iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

More Mac Shareware

AppleScript isn’t the only way code warriors have crafted helpful utility programs for the iPod. Here’s an assortment of standalone software programs that do wacky and useful things for Mac iPods:

• PodQuest. If you’re already planning on taking your iPod along on your next driving trip, make that little white jukebox do double-duty as a navigator. The $10 PodQuest program from Mibasoft, shown in Figure 11-2, downloads driving directions for destinations in North America and Europe from Google Maps, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, and MapBlast to the iPod’s Notes or Contacts folder. This program works with Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, Safari 1.0.3 or later, and all versions of the iPod except the Shuffle.

  

  Figure 11-2. With PodQuest, your iPod not only rides shotgun as a music machine, but also can display driving directions downloaded from trusted travel sites like Google Maps and MapQuest.

• iPod Launcher. This starts up a whole batch of programs and scripts automatically whenever you connect the iPod to your Mac OS X system. You might use it to trigger auto-backups of the data files on the iPod, for example. Or, if you use it in tandem with iPod It, you can synchronize your Entourage data as well as download news, headlines, and weather reports without having to think about any of it. iPod Launcher works with Mac OS X 10.2 and later and sells for $5.

• VoodooPad. This is a versatile ...