Shiny Shiny

Multimedia storage viewer

Epson's new multimedia viewer P-4000 has a pretty decent 3.8 inch LCD (resolution 640x480 pixels) for viewing your snaps. The hard drive is a more than reasonable 80GB and can apparently store 18,000 6 MegaPixel images. Slightly better than your average digi-cam storage, no? It also stores digital movies and music files. Transfer your pics via the integrated CF and SD memory card slots or via USB cable.

Would be quite nice if it took pictures too but it doesn't. Can't have everything. RRP 499, we found it at £431 [Camilla Chafer]

Max-Joy MP3 Player for Kids

Although I would argue the 6-12 year-old set doesn't actually need an MP3 player (although I'm sure many 6-12 year-olds would vehemently disagree with me), I would be far more comfortable giving them a player that was designed for rough-and-tumble behaviour, because I sure as heck wouldn't give them mine.

Maxfield's upcoming Max-Joy MP3 player is looking to fill that bill.  Impact, dirt and water resistant, the colourful 256MB - 1G player will retail for approximately £45; £61 if you get it preloaded with the fairytale audio bundle.  Perhaps the most attractive selling point for concerned and tech savvy parents, however, is the fact that the audio output is restricted to 60DB in order to stop little ears from being damaged by loud music.  As we all know, blasting our way to deafness is a grown-up prerogative. - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Forever Geek)

More Kids' Gadgets
MYMO cute kid's mobile
TV Time Manager for your kids
Winnie the Pooh TV & DVD Player

 

 

Lenovo Easy Cube M500 MP3 player

Minimalism is great and all, but I just know I'd spend the first 15 minutes of holding this trying desperately to figure out how the thing actually works. It's almost impossible to look cool when you're repeating turning your Easy Cube MP3 player round and round in the hope of finding the one switch. Which kind of defeats the object of trendy minimalism in the first place.

It looks very similar to the Q-Be/Mobiblu players (though not as small at 70mm cubed), but also carries a faint whiff of the Asono Play. There's no display or internal memory - tracks are stored on SD cards. It's only $50, but bear in mind you'll have to buy 4 AA batteries for it - and memory cards if you want to bump up the storage space. Someone's bound to import one

Product Page [Via Engadget, via The MP3 Players]

Ricky Gervais goes for a 3rd series

Yep, that's Ricky Gervais on the right. I couldn't resist. We already have more than enough posts with generic "Oh look it's that guy off The Office" pictures in them. I found that this image of Ricky (only the 3rd Google Image result for "gervais") when he was in a band called Seona Dancing was most satisfactory indeed. Bit Bowie, isn't he? Not sure what's going on with the other chap though...

Anyway, what I'm actually here to tell you is that due to the incredible popularity of the prattlings of Ricky's daft mate Karl, the current (second) series is getting extended by two episodes, and that Ricky has signed up for a third series in the autumn (the press guy put it in bold, I think it has dramatic effect, don't you? And will you just *look* at those cheek-bones!).  [Sara Wallen]

Find him on Audible or iTunes

iPod Tin

Tins are great. I think that's an opinion held by every right thinking person the world over. Tins and stationery. And cake. Cake's good too. I don't think there's one among us who could disagree that tins, stationery and cake are all things that we humans aspire to possess. So well done to Tinpod  for coming up with three iPod cases that resemble Altoids tins (probably the best tins out there). They've got illustrations by Kurt Ketchum on them and are padded with neoprene lining to keep your iPod snug. They'll fit most iPods are available as limited editons and will cost you $29.95 for two.

Tinpod [via Techie Diva]

Shuffle Stickers with a Message

Shufflesome, makers of decals for the iPod shuffle, are currently taking votes on whether or not to produce Marco Siebertz's "Do Not Disturb" and "Talk to Me" designs in their next run of decals.

One might think that the mere act of wearing headphones in public should be enough of a deterrent to chatty strangers that a bold, red, "Do Not Disturb" sticker wouldn't be necessary.  However, I can tell you that I was recently stopped on the street despite the fact I was very obviously listening to music.  Mind you, I was stopped for directions to the nearest Apple store, so it may have been the headphones that were my undoing to begin with. -[Star C. Foster]

Shufflesome (via The Unofficial Apple Weblog)

Related:
iPod shuffle Wrappers
Customise Your iPod shuffle
iAttire

New Panasonic D-Snap MP3 Players

Panasonic have just announced the release of six new MP3 players which take SD cards to store your music on. The SV-SD370V and SV-SD570V both include FM tuners for when your own tunes have looped around several times already.

The 310 and 370 are cube-shaped (haven't found any pictures yet...), and the 510 and 570 are both rather natty pendant-players (pictured, right). It seems that they can be popped out of their pendants (the white surround) too, should you want to see the unadulterated sleek blackness.  [Sara Wallen]

Read (via Akihabara News)

Similar:
Asono Minimal Pendant MP3 Player
More Portable Music @ Shiny

Tiny Pebbley MP3 Player Reviewed

El Reg have just got their hands on and reviewed this teeny tiny little mp3 player. It weighs a minute 20g, holds 512MB or 1GB of music (which can be transferred via Windows drag and drop, hooray!), and even includes an FM radio tuner.

It doesn't score good marks on software (it's terrible apparently, not that you need it), but apparently it plays well and is surprisingly loud for it's wee-ness. Oh, and it'll play back for up to 12 hours, after being charged through it's USB sync cable.

But as good as specs are, or as bad as the software or navigation system are - I can't deny the "Ooh - tiny, shiny!" feeling. Wishlist++. [Sara Wallen]

Read (via The Register)
Available to buy at Advanced MP3 Players

MOTOFRWD Competition Winner - Dreamless Seamless: A Vision of Seamless Mobility

14 year-old Sam awaits his new Portal with nervous anticipation.

The convergence of mobiles, cameras, media players and diaries was the flavour of 2006, revolutionising interaction with technology and each other. A Portal is the key to this new digital world, and it is a right of passage for children to receive their first.

Portals are like an electronic watch in design; often featuring brushed aluminium casing with an organic LED display. It links to all devices in range, so the Sam can access his media, work and other devices anywhere. The Portal includes GPS amongst other technologies to calculate its exact position; this has opened a range of possibilities, allowing it to interact with appropriate devices nearby.

It is worn on the wrist where it detects the movement of the hand, letting the wearer make control gestures just by moving their fingers. When this isn't suitable, a speaker and microphone allow spoken control. A body temperature sensor can check if the user is too hot or cold and adjust air conditioning as necessary. Blood pressure and heart rate can also be monitored; all these can be used to calculate the stress and health of the user.

The Portal’s battery is charged on manufacture and is expected to last about five years, with most of the power for day-to-day use coming from movement of the arm, much like kinetic watches.

Sam’s brother is upstairs training. His Portal is monitoring his performance as his personal trainer checks his routine and gives feedback from the sports centre via the intercom on the main display.

Sam’s dad approaches his car. It unlocks and his Portal instructs it to warm the driver’s seat. The in-car entertainment carries on streaming his favourite music collection he was listening to at lunch as he presses the engine start button. The music dims as a low rumble signals the awakening of the V12. The voice activated carphone responds when he asks for an audio call with his mum, to ask how she’s getting on with the Portal he bought for her 80th birthday. There's no answer.

Grandma is on the floor. Her temperature and erratic pulse indicate a heart attack. The Portal’s assistive technology monitors her health, so she still enjoys her independence while never being out of reach of care when needed. An ambulance has already been dispatched.

Heavily paraphrased by Sara from the winning entry by Richard Long, Birmingham Uni

Read More

Wood Case for your iPod

Look at this beauty. It's an iPod 5G case carved out of a single piece of hardwood. Not sure if the wood is sustainably hunted or not, since some of the links on the Miniot website declined to work for me, but there's no denying their loveliness. You can also get one of these iWood (yes, yes, very clever) cases for your nano. They're cleverly designed, with hidden hinges and a magnetic clasp to keep the case shut. Once you've selected the type of wood you want to use, you can get them mongrammed with your initials and choose something witty to have engraved inside.

iWood Product Page [via Gizmodo]

More wood goods
Wood USB Key
iDock Wooden iPod Stand

iPod Tote Bag

Remember in the 80s and early 90s when people who thought they were cool (usually topless blokes with mullets) used to walk around with a ghetto blaster on their shoulder, polluting the air with the strains of the latest Vanilla Ice album? Well, let me introduce you to the naughties version. This is the iPod tote from Fred Flare, complete with built-in speakers that allow you to play your Arctic Monkeys album for all the world to hear. It's $60 plus the cost of four AA batteries. [Gemma]

[Previously posted on The Bag Lady]

Magpie iPod Outfits

These iPod covers certainly grabbed my attention thanks to some lovely bright patterns used in the design. The unusual upside-down clip helps them stand out even more, and designer Maggie emailed to say she made them that way to meet her needs as a runner. They're made from reinforced vinyl to protect from scratches, sweat and dirt and you also get a removable keychain to attach the case to your bag or clothes.

