Fantastic Four

On October 22, 2005, a sequel was announced, tentatively directed by Tim Story and written by Mark Frost. Apple has promoted the iPod and iTunes brands in several successful advertising campaigns, a large number of which are part of their series of silhouette commercials. It stars Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Jessica Alba as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom, with Stan Lee making a cameo appearance as Willie Lumpkin, the mailman. iPod sales according to Apple's quarterly financial results:. Fantastic Four opened in approximately 3600 Theaters and despite predominantly poor reviews grossed US$156M in North America and a total of $329M worldwide, weighed against a production budget of $100M and an officially undisclosed marketing budget. iPod sales according to Apple's yearly financial results:. Another feature film adaptation of The Fantastic Four was released July 8, 2005 by Sony, and directed by Tim Story. ^[39].

It was only made because the studio who owned the movie rights to the Fantastic Four would have lost them if it had not begun production by a certain deadline date (a tactic known as creating an ashcan copy). Sales by Hewlett-Packard made up 5% of all iPod sales. It was ultimately revealed by Stan Lee that unbeknownst to the cast and crew, this movie was never intended to be released in the first place. In July of 2005, HP reversed its decision and announced they would stop reselling the iPod by September 2005, when existing stock were projected to be depleted. The film was made on a shoestring budget and is largely mocked by fans of the comic book foursome for what they see as poor acting and disappointing special effects (at one point, The Human Torch — played by a human actor — turns into an obvious cartoon upon "flaming-on"). Retailers of this model included (among others) the retail giant Wal-Mart, which included a disclaimer explaining that it would not work with its own online music service. While this movie was never released to theaters or video, it has been made available from various bootleg video distributors. The HP models were the same as the Apple iPod except for the inclusion of an "HP" logo on the back under the Apple logo and "iPod" label They were sold as the "Apple iPod + hp".

A movie adaptation of The Fantastic Four was completed in 1994 by famed b-movie director/producer Roger Corman. On January 8, 2004, Hewlett-Packard announced that they would license the iPod from Apple to create an HP-branded digital audio player based on the iPod. The Fantastic Four also appeared in the Super NES and Sega Genesis video games based on the 1990's Spider-Man animated series, and inevitably, they starred in their own multi-platform games based on the 2005 movie. ^[38]. The game was widely panned by critics for having weak storyline and handling of the characters' powers. Most recently, Apple shipped 14.04 million iPods during the quarter that ended on December 31, 2005, a 207% increase over the same quarter one year prior. In the game you and a friend could pick among the Fantastic Four characters (along with the She-Hulk), and battle your way through various levels until you faced Doctor Doom. ^[37] Apple shipped 6.16 million iPods during the quarter that ended on June 25, 2005, a 616% increase over the same quarter in 2004.

In 1998 a side-scrolling video game was released for the Sony PlayStation home video game system / platform, based on the Fantastic Four characters. In its first quarter results of 2006, Apple reported earnings of $565 million — its highest revenue in the company's history. The Fantastic Four also guest-starred in the "Secret Wars" story arc of the 1990s Spider-Man animated series. In other countries, the iPod market share is significantly lower, mostly due to high import taxes and less ubiquitous marketing, so flash memory players, or hard disk based players from competitors like Creative are dominant. There have been three Fantastic Four animated TV series and two feature films (though one of the movies went unreleased, and is only available in a widely circulated bootleg). That is why Flash players at the beginning of 2005 account for less than half the US market share they did in 2004 (their market share decreasing from 62% in January 2004 to 29% in January 2005 [36]). Marvels Comics: Fantastic Four (2000) was a mock-up of what the comic book published in the Marvel Universe might have looked like, and was (within the fictional context of the story) produced with the official approval of "Fantastic Four, Inc.". Therefore, Apple succeeded in chipping away at the mainstream Flash player market in the US.

Byrne made use of this comic-within-the-comic notion in his 1990s Senasational She-Hulk run. This success was especially based on the introduction of the iPod mini. At the end of the issue, Byrne submitted his story. Within one year from January 2004 to January 2005, its US market share tremendously increased by 34% from 31% to 65%. He was about to make up a story when the Watcher whisked him away to take part in the FF's latest adventure. [35] According to the latest financial statements, iPod's market share accounts for 74% in the US in July 2005. Byrne explained he had been unable to contact the Fantastic Four for the latest story, since they were away. ^[34] The iPod currently dominates the digital audio player market in the US, frequently topping best-seller lists.

