What does Yiu Yung-chin claim the Ming did not possess?


Shih-Shan Henry Tsai writes that the Yongle Emperor sent his eunuch Yang Sanbao into Tibet in 1413 to gain the allegiance of various Tibetan princes, while the Yongle Emperor paid a small fortune in return gifts for tributes in order to maintain the loyalty of neighboring vassal states such as Nepal and Tibet. However, Van Praag states that Tibetan rulers upheld their own separate relations with the kingdoms of Nepal and Kashmir, and at times "engaged in armed confrontation with them."


Where did the Yongle Emperor send Yang Sanbao?


When did Yongle Emperor send Yang Sanbao into Tibet?


Why did Yongle Emperor send Yang Sanbao into Tibet?


Why did the emperor pay a small fortune in gifts?


Even though the Gelug exchanged gifts with and sent missions to the Ming court up until the 1430s, the Gelug was not mentioned in the Mingshi or the Mingshi Lu. On this, historian Li Tieh-tseng says of Tsongkhapa's refusal of Ming invitations to visit the Yongle Emperor's court:


Until what year frame did the Gelug exchange gifts with the the Ming?


Regardless of their sectarian affiliations, who did the Ming grant titles to?

Wylie asserts that this type of censorship of the History of Ming distorts the true picture of the history of Sino-Tibetan relations, while the Ming court granted titles to various lamas regardless of their sectarian affiliations in an ongoing civil war in Tibet between competing Buddhist factions. Wylie argues that Ming titles of "King" granted indiscriminately to various Tibetan lamas or even their disciples should not be viewed as reappointments to earlier Yuan dynasty offices, since the viceregal Sakya regime established by the Mongols in Tibet was overthrown by the Phagmodru myriarchy before the Ming existed.


Who was the viceregal Sakya regime overthrown by?


Who believed that the Ming had no real authority over Tibet?

Helmut Hoffman states that the Ming upheld the facade of rule over Tibet through periodic missions of "tribute emissaries" to the Ming court and by granting nominal titles to ruling lamas, but did not actually interfere in Tibetan governance. Melvyn C. Goldstein writes that the Ming had no real administrative authority over Tibet, as the various titles given to Tibetan leaders did not confer authority as the earlier Mongol Yuan titles had. He asserts that "by conferring titles on Tibetans already in power, the Ming emperors merely recognized political reality." Hugh Edward Richardson writes that the Ming dynasty exercised no authority over the succession of Tibetan ruling families, the Phagmodru (1354–1435), Rinpungpa (1435–1565), and Tsangpa (1565–1642).


What years did the Rinpungpa regime start and end?


Who believed that the titles given to Tibetan leaders did not confer authority?


What years did the Tsangpa start and end?


What year did the Jianwen Emperor reign start and end?

In his usurpation of the throne from the Jianwen Emperor (r. 1398–1402), the Yongle Emperor was aided by the Buddhist monk Yao Guangxiao, and like his father, the Hongwu Emperor, the Yongle Emperor was "well-disposed towards Buddhism", claims Rossabi. On March 10, 1403, the Yongle Emperor invited Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama (1384–1415), to his court, even though the fourth Karmapa had rejected the invitation of the Hongwu Emperor. A Tibetan translation in the 16th century preserves the letter of the Yongle Emperor, which the Association for Asian Studies notes is polite and complimentary towards the Karmapa. The letter of invitation reads,


When did the Yongle Emperor invite Deshin Shekpa to his court?


Who did the Yongle Emperor send to Tibet?

In order to seek out the Karmapa, the Yongle Emperor dispatched his eunuch Hou Xian and the Buddhist monk Zhi Guang (d. 1435) to Tibet. Traveling to Lhasa either through Qinghai or via the Silk Road to Khotan, Hou Xian and Zhi Guang did not return to Nanjing until 1407.


Why did the Yongle Emperor send Hou Xian and Zhi Guang to Tibet?


When did Hou Xian and Zhi Guang return to Nanjing?


Where did Hou Xian and Zhi Guang travel through on their way to the Karmapa?


During his travels beginning in 1403, Deshin Shekpa was induced by further exhortations by the Ming court to visit Nanjing by April 10, 1407. Norbu writes that the Yongle Emperor, following the tradition of Mongol emperors and their reverence for the Sakya lamas, showed an enormous amount of deference towards Deshin Shekpa. The Yongle Emperor came out of the palace in Nanjing to greet the Karmapa and did not require him to kowtow like a tributary vassal. According to Karma Thinley, the emperor gave the Karmapa the place of honor at his left, and on a higher throne than his own. Rossabi and others describe a similar arrangement made by Kublai Khan and the Sakya Phagpa lama, writing that Kublai would "sit on a lower platform than the Tibetan cleric" when receiving religious instructions from him.


Where did the Yongle Emperor greet the Karmapa?


Who did the Emperor give the place of honor at his left to?


Who sat on a lower platform than the Tibetan cleric?


Who showed a great amount of respect to Deshin Shekpa?


At what temple did the ceremonies for the Yongle Emperor's deceased parents take place?

Throughout the following month, the Yongle Emperor and his court showered the Karmapa with presents. At Linggu Temple in Nanjing, he presided over the religious ceremonies for the Yongle Emperor's deceased parents, while twenty-two days of his stay were marked by religious miracles that were recorded in five languages on a gigantic scroll that bore the Emperor's seal. During his stay in Nanjing, Deshin Shekpa was bestowed the title "Great Treasure Prince of Dharma" by the Yongle Emperor. Elliot Sperling asserts that the Yongle Emperor, in bestowing Deshin Shekpa with the title of "King" and praising his mystical abilities and miracles, was trying to build an alliance with the Karmapa as the Mongols had with the Sakya lamas, but Deshin Shekpa rejected the Yongle Emperor's offer. In fact, this was the same title that Kublai Khan had offered the Sakya Phagpa lama, but Deshin Shekpa persuaded the Yongle Emperor to grant the title to religious leaders of other Tibetan Buddhist sects.


What title was Deshin Shekpa given at Nanjing?


Who did Deshin Shekpa persuade the Yongle Emperor to give the title to?


Who imposed on the military might on Tibet in the past?

Tibetan sources say Deshin Shekpa also persuaded the Yongle Emperor not to impose his military might on Tibet as the Mongols had previously done. Thinley writes that before the Karmapa returned to Tibet, the Yongle Emperor began planning to send a military force into Tibet to forcibly give the Karmapa authority over all the Tibetan Buddhist schools but Deshin Shekpa dissuaded him. However, Hok-Lam Chan states that "there is little evidence that this was ever the emperor's intention" and that evidence indicates that Deshin Skekpa was invited strictly for religious purposes.


Hok-Lam Chan states that Deshin Skekpa was only invited for what purpose?


What was said to be the Yongle Emperor plans?


Why was the Yongle Emperor said to have been planning to send military forces into Tibet?


Who convinced the Yongle emperor not to send military forces into Tibet?


Who did the Yongle Emperor have a conflict with?

Marsha Weidner states that Deshin Shekpa's miracles "testified to the power of both the emperor and his guru and served as a legitimizing tool for the emperor's problematic succession to the throne," referring to the Yongle Emperor's conflict with the previous Jianwen Emperor. Tsai writes that Deshin Shekpa aided the legitimacy of the Yongle Emperor's rule by providing him with portents and omens which demonstrated Heaven's favor of the Yongle Emperor on the Ming throne.


Who aided the legitimacy of the Yongle Emperor's rule?


What served as a legitimizing tool for the emperor's succession to the throne?


According to Norbu who failed to realize the significance of the religious aspect of the Ming-Tibetan relationship?

With the example of the Ming court's relationship with the fifth Karmapa and other Tibetan leaders, Norbu states that Chinese Communist historians have failed to realize the significance of the religious aspect of the Ming-Tibetan relationship. He writes that the meetings of lamas with the Emperor of China were exchanges of tribute between "the patron and the priest" and were not merely instances of a political subordinate paying tribute to a superior. He also notes that the items of tribute were Buddhist artifacts which symbolized "the religious nature of the relationship." Josef Kolmaš writes that the Ming dynasty did not exercise any direct political control over Tibet, content with their tribute relations that were "almost entirely of a religious character." Patricia Ann Berger writes that the Yongle Emperor's courting and granting of titles to lamas was his attempt to "resurrect the relationship between China and Tibet established earlier by the Yuan dynastic founder Khubilai Khan and his guru Phagpa." She also writes that the later Qing emperors and their Mongol associates viewed the Yongle Emperor's relationship with Tibet as "part of a chain of reincarnation that saw this Han Chinese emperor as yet another emanation of Manjusri."


Who believe that the Ming dynasty did not exercise any direct political control over Tibet?


What years did the Zhengtong Emperor reign?

The Information Office of the State Council of the PRC preserves an edict of the Zhengtong Emperor (r. 1435–1449) addressed to the Karmapa in 1445, written after the latter's agent had brought holy relics to the Ming court. Zhengtong had the following message delivered to the Great Treasure Prince of Dharma, the Karmapa:


Who maintains an edict of the Zhengtong Emperor?


Who had a message delivered to them by Zhengtong?


Who did the Ming cut off all relations with?

Despite this glowing message by the Emperor, Chan writes that a year later in 1446, the Ming court cut off all relations with the Karmapa hierarchs. Until then, the court was unaware that Deshin Shekpa had died in 1415. The Ming court had believed that the representatives of the Karma Kagyu who continued to visit the Ming capital were sent by the Karmapa.


What year did the Ming cut off the Karmapa hierarchs?


Who did the Ming court think the representatives were sent by?


Tsai writes that shortly after the visit by Deshin Shekpa, the Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of a road and of trading posts in the upper reaches of the Yangzi and Mekong Rivers in order to facilitate trade with Tibet in tea, horses, and salt. The trade route passed through Sichuan and crossed Shangri-La County in Yunnan. Wang and Nyima assert that this "tribute-related trade" of the Ming exchanging Chinese tea for Tibetan horses—while granting Tibetan envoys and Tibetan merchants explicit permission to trade with Han Chinese merchants—"furthered the rule of the Ming dynasty court over Tibet". Rossabi and Sperling note that this trade in Tibetan horses for Chinese tea existed long before the Ming. Peter C. Perdue says that Wang Anshi (1021–1086), realizing that China could not produce enough militarily capable steeds, had also aimed to obtain horses from Inner Asia in exchange for Chinese tea. The Chinese needed horses not only for cavalry but also as draft animals for the army's supply wagons. The Tibetans required Chinese tea not only as a common beverage but also as a religious ceremonial supplement. The Ming government imposed a monopoly on tea production and attempted to regulate this trade with state-supervised markets, but these collapsed in 1449 due to military failures and internal ecological and commercial pressures on the tea-producing regions.


