It's a modern-day urban legend whose authenticity has yet to be verified:
A guy is getting ready for a road trip with his buddies to Las Vegas and they decided they wanted some tunes (Tom Jones fans?) to set the mood. He busts out his iPod, already all loaded up with the essentials like Frank and Sammy, and asks if he can plug it into his friend's computer's USB port to charge. When he does, all of his precious collection of songs are gone in a flash forever as the computer's iTunes was set to automatically sync up to any iPod attached to it.
Well, here's to hoping that will never happen to anyone after March, as the Tune Blocker will be on the market. It's a USB cord for iPods that has the option to switch between full function mode and charge-only...
The Tune Blocker, introduced yesterday at Macworld, is a USB cable that switches between regular USB connection and a power-only, non-iTunes-launching mode.
It comes in two different cord lengths, 3 foot and 6 foot for $24.95 and $29.95 respectively, and is compatible with all docking iPods.
Comments (6)
the story sounds fake to me? Even if the computer is set to automatically sync, when you plus in a new one it asks you if you would like to sync it with that computer, just click no...
If you have to carry this extra device, why not just bring your charger...
Another reason this seems to be a fake is that Apple will, reportedly, be updating their connector.
AFAIK, iTunes gives you the option to Erase & Sync, Authorize, or Cancel. I sync my music to my home computer and my Calendar and Contact to my work computer, and it's never just erased my iPod. Either it's an urban legend, someone clicked the "Erase & Sync" button without reading it, or the buddy's copy of iTunes had it set up as a default.
this never happens to me either. I had to charge up to my parents computer because I didn't have my ipod ac charger and it just said if I wanted to erase and sync .... just hit no and you will be fine. unless you are one of those people who just hit enter/return whenever your computer asks something
Oh - this has totally happened to me at work. At least twice. Regardless of what I've set my work iTunes to, I don't get any options...just a note that says iTunes can't read what's on my iPod. Then *poof* all music gone. It's very sad. Though not sad enough to make me buy another accessory.