Most Shocking Moments in iPod Culture

The iPod is turning five on Oct. 23, and I'll be celebrating the day I ditched a boatload of CDs plus CD player for a small device that holds thousands of songs and fits in my purse. When I bought an iPod, I never imagined the kind of wacky iPod culture I was joining.

To celebrate this pop-culture icon's birthday, let's recap what's been happening since the iPod saw its 4th birthday.

Here are my top Ten Most Shocking Moments in iPod Culture, since its last birthday anyway. 

• iPods and Lightning: When I say shocking, I mean literally. Teens across America learned that mowing the lawn and listening to iPods don't mix, after a Colorado teen gets struck by lightning.
  
  
• Boy Killed over iPod: Probably the most shocking thing people do for iPods. Earlier this year, 15-year-old Christopher Rose was stabbed twice in the chest when a gang of teens tried to steal his iPod.
  
  
• Chinese iSweatshops: Is it ethical to own an iPod? That's the question people are now asking themselves after a British newspaper shed light on the poor working conditions inside a Chinese factory that builds iPods.
  
  
• iPods Ship with Virus: Video iPods shipped after Sept. 12 were infected with a Windows RavMonE.exe virus. Apple blames Microsoft for not being on top of viruses. Debate ensues.
  
  
• iPods and Hearing Loss: A lawsuit filed against Apple claimed that the iPod could cause hearing loss. It raised great concern, and Apple released a software update that sets a maximum volume limit.
  
  
• Saturday Night Live Parody: Hollywood actors know they've arrived when they host SNL. While Steve Jobs hasn't necessarily been a host of SNL, the iPod certainly got parodied. Anyone remember the iPod Invisa? Gosh, the iPod Shuffle always reminds me of that skit.
  
  
• iPod Halloween Costumes: Everyone wants to be like an iPod, but just how far do fans go to make it happen? Take a look at Engadget's iPod Halloween contest to get an idea.
  
  
• 15 Minutes of Fame: Yes, Andy Warhol said it, but podcasting made it happen. iTunes hosts hundreds of podcasts, and videocasts making it easy for anyone to reach a celebrity status from the comfort of their homes. From video bloggers to home disc jockeys, the iPod continues to turn nobodies into instant celebrities.
  
  
• iPod Ecosystem: There are thousands of accessories for the iPod—but I don't need to remind you of that. This year we saw even stranger things like the iCarta, iPod underwear, and iJeans.
  
  
• iPod Used to Steal $100 million:  In a movie anyway. Harrison Ford uses his daughter's iPod to steal millions of dollars in the movie "Firewall."
  
  

And, well, everything else remains the same. People are still throwing iPod DJ parties, gals are baking iPod cakes, and people are still dressing up their kids with iPod onesies.

What are your favorite iPod Shocking Moments? 

Check out other Y!Tech Team iPod related posts:

iPod Turns Five...So What's Next? 

Illegal Downloading Still King on iPod's Birthday

Shuffle This Book