1984), which depicted writer-artist John Byrne being asked by editor Michael Higgins for the latest issue, since it was almost late. Fortune magazine reported on June 27, 2005 that Apple had sold over 15 million iPods, including 5.3 million in the first quarter of that year. This conceit was again used in #262 (Jan. This equates to 100 iPods sold every minute throughout the quarter. Lee, Kirby, writer Thomas, issue artists George Perez and Joe Sinnott, and Marvel staffers Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin, Marie Severin, Marv Wolfman, and John Verpoorten all made cameo appearances. At the Macworld Expo keynote speech[33] on January 10, 2006, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reported sales of over 42 million iPods total, and 14 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2006. 1976), "Improbable As It May Seem — The Impossible Man Is Back In Town!" Here he invaded the Marvel offices demanding to have his own comic. Sites like iLounge and The Apple Collection have parts of their sites devoted to iPod concepts, things varying from completely touch screen iPods to iPods that include an integrated mobile phone.

The second story marked the introduction of the impish Impossible Man, who starred in writer Roy Thomas' self-referential update in Fantastic Four #176 (Nov. iPod design is also a part of this ecosystem. 1963). Along with the introduction of the nano they also introduced nano tubes (most likely a joke on nanotubes), a silicone case with no screen, dock connector, or headphone port protection, but a cover over the click wheel, and the hold switch. This was in "A Visit with the Fantastic Four", the first of two stories in issue #11 (Feb. Apple themselves even make some. The following issue reinforced this notion of "real-world superheroes" by having the Fantastic Four, in civilian clothes, stroll to a newstand hopeing to pick up the latest comic book. There are a host of different types and brands, all different for each iPod owners different needs.

Sharp-eyed fans would later note that this "real-world" Marvel was even more fictional than it seemed: Not only was penciler Jack Kirby working at a drawing table there, rather than at home per his wont, but the office door was labeled "Lee and Kirby" — suggesting the kind of comradely partnership fans wanted and expected. Some are silicone, others are hard plastic, some you can't even reach the controls through. In this issue, Doctor Doom himself came to Marvel's Madison Avenue offices. Kate Spade, iSkin, Speck, Incase, and Chums all produce these cases. 1963) established the conceit that the Fantastic Four (and by extenstion the rest of the Marvel universe) existed in the same world as Marvel Comics; the team-members, it was explained, had licensed their names and likenesses to the company, and the rights to adapt their "real-life" adventures. People buy these accessories not only to protect their iPods but also to make fashion statements. Issue #10 (Jan. Besides technological peripherals there are also cases.

Franklin Richards(son) Valeria Richards (daughter). Other companies (most notably Griffin Technology) make add-ons that allow your iPod to record your voice, charge your iPod on the go, play your tunes over the radio, or use your iPod wirelessly with a remote. For a list including one-shots, miniseries, graphic novels, and trade paperback collections, see Thing Bibliography. Companies such as JBL, Bose, Altec Lansing, and Kensington all make speakers that are designed specifically to work with the iPod, using the iPod's thirty pin dock connector. Another ongoing solo series, also titled The Thing, debuted with a premiere issue cover-dated January 2006. A host of different companies produce accessories that are designed to work with the iPod. 1974 - June 1983), with seven summer annuals (1976–1982), and was immediately followed by the solo title The Thing #1-36 (July 1983 – June 1986). The large accessories market that has built up around the iPod is sometimes described as the iPod ecosystem.

