Let It Play

I'm clearly hooked on my pink iPod. Dog walks, early-morning-jogs, 4pm work-reprieves -- impossible not to salute the brilliance of the miniature device that holds thousands of favorites.

But, yeah.

When I flew to Sweden I judiciously paused and played for mere minutes in a row. I made up rules to save the battery life.

• No listening until after the first meal is served
• Pause it while reading
• And if sweet sleep seems seductively simple, use the airplane's radio channels instead

In happy news, it seems tunes they are-a-changing.

Apple Computer Inc. has fessed up. A judge recently approved a class-action settlement, related to the disappointing battery-life of the pods. If you own one of the first three models, you're entitled to $25 in cash, a $50-credit or a free replacement battery.

Details here.

Granted, it won't last the duration of a cross-Atlantic flight. But that would be too much to ask for, wouldn't it?