Micromat PodLock (Mac) Description:

Micromat PodLock (Mac) review:
3 stars (Review for the Alaska Apple Users Group) - Utility maker, Micromat, has moved from the Mac into the bigger world of Apple hardware with their iPod utility, PodLock. While it's not alone in the arena, PodLock performs a few functions that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.



While PodLock lets you peruse the entire contents of your iPod (including songs, pictures, and recordings), it's main purpose is to provide users with the ability to backup, optimize, and secure data stored on your iPod. The interface resembles a 3G iPod. The pseudo-iPod's screen shows the technical details of any connected iPod while all the program's functions are immediately available through one-touch buttons buttons. While this interface metaphor is simple and familiar, it isn't standard, so some elements don't look very good, particularly drawers.



Those drawers are used to display three categories of iPod content - music, pictures, and audio recordings. Each drawer displays a list of the associated files. Details can be displayed on any file and, best of all, music can be played and pictures can be viewed directly off the iPod! That means you can sample music from someone else's iPod.



The real power feature of the program, however, is the ability to create an invisible partition on your iPod for storing data if you have at least 500MB free. After determining the size of the partition you can lock access with a password and even use Apple's FileVault encryption to further secure the contents. This provides a comforting alternative to the simpler iPod disk mode option offered in iTunes.



But wait, that's not all! PodLock has one more feature to add to your piece of mind. With a single click you can save a backup of all the data on your iPod. That means that after the loss or accidental reformatting of your iPod, an equally simple restore function will bring all of the contents back.



As an added bonus, you can use PodLock to analyze and then defrag your iPod's drive, improving access times so you don't have to wait as long for it to load the next song. It seems silly that running a scan and then the defrag is a two-step process, but it's still a nice maintenance feature for an old iPod.



Ultimately the big selling point isn't the backup feature since most people back their Mac up on their iPod and not the other way around, but if you want a securable data storage option, PodLock is a must. Otherwise it's worth a look.