This is fun. iPod Building Block speakers from Perpetual Kid snap into your iPod's connector port and resemble a certain brand of construction blocks that we all know.
Available in five colors, the tiny speakers pull power from your iPod (they won't work with iPhones, unfortunately) and look cool doing it. Our only complaint is that there isn't a model designed to sit flush on an old-school iPod nano. Don't expect theatre-quality sound, of course, but they should spark some conversation. They're $24.95US each and shipping now.
They're certainly unique, but they don't quite crack our list of top five weird iPod accessories
While browsing our Flickr pool, we came across this shot of an iPhone perfectly perched by the toilet. Oh, don't be squeamish. You would if you could.
In fact, you can. The flexible arm holding the iPhone in place is a Naja King. It's a 3-foot coil which can pivot to hold your iPhone (or iPod touch) in either a landscape or portrait orientation, and pivot 360 degrees. The coil is made of steel and the grips are scratch-proof. They're $39.99 each.
Now you can enjoy your movie while keeping your hands free... for other things.
We posted a while ago about AirMail, a vinyl carrier for the MacBook Air which took the manila envelope idea quite literally. It's conceivable that the sheer sexiness of the MacBook Air may eventually make the manila envelope itself a fashion icon, but in the meantime Studio Leung has come out with a bag that abstracts the envelope concept into a less humorous (and possibly more elegant) design.
The Mac bag is water resistant and made from waxed cotton with a felt lining. Its source of inspiration is especially evident in the closure which is an envelope-style wraparound fastener using plastic buttons and a rubber cord.
As I continue exploring 1.1.1, I keep running across unexpected changes in the way the iPhone handles certain things I've taken for granted. I was aware that under 1.0.2 that SpringBoard scanned a non-supported /Widgets folder in addition to /Applications. However, two more folders have joined the team in 1.1.1: /AppleInternal/Applications and /Accessories.
I am in pure speculation territory, but perhaps the Accessories folder will relate to those com.apple.mobile.radio and com.apple.mobile.nike references I found in LingoToAccessoryMap.plist.
About a year ago, we wrote about the iJacket, which allows the wearer to interact with a pocketed iPod via controls on the sleeve. Today, it has received an upgrade.
Now called the "iJACKET" (I don't know why it must shout at me), it supports bluetooth, uses ElekTex "smart fabric" and allows people to "...use their cellphone and simultaneously listen to music on their iPods." Yup, that's a good idea.
There is one more thing. The price has been upgraded, too: from $750US for the "iJacket" to $1700US for the "iJACKET."
It's packaged in a black, minimalist box, as expected. Inside is the headset itself, a combo dock (accommodates the iPhone and headset) with USB cable and a travel cable for the headset only.
Less than 24 hours after bringing your iPhone home, it may have acquired its very first scratch. Oh, the horror.
Check out the iWood case for iPhone. Scheduled to ship in July, the iWood is a single piece of wood that features a polycarbonate sheet to protect the iPhone's face, a cutout for the camera and very nice looks. You can even have the back engraved with your own text and logo (if you have a logo).
Apple today published a page listing all Apple-branded iPhone accessories and their prices. A brief overview:
The Bluetooth Headset falls in line with the rumored $129 price tag, and also comes with an iPhone Dual Dock and the Travel Cable. The headset "delivers up to 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 72 hours of standby time."
The basic iPhone Dock will set you back $49
The "Dual Dock," which plugs into the iPhone and charges the Bluetooth Headset also costs $49
The standard stereo headset will set you back $29
The iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable, which lets you charge your headset while you're syncing your iPhone (it connects to the bottom of the dock connector): also $29
And the iPhone TTY Adapter, designed to accommodate the iPhone's recessed headphone jack and let you plug in any .5mm headphone into the iPhone is a simple $9 [Update: Reader Mike corrects my stupid mistake: the TTY adapter is designed to work with TTY systems, "which allows the deaf to communicate via telephone." But it can double as an adapter for headphones.]
Apple has also officially introduced the "Works with iPhone" logo: "Look for the 'Works with iPhone' logo," says Apple, "to find electronic accessories designed to connect specifically to iPhone and certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards."
