Some owners search for help after Apple USB music players flash alternating LEDs and then die.


If you believe the results of one survey this spring, Apple's iPods are now more popular than beer on college campuses.


But for Clayton Hunniford, that beer has gone flat. The Vancouver, British Columbia, college student is working on his fifth iPod Shuffle. The four previous ones all died. Two failed with one very conspicuous symptom - what he calls "the flashing orange and green lights of death." Often when that happens, the Shuffle never plays again.


And Hunniford is not alone. A single topic on Apple's iPod Shuffle support forum has garnered more than 36,000 visits since late October, according to statistics posted on the forum index page. Dubbed "Green and Orange flashing lights," the thread stretches on for more than 550 posts.


Flashing green and amber lights on the popular gum-pack-size music player indicate that a generic "error" has occurred, according to Apple's documentation. But most of the problem-related posts on the Apple forum are from people whose Shuffles have suddenly died with the same symptoms as Hunniford's.


Unexpected


"It just happened out of nowhere," says Hunniford, a physics student at Simon Fraser University. Instead of his favorite songs, he got the alternating green and amber LEDs flashing on the front of his Shuffle when he pressed any button. The unit had worked the moment before, he says.


Some users, like Ron Mellum of Minneapolis, have successfully revived their Shuffles by downloading the latest iPod Updater software and following Apple's reset instructions. But for Hunniford and others, neither the updater nor iTunes recognizes the docked Shuffle, so resetting or restoring is not an option.

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A special report by The Guardian - Money (UK)


For many, the rot has set in with the must-have music player. Phillip Inman looks at how complaints over durability are pushing at the margins of users' patience, DTI guidelines - and the law



Apple iPod owners love their sleek machines. That's when they work. When they don't, they enter a twilight world where they discover their prized music player is considered by its manufacturer as nothing more than a throwaway item.


It doesn't matter that iPod lovers can spend up to £300 ($500) on their gizmo. Apple operates on the basis that the iPod life expectancy is a year, and that's it.


Complain that your £200 or £300 could have bought a fridge or TV that would be expected to last five years or more, and a customer services assistant will explain that a one-year warranty is just that, and no more.


Last month, Guardian Money explained how the Sale of Goods Act sets out a series of basic customer rights. These are fleshed out by guidelines from the Department of Trade & Industry. The key in all discussions with retailers, which are the first port of call, is that goods should last up to six years, depending on their cost and expected durability.


In the article we told how a reader took a broken ClickwheeI 40Gb iPod back to the Birmingham Apple Centre. Staff said the cost of repair would exceed the value of the £300 model and refused a free replacement. Arguments that iPods are designed to be portable and take a reasonable amount of wear and tear fell on deaf ears.

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DecoDock for iPod shuffle


Presenting DecoDock, the first stylish dock designed to complement and enhance the iPod shuffle.

DecoDock provides an elegant solution for users who want a simple, artistic way to connect their iPod shuffle to their computer. For those users who think they'd rather hack through the tangle of cables sprouting from the back of their computer like Indiana Jones searching for The Lost USB Port, or are contemplating a USB extension cable for that classic shuffle-on-a-rope look, we hope you'll reconsider.


For those daredevils gambling their shuffle will avoid being snapped off the side of their laptop like a dead twig, head for Vegas and buy a DecoDock for your shuffle's sake. And for those style-hungry souls, searching a wasteland of computer peripherals devoid of pleasing designs, welcome to Pressure Drop, and the Art-Techo movement.

Overview


• Connect your shuffle to your computer in a convenient, elegant way.
• Decorative illumination from the columns via white LEDs

• Integrated cap holder securely keeps your shuffle's cap from getting lost
• Available in a variety of colors (to be announced later)


Cost: Around $28

See Pressure Drop for details

Top 10 Strangest iPod Accessories- Some of which are just plain wierd.





10. Wurlitzer’s iPod Jukebox


Enjoy listening to music from your iPod in a whole new way with Wurlitzer’s “One More Time” Jukebox. In addition to the retro styling, it features a built-in iPod dock, Bose Acoustimass Sound System, and 100 CD Changer. All this doesn’t come cheap though, expect to shell out $9,500 USD to own one of these babies.



9. - Tunebuckle


Apple’s iPod Nano is so small that it easily fits into a special compartment found on the Tunebuckle. This buckle will protect your Nano from scratches and has an opening for your headphones. Its made from “high grade metals and leather” and comes in white or black colors.




8. iPod “Chair Man” Speakers


Even iPods need to relax, that’s why a Japanese company created “Chair Man” portable speakers. Available in three different colors, this bizarre accessory has two built-in 50mm diameter speakers along with flexible arms/legs to secure your iPod.


7. iPod DJ Docking Station


You can plug your iPod into KNG’s new docking station and watch the DJ start scratching to your favorite tracks. It also has built-in standalone speakers that “thump to the beat” and big Fubu jacket sleeves to give it style.


6. iPod Nano Thong Case


If you thought the iPod Nano couldn’t get any sexier, think again. The guys over at iPodStreet are selling a thong shaped case for the iPod Nano. Funny but not very practical, the leather thong covers your Nano’s clickwheel which makes it tough to use.


5. iPod Nano Wallet


Marware.com introduces the Billfold Wallet for the iPod Nano. At first glance, it looks like a normal wallet until you flip it open to reveal a special slot for the Nano.


4. iPod Compatible Bed


DesignMobel introduces “Pause”, the world’s first iPod compatible bed which features an integrated iPod Dock and a Bose Speaker System (optional).


3. iBox


This list wouldn’t be complete without iPod boxers, the “Play iBox Solid Boxer” is made from a cotton/spandex blend and features an integrated front pocket for your iPod.


2. iLounge Toilet Paper Dispenser


You’ll never miss a song even in the bathroom with Atech’s “iLounge hybrid toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock”. The iLounge supports all iPod models that have a dock connector and has an integrated USB slot for the Shuffle. Speakers are hidden in the dispensers arms with navigation buttons located conveniently on top for easy access.


1. iBuzz


If listening to your favorite songs isn’t enough, a UK company has created a music activated vibrator for the iPod.


Honorable Mention - iShirt


Want a new way to carry your iPod Shuffle? Check out the iShirt, it’s equipped with a magnetic clamp system to ensure your iPod Shuffle stays firmly attached even during vigorous activity.


Thanks to: TechEBlog