The cases come in a selection of bright and bold prints, currently only for the iPod nano, and cost $24.95. I'm not sure if having an upside down iPod would assist with usage or not. Would you use one?

Magpie iPod Outfits

CeBIT: More General Gadgetry

More gadgety goodness from the CeBIT trade fair which started today...

Next up is WINCOMM's fanless panel PC, available in 15" and 17" sizes. As far as I can tell, it is basically a tablet PC (though it is possible to get without a touch-screen, hrrm), just instead of having a revolving screen, it is designed to be mounted on the wall. I think the 'fanless' bit is the key to being able to have it hung somewhere in your house without the whirring getting to you - but I wonder what level of heat it produces?
Read - Datasheet (zipped PDF)

XONIX have designed two pairs of sunglasses with a built-in mp3 players - I can't work out what kind of capacity they have but hopefully the gods have mercy and it is more than 128MB! The idea is faintly reminiscent of the Motorola/Oakley RAZRWIRE collaboration - I'd hope no one would have the XONIX OM or OMF as their main mp3 player and the RAZRWIRE as their main mobile headset, or they'd look fairly daft constantly swapping between sunnies...
Read

I find NEC's PaPeRo initially quite cute, but I'm disturbed the origin of the name - Partner-Type Personal Robot. What do they mean by partner-type? Check out the pic in the link - what do you think a "hole sensor" is? And what does it need one for? And why is it looking at me like that? Brrrrr.

Oh right, it's looking at me that way because it recognises my face. And voice. Clever little thing, maybe a bit too clever... ¬_¬
Read

[Sara Wallen]

CeBIT 2006: Samsung's 4 Gig flash MP3 player

Samsung's gone all iPod nano on us with the launch of the YP-Z5 Music Jukebox which, like the nano, has 4GB of flash storage. It beats the nano on battery life, with a claimed 35 hours. It also sports a 1.8inch colour screen, features compatibility with subscription music services (Microsoft Plays For Sure Audio Download and Subscription which includes MTV’s Urge, Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo) and has 3D sound – whatever that might be. It weighs just two ounces and is finished in aluminum. No news yet on price and availability.

Caserta Italia iPod Case

Is it just me or is this Caserta Italia iPod nano case truly revolting? Possibly that's the idea, I don't know, but this hammered bronze suede and black leather case certainly gets your attention. As well as printed suede, there's the inevitable presence of some Swarovski crystals and an optional golden chain neck strap. The range also includes cases made from snakeskin, alligator and printed suede with Swarovski crystals. Made by hand in New York, the case sells for $225.

See the full range in its garish entirity. [via Luxist]

iBeat Illuminatied Headphones

Maybe it's because I grew up in a major metropolitan area; but I've always been taught that one should be discreet with one's more precious and costly items, and should exercise caution when revealing them in public areas.  So I'm absolutely flummoxed by the iBeat Illuminated Headphones, headphones which glow in one of six frighteningly named colours. (Acid Aqua, Groovin' Green, Off-beat Orange, Pop Pink, Rhythm and Blue  or, rather unfortunately, Wiggity White.) 

Much like the previously mentioned Blinkit safety light, iBeat will glow steady or along to your music. In fact, if you paired the iBeat with the Blinkit, you'd be a beat-bouncing beacon of very conspicuous consumerism. -[Star C. Foster]

Catalogue Page (via Chip Chick)

Most feasible iHoax so far - 6th Gen iPod?

There have been a good few hoax images of the next-generation iPod, however the newest few have been touted as more believable than the rest. I must admit the picture I have here (left) is convincing, it even has camera-shake blurring from someone trying to get a clear picture of the screens on a longer exposure. See more at MacRumors:Guides.

I hope all that cover manufacturers pull their iSocks up (hah) and manage to make protective pouches which actually keep the massive touch-screen safe from sharp objects in handbags and pockets. I guess we'll find out exactly what it will be at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, on the 1st of April. [Sara Wallen]

Read
Images

Lightweight Bamboo Earphones

Hah, I seem to be getting all the earphones lately! Japanese design company amadana have bucked the trend of "Yay let's have neon earphones!" and come up with these subtle and lightweight bamboo earphones.

They look slightly uncomfortable, but the bamboo (dark bamboo available with black buds/hook, light with white buds/hook) promises to be lots lighter than the equivalent plastic, rubber or metal equivalents and so probably doesn't press down too much.

The frequency response given is 10-24,000 Hz, which is pretty good seeing as most headphones tend to be around 20-20,000 Hz. This is assuming you can hear any lower than 20 Hz or higher than 20000 Hz. Can't say I'd know if I could... [Sara Wallen]

Read Japanese (!) Product Page / Buy from Dynamism

More:
Metallic neon earphones
Neon iPod-style earphones
Massive pink headphones

iPod Round Sound Speaker System

Apple may have its own speaker system out, but that hasn't stopped other companies from rolling out their own. This Round Sound stereo system from IXOS has four speakers on board, which should offer reasonable sound quality. While it's unlikely to blow your ear drums it's reasonably cheap at £50. The dock will take pretty much any of the more recent iPods (except the shuffle) and will charge your player as it plays. It's also got a standard headphone jack if you want to plug in a different player.

The IXOS XMI518 is available now for around £50.

So you like listening to metal?

Help, help, I'm being oppressed! The tyranny of black and white headphones is just too much! Head over to v-moda and "refuse to be a slave to white and black earphones with drab designs - modaphones adapt to your music and fashion style rather than dictate it."

Of course, that is if your fashion style adheres to metallic silvery-black, blue or pink. Sorry, I mean “bling bling black”, “that’s hot pink”, and “blue steel”.

So if you fancy yourself a bit of a gangsta mutha, an over-sexed it-girl, or a pouting male-model, then these are for you. Go get 'em, tiger, rawr! [Sara Wallen]

Read

Similar coloured earbuds

Blinkit iPod Safety Light

Here is an iPod accessory I never thought we'd see: a safety light/flashlight because, well why not?  (If they're going to start giving it non-musical capabilities, I'd like to see the iPod Dish-Doing accessory.)  The Blinkit light plugs into your iPod charger base and can be active while using the iPod to listen to music.  The light can be aimed either forward or to the sides; and is projected either as a steady stream, or will flash in five preset modes or along to whatever track you currently have playing.

With tinted lens caps coming in white, red, blue, green and yellow, this not only will allow you to be more easily seen at night, but can make your iPod your own personal rave.  Given the proliferation of white ear buds I spot on the streets these days, if the Blinkit caught on, walking down the street at night could be colourfully awe-inspiring...or seizure inducing. - [Star C. Foster]

Available from the Apple Store for $29.95.

Blinkit (via Gizmodo)

Asono Play - MP3 minimalism

Asono, the Norwegian company behind the minimalist Mica Players has thoughtfully made a more affordable version for us plebs called the Play. The high end model has a screen secreted at the bottom of the player, but this cheaper version just secretes more white stuff. Hang on... that came out wrong. It doesn't have a screen - OK?

It'll play MP3, WMA and ASF files for up to 12 hours on a single charge of its built-in battery and you're going to have to learn to love and cherish shuffle mode unless you want to sit and go through each track in turn till you find the right one. Not only that, but the single joystick means you'll have to be guided by noises when it comes to the controls - with a variety of distinctive sounds helping you to navigate your way round.

Around £67 from Asono [via Tech Digest]

Apple iPod Cases

Not the most exciting looking iPod case in the world, and one that probably wouldn't have merited a mention had it not been for iPod branding slapped across the bottom. The leather case for the iPod is available in 30GB and 60GB models as well as an iPod nano model. They'll cost you £69 a pop, which sounds on the pricey side to me. Bound to sell well though.

Apple Store

Apple iPod Hi-Fi Announced

All those companies currently making a tidy living out of add-on speaker systems for the iPod are probably going to be feeling a mite irked right now. Apple has just come out with its own high-fidelity speaker system for the iPod, which means you get to have everything all branded and matching in your life. The iPod Hi-Fi can be powered from a wall socket or by batteries, and you can use the Apple Remote to control your iPod as it nestles into the speakers. As you'd expect, the Hi-Fi has a dock that will fit all iPods and your player will be automatically recharged while it's sat on it. The iPod Hi-Fi will set you back £249.