The series ran 100 issues (Jan. Arguing that the cheap songs from iTMS have contributed significantly to the iPods' great success, record labels are also seeking a share of profits from the iPod division itself and they hope to accomplish this by putting pressure on Apple to differentiate between "hot singles" and "golden oldies." Jobs responded by accusing the record industry of being greedy [26]. The "ever-lovin', blue-eyed Thing", as Ben Grimm sometimes refers to himself, appeared in the team-up title Marvel Two-in-One, co-starring with Marvel heroes not only in the present day but occassionally in other time periods (fighting alongside the Liberty Legion in #20 and Doc Savage in #21, for example) and in alternate realities. Aside from the controversial iPod-exclusive AAC format of audio files, SonyBMG and Warner Music who had initially signed on with Apple have lately complained that they have been undercharged for the value of their songs due to iTMS's flat fee. "The Human Torch" shared the "split book" Strange Tales with fellow feature "Doctor Strange" for the majority of its run, before finally flaming off with issue #134 (July 1965), replaced the following month by "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.". Steve Jobs has stated "We would like to break even (or) make a little bit of money (on the iTunes Music Store) but it's not a money maker." The role of the iTMS is not to sell songs, but rather to promote the sale of iPods by offering owners a convenient service for music. 1964). Yet Realnetworks has continued to update the technology allowing iPod owners to download purchased music from RealNetworks music store.

The FF made occasional cameo appearances, and the Thing became a co-star with #123 (Aug. For a short time in 2004, RealNetworks had advertised that tracks purchased from their RealPlayer Music Store could be played on an iPod through the use of their Harmony technology; however, an iPod update released at the time of the iPod photo launch disabled files created by Harmony. (She was seen again in a 1970s issue of Fantastic Four, having become a heavyset but cheerful wife and mother.) Ayers took over the penciling after 10 issues, later followed by original Golden Age Human Torch creator Carl Burgos and others. Microsoft and RealNetworks have accused Apple of using iPod, the iTunes Music Store, and FairPlay to lock iPod users into using iTunes exclusively (and vice versa), creating a vertical monopoly. Supporting characters included Johnny's girlfriend, Doris Evans, usually seen only in consternation as Johnny cheerfully flew off to battle bad guys. No portable music player other than the iPod can play the DRM-enabled files sold on the iTMS, and the iPod cannot play files protected with other DRM technologies, such as Microsoft's DRM format or RealNetwork's Helix-DRM system. (Decades later, a retcon revealed that his friends and neighbors knew of his dual identity all along, from Fantastic Four news reports, but had humored him). However, the files can also be burned to CD, at which time those DRM restrictions are removed.

Here Johnny was seen living with his elder sister, Susan, in fictional Glenview, Long Island, New York, where he continued to attend high school and, with youthful naivete, attempted to maintain his "secret identity". Apple encrypts the AAC audio files using the controversial FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) system, so that only authorized computers (up to five) and unlimited iPods can play them. 1962), in 12- to 14-page stories plotted by Lee and initially scripted by his brother, Larry Lieber, and drawn by penciler Kirby and inker Dick Ayers. Advertised that any song was 99¢, the music bought from it can be uploaded onto the iPod and the store has become the dominant online music service, helping the sale of iPods. Johnny Storm starred in a early Silver Age solo series beginning in Strange Tales #101 (Oct. Introduced on April 28, 2003 the iTunes Music Store (iTMS) is an online music store run by Apple and built into iTunes. Recent issues have revealed that this is a deliberate move by Reed Richards, who works to keep the team highly visible and well-regarded out of guilt for causing their mutations. Another popular tool is vPod, a stand alone freeware tool for copying music from your PC to iPod.

Unlike most superheroes, the Fantastic Four's identities are not secret and they maintain a high public profile, enjoying celebrity status for their scientific and heroic contributions to society. Some of the more notable examples are the ml iPod plugin for Winamp, that allows users to manage their iPod content through Winamp, and Anapod Explorer, produced by Redchair Software, which presents a Windows Explorer-like interface for managing the content on an iPod. The children of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards, are also regulars in the series. Many of these third-party tools allows functionality not available through iTunes, such as the ability to copy music off the iPod back to the host PC. Although not strictly related, The Thing's role is that of the beloved Dutch uncle, and his relationship with Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch is nonetheless quite sibling-like. However, several third-party tools exists that addressed synchronization of the iPod. Three of the four members are directly related, with The Thing being the exception. Apple Computer endorses only one official method for synchronizing with the iPod: iTunes.

