Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod touch Undocumented Tweaks in 3.0

L

Lizard Tree

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 16, 2009
7
0
Atlanta
I downloaded 3.0 to my 1G and it seems to run smoother. However, this could be attributable to the equivalent of a "Restore" when 3.0 replaced 2.2.1.

However, I did find some nice new features:

1. Under the Time Bar when playing Podcasts, instead of icons for "Shuffle-Genius-Repeat" it now has icons for "Email-Rewind 30 Seconds-Change Speed"

2. Under the Time Bar when playing Audiobooks, instead of icons for "Shuffle-Genius-Repeat" it now has icons for "Repeat-Rewind 30 Seconds-Change Speeds"

This is great. I can't tell you how many times I have needed to rewind a Podcast or Audiobook about 30 seconds and have had to slowly adjust the time bar. 30 seconds is about perfect! Change speeds is nice, too, for some of those long-winded podcasts - you don't need to go into the settings anymore.

3. When deleting Podcasts from the Touch, you now only need to swipe the podcast, get the "Delete" button, and touch it. No more second step of confirming or canceling the delete. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.

My Notes did Sync to Outlook.

I haven't tried the WIFi Hotspot remember feature yet.
 
hmm ... the new controls under the Podcast Time Bar sound interesting, but I do not see those. I am using an iPod Touch, not an iPhone - but wouldn't think that would make a difference for this tidbit.
 
benolathe said:
hmm ... the new controls under the Podcast Time Bar sound interesting, but I do not see those. I am using an iPod Touch, not an iPhone - but wouldn't think that would make a difference for this tidbit.
Click to expand...

I have the bar.

Also another "undocumented tweak" (so I think) is when you are looking at the Slide To Unlock screen, and double press the home button it displays more info about what you are listening to. Song name, artist, and album
 
andyffer said:
Also another "undocumented tweak" (so I think) is when you are looking at the Slide To Unlock screen, and double press the home button it displays more info about what you are listening to. Song name, artist, and album
Click to expand...

Great - I can see the more song info.

But is there something specific you need to touch on the screen to show the new bar in the Podcasts?
 
benolathe said:
Great - I can see the more song info.

But is there something specific you need to touch on the screen to show the new bar in the Podcasts?
Click to expand...

Hey, the thread is asking for undocumented tweaks. I never said it was a cool one lol. I dont know if I want to tell you about the podcast thing. :cool:

If it aint showing up you have to REALLY not be trying, blind, or your ipod is messssed up.
See the top slider?
Normal..
IMG_0049.png

Podcast..
IMG_0050.png


WHICH leads me to my next undocumented findings..
The fast forward and rewind.. "Scrubbing"
When sliding the bar at the top to a spot in the song, you can choose how fast and slow you want to do it.
IMG_0051-1.png

IMG_0053.png

It goes Full > Half > Quarter > Fine
 
Get more podcasts over wi-fi finally works

I am so happy that with 3.0 when you download enhanced podcasts such as GDGT, engadget, and Macworld directly on the iPod touch they will play correctly and the chapters are recognized.
 
Okay, figured out the problem. All of my podcasts are video - not audio. So, they automatically configure to landscape and have different controls.

Mystery solved. :cool:
 
Lizard Tree said:
1. Under the Time Bar when playing Podcasts, instead of icons for "Shuffle-Genius-Repeat" it now has icons for "Email-Rewind 30 Seconds-Change Speed"

2. Under the Time Bar when playing Audiobooks, instead of icons for "Shuffle-Genius-Repeat" it now has icons for "Repeat-Rewind 30 Seconds-Change Speeds"

This is great. I can't tell you how many times I have needed to rewind a Podcast or Audiobook about 30 seconds and have had to slowly adjust the time bar. 30 seconds is about perfect! Change speeds is nice, too, for some of those long-winded podcasts - you don't need to go into the settings anymore.
...
Click to expand...

You know, I think you're right and wrong. What is GREAT is the new shuttle control speed variance, the rewind 30seconds, and the 0.5x-2x speed control change.

