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IPod

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iPod DIY Recycling Speaker

Feel good about recycling some plastic and build yourself the iPod Recycling Speaker. It's not going to replace your larger set but it's likely just fine for podcasts and the like. The dimensions of this DIY speaker allow it to fit the packaging for the Pod Nano (1st & 2nd Gen.) and the iPod Shuffle (2nd & 3rd Gen.). Simply just place the speaker panel on top of the open box, and plug it into the iPod and play. No power source required.$40.00 at AudioCubes.com

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iPod Touch apps

Forgetting for a moment that I really have no pressing need for an iPod touch I feel that I finally have a replacement for the Palm Pilot that has been collecting dust since shortly after the day I bought it. Syncing with my Mac was hardly possible and was a hack at best. With the addition of the mail, notes, weather, and map apps. this magical little device has just been put on my shopping list - albeit as an expensive toy not a tool. An absolute gem of a device for traveling. I won't mind paying the extra $20 at all.

Previously.

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Porto iPod music system

Porto is a portabel and rechargable music system with universal docking for all iPods with dock connector. With FM RDS tuner and wide possibilities to connect to computer and other mp3 players. With a simple user experience without unnecessary features Porto is pure joy to handle.

With Audio Pro´s deep roots in hifi sound and long acoustical experience, Porto delivers astonishing sound quality and bass. And it delivers its sound with true stereo sound from a single unit! Porto is incorporating the swedish stereo sound technology from EmbracingSound (TM).

I think it looks odd but the leather is a ice touch. More info. here.

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A new class of portable computer

Yes I definitely see one of these in my near future. The iPod touch will be for those of us in Asia the closest we will likely ever get to owning an iPhone and really I'm not entirely convinced that the iPhone would be the most obvious choice a for pocket sized mobile. I keep my phone in my pocket or at hand and detest those buckle holsters. But what will be interesting about ths device is whether it will find a use for people like me. People who have long since given up on pdas.

But is this a pda? The most significant aspect of the iPod touch introduction is that it marks the emergence of a class of portable computer that can surf the Web, listen to music and watch video, all from a server. This plus a bevy of media and productivity apps that are extremely easy and delightful to use. Not entirely new but done far better than anything before. If we can get Skype, Mail, an Ebook reader, and the ability to take extended notes then I can imagine seldom needing another device on the road. The laptop would stay home. I'm sure all this along with increased disk space and reduced pricing will happen in time. I know I will be buying one as soon as they are introduced here in Taiwan. So is this an introduction of a portable hand held device that we will actually want to use?

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Musical Mug for iPod

From MoMa: "A new interpretation of the desktop coffee cup, this white ceramic mug holds an MP3 player and has a built-in speaker. Simply insert the mini plug into an MP3 player's earphone jack to serve up quality sound. The MP3 player provides the power source, so no additional batteries are needed. Cannot be used for drinking".

Link (it's $36.00US).

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Music Cocoon MC4 Amp

Roth Audio has recently released an amp and dock for iPod toting uncompressed audiofiles and people who like me like the look of old tubes glowing across the room. Roth Audio's Music Cocoon MC4 is a vacuum tube amplifier with a built-in iPod dock which they claim adds a real warmth and dimension to your music. I believe them. Though it has nothing to do with the iPod I'm also having some luck with SRS iWOW as a means to add a bit of life to the limited soundstage that my office speakers have.

The Music Cocoon MC4 features include power output of 13 watts (x2), speaker output with short circuit protection, volume control, iPod charging and an included remote control. The device also has 3.5mm and rca jacks on the back for connecting other devices.

Music Cocoon MC4

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Action Jacket for iPod Shuffle

I haven't written or been interested in products such as this for some time. It's hard to get excited about yet another 'innovative' case for the iPod. In the case of the shuffle there really doesn't seem to be a need. These are fairly sturdy devices of comparatively low cost. Do we really need a case to protect them? DLO thinks so with their introduction of the Action Jacket for iPod Shuffle. Luckily the case looks good. The Action Jacket comes with an adjustable armband making it suitable for those on the run. $20.00US.

