iKaraoke for your iPod

Griffin Technology is producing a cool device called iKaraoke. I think you know what is all about. Griffin’s iKaraoke is using a technology called “center removal” that strips the vocal from your favourite songs. Thus you have your own karaoke device using the iPod. That means you and your friends could enjoy a great evening of karaoke singing. Make a playlist, plug-in iKaraoke and be a star for your friends.iKaraoke connects to the iPod through a cable or via FM transmitter. It doesn’t use batteries, because iKaraoke is using iPod’s power when connected. You can get the party started for only $49.99.

X-240 Speaker System From Logitech

Logitech,a world leader among the companies that offer accessories for computers and computers related devices, presented this new set of computer speakers this month at CES.

Looking at the X-240, the first thing that draws our attention is the sleek beautiful design that makes this devices easily fit everywhere, from the office to the living room. Yet, the main advantage of using this device is the possibility of connecting it to your iPod, Zune, PDA or other portable media device trough the new cradle. Using this connection you can play the files from the device, while also synchronizing and charging it and, when you are done you, can easily hide the cradle.
Moving to the specs part of this review I have to draw your attention toward the 25 W of power that comes from two satellites of 5 W each and a 15 W subwoofer. You may also want to know that the speakers offers a 40Hz-20KHz frequency response and that Logitech has set the price to just $49.99

iDog for your entertainment

Around the iPod mania have appeared many gadgets and devices. One of them is the iDog. Now you can plug your iPod into iDog and listen to your favorite tracks. iDog feeds on the music played. Its moods are changing from a song to another. Its personality depends on the type of music you listen. iDog has a LED on its face that shows its mood. The color of the lights reflects its personality and the flashing LED light patterns and animations show its mood.
iDog is compatible with the most part of CD players, MP3 players or other music devices. The iDog can listen to the music through its built-in microphone. You can sit the dog near a stereo speaker and see how it reacts. iDog requires two AA batteries. It doesn’t download or store music. Good news about the price - only $29.95!

Bubblegum FM Transmitter for iPod Nano

The Bubblegum FM Transmitter is specially designed for 2G iPod Nano. It adds just 3cm to the iPod’s dimensions. The size and color are matching perfect the new generation Nano iPods. The Bubblegum FM Transmitter works with any FM stereo , so you can use it to share music with others in your car, home and other places.

The FM Transmitter connects directly to your iPod. You can check the frequency right on your iPod’s display. The transmitter operates in a 20ft range. No batteries needed, because the device takes the power from the iPod. It can store 9 channels and it works in 87.9MHz - 107.9MHz frequency range. The Bubblegum FM Transmitter retails for $14.99 in online stores.

iPod Shuffle puts some color on

iPod Shuffle is available in new colors. Besides the original silver color, iPod shuffle comes in pink, orange, green and blue. We find out that the new iPod shuffle is coming with new headphones, like the ones shipped with the other iPod models for the past several months. Storage capacity remained 1GB and the price $79. Anyway the new model looks better than its predecessor. Thanks to the simple built-in clip, iPod Shuffle fits very well on your jacket, purse trap or shirt sleeve.

FIB2.0: TuneDeck, O ROKR, AirDock, iDuo Hub debut

Three new iPod docks and one pair of unique audio sunglasses made their debut in iLounge’s Free iPod Book 2.0. New products (left to right) are from Belkin, Oakley/Motorola/TEN Technology, Griffin Technology, and Atech.Belkin’s TuneDeck for iPod nano ($50) combines a metal-reinforced dock with a cassette tape adapter, allowing you to mount your nano in front of your car’s cassette player without wires.

