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The ipodminusitunes blog reports that thanks to "inspired work by a couple of heroes" iPods can once again be used with Linux music apps such as gtkpod and Rhythmbox, as well as Windows alternatives such as Winamp.

iPods contain a hidden file that store all the information about songs and playlists. Crackers had been able to reverse engineer this file so that it could be accessed by software other than iTunes.

But with the

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release of the new iPod nanos, the iPod touch and the rebranded iPod classic last week, Apple added bits of encrypted code known as SHA hash functions that lock the file. If the file is modified, the SHA1 hashes no longer match and the iPod lists zero songs.

It was only a matter of time before crackers identified the relevant hash - in this case a cryptographic signature that combines data from the file with an identifier that ties it to a specific iPod. ipodminusitunes reports that the hash has been found and, most importantly, can be generated.

"Let's all hope that (if they haven't already from the iPhone unlocking) Apple learn that fighting against us is pointless," Will, the ipodminusitunes blogger, writes. "It's a waste of their time if the open-source crowd is going to get past it in just a weekend."

His iPhone mention is presumably a reference to iUnlock, a recently released software method for unlocking iPhones so that they can be used on any network. In all likelihood Apple will disable this in a future iPhone software update.

Apple declined to comment.