What did Yongle want to trade with Tibet?


Why does Van Praag believe the Ming court set up a diplomatic delegation with Tibet?

Van Praag states that the Ming court established diplomatic delegations with Tibet merely to secure urgently needed horses. Wang and Nyima argue that these were not diplomatic delegations at all, that Tibetan areas were ruled by the Ming since Tibetan leaders were granted positions as Ming officials, that horses were collected from Tibet as a mandatory "corvée" tax, and therefore Tibetans were "undertaking domestic affairs, not foreign diplomacy". Sperling writes that the Ming simultaneously bought horses in the Kham region while fighting Tibetan tribes in Amdo and receiving Tibetan embassies in Nanjing. He also argues that the embassies of Tibetan lamas visiting the Ming court were for the most part efforts to promote commercial transactions between the lamas' large, wealthy entourage and Ming Chinese merchants and officials. Kolmaš writes that while the Ming maintained a laissez-faire policy towards Tibet and limited the numbers of the Tibetan retinues, the Tibetans sought to maintain a tributary relationship with the Ming because imperial patronage provided them with wealth and power. Laird writes that Tibetans eagerly sought Ming court invitations since the gifts the Tibetans received for bringing tribute were much greater in value than the latter. As for the Yongle Emperor's gifts to his Tibetan and Nepalese vassals such as silver wares, Buddha relics, utensils for Buddhist temples and religious ceremonies, and gowns and robes for monks, Tsai writes "in his effort to draw neighboring states to the Ming orbit so that he could bask in glory, the Yongle Emperor was quite willing to pay a small price". The Information Office of the State Council of the PRC lists the Tibetan tribute items as oxen, horses, camels, sheep, fur products, medical herbs, Tibetan incenses, thangkas (painted scrolls), and handicrafts; while the Ming awarded Tibetan tribute-bearers an equal value of gold, silver, satin and brocade, bolts of cloth, grains, and tea leaves. Silk workshops during the Ming also catered specifically to the Tibetan market with silk clothes and furnishings featuring Tibetan Buddhist iconography.


What shops were catered to the Tibetan market?


What visual images and symbols were on furnishings from the silk workshops?


who were the Tibetan areas were ruled by?


Wang and Nyima believed horses were collected from Tibet as what kind of tax?


While the Ming dynasty traded horses with Tibet, it upheld a policy of outlawing border markets in the north, which Laird sees as an effort to punish the Mongols for their raids and to "drive them from the frontiers of China." However, after Altan Khan (1507–1582)—leader of the Tümed Mongols who overthrew the Oirat Mongol confederation's hegemony over the steppes—made peace with the Ming dynasty in 1571, he persuaded the Ming to reopen their border markets in 1573. This provided the Chinese with a new supply of horses that the Mongols had in excess; it was also a relief to the Ming, since they were unable to stop the Mongols from periodic raiding. Laird says that despite the fact that later Mongols believed Altan forced the Ming to view him as an equal, Chinese historians argue that he was simply a loyal Chinese citizen. By 1578, Altan Khan formed a formidable Mongol-Tibetan alliance with the Gelug that the Ming viewed from afar without intervention.


Who was the leader of the Tümed Mongols?


Who convinced the Ming to reopen their border markets in 1573?


When did the Hongwu Emperor use military force in Tibet?

Patricia Ebrey writes that Tibet, like Joseon Korea and other neighboring states to the Ming, settled for its tributary status while there were no troops or governors of Ming China stationed in its territory. Laird writes that "after the Mongol troops left Tibet, no Ming troops replaced them." Wang and Nyima state that, despite the fact that the Ming refrained from sending troops to subdue Tibet and refrained from garrisoning Ming troops there, these measures were unnecessary so long as the Ming court upheld close ties with Tibetan vassals and their forces. However, there were instances in the 14th century when the Hongwu Emperor did use military force to quell unrest in Tibet. John D. Langlois writes that there was unrest in Tibet and western Sichuan, which the Marquis Mu Ying (沐英) was commissioned to quell in November 1378 after he established a Taozhou garrison in Gansu. Langlois notes that by October 1379, Mu Ying had allegedly captured 30,000 Tibetan prisoners and 200,000 domesticated animals. Yet invasion went both ways; the Ming general Qu Neng, under the command of Lan Yu, was ordered to repel a Tibetan assault into Sichuan in 1390.


When was the Marquis Mu Ying commissioned to quell?


How many Tibetan prisoners did Mu Ying capture?


Who was ordered to force a Tibetan assault into Sichuan?


What did the mid Ming dynasty discussion focus mainly on?

Discussions of strategy in the mid Ming dynasty focused primarily on recovery of the Ordos region, which the Mongols used as a rallying base to stage raids into Ming China. Norbu states that the Ming dynasty, preoccupied with the Mongol threat to the north, could not spare additional armed forces to enforce or back up their claim of sovereignty over Tibet; instead, they relied on "Confucian instruments of tribute relations" of heaping unlimited number of titles and gifts on Tibetan lamas through acts of diplomacy. Sperling states that the delicate relationship between the Ming and Tibet was "the last time a united China had to deal with an independent Tibet," that there was a potential for armed conflict at their borders, and that the ultimate goal of Ming foreign policy with Tibet was not subjugation but "avoidance of any kind of Tibetan threat." P. Christiaan Klieger argues that the Ming court's patronage of high Tibetan lamas "was designed to help stabilize border regions and protect trade routes."


Who used the the Ordos region as a place to stage raids?


Why did P. Christiaan Klieger believe that the Ming court supported high Tibetan lamas?


What policy does Luciano Petech and Sato Hisashi claim the Ming held towards the Tibet?

Historians Luciano Petech and Sato Hisashi argue that the Ming upheld a "divide-and-rule" policy towards a weak and politically fragmented Tibet after the Sakya regime had fallen. Chan writes that this was perhaps the calculated strategy of the Yongle Emperor, as exclusive patronage to one Tibetan sect would have given it too much regional power. Sperling finds no textual evidence in either Chinese or Tibetan sources to support this thesis of Petech and Hisashi. Norbu asserts that their thesis is largely based on the list of Ming titles conferred on Tibetan lamas rather than "comparative analysis of developments in China and Tibet." Rossabi states that this theory "attributes too much influence to the Chinese," pointing out that Tibet was already politically divided when the Ming dynasty began. Rossabi also discounts the "divide-and-rule" theory on the grounds of the Yongle Emperor's failed attempt to build a strong relationship with the fifth Karmapa—one which he hoped would parallel Kublai Khan's earlier relationship with the Sakya Phagpa lama. Instead, the Yongle Emperor followed the Karmapa's advice of giving patronage to many different Tibetan lamas.


When did the Ming hold the divide and rule policy?


Who did Yongle Emperor fail to build a solid relationship with?


Who did the Yongle Emperor give patronage to?


Who were the Rinpungpa leaders related to?

The Association for Asian Studies states that there is no known written evidence to suggest that later leaders of the Gelug—Gendün Drup (1391–1474) and Gendün Gyatso (1475–1571)—had any contacts with Ming China. These two religious leaders were preoccupied with an overriding concern for dealing with the powerful secular Rinpungpa princes, who were patrons and protectors of the Karma Kargyu lamas. The Rinpungpa leaders were relatives of the Phagmodrupa, yet their authority shifted over time from simple governors to rulers in their own right over large areas of Ü-Tsang. The prince of Rinbung occupied Lhasa in 1498 and excluded the Gelug from attending New Years ceremonies and prayers, the most important event in the Gelug. While the task of New Years prayers in Lhasa was granted to the Karmapa and others, Gendün Gyatso traveled in exile looking for allies. However, it was not until 1518 that the secular Phagmodru ruler captured Lhasa from the Rinbung, and thereafter the Gelug was given rights to conduct the New Years prayer. When the Drikung Kagyu abbot of Drigung Monastery threatened Lhasa in 1537, Gendün Gyatso was forced to abandon the Drepung Monastery, although he eventually returned.


When did the the prince of Rinbung occupy Lhasa?


What was the most important event to the Gelug?


When was Gelug was given the right to conduct the New Years prayer?


The Zhengde Emperor (r. 1505–1521), who enjoyed the company of lamas at court despite protests from the censorate, had heard tales of a "living Buddha" which he desired to host at the Ming capital; this was none other than the Rinpung-supported Mikyö Dorje, 8th Karmapa Lama then occupying Lhasa. Zhengde's top advisors made every attempt to dissuade him from inviting this lama to court, arguing that Tibetan Buddhism was wildly heterodox and unorthodox. Despite protests by the Grand Secretary Liang Chu, in 1515 the Zhengde Emperor sent his eunuch official Liu Yun of the Palace Chancellery on a mission to invite this Karmapa to Beijing. Liu commanded a fleet of hundreds of ships requisitioned along the Yangtze, consuming 2,835 g (100 oz) of silver a day in food expenses while stationed for a year in Chengdu of Sichuan. After procurring necessary gifts for the mission, he departed with a cavalry force of about 1,000 troops. When the request was delivered, the Karmapa lama refused to leave Tibet despite the Ming force brought to coerce him. The Karmapa launched a surprise ambush on Liu Yun's camp, seizing all the goods and valuables while killing or wounding half of Liu Yun's entire escort. After this fiasco, Liu fled for his life, but only returned to Chengdu several years later to find that the Zhengde Emperor had died.


Who's company did the Zhengde Emperor enjoy?


Who said Tibet wasn't an integral part of of China?

