo.com

That’s all for the iPod from me.

For now.