Ah, the loose lips on those 3rd party case manufacturers. This time we're seeing what looks like an iPod case with a hole cut out for... yes, a camera. Macrumors has a few juicy shots of both nano and touch-sized iPod cases with said holes. These match up with sketches reported by iLounge back in May and rumored by HardMac before then.

Personally I think it's brilliant and logical to add a camera to the nano and I doubt a touch with video would scuttle many iPhone sales. More importantly, the touch is likely to get the same "upgrade" treatment the 3GS did: oleophobic screen and speed boost. Adding a camera just turns the touch into what people wanted anyway: pretty much an all-in-one device.

Since its introduction in May 2006, the look, feel and features of the Nike+ website have undergone relatively minor changes. Which makes the redesign (still in beta) of the site all the more noteworthy. By putting familiar faces in different places, as well as adding some new faces, Nike has added some polish on an already great and revolutionary fitness motivational tool.

To start with: I am a Disney fan -- to be precise, it's a lot like the way Jack Nicholson is a Laker fan -- so on my very nearly annual expeditions to a Disney park, I don't really need the map. I have memorized shortcuts and low-traffic restrooms, how to get all the good stuff done in one day, and loads more random bits (look closely in the Hall Of Presidents; molds for their faces are used on other animatronics around the park), mostly because carrying them around in my head was the easiest way to carry them.

Then I got my iPhone (my first smartphone) and was able to put data on my phone (which I always carry with me). Enter the Walt Disney World Notescast. This $0.99 app is a handy planning/informational tool that can guide your entire Walt Disney World trip, from vacation packages to tips on annual events and park history. I tested the iPhone version of this app, but TimeStream Software also sells a $1.99 version for notes-capable classic iPods and nanos. It doesn't rely on a data connection and you can carry all this info with you easily.

When you first launch the application, you get a list of options to choose from. I liked the variety of options, but I wish I could customize or at least re-order it so I could get at a few of the options more quickly. There is a bookmark system available, but I ended up bookmarking a lot of things so that list went non-functional pretty quickly. And while I understand not having a ton of information on one page, I had a hard time figuring out why there were breaks between, for example, "Tours of EPCOT I" and "Tours of EPCOT II". I love the list of phone numbers, especially since I can tap the number to make the call. In the now cutthroat world of Disney Dining, having that number handy -- as well as the ticket line and even the camping and Magical Express numbers, not usually easy to find on the WDW site -- is a huge convenience.

As promised, we're launching a new series called Road Tested where we try out various products for a month or more, see how they hold up to extended "real world" use, and report back our findings. To kick things off we're looking at the EcoRunner from Marware [thanks to our friends at Dr. Bott for the review unit].

The EcoRunner is a "green" product in that the primary material is not neoprene, but "a revolutionary environmentally friendly material." I'm not sure what that is, but I can say I like it better than neoprene -- it feels just as soft, but the cells are smaller and thus the material is more supple. The EcoRunner can be worn on the wrist or arm (using an extender strap, included) and is designed for the 4th-gen iPod nano. There's the requisite vinyl window for controlling playback and viewing the screen, plus the case can be used with the Nike+ Sport kit attached (there's a strap to keep everything in).

Does it work? Well, there's one caveat to our test: we used a 1st-gen nano, the white model that was infamous for being easily scratched. It's increasingly tough to find cases for this model, but we found the EcoRunner is stretchy enough to accommodate the slightly thicker model. The side effect of this, possibly due to thickness or the more squarish design: the vinyl window busted (see gallery), leaving the unit exposed and capable of falling out. Call it a "stress test." It's definitely a design challenge to secure the vinyl in a way that won't get too stressed, especially in cases where everything else is so stretchy.

The softness of the case can't be understated. It is really smooth and lightweight and stretchy. I'm partial to wrist straps, because I tend to skip around my playlists depending on my workout. If you find yourself monkeying with your nano during a workout, this is a terrific wrist strap. The extension strap to use it on your arm adds virtually no weight, and holds up well, but bulging biceps might strain that window. The Velcro used is very high quality, but the stitching on the end can sometimes be a little tricky to thread through the grommet -- so I recommend not removing it entirely. Just pull it off your wrist. One upside is that you can charge the nano in the case, so the entire unit becomes home to your nano. If you only use your nano for working out, you'll never have to remove it from the case.

After a month (OK, nearly 2 months) of solid use -- we're talking about near-daily use on the treadmill and at the gym -- the EcoRunner holds up well. As I said, using a 1st-gen nano isn't recommended by us or the manufacturer, so I don't know if the thinner nanos would bust the window after prolonged use. Other than that, there's very little visible wear-and-tear, and I'd recommend this especially if you a) prefer your nano on your wrist, and b) need a case that'll hold the Nike+ Sport kit. Your choices are pretty limited when it comes to both of those criteria, but the EcoRunner is a good bet either way. If you've had experience with this particular model, let us know in the comments.