The O ROKR ($250) is a joint Bluetooth product from Oakley and Motorola that combines Thump-style stereo earphones with a pair of modern sunglasses. It can be used wirelessly with an iPod with TEN Technology’s naviPlay ($100), which is being sold through Oakley at that special discounted price specifically for iPod-to-O ROKR pairing. The sunglasses sport an integrated microphone (for cell phone use), volume buttons, and iPod track and playback controls.
Griffin’s AirDock ($70) is the new entry-level member of the company’s TuneCenter line. The AirDock’s remote and iPod dock use RF wireless technology, allowing users to control audio and video functions from up to 60 feet away and through walls. The product will also charge an iPod while docked.
The iDuo Hub + Remote ($60) is Atech’s new version of its iDuo, which combined a memory card reader and iPod dock. The iDuo Hub + Remote features three USB 2.0 ports, a 7-button infrared remote control, and S-video output.

Hello Kitty iPod gear abounds

The Spectra Group has recently introduced several iPod accessories under the Hello Kitty electronics brand. Among the new products are three FM transmitters and two speaker systems. The Hello Kitty KT4520 is a small dock-connecting FM transmitter for the iPod nano. The KT4530 is an FM transmitter/car charger/cradle for all dockable iPods. The KT4510 is a top-mounting FM transmitter for 3G, 4G, and mini iPods. The KT4555 and KT4556 speaker systems have identical specs with different Hello Kitty designs. Both work with all dockable iPods and feature integrated docks, two 1” speakers, and can be powered a wall outlet or batteries.

Express iPod-ready Play List Jacket

Clothing company, Express, is leaping on the iPod accessory bandwagon with this jacket. The Play List Jacket is a pretty simple jacket that includes an inside pocket for the iPod and fabric buttons to control the iPod. This jacket will be hitting Express Men stores this month for $248. Now, this begs two questions: how much would the jacket cost without the iPod pocket and who would actually wear it?
Currently, the cheapest jacket on the Express site is $148. So it could be said that this iPod pocket and fabric buttons tack on an extra $100, at most, which is really not worth it given that most jackets already have an inside pocket. I don't think I am cool enough to do that jacket/hoodie/vintage tee combo.

ViewSonic iPod-Docking PJ258 Projector

The folks over at Laptopmag got their hands on the ViewSonic PJ258D, or better known as the iPod-docking projector. The projector includes a dock for the iPod video for direct video playback. It's also not the first time ViewSonic has slapped an iPod dock on a type of display.
Based on functionality, this projector did quite well. It was tested with Pirates of the Caribbean and Gone in 60 Seconds and the picture looked quite well blown up to 60 inches. It is the aesthetics of the projector that really bit the dust. The control panel is on the rear and the buttons are small and hard to read. The projector was also hot and noisy. And my biggest complaint is the position of the iPod dock. There probably isn't anywhere else it could work, but being on the "top side" eliminates any chance of ceiling-mounting the PJ258. It also carries a four-digit price tag.

Creative iPod Speaker System

Creative has added a couple more iPod accessories to their repertoire of MP3 player speaker systems. It is interesting to see Creative, the pioneers of everything anti-iPod, to finally give in and release some iPod speaker systems like every other damn company out there. The PlayDock i500 (pictured) has a subwoofer, remote and can charge the iPod. The TravelSound is a smaller version of the i500 and can be battery powered. Is this a sign of Creative waving the white flag? Slow down, Apple haters, I was exaggerating and speculating. The Zen music players aren't too shabby.

How To Fix a Non-booting iPod With a Folded Up Business Card

There've been many how-tos in fixing your broken iPod over the years, many of which recommend you to just reset and restore the iPod in hopes that it was a software corruption. If that doesn't fix it, Matt over at Crunchgear has a solution that's almost as easy.
All you need is to open up an iPod and shove a folded-up business card inside the case. The drive gets warm as it spins, which in turn warps the case and renders the drive inoperable. By shoving the card in, you're securing the disk and ensuring that you can rock out to Echo and/or his bunnymen once again.

CrunchGear How-To: Fix an iPod that Won't Boot

iPod speakers in Pink

Those i-deck people have reasoned that since people are always personalising their iPods, they'd probably quite like to do the same with their iPod accessories. Which explains the existence of this pink i-deck. Actually, it's just a normal i-deck decked out in some changeable speaker grilles, and you can pick from blue and black versions as well. The speaker grilles are available for £9.99 a pair from Monitor Audio's i-deck site.

