How to create a screensaver for your iPod

Rocking Linux on your iPod and hacking the firmware to change the on-screen graphics are certainly nifty tweaks to distinguish your otherwise commonplace Apple gizmo, but tossing a screensaver on there definitely ups the ante. While you may have seen video loops running on 5G iPods displayed at your local Apple Store, you probably figured a genius from the service bar rigged it up using a soldering iron or proprietary software, but the simplicity behind the secret is quite refreshing. To fancy up your own 5G (and likely 5.5G) iPod, simply create a folder dubbed "Demo Mode" and rename any video clip "Demo." After 2 minutes of stagnation while on charge, the device will automatically begin looping your recently renamed file, which is (presumably) sure to bring pure geek elation to even the most imperturbable PMP junky.

[Via MAKE]

[mike @ Oct 10th 2006 2:19AM]

"After 2 minutes of stagnation while on charge, the device will automatically begin looping your recently renamed file, which is (presumably) sure to bring pure geek elation to even the most imperturbable PMP junky."

Stagnation, elation, imperturable..... Can some1 please explain to me what the above sentence means without mean needing to bust out a jumbo sized dictonary.

Is it saying that that after 2 minutes of my leaving my ipod plugged in, the video clip will continue to loop? So I would need a clip longer then 2 minutes?

[Rohit Kapur @ Oct 10th 2006 3:34AM]

Simply put, Mike, if you do this, then when your iPod is getting charged, after 2 minutes of charging (if you don't mess with it), the video will start. It doesn't matter whether it's 2 seconds long or 2 minutes long.

[mike @ Oct 10th 2006 2:22AM]

Just great, my above post is filled with typos. Now I feel like an even bigger idiot. Good thing this is the internet and I can remain ananymous :)

[scott @ Oct 10th 2006 3:10AM]

Well, the great thing about the internet 'mike' is that you have dictionaries and thesauruses built into almost everything, including Google... Just put 'define: xxxxxx' and google will tell you what those nasty big words mean;)

This is very cool, wonder if it would be possible to get this done for the Zen Vision: M...

[JT @ Oct 10th 2006 3:28AM]

i no understand leh...

[modafroman @ Oct 10th 2006 3:12AM]

You have requested a page that is not currently available due to data transfer restrictions. If the page you requested is yours, click here for more information. ARGH! Anyone got a mirror?

[shredsled87 @ Oct 10th 2006 3:28AM]

It doesn't matter how long your clip is. The entry is saying that after 2 minutes, it will start looping the selected video clip. The clip can be any length.

[M0les @ Oct 10th 2006 3:30AM]

Great! - I simply _hate_ burn-in on my iPod's screen!

[StePhen Barker @ Oct 10th 2006 3:40AM]

open a folder in itunes?

[nizzy1115 @ Oct 10th 2006 3:47AM]

Only problem is your ipod will age faster.

http://futuretechnologynow.blogspot.com/

Does this mean we will have to upgrade more often then?

[Didou @ Oct 10th 2006 3:51AM]

Does the screensaver make the battery take longer to charge ?

[idude135 @ Oct 10th 2006 5:20AM]

The question is, who on earth has an AC/DC charger?

[Tech^CF @ Oct 10th 2006 8:36AM]

My girlfriend has. Great when travelling without a computer

[Peter @ Oct 10th 2006 8:46AM]

i do from my old 4G iPod

[Abdul @ Oct 10th 2006 6:00AM]

me :)

[dhruv bhutani @ Oct 10th 2006 9:11AM]

me 2 . i bought one along with me ipod :-)

[Craig @ Oct 10th 2006 9:24AM]

This is only meant to be used in stores, therefore the iPod reverts to factory settings everytime the demo mode is activated. It's a bit useless if you have your max volume limited, shuffle turned on, brightness reduced, main menu customised etc.

[matthew @ Oct 10th 2006 10:34AM]

anyone else notice slashdot in the background of that pic?

[Darrol @ Oct 10th 2006 11:14AM]

Well in the time that I was doing nothing last night, I tried getting that but it never played. All it did was make my menu screen sit for an extended time before going idle and than the screen stayed lit till I decided to erase the demo file.

[Grant @ Oct 10th 2006 5:10PM]

Like someone said above, this demo thing was made for Apple stores to show off iPods, because when you go back to the main menu after the "screensaver" has played, all settings will be reset, which is how the store wants to show off the iPod.

[Brian @ Oct 10th 2006 9:56PM]

I've read, re-read and (I believe) followed the instructions but all I get is the green charged battery :-(...no looping video, nada. If it's something obvious please tell me. Oh...and the iPod is charging on an Altec Lansing inMotion5 speaker dock connected to an AC/DC Power supply if that makes any differenc at all.

[Seth Harlen @ Mar 17th 2008 5:36AM]

i know a better way that you can even make slideshows with your photos!
go to http://applegossip.freeforums.org/iphoto-slideshow-on-your-ipod-t34.html

[tom borden @ Jul 1st 2008 1:41PM]

i can't get this to work with my iPod Nano 4G. does anyone know if this doesn't work with this model for some reason?