So check this out. There was a challenge put out by Colin Nederkoorn (Who?),  basically this guy wanted his company to replace his IBM desktop with the MacBook, and he said it would run Win XP... Oops. So he made a site and put up $100.00 US of his own money to get a contest going that would get someone to figure out how to do it. Sweet, right?

Well apparently a $100 wasn't enough, but $12,000.00 US was, so it looks like someone may have pulled it off. Have a gander at this quote from Arstechnica:

"According to a post by narf2006, a user who is said to be very credible on the "WinXP on Mac" forums and has been diligently hacking away since the challenged started, the magic has officially happened and he has submitted his super secret process to the owners of the site to review. His proof offered up in the thread, however, is a Flickr set of photos (some better than others) of what appears to be Windows XP (will the real WinXP please stand up?) on what we assume to be an Intel iMac."

Alright, so we got that, and there's a grip of photos over at flickr for your perusal.

Go Narf wit yo' bad self!

In fact, the DVD writer shoots out of the front cover when the modder hits the 'reset' button (totally sweet!), the system boots up when the 'power' button is hit, and the mod retains the white Mac indicator light on the front.

The following post might offend some users reading this blog. One guy was so happy about his brand new MacBook Pro that he decided he wants to get to know it from the inside out! These pictures just shows you how technology is advancing and how Apple and Intel managed to slim the powerful hardware down. Wait, did I say Intel? What is very interesting is that there's not one Intel logo in any of those pictures. Oh well, atleast we know it contains that powerful intel chip. Another guy tested it with the 1Ghz Titanium Powerbook and found that the MackBook Pro takes about 27 second to boot up, where the Powerbook takes about 57 seconds. Feast your eyes on more of the MacBook Pro's insides by following the link below, if you dare....

You know, there aren't very many cool-looking cases out there for the iPod that make you look twice. As a gift to her boyfriend, cookiedough posted a how-to on making a Domokun-themed cover for the iPod over at craftster.org. The case is sweet.

"Best thing of all is that the navigation wheel of the iPod works through fabric -- hence the monster's belly. When the iPod is playing, the transparent, red vinyl glows a great hot pink."

Sign me up. If you like the design, and you've got a Jo-ann's Fabrics close to you, you know what to do. If anyone calls for me, I'm going to be in the shop making what few men have dared to make before.

The huge success of the Apple iPod has stirred waves of revolution throughout the world, with everyone embracing the slick device, almost. But this brings us to our dilemma: the iPod is responsible for the direct decrease in the number of wild DJs roaming freely in clubs and get-togethers across the United States.

An innocent, yet sometimes rebellious little animal, the DJ needs our support in helping to keep its natural environments free of the dreaded iPod. With more and more people resorting to unique playlists to keep the party going, saving themselves a few extra bucks that would normally go to a DJ, the furry little guys are watching as their lives are washed away.

If you're a DJ, though, all is not lost. According to the Statesman Journal, a DJ carries an aura about them that no machine can replace. They offer a few good tips to keep the customers at the door and the music on the floor. (I rhymed. Yay! Maybe I'll be a DJ. Fat chance.)

According to the Statesman:

•  Look like you are into it, even if you aren't. Like any entertainer, the DJ can be the life of a party. But a DJ who looks like he or she would rather be sleeping isn't going to make anyone feel good about being there.

•  Bring a big collection of songs. When people request song after song, they don't want to be told you don't have it or your dog ate it. (One DJ told me that his Kanye West CD was stolen). If you want to be the hit of the dance floor, play the songs people want to hear. However ...

•  A Salem DJ once told me a truly great DJ rarely gets requests. If he or she is working the crowd well and spinning tunes that are not only popular and danceable but that have a good variety of beats, people don't think to ask for a song. I've seen it happen -- the groove is good and people don't even think to make a request because they're having too much fun. Now that's something no machine is going to replace.

Follow these steps and you'll be alright ... or just buy an iPod.

[Via, Statesman Journal]

Okay, I'll come clean and admit that I'm no audiophile. The world of tweaking top-quality output from sound systems is way above my financial means and completely over my head. I listen to most of my music on the move via headphones (where outside noise renders quality a moot point), or in dirty nightclubs (where a kind engineer worries about that sort of thing on my behalf). Still, this doesn't stop me being amazed at the effort and funds some people are prepared to put towards the ultimate listening experience. You've just got to respect that level of dedication.

