Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsHeadlinesRSS
14,000 hints and counting!

Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod System
This is a obvious hint for most readers, but I just figured out that the new iPod can read simple HTML files using the notes function. This means that you can create a simple (or a really complicated) offline website directory for viewing away from home. Try this: Create a new document in BBEdit (or other text/HTML editor), name it index.html or something, then use the most basic hypertext link code:
<a href="yourlink.html">yourlink</a>
Save the file to notes on the iPod. Now make sure you make another HTML file for it to link to, and save it in the notes folder as well (in this case, it would have to be called yourlink.html). If you make two or three links on the same page, then the scroll wheel will move a highlighted underline up and down underneath the text of each link. The most dificult part is copying and pasting text (it's really easy).

This can be very useful for expanding the iPod to include all sorts of info, for those people who wish their iPod could do anything and everything (people like me.) So far i have a link to email, news websites, movie times, school papers, and song lyrics.

Now I wish someone who knew more than I do would write an AppleScript that could "scrape" the text off my favorite websites and copy it all into these type of basic HTML files on some kind of daily/ weekly basis.
    •    
  • Currently 2.50 / 5
  You rated: 4 / 5 (4 votes cast)
 
[13,036 views]  

Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod | 12 comments | Create New Account
Click here to return to the 'Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod' hint
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod
Authored by: cybergoober on Jun 04, '03 09:59:40AM

I've been using iLyric to download lyrics and sync them to my new iPod. I found the ipodnotereader.pdf file on the Apple Developer site and added links to songs in the .html files that iLyric generates:

<A HREF="song=song_title">Link to song_title</A>

That way when I'm viewing a lyric I can hit the Select button in the middle of the scroll pad and iPod starts playing the song of the lyric I'm viewing.

Note that if there is more than one song with the same title you will need to use a filter, as the Note Reader will not let you select which file to play. For instance, if you had "One" by Metallica and also "One" by Creed you would have to use a link like this:

<A HREF="ipod:music?artist=Metallica&song=One">Link to One</A>

This is probably my favorite new feature on the new iPods.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod
Authored by: lee1 on Jun 04, '03 10:30:05AM
Now I wish someone who knew more than I do would write an AppleScript that could "scrape" the text off my favorite websites and copy it all into these type of basic HTML files

Check out sitescooper: it's a Perl script that does what you want.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod
Authored by: vansie on Jun 04, '03 01:44:21PM

Sounds to me that a service like AvantGo, which I used to use with my Palm V could come in handy soon, if the iPod note viewer would also support simple inline graphics. For those who haven't seen AvantGo before, they're at: http://www.avantgo.com

But a simple perl script works just as well for now, of course.



[ Reply to This | # ]
very basic HTML.
Authored by: Loren on Jun 04, '03 03:21:27PM

2 things I noticed.

1. The file doesn't have to be .html a .txt file works just as well.

2. The ipod doesn't recognize tags like <html> and <center>. Essentially, you are just including an <a href> tag in a text file. Not making an html file.



[ Reply to This | # ]
very basic HTML.
Authored by: b3uk on Jun 04, '03 07:10:55PM

Actually the iPod supports a <title> tag too, you can use this as the href instead of the filename. All of this info comes from the ipodnotereader.pdf mentioned above. It has the full info regarding these features http://developer.apple.com/hardware/ipod/ipodnotereader.pdf

---
"Do it now. Today will be yesterday tomorrow"
- Talking Moose



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod
Authored by: bongo on Jun 04, '03 04:33:00PM
Have you installed Apple's iPod scripts? They'll scrape text off printer-friendly pages and automatically split them into multi-part (linked) notes for the iPod.

[ Reply to This | # ]
Use basic HTML files to navigate notes on the iPod
Authored by: hemperor on Jun 26, '03 02:16:33PM

thanks for this tip, went and checked out the scripts, will be installing on my iBook this evening.

Also cool, the link that Apple provides as an example of a "Printer Friendly" web page is the printer -friendly version of the Declaration of Independence found at http://thomas.loc.gov. Way to go Apple.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Any editor so far?
Authored by: cstuder on Jun 05, '03 08:22:21AM

Since the HTMLized texts is a fairly new feature I couldn't find any editors so far which are specialised for the new iPods. Or am I mistaken and there's one?

(If not I might try to write one myself, as soon as my finals are over...)

Bye,
christian



[ Reply to This | # ]
RE: Any editor so far?
Authored by: cybergoober on Jun 05, '03 09:03:46AM

Any html editor will do, ie- BBEdit, Microsoft Word, Taco HTML Edit, Project Builder etc.



[ Reply to This | # ]
RE: Any editor so far?
Authored by: KyleFassbinder on Apr 23, '04 06:31:44PM

There is a iPod HTML script editor called iStory that can be found at iPodLounge.com. I've used it and it works great for Trivia games, Lyrics, or just foolin around.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Try VoodoPad
Authored by: wisechoice on Jun 05, '03 01:26:48PM
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/18486

It's an alpha release. Also, I don't have a new iPod, so I can't say if it works as described.

[ Reply to This | # ]
Hey
Authored by: PROgrammer77 on Apr 23, '10 03:14:53PM

dude i would love to help you with your applescripting i am pretty good and i have been creating games with applescript. please send me a reply at >Doneth7@me.com<



[ Reply to This | # ]