The comic has typically emphasized that the Fantastic Four, unlike most superhero teams, are truly a family. Additionally, many aftermarket stereo manufacturers Kenwood, Alpine, etc, have iPod integration solutions to allow one of their head units to control and play music from an iPod. In the mid-2000s, an orbiting satellite version of the Baxter Building has been used. Virtually any vehicle that has a factory CD changer controller port on the stereo can be integrated with an iPod using this kit. Pier 4, a warehouse on the New York waterfront, served as a temporary headquarters for the group after Four Freedoms Plaza was condemned, due to the actions of another superhero team, the Thunderbolts. Using Peripheral Electronics' iPod2Car adaptor kit, an iPod can be thus integrated into many vehicles which wouldn't otherwise allow it. Fantastic) Doctor Doom. In 2006, this feature will also be available in other foreign cars (outside US): Japan: Lexus, Nissan, Mazda, Daihatsu, BMW, MINI, smart, and Alfa Romeo.

The Baxter Building was replaced by Four Freedoms Plaza, built at the same location, after the Baxter Building's destruction at the hands of Kristoff Vernard, adopted son of the Fantastic Four's seminal villain (and rumored half-brother of Mr. This feature will also be available in other cars soon: Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Honda, Infiniti, Jeep, Nissan, and Volkswagen. They have had a number of headquarters, most notably the Baxter Building in New York City. This feature is only available in certain cars:. Propelled mainly by Richards' innate scientific curiosity, the team have explored space, the Negative Zone, the Microverse, other dimensions and nearly every hidden valley, nation and lost civilization on the planet. In some cars, music can be controlled through the steering wheel. The team of adventurers have used their fantastic abilities to protect humanity, the Earth and the universe from a number of threats. Not to be confused with "iPod your Car" which allows car integration on a personal car, iPod Car integration allows one to connect an iPod to a car, and listen to premade car playlists for the car, or the entire library through car speakers.

They also appear to be inspired by co-creator Kirby's similarly unmasked though non-superpowered DC Comics quartet the Challengers of the Unknown. Some reviews in the arstechnica.com showed that the battery in iPod nano is soldered in the mainboard and in the 5G iPod it is more difficult to be removed and "It's actually affixed to the metal backplate and sits above its own power management circuitry and right next the headphone port and its driver circuitry". Fantastic). The big question now is if the 5th Generation iPod battery can be replaced by users in the same manner as the other generations of iPod. The four characters were modeled after the four classical Greek elements: earth (The Thing), fire (The Human Torch), wind (The Invisible Girl) and water (the pliable and ductile Mr. These batteries often contain more capacity than the standard Apple batteries. Filled with anger, self-loathing and self-pity over his new existance, he dubbed himself the Thing, the term Susan used in her initial, startled reaction to his transformation. As a response to the battery problem, multiple 3rd parties [23] [24] [25] have appeared that are selling iPod battery replacement kits for one third of the price that Apple charges customers for a battery replacement.

and a nearly invulnerable hide. [22]. Finally, pilot Ben Grimm was transformed into a monstrous, craggy, humanoid with orange, rock-like skin, incredible strength. Some iPod users also defended Apple by pointing out that their iPods had lasted longer than 18 months, while other viewers suggested that the brothers had attacked Apple solely for the sake of publicity. Her younger brother, Johnny Storm, possessed the incendiary powers of the Human Torch, enabling him to control fire, project burning bolts of flame from his body, and fly. The movie depicted the Brothers vandalizing Apple ads in the New York City area with graffiti proclaiming that "iPod's unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months." [21] The movie was widely linked and viewed, with much of the commentary failing to mention Apple's recent change in policy. She later developed the ability to project force fields, create invisible objects, and turn other objects visible or invisible. The movie, called iPod's Dirty Secret, apparently made before the change in policy, expressed anger because the battery on their early model iPod had failed after eighteen months and Apple refused to replace it.

His fiancée, Susan Storm, gained the ability to become invisible at will and named herself the Invisible Girl (later the Invisible Woman). On November 21, 2003, a short film produced by iPod owners The Neistat Brothers was released on the Internet. Richards, who took the name Mister Fantastic, was now able to stretch his body into nearly any shape he could imagine (similar to Timely Comics' Thin Man and Quality Comics' celebrated Plastic Man). [20]. Upon crash landing back on Earth, the four impromptu astronauts found themselves transformed and possessed of bizarre new abilities. On November 14, 2003, Apple quietly announced a battery replacement program that initially cost $99 [19] (now $59), and one week later offered users the option to extend the warranty of their iPods for $59. The Fantastic Four acquired superhuman abilities after an experimental rocket ship designed by scientist Reed Richards passed through a storm of cosmic rays on its test flight to outer space. This situation led to a small market for third-party battery replacement kits.