Apple Store

Dinky Ministry of Sound MP3 Player

I think the Ministry of Sound have finally realised that small is beautiful! Judging by the size of the headphones on the product page, it looks pretty wee. The usual specs apply, about 8 hours playback, 1GB capacity (also available in 512MB) and takes up to 240 MP3 or 480 WMA files. It also comes pre-loaded with Summer Funk Classics 2006.

Looks rather sleek actually - most of the other Ministry players have been a bit odd-looking but this one has the kind of minimal style I like for this sort of thing, along with the now-customary OLED display. Pretty. [Sara Wallen]

Read - then buy for a tenner less at Argos

Das Blau stylish iPod cases

If you haven't yet treated yourself to an iPod case, and don't fancy your chances of knocking out something as beateous as my crocheted laptop case, these das blau Versa cases offer a smarter alternative. The case not only protects your precious player, it also works as a stand, allowing you to check out videos and photos on your 5g video-friendly iPod. Choose from eight different styles, or alternatively, check out the Wrap cases for iPod nano.They'll cost you $46.99 till the end of tomorrow, after which you'll need to hand over $59.99 - plus shipping.

Das Blau (thanks Lisa!)

Blueye iPod Style Phone attachment

This is an interesting little object. Plug this into your music player, PSP or similar portable multimedia type device and it will connect wirelessly to your Bluetooth phone. Then you can make and take calls through your music player's headphones using the Blueye's vaguely iPodish control panel. It’s compatible with any headphones, supports Interactive Voice Control and lets you record ringtones in real-time. The Blueye comes in three  colours, red, white and black and costs £69.

Mavizen

Goodmans' Star Player

Goodmans, the company renowned for their reasonably-priced electrical goods, has been showing off some new products recently, including this star-shaped player which glows three different colours. The GMP31G2 comes in 128 256, 512MB and 1GB sizes and apparently has a 17-hour battery life. Aside from those colourful lights, there's not much by way of extras to talk about, but you can be sure that when the pricing is finally announced, it's not going to knock you over your overdraft limit.

Goodmans Site

Aural New York - Coloured iPod Earbuds

I'm slightly amused by the extremely attractive women and the "Girlfriend/Boyfriend Friendly" tags on the Aural New York site. In particular the photo advertising the limited-edition blue buds - I have to admit I never thought of matching my audio equipment to my underwear... I'm going to feel really tacky in my white undies and black Sonies now. Sigh.

Mind you, white earphone cords are so famously linked to iPods that they scream "Mug Me!" so a pink, black or blue replacement would be a fine idea. Much more choice than the usual white or black (well ok, transparent too if you've got ears with expensive taste hearing). [Sara Wallen]

Read

More:
Earbuddy Carry Case
Pink Skullcandy 'Phones
iMuff Wireless
Ear Muff 'Phones

it

Zicplay iPod remote control

Hopefully grab a better pic in a minute, but you should just about be able to make out the lines of a Zicplay Tuneview, the first remote control to display iPod’s digital menu on an LCD screen. What this means is that you'll be able to control your iPod and see the full menu from afar. Stick it on its dock, hook it up to your stereo, and you can control the music player from the comfort of your sofa. It's being launched at the CeBit show in Hanover, Germany this March. It'll be available exclusively from KeySpan.

Zicplay

ThinkOutside Boomtube

...so that you can't hear yourself ThinkInside! Brilliant!

Apparently this is the speaker system which isn't going to leave you having to compromise between portability and sound output. It delivers over 40 watts of total system power, has long cords that let you place the satellites far apart for real stereo, and even lets you connect to your mobile phones with a 2.5mm adaptor (pssst, you can get these from Maplins at about £1!). [Sara Wallen]

Read and Buy

Logitech Sports Headphones

If you're one of those daft people who goes tearing round the park of an evening when you could be at home eating pie, these headphones will be right up your well-trodden street. Logitech's Sports Headphones are designed especially for active types, with a lightweight frame that won't weigh your head down (cos those normal ones leave your head lolling about uncontrollably, right?) and a blood, sweat and tears water-resistant finish. There are also some special loops to attach if the headphones keep falling off when you're in full gallop.

Logitech

MP3 Teddy

Why does this little fella look so sad?  Is it because he's uncomfortable with the headphone jack someone has jammed into his little Teddy brain so they could listen to their MP3s and WMAs?  Or is he just embarrassed that he's only got 128MB of music storage space to offer.

Either way I have to tell you, this Teddy player is breaking my heart. And his approximately $100 pricetag isn't doing too much to cheer me either.  Poor Teddy.- [Star C. Foster]

Akihabara News (via Chip Chick)

Full Metal (Nano) Jacket

Funny, I'm sure I shouldn't want something just because I like the accessories that go with it.

I thought iSkins and iPod socks were cool until I saw how grungy they get in the bottom of our pockets and handbags along with our keys and jaffa-cake crumbs.

ukpreview.co.uk have these rather nice metal covers for iPod Nanos, Minis and Shuffles (and probably more), also available in brushed metal and also some 'crystal' clear plastic cases for those who want to still be able to see the trademark Apple designs. [Sara Wallen]

Read

More Nano protection:
Devilish, Felt, Wallet,
Pouch, Belt, Jacket

iCool Smelly MP3 Player

 

As tired as I am of seeing companies put the lower case "i" in front of a product name, I'm willing to let Solid Alliance slide on the iCool MP3 Player;  I'm far too amused by the fact that it 's selling point is  scent.  This  256MB player will playback your MP3, WMA, or WAV files while exuding one of six scents: chocolate, rose, strawberry, lemon, cherry and blueberry.  It is the Strawberry Shortcake of MP3 players.

I suppose the general idea is that even when your favourite band's latest album stinks, your MP3 player will still smell sweet. - [Star C. Foster]

More from Solid Alliance:
USB Ghost Detector
Sushi USB Key
Lacquer iPod mini case

(via Akibalive)

 

iPod nano now in 1 Giga

They've snuck this one out on the quiet - what did they think we wouldn't notice? Now you can get your nano kicks in 1GB capacities as well as the 2GB and 4GB models. It'll cost you $149 and will store up to 240 tracks.

Sounds like it might be time for the shuffle to shuffle off its mortal coil, since the nano is now treading on its same-sized toes. Bargain hunters might want to keep an eye on the shuffle prices, since they're bound to take a few tumbles. (UK Prices; US Prices)

iPod nano UK site
iPod nano US site

Luella Bartley's Sony MD Case

Looks like Luella Bartley is spending much of her time creating gadget accessories these days. First it was Sony, then it was Apple, and now it's Sony again. In fact, she's been mentioned on this site enough that I now know I'm supposed to pretend to know who she is. Give it 10 years and I'll be a fully fledged female - one who knows about lady things and everything. Anyway, if you're still clinging to your MiniDisc player, why not treat it to one of these expensive designer bags? Available in three colours for $180. Alternatively, you could put the cash towards a brand spanking new MP3 player. Just a thought.

Sony Style
More Luella Bartley on The Bag Lady

Win a Special Edition Blue iPod nano

Fancy winning yourself a special edition blue iPod nano? Well then, the best thing to do is head over to Namesco where there are five blue nanos being given away. All you have to do is answer the super-easy question and provide your details to be in with a chance of winning.

Namesco

Key Chain iPod nano Pouch

I've kept this picture smallish because otherwise you'll want to gouge your eyes out with a rusty spoon upon seeing it in its full-size glory (though for the masochistic among you, just click away).

It's gold. It's shiny. It has foot-like things. It has two arm-like bungee cords you can attach to yourself. It has a keyring. It...

..it's monstrous, I'm sorry. I really can't be enthusiastic about this one! Blimey. [Sara Wallen]

Read (via Akihabara)

More tasteful iPod nano cases:
Nano Wallet
Devilish Cases
Nano TuneBuckle

Pop My Cherry

Having had so much success with fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi's range, cheapo US store Target have sought the help of some more top designers to create limited editions ranges for their rails. The first comes from British designer Luella Bartley, whose girly creations include this iPod case for $12.99. Possibly not the best choice for anyone over 20, but worth mentioning if only for the chance to make stupid cherry-themed puns (see title). [Gemma]

JVC's Alneo pink music player

This is what I like to see, a music player that comes in a choice of six colours. Really, I am *that* easy to please. The Alneo XA-F57 and XA-107 players from JVC are just your usual MP3 players, with 512MB and 1GB of memory respectively. However, one thing that might grab your attention, if you're that way inclined, is the direct MP3 recording from Line-in, which means you can encode your music straight from your CD player, or even (is this legal? No, don't tell me. And don't blame me if you get the coppers round either) record stuff off Jools Holland on Friday nights. Just like recording the Top 40 off Radio One when we were kids, but with more World music. Yours for £80 .

