Doug Adams of Doug’s Scripts for iTunes has just posted about a nice little bit of Applescript he’s coded to make any AAC file bookmarkable on your iPod, just like Audible.com’s audio books. Apparently all it takes is to change the file type (not the extension) to the four-character string “M4B ” (note the space). Apple posted the method in their Knowledge Base (article #93731), but the article was then quickly removed.
I have to wonder why Apple felt the need to pull this info (I also wonder how/if they thought pulling it would stop it from being used now that it’s out, but that’s another question). My best guess is they have some sort of exclusive deal with Audible.com for bookmarking capability, and somebody blew it by revealing the hack they used. I’d love to hear if someone knows more about the politics behind this though.
(Thanks to Rawhide for the link, and of course Doug Adams for the script!)