Last week Apple released the iPod Updater 2005-03-23, an updater that does nothing for iPods other than the iPod photo, as it includes the previous 1.5 updater for first- and second-generation iPods, the 2.3 updater for third-generation iPods, the 1.3 updater for the iPod mini, the 3.0.2 updater for the fourth-generation iPod, and the iPod shuffle’s 1.1 updater. But if you are an iPod photo owner, this updater offers a couple of cool new features (and, possibly, some unexpected behavior).
The splashiest enhancement is related to photo display. This 1.1 update delivers on the promise of the plural “Transitions” command found in software version 1.0. Under the original version of the iPod photo software, there was only a single transition—a left-to-right wipe. The new update adds five additional transitions—Push Across, Push Down, Wipe Down, and Wipe From Center. There’s also a Random entry that mixes up the transitions when you play a slideshow on the iPod or an attached television.
The unexpected behavior I mentioned is that the iPod photo may not display certain transitions, the Random command may not work as it should, a black screen may occur during a slideshow, and photo colors may be way off. In a recent KnowledgeBase article, Apple suggests that after applying the latest updater to the iPod photo, you connect the iPod to your computer and allow its library to be updated by iTunes 4.7.1. Restoring the iPod with the latest updater rather than updating it should keep these problems from occurring as well.
A less-publicized new feature is the Compilations command that can now grace your iPod. As its name hints, selecting Compilations and clicking will display all the albums in your iPod’s music library that have been designated compilations (these are usually greatest hits packages or tribute albums that featured multiple artists). Compilations isn’t on by default. To switch it on, select Settings from the iPod’s main menu, scroll down to Compilations on the Settings screen, and click Select to turn the command on. A new Compilations command will now appear in the Music menu.
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