UPDATE: Great questions in the comments! As far as sweat retention, since my wrist doesn't sweat too much, I'd have to say no problems there. You might have an issue with a very sweaty bicep, but I feel the material's tighter cells (as opposed the larger, more open cells found in neoprene) would guard pretty well against this. There's no signs of staining, either.

The extender strap adds a little over 6 inches to the overall strap length. Total that's 11.5 inches (see added gallery image). My puny biceps fit fine, but if you have some massive guns then yeah, you might have a problem.

Over the last few months I've reviewed a few magic tricks (here and here) that work on the iPhone and iPod touch. They were quite diverting, and can help you bring some joy to the office and take people's minds off the layoffs and other bad economic news.

Now, Magician Andrew Mayne has come up with some clever tricks that work great and are, drum roll, free. Just the tonic for the recession.

All these effects take a bit of preparation, and these are not the kinds of tricks experienced professionals would do, but of you have been hankering to try some magic and fool your friends these free effects are just the ticket.

The first trick is called EZ Money. You show a collection of currency on your phone, then pull one bill literally right off the screen and the real thing appears in your hand.

Weapon X works on the iPhone, iPod touch, and even the iPod Nano. You run the iPhone along your arm, and you see an X-ray, but there is something strangely wrong with it.

Spirit Photography is a bit weird. Have someone choose any bill from their wallet, take an image with it using your iPhone and the image will be strangely haunting. It's a good effect, and has enough little traps to keep your audience guessing.

Again, no one is going to confuse you with David Copperfield, but all these tricks are free and all but Weapon X are not likely to be easily figured out. Weapon X is more a novelty than a trick, so I'm not giving the set any demerits.

Andrew creates professional illusions for Penn and Teller and David Blaine. His iPhone tricks are a fun diversion for him and probably will be for you too. You can see video demonstrations and explanations of all three tricks here. You'll also find some links to some iPhone gags. Enjoy.

The first generation of iPod nano models may have been small and sleek, but they also apparently had an image problem -- mainly, that it rapidly grew difficult to see the screen after the nicks and scratches began to accumulate on the face of the player. As far back as 2005, users expressed their displeasure over the nano's likelihood for damage, including cracks in the screen in some cases.

Thanks to a now-settled class action lawsuit, nano owners who experienced the scratchies can apply for a refund of $15 (if the iPod shipped with a slip case, as later ones did) or $25 (for no-case shipments). You can get all the details from the settlement website. Refunds may take up to a year (!) to arrive.

[via AppleInsider]

Have you ever forgotten something, or said "I wish I had recorded that?" If you have an iPod nano and the Lloyd microphone, you will be able to instantly record anything. A while back we mentioned that the Incipio Lloyd microphone had begun shipping. Well, I was able to snag one for review purposes and I'm going to tell you about this very cool accessory for the iPod nano.

The Design
Lloyd was specifically designed for the iPod nano 4th generation, and you can tell that by just looking at it. The microphone attaches to the bottom of the device, and plugs into the audio line-out / microphone line-in port on the bottom. It is nearly the same width/thickness of the iPod nano, and fits well in that regard. I like the fact that the microphone does not add any heft to the device at all. It does, however, add some height. So understand that if you plan on leaving the microphone connected that some cases might not fit it.

Features
Lloyd features a microphone in the center, and an audio line-out port on the left side. The audio out port allows you to leave the microphone connected, while still having the ability to play your tunes. The microphone does cover up the 30-pin Dock connector, so you will need to unplug/reposition the Lloyd while syncing/charging.

Thoughts
I really like this microphone. The sound quality is great, it's easy to carry around, and it doesn't hinder me from using my iPod nano as an iPod. I especially found it to be useful when recording lecture audio, but it could be used virtually anywhere you need to quickly capture audio. My only gripe is that it disables the play/pause/skip button on the iPhone headset while it is attached to the line-out port on the Lloyd microphone. I'm hoping this can be improved in a future version of the product.

At $17.99US, this microphone is an excellent accessory for your iPod nano. The device is available directly from Incipio and is available in either black or white.

With the introduction of the new iPod nano in September, Apple allowed users the ability to record voice notes right to the device using the iPhone headset (with microphone). This is a great way to capture quick reminders, but it's not such a good way to record multiple voices. Incipio hopes to solve this problem with their new microphone designed specifically for iPod nano 4th generation.