Elliot Sperling, a specialist of Indian studies and the director of the Tibetan Studies program at Indiana University’s Department of Central Eurasia Studies, writes that "the idea that Tibet became part of China in the 13th century is a very recent construction." He writes that Chinese writers of the early 20th century were of the view that Tibet was not annexed by China until the Manchu Qing dynasty invasion during the 18th century. He also states that Chinese writers of the early 20th century described Tibet as a feudal dependency of China, not an integral part of it. Sperling states that this is because "Tibet was ruled as such, within the empires of the Mongols and the Manchus" and also that "China's intervening Ming dynasty ... had no control over Tibet." He writes that the Ming relationship with Tibet is problematic for China’s insistence of its unbroken sovereignty over Tibet since the 13th century. As for the Tibetan view that Tibet was never subject to the rule of the Yuan or Qing emperors of China, Sperling also discounts this by stating that Tibet was "subject to rules, laws and decisions made by the Yuan and Qing rulers" and that even Tibetans described themselves as subjects of these emperors.


What does Sperling claim did not have any control over Tibet?


Since what century has Sperling described Ming and Tibet's relation being problematic for China?


When was the Manchu Qing dynasty invasion?


During Which dynasty does Josef Kolmaš claim Tibet was considered an organic part of China?

Josef Kolmaš, a sinologist, Tibetologist, and Professor of Oriental Studies at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, writes that it was during the Qing dynasty "that developments took place on the basis of which Tibet came to be considered an organic part of China, both practically and theoretically subject to the Chinese central government." Yet he states that this was a radical change in regards to all previous eras of Sino-Tibetan relations.


Josef Kolmaš states that Tibet became subject to what government?


Who does P. Christiaan Klieger claim to have had a mutual role of religious prelate?

P. Christiaan Klieger, an anthropologist and scholar of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, writes that the vice royalty of the Sakya regime installed by the Mongols established a patron and priest relationship between Tibetans and Mongol converts to Tibetan Buddhism. According to him, the Tibetan lamas and Mongol khans upheld a "mutual role of religious prelate and secular patron," respectively. He adds that "Although agreements were made between Tibetan leaders and Mongol khans, Ming and Qing emperors, it was the Republic of China and its Communist successors that assumed the former imperial tributaries and subject states as integral parts of the Chinese nation-state."


Who does P. Christiaan Klieger believe undertook the former imperial tributaries?


Who was the vice royalty of the Sakya regime established by?


The Sakya regime established what kind of relationship between the Tibetans and Mongol converts?


When was Tibet included into the territory of Yuan dynasty's China?

China Daily, a CCP-controlled news organization since 1981, states in a 2008 article that although there were dynastic changes after Tibet was incorporated into the territory of Yuan dynasty's China in the 13th century, "Tibet has remained under the jurisdiction of the central government of China." It also states that the Ming dynasty "inherited the right to rule Tibet" from the Yuan dynasty, and repeats the claims in the Mingshi about the Ming establishing two itinerant high commands over Tibet. China Daily states that the Ming handled Tibet's civil administration, appointed all leading officials of these administrative organs, and punished Tibetans who broke the law. The party-controlled People's Daily, the state-controlled Xinhua News Agency, and the state-controlled national television network China Central Television posted the same article that China Daily had, the only difference being their headlines and some additional text.


Who was said to have gained the right to rule Tibet?


Who does the article claim had two itinerant high commands over Tibet?


According to article Tibet has remained under what jurisdiction?


During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (r. 1521–1567), the native Chinese ideology of Daoism was fully sponsored at the Ming court, while Tibetan Vajrayana and even Chinese Buddhism were ignored or suppressed. Even the History of Ming states that the Tibetan lamas discontinued their trips to Ming China and its court at this point. Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe under Jiajing was determined to break the eunuch influence at court which typified the Zhengde era, an example being the costly escort of the eunuch Liu Yun as described above in his failed mission to Tibet. The court eunuchs were in favor of expanding and building new commercial ties with foreign countries such as Portugal, which Zhengde deemed permissible since he had an affinity for foreign and exotic people.


What ideology was sponsored at the Ming court?


Who was the Grand Secretary under Jiajing?


Who broke the eunuch influence at court?


With the death of Zhengde and ascension of Jiajing, the politics at court shifted in favor of the Neo-Confucian establishment which not only rejected the Portuguese embassy of Fernão Pires de Andrade (d. 1523), but had a predisposed animosity towards Tibetan Buddhism and lamas. Evelyn S. Rawski, a professor in the Department of History of the University of Pittsburgh, writes that the Ming's unique relationship with Tibetan prelates essentially ended with Jiajing's reign while Ming influence in the Amdo region was supplanted by the Mongols.


What establishment did the politics at court shift in favor of?


Which embassy did the Neo-Confucian establishment reject?


Who did the Neo-Confucian establishment have animosity towards?


Evelyn S. Rawski claims that Ming's relationship with Tibetan prelates ended during who's reign?


What region did the Tumed Mongols move into?

Meanwhile, the Tumed Mongols began moving into the Kokonor region (modern Qinghai), raiding the Ming Chinese frontier and even as far as the suburbs of Beijing under Altan Khan (1507–1582). Klieger writes that Altan Khan's presence in the west effectively reduced Ming influence and contact with Tibet. After Altan Khan made peace with the Ming dynasty in 1571, he invited the third hierarch of the Gelug—Sönam Gyatso (1543–1588)—to meet him in Amdo (modern Qinghai) in 1578, where he accidentally bestowed him and his two predecessors with the title of Dalai Lama—"Ocean Teacher". The full title was "Dalai Lama Vajradhara", "Vajradhara" meaning "Holder of the Thunderbolt" in Sanskrit. Victoria Huckenpahler notes that Vajradhara is considered by Buddhists to be the primordial Buddha of limitless and all-pervasive beneficial qualities, a being that "represents the ultimate aspect of enlightenment." Goldstein writes that Sönam Gyatso also enhanced Altan Khan's standing by granting him the title "king of religion, majestic purity". Rawski writes that the Dalai Lama officially recognized Altan Khan as the "Protector of the Faith".


Which frontier did the Tumed Mongols raid?


The presence of the Altan Khan in the west reduced whos influence?


When did Altan Khan make peace with the Ming dynasty?


Who did Altan Khan invite to meet him in Amdo?


What practice did Altan Khan put to an end?

Laird writes that Altan Khan abolished the native Mongol practices of shamanism and blood sacrifice, while the Mongol princes and subjects were coerced by Altan to convert to Gelug Buddhism—or face execution if they persisted in their shamanistic ways. Committed to their religious leader, Mongol princes began requesting the Dalai Lama to bestow titles on them, which demonstrated "the unique fusion of religious and political power" wielded by the Dalai Lama, as Laird writes. Kolmaš states that the spiritual and secular Mongol-Tibetan alliance of the 13th century was renewed by this alliance constructed by Altan Khan and Sönam Gyatso. Van Praag writes that this restored the original Mongol patronage of a Tibetan lama and "to this day, Mongolians are among the most devout followers of the Gelugpa and the Dalai Lama." Angela F. Howard writes that this unique relationship not only provided the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama with religious and political authority in Tibet, but that Altan Khan gained "enormous power among the entire Mongol population."


Who did Altan Khan persuade to convert to Gelug Buddhism?


What did Altan Khan threaten the Mongol princes and subjects with if they did not convert?


Who did the Mongol princes ask to grant them titles?


Why did the Mongol princes ask for titles?


Rawski writes that Altan Khan's conversion to the Gelug "can be interpreted as an attempt to expand his authority in his conflict with his nominal superior, Tümen Khan." To further cement the Mongol-Tibetan alliance, the great-grandson of Altan Khan—the 4th Dalai Lama (1589–1616)—was made the fourth Dalai Lama. In 1642, the 5th Dalai Lama (1617–1682) became the first to wield effective political control over Tibet.


To make the Mongol-Tibetan alliance stronger who became the 4th Dalai Lama?


Who was the first Dalai Lama to have political control over Tibet?


When did the 5th Dalai Lama gain political control over Tibet?


Sonam Gyatso, after being granted the grandiose title by Altan Khan, departed for Tibet. Before he left, he sent a letter and gifts to the Ming Chinese official Zhang Juzheng (1525–1582), which arrived on March 12, 1579. Sometime in August or September of that year, Sonam Gyatso's representative stationed with Altan Khan received a return letter and gift from the Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620), who also conferred upon Sonam Gyatso a title; this was the first official contact between a Dalai Lama and a government of China. However, Laird states that when Wanli invited him to Beijing, the Dalai Lama declined the offer due to a prior commitment, even though he was only 400 km (250 mi) from Beijing. Laird adds that "the power of the Ming emperor did not reach very far at the time." Although not recorded in any official Chinese records, Sonam Gyatso's biography states that Wanli again conferred titles on Sonam Gyatso in 1588, and invited him to Beijing for a second time, but Sonam Gyatso was unable to visit China as he died the same year in Mongolia working with Altan Khan's son to further the spread of Buddhism.


Who granted Sonam Gyatso the title of grandiose?


Who did the Ming dynasty showed favors to?

Of the third Dalai Lama, China Daily states that the "Ming dynasty showed him special favor by allowing him to pay tribute." China Daily then says that Sonam Gyatso was granted the title Dorjichang or Vajradhara Dalai Lama in 1587 [sic!], but China Daily does not mention who granted him the title. Without mentioning the role of the Mongols, China Daily states that it was the successive Qing dynasty which established the title of Dalai Lama and his power in Tibet: "In 1653, the Qing emperor granted an honorific title to the fifth Dalai Lama and then did the same for the fifth Panchen Lama in 1713, officially establishing the titles of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni, and their political and religious status in Tibet."


What was the the third Dalai Lama allowed to do?


What title was Sonam Gyatso granted in 1587?


In 1653 who did the Qing emperor grant a title to?


In 1713 who did the Qing emperor grant a title to?


What title was the fourth Dalai Lama granted?

Chen states that the fourth Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso was granted the title "Master of Vajradhara" and an official seal by the Wanli Emperor in 1616. This was noted in the Biography of the Fourth Dalai Lama, which stated that one Soinam Lozui delivered the seal of the Emperor to the Dalai Lama. The Wanli Emperor had invited Yonten Gyatso to Beijing in 1616, but just like his predecessor he died before being able to make the journey.


When did the Wanli Emperor grant the title Master of Vajradhara to Yonten Gyatso?


Who did the Wanli Emperor invite to Beijing in 1616?


Why didn't Yonten Gyatso make it to Beijing?


