Music

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

Features and functions are crammed into media players and phones like commuters on a Tokyo subway, so we're a little surprised that there aren't more convergence products like this one on the market. The Rimax Mystic--an all-in-one MP3-video-radio gadget with up to 2GB of storage for photos and other data--can also be used as a VoIP handset when its USB cable is plugged into the computer. At this rate, maybe the next version will mop your floors too.

(Photo: RMXdirect)

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

Hey, friars! Taken a vow of silence, but still craving the new Decemberists album? (Give it a listen! It's good!) Well, your prayers may soon be answered--sorry, I had to throw that in there--if this prototype of a digital audio player hits the market. Called the "Saint B" and dreamed up by a Russian design studio, this little music player is shaped like a cross necklace and is sure to blend into any order's habits (though you'll have to find a way to hide your headphones). Just don't turn the volume up too loudly … 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)

When you think of SanDisk's popular (but older) Sansa m200 series, you think reliability, simplicity, and value (the $50 512MB version is $39 online). You think Audible playback, bulky form, and FM tuner. You think voice recorder, poorly backlit display, and subscription compatibility.

Now, it's time to think pink. No really, think PINK.

SanDisk will soon be releasing a hot pink version of the 1GB m200 with a price of $70. It will be available only at Best Buy stores. The company sent me a PowerPoint with a multitude of rad pink-themed photos; it was so difficult to … Read more

SanDisk's quick rise to No. 2 in U.S. MP3 player sales has spurred the creation of a fledgling accessories market, including the introduction of the first speaker system dedicated to Sansa e200 owners. Now you can listen to your tunes in your car--without the need for a generic, or worse, a Made for iPod FM transmitter--using Maximo Products' Car FM Transmitter and Charger, model number SAN-360.

This in-line-style FM beamer can tune into "all FM frequencies" (88.1 to 107.9 MHz), includes 3 presets, and can actually search for open frequencies. It also boasts "… 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

This think looks more like a space station than a music player. Maybe because its design team included aerospace engineers and French military equipment manufacturers, according to Chip Chick.

The stainless steel Kalista CD Transport weighs 56 pounds and is supposed to yield superior sound quality. It should, for $28,300. At that price, it should include a spin on the space shuttle as well.

As CDs join the ranks of LPs, cassettes and 8-track tapes, it's interesting to note that equipment to play obsolete media seems to get more expensive with each year--a kind of high-end retro. For … Read more