Red Wine Audio of Massachusetts are offering a modification service for 4th generation iPods to vastly improve their output quality. It doesn't come cheap, but hey - nothing in audiophile world ever does.

Red Wine Audio feel that there are several points along the 4th generation iPod's signal path which are causing degradation, including cheap connector parts, thin pathways along circuit boards, and the signal path being too close to resistors and capacitors. For 199 dollars, they will crack open your iPod and do their level best to fix these issues. They will;

"significantly minimize the analog signal path that follows the output of the internal Wolfson dac chip. Using D.H. Labs silver wire, we take the analog output (line out) off of the dac chip and send it directly to the internal 1/8" headphone jack (converting it into a dedicated line-out jack) via high-end Black Gate Non-Polarized NX HiQ coupling capacitors."

This basically gives you an iPod pushing out a stronger, cleaner signal. It converts your output from a headphone jack to a line-out (meaning it is without it's own amplification) - so your iPod is now a source to connect up to an amplifier or dedicated headphone amplifier. If you want to retain your headphone jack, Red Wine Audio can drill a small hole in the back of your iPod and leave you with a line-out via a protruding cable.

Of course, that's not the end of the expense if you want to do things properly. Red Wine Audio recommend that you go for a 139 dollar cable to connect your newly-enhanced iPod to your amplifier.

For all you daredevils out there, the weak need not apply, there is a tutorial floating on the net that shows you exactly how to beef up your Nano from a modest 4 gigabyte device to an impressive 8 gigabyte MP3 player.

First, a few things to clear up: no, this will not add more bulk to your Nano, it will stay exactly the same size and, yes, it will require a delicate hand, as soldering is absolutely essential. The mod is basically taking the memory from a non-working Nano that you can find on the cheap on Ebay and soldering it into a second slot already available on any 4 gig Nano. Pretty easy if you are a soldering master, can be dangerous if you're not.

I guess the spare circuitry also reveals Apple's previous and future plans of including even more memory options and a larger capacity to the Nano. Interesting, very interesting. That the author claims the Nano recognizes the extra storage space after being reset is strange but cool. Of course, if you lack the daring to fiddle around with your precious Nano, and can spare a few hundred bucks, the author is willing to do the mod for you.

Of course, iPod Updates takes no responsibility if you damage your Nano, as this has not been officially verified as working. Everyone else, please read this.

[Via, Multiarcade]

Case modifications for iPods are few and far between. Sure, people like to wrap their iPods in fancy protective skins, and sometimes have them laser-etched by Apple or put stickers on them ... but that's about all. Maybe the iPod is so small, so sleek, and so attractive that modders have just left it well and truly alone. Maybe they're all too busy crafting new casings for their PCs instead.

A guy going by the name of Javamoose over on Flickr has been busy though. He's torn apart an old geiger counter casing and fitted his iPod inside. Engineering the 'counter' wand to hold the iPod's remote is a nice touch, as is painting the unit up and adding some home-made Apple logos.

[Via Slashdot]

This is one of those ideas which seems so obvious once you see it. Surely somebody already thought of this, but no - it's a first. In fact, it's only a propotype so far, on display at the CES today in Las Vegas. It's a rugged toolbox with sound system built-in, and includes a dock for your iPod.

Handymen across the world will be queueing up to buy these. Have you ever seen a plumber, carpenter, decorator or electrician come into your home without both a toolbox and a boombox?

No news yet on availability, prices, or, well, any other details really. But it's a great concept.

[Via Engadget]

Have you been looking at the available ranges of iPod wraps and thinking "I'd like one, but the right design for me really just isn't out there yet"? If you have, then it looks like Memorex might have just the product for you. assuming that you already have an inkjet printer, that is.

Memorex have recently released a range of printable iPod wraps in packs of 10 for the iPod shuffle, the iPod Nano, the iPod Video, the iPod Mini, and the 4th generation iPod too. You can print any design you like onto these self-adhesive wraps made of scratch and scuff-resistant photo-quality paper, and Memorex promise that they're easily removable after you get bored and print yourself a new one.

Each pack of 10 wraps includes Memorex's exPressit Label Design Studio software (for Windows PCs only, unfortunately), which helps you work to the appropriate template shapes and includes over 1,500 backgrounds, images, and clip art for those who are short of inspiration or source material of their own.