With the iPod, you always have something to listen to, but with Pod2Go, you always have something to read, as well. More than that, this ingenious app puts all kinds of current information on your iPod every time you sync, ensuring that you always have the latest movie times, stock prices, weather forecast, local gas prices, horoscopes, and more.
Start by downloading the free, fully functional, Mac-only 15-day demo. When you install the program, you'll see a new iPod-shaped icon in your menu bar that you use to open the full app or to perform a quick sync. Open the full application and you see a simple and clear interface that lays out the different parts of the program: news, weather, movies, stocks, and more. Plus and minus buttons at the bottom of the window let you add or delete entries to each area. For example, click the plus button in the news section and you get a list of newsfeeds to choose from. You also have the option of adding your own feed.
Pod2Go has some useful extras that show how much thought went into the program. You can use its backup tool to automatically save files to your iPod, putting more of your iPod's hard drive to use. It also has a launch tool so that you can specify applications that should launch when you plug in your iPod. We especially like the lyrics tool, which can find and download the lyrics to any song in your iTunes library with just two clicks; then display the lyrics as note files or save them to the songs' lyrics tags. The lyrics interface is confusing at first, though, and could use a little more explanation. Also, it occasionally couldn't find the correct lyrics for our tracks. That was our only snag with Pod2Go, however. For $15, it looks like a bargain. It even has good support options for shareware, including a support wiki, forums, and a mail form.
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