Sherbrooke iPod

AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) A compression format for digital audio. AAC is a newer, more advanced form of compression than the MP3 format. According to some listening tests, AAC files encoded at lower bitrates (like 96 Kbps) sound as good as, or better than, MP3s encoded at higher bitrates (like 128 kbps) despite their notably smaller size. The current version of the AAC codec was developed as part of the MPEG4 standard. (See our MPEG definition for more on this family of audio/video compression standards.) AAC is the audio format used by Apple in their iTunes® Store. Files may appear on your system with the ".m4a" filename extension.

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) - An audio format for Macintosh® operating systems commonly used for storing uncompressed, CD-quality sound (similar to WAV files for Windows-based PCs).

Apple Lossless - Apple Lossless Encoding (also known as Apple Lossless, Apple Lossless Audio Codec or ALE) is an audio codec developed by Apple Computer that provides full, uncompressed CD-quality audio in about half the space of the original file.

Audible - A digital file format for spoken word files purchased from the Audible.com website. Audible files are available at four compression rates — Audible 1, 2, 3, and 4 — with 4 being the least compressed and 1 being the most compressed. iPods are compatible with files encoded in Audible formats 2 through 4.

Auxiliary input An input that enables you to connect an iPod (or any other audio device) to a receiver. The input can be either minijack or RCA.

Bitrate - With audio compression, the average amount of data required to store one second of music (expressed in kilobits per second, or Kbps). Some codecs like MP3, and AAC allow files to be encoded at different bitrates. Generally, as bitrate decreases, so does the sound quality of the resulting file, as well as the amount of memory required to store it.

Brand-name stereo iPod adapters - An adapter that lets you connect your iPod to your brand-name (or aftermarket) car stereo (vs. a factory stereo iPod adapter). The type of adapter you choose depends upon whether your car stereo includes an auxiliary input. For more details, see our guide to listening to your iPod in the car.

Cassette adapter - This accessory lets you listen to your iPod through the cassette player in your car. It connects to the iPod's headphone output.

Click Wheel - Introduced in 2004, this is the type of control used by iPod nanos and iPod classics (as well as the now discontinued iPod minis). The ingenious Click Wheel incorporates the Menu, Fast-Forward, Rewind, and Play/Pause buttons within the wheel itself, so you can scroll through songs and perform those functions, all from one control.

Cover Flow Cover Flow is a graphic user interface used for navigation in the iPod touch. The player's touch screen presents album artwork flowing past in a three-dimensional fashion, as if the albums were swiveling on a rotating rack. Sensors in the touch screen follow the motion of your finger and go either forward or backwards through the albums accordingly. iTunes has a similar interface that can be operated with your mouse. The iPod classic and iPod nano also have a version of Cover Flow that's operated by the player's Click Wheel.

Dock - A cradle for the iPod that connects to a computer for charging the battery and transferring songs and video. Most docks connect to your computer via USB 2.0.

Dock connector - The port on an iPod that connects it to a Dock, or to a special cable that allows battery charging and music transfer when connected to a computer. You can also use the Dock to simplify any kind of connection: the Dock accepts an AC line and can be used as a stand-alone charger; or you can connect it to your A/V system so you can plug and play your iPod's song collection.

Factory stereo iPod adapters - An adapter that lets you connect your iPod to your factory car stereo. Most factory stereo iPod adapters will charge the iPod and allow you to navigate playlists with your car stereo controls (including steering wheel controls). For more details, see our guide to listening to your iPod in the car.

FireWire® - Also known as IEEE 1394 or i.LINK®, FireWire is an extremely fast (up to 400 megabits per second), two-way digital connection used between a computer and an iPod. Newer iPods do not offer FireWire connectivity, but some older generation models accept it in addition to USB.

Flash memory - A form of digital storage developed in 1988 for use in personal computers and PC peripherals, flash memory gets its name because sections of memory cells within the microchip are erased in one simultaneous action, or "flash." Today, flash memory is used in portable MP3 players like the iPod shuffle, as well as in handhelds/PDAs, digital cameras, and for storing digital still pictures in digital camcorders. Because it has no moving parts, flash memory is completely immune to skipping when it's used for audio storage.