What is NOT great, is the email a friend feature. How many times have you emailed a friend about a podcast? In fact, the only reason I can imagine wanting to email a friend about a podcast, it's about maybe the specific episode I'm listening to- but, unless I misunderstood, when I tried it on my ipod, it just sends the itunes store subscription button to the podcast itself, not the episode. So... To me, this is not at all worthwhile.

AND. in fact, for me, and for the way I listen to podcasts, the loss of the Shuffle button within the podcasts is excruciating and very very frustrating. I build playlists of podcasts and then listen to them on shuffle throughout the day while I work, mixed with music in the same playlist.

However, to start the day, or task, or whatever, I'll often want to listen to one specific podcast. i.e.: "hmm, today, I think I'll check out that cool new Sound of Young America!" or whatever, and then let the list continue from there. This capability is completely lost, and, frankly, I'm really really frustrated by it.

I love the new search and playback features, but the email a friend is useless, and ultimately, all of them are completely silly without being able to play the podcasts as I wish to (shuffle within a playlist). I wish they would update the software with a simple preferences tweak to allow us to place whichever function we found most useful. I'd replace email with shuffle, but that's just me.

It is, actually, the first time since I've bought the ipod Touch (first generation) that i've considered jailbreaking. Just because I could at least keep what I like about the new features but maintain my system.
 
sturigdson said:
AND. in fact, for me, and for the way I listen to podcasts, the loss of the Shuffle button within the podcasts is excruciating and very very frustrating. I build playlists of podcasts and then listen to them on shuffle throughout the day while I work, mixed with music in the same playlist.

However, to start the day, or task, or whatever, I'll often want to listen to one specific podcast. i.e.: "hmm, today, I think I'll check out that cool new Sound of Young America!" or whatever, and then let the list continue from there. This capability is completely lost, and, frankly, I'm really really frustrated by it.
Click to expand...

Can't you just make a smart playlist with "podcast = true," then add whatever criteria you need to exclude podcasts you don't want, and shuffle that?
 
Lizard Tree said:
3. When deleting Podcasts from the Touch, you now only need to swipe the podcast, get the "Delete" button, and touch it. No more second step of confirming or canceling the delete. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, you only get this option after your podcasts have been backed up to iTunes. So it's not a problem for me.
 
New tweak

Maps app on ipod touch now has street view. Before 3.0 only the iPhone had street view.
 
I havent seen anyone mentioning this feature yet but now we can "hide" selected videos or apps using the Parental Restrictions in Settings. Now we dont need to buy an app that'll hide some videos from being displayed to whoever plays our iPods. From the mouth of Cartman, "SWEET!!!!". :D
 
A couple of others

When loading multi-part audiobooks, each part used to show up separately as an audiobook. Now only the first part shows up in the audiobook listing and when you touch that listing, a new screen appears with all of the parts. This likely only works if you put the correct information in the "Get Info" pages of the audiobook, but it works for me.

There also are 2 more pages / screens for Apps. I believe there used to be 9 pages, and now there are 11.
 
sturigdson said:
What is NOT great, is the email a friend feature. How many times have you emailed a friend about a podcast? In fact, the only reason I can imagine wanting to email a friend about a podcast, it's about maybe the specific episode I'm listening to- but, unless I misunderstood, when I tried it on my ipod, it just sends the itunes store subscription button to the podcast itself, not the episode. So... To me, this is not at all worthwhile.

Hmm, I hadn't thought about this. But you're right - I'd rather have the Shuffle over the Email. I do have a playlist for "Podcasts" that I can use the Shuffle feature on, so it's not a real problem for me, but keeping the Shuffle feature would be more convenient.
Click to expand...
 
Never noticed this before, but when I touch the dots on the bottom of the home screen (showing you what screen you are on), it will navigate to the left or right, depending on what side of the dots you touch.

image.php
 
Why do we need more than one of these threads? Especially when the other thread is pages and pages long and has every single feature in this thread mentioned already documented.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back