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Yes, you can have an iPod Nano for free but first you have to buy it with a new MacBook (from $1,099.00 - students save up to $100), a MacBook Pro (from $1,999.00 - students save $200), an iMac (from $1,299.00 - students save $100) or a Power Mac G5 (from $1,999.00 - students save up to $300) by September 16, 2006, and you’ll get the iPod nano free after mail-in rebate (up to $179). Or you just can choose another iPod and save some money after mail-in rebate. After receiving the products, start your rebate online for processing or download and mail the rebate form.

According to the latest biannual market research study by Ridgewood, N.J.-based Student Monitor, drinking beer is not an ‘in’ thing as much as the Apple Computer’s iPod music player. It seems like the 73 percent of 1,200 students consider the iPod an ‘in’ thing, more than text messaging, bar hopping or downloading music. In 2005, only 59 percent of undergraduate college students said that the iPod is an ‘in’ thing for them so drinking beer being more ‘popular’ last year.

Eric Weil, a partner at Student Monitor, said that in 18 years, beer has been dethroned two times: by the Internet in 1997 and now by the iPod music player. It would be a great thing if iPod continues to be more important then drinking beer but this is too improbable because soon beer will retake its spot: number one.

On June 1st was published a filing in which we find out that the inventors describe a wireless handheld device which can ‘compress, enhance, encode, transmit, decompress and display digital video images in real time’. There are examples of iPod-type device with a color display, wireless network support and a decompress device for decompressing live video or similar device that also includes a video camera which has the capability to capture full-motion video and a microphone and also talks about an optional wireless module and A/V module.

It states that the A/V module or wireless module could be manufactured and marketed separately as an add-on module for standard iPods, or could be incorporated into the iPod packaging as an enhanced iPod-type device.

According to a study released in April 2006 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the many forms of distractions (while you are in the car driving) are responsible for eight of every ten car accidents. Starting from this study, the Canadian Automobile Association wants to adopt strict rules through which the younger drivers will not be allowed to use Mp3 players, cell phones and other portable devices while they’re driving.

According to the statement of the CAA president David Flewelling it seems like ‘restricting the use of electronic devices, such as cell phones, MP3 players and wireless hand-held devices, allows drivers to truly focus on the driving task’. Thinking about that a little bit we can realize that if for the cell phones the problem has been solved with the help of “hands-free devices”, why couldn’t iPod have something like that, especially for drivers?

Apple’s iPod manufacturer, Foxconn, has admitted that it broke Chinese labor laws after denying the situation of the workers in the factories of Apple music players. We first found out from mailonsunday.co.uk about the fact that (mainly female) workers were paid with only £27 per month, that Foxconn’s Longhua plant housed 200,000 workers (they lived in dormitories which house 100 persons) and that visitors from the outside world are not allowed to come in and also that the iPod shuffle workers earn £54 per month, but they must pay for their accommodation and food, ‘which takes up half their salaries’.

The next day, Apple state that it takes the allegations seriously. Apple ensured that working conditions in their supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible. A couple of days later, Edmund Ding, the spokesman for Foxconn, declared that there were huge discrepancies between the truth and the allegations in the report calling the report as a ‘vicious attack’ on Foxconn.

In the end, it seems like iPod maker admits breaking Chinese labor laws. They were forcing its employees to work about 80 extra hours each month. I think that they should’ve got real punished for what they did to the workers. Is not right to treat this way the people who made possible the success of the iPods.