iPod Service Module Error

Phone call asking for advice, someone's daughter away at University is having a problem with an iPod nano that can't be synched. I'm told the error message relates to iPod Service Module.

iPod Service Module? Exactly that? Are you sure? Yes, I'm told, that's exactly it. And what's the solution? Apparently sensible daughter has reinstalled iTunes, tried endlessly but iTunes will not recognise the iPod and it won't synch. Stressed parent demands an answer. Why is iTunes such rubbish?

So I try to point out - politely - that iTunes is very far from rubbish. It's a great, solid, reliable program which must by now be one of the most widely used pieces of code in the world. Actually on Windows its two programs, one iTunes itself the other a small program that runs all the time, watching and waiting for an iPod to be connected. When it detects an iPod, iPod Classic, iPod shuffle or iPod Nano it fires up its big brother and hey presto there's iTunes. If you do control/alt/delete Task Manager will show you its running processes and there you'll see it - except its called iPodService.exe. Take careful note, no space.

So I ask again, because I'd expect a genuine error message to faithfully replicate the program name - "iPodService.exe" - rather than the probably other program generated "iPod Service Error". Yes, I'm assured, the message is just as I've been told, the space is there. So being hundreds of miles from the offending PC I have to speculate and come up with an answer.

Since iPod Service Module or iPodService.exe monitors the USB ports there could be a problem there. Maybe there are too many devices attached and there isn't enough power; maybe the port has been damaged. Maybe there's a fault in the white cable causing an electrical fault. All quickly dismissed by parent (by now becoming tetchy).

What else monitors USB ports? I'd also take a look at those fierce guardians of our safety - the firewall and virus software. Daughter runs Norton. I laugh - over the years removing Norton from PCs that are playing up has been a steady source of income. So I point the finger of blame in that direction. Parent suddenly seems happy, promises to ring daughter with a shopping list of actions to tackle the issue. He promises to ring me back and let me know what works. Thus far I've heard nothing so assume it's been fixed.

Further suggestion - isolate the fault. In this case its in the iPod, the cable or the PC. Try to connect iPod to another computer, if its recognised there the problem is with your computer. Try another cable. Try another iPod with the computer, if that works you know the issue is with your iPod.

iPhone , Gmail and IMAP

If you have an iPhone and a Google Gmail account you'll want to access it via IMAP. Why? Because then you get your messages automatically, just like the BlackBerry crowd.

Google have produced a helpful video tutorial, you can see it here.

iPhone Insurance

Another question from an iPhone using client - should I take out insurance?

Insurance being something of a closed book to me I asked what he was insuring against. He said he was worried that he'd lose his phone, have to buy a new one AND pay the monthly fee on the unit he lost.

I did some digging and was pleased to be able to correct one misconception. According to O2 you only need replace the handset. You don't have to continue paying your 'old' contract and a 'new' one. This being the case the extent of your loss is £269.

That being the level of risk I started looking for a policy and wasn't much surprised to find all the policies came in at about the same cost - £8 per month. For a private consumer that's going to mean he buys himself a new handset in about 34 months, if as a business user he can claim back the VAT, that would be 29 months. At first thought a rather expensive policy.

I asked myself how much the iPhone Mk5 would be in 18 months time? A lot less than today's price I'm sure. And how many times have you lost a phone anyway - me, never. I also rang my own insurance company who suggested if the phone was mine it should go on my contents policy.

So I rang my client back and explained the situation. What a hard life insurance salespeople must lead, this potential buyer quickly decided this was one policy he could live without.