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Shuffle in Colours

Apple has announced that the 'new' iPod shuffle is now available in five different colours: blue, pink, green, orange and the original silver. The same colours currently used in the nano's. With a device as small as the shuffle a little bit of colour might just help me find it under the pile of papers and junk that always seem to surround me. Same almost commodity price of $79.00US.

The colours are perfect for the new Hipster Shuffle.

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My Next Mac - The iPhone

The rumours were true Apple introduced the iPhone. It appears to be a beautiful device that raises the bar on mobile user interfaces - it's not the revolution that Apple states but it's a definite improvement over the sickly devices I own and have used. Hardcore techies might be disappointed, this is a closed platform and the specs may seem familiar. This is all about trying to reduce complexity to make the phone almost a pleasure to use. And this is a complex device- it's no 'simple' phone. We have been moving in this direction for some time and I wish we would once and for all kill the phone moniker. It's a mobile Mac with built in cellular function. Watching the keynote this morning you can start to see the depth of this product, it's a device that would entertain me for hours on end. Which in in itself gives me pause - do I really want to carry around a device so fun? I am worried about mobile email and the terrific productivity waster (yes waster) that that is. Imagine having so much fun in your pocket, would we ever work? There are a couple caveats. 1) It's tied to a Cingular contract. The North American market is restrictive and backward. Apple didn't try to change this. 2) Buying mobile phones has been much to date much more enjoyable in Asia. We always get the cool tech first and are never tied to a provider. Now for the fiorst time we must wait for the coolest phone to hit the market. It won't arrive in Asia until 2008!

Follow a discussion here, Engadgets exhaustive coverage here and Apples excellent overview videos here.

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iPod as Art

Flickr user axb500 shares his skill in Photoshop in this flickr set of iPod art. Some interesting and funny imagery.

iPod etc. Flickr photo set.

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Vaja's Silver iPod Video Case

Vaja has just announced their new silver, a new case for the iPod video (5G). Vaja is known for their quality leather and this case certainly continues with that tradition. What makes this case different is the handcrafted sterling silver 925 appliques around the screen, click-wheel and logo, which in their words gives you iPod video "a sophisticated and striking styling look". The case provides easy access to controls, jacks, and switches - an opening at the bottom for the dock connector included. Vaja's cases are handmade and a large amount of customization is available. At $240.00US they are about as expensive as the iPod itself. Expect a couple week wait for delivery. Vaja Silver.

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Art on your iPod

One of Japan’s largest printing companies has released a slideshow of art by Yoshitomo Nara, Takashi Homma, Kenji Yanobe, and others for viewing on iPods. The Artstar project comes on CD and includes on music track plus 175 images, from drawings to photographs. Or in some cases, meta-photographs: “[Takashi] Homma has taken photographs of his photographs, creating 167 deliberately low-fi images, perhaps in a humorous acknowledgement of the iPod’s limitations as a visual media.”

Pictured above are works from the collection by Yoshitomo Nara. Check out: ART STAR. Source Off Center.

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BluEye Black - Make Calls on your iPod

This is certainly not the iPhone that has been rumored to be underdevelopment for years but perhaps it's a step in the right direction. Phone UI's suck and anything that keeps me at a distance from having to deal with that is good in my book. Tthe GEAR4 BluEye™, uses Bluetooth to provide the 3 in 1 hands-free mobile phone to iPod connection plus a remote control and FM receiver for iPod. Make and receive calls via your iPod (it pauses the music too). Shipping this month for £49.99 at the Gear4 website.

Via Popgadget

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Second Generation iPod Shuffle Shipping

Just in time to meet their self imposed October ship deadline, some iPod shuffles have been trickling out of the factory into the hands of their new owners.

The new aluminum shuffle is only half the size of it's white predecessor yet still is able to hold 1GB of storage. Unfortunately Apple seems to have given up trying to design the Shuffle to plug directly into the usb port instead opting for a dock to allow you to sync. The size of the first generation Shuffle prohibited me from ever conveniently popping it into an available usb port as it was just a smidgin too wide. Expect a Taiwanese or Chinese knock-off within 6 months. Via TUAW

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