Houseparty III iPod stereo speakers

The latest in the Houseparty range of iPod speakers is this model which also has a FM radio and a line-in port so you can listen to music from other MP3 layers, laptops and PCs. Behind the speaker grills is a LED display with volume or radio frequency. It comes with a remote control that operates the speakers as well as able to access the iPod menu but there are built-in controls for when you finally lose the remote - £79.99

Xi iPod jukebox

If you're going to get speakers for your iPod, you have two choices: make them modern, slimline and unobtrusive, like the iTower speakers we featured yesterday, or go the whole hog with an all-singing, all-dancing, all-models-of-iPod-compatible jukebox. This one is called the Xi, and claims to be the world's first iPod jukebox (wrongly, as it happens). It comes in classic, retro jukebox style and delivers your tunes via a powerful 3-way speaker system. It's £4850, and if you want to spend even more than that, you can also have it customised just for you.

Gucci Blackberry case - logos a go-go!

You may think this is just another leather Blackberry case, smothered in logos just for the sheer hell of it, but you would be wrong, for this is not just leather - it's gold "guccisima" leather, which I believe roughly translates as "by giving it a pretentious name we're able to charge more for it". It also comes in regular beige/ebony or black/tan, and is $195. Gucci neglect to say which model of Blackberry this was designed for, but it measures 3.1" x 0.6" x 4.7".

Griffin Reflect mirrored iPod case

The Griffin Reflect is a pretty typical iPod case in that it's made of a nice rugged lightweight polycarbonate - but the twist is that it has a scratchproof mirrored finish that gives the chromy slickness of an old-school iPod with the modern sleekness of the modern thin variety. Also, when your backlight is off, it's pure mirror, showing only the navigation wheel. The back has a slightly rubberized finish to provide contrast and give some extra grip so you can set it on your dashboard without it immediately falling in your lap. Available for the Nano or Video size. $25.

Turn your vinyl records into iPod cases

If there's one big drawback to MP3 players (and, indeed, CDs before them) it's the fact that they force all your old 45s into unemployment. And while some of you are probably far too young to even know what a 45 is , I'll just bet there are more of you who have a big old stack of them squirreled away somewhere. You don't play them anymore, but it just seems wrong somehow to throw them away. What's a girl to do?
Well, there's always eBay, of course, but if you don't fancy that, there's also 45 iPod Cases, a company that makes iPod cases out of... go on, guess. Earlier you had to choose from the selection available on their website (the one in the picture, for instance, is made from Samantha Fox's Touch Me. Don't all try and buy it at once.) Now, however, your choice is even greater, and you can send them a record of your own, which they'll then work their magic on.

Pink Leather iPod Case

It’s not terribly imaginative, is it? It's a pink leather iPod case. It's pink, it's made of leather, and it is a case for an iPod. But if you have an iPod, you don’t want it to get scratched, and you like pink and leather, you’ll be glad I told you, won’t you? Right then, so stop complaining!
Product page: £7.99 from Belkin.

iPod Bed

I've seen lots of products use iPod compatibility as a selling point, but the iBed Pause Bed from Design Mobel might just take the cake. According to the product page - the "most exciting feature" of the optional shelves is how "seamlessly" they incorporate the iPod and Bose Speaker System into the design.

If you want to sell me a bed, talk to me about comfort or even the overall aesthetics. But using an iPod stand as a bed-selling feature? That's just plain silly. Now, if the shelf incorporated a charging dock, that might be something. What ever happened to the idea of form and function? I stand (or, perhaps, lie down) corrected - the iPod station on the shelf is, in fact, a universal charging dock. Those of us who sleep on non-musically enabled beds clearly aren't sufficiently rested enough to post first thing in the morning.

