ipod

There should be a rule: Just because you can make something, it doesn't mean you should. That's how we feel about these iDazzle mini-speakers made for the iPod, as seen on Chip Chick. Sure, they may very well work. But even if they had Bose-quality sound (which, at $10, we somehow doubt), these things are coyote ugly. And we don't mean in the good way.

(Photo: SPI)

... or maybe a teether?

I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be handing over a 5.5G iPod to my child, but given the numerous Disney movie titles available in the iTunes Store, it might be a good way to occupy the little chipmunk while you're out and about. Good thing there's the Tadpole, a rugged, playful protective case with dual handles.

Available November 1 from iFrogz, the $20 Tadpole "engulfs the whole iPod while leaving open areas for the Click Wheel, iPod view screen, and various buttons and accessory points." Made of dust-, lint-, … Read more

For those of you who have been patiently awaiting the new iPod Shuffle's October coming-out party, you'll have to be a little more patient. In the middle of October, we noted with mild interest that the "world's smallest MP3 player" still hadn't appeared on store shelves. We had suggested that Apple was either waiting for October 31 to reignite its preholiday iPod fervor or that the device was delayed in some Chinese assembly line. Well, our daily call to the San Francisco Apple Store revealed this morning that the Shuffle will be missing its … Read more

Don't batteries suck? I mean, either they blow up in your face, or in the case of Apple's iPod, their lifespans just don't cut it--especially when you're watching video. I mean, what good is a portable video player if it can't get you through a flight from New York to L.A.?

Enter the Sonnettech Volta, a battery add-on that you strap onto your iPod like a backpack. If it works, it'll keep your iPod's video player going for 16 hours or recharge the little guy up to three times. Just think--you could … Read more

The accessorizing is endless: iPod clothing, iPod backpacks, even iPod jewelry--but iPod rocks? We all have a little zen in us (or should), and the iStones are designed to remind us of it, according to SCI FI Tech. These USB docks come in two styles--"Wabi" and "Sabi" (not to be confused with wasabi)--for the iPod Mini and the full-size model, respectively. We're not sure how much they cost, but Fosfor Gadgets said last year that the first two sold for $2,650. For a rock.

(Photo: Brand-Incubator)

Everybody loves the iPod clickwheel, but apparently the iPod of the future needs more buttons. Apple has filed a patent for an iPod-like device that has a touch-sensitive bezel around the display and can toggle between several different operating states.

Check out the filing, in all its headache-inducing wordiness, on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's site. In short, Apple wants to make an iPod that you can control, in part, through some sort of touch-sensitive input on the sides of the device. For example, if you're one of the 12 people in the world still listening … Read more

After posting an item about water-resistant music players, we started to wonder how many situations would require them. Then we saw the SwiMP3 on Shiny Shiny.

This waterproof player not only affixes directly to your head via goggles--which are provided, by the way, though you can use your own--but it also sends soundwaves through your cheekbones to enhance underwater listening. Judging by the photo, it's not the most flattering accoutrement, but you'll presumably be submerged while wearing it.

The SwiMP3 isn't cheap. It retails for $250, though it's available at lower prices. But if you're … Read more

For all its hype, Microsoft's Zune obviously faces a daunting challenge against the wildfire popularity of the iPod. So what magic arrow does Microsoft have in its quiver? The closest thing might lie in the wireless realm, as indicated by CEO Steve Ballmer in a video interview with CNET News.com. Ballmer suggested that a wireless network connecting all Microsoft media properties to Zune--such as its Xbox and Media Center, as well as phones and other products--could go a long way toward helping the device catch up.

Maybe we're crazy for asking this this, but does anyone really need a remote for a portable music device? That seems about as necessary as a separate handset for a mobile phone.

Apparently somebody thinks it's a good idea, such as the people at Advanced Technetix who are marketing their "Visual Remote" with a backlit screen that controls your iPod "without removing it from your bag or pocket," according to Krunker.com. We're going to wait for the remote for this remote.

(Photo: Krunker.com)