Gear4's leather iPod cases

I'm going to tell you something now that may well shock you: I'm pretty partial to pink things. Yes, it's a surprise I know, but I felt I had to get it out in the open. Actually, while we're on this whole "opening up" vibe, I might as well tell you that in fact I'm a sucker for colours in general. Which is why I'm feeling both elation and disappointment at the same time right now. Gear4's leather iPod case (£20) comes in pink (yay!) and black (boo!). But, sadly, there are currently no other colours to choose from. Grateful as I am for the pink (yay!), it's not really a catch-all solution to female needs is it? More colours please, Gear4.

Gear4

Otoizm - Digital Pet That Loves Music

The Otoizm is a digital pet whose growth and well-being depends on the music you expose it to when you hook it up to your music player.  Due out later this year, your Otoizm not only responds to your musical choices, but will compose music for you and engage other Otoizm it encounters in "dance sessions."

Is it wrong of me that I envision feeding an Otoizm entirely on a diet of West Side Story, so that when it does come across another Otoizm it might feel compelled to fight them...with dance? (Really - there's no need to answer that question.  I already know.)  - [Star C. Foster]

(via Gizmodo)

More Virtual Pets:
i-Box Crazy Animal Fridge
Tamagotchis go fuzzy

Louis Vuitton iPod Case

Surely not long before there are hundreds of knock-offs of these on market stalls everywhere, but until that day those of you who love a label can keep your iPod safely stowed in one of these Louis Vuitton iPod cases.

No pricing info or anything on the site, but you should be able to pick one of these up in Louis Vuitton stores in places like Harrods, Selfridges, Bloomingdales and Saks (check out the LV site for all the store locations.

Louis Vuitton [via Chip Chick]

Valentine outfits for your iPod

If you don't have a barbie, or a small dog of your own to play with, dressing up your iPod appears to be the only option left. Luckily, there are loads of companies out there ready and able to encourage your penchant for iPod outfits. Online shop, iAttire, has come up with some Valentine-inspired underwear for your favourite music player, so that when you go to meet your boyfriend (or girlfriend) clutching your semi-clad friend, he'll know it's time to back away slowly and quietly before turning tail and running for at least a mile.

iAttire's undergarment iPod range

Classy cases for your Sony Walkman

Sony has apparently gathered 15 percent of the music player market thanks to the help of its latest WALKMAN, which is why you can expect to see some more snazzy cases appearing in the future. Noreve's leather cases come in pink, blue or black, and have soft velvet interior and a removeable belt clip. You can pick it up for around £27 (€36).

Read  [via Tech Digest]

Learn how to use your iPod in Selfridges

I've been avoiding this story because I hoped it would go away, but since everyone else is covering it, I thought I should probably join in. I've been ignoring it because I like to think that no one reading this site could possibly feel the need to enrol themselves on a class that teaches people how to use an iPod. Not so much because using an iPod is easy, as is reading through the instructions, but more because classes in Selfridges in London cost £65 for 40 minutes. That's £65 for a lesson you could get for free a couple of minutes' walk away in the Apple Store. Don't do it people. If you don't know how to use your iPod, invite a more gadget-savvy friend round for dinner and get them to show you. And if you still don't understand, it might be best just to spend that £65 on having someone set the whole thing up for you.

iBaby Umbrella Stroller

If you're a Mac-lovin' mom for whom iPod-ding your baby was a good start at consumer branding your child that didn't quite go far enough, you'll be pleased to know there are people in the world willing to slap an iPod onto anything is a new stroller on the market that allows moms and their babies to enjoy a little iPod-powered road music together.  The Kolcraft iBaby Umbrella Stroller comes complete with a cup holder, a canopy, a storage bag...and more importantly, an iPod Dok (with a Mini Adapter) and iPod Protection pads.  Thankfully, the Dok includes a speaker housing so Mom and baby can listen freely, without the need for teeny-tiny baby earbuds. - [Star C. Foster]

Product Page (via Techie Diva)

Pink Powder Puff Portable Media Player

I love the way they've shown this new multimedia player in front of some eye shadow and lip gloss, just in case we hadn't worked out it's aimed at women (or flamboyant queens) and that it looks just a little bit like a powder compact! It's also got one of those funny little fabric tags to make it look like it's from a clothing label, which inevitably gets frayed and muddy-coloured among the biscuits in the bottom of your handbag.

It's designed for SD or MMC cards, which you can now get up to 2GB capacity, with an up to 6-hour battery life (audio, 4hr for video), and can show photo slideshows. I wonder if the 2-inch screen goes mirrored when not in use? That'd be a good excuse for its shape... [Sara Wallen - thanks Hannah!]

Read

More gadgets cunningly disguised as make-up:
"In the Pink" USB Key
Compact Mobile
Siemens "Fashion" Phones
Naughty Lippy

The mPack P600 - Wondrous Media Gadget

First we had separate tellies, videos, phones, cameras, computers, games-consoles and Walkmans (tm), etc. Then we progressed and had tele-video/DVDs, phones with cameras, PDAs, mp3-players (also with phones and cameras and kitchen sinks).

Now here we have an mp3 player, video player (with surround(!) sound), 'PDA-functions', games, optional GPS, photo-viewer, and the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen sinks all in one! Though it's lamentably missing a camera. Though fear not, I daresay they'll have one in the next generation.

What does speak to me however is the screen-saving clamshell design, the continuous-video 4-hour battery life (8hrs for audio), and the drag-and-drop file transfer (without tediously converting all your files into bizarre formats). Not bad if you have an attention-span long enough to look at the same 4" for 2 hours or more! [Sara Wallen]

Read more at My mPack.

More Media Players:
ZVUE's Wireless PMP
Necklace Media Player

Saitek Audio Bluetooth headphones

Anything that comes without wires attached gets my vote. These Saitek Bluetooth Headphones let you listen to music wirelessly from your player so you can stash your player in your bag and forget about it. You can control the volume using the headphones and the little Bluetooth transmitter will plug into pretty much anything with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Expect 8 hours of battery life before it's time to recharge. Get yours for around £80.

Saitek Audio

More Wireless Audio:
Saiteks' Wireless audio range
Oregon's wireless iPod speakers
B&O's Wirless MP3 Radio

Levi's to Create iPod Jeans

Levi’s enters the brave new world of wearable technology with their RedWire DLX Jeans, part of their upcoming Fall 2006 line.   According to Levi’s, the jeans incorporate a “special joystick” in the denims' watch pocket, paving way for a whole new series of cheesy pick-up lines in clubs and bars everywhere these jeans are sold.

The big mystery is how the jeans succeed in “invisibly” housing the iPod when attached to the jeans’ dock – a promise they make, but which will be rather miraculous to keep.  There are days when I’m lucky if I can fit a stick of gum in my pocket, never mind an iPod.  I’m also curious as to what the pocket is lined in, after the recent iPod nano scratching hysteria.  Photos aren’t available, but are greatly anticipated.

Now, if only they can design jeans that make body fat invisible. [ChicGeek]

[via Gadgette]

XtremeMac to Produce 80 Hour MicroPack for iPod

Ladies, get your credit cards ready, XtremeMac has announced their upcoming MicroPack for iPods with dock connectors.  Containing a lithium polymer battery providing anywhere from 8 hours of video to as many as 80 hours of music (depending upon your iPod model and settings), this white wonder is a must have for savvy gals on the go.

But, that’s not all.  No mere piggy-back battery device, the MicroPack acts as a universal dock for your iPod, providing hands-free viewing and allowing you to sync with iTunes and/or charge the battery via any USB power source using Apple's 30-pin cable. 

But wait, there’s more; the MicroPack provides line out and video out jacks for your listening and viewing pleasure.  It also acts as a digital headphone amplifier, powering two headphone jacks while providing each with separate volume control.  Act now, and they’ll throw in a stylish travel case (OK, I’m making that part up; it will always come with the case).

Available this spring, the XtremeMac MicroPack is available for the amazing price of only $19.95.  (OK, don’t get excited, I made that up, too.)  As fully featured as any too-good-to-be-true infomercial gadget, the MicroPack looks like the real deal and is priced as such; be prepared to shell out a cool $99.95. [ChicGeek]

Read

iPod nano….Snoop Style

Sorry, rap fans, I’m talking Snoopy the dog, not Snoop Dogg.  For all you Peanuts fans out there, Runa has released a special edition iPod featuring Charles Schulz’s beloved Snoopy character of Peanuts fame.  Limited to 1000 units, the custom engraved nano comes with three adorable Snoopy faceplates, a lanyard and the SnoopyBox, which is…well…a box. 