Other ongoing-title spinoffs have included the 1970s quarterly title Giant-Size Fantastic Four and the 1990s Fantastic Four Unlimited, and there have been numerous miniseries. The official policy was that the customer should buy a refurbished replacement iPod, at a cost almost equivalent to a brand new iPod. Additionally, Marvel launched Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff Fantastic Four series, in April 2004. Compounding this problem, Apple would not replace worn-out batteries either. In February 2004, Marvel launched the series Ultimate Fantastic Four, a version of the group in the "Ultimate" alternate universe. This is unusually difficult for a consumer device, but at least half a dozen well-known rivals to the iPod have a similarly enclosed battery. Byrne also staked bold directions in the characters' personal lives, having the married Sue and Reed Richards suffer a miscarriage — as well as a separation that seemed headed for divorce. The battery in all iPod models cannot be removed or replaced by the user without levering the unit open.

His key contribution was the modernization of the Invisible Girl into the Invisible Woman — a self-confident and dynamic character whose newfound control of her abilities made her the most powerful member of the team. Apple has published guidelines on its web site for maximizing the life of an iPod battery. Then, with issue #232 (July 1981), the aptly titled "Back to the Basics", Byrne began his triple-threat run as writer, penciller, and (initially under the pseudonym Bjorn Heyn) inker on the celebrated title. In other words, the battery will continue to have a useful life through the equivalent of five hundred complete discharges and recharges; through time and use, the life of the battery will generally decrease until eventually it is not able to power the iPod for more than a few minutes. 1980) before writer Doug Moench and penciler Bill Sienkiewicz took over for 10 issues. Like most lithium-based batteries, the iPod battery lasts roughly 500 full recharge cycles. Byrne then scripted two tales as well (#220-221, July-Aug. Apple designed the iPod with an internal lithium ion battery that users cannot easily replace (the first and second generation iPods used lithium polymer batteries).

1979), doing pencil breakdowns for Sinnott to finish. The nano originally wasn't shipped with these, but after the complaints Apple started bundling them with no price change. He started on the title with issue #209 (Aug. For this reason Apple has started packaging both the nano and the 5th Generation iPod with cloth carrying cases which help to prevent scratches to the screen and body, both the plastic front and metal back, but do not provide unfettered access to the screen or controls. In the 1980s, John Byrne created what many critics call the series' best run since Lee & Kirby's. There have been a number of complaints about the Nano's screen being too soft, resulting in it becoming easily scratched or even broken if put under any strain. Jim Steranko contributed a handful of covers. The iPod nano is available in white and black, in both 2 GB (US$199) and 4 GB (US$249) configurations.

After Kirby's departure from Marvel in 1970, Fantastic Four continued with Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Marv Wolfman as its consecutive regular writers, working with artists including John Romita, Sr., John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and George Perez, with longtime inker Joe Sinnott helping to provide some visual continuity. The click wheel is used to input the digits to the passcode. In the book's most groundbreaking yet utterly natural development, Fantastic Four presented superhero comics' first pregnancy, culminating with the birth of a superhero family's first child, Franklin Benjamin Richards, in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1968). The screenlock option lets users set a 4 digit passcode for their iPod, and once the screenlock is activated the only buttons that can be pressed are the skip forwards and backwards and the play/pause buttons. As well, the daring duo of Lee & Kirby, who eventually shared credited as co-plotting collaborators, introduced such concepts as the Negative Zone and unstable molecules, two core elements of the Marvel mythos. The nano saves the user's stopwatch stats for multiple timing sessions, which is useful for comparing times. Through its creators' lengthy run, the series produced many acclaimed stories and characters that have become central to Marvel, including Doctor Doom; the Silver Surfer; Galactus; the Watcher; the The Inhumans; the Black Panther; the rival alien Kree and Skrull races; and Him, who would become Adam Warlock. While the timer is on, the Start button changes to a Lap button that allows the user to time individual laps.