Atech iLounge Toilet Paper Dispenser with iPod Dock

First, we told you about the MP3 playing toilet available only in Japan. Now, the rest of us can go one better. I wouldn't have believed it, but I saw it with my own two peepers at MacWorld this past Friday: Atech Flash Technology's iLounge hybrid toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock.
Sporting both a USB slot for the iPod Shuffle and a dock for iPod models with dock connectors, the speakers are housed within the arms that support the toilet paper holder. Navigation buttons allow you to control your player with ease, freeing your other hand for [insert favorite bathroom reading material].

Kef iPod Dock

Kef's iPod dock is a dinky little thing. The dock is designed to connect video and audio iPods to Kef's existing Instant Theatre systems. It comes with A/V dock cables, nine iPod adapters and a 3.5mm audio jack for MP3 players and other digital audio media. Available in October for around $149.99

Retro iPod alarm clock

Could this be the cutest iPod dock ever? I'm inclined to think so. Styled like a twin belled alarm clock this dock charges your iPod and has omni speakers hidden beneath the 'bells.' Once the clock has synched with your iPod, it can be set to wake you up with the playlist, song or podcast of your choice. You'll find a handy dial on the back for volume control and it comes with an AC adapter. It's compatible with most iPods except the Shuffle - £39.95

DLO Action Jacket for iPod shuffle

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) has released a new case in its Action Jacket workout line, this time in white for the second-generation iPod shuffle. Most of the player is surrounded in soft neoprene to help guard against rain and sweat, while the control buttons are shielded with a clear vinyl window. The armband is adjustable for virtually any arm size and is made from a "vinyl-like" material which is machine washable. Users can wash the case with a damp cloth, and DLO is already shipping the white Jacket for $20.

Canada to be 'blacklisted' over piracy?

Counting Apple, Microsoft and Paramount among its members, a consortium of US corporations wants Canada put on an intellectual property "blacklist," says Electronista. The International Intellectual Property Alliance charges that Canada is a haven for piracy, and that as a result, America's government should place the country on a "priority watchlist" alongside China, Russia, Indonesia and others. Specifically, the IIPA believes that Canada's Conservative leadership is doing nothing to stem a flow of console mod chips and bootlegged movies. "The problem of unauthorized camcording of films in Canadian theatres is now nearing crisis levels," reads a statement from the group, which also argues that in 2006, as much as a quarter of all pirated movies were created in Canada.

Canada must regiment its laws to fit those of the US and similarly strict countries, according to the IIPA. Mod chips are not technically illegal in Canada, nor are many tools which may used for piracy. Because of this, the IIPA says that gangs such as the Hells Angels and the Big Circle Boys are able to make considerable profit in illegal export. "Canada remains far behind virtually all of its peers in the industrialized world with respect to its efforts to bring its copyright laws up to date with the realities of the global digital networked environment," the statement continues.

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Nvidia demos 'Quark' iPhone-like device

Nvidia has demonstrated the Quark, a new smartphone resembling Apple's iPhone with its three-inch touch-screen interface and a single power/hold button. The phone is particularly focused on media playback with the ability to play music, display photos, and play videos in a graphically rich environment. A three-megapixel camera complements audio and 802.11b/g/i/e wireless capability. The Quark runs on Nvidia's recent GoForce 6100 chipset, combining CPU and GPU functions with the audio and wireless functions. Nvidia says the phone is unlikely to make it into production, but notes that the technology is already in third-party products.

Titan clear 2G Nano cases to ship soon

GizMac Accessories has begun taking pre-orders for its Titan Clear iPod case, and said it is expanding its line of polycarbonate iPod cases for Apple's second-generation iPod nano. The cases are designed to protect the portable player from scratches and other minor damage while providing four ways to carry the iPod. Titan cases come with a thin film material to protect the clickwheel from damage, and each case features a belt clip with a 360-degree rotation and lanyard accessories to accommodate a wide range of ways to wear the portable device. Titan cases for Apple's second-generation iPod nano cater to charging cables as well as oversized earphone jacks, and are available for pre-order at $25 each. The cases are slated for shipment in the last half of February, according to GizMac.