Available only in a 2GB version, this is simply a regular nano (in and of itself a lovely thing) that has been pimped out Snoopy-style.  Now on sale in Japan (as are ALL the coolest toys; note to self: move to Japan), it will set you back to the tune of $286 USD. [ChicGeek]

[via Techzonez and Akihabara News]

iPod nano iJackets

Those of you bored with your nano already can stick on one of these iJackets. Made of strong but soft PU, the covers come with a detachable belt clip, detachable lanyard and protective shields included in the pack. They'll cost you just shy of a tenner and you can get them for your shuffle or your mini as well. Check out the large range of designs over on the New Technology Products website.

Read

More iPod covers:
iPod Hoodies
Pire Jewell iPod Case

iPod Radio Remote

Yet more iPod accessories are coming your way, this time courtesy of Apple itself. The company has just announced the iPod Radio Remote, a remote control with built-in FM radio designed for use with the iPod nano and iPod video. So those of you bored of your huge library of songs can now tune in and sample some chart toppers instead.

The iPod Radio Remote includes a pair of Apple headphones with a shorter cable and is available now for £35.

Read

Waist-Management: iPod Nano TuneBuckle

Now, this should save us having to root around the old biscuits and used tissues in the bottoms of our handbags in an effort to change the volume on that "OW, TOO LOUD!" track or skip ahead when the song that was yours and the ex's "our song" crow-bars its way to the front of your playlist.

I like this. It's a hell of a lot less garish and "whoo, a hell of a lot classier" (I think my male friend sitting next to me likes the lovely flat belly in the picture...) than the afore-posted Hip Tunes iPod Mini holder. Mind you, I'm not so keen on bending myself out of shape trying to see the tiny screen round my lady-bump! And wearing a long shirt or sweater may earn you some funny looks while your hands move in circular motions underneath as you search through your tracks... [Sara Wallen]

See TuneBuckle for pre-order at $49.95 - read more at OhGizmo!

MP3-playing pedometer

Christmas has been done and dusted for another year, so it's time to insert the usual "time to lose some weight" copy in [here]. Yes, we're all fatties now we've finished ploughing our way through acres of cakes, chocs, nuts stuffing, meat, meat, cheese, meat, booze, more booze and cakes (actually, I haven't finished yet - have you seen some of the reductions on cheese, pate, nuts and cake-based items in the supermarkets right now?! Only a fool would cease festivities with so many goodies on sale).

Here's the Storm Shield MP3 pedometer, which not only measures time and distance travelled in the name of flab fighting as well as calories burned, but also features an MP3 player with room for 20 tracks. Not that many songs to keep you going, but let's face it, who wants to keep going when there's fine wine and foodstuffs to be devoured back home? £20 from Blacks.

CES 2006: Sandisk's nano alternative

Would you rather have one of these things than an iPod nano? Sandisk is certainly hoping there are some of you out there tired of seeing Apple's. The Sandisk Sansa e200 comes in 6, 4 and 2GB versions and, as you'd expect from the creators of the SD card, there's also a slot for adding extra memory via SD. The 6GB model can hold 1400 tunes, which beats the 1000-track 4GB nano. The new range of players will hit the shops in March in both the US and Europe. You'll be able to view photos on the 1.8-inch colour screen and there's also an FM tuner.

Press Release

CES 2006: Skullcandy headphones

It's nice to see some more ladylike cans than the big black ones you usually get. It's also nice to see that the Tech Digest boys have wasted no time in roping in the pretty stall woman to model for them. Skull Candy's offering these big pink  headphones to anyone who fancies a change from the norm, while the company has also created a headphone snowboarding/skiing helmet, the Giro, which you can plug into a mobile phone or music player. The helmets start at $129 and go all the way up to $179, while the Ti DJ Headphones come in a selection of colours and retail for $39.95. No European distributers as yet, but there's no reason why they shouldn't make it here. Check out a pick of the lovely lady in the helmet here.

CES 2006: Internet radio on the hoof

While the TV world introduces tech-tastic new features by the day, radio gonks aren't exactly knocking themselves out to keep up.

So give it up for the Torian InFusion, a radio with ideas above its, uh, station. This corking Aussie gadget is barely bigger than a credit card, but it delivers crystal-clear internet radio for listening on the move - and you can record onto removable SD cards. You can search for any one of the web's thousands of online radio stations by location, musical genre or station name, and the sizeable prototype screen (pictured) will be upgraded to full colour when it goes on sale in a few months. - [Jane Hoskyn]

Find out more: Torian Wireless

iSee 360i - turn your iPod into a video iPod

Right, hands up anybody who purchased an iPod just prior to the video iPod being announced then found yourself wishing you had waited an extra week or so to make your purchase. All you lot waving your arms about, take heart. The iSee 360i, due out later this month, is a playback device that gives many 4th and 5th generation iPods (even the nanos and minis, although they'll require an adaptor) the capability to record and play video. Video content can be recorded from your television or other analog source, or downloaded from iTunes. Then plug your iPod (even your video iPod, if you must) into the iSee unit's 6oz case with a 3.6 inch screen  - and watch to your heart's content (or at least until your battery gives up the ghost - which gives your heart approximately 4 hours to be contented).

With a projected retail price of $249, getting the iSee isn't much cheaper than biting the bullet and upgrading to the video iPod. However, if you're unnaturally attached to your current iPod (as I know many of you are), this could be a viable alternative to pouting every time you see the fellow next to you on the bus watching the latest episode of Lost when all you've got is your music for company. -[Star C. Foster]

Product Page (via The Gadgeteer)

Instant Music Turns LPs to MP3s

Once upon a time, not so very long ago - music came in three formats:  78, 45 or 33 RPM - and it wasn't just folks who fancied themselves DJs who listened to their music on vinyl.  Music has become considerably more portable since then, but lots of folks still have stacks of albums collecting dust in the cupboard, waiting for the next boot sale.  Instant Music allows theses dinosaurs of the music age new life by recording the audio from LPs (or audio cassettes, if you're a bit younger) & storing the output as MP3, WAV, WMA or AAC files. After all, if they're going to take up all that room in the cupboard you might as well get some use out of them; because no matter how hard you go on hoping, it's not likely fellows from Cash in the Attic are going to turn up to tell you your turn-table antiques are worth enough at auction to send you on holiday. - [Star C. Foster]

Product Page

Ziclay SlideKey MP3 player

This Ziclay SlideKey MP3 player makes a refreshing change from the norm with its unusual slidey-key design. The controls can be concealed by the movable casing when not in use keeping this nice and compact, and there's a few extra features like voice recorder and USB data storage (not really extra features, more standard features, but I'll take what I can get). The Slidekey comes in 256MB, 512MB and 1GB models, with the option of adding a built-in fm tuner to the larger models. It's pretty cheap, with prices starting at just under £45.

Read

More unusual designs
Mimi iPod wheel player
Clip on MP3 Player

mimi 721 MP3 Player

If your favorite part of the iPod family of players is their scroll wheel, you're going to love the mimi 721 from Hilon, which looks like a iPod wheel, giant-sized.  With no screen, a mere 128 MB of memory and only MP3 playback, you may wonder what the mimi 721 has on its design inspiration.  How about a price tag of just 20 Euros?  (And I bet it'd coordinate just fine with those white earbuds, too.)

Product Page (via Akhibara News)

CES 2006: ZVUE wireless PMP

Portable Media Players have been touted as the next big thing for so long now that it's starting to get embarrassing. However, maybe this year will be the one where we all ditch our portable music players and start watching video on that daily commute instead. The ZVUE 500 has an added perk in that in not only plays your video and music files, but it also includes Wi-Fi, so you can take a gentle stroll about the internet should you ever find yourself in a wireless hotspot. It's got 1GB of on-board flash memory, as well as SD/MMC and CompactFlash memory card slots for extending storage. Expect to see it in stores later this year with a retail price of around $300.

Read

CES 2006: Motorola ROKR II

The last one may have been remarkably unremarkable, but that hasn't stopped Motorola coming back with a new ROKR music phone - the ROKR E2. This time, there is something to remark on, because unlike the ROKR E1 there's no on iTunes compatibility on this handset. Instead the phone has its own music playing software.

As you can plainly see, it's not about to set us all to weeping with its beauteous design, looking like a chamfered version of the E1, and you're limited to storing your music onto SD memory cards. But it does have new music control buttons and a 1.3-megapixel camera, as well as the standard size headphone jack so you don't have to use an adapter, and support for Bluetooth headphones. Expect to see it in the UK in the early summer.

