Upgrade your iPod to 240GB -- unofficially

Size matters (Admit it- it does), especially when it comes to how many songs, podcasts and videos your iPod can carry. If you're toting around an iPod Video, which originally shipped with 30GB, 60GB or 80GB hard drive, you can now upgrade to a whopping 240 gigabytes of storage for your pocket player.

A 240 GB drive can hold roughly 60,000 songs, 300 hours of video or 50,000 photos.

Leading online electronics repair service Rapid Repair just announced the world's first 240 GB hard drive upgrade for iPods, using a new 1.8-inch Toshiba drive compatible with fifth-generation (5G) iPod Video players.

The cost for the drive is US $294.99, but Rapid Repair is offering free installation for the time being if you'd prefer them to handle the switch for you. (You must send your iPod to them, at your expense. It takes 1 to 2 days in the service center to switch drives.)

Data recovery and transfer from the old drive to the new one is optional, but adds to the cost ($75US). Otherwise you'll receive your iPod with a fresh 240 GB drive installed (media-free) and your original drive, too, unless you want to trade it in for a credit towards a future purchase.

The Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company says these drives use an exclusive mechanical and firmware design for enhanced durability, as well as a 33 percent improvement in overall energy efficiency over past Toshiba drives.

A warning: If you open your iPod it voids Apple’s warranty. Rapid Repair says their drives come with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects.

Rapid Repair is currently testing the use of the Toshiba 240 GB hard drive in other iPod Classic and Zune 2G media players.