You don’t need an iPod to listen to a Podcast!
Or to an MP3, or an Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) file, or a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file?
And although iPod is an a product from Apple,
in many cases you don’t need any Apple products
to listen to a Podcast.
You just need some free software!

Why?

Because many Podcasts consists only of MP3 files
that are sent or transferred from a website server
to you.
And you can receive and listen to MP3s with almost any PC
in use today — Windows, Macintosh, Linux, or other.

All you need is a software program on your PC
called an MP3 player (although it will frequently
play files other than MP3s).
This software MP3 player allows you to play MP3s
just like the hardware MP3 players such as the Apple
iPod, Creative Zen, and a host of others.

Why?

Well an MP3 and the other types of audio files such
as Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) files, Windows Media Audio (WMA), Waveform audio format (WAV), and others are
digital audio files.
These files contain a recording of sound that has been captured in a digital format.
Wiki has this to say:

Though a WAV file can hold compressed audio, the most common WAV format contains uncompressed audio in the pulse-code modulation (PCM) format. PCM audio is the standard audio file format for CDs at 44,100 samples per second. Since PCM uses an uncompressed, lossless storage method, which keeps all the samples of an audio track, professional users or audio experts may use the WAV format for maximum audio quality. WAV audio can also be edited and manipulated with relative ease using software.

Important note!
Some formats are lossy and some are lossless.
Lossless means just that. None of the data from the original recording
that is available is lost.
A lossy format may throw or lose some of the original data in order
to reduce the size of a file.
The idea is to throw away only sound information that wouldn’t be missed.
Sometimes sounds recordings include frequencies beyond or below what most people can hear.
Dropping these can make the file smaller and yet result in a file with little
distinguishable sound differences from the original.
But that’s the kicker.
There are numerous different ways and implementations of doing this.
Some are free. And many are sold commercially so you must
pay to use those formats.

Some files are created in such a way that encrypts the information
in the file making it difficult to decode the information in it, unless you
have a decryption key.
This is to protect the rights of the owner of sound recording and
is often referred to as digital rights management (DRM).
AAC files use a DRM format developed for the iTunes store and the Apple iPod.
WMA files are stored in a DRM digital audio file format created by Microsoft.
That’s why Apple’s iPod and iTunes and Microsoft’s Windows Media Player (WMP) sometimes
don’t play together well!
As a preferred format, iTunes and the iPod use AAC while
Windows Media Player uses WMA.

However, iTunes, iPod, and Windows Media Player do have at least one thing in common.
They all will handle MP3s (assuming you have the correct MP3 encoder/decoder used
in the MP3).
And that’s why you can listen to a Podcast without an iPod!

You can go to Apple’s website and download iTunes for free (or you can download Quicktime with iTunes now). With iTunes you can listen a variety of different kinds digital audio files including, of course, AAC and MP3 files.
With iTunes you can purchase and listen to music files from Apple’s iTunes music store after you set
up on account.
You can also burn your music to CD if you have a CD burner (or writer).
Purchased music from iTunes will incorporate DRM and is usually in the AAC format. You can also subscribe and listen to Podcasts with iTunes. But iTunes doesn’t care much for WMA files.

However, if you have a Windows PC you may already have Windows Media Player on it.
If you don’t, you can go to Microsoft’s site and download the latest and greatest for free(depending on which version of Windows you are running).
Many of the online music stores (other than iTunes) sell
music in the WMA format.
When you purchase the music, you get a license for each WMA file and Windows Media Player
will play these files (and record to CD if you have CD burner).
You can also play WAV and MP3 files with Windows Media Player.
Many Podcasts are also set up in a way that Windows Media Player will
handle them as well!

There are also other player that will handle MP3s and other formats.
Winamp is another popular choice.

And most of these MP3 players will also play streaming media or Internet radio stations!

So what are you waiting for? Jump in and join the digital audio revolution! Before you know it you’ll be recording your own Podcasts and broadcasting them!

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iPod nano is infamous for being prone to scratches. The surface is so easily scratched that people had been scratching it within the hour of opening the box. This may be because Apple used a different formula of polycarbonate than previous iPod models. Regardless of why it is the case, scratches suck; especially so when it is on the nano. The nano being so small the scratches especially noticeable and damaging to the experience since they take up larger portions of space. Even a single scratch on the screen could ruin everything.

Like many people, I didn’t buy the rumors. I treat my stuff with great care; I was going to be an exception to the scratches. It sucks to be wrong. Now, it is many moons after the fact. Compared to the early days we now have a lot more accessories and products to help us keep our nano minty fresh, if we are willing to pay for them. There are also products aimed to bring back the polish of those unfortunate, disfigured nanos. Hopefully, you aren’t on the same path as I was on.

Early Preventions:

The best course of action of course is to prevent your nano from being scratched in the first place. Unlike the very early days of nano, there are now an abundance of cases and skins you can protect your precious with; get one when you buy a nano. Stories of scratching the iPod nano with an hour of opening the box are actually true; sad as it is the nano scratches that easily. Nowadays, Apple ships the nano with a slip case, so perhaps it won’t wear as quickly. That slip case however, is not the most effective of methods or the most pretty. Trust me on this, shelling some extra cash out for a nice case is well worth it if you want to keep it smooth and pretty.

One of the best skin cases out there for nano is iSkin Duo. They feature an ingenious two layer design that protects the nano with near perfection. Everything except the hold switch is covered, and covered well. Beyond the awesome protection it provides, they also come in a variety of color combinations (the outer layer and inner layer have different colors); not only do they work, they look good doing in. You should definitely consider checking them out. The list price may seem a bit high, but you can usually find them selling for much lower than that online. And even at list price, this skin is well worth the money.

But what if you are looking for more? You want a case with even better protection: one that withstands scratches, dust, shock and even water. Well, in that case you are in luck. OtterBox makes such a case for nano; a scratch/dust/shock/water proof, thick plastic case. This is what I call overkill protection; it isn’t a case, it is a thick layer of armor. This think is simply beyond the line of duty for most people. The only down side is that it is quite bulky.

For those who do not wish to alter the look of their iPod, you can get some adhesive protective film covers for some skin tight protection. Just stick them onto your nano and you have yourself a form fitting layer of scratch protection. They aren’t going to provide much protection beyond scratching, though. Power Support films had been quite popular, so you may wish to check them out if this type of protection is what you are looking for. Keep in mind that a lot of film sets cover only the front and back surfaces but not the sides, so be sure to check before you buy. Also, some films do not adhere well (quite useless if that is the case) so be sure to check some reviews first before purchasing.

Late Stages:

So your iPod is terminally disfigured. Its beautiful surface scratched up; worse yet some scratches are on the display and now an “n” looks like an “m” and you can no longer tell between “c” and “o”. All is not lost. There are still ways to reduce the damage, even though you may not be able to reverse it. There are various brands of scratch removal polish that can help. The thing to know is that they are not perfect; although they do make a difference. They can reduce the severity of scratches but they cannot completely remove them.

There are a few notable iPod scratch removers, such as iDrops, iCleaner, Radtech Ice Creme and various ones from the company Radtech. Some work better than others of course, so be sure to check for reviews. A thing to note when using these products, regardless of the brand, is to follow the instructions. A lot of people apply them intuitively, but doing so may not get you the full effect; taking a few minutes to read through the instructions is well worth it for a better result.

If you are one of the few who don’t mind scratches, I envy you whole heartedly. But for those who do care, there are many measures you can take to avoid scratches or to reduce them; prevention is always the best option though. Hopefully they next generation won’t be so scratch prone, but for now, we’ll just have to deal with it.