Lee's intended swan song became unexpectedly and phenomenally successful; Lee and Kirby stayed together on the book and began launching other titles from which the vaunted "Marvel Universe" of additional interrelated titles and characters grew. The stopwatch feature allows users to press Start to start the timer, and the Stop button to stop. To forestall possibly upsetting DC^{[citation needed]} (which, in addition to being a competing publisher, was also the distributor of Marvel's limited line of comics), Lee and Kirby deliberately avoided making the new book look like a competing superhero comic; the new characters appeared on the cover without costumes and had no secret identities. The clocks can be set to adjust for Daylight Saving Time. And the characters would be the kind of characters i could personally relate to: they'd be flesh and flood, they'd have their faults and foibles, they'd be fallible and feisty, and — most important of all — inside their colorful, costumed booties they'd still have feet of clay".³. The world clock allows users to set the time in cities around the world, and set alarms for each time zone. "For just this once", Lee wrote, "I would do the type of story I myself would enjoy reading... These features were new to the iPod operating system, including the addition of world clocks, a stopwatch, and a screenlock option.

Lee teamed with artist Jack Kirby to produce a groundbreaking series featuring a family of superheroes who were fallible and more naturalistically human than virtually anything seen in superhero comics to that time. The iPod nano has several features that would later be included into the fifth generation iPod. ...[H]er little dissertation made me suddenly realize that it was time to start concentrating on what I was doing — to carve a real career for myself in the nowhere world of comic books".². The nano is the first dock connector iPod that cannot sync to any PC (Windows or Mac) via FireWire cable, though it can still be charged via a Firewire connection. She wondered why I didn't put as much effort and creativity into the comics as I seemed to be putting into my other freelance endeavors. It retains the standard 30-pin dock connector for compatibility with third-party peripherals. "[My wife] Joan was commenting about the fact that after 20 years of producing comics I was still writing television material, advertising copy and newspaper features in my spare time. The headphone jack is located on the bottom.

Lee, who'd served as editor-in-chief and art director of Marvel and its predecessor companies, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, for two decades, had by now found the medium restrictive. It has a 65,536 color display that can show photographs, and connects to a computer via USB 2.0. ' If the Justice League is selling ', spake he, ' why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?' "¹. Based on flash memory instead of a hard drive, the iPod nano is 0.27 inches (6.9 millimeters) thick, weighs 1.5 ounces (42 grams), and is 62% smaller by volume than its predecessor. .. On September 7, 2005, Apple announced the successor to the iPod mini, the iPod nano. "It was a book called The [sic] Justice League of America and it was composed of a team of superheroes. or 22 g) and approximates in size to a pack of chewing gum (originally, the iPod shuffle website contained a footnote advising people not to eat the iPod shuffle like gum; it was later removed, possibly because several users photographed themselves with their iPod shuffles in their mouths.) Like the rest of the iPod family, iPod shuffle can operate as a USB mass storage device.

"Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most", recalled Lee in 1974. The iPod shuffle weighs less than one ounce (0.78 oz. Whether or not this mythic meeting actually occurred, Goodman, a publishing trend-follower aware of the JLA's strong sales, directed his comics editor, Stan Lee, to begin publishing a comic-book series about a team of superheroes. Users can set iTunes to fill iPod shuffle with a random selection from their music library each time the device connects to the computer. 1960). The iPod shuffle has no screen and therefore has limited options for navigating between music tracks: users can play songs either in the order set in iTunes or in a random (shuffled) order. 1960) before going on to its own hit title (premiere cover-date: Nov. One review regards it as having one of the best-sounding audio systems of all the iPod models.

Liebowitz, according to the story, bragged about DC's success with the superhero team the Justice League of America, which had debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb. The shuffle has a SigmaTel processor. National Periodical Publications. Unlike other iPod models, iPod shuffle cannot play Apple Lossless or AIFF encoded audio files—possibly due to the iPod shuffle's smaller processing power. a.k.a. The shuffle comes in two models: 512 MB (up to 120 4-minute songs encoded at 128 kbit/s) and 1 GB (up to 240). Legend has it that in 1961, longtime magazine and comic book publisher Martin Goodman was playing golf with rival publisher Jack Liebowitz of DC Comics. iPod shuffle introduced flash memory (rather than a hard drive) to iPods for the first time.