Hard drive - A hard drive — just like the one inside your computer, only smaller — is the type of memory used by the iPod classic and iPod touch to store music and data. A larger hard drive means that you can save more music, photos, or information to your iPod. Because it has moving parts, a hard drive theoretically can skip while playing music; however, the iPod's 25-minute skip protection minimizes this.

iPod classic - A full-sized version of the iPod equipped with a color LCD. It can play movies and other videos, display photos, as well as play music and games. It is available in black and white and with either 80GB or 160GB of storage capacity.

iPod nano - Smaller and more colorful than the iPod classic, the iPod nano is a popular choice for on-the-go listening. It comes in 4GB and 4GB versions and is available in silver, blue, green, and black. Like the iPod classic, it has a color screen and plays videos as well as music. The iPod nano runs off of flash memory so it's 100% skip-free.

iPod shuffle The 1GB iPod shuffle is the tiniest iPod available. Like the nano, it features flash memory for totally skip-free playback on the go.

iPod touch - Modeled on Apple's iPhone, the iPod touch shares many of the same features. It uses a motion-sensing touch screen rather than a Click Wheel, allowing it to have several virtual buttons for various kinds of control. The screen also allows for fast browsing through Cover Flow. The iPod touch is WiFi-enabled, which allows you to access the Internet through an open WiFi port.

iTunes® - Compatible with both Mac and PC, iTunes is the combination jukebox/music download software that Apple includes with the iPod. It allows easy transfer of music, TV shows, movies, podcasts, games, and other content to your iPod from your computer.

iTunes tagging - A process that lets you select the song you're listening to on an HD Radio station and save it for purchasing at a later time. (See our article on HD Radio to learn how digital HD Radio is different from regular AM and FM.)

To do iTunes tagging, you need a docking iPod, an audio/video component with an HD Radio tuner, iPod dock and "Tag" button; and a local radio station broadcasting an HD Radio signal that has enabled tagging.

As you're listening to a station broadcasting a tag-enabled HD Radio signal, press the "Tag" button when you hear a song you like. The component saves the song information (but not the song itself) in its memory. The information automatically transfers to your iPod when you dock it to the component. The next time you sync your iPod to your computer, your tagged selections appear as a list in iTunes, giving you the option of buying them through the iTunes Store. The purchased tracks are then downloaded to your PC's iTunes library, and copied to your iPod.

MP3 (MPEG1, Audio Layer 3) - The most popular codec for storing and transferring music. Though it employs a "lossy" compression system which removes frequencies judged to be essentially inaudible, MP3 still manages to deliver near-CD sound quality in a file that's only about a tenth or twelfth the size of a corresponding uncompressed WAV file. When creating an MP3 file, varying amounts of compression can be selected, depending on the desired file size and sound quality.

MPEG-4 - One of the most commonly used codecs for storing and transferring video. MPEG-4 compresses audio and video content into manageable file sizes, especially for portable devices such as iPods. MPEG-4 video files usually have an ".mp4" or .m4v" filemane extension.

QuickTime - The QuickTime video format is Apple's proprietary variant of the MPEG-4 codec. Like MPEG-4, QuickTime compresses and audio and video content for more efficient storage on portable devices, such as iPods. QuickTime players come bundled with iTunes. QuickTime video files usually have a ".qt" or ".mov" fileman extension.

Tagging See iTunes tagging

Touch screen - The touch screen is currently found on the iPod touch. Initially developed for Apple's iPhone, the touch screen is actually a multi-touch screen. The screen can process several touch points simultaneously to better accurately interpret hand motion and respond accordingly.

Touch Wheel Used by earlier generations of the iPod, this control is a wheel that lets you scroll through songs. Unlike the later Click Wheel control, the Touch Wheel does not incorporate the Menu, Fast-Forward, Rewind, and Play/Pause buttons.

USB port - USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a "plug and play" interface between a computer and your iPod (and other devices, including digital cameras, joysticks, keyboards, and printers). The new USB 2.0 standard transmits data at 480 Mbps. That kind of speed makes USB 2.0 suitable for transferring demanding files like full-motion video, etc. Fortunately, all USB 2.0 devices are backwards-compatible with existing USB 1.1 devices.

WAV (Waveform audio format) A standard audio format for Windows operating systems, often used for storing high-quality, uncompressed sound. WAV files can contain CD-quality (44.1 KHz/16-bit) audio signals. However, CD-quality WAV files require relatively large amounts of memory — roughly 10 MB per minute of music.

WiFi® - WiFi is a wireless protocol developed to allow various kinds of devices to talk to each other. Cellular phones use this kind of connectivity, as do home wireless computer networks. The iPod touch is also one such WiFi-enabled device. Many shops, hotels and other businesses offer "open" WiFi hotspots — places where you can access the Internet through your wireless device without needing a password or special software.

Wired FM modulator - A wired FM modulator can connect the iPod to any car stereo, and requires permanent installation. It offers good sound quality, though it does not allow you to charge the iPod's battery or control playback functions through your car stereo. For more details, see our guide to listening to your iPod in the car.

Wireless FM transmitter - A wireless FM transmitter lets you listen to your iPod through your car's FM radio. It offers acceptable sound quality and typically does not require permanent installation. For more details, see our guide to listening to your iPod in the car.