Read

Related:
Motorola's iPod RAZR

CES 2006: Cowon's iAudio 6 multimedia player

There's very little excitement to be had in talking about hard drives - unless of course those hard drives are housed in a rather nice Cowan's iAudio 6 casing. Usually something this dinky would opt for flash memory, but the iAudio 6 is the first player to sport the new 0.85-inch hard drive. And since hard drives are cheaper than flash memory, this 4GB player should work out far more cost effective than the nano.

It's got a 1.3-inch, high res (260k colour) OLED screen, a touch-sensitive control scheme, video playback, image viewing and text viewing. Oh, and it plays songs.

Read

Tavo Gloves for Touchpad Use

Tavo's technology-friendly gloves, made from thermal strech fabric, are designed to allow you to control the touchpads on your digital devices without freezing your precious digits.  These $35 gloves can be worn on their own in cooler weather, on beneath your wooly winter gloves if you're listening to your tunes while slogging through frigid temps. -[Star C. Foster]

Read (via Chip Chick)

iPod Kitty

Meet the iKitty - a cat-shaped case for your iPod Nano. It doesn't seem to do much other than protect your case and make your Nano even more adorable.  The controls are easily accessible through the cat's stomach, but I'm afraid your charger, headphones and other wires get plugged in some place rather rude.  Naughty kitty!

On the plus side, if you team it up with the iDog and iFish, you'll just be an iMouse away from an iPet episode of Tom and Jerry. -[Star C. Foster]

Product Page (via The Unofficial Apple Weblog)

Clip on MP3 Player

Not sure I'd ever actually wear one of these, but I love the idea of it. A music player that looks like a clip and works like a clip, the DN-CLMP128 from Japanese company Evergreen is a pretty unusual design idea. I doubt it will come out here, but you can find out the full spec list etc if you're interested on the DAP Review site.

Read

Luisa Cevese iPod Bag

You know how people always say that tea bags are just made of the bits of leftover tea leaves scraped up off the factory floor? And sausages are just a load of old pig's trotters  poured into intestines? No? I must be hanging out with the wrong people then. Anyway, the reason I bring it up is that Italian designer, Luisa Cevese, seems to have been making use of factory sweepings to make these iPod bags. Apparently, she "noticed the amount of cloth wasted during textile production and sought to give these remnants a new life," sandwiching the old scraps of fabric in between a couple of bits of vinyl. I rather applaud this recycling spirit (which must be why I provide regular custom for purveyors of sausages and tea bags). Check out the bags on the MoMA Store.

Read [via Design Sponge]

More iPod bags:
Kimono Case
DLO Fling iPod cases

Fluffpod iPod Cases

In case the Chewbacca iPod cases weren't enough for you iPod-toting, fake fur aficionados there is fluff pod - makers of satin-lined, faux-fur trimmed iPod cases for the iPod, the Nano, and now, the iPod video (pictured).  The Fluffpod video case  comes in pink or white, features a clear, plastic protective cover for your video screen, allows docking base access, will run you $25 and, in my estimation, makes your iPod video look rather like it's been swallowed by a Muppet. - [Star C. Foster]

iPod Boxer Shorts on sale in UK

Those of you in the UK whose lives have been blighted by an inability to buy those iBoxers iPod underpants will be soothed by the news that they're now on sale in the UK. £16.99 from PopXpress. Yes this is just a very weak excuse to post that nudey torso again.

PopXpress

More technosmalls:
Heart Sensing Bra
Moisturising Underwear

iPod Hoodies

Cast your minds back to April and you may just about recall the C. Ronson iPod Hoodie I posted up. Well, that was in the days before hoodies were being banned from shopping malls and Lady Sovereign made her onslaught on the UK singles chart with the Hoodie Song. Now, hoodies are everywhere, including on the latest iPod models. These iPod Hoodies for your standard iPods and the mini are in danger of making the whole range as chav-friendly as the Chav Award winning shuffle. They'll set you back £9.99 for the mini model and £10.99 for the larger one. Perfect for the little ASBOs in your life. Speaking of which, I walked into my local Tesco Metro the other day with my coat hood up (I'd rather be warm than fashionable, thank you very much) and immediately got told to put it down by the power-happy security guard. I was filled with righteous indignation and stomped out in a huff, which didn't teach the guard anything, but left me without milk for my tea. (Yes, I know this isn't my personal blog, but I'm the editor. So there.)

iPod Hoodies

iPod Book Cover

Bennie and Olive have put a new twist on the classic book safe; they've taken some old-school, hardcover pulp novels and turned them into iPod cases.  Because really, iPod theft may be a real problem these days, but you don't hear many reports of folks having their copies of Lovely You, Detective Fiction or Scavengers is Space lifted from their bags.  (The Hotel Fever cover might be chancey though...it looks like racy read that a roving, raving bibliophile might be tempted to borrow.)  The cases are available from Virgin Threads for $69.00. -[Star C. Foster]

Read (via The Unofficial Apple Weblog)

More iPod camouflage:
iPod Cozy Cuties
Chewbacca iPod Case

iFish

Here's one for the music-loving ichthyologist in your life (because I can't imagine who else it might appeal to): the upcoming iFish from Sega. Much like their iDog, the Sega iFish will light up and dance err...wriggle to your music, as well as act as a speaker for your favorite audio player. Available in 2006.-[Star C. Foster]

(Via Gizmodo)

Other fishy items:
Fish Sink
Age of Aquariass
Infinity Fish Tank

iPod Boxer Shorts

I promise this isn't something I've made up just so Katie will let me post photos of men in their underthings.  Play Underwear's iBoxers are real and...as one might expect, they are boxer shorts with a small pocket built in to hold an iPod (or, if you prefer, cellphone or other MP3 player) because it's very, very important we are never without our gadgets, no matter what stage of undress we may be in. 

Available in prints or solid colours, the iBoxer retails for $22. and if you buy 2 pairs you get 3  iTunes downloads for free.  And please remember, one may never be fully dressed without their MP3 player these days, but just because you're wearing one in your skivvies does not mean you can leave the house without your trousers. - [Star C. Foster]

Gizmodo

iPod speaker systems go to the dark side

Here's yet another speaker system for yet another iPod. It's a black version this time, however, which makes for a nice change, designed to go with your black video iPod - should you own one. The HouseParty from PodGear also comes in white and will work with the 3G iPods, 4G iPods, 5G Photo, the mini, the shuffle and the nano. It retails at £49.99 from here.

More speakers:
iPod speakers in Pink
Oregon's wireless speakers for the iPod

Hello, Hello Kitty

Here's some Hello Kitty irony for you: she has no mouth - but two of the newest additions to her ever-growing gadget kingdom have features for those of us doomed to open ours from time to time.  First is SBODM International Industrial Co. Ltd's Hello Kitty-shaped flash MP3/WMA player, which offers synchronous lyrics display (and supports 15 languages) so you can sing along. (Other specs include 128MB - 1GB memory, FM radio, USB 1.1 interface, digital voice recorder.)

Second is the Hello Kitty breath-tester; breathe on it, and Hello Kitty will let you know on the go whether or not you need to pop a breath mint so you can give folks the ever important "Fresh Kiss."

Ah, that Hello Kitty: Cute as the Cutest button in Cutetown, and helpful too. -[Star C. Foster]

Hello Kitty MP3 Player & Hello Kitty Breath-Tester (via Engadget)

 

Creative's 'video iPod'

This kind of spoils the surprise for the big Creative launch we're hauling our backsides into town for tomorrow. We've been promised someone very senior at Creative will be blowing us away with a new product that we'll be the first to see. Not counting all the many thousands of people who've already seen it online, that is. We could of course be wrong, but we're expecting the big announcement to be this Creative Zen Vision:M video MP3 player, which has just surfaced on the Japanese Creative website. It’s pretty similar to Apple's latest video playing iPod, and comes with a 30GB hard drive and a 2.5-inch 320 x 240-pixel screen.

It's going to be a bit thicker than the video iPod (by which I mean fatter, not "more stupid" - although who knows?), but it will play back a lot more file formats, including MP3 and WMA audio, plus MPEG 1,2 and 4 video, DivX and Windows Media Video. It also has an FM tuner and voice recorder. No indication on pricing as yet, but hopefully it will be less than the 30GB version video iPod which sells for just over £200.

Engadget

Zizzle iZ DJ-ing Speaker

Plug this little fella into your music player and you can listen to your music whilst admiring his his nose flashing in time to the music. Alternatively, the Zizzle IZ will let you play DJ, twisting his right ear in order to change the beats. Seven beats are available and you can also mix in a lead by twisting the left ear. Flicking the antenna on his head will set off some sound effects, while his belly button plays host to controls for the speed and volume of the sounds. There's also an FM Mode which lets you twist his ears to change channels. Quite what this teaches children about cruelty to bugs I'm not entirely sure, and I suspect that while he may look adorably cute in the photos, one day spent listening to him yip and blip his way through random beats will leave you ready to commit insecticide. £35 from iPod Accessories with red and green version also available.

