iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

Recording Your Own Podcasts

In addition to songs downloaded from the iTunes Music Store (Chapter 7) or ripped from CDs (Chapter 5), the iPod can play digital audio files that you’ve recorded yourself. This sort of thing can come in handy in situations where, say, you have a recital or music lesson coming up and want to record yourself for analysis later. Or perhaps you have to give a speech and want to record a sample of yourself practicing to weed out the “ums” and “you knows.”

You can take either of two approaches. First, you can record on the iPod and transfer the finished recordings to the computer. (You need one of the snap-on iPod microphones like Griffin Technology’s iTalk or Belkin’s Voice Recorder. Although these particular mics are designed for iPod models released in 2003 and 2004 and are on their way to extinction, new microphones designed for the current iPods should be along any day now.)

GEM IN THE ROUGHMaking the iPod Play with the Xbox 360

Want a little background music while you creep through dark places blasting aliens or speed through the streets in your virtual sports car? Just hitch your iPod up to the Xbox 360, Microsoft’s newest version of its thumb-rattling videogame console, to play your own music as you fight the good fight.

Start by plugging the iPod’s USB cable into one of the controller ports on the Xbox 360. Next, use the Xbox controller to navigate to the Xbox Dashboard area, select Media, and pick or make a playlist of tunes on your iPod.

The Xbox ...