Kolmaš writes that, as the Mongol presence in Tibet increased, culminating in the conquest of Tibet by a Mongol leader in 1642, the Ming emperors "viewed with apparent unconcern these developments in Tibet." He adds that the Ming court's lack of concern for Tibet was one of the reasons why the Mongols pounced on the chance to reclaim their old vassal of Tibet and "fill once more the political vacuum in that country." On the mass Mongol conversion to Tibetan Buddhism under Altan Khan, Laird writes that "the Chinese watched these developments with interest, though few Chinese ever became devout Tibetan Buddhists."


What were the Mongols trying to reclaim?


When did the conquest of Tibet reach its peak?


Who's lack of concern helped the Mongols jump at a chance to reclaim their old vassal of Tibet?


When were the Rinbung princes overthrown?

In 1565, the powerful Rinbung princes were overthrown by one of their own ministers, Karma Tseten who styled himself as the Tsangpa, "the one of Tsang", and established his base of power at Shigatse. The second successor of this first Tsang king, Karma Phuntsok Namgyal, took control of the whole of Central Tibet (Ü-Tsang), reigning from 1611–1621. Despite this, the leaders of Lhasa still claimed their allegiance to the Phagmodru as well as the Gelug, while the Ü-Tsang king allied with the Karmapa. Tensions rose between the nationalistic Ü-Tsang ruler and the Mongols who safeguarded their Mongol Dalai Lama in Lhasa. The fourth Dalai Lama refused to give an audience to the Ü-Tsang king, which sparked a conflict as the latter began assaulting Gelug monasteries. Chen writes of the speculation over the fourth Dalai Lama's mysterious death and the plot of the Ü-Tsang king to have him murdered for "cursing" him with illness, although Chen writes that the murder was most likely the result of a feudal power struggle. In 1618, only two years after Yonten Gyatso died, the Gelug and the Karma Kargyu went to war, the Karma Kargyu supported by the secular Ü-Tsang king. The Ü-Tsang ruler had a large number of Gelugpa lamas killed, occupied their monasteries at Drepung and Sera, and outlawed any attempts to find another Dalai Lama. In 1621, the Ü-Tsang king died and was succeeded by his young son Karma Tenkyong, an event which stymied the war effort as the latter accepted the six-year-old Lozang Gyatso as the new Dalai Lama. Despite the new Dalai Lama's diplomatic efforts to maintain friendly relations with the new Ü-Tsang ruler, Sonam Rapten (1595–1657), the Dalai Lama's chief steward and treasurer at Drepung, made efforts to overthrow the Ü-Tsang king, which led to another conflict. In 1633, the Gelugpas and several thousand Mongol adherents defeated the Ü-Tsang king's troops near Lhasa before a peaceful negotiation was settled. Goldstein writes that in this the "Mongols were again playing a significant role in Tibetan affairs, this time as the military arm of the Dalai Lama."


Who took control of the whole of Central Tibet?


Who did Ü-Tsang king have an alliance with?


Who refused an audience with the Ü-Tsang king?


Who did the 5th Dalai Lama beg for help from?

When an ally of the Ü-Tsang ruler threatened destruction of the Gelugpas again, the fifth Dalai Lama Lozang Gyatso pleaded for help from the Mongol prince Güshi Khan (1582–1655), leader of the Khoshut (Qoshot) tribe of the Oirat Mongols, who was then on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. Güshi Khan accepted his role as protector, and from 1637–1640 he not only defeated the Gelugpas' enemies in the Amdo and Kham regions, but also resettled his entire tribe into Amdo. Sonam Chöpel urged Güshi Khan to assault the Ü-Tsang king's homebase of Shigatse, which Güshi Khan agreed upon, enlisting the aid of Gelug monks and supporters. In 1642, after a year's siege of Shigatse, the Ü-Tsang forces surrendered. Güshi Khan then captured and summarily executed Karma Tenkyong, the ruler of Ü-Tsang, King of Tibet.


Where did Güshi Khan resettle his tribe?


Who did Güshi Khan organize a welcome ceremony for?

Soon after the victory in Ü-Tsang, Güshi Khan organized a welcoming ceremony for Lozang Gyatso once he arrived a day's ride from Shigatse, presenting his conquest of Tibet as a gift to the Dalai Lama. In a second ceremony held within the main hall of the Shigatse fortress, Güshi Khan enthroned the Dalai Lama as the ruler of Tibet, but conferred the actual governing authority to the regent Sonam Chöpel. Although Güshi Khan had granted the Dalai Lama "supreme authority" as Goldstein writes, the title of 'King of Tibet' was conferred upon Güshi Khan, spending his summers in pastures north of Lhasa and occupying Lhasa each winter. Van Praag writes that at this point Güshi Khan maintained control over the armed forces, but accepted his inferior status towards the Dalai Lama. Rawski writes that the Dalai Lama shared power with his regent and Güshi Khan during his early secular and religious reign. However, Rawski states that he eventually "expanded his own authority by presenting himself as Avalokiteśvara through the performance of rituals," by building the Potala Palace and other structures on traditional religious sites, and by emphasizing lineage reincarnation through written biographies. Goldstein states that the government of Güshi Khan and the Dalai Lama persecuted the Karma Kagyu sect, confiscated their wealth and property, and even converted their monasteries into Gelug monasteries. Rawski writes that this Mongol patronage allowed the Gelugpas to dominate the rival religious sects in Tibet.


What did Güshi Khan present as a gift to the Dalai Lama?


Who did Güshi Khan enthrone the ruler of Tibet?


Who did Güshi Khan grant the governing authority to?


The title of 'King of Tibet belonged to whom?


Who did the the Chinese Ming dynasty fall to?

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ming dynasty fell to the rebellion of Li Zicheng (1606–1645) in 1644, yet his short-lived Shun dynasty was crushed by the Manchu invasion and the Han Chinese general Wu Sangui (1612–1678). China Daily states that when the following Qing dynasty replaced the Ming dynasty, it merely "strengthened administration of Tibet." However, Kolmaš states that the Dalai Lama was very observant of what was going on in China and accepted a Manchu invitation in 1640 to send envoys to their capital at Mukden in 1642, before the Ming collapsed. Dawa Norbu, William Rockhill, and George N. Patterson write that when the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1644–1661) of the subsequent Qing dynasty invited the fifth Dalai Lama Lozang Gyatso to Beijing in 1652, Shunzhi treated the Dalai Lama as an independent sovereign of Tibet. Patterson writes that this was an effort of Shunzhi to secure an alliance with Tibet that would ultimately lead to the establishment of Manchu rule over Mongolia. In this meeting with the Qing emperor, Goldstein asserts that the Dalai Lama was not someone to be trifled with due to his alliance with Mongol tribes, some of which were declared enemies of the Qing. Van Praag states that Tibet and the Dalai Lama's power was recognized by the "Manchu Emperor, the Mongolian Khans and Princes, and the rulers of Ladakh, Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Sikkim."


According to Kolmaš who accepted an invite from a Manchu to send envoys to the capital at Mukden?


Who was said to have treated the Dalai Lama as an independent sovereign of Tibet?


Who tried to spread their territory into Tibet?

When the Dzungar Mongols attempted to spread their territory from what is now Xinjiang into Tibet, the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) responded to Tibetan pleas for aid with his own expedition to Tibet, occupying Lhasa in 1720. By 1751, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796), a protectorate and permanent Qing dynasty garrison was established in Tibet. As of 1751, Albert Kolb writes that "Chinese claims to suzerainty over Tibet date from this time."


When did the Kangxi Emperor occupy Lhasa?


When was The Qing dynasty garrison established in Tibet?


The iPod is a line of portable media players and multi-purpose pocket computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first line was released on October 23, 2001, about 8½ months after iTunes (Macintosh version) was released. The most recent iPod redesigns were announced on July 15, 2015. There are three current versions of the iPod: the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle, the compact iPod Nano and the touchscreen iPod Touch.


How many different types of iPod are currently available?


The iPod Touch uses what kind of interface?


In what year was the first iPod released?


How many versions of the iPod currently exist?


Which is the smallest version of the iPod?


In what year was the iPod most recently redesigned?


In addition to playing music, what other function can the iPod perform?

Like other digital music players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices. Storage capacity varies by model, ranging from 2 GB for the iPod Shuffle to 128 GB for the iPod Touch (previously 160 GB for the iPod Classic, which is now discontinued).


What is the smallest data capacity for an iPod product?


What is the largest data capacity for an iPod product?


Which iPod product features the smallest data storage capacity?


Which current iPod product features the largest data storage capacity?


What's the storage capacity of the iPod Shuffle?


What's the storage capacity for the iPod Touch?


What Apple program is used to communicate between computers and portable devices?

Apple's iTunes software (and other alternative software) can be used to transfer music, photos, videos, games, contact information, e-mail settings, Web bookmarks, and calendars, to the devices supporting these features from computers using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems.


Which operating systems are compatible with iTunes?


What's the name of the software used to manage music and other media on Apple devices?


Prior to iOS 5, how many apps were required to play music and videos on iPhone and iPad?

Before the release of iOS 5, the iPod branding was used for the media player included with the iPhone and iPad, a combination of the Music and Videos apps on the iPod Touch. As of iOS 5, separate apps named "Music" and "Videos" are standardized across all iOS-powered products. While the iPhone and iPad have essentially the same media player capabilities as the iPod line, they are generally treated as separate products. During the middle of 2010, iPhone sales overtook those of the iPod.


In mid-2010, which Apple device had higher sales than iPod?


With what iOS release did Apple standardize media apps on all their products?


In what year did iPhone sales surpass those of iPods?


What are the titles of the standard media apps on current Apple devices?


What processor model is used in the iPod Touch?

In mid-2015, a new model of the iPod Touch was announced by Apple, and was officially released on the Apple store on July 15, 2015. The sixth generation iPod Touch includes a wide variety of spec improvements such as the upgraded A8 processor and higher-quality screen. The core is over 5 times faster than previous models and is built to be roughly on par with the iPhone 5S. It is available in 5 different colors: Space grey, pink, gold, silver and Product (red).


Which generation of iPod Touch was made availalbe in July of 2015?


What's the most recent generation of iPod Touch?


In what year was the most recent iPod Touch released?


What type of processor does the current iPod Touch use?


In how many colors is the current iPod Touch available?