Read

More silly speakers
SEGA i-dog in pink and blue
Stereo Squealers - piggy speakers

RAmos Gold MP3 Player

If you wander round touting this item at all and sundry don't be surprised if you induce a few people to vomit. After all, the RAmos not only has an ugly two-cap name, it also comes to us in an offensive gold hue, with non-matching headphones. Thankfully, it's not available over here, so I'm spared the temptation of purchasing it merely to upset passersby.

Read [via Engadget]

More Gaudy Gold Gadgets
LG's gold plated home theatre system
Siemens SL75 Escada Phone

Ear Muff Headphones

These things are a great idea - perfect if you get ear-ache in this freezing cold weather. The Ear Muff Headphones from Hammacher Schlemmer are neat little fleecey ear warmers combined with JVC speakers that let you listen to your music without your ears turning blue and dropping off. They'll cost US readers $35, UK shipping prices are available on request.

Read [via Muzik and Pics, via Techie D]

Similar Stuff:
Burton Headphone Beanie
iMuffs - Wireless iPod Headphones

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.

More i-deck

Necklace Media Player

If your neck isn't already littered with sundry photo viewers, MP3 players and memory sticks, you may just fancy giving this YO-DK a go. It's a tiny touchscreen music player that can also play back videos and show photos. You'll need a finger thinner than dried spaghetti to operate the touch screen, but it's a neat little player. Not out over here yet I'm afraid.

Read [via DAP Review]

TVMYPOD

If you're a bit of a film nut (like me), you're probably more than a little intrigued by the Video iPod.  However, if you're a bit lazy (again, like me), the idea of spending hours downloading..or worse...converting your preferred film and/or cannon to play on the iPod is terribly daunting. Enter TVMYIPOD, who will sell you a 30 or 60 gig video iPod pre-loaded with the films or TV shows of your choice (from their library) and give you the hard copy of the DVD as well.

A quick glance tell suggests that content starts at around $9 and ranges on up; so this could get pricey pretty quickly.  So you need to ask yourself: is it worth close to $500 to get an new 30 gig iPod pre-loaded with all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?  (You know, if they take out all the Riley/Adam episodes, it just might be.) - [Star C. Foster]

Read  (via Gizmodo)

Smallest colour screen player

If I'm not writing some story about the thinnest gadget, it seems I'm writing one about the smallest gadget. This "world's smallest" story comes courtesy of Klegg Electronics who've just knocked out a mini mp3 player that is apparently the world's smallest with a colour display. But really, who has time to care that it's the smallest colour screen player when it's diverting all our attention with its beauteous pinkness? Also available in lovely blue and boring old silver. Prices start at $100.

Read [via I4U]

Logitec FM Transmitter

If you want to play your DAP music in your car, you'll need  an FM transmitter.  This cigarette lighter transmitter from Logitec Japan is a $40 transmitter that comes in Pink, Green, Grey, Black or Blue for your coordinating pleasure.  (Although I daresay if your car's interior coordinates with the pink or green options, your may want to consider reupholstering.) -[Star C. Foster]

L-Site (via Gizmodo)

iPod Nano Wallet

Since folks keep talking about how the Nano is about the size of a credit card, I can see the thought process that might encourage you to carry it like one.  At least that seems to be the idea behind Marware's leather CEO Billfold Wallet, which has a special pocket for your Nano (including headphone jack, charger access and plastic screen.)

Convenient?  Sure.  Well - only if you want to carry it in your jacket since it's not meant for "use in pants pocket" (and presumably would be awkward in a purse as well).  Oh - and if you don't mind having to flash your wallet around every time you want to skip songs.  Doesn't the iPod family have enough of a reputation as being targeted for theft without adding the temptation of a full billfold to it? - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Coolest Gadgets)

Other Gadget Wallets:
Cellphone / Wallet Combos
Kelly iPod Journal Wallet

Earbuddy Earbud Carrying Case

When I first saw the Earbuddy storage system for the iPod earbuds, I thought to myself, "How cute!  And what a good idea!" After all, I spend about half of my daily bus commute home untangling my headphone wires from the mess they got themselves into when I tossed them unceremoniously in my bag that morning. It'd be nice to have them organised.

However, I then read the specs on this $15 accessory, and I see now that I never should have called it cute.  Apparently what I saw as earbud storage is actually earbud "body armour," made of "ballistic nylon" and "able to stand up to the everyday dangers of the urban jungle." This is a tough earbud holder, an earbud holder for earbuds that lead exciting, dangerous lives. Or perhaps an earbud holder for the slightly paranoid.  -[Star C. Foster]

Read (via Uncrate)

iBuzz

Looks like the infamous Audi-Oh is in for some competition this holiday season, as Love Labs is set to launch the iBuzz - a vibrating bullet that -  you guessed it - works in sync with your iPod. It's not an elitist about it though - despite the tiny "i"  it will  apparently work with any music source.

Although it will be available in the UK shortly, it's not currently slated for US or Canadian delivery; so you'll have to look to Katie and the other Shiny ladies if you're after a review. - [Star C. Foster]

Read (thanks, Mike!)
 

SCOTTeVest - Clothing for the Gadget Obsessed

SCOTTeVEST, creators of "Technology Enabled Clothing" (that is, clothing with lots of pockets designed to hold all your gear as well as special places to tuck your wires so they are useable without you looking like the Borg), have expanded their clothing line to appeal to the "iPod generation."  New items include baseball caps, hoodies, cargo pants, shorts, and the Tactical VC jacket - which has a volume control for the wearer's devices built into the jacket design.

I rarely leave the house without my mobile, camera and MP3 player - so the plethora of pockets and tech-friendly design certainly does seem useful...but why are the designs all so blokey?  Don't they know we gals like our gadgets too? - [Star C. Foster]

Read

Hook up your iPod to your stereo wirelessly

All my CDs are now stored away in cupboards and under the bed, leaving me with my iriver hooked up to my stereo. It's only when you pump the sound out through some proper speakers that you realise just how piss poor compressed audio sounds. But no matter, I have tonnes more space for other clutter now and I can access my entire music library on one little jukebox. And now Belkin's taken the whole thing a step further with this Wireless set up that lets

you hook up your iPod to your home entertainment system without the faff of cables. The TuneStage means you can play tunes on your hi-fi from virtually anywhere in the home. It uses a Bluetooth transmitter connected to the iPod and a receiver plugged in to the home stereo system. Recommended Retail Price is £99.99.

mTune

I've been trying to puzzle this one out. On the one hand I understand the wireless listening appeal of the mTune headset - just pop your Nano into the special slot and you can dance like a maniac to your playlist without getting caught up in any wires.

On the other hand...doesn't having to tote around such a sizeable pair of headphones rather defeat the teeny-tininess that was the allure of the diminutive Nano in the first place? - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Fosfor Gadgets)

Other Nano Accessories:
Felt Nano Cases
iTrip FM Transmitter

MIXX Ipod Holders

Gemma over at The Bag Lady has brought these rather fetching iPod cases to my attention. The MIXX cases are currently only for iPods and iPod minis, so you nano owners will have to go naked for a while longer until they run up some new designs. They come with handy loops for attaching to jeans, bags or whatever, and they come in a variety of different prints and patterns.

Read

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Podstar's Devlish Nano Cases

Is your Nano naughty? (Or does it want to be?)  Then the silicon Diabolo case from Podstar might be the Nano cover for you.   

The Podstar Diabolo isn't on the market just yet - but when it is, it will be available in two colors, four designs, and will include a screen protector.  And, perhaps more importantly, the bad-girl  image you'll be giving your Nano should help counterbalance any inferiority issues it may have due to being the smallest kid on the iPod block (and no one will suspect that you've got it playing "Sunshine and Lollipops" on infinite loop, either). - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Cool Hunting)

More Ways to Dress Up Your Gadgets:
Vodafone's Mobile Costume Covers
Chewbacca iPod Case

Creative's Zen Sleek Photo launches

Creative has just announced the launch of its latest MP3 player, the Zen Sleek Photo. The 20GB MP3 player and photo viewer has an impressive-looking screen, offering similar stuff to its predecessor, the Zen Sleek, with the added benefit of photo and music subscription support straight out of the box. It's compatible with Napster to Go, HMV Digital and Virgin Digital and will apparently give you up to 19 hours playback from a single battery charge. There's far more personalisation available than on most other players, with customisable themes and colour schemes and photo wallpapers. The 1.7-inch screen not only supports 262k colours, it's also one of the newer OLED types, making it far more pleasing on the eye. Pricing isn't available just yet, so more news as and when.

