griffin

Apple quietly released a new iPod Shuffle on Wednesday, and much to the surprise of tech pundits and Apple fans, the company moved the controls of the device from the face of the Shuffle to the cord of the earbuds it bundles with the iPod.

According to Apple, anyone who wants to use their own third-party headphones will be required to purchase a third-party Shuffle-controlling dongle that will attach to both the iPod and the headphones.

It didn't take long for the blogosphere to erupt and start saying that this is like the recessed iPhone jack of 2009, in reference to the first-generation iPhone earbud jack that required an adapter for some headphones. When that was announced, Apple caught fire until the second-generation iPhone featured a standard jack.

And now it's happening again. I spent 30 minutes last night looking around the Web, trying to find reactions to this so-called "debacle," and more often than not, I read posts on blogs or complaints on Twitter saying that an additional $15 to $20 for a dongle is ridiculous and that it eliminates all the value of the iPod Shuffle.

I considered that argument and found it flawed.… Read more

Donald and Jasmine are back and ready to catch up on FLAC-compatible MP3 players, speakers that use "twoofers," headphones that use speakers, and a handy way to control your iPod while keeping your eyes on the road.

Plus, Jasmine offers some tips for taking your iTunes music collection to a non-Apple MP3 player, and Donald reviews an oldie but goodie.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Griffin Technology showed off the Navigate at a CES press event yesterday, though it was announced officially at Macworld several hours before. The Navigate may seem like just an ordinary iPod remote, and indeed it can be used that way. A nice bonus is that you can also use it with the iPhone, which could be a good thing if you're not crazy about the iPhone's touch-screen controls (also pretty useful when you're driving and need to not look at the screen). But the Navigate also has a built-in FM radio as well as four station presets … Read more

Griffin Technology released the SmartTalk Bluetooth headset yesterday in conjunction with Macworld Expo 2009, marking the first ever Bluetooth headset from the company known for its iPod and iPhone accessories. The SmartTalk Bluetooth headset has a dual microphone design that promises great noise cancellation, with the ability to tell the difference between your voice and background noise. It also offers human voice confirmations during setup and use (In English and French). It's available now for $99.99, or you can buy it a bundle for $119.99 with PowerJolt, so you can charge either the headset or your iPhone … Read more

One of the more common complaints about the Apple iPhone is that the 2.0-megapixel camera on it isn't that great. There aren't a lot of camera settings, there's no auto-focus, and not much image editing in general. You can get third-party image editors via the App Store, but you can't fix the lens hardware itself.

Or can you? Enter the Griffin Clarifi, an ingenious protective case for the iPhone with a built-in close-up lens. At the face of it, it looks like a normal black polycarbonate case for the iPhone. But on the back is … Read more

It's hard to make an iPod dock sizzle, but Griffin's Simplifi barely approaches room temperature.

By consolidating a memory card reader, USB hub, and iPod dock, the Griffin Simplifi has good intentions. Unfortunately, its card reader only accepts three formats, you only get two USB ports, and the dock doesn't offer a stitch of audio or video connectivity. The Simplifi is pretty looking, granted, but $70 can buy you a lot of pretty things.

Part of me was also hoping that the Simplifi would allow some sort of direct transfer between my memory cards and my iPod (… Read more

UPDATE! (November 19, 9:59 AM PST) Sirius Disorder fans take note: Vin Scelsa announced on his 11/19 Idiot's Delight show on The Loft (Sirius Disorder's replacement channel) that Meg Griffin will soon return to do her thing on The Loft (yes, she's currently on The Spectrum). Vin also noted that David Johansen's show will be back. The Lou Reed and Hal Wilner show is headed back as well. All will appear on The Loft. Maybe our protests were heard!

As a Sirius Satellite Radio subscriber, I received an e-mail on Wednesday "Announcing The New Sirius Channel Lineup&… Read more

Griffin Technology, makers of the iTalk hardware add-on that allows you to record lenghty audio on non-microphone-equipped iPods, recently released a software-only recorder for the iPhone, iTalk Recorder. It's halfway to being a great app. But the other half is really annoying.

The iPhone side of iTalk Recorder is quite good. It's very easy to set up a recording in one of three quality levels, rename it as you like, and then play it back on your phone.

The problem comes on the PC or laptop side. To get your recording onto your computer, you can't, as … Read more

FM transmitters don't see a ton of traction on Crave, and for good reason. Strict regulations over broadcast power and frequency range have effectively stalled product innovation. The designs may change, but most of the new FM transmitters we see are just a rehash of last year's model.

Which is why we're happy to see Griffin's latest iTrip Universal, an FM transmitter with a rechargeable battery that uniquely aims to fill the void of FM transmitters designed for use beyond the car. Sure, the iTrip is as underpowered and interference-prone as any other FM transmitter, but … Read more