In what year was the iPod first introduced?

Though the iPod was released in 2001, its price and Mac-only compatibility caused sales to be relatively slow until 2004. The iPod line came from Apple's "digital hub" category, when the company began creating software for the growing market of personal digital devices. Digital cameras, camcorders and organizers had well-established mainstream markets, but the company found existing digital music players "big and clunky or small and useless" with user interfaces that were "unbelievably awful," so Apple decided to develop its own. As ordered by CEO Steve Jobs, Apple's hardware engineering chief Jon Rubinstein assembled a team of engineers to design the iPod line, including hardware engineers Tony Fadell and Michael Dhuey, and design engineer Sir Jonathan Ive. Rubinstein had already discovered the Toshiba disk drive when meeting with an Apple supplier in Japan, and purchased the rights to it for Apple, and had also already worked out how the screen, battery, and other key elements would work. The aesthetic was inspired by the 1958 Braun T3 transistor radio designed by Dieter Rams, while the wheel based user interface was prompted by Bang & Olufsen's BeoCom 6000 telephone. The product ("the Walkman of the twenty-first century" ) was developed in less than one year and unveiled on October 23, 2001. Jobs announced it as a Mac-compatible product with a 5 GB hard drive that put "1,000 songs in your pocket."


In what year did iPod sales show improvement?


Which Apple engineer led original iPod design group?


What radio was the primary inspiration for the look of the iPod?


What was the storage capacity of the first iPod?


in what year was the original iPod released?


How large was the hard drive on the original iPod?


What other popular music player did Apple compare their new product to?


What is the name of Apple's hardware engineering chief who helped design the iPod?


Who manufactured the hard drives for the first iPods?


Which company worked with Apple in creating the user interface for the iPod?

Apple did not develop the iPod software entirely in-house, instead using PortalPlayer's reference platform based on two ARM cores. The platform had rudimentary software running on a commercial microkernel embedded operating system. PortalPlayer had previously been working on an IBM-branded MP3 player with Bluetooth headphones. Apple contracted another company, Pixo, to help design and implement the user interface under the direct supervision of Steve Jobs. As development progressed, Apple continued to refine the software's look and feel. Starting with the iPod Mini, the Chicago font was replaced with Espy Sans. Later iPods switched fonts again to Podium Sans—a font similar to Apple's corporate font, Myriad. iPods with color displays then adopted some Mac OS X themes like Aqua progress bars, and brushed metal meant to evoke a combination lock. In 2007, Apple modified the iPod interface again with the introduction of the sixth-generation iPod Classic and third-generation iPod Nano by changing the font to Helvetica and, in most cases, splitting the screen in half by displaying the menus on the left and album artwork, photos, or videos on the right (whichever was appropriate for the selected item).


What was the name of the font used prior to the release of the iPod Mini?


In what year was the 6th gen iPod Classic released?


The 6th gen iPod Classic and 3rd gen iPod nano featured which font?


Who supervised the design and implementation of the iPod user interface?


What software did Apple use as the basis for their iPod software?


What typeface does the current iPod use?


In what year was a special edition of the iPod produced?

In 2006 Apple presented a special edition for iPod 5G of Irish rock band U2. Like its predecessor, this iPod has engraved the signatures of the four members of the band on its back, but this one was the first time the company changed the colour of the metal (not silver but black). This iPod was only available with 30GB of storage capacity. The special edition entitled purchasers to an exclusive video with 33 minutes of interviews and performance by U2, downloadable from the iTunes Store.


For what musical group was a special edition of the iPod first made?


What color was the metal on the U2 version of the iPod?


What type of media was included with purchase of the U2 version of the iPod?


Of what band did Apple present a special edition iPod 5G?


What color was the special U2 iPod model?


In what year did apple release the special U2 model of the iPod?


Apple was involved in a lawsuit with which company in 2007?

In September 2007, during a lawsuit with patent holding company Burst.com, Apple drew attention to a patent for a similar device that was developed in 1979. Kane Kramer applied for a UK patent for his design of a "plastic music box" in 1981, which he called the IXI. He was unable to secure funding to renew the US$120,000 worldwide patent, so it lapsed and Kramer never profited from his idea.


Who previously applied for a patent for an iPod-like device?


In what country did Kane Kramer apply for his patent?


In what year did Kane Kramer apply for his patent?


What did Kane Kramer call the device for which he wanted a patent?


What patent holding company sued Apple in 2007?


What was the name of the previously-patented music player from 1981?


Who was the holder of the previous patent for the "plastic music box"?


Who came up with the name for Apple's portable mp3 player?

The name iPod was proposed by Vinnie Chieco, a freelance copywriter, who (with others) was called by Apple to figure out how to introduce the new player to the public. After Chieco saw a prototype, he thought of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the phrase "Open the pod bay door, Hal!", which refers to the white EVA Pods of the Discovery One spaceship. Chieco saw an analogy to the relationship between the spaceship and the smaller independent pods in the relationship between a personal computer and the music player. Apple researched the trademark and found that it was already in use. Joseph N. Grasso of New Jersey had originally listed an "iPod" trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in July 2000 for Internet kiosks. The first iPod kiosks had been demonstrated to the public in New Jersey in March 1998, and commercial use began in January 2000, but had apparently been discontinued by 2001. The trademark was registered by the USPTO in November 2003, and Grasso assigned it to Apple Computer, Inc. in 2005.


What film inspired the name of the iPod?


In what year was Apple given rights to the iPod name?


What was the name of the copywriter that proposed the name "iPod"?


Who held the original trademark for the iPod name?


When were images of new iPod colors leaked?

In mid-2015, several new color schemes for all of the current iPod models were spotted in the latest version of iTunes, 12.2. Belgian website Belgium iPhone originally found the images when plugging in an iPod for the first time, and subsequent leaked photos were found by Pierre Dandumont.


Who leaked the photos of new iPod colors?


What version of iTunes contained the leaked photos of new iPod colors?


What was the latest version of iTunes as of mid-2015?


Who first leaked the photos of the new iPod color scheme?


What audio deficiency was found in the 3rd gen iPods?

The third-generation iPod had a weak bass response, as shown in audio tests. The combination of the undersized DC-blocking capacitors and the typical low-impedance of most consumer headphones form a high-pass filter, which attenuates the low-frequency bass output. Similar capacitors were used in the fourth-generation iPods. The problem is reduced when using high-impedance headphones and is completely masked when driving high-impedance (line level) loads, such as an external headphone amplifier. The first-generation iPod Shuffle uses a dual-transistor output stage, rather than a single capacitor-coupled output, and does not exhibit reduced bass response for any load.


What kind of headphones could partially mitigate the bass response issues of the 3rd gen iPods?


What is an example of a device that could entirely mitigate the bass response issues of the 3rd gen iPods?


What part of audio output was substandard on 3rd generation iPods?


What component was to blame for the weak bass of the 3rd generation iPod?


What acoustic element could be distorted by different audio settings in iPods prior to 2007?

For all iPods released in 2006 and earlier, some equalizer (EQ) sound settings would distort the bass sound far too easily, even on undemanding songs. This would happen for EQ settings like R&B, Rock, Acoustic, and Bass Booster, because the equalizer amplified the digital audio level beyond the software's limit, causing distortion (clipping) on bass instruments.


Name four sound profiles that would result in bass distortion on pre-2007 iPods.


What specific problem caused the issue with bass distortion?


iPods released before what year had issues with distorted bass?


What EQ settings were known to have issues with bass distortion?


What type of sensory issue was a concern prior to the release of 5th gen iPods?

From the fifth-generation iPod on, Apple introduced a user-configurable volume limit in response to concerns about hearing loss. Users report that in the sixth-generation iPod, the maximum volume output level is limited to 100 dB in EU markets. Apple previously had to remove iPods from shelves in France for exceeding this legal limit. However, users that have bought a new sixth-generation iPod in late 2013 have reported a new option that allowed them to disable the EU volume limit. It has been said that these new iPods came with an updated software that allowed this change. Older sixth-generation iPods, however, are unable to update to this software version.


In what markets did 6th gen iPods limit the highest volume of the player?


What was the limit imposed on how loud the iPod could play sounds in the EU?


In what country did Apple have to recall iPods?


What is the highest volume output level of European 6th-generation iPods?


What country originally pulled iPods due to higher-than-allowed volume levels?


What was the first type of connection used by the iPod to charge and transfer files?

Originally, a FireWire connection to the host computer was used to update songs or recharge the battery. The battery could also be charged with a power adapter that was included with the first four generations.


What was an alternate method of charging the iPod?


What type of connector was originally required to upload songs or recharge the iPod?


In which generation did iPod start providing compatibility with USB?

The third generation began including a 30-pin dock connector, allowing for FireWire or USB connectivity. This provided better compatibility with non-Apple machines, as most of them did not have FireWire ports at the time. Eventually Apple began shipping iPods with USB cables instead of FireWire, although the latter was available separately. As of the first-generation iPod Nano and the fifth-generation iPod Classic, Apple discontinued using FireWire for data transfer (while still allowing for use of FireWire to charge the device) in an attempt to reduce cost and form factor. As of the second-generation iPod Touch and the fourth-generation iPod Nano, FireWire charging ability has been removed. The second-, third-, and fourth-generation iPod Shuffle uses a single 3.5 mm minijack phone connector which acts as both a headphone jack and a data port for the dock.


What iPod feature allowed for USB connections with the device?


Which generation of iPod Classic was the first to abandon use of FireWire in transferring files?


Starting with which generation of iPod Nano was FireWire charging functionality no longer available?


What kind of connection is provided on the iPod Shuffle for both audio output and file transfer?


Which generation iPod was the first to include the 30-pin dock connector?


Which model of iPod combined the headphone jack and data port?


What interface was gradually phased out for both charging and data transfer?


What interface replaced FireWire in later iterations of the iPod?


Which iPod accessory was made by Apple but is no longer produced?

The dock connector also allowed the iPod to connect to accessories, which often supplement the iPod's music, video, and photo playback. Apple sells a few accessories, such as the now-discontinued iPod Hi-Fi, but most are manufactured by third parties such as Belkin and Griffin. Some peripherals use their own interface, while others use the iPod's own screen. Because the dock connector is a proprietary interface, the implementation of the interface requires paying royalties to Apple.


