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“Beautiful” written by Garrett Dutton and Tristan Prettyman, published by Chicken Platters Music (BMI), ET’s Wig Shop, Inc. (ASCAP)

Please check out:
the official G. Love website and
the official Tristan Prettyman website.

The best of the Replacements, released July 13, 2006.

I discussed the fun I had installing a new battery in my 2G 20 gig iPod here. After charging the battery for the first time, the iPod played continually for nineteen hours and fifteen minutes (that’s 305 songs). Six weeks later, the battery is still working flawlessly.

So, if you have an older iPod (1G or 2G) and want to greatly increase its battery life, then consider this upgrade. For just under $40, it’s worth it.

Here is the direct link to purchase the battery (I have no affiliation with the seller other than as a satisfied customer).

Now that my second generation, 20 gigabyte iPod is almost two years old, it’s original eight-to-ten-hour battery life has dropped to somewhere around five-to-six-hours. The fact that it was no longer able to make it through the day without a recharge had become troubling.

Fortunately, the fine folks at NewerTech have a solution. They produce a replacement lithium-polymer battery with 70% more capacity (2100 mAh vs. 1230 mAh) than the battery that originally shipped with the iPod. The NewerTech battery ships with detailed instructions and two tools (made of non-scratching nylon) to remove the back of the iPod’s case.

In this photo, you can see (from left to right) the stock iPod, the replacement battery and the two tools.

Opening the iPod’s case is pretty straightforward. You simply insert one of the tools between the iPod’s acrylic front and metal back. Then, you slide the tool around the case until it disengages all of the clips that hold the two halves together.

In this photo you can see (clockwise, from upper left) the original battery, the metal back of the iPod case, the foam shock absorber that rests between the iPod’s hard drive and its battery, and the interior of the iPod with the hard drive exposed.

Here is a shot of the working iPod, once it has been reassembled. I have read that the new battery has increased the playing time of other iPods to anywhere from 21 to 23 hours. If I can achieve those kinds of results, then I will definitely feel that I have recieved my $40’s worth. Once I give the battery a full charge, I will test it and post the results.

Elliott Smith’s final album, “From a Basement on the Hill,” was released today, two days before the first anniversary of his suicide murder death.

You can click on the album art above to buy the disc from amazon.com. If you are interested in learning more about one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our time, then click the following links:

- the official Elliott Smith site
- a fan site
- Elliott’s All Music Guide entry