. Apple announced iPod shuffle at Macworld Expo on January 11, 2005 with the taglines "Life is random" and "Give chance a chance". The comic-book series, which famously added the hyperbolic tagline "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" above the title starting with issue #4, dropped the "The" from the cover logo with #15, becoming simply Fantastic Four. With the introduction of the iPod nano, the iPod mini was discontinued. The Fantastic Four have have remained more or less popular since, and have been adapted into other media, including three animated television series, an aborted 1990s low-budget film, and a major-studio motion picure, Fantastic Four (2005). Also, the second generation iPod minis did not include the AC adapter or the FireWire cable bundled with previous models. The team launched the revival of Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, giving it a pivotal place in the history of American comic books. In addition, they featured richer case colors (though Apple discontinued the gold color) and other minor aesthetic changes (the color of the lettering on the click wheel now matched the color of the iPod mini).

Uniquely at the time, and also breaking convention with comic-book archetypes, its members would squabble and even hold animosities both deep and petty toward one another at times, though ultimately truly caring for and supporting each other. Most notably, both models featured an increased battery life of up to 18 hours. Since its introduction — in which the groundbreaking team did not even hew to the convention of superhero costumes its first two issues — the Fantastic Four has been portrayed as a somewhat dysfunctional yet loving family. In February 2005, the second-generation [18] iPod mini came on the market with a new 6 GB model at $249 and an updated 4 GB model priced at $199. Although the group's membership has occasionally changed temporarily, it almost always consists of these four core friends and family-members, who gained superpowers after being exposed to cosmic rays during an outer space science mission:. Silver models sold best, followed by blue ones, while the least popular was the gold. 1961). Apple initially made iPod mini devices available in five colors: silver, gold, blue, pink, and green.

The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics' flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. The center button still acted as a select button. In the PBS cartoon Arthur (TV series), a 'daydream' sequence features Buster Baxter, Arthur's best friend, emerging from a space shuttle and exhibiting the powers of the FF (one limb streches, one bursts into flame, one turns invisible, and one turns into orange rock). iPod mini introduced the popular "click wheel" that was incorporated into later iPods: the touch-sensitive wheel means that users can move a finger around it to highlight selections on the screen, while the unit's Menu, Back, Forward, and Play/Pause buttons are part of the wheel itself, letting a user press down on part of the wheel to activate one of those functions. Since various parts of that future have been referenced since (Gert becoming an Avenger, Victor as the son of Ultron) it may be that the Richards family will continue to grow... Critics panned it as too expensive, but it proved to be overwhelmingly popular, and Apple Stores had difficulty keeping the model in stock. In Runaways volume 2 #1, a time-traveller made reference to a future team called the Fantastic Fourteen. It had 4 GB of storage and a price of $249 (at the time, only $50 below the 15 GB third-generation iPod).

Had the Fantastic Five book lasted longer, the team would have been succeeded by their superpowered offspring. On January 6, 2004, Apple introduced the first iPod mini. Fantastic(Lyja), Psi-Lord(Franklin Richards), Big Brain(a robot with the mind of Reed Richards), and the Thing(though he may be dead). The iPod mini was discontinued on September 7, 2005 after Apple announced it was to be replaced by the iPod nano, which was 62% smaller in size and included a color screen. It's membership consists of the Human Torch, Ms. iPod minis used Microdrive hard drives for storage. In the MC2 imprint, a team called the Fantastic Five exists. Its smaller display had one less line than previous models, limiting the on-screen track identification to title and artist only, and not the album.

In Family Guy, in the episode "Petarded", Peter Griffin refers to Fantastic Four while playing Trivial Pursuit. The iPod mini had largely the same feature set as the full-sized iPod, but lacked support for some third-party accessories. The name of the comics company that turns out Garfield was placed instead of Marvel Comics, as Paws Comics Group. Apple entered the market for "mini"-form-factor digital audio players in January 2004, with the introduction of the iPod mini, competing directly with players like Creative's Zen Micro and Digital Networks Rio Carbon. Fantastic, Nermal was the Human Torch (who was trying to blow out his flaming tail), and Arlene was the Invisible Woman. The price point remains the same as the fourth-generation model. Garfield was the Thing, Odie was Mr. The capacity of the iPod was increased to 30 GB from the previous 20 GB.