What are two companies that make iPod accessories?


What part of the iPod is needed to communicate with peripherals?


What is the condition for third parties using the dock connector?


The majority of peripherals for iPod are produced by what kinds of companies?


What's the name of the now-discontinued accessory manufactured by Apple, that connected via the iPod's dock connector?


What new connector did Apple unveil on September 12, 2012?

Apple introduced a new 8-pin dock connector, named Lightning, on September 12, 2012 with their announcement of the iPhone 5, the fifth generation iPod Touch, and the seventh generation iPod Nano, which all feature it. The new connector replaces the older 30-pin dock connector used by older iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Apple Lightning cables have pins on both sides of the plug so it can be inserted with either side facing up.


What other Apple product was unveiled on September 12, 2012?


How man pins did the pre-Lightning dock connecter use?


How many pins did the Lightning connector have?


On how many sides of the Lightning connector are the pins located?


What's Apple's code name for the newer 8-pin dock connector?


What was the first iPod Touch generation to feature the Lightning connector?


What is the name of an Apple-produced iPod accessory?

Many accessories have been made for the iPod line. A large number are made by third party companies, although many, such as the iPod Hi-Fi, are made by Apple. Some accessories add extra features that other music players have, such as sound recorders, FM radio tuners, wired remote controls, and audio/visual cables for TV connections. Other accessories offer unique features like the Nike+iPod pedometer and the iPod Camera Connector. Other notable accessories include external speakers, wireless remote controls, protective case, screen films, and wireless earphones. Among the first accessory manufacturers were Griffin Technology, Belkin, JBL, Bose, Monster Cable, and SendStation.


What is an example of an iPod accessory made work exercise?


What are six companies that made some of the first peripherals for the iPod?


What can A/V cables be used to connect the iPod to?


Who manufactures a pedometer accessory for the iPod?


Which company manufactures the iPod Hi-Fi accessory?


What company was first to create a means of connecting the iPod to an automobile?

BMW released the first iPod automobile interface, allowing drivers of newer BMW vehicles to control an iPod using either the built-in steering wheel controls or the radio head-unit buttons. Apple announced in 2005 that similar systems would be available for other vehicle brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Toyota, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Acura, Audi, Honda, Renault, Infiniti and Volkswagen. Scion offers standard iPod connectivity on all their cars.


In what year did Apple reveal that it would provide compatibility with a wide range of auto manufacturers?


Which company provides the ability to connect to iPods as a standard feature in their automobiles?


Which car company released the first automobile interface for the iPod?


Which car company first offered iPod connectivity as a standard feature on their whole product line?


What companies have developed iPod interfacing for their stereo systems?

Some independent stereo manufacturers including JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, Sony, and Harman Kardon also have iPod-specific integration solutions. Alternative connection methods include adapter kits (that use the cassette deck or the CD changer port), audio input jacks, and FM transmitters such as the iTrip—although personal FM transmitters are illegal in some countries. Many car manufacturers have added audio input jacks as standard.


What type of transmitter is used in the iTrip?


What has become a standard inclusion in cars for several different auto companies?


Which type of iPod car integration product is illegal in certain countries?


What audio integration feature has become standard on many car models?


In 2007, which airlines made deals to include iPod connections on their planes?

Beginning in mid-2007, four major airlines, United, Continental, Delta, and Emirates, reached agreements to install iPod seat connections. The free service will allow passengers to power and charge an iPod, and view video and music libraries on individual seat-back displays. Originally KLM and Air France were reported to be part of the deal with Apple, but they later released statements explaining that they were only contemplating the possibility of incorporating such systems.


Where can people using iPods on planes view the device's interface?


What are two airlines that considered implementing iPod connections but did not join the 2007 agreement?


Which airlines first agreed to install seat connections for iPods?


In what year did airlines first start to accommodate the iPod?


What is the name of an audio format developed by Apple?

The iPod line can play several audio file formats including MP3, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless. The iPod photo introduced the ability to display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG image file formats. Fifth and sixth generation iPod Classics, as well as third generation iPod Nanos, can additionally play MPEG-4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) and QuickTime video formats, with restrictions on video dimensions, encoding techniques and data-rates. Originally, iPod software only worked with Mac OS; iPod software for Microsoft Windows was launched with the second generation model. Unlike most other media players, Apple does not support Microsoft's WMA audio format—but a converter for WMA files without Digital Rights Management (DRM) is provided with the Windows version of iTunes. MIDI files also cannot be played, but can be converted to audio files using the "Advanced" menu in iTunes. Alternative open-source audio formats, such as Ogg Vorbis and FLAC, are not supported without installing custom firmware onto an iPod (e.g., Rockbox).


Which product enabled users to view images on the device?


What Microsoft media format is not natively supported by Apple devices?


What computer OS did iPod software exclusively work with at launch?


What are some examples of audio formats supported by the iPod?


What was the first model to support JPEG and other still image formats?


How many hosts are recognized by an iPod the first time they're used?

During installation, an iPod is associated with one host computer. Each time an iPod connects to its host computer, iTunes can synchronize entire music libraries or music playlists either automatically or manually. Song ratings can be set on an iPod and synchronized later to the iTunes library, and vice versa. A user can access, play, and add music on a second computer if an iPod is set to manual and not automatic sync, but anything added or edited will be reversed upon connecting and syncing with the main computer and its library. If a user wishes to automatically sync music with another computer, an iPod's library will be entirely wiped and replaced with the other computer's library.


What will be erased if an iPod is set to sync with a different computer?


What must an iPod be connected to before iTunes can synchronize?


iPods with color displays use anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. All iPods (except the 3rd-generation iPod Shuffle, the 6th & 7th generation iPod Nano, and iPod Touch) have five buttons and the later generations have the buttons integrated into the click wheel – an innovation that gives an uncluttered, minimalist interface. The buttons perform basic functions such as menu, play, pause, next track, and previous track. Other operations, such as scrolling through menu items and controlling the volume, are performed by using the click wheel in a rotational manner. The 3rd-generation iPod Shuffle does not have any controls on the actual player; instead it has a small control on the earphone cable, with volume-up and -down buttons and a single button for play and pause, next track, etc. The iPod Touch has no click-wheel; instead it uses a 3.5" touch screen along with a home button, sleep/wake button and (on the second and third generations of the iPod Touch) volume-up and -down buttons. The user interface for the iPod Touch is identical to that of the iPhone. Differences include a lack of a phone application. Both devices use iOS.


On what part of newer iPods can you find the buttons?


Where are the controls located on the 3rd gen iPod Shuffle?


What kind of interface does the iPod touch use instead of the click wheel?


What other device shares the interface used by the iPod Touch?


The 3rd generation of which iPod model had its controls only on the earphone cable?


Which other Apple product does the iPod Touch share an interface and OS with?


When was the Apple iTunes Store launched?

The iTunes Store (introduced April 29, 2003) is an online media store run by Apple and accessed through iTunes. The store became the market leader soon after its launch and Apple announced the sale of videos through the store on October 12, 2005. Full-length movies became available on September 12, 2006.


What program is required to access the iTunes Store?


When were videos made available through the iTunes store?


When did Apple begin selling entire films through the iTunes store?


In what year was the iTunes store established?


In what year did videos first become available on iTunes?


When were full-length moved added to the iTunes store?


When the iTunes store was launched, what type of file format was used?

At the time the store was introduced, purchased audio files used the AAC format with added encryption, based on the FairPlay DRM system. Up to five authorized computers and an unlimited number of iPods could play the files. Burning the files with iTunes as an audio CD, then re-importing would create music files without the DRM. The DRM could also be removed using third-party software. However, in a deal with Apple, EMI began selling DRM-free, higher-quality songs on the iTunes Stores, in a category called "iTunes Plus." While individual songs were made available at a cost of US$1.29, 30¢ more than the cost of a regular DRM song, entire albums were available for the same price, US$9.99, as DRM encoded albums. On October 17, 2007, Apple lowered the cost of individual iTunes Plus songs to US$0.99 per song, the same as DRM encoded tracks. On January 6, 2009, Apple announced that DRM has been removed from 80% of the music catalog, and that it would be removed from all music by April 2009.


How many computers were allowed to play files that used the FairPlay DRM system?


In what category could files without digital rights management be found on the iTunes store?


When did Apple reveal that most of the iTunes selection was free from DRM?


By what time did Apple project its entire catalog would be free of DRM?


What was the original format for purchased audio files on iTunes?


What was the name of the DRM system originally used by Apple and iTunes?


What was the name of the premium service that offered higher quality and DRM-free songs?


In what year was DRM completely eliminated from the iTunes offerings?


What are two stores which sell files with DRM not compatible with iPods?

iPods cannot play music files from competing music stores that use rival-DRM technologies like Microsoft's protected WMA or RealNetworks' Helix DRM. Example stores include Napster and MSN Music. RealNetworks claims that Apple is creating problems for itself by using FairPlay to lock users into using the iTunes Store. Steve Jobs stated that Apple makes little profit from song sales, although Apple uses the store to promote iPod sales. However, iPods can also play music files from online stores that do not use DRM, such as eMusic or Amie Street.


For what device's sales does Apple leverage the iTunes store?


The iPod can play music from other online stores as long as they don't contain what feature?


What company ended its deal with Apple's music store in July of 2007?

Universal Music Group decided not to renew their contract with the iTunes Store on July 3, 2007. Universal will now supply iTunes in an 'at will' capacity.


What entity did Universal have a contract with prior to July of 2007?


In what year did Universal Music Group let their contract with iTunes lapse?


What was the name of the event at which the iTunes Wi-Fi store was launched?

Apple debuted the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on September 5, 2007, in its Media Event entitled "The Beat Goes On...". This service allows users to access the Music Store from either an iPhone or an iPod Touch and download songs directly to the device that can be synced to the user's iTunes Library over a WiFi connection, or, in the case of an iPhone, the telephone network.


On what date was the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store launched?


In what year was the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store introduced?


Which Apple device has the ability to sync with iTunes via the phone network?


On what devices can video games be used?

Video games are playable on various versions of iPods. The original iPod had the game Brick (originally invented by Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak) included as an easter egg hidden feature; later firmware versions added it as a menu option. Later revisions of the iPod added three more games: Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz.


What are three games, in addition to Brick, which have been included with the iPod?


