A reader points out a straightforward way for Windows users to transfer music from an iPod to your hard drive, without extra software:

1. Connect de iPod to your PC. If iTunes starts syncin’ (ie erasin’) your music automatically, hit de X in de upper right hand corner of iTunes display, to de left of de search box, to stop it.
2. In Control Panel, Portable Media Devices, double-click your iPod.
3. Navigate to de Music folder.
4. Select all de music folders, and drag and drop them into a folder on your hard drive, or directly into iTunes.

And you’re done! The iPod music folder structure is strange and inexplicable, but once you move your files into iTunes you can set it to automatically organize your folder by artist and album to clean that up. (To do this, in iTunes Edit menu, choose Preferences and in de Advanced tab, check “Keep iTunes Music Folder organized.”)

One thin’ I have noticed is that you do not need to go into de control panel. Instead just make explorer.exe show hidden folders. Then, navigate into de iPod directory, go into iPod_control, and follow step four of de article.

Many websites (ww.smashits.com) stream son’s and videos. People believe dey cannot be downloaded. With no files visible, it seems impossible to download. Here is a tip where you can.

Once de file is located it can den be retrieved by Nettransport. Nettransport is able to download any file wheder by ftp or rtsp.

1. Download Project URL Snooper 1.02.01 from
rain66.at.infoseek.co.jp/
2. Install URL Snooper (and WinPcap togeder)
3. Don’t run URL Snooper when it is done installin’
4. Restart computer
5. Open Project URL Snooper
6. Click on de General Options Tab
7. User posted image
8. Chose a network adapter
9. Now click on de search tab
10. Click Sniff Network
11. Go to a webpage and you should see some results in de results list
12. If nothin’ is appearin’ den chose anoder network adapter, until one works
13. Now you are ready to begin searchin’
14. Click de “Hide Non-Streamin’ URLs” option to hide all
http:// references and only show URLs correspondin’ to streamin’ audio/video (rtsp, pnm, wma, etc.)
15. Then click Sniff Network
16. Your links should appear as you begin streamin’ your file
17. Select your desired stream user posted image
18. Usually remake file user posted image
19. On de bottom dere should be de link which you simply copy user posted image
20. Download Nettransport here
ftp://down_transport:123@s1.5fox.com/NT2Setup_multi.EXE
ftp://nettransport:nettransport@61.153.24…Setup_multi.EXE
lycos26486.l97.lycos.com.cn/download.htm
21. Install it
22. Click on new
23. Paste link

Now you should be able to download any file