Also on the page are details about compatibility with current iPod accessories: Many accessories, like chargers and speakers, will work, even if they haven't been "certified" for use with the iPhone. The iPhone will warn you when you plug in an "uncertified" accessory, and will offer to switch to Airplane Mode, which would eliminate possible audio interference from the accessory -- but also prohibit you from making calls.
Since the iPhone's introduction in January, the requests and baiting rumors for a touch-screen iPod that looks and acts like an iPhone - sans the actual phone - have sounded from every corner of the web. The world is inarguably intrigued by this new UI Apple developed for their highly anticipated gadget, and many are waiting with bated breath and credit card in hand, believing the iPod will naturally gain these touchy-feely features any day now. The only problem is: there's no way in Cupertino that's going to happen. At least, not anytime soon.
Put yourself in Apple's shoes: you've just smashed one out of the park with the iPod. You spent a few years working on it, polishing it, developing generation after generation of updates that instantly make the previous version look old 'n busted. After a slow start, you eventually take the DMP (Digital Media Player) market by storm, beating out a few major companies at their own game. Six years and a ton of 3rd party accessories later, you are the king of this particular domain, with what appears to be nary a formidable challenger in sight.
Next: imagine that, after introducing the iPod and giving it that nudge it needed to skyrocket in popularity, you embark on another project, spending at least four and a half years developing a killer mobile phone + DMP + internet device the likes the world has never seen. A gadget so cool and anticipated that it is not only shaking up the mobile phone market, but it single-handedly drowns out the entirety of CES during the week of its introduction. A key factor here, oh reader who is momentarily in Apple's shoes, is that the mobile phone market currently speaks in the mouth-watering language of 'billions,' while Apple's iPod sales - impressive as they may be - are playing in the kiddie pool at 'millions.' Whether you want a mobile phone packed into your iPod or not, you can't ignore the fact that the mobile phone market makes iPod sales look like the Zune's on a good day.
While attracting dirt and grime is a hazard of owning a notebook, the neat-freak and 'oh my gosh this is expensive computer equipment' portions of my brains have always been bothered by how icky my MacBook Pro can get over time. I've tried a few products that are designed to protect one portion or another of a MacBook Pro from dirt, and Power Support's Track Pad Film is just such a product. It comes as two separate pieces - one for the mouse button and another for the track pad - and Power Support sells them as a two-pack so you get a backup in case you make a mistake or have a friend who could use some track pad protection.
Since the Track Pad Film is basically a clear sticker that is designed to allow you to still use your MacBook's track pad, application is pretty simple. Some people prefer to wash the heck out of their hands, while I personally just peel back the underside of the sticker and apply without ever actually touching the film. There isn't much to say about how well the film protects your track pad and mouse button: it's a clear sticker, so those two components are pretty well covered, as long as you applied them properly. 'Nuff said.
In terms of the performance of the actual piece of film that covers the track pad, I have a mixed opinion: for the most part, the track pad still responds fairly accurately. I'm a dual-mode notebook mouser myself - I can use a track pad or a USB mouse with almost equal comfort and precision, so I'm not one of those people who's dead in the water if I have nothing but a fingertip to steer with. However, I notice at random times that my trackpad accuracy momentarily goes out the window - for a stroke or two on the pad, it might pick up only half the normal distance the mouse would typically travel, or the mouse might get a little shaky on the screen, as if Mac OS X is having a hard time understanding exactly where my finger is and where I want the mouse to go.
Overall, if we had an official rating system on TUAW, I would give the Track Pad Film a 7 out of 10. It's a decent product that can certainly help protect one's track pad from dirt and general wear and tear, but this occasional drop in accuracy is a big ding for this blogging power user.
I found Track Pad Film in a Colorado Apple Store for $12.95, but you can also order it for your MacBook/Pro (including a version specific for the black MacBook) from Power Support.