What is another phrase meaning hidden feature?


What was the first, hidden game included with the original iPod?


What other games were later added to the original iPod?


In what year did the iTunes store begin allowing users to buy video games?

In September 2006, the iTunes Store began to offer additional games for purchase with the launch of iTunes 7, compatible with the fifth generation iPod with iPod software 1.2 or later. Those games were: Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mahjong, Mini Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, Texas Hold 'Em, Vortex, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing and Zuma. Additional games have since been added. These games work on the 6th and 5th generation iPod Classic and the 5th and 4th generation iPod Nano.


Which version of iTunes was introduced with the ability to purchase games?


What was the first generation of iPod Classic on which games like Mahjong and Tetris could be played?


On which generation of iPod Nano can games be played?


In what year did iTunes 7 launch, along with a plethora of additional games?


Which generation iPod was required to enjoy the new games available on iTunes 7?


What are the names of companies producing video games for Apple's MP3 player?

With third parties like Namco, Square Enix, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Hudson Soft all making games for the iPod, Apple's MP3 player has taken steps towards entering the video game handheld console market. Even video game magazines like GamePro and EGM have reviewed and rated most of their games as of late.


What market can Apple participate in now that it has a variety of games available for iPod?


What two publications have covered iPod games?


What format is used for iPod game files?

The games are in the form of .ipg files, which are actually .zip archives in disguise[citation needed]. When unzipped, they reveal executable files along with common audio and image files, leading to the possibility of third party games. Apple has not publicly released a software development kit (SDK) for iPod-specific development. Apps produced with the iPhone SDK are compatible only with the iOS on the iPod Touch and iPhone, which cannot run clickwheel-based games.


What file format is being covered up by the use of ipg files?


What is the only operating system on which iPhone SDK-made games can be played?


What file format are iPod games distributed in?


An app produced with the iPhone SDK can only run on what devices?


Is the Apple SDK available to third-party game publishers?


What kind program is commonly used to move files between iTunes and an iPod?

Unlike many other MP3 players, simply copying audio or video files to the drive with a typical file management application will not allow an iPod to properly access them. The user must use software that has been specifically designed to transfer media files to iPods, so that the files are playable and viewable. Usually iTunes is used to transfer media to an iPod, though several alternative third-party applications are available on a number of different platforms.


What kind of other applications enable communication between iTunes and an iPod?


Rather than copying media files directly to it, what software must be used for this purpose so that they are accessible?


What kind of security determines if files moved to a computer can be played?

iTunes 7 and above can transfer purchased media of the iTunes Store from an iPod to a computer, provided that computer containing the DRM protected media is authorized to play it.


What minimum version of iTunes is required to transfer purchased media from an iPod to an authorized computer?


In what kind of folder are files located in the iPod?

Media files are stored on an iPod in a hidden folder, along with a proprietary database file. The hidden content can be accessed on the host operating system by enabling hidden files to be shown. The media files can then be recovered manually by copying the files or folders off the iPod. Many third-party applications also allow easy copying of media files off of an iPod.


On what kind of operating system can hidden iPod files be accessed?


What method of file recovery is used to retrieve data from the iPod?


In what year did Apple face multiple intellectual property lawsuits?

In 2005, Apple faced two lawsuits claiming patent infringement by the iPod line and its associated technologies: Advanced Audio Devices claimed the iPod line breached its patent on a "music jukebox", while a Hong Kong-based IP portfolio company called Pat-rights filed a suit claiming that Apple's FairPlay technology breached a patent issued to inventor Ho Keung Tse. The latter case also includes the online music stores of Sony, RealNetworks, Napster, and Musicmatch as defendants.


What did the 2005 lawsuits accuse Apple of doing?


What other companies were named in the suit filed by Pat-rights?


On whose behalf did Pat-rights take Apple to court?


Which company sued Apple for breach of a "music jukebox" patent in 2005?


Which Apple technology did Pat-rights complain breached their patent in a lawsuit?


What interface component did Apple attempt to patent in 2005?

Apple's application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on "rotational user inputs", as used on the iPod interface, received a third "non-final rejection" (NFR) in August 2005. Also in August 2005, Creative Technology, one of Apple's main rivals in the MP3 player market, announced that it held a patent on part of the music selection interface used by the iPod line, which Creative Technology dubbed the "Zen Patent", granted on August 9, 2005. On May 15, 2006, Creative filed another suit against Apple with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Creative also asked the United States International Trade Commission to investigate whether Apple was breaching U.S. trade laws by importing iPods into the United States.


When did Apple receive a decision on its attempt to patent rotational user inputs?


Which competitor sued Apple over rights to part of the software user interface?


What was the name of the patent over which Creative asserted its ownership?


From which entity did Creative request an investigation into Apple importing their devices to the US?


What interface feature did Apple unsuccessfully try to patent?


Which rival company sued Apple in 2005 and 2006?


When did Creative and Apple come to an agreement over their intellectual property issues?

On August 24, 2006, Apple and Creative announced a broad settlement to end their legal disputes. Apple will pay Creative US$100 million for a paid-up license, to use Creative's awarded patent in all Apple products. As part of the agreement, Apple will recoup part of its payment, if Creative is successful in licensing the patent. Creative then announced its intention to produce iPod accessories by joining the Made for iPod program.


How much money did Apple have to pay to Creative as a result of their agreement?


What program did Creative join in order to make iPod peripherals?


How much did Apple pay to Creative Technologies to settle their 2006 suit?


What's the name of the program by which 3rd parties sell iPod accessories?


What share of the US digital music player market does iPod hold?

Since October 2004, the iPod line has dominated digital music player sales in the United States, with over 90% of the market for hard drive-based players and over 70% of the market for all types of players. During the year from January 2004 to January 2005, the high rate of sales caused its U.S. market share to increase from 31% to 65% and in July 2005, this market share was measured at 74%. In January 2007 the iPod market share reached 72.7% according to Bloomberg Online.


When did iPod become the leader in digital music device sales?


How much of the market did iPod claim as of January 2007?


Who reported Apple's market share in 2007?


Approximately what percentage of the hard drive-based music player sales does iPod have since 2004?


Approximately what percentage of the overall music player market does the iPod line have?


What did the iPod's US market share peak at in 2005?


When did HP unveil their own edition of the iPod?

On January 8, 2004, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced that they would sell HP-branded iPods under a license agreement from Apple. Several new retail channels were used—including Wal-Mart—and these iPods eventually made up 5% of all iPod sales. In July 2005, HP stopped selling iPods due to unfavorable terms and conditions imposed by Apple.


What major retailer sold HP-branded iPod devices?


HP-branded iPods accounted for what share of iPod purchases?


What kind of terms and conditions led HP to leave the iPod market?


Which computer company sold iPods from 2004-05 as part of a license agreement with Apple?


How many iPods did Apple reveal it sold in April of 2007?

On April 9, 2007, it was announced that Apple had sold its one-hundred millionth iPod, making it the biggest selling digital music player of all time. In April 2007, Apple reported second quarter revenue of US$5.2 billion, of which 32% was made from iPod sales. Apple and several industry analysts suggest that iPod users are likely to purchase other Apple products such as Mac computers.


How much of Apple's revenue was generated by iPod purchases in Q2 of 2007?


What is an item that owners of iPods may also purchase?


How much revenue did Apple announce for Q2 2007?


In which year did Apple top sales of 100,000,000 iPods?


As of 2007, what percentage of Apple's revenue came from iPod sales?


On October 22, 2007, Apple reported quarterly revenue of US$6.22 billion, of which 30.69% came from Apple notebook sales, 19.22% from desktop sales and 26% from iPod sales. Apple's 2007 year revenue increased to US$24.01 billion with US$3.5 billion in profits. Apple ended the fiscal year 2007 with US$15.4 billion in cash and no debt.


Desktop computers made up how much of Apple's revenue in the third quarter of 2007?


What was the value of Apple's cash assets at the end of 2007?


With the help of strong iPod sales, how much profit did they turn in 2007?


When did Apple reveal it had achieved its highest quarterly earnings to date?

On January 22, 2008, Apple reported the best quarter revenue and earnings in Apple's history so far. Apple posted record revenue of US$9.6 billion and record net quarterly profit of US$1.58 billion. 42% of Apple's revenue for the First fiscal quarter of 2008 came from iPod sales, followed by 21% from notebook sales and 16% from desktop sales.


What was Apple's highest quarterly profit as of Q1 2008?


How much of Apple's revenue resulted from purchases of laptop computers in Q1 2008?


What percentage of Apples revenue in 1Q08 came from iPods, more than doubling the percentage of notebook sales?


Who was Chief Financial Officer of Apple in July of 2009?

On October 21, 2008, Apple reported that only 14.21% of total revenue for fiscal quarter 4 of year 2008 came from iPods. At the September 9, 2009 keynote presentation at the Apple Event, Phil Schiller announced total cumulative sales of iPods exceeded 220 million. The continual decline of iPod sales since 2009 has not been a surprising trend for the Apple corporation, as Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer explained in June 2009: "We expect our traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves with the iPod Touch and the iPhone." Since 2009, the company's iPod sales have continually decreased every financial quarter and in 2013 a new model was not introduced onto the market.


From what year did iPod purchases begin to continuously decline?


How much revenue did iPod sales account for in Q4 2008?


Approximately how many total iPods had been sold by late 2009?


Which was the first year since iPod's introduction that no new model was released?


What rank did iPod achieve among various computer products in 2006?

iPods have won several awards ranging from engineering excellence,[not in citation given] to most innovative audio product, to fourth best computer product of 2006. iPods often receive favorable reviews; scoring on looks, clean design, and ease of use. PC World says that iPod line has "altered the landscape for portable audio players". Several industries are modifying their products to work better with both the iPod line and the AAC audio format. Examples include CD copy-protection schemes, and mobile phones, such as phones from Sony Ericsson and Nokia, which play AAC files rather than WMA.


What kind of reviews do iPods tend to get?


What two companies use the AAC format for music files?


What file format is not supported by Sony Ericsson and Nokia?


Which publication praised iPods for revolutionizing the industry?


Which phone manufacturers adopted the AAC file format to become better iPod-compatible?


Which PC magazine praised the iPod for having "altered the landscape for portable audio players"?


