New Battery or Bust

More 'Pod Tricks



Not all hacks void your warranty, but according to Apple, cracking the case and modifying the internal software are off-limits. That said, in the words of one AppleCare technician, "how much you disclose about how it broke is up to you." Translation: Even the gutsiest hacks will only get you in trouble if a) you screw up and b) you admit to it.

Power

Hardwire your car. Eliminate cable clutter with an in-dash mount that allows you to power your iPod from your vehicle's battery and play your tunes through the stereo without an adaptor. Hard, first- and second-gen iPods



Charge on the go. You could drop $70 on the external Belkin Backup Battery Pack or you could build your own with two AAs, two 9-volts and the box from a deck of cards or an Altoids tin. Intermediate, first- and second-gen iPods

Aesthetics

Colorize the screen. The tough part of this hack is cracking open your case. The easy part is slipping a piece of colored acetate behind the screen. Hard, all iPods



Colorize the 'Pod. Tired of bland white conformity? Send your iPod to the folks at ColorWare PC, and for less than $50, they'll give it a shiny, seamless coat in your choice of 22 colors. For $19 more, they'll do up your dock to match. Easy, all iPods

Code

Cheat the breakout game. This level editor lets you change the number of blocks or the size of the paddle. Intermediate, first-gen iPods



Port Linux to your iPod. Sure, songs sound worse, and none of the other functions work, but hey, at least the little penguin appears on the start-up screen! Read more about this ambitious and ongoing open-source effort. Hard, all iPods