The opening of a Garfield Sunday strip parodied the opening of a FF comic book. The new Harry Potter iPod retains the laser engraved Hogwarts crest on back of the device and is sold with the "complete Harry Potter" (the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series). Ghostmare was later renamed Matriarch, paralleling the Invisible Woman's role in the Fantastic Four family as well. On October 12, 2005 Apple reintroduced the Harry Potter collectible iPod along with the update of the iPod line. In issues 50-52 of Power Pack, a quartet of Kymellian heroes called Force 4 (Teamleader, Ghostmare, Firemane and Thunderhoof) was based in powers (though Teamleader's power was only his superior intelligence, and not any variation of Mister Fantastic's stretching power) and in name (with the exception of Ghostmare, the real names of these heroes was a Pig Latin version of their Fantastic Four counterparts') on the Fantastic Four. A third-party addon will still be required in order to record audio on the iPod, as it was in previous generations. In issues 29-30 of the 1989 Legion of Super-Heroes series, a team of four villains (Elasti-Kid 5, Ghost 6, Flare and Alloy 12) had powers based on those of the Fantastic Four. Other notable improvements include the reduction of minor audio defects, such as hard drive noise being heard through the headphone jack, as well as an increase in recording quality to 44.1 kHz stereo, 22.05 kHz mono.

Similarly, Duke Nukem's condition was brought about due to radioactive exposure. The fifth-generation iPod no longer supports file transfers via FireWire, but still supports charging using FireWire. The animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers featured a villain named Duke Nukem, who had rocky skin similar to that of the Thing. One must purchase one separately in order to charge it from the AC. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Apple has also discontinued the inclusion of an AC adapter and FireWire cable. They are counterparts to the Fantastic Four in many ways, mostly in their powers and in the relationships between the analogs to Mr. The fifth-generation iPod also comes with a thin slip case, most likely in response to many complaints concerning the iPod nano's easily scratchable surface.

The Wildstorm comic series Planetary has as its main villains a group called simply The Four. In addition, the earphones plug is smaller. Fantastic, and the Thing, including their traditional colors. Like the iPod nano, it comes in two colors, white and black, and it features the World Clock, Stopwatch, and Screen Lock applications. An episode of "Atomic Betty", featured three Betty clones possessing the powers of the Torch, Mr. Griffin has, however, released a new version of the iTrip for the new iPod, which mounts to the dock connector on the bottom of the unit. Only the invisibility stone was used, however. Gone from the fifth-generation iPod is the remote control accessory port, previously found beside the headphone port, meaning that accessories such as the Griffin iTrip will no longer work.

An episode of "The Mask" animated series featured four stones that granted the exact same powers as those of the Fantastic Four. The headphone jack has been moved from the center of the top to the right of the top, while the hold switch has been moved to the left side of the top. (Another family-member has superspeed.) Marvel Studios chairperson Avi Arad told Entertainment Weekly that, "In the words of Stan Lee, when someone asked him about The Incredibles, he said, ' You know, it feels like I wrote it.'"⁵. Apple has stopped using the click wheels used in the fourth generation iPod and iPod mini from their previous supplier, Synaptics Inc of San Jose, CA, and now uses an in-house solution. The 2004 Disney/Pixar animated feature The Incredibles is built around a family of superheroes whose powers include stretching, super strength, invisibility/force field, and, to a more briefly seen extent, flame. The new click wheel is completely flat, unlike older models where the center button is slightly rounded. The universe of writer Kurt Busiek's various Astro City comics includes a Fantastic Four-like group called The First Family. The click wheel design is the same as the previous generation, but is marginally smaller than before.

In another episode of The Simpsons entitled "I Am Furious, Yellow" guest-starring Stan Lee, a boy in the comic book shop wants to buy a Batman action figure, but Stan tries to sell the boy an action figure of The Thing instead. Watching movies reduces that amount to 2 and 3 hours respectively. In The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror XIV episode, Bart discovers a magic stopwatch; near the end of the episode he gives it to Lisa, who presses the button repeatedly — at one point briefly turning the family into the Fantastic Four. The reported battery life for the 30 GB is 14 hours and for the 60 GB is around 20 hours. In The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror X episode, Bart and Lisa are exposed to radiation and transformed into 'Stretch Dude' and 'Clobber Girl'. It is also 30% thinner than the previous full-size iPod. The hit cartoon show The Simpsons has also poked fun at the Fantastic Four.