Lloyd is a compact microphone that attaches to the headphone line out port on the bottom of the nano. The microphone doesn't seem to add much bulk to the nano, either. You can even leave it connected to the iPod at all times -- you can rotate it to connect a syncing/charging cable, or use the audio line out port on Lloyd to listen to your tunes.

Incipio is selling Lloyd for $17.99, and you can get your hands on one directly from the Incipio online store.

If you have one of those small, multi-colored nano-chromatic iPod nanos, then you might be in for a surprise the next time you sync it with iTunes. That's because an update is waiting for you; the iPod nano (4th Generation) update 1.0.3 gives your musical friend the following new features/bug fixes:

• Support for Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic (yeah, the ones we've been waiting for)
  
• Support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
• Fixed instability issues when using Nike + iPod Sport Kit
• Added a setting to turn off Cover Flow when rotating iPod nano and a Cover Flow menu item under the Music menu
• When Shuffle setting is set to Songs, pressing play on a song in saved Genius playlist will now follow the Shuffle setting
  
• After playing a slideshow with TV out, Cover Flow album art is no longer distorted
  
• Waking iPod nano after hibernating no longer distorts photos
• Other minor bug fixes

If any of these things have been bugging you, you'll be pleased to know that Apple has fixed them. I know I have wanted the ability to disable Cover Flow for a long time. You can download this update by docking your iPod nano (4th Generation) with iTunes, selecting your iPod under devices and choosing "Check for Update."

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

While the iPod nano is being called fragile, the iPod touch is ready to demonstrate its toughness.

A user at the iPod touch Fans forums posted pictures of his touch after being run over by a pickup truck. The glass screen is shattered but intact, and the back of the case is dented. However, it still works. "It worked perfectly, the touch screen, the music, the wifi..." writes forlorn owner spongyiq.

He claims that siding a finger across the busted display "...doesn't hurt," but we'll just take his word on it.

While we're on the subject, here's a few other pieces of Apple hardware that met a cruel fate:

• Nano meets highway traffic, fares poorly
• Great balls of PowerBook fire
• iPod sets man's pants on fire
• Shattered iPhone, still works

Of course, we'd be remiss if we omitted the granddaddy of them all: Does the iPhone blend?

[Via Gizmodo]

You knew it was coming, right? With every new iPod introduction, a nifty little TV commercial will soon follow. If you haven't heard the news already, Apple updated the iPod nano and also introduced some spiffy new colors to go along. They close the ad with their new marketing word "nano-chromatic."

If you are wondering what the song is, it's Bruises by Chairlift.

Link to YouTube video.

See what I did there? Eh? Eh? Magnetic! As in this product from iStik (warning: annoying loud background music) which uses neodymium magnets that let you attach it to workout shirts, jacket pockets, or your backpack.

Of course, neodymium magnets are very strong, and can damage hard disks. It works fine with the iPod nano's flash memory, however. You also might want to avoid wearing the iStik on your shirt front if you have a pacemaker or other cardiac device.

iStik is $25 for the second-generation iPod nano, and $27 for the third-generation "fat" nano. Terrible magnet jokes sold separately.

[Via productdose and Gearfuse.]

A brief report from Reuters this morning said Japan's trade ministry claimed three fires had been caused by defectively hot iPod nano batteries.

Nobody was injured in the fires.

The government said in a statement that Apple had two other reported cases where people were burned by their iPod nanos. The defective nanos, they said, were sold between September 2005 and September 2006.

Japan's quasi-governmental product safety commission will investigate the incidents with Apple's cooperation, the trade ministry said.

AppleInsider reported today that Apple is advising resellers to stock up on the better-selling iPods and MacBooks, as factory supplies are expected to slow to a trickle in August. There's speculation that this could be due to a release of new models.

For 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros and the standard MacBooks, Apple was recommending that channel partners place orders that would give them a 3-week supply. For iPods, a 4-week supply was advised.

Apple usually notifies resellers via bulletins like this when they're getting ready to refresh a product line. This points to a product introduction for the new laptops and iPods (most likely the iPod touch and nano) in late August or September. While this is late for the school buying season, it could mark an early entry into the holiday buying season with an agressive launch of new products.

iPod gamers (there's an odd phrase) have got something new to try out. Apple released Bubble Bash this week [iTunes link], a new game for iPod (5th generation) and iPod nano (3rd generation).

I played it on my nano and it's fun. Basically, you've got to toss bubbles into bunches of balloons, knocking out three or more of the same color. The graphics are nice for an iPod game and the music is only mildly annoying.

It doesn't beat my favorite iPod game, Mini Golf, but it's still fun. Check it out if you like puzzle games.