Late last week, Griffin announced the availability of the iTrip Pocket, their smallest FM transmitter yet. Designed to match the overall look of the iPod nano, it's about the size of a matchbook and will work with the 1st and 2nd generation iPod nano, as well as the 4th and 5th generation iPod. Plus, their "Smart Display" feature lets you adjust settings on the iPod's screen.
The tiny little transmitter fits right on your keychain and costs $49.99US.
Wired tells us that iPhone accessory launches are starting even before the iPhone's release. Leander Kahney writes that Japanese case makers are rolling out protective iPhone cases like the one shown here.
The iPhone isn't due until June and iPod's $1 billion accessory market makes the iPhone a hot prospect for similar entrepreneurship. keep in mind that the iPhone will sport the same Dock connector that has made the iPod accessory market thrive. We certainly live in interesting times.
Looking for an offbeat but iPod-themed gift? From about $30, you can buy a funky looking iPod stand from podstands.com of Westshore Craftworks. The products seem to come in a couple of flavors. There are the stands that hold up your iPod but use your normal sync cable to connect to the computer. And there are the iDockCovers that fit over the standard 3G and 4G docks with jack cutaways so you can still plug everything in where it belongs. I'm not a big "guitar-shape" or "piano shape" fan, but the circular hardwood stands look very nice if a bit on the expensive side.
Last week we brought you details of the wiDock, a new iPod accessory from Silex Technology that answers the call of many an iPod owner: it brings wireless syncing of an iTunes library for both Mac and PC, and it contains A/V outputs to play nicely with your stereo and TV. Plugging your iPod into your entertainment center - and leaving it there - is finally looking to be a possibility.
This week, we had a chance to interview Keith Sugawara, VP of Network Division for Silex Technology on some of the finer points of this highly anticipated accessory. Read on for some details on what's shaping up to be quite the cable-cutting dock, just in time for the 2006 holidays:
TUAW: Considering that you're first to market with a long-requested iPod accessory, the wiDock seems to be quite a first-time splash for Silex Technology. How long have you been working on it?
Keith: We have been working on wiDock for 6 months now. It utilizes the same technology that is found in our other device server products. We have leverage our core technology and have adapted it to fit the iPod market.
Can you give us an overview of the wiDock's feature set?
In addition to the big wireless syncing feature everyone's hearing about, here's a summary of everything else the wiDock can do:
I know the iCurve isn't exactly at the top of the rumor mongering lists, but reader GillyGill noticed that Amazon has - again - leaked details on yet another unreleased product: Griffin Technology's iCurve 2 (either someone is really screwing up over there, or Amazon has launched a new We Leak™ marketing service). Since customer affinity for these stands can sometimes match (at least by ratio) Mac users' love for their machines, I figured this slip was worth a post, especially since Griffin's site mentions nothing other than the original version is out of stock.
Amazon says the iCurve 2 should be available October 1st, but *something* is telling me that didn't quite happen; maybe it's just the lack of any kind of 'buy now' button and that it's already the 6th. I guess iCurve lovers will have to wait for everyone to get on the same page.
This is fun. iPod Building Block speakers from Perpetual Kid snap into your iPod's connector port and resemble a certain brand of construction blocks that we all know.
While browsing 
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When reader Nomad send us a link to 
Less than 24 hours after bringing your iPhone home, it may have acquired its very first scratch. Oh, the horror.
Apple today 
Since the iPhone's introduction in January, the requests and baiting rumors for a touch-screen iPod that looks and acts like an iPhone - sans the actual phone - have sounded from every corner of the web. The world is inarguably intrigued by this new UI Apple developed for their highly anticipated gadget, and many are waiting with bated breath and credit card in hand, believing the iPod will naturally gain these touchy-feely features any day now. The only problem is: there's no way in Cupertino that's going to happen. At least, not anytime soon.
While attracting dirt and grime is a hazard of owning a notebook, the neat-freak and 'oh my gosh this is expensive computer equipment' portions of my brains have always been bothered by how icky my MacBook Pro can get over time. I've tried a few products that are designed to protect one portion or another of a MacBook Pro from dirt, and 
Late last week, Griffin announced the availability of the 
Wired tells us that 
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