Aside from recreational use, in what other arena have iPods found use?

Besides earning a reputation as a respected entertainment device, the iPod has also been accepted as a business device. Government departments, major institutions and international organisations have turned to the iPod line as a delivery mechanism for business communication and training, such as the Royal and Western Infirmaries in Glasgow, Scotland, where iPods are used to train new staff.


What are two purposes for which iPods are used in business?


What is the name of a company that uses iPods as part of its training?


Where is Royal and Western Infirmaries located?


What University gave an iPod to first year students in 2004?

iPods have also gained popularity for use in education. Apple offers more information on educational uses for iPods on their website, including a collection of lesson plans. There has also been academic research done in this area in nursing education and more general K-16 education. Duke University provided iPods to all incoming freshmen in the fall of 2004, and the iPod program continues today with modifications. Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Yes, children, there really was a time when we roamed the earth without thousands of our favorite jams tucked comfortably into our hip pockets. Weird."


What publication lauded the iPod for enabling people to listen to thousands of songs on a portable player?


Which major university began issuing iPods to all incoming freshmen starting in 2004?


Which magazine placed the iPod on its Best of the Decade list for the 00's?


What period of music did the iPod help bring to a close?

The iPod has also been credited with accelerating shifts within the music industry. The iPod's popularization of digital music storage allows users to abandon listening to entire albums and instead be able to choose specific singles which hastened the end of the Album Era in popular music.


In which industry did the iPod have a major impact?


What did the iPod promote that prompted a big change in the music industry?


The ease of collecting singles with the iPod and iTunes is credited with ending what "era" in pop music?


How long were 5th generation iPods marketed as being able to function before needing to be charged?

The advertised battery life on most models is different from the real-world achievable life. For example, the fifth generation 30 GB iPod is advertised as having up to 14 hours of music playback. An MP3.com report stated that this was virtually unachievable under real-life usage conditions, with a writer for MP3.com getting on average less than 8 hours from an iPod. In 2003, class action lawsuits were brought against Apple complaining that the battery charges lasted for shorter lengths of time than stated and that the battery degraded over time. The lawsuits were settled by offering individuals either US$50 store credit or a free battery replacement.


Which website criticized Apple's battery life claims?


In what year was Apple sued for issues relating to its battery life?


Discrepancy in what spec brought about a class action suit against Apple in 2003?


How many hours of real-time battery life did the 5th-generation iPod test at, compared to its advertised 14 hours?


Whose directions can be followed to interact with iPod batteries?

iPod batteries are not designed to be removed or replaced by the user, although some users have been able to open the case themselves, usually following instructions from third-party vendors of iPod replacement batteries. Compounding the problem, Apple initially would not replace worn-out batteries. The official policy was that the customer should buy a refurbished replacement iPod, at a cost almost equivalent to a brand new one. All lithium-ion batteries lose capacity during their lifetime even when not in use (guidelines are available for prolonging life-span) and this situation led to a market for third-party battery replacement kits.


What did Apple originally tell consumers to purchase when their iPod batteries no longer worked?


Which iPod component did Apple somewhat inconveniently made non-replaceable?


What type of rechargeable battery does Apple use in its iPods?


What did Apple launch on November 14, 2003?

Apple announced a battery replacement program on November 14, 2003, a week before a high publicity stunt and website by the Neistat Brothers. The initial cost was US$99, and it was lowered to US$59 in 2005. One week later, Apple offered an extended iPod warranty for US$59. For the iPod Nano, soldering tools are needed because the battery is soldered onto the main board. Fifth generation iPods have their battery attached to the backplate with adhesive.


How much did iPod owners originally have to pay for replacement batteries?


What was needed to replace an iPod Nano battery?


What generation saw iPod batterys being affixed with glue?


In what year did Apple begin a formal battery replacement program?


What was the original price for a replacement battery from Apple?


Which iPod model has its battery soldered into the unit?


What part of the iPod Nano was the cause of the overheating issue?

The first generation iPod Nano may overheat and pose a health and safety risk. Affected iPod Nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006. This is due to a flawed battery used by Apple from a single battery manufacturer. Apple recommended that owners of affected iPod Nanos stop using them. Under an Apple product replacement program, affected Nanos were replaced with current generation Nanos free of charge.


What program allowed users to exchange iPod Nanos which suffered from overheating problems with new safe models?


What are two subjects of criticism of iPods?

iPods have been criticized for alleged short life-span and fragile hard drives. A 2005 survey conducted on the MacInTouch website found that the iPod line had an average failure rate of 13.7% (although they note that comments from respondents indicate that "the true iPod failure rate may be lower than it appears"). It concluded that some models were more durable than others. In particular, failure rates for iPods employing hard drives was usually above 20% while those with flash memory had a failure rate below 10%. In late 2005, many users complained that the surface of the first generation iPod Nano can become scratched easily, rendering the screen unusable. A class action lawsuit was also filed. Apple initially considered the issue a minor defect, but later began shipping these iPods with protective sleeves.[citation needed]


What website ran a survey to learn how often iPods ceased working?


How often did MacInTouch discover iPods stopped working, according to their survey?


When did iPod owners take issue with the fragility of the iPod screen?


What did Apple include with the iPod to resolve the screen problem?


Which type of iPod storage proved more reliable than hard drive storage?


The first generation nano suffered from which component getting damaged easily?


What publication revealed information about the working conditions of iPod labor?

On June 11, 2006, the British tabloid The Mail on Sunday reported that iPods are mainly manufactured by workers who earn no more than US$50 per month and work 15-hour shifts. Apple investigated the case with independent auditors and found that, while some of the plant's labour practices met Apple's Code of Conduct, others did not: employees worked over 60 hours a week for 35% of the time, and worked more than six consecutive days for 25% of the time.


What governs iPod manufacturers' labor policies?


What percentage of the time did The Mail on Sunday claim workers labored for at least seven straight days?


Which British tabloid accused Apple of unfair worker conditions in 2006?


What percentage of Apple's manufacturing employees worked over 60 hour weeks?


Who did Apple partner with to monitor its labor policies?

Foxconn, Apple's manufacturer, initially denied the abuses, but when an auditing team from Apple found that workers had been working longer hours than were allowed under Chinese law, they promised to prevent workers working more hours than the code allowed. Apple hired a workplace standards auditing company, Verité, and joined the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct Implementation Group to oversee the measures. On December 31, 2006, workers at the Foxconn factory in Longhua, Shenzhen formed a union affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Chinese government-approved union umbrella organization.


What organization did Apple join to monitor its labor policies?


What company was found to be violating Apple's labor policies?


What was the name of Apple's manufacturing company that was accused of overworking its employees?


What auditor company did Apple hire to oversee worker conditions following the controversy?


In what year did Foxconn workers first unionize?


In what year did Chinese Foxconn emplyees kill themselves?

In 2010, a number of workers committed suicide at a Foxconn operations in China. Apple, HP, and others stated that they were investigating the situation. Foxconn guards have been videotaped beating employees. Another employee killed himself in 2009 when an Apple prototype went missing, and claimed in messages to friends, that he had been beaten and interrogated.


What disappeared in 2009 prior to the suicide of a Foxconn employee?


In what year did several Foxconn workers commit suicide?


What attribute of the United States could be thought to lead more international and less domestic employment opportunities?

As of 2006, the iPod was produced by about 14,000 workers in the U.S. and 27,000 overseas. Further, the salaries attributed to this product were overwhelmingly distributed to highly skilled U.S. professionals, as opposed to lower skilled U.S. retail employees or overseas manufacturing labor. One interpretation of this result is that U.S. innovation can create more jobs overseas than domestically.


To work as a boot disk for a Mac, what file system must an iPod be formatted with?

All iPods except for the iPod Touch can function in "disk mode" as mass storage devices to store data files but this may not be the default behavior, and in the case of the iPod Touch, requires special software.[citation needed] If an iPod is formatted on a Mac OS computer, it uses the HFS+ file system format, which allows it to serve as a boot disk for a Mac computer. If it is formatted on Windows, the FAT32 format is used. With the release of the Windows-compatible iPod, the default file system used on the iPod line switched from HFS+ to FAT32, although it can be reformatted to either file system (excluding the iPod Shuffle which is strictly FAT32). Generally, if a new iPod (excluding the iPod Shuffle) is initially plugged into a computer running Windows, it will be formatted with FAT32, and if initially plugged into a Mac running Mac OS it will be formatted with HFS+.


If connected to a Windows PC when first set up, what file system will an iPod be formatted with?


What category of game is Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess?

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス, Hepburn: Zeruda no Densetsu: Towairaito Purinsesu?) is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii home video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in the The Legend of Zelda series. Originally planned for release on the GameCube in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo to allow its developers to refine the game, add more content, and port it to the Wii. The Wii version was released alongside the console in North America in November 2006, and in Japan, Europe, and Australia the following month. The GameCube version was released worldwide in December 2006.[b]


What consoles can be used to play Twilight Princess?


When was Twilight Princess launched in North America?


When could GameCube owners purchase Twilight Princess?


What company developed Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess?


What year was the Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess originally planned for release?


What year was the Wii version of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess released?


The story focuses on series protagonist Link, who tries to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed by a corrupted parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. To do so, he takes the form of both a Hylian and a wolf, and is assisted by a mysterious creature named Midna. The game takes place hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, in an alternate timeline from The Wind Waker.


What character helped Link in Twilight Princess?


Who is the protagonist is Legend of Zelda?


What is the name of the mysterious creature that assists Link?


This storyline takes place alternate from what storyline?


What accolade did Twilight Princess receive after its release?

At the time of its release, Twilight Princess was considered the greatest entry in the Zelda series by many critics, including writers for 1UP.com, Computer and Video Games, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GamesRadar, IGN, and The Washington Post. It received several Game of the Year awards, and was the most critically acclaimed game of 2006. In 2011, the Wii version was rereleased under the Nintendo Selects label. A high-definition port for the Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, will be released in March 2016.


Under which brand was Twilight Princess for the Nintendo Wii published?


When is the HD version of Twilight Princess slated for launch?


At the time of release which episode of the Legend of Zelda series was considered the greatest entry?


How many Game of the Year awards did Twilight Princess receive?


What year was Twilight Princess the most critically acclaimed game?


What year will the game release a high-definition port for the Wii U console?