More music:
Toshiba's new Gigabeats
Creative's Zen MicroPhoto goes on sale
New iPod launches

iPod CarClip

Move over fuzzy dice; not content to have the music player market - the iPod now wants to dominate the windshield. 

The CarClip is a clear, acrylic iPod holder designed to dangle  your iPod Mini or Nano from your rearview mirror - presumably making it easier for you to choose your music while you're meant to be driving. 

iPod Video, colour, Gen 3 & 4 owners don't despair - your holders are in the design stage; soon enough everyone can have their iPods at driver's eye-level, and  music on their mind instead of their eyes on the road. -[Star C. Foster]

CarClip (via OhGizmo!)

More Car Accessories:
RoadPro Cookery for Your Car
Watch Digital TV in Your Car
Intellimug - Warm Beverages in Your Car

The uSport Headband

The uSport is "the first iPod Shuffle headband accessory on the market."

I'll admit to not being the most fashion conscious girl on the block...I'll even admit to occassionally wearing my gym clothes in places that are not the gym (my local pizza place, for example, is very familiar with my gray and blue sweatpants).  However, the day you see me sporting a sweatband with an iPod Shuffle tucked inside, you'll know I've given up on fashion (and maybe life) all together. - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Engadget)

More Sporty Accessories:
Music for the Gym
Gadgets for Sporties

Tivoli iSongBook iPod Sound System

I would have thought the iPod, being an iPod, was portable enough - but if you want to be able to tote it around and force your musical taste share the benefit of your musical choices with those in your immediate vicinity, the iSongBook might be for you.

A portable Radio / iPod speaker combination, the Tivoli iSongBook has two speakers (one detachable), alarm capability, a universal iPod dock and a remote control for your tune controlling pleasure.

The iSongBook from Tivoli will run you  $329.99...putting it in the same price range as the iPod itself. - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via Gizmodo)

Other iPod Portables:
iPod Speaker Bag
iPod Shuffle Speakers

First Ever "iPod"?

This Phonotransistor TP1 has a faint whiff of iPod about it, which is pretty impressive considering it was made way back in 1959. Designed by Braun, the Phonotransitor was a compact pocket receiver and miniaturised record player that was meant to be portable. It's not entirely clear from the pic how big this actually was in reality (big enough for a full-size LP? A 45? Something smaller? Not sure), but those round parts and aluminium frame certainly hint at what was to come. Braun's design tour may play up the Walkman/iPod link, but since they've since stuck to hand whisks and electric razors, they shouldn't be *too* pleased with themselves. 

Read (Follow Braun Design World > Design Evolution > Start) [thanks Karen!]

Win an MP3 Player/Pedometer from MSI!

Last chance to win that MEGA PLAYER 521s so get yourself over to the comp entry page quick-smart. The MP3 player from MSI doesn't just play tunes and FM radio, it also works as a pedometer, stopwatch, voice recorder and USB memory device. In order to be in the running for one of these jogging buddies, you'll need to get yourself over to this special webpage, read the literature and answer a simple question.

Enter the Comp!

Similar Stuff:
Veronica Mars comp: Win an iBook, a ROKR and other goodies

Hello Kitty rip off MP3 player

I can't decide if this little kitty from Trust & Star should be written off as a creepier, be-mouted version of Hello Kitty, or if those sluttish red lips and long eyelashes give her a certain kitschy appeal. Aw, who am I kidding? She's highly unnerving with that fixed grin, so I'll be saying goodbye, not hello, to this cut-price Kitty. 

Read [via DAPReview]

Similar Stuff:
Hello Kitty Bluetooth headset
Hello Kitty Desk fan
Hello Kitty MP3 player

I-Dog in Pink and Blue!

Another quick one, this time about the cute little SEGA iDog that I nearly popped an artery over a few month's back. The big news is that it will be coming your way soon in pink and blue colour alternatives. Hardly big news really, I know, but it does give me an opportunity to post a pic of the cute little pooch again.

Read [via I4U]

More:
iDog iPod Speaker available in UK
Tele Dog Cellphone alert
Doggie Doorbell

MP3 player for a tenner

If you can't quite scrape together the cash for an iPod shuffle, this Ecoman could be a the perfect pov alternative. Since my "savings account" is actually what I like to call my overdraft limit (I'll pay for it out of my "savings account"!), this is probably the best I could afford. They've kept the price down by leaving out rechargeable batteries (it runs on one standard AAA battery, which'll last you 8 hours) and, err, storage space. Instead of built in memory, you'll have to fork out for an SD card to put in it. But since they're only about £20 these days, it's still not going to nudge you too far into the red.

Ebuyer [via Tech Digest]

Similar stuff:
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Win! MSI Megaplayer 521!
World's smallest MP3 player

PodGear’s iPod nano accessories

PodGear's PocketParty speakers are here for the iPod nano. The tiny speaker set adds an extra watt of sound to the diminutive player and provides an impressive ten hours of playback. It will set you back £24.99. Not very exciting write up from me is it? But inspiration fails me when writing my 4millionth iPod accessory story. Will try harder next time. I promise.

Find out about the other new PodGear iPod accessories (including a TV cable for the new iPod) on the lovely Tech Digest.

More iPod clobber:
iTrip FM Transmitter for the iPod Nano
iDockCovers - Wooden Stands for the iPod
Oregon's wireless speakers for the iPod

iTrip FM Transmitter for the iPod Nano

Remember the Nano, the tiny little iPod-that-could everyone was mad about before we were all blinded by the iPod with video?  Well, Griffin Technologies hasn't forgotten the Nano, and they've announced a version of their iTrip FM transmitter to work specifically with it. 

Designed to be complement the Nano's thin footprint, the iTrip for Nano displays radio station info on the Nano's screen, can recieve in mono or stereo and allows you to adjust the volume using the Nano's controls.

iTrip for the Nano will be availble in November for $49.99. -[Star C. Foster]

Read

Toshiba's new Gigabeats

I've got snow-blindness from staring at so many Apple iPod stories over the past few weeks. So to redress the balance a bit, and to give my eyes a rest, here's new of Toshiba's latest gigabeat MP3 players. The X20 and X60 are 20GB and 60GB players are are upgrades of the previous F-Series models, which - I realise to my horror - I haven't done a story on before. Very remiss of me, and I can only apologise and tell you that these new players are 20% smaller than the old ones, and they'll be out soon.

Read [via Engadget]

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Creative's Zen MicroPhoto goes on sale
PEZ MP3 Player
Video iPod of sorts launched

Creative's Zen MicroPhoto goes on sale

Those of you not currently conducting a love affair with Apple may like to hear about the rather nice Creative Zen MicroPhoto which has just gone on sale in the UK. The little 8GB player has room for thousands of images or up to 4,000 songs so you can keep your favourite photos and your favourite tunes all in the same place. It's also got a radio and one of those nice organic LED (OLED) screens making it the perfect thing for a bit of portable photo viewing. There's 10 whole colours to choose from, which should be more than enough for anyone. Yours for a smidge under £200.

Read

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Win! MSI Megaplayer 521!
Qoolqee waterproof MP3 Player

Qoolqee waterproof MP3 Player

Perfect for anyone who's ever dropped one of their gadgets down the toilet (I know a couple of people who've lost their tech to the cistern, but maybe I'm hanging with the wrong sorts), the Qoolqee (hint: it's pronounced cool key) is both water resistant and shock proof - so it won't die of fright when you drop it down the WC (ho ho). The Qoolqee X3 will cost you between £69.99 and £109.99 depending on memory (up to 1GB).

Qoolqee

PEZ MP3 Player

OK, so it's not particular girly, feminine or classy. Hell, it's not even particularly nice, but how could I resist posting up this MP3 player which some mad soul has fitted inside a PEZ Pal Boy sweetie dispenser thing? You've got to respect someone who's gone to all that trouble only to produce something that looks like a... well.. like a plastic PEZ sweetie dispenser. It's 512MB (approx 120 songs), and comes pre-loaded with a collection of Indie music. I find myself wanting one against my will. $100 and it's all yours - but there's only a limited number, mind.

Read [via OhGizmo]

Video iPod of sorts launched

So this is what we've all been working late for then. The new iPod, with a wider display than previous iPods, but not quite wide enough to make it the "video" iPod everyone's been expecting. But you'll be able to watch MPEG4 movies on it and it's also thinner than the current iPods. The new version of iTunes (6.0) will also offer video downloads. The US download price is $1.95 a pop, so we're expecting they'll be £1 each in the UK - if the service even makes it outside of the US. 30 and 60gig models are available. Apparently, Madonna is holed up somewhere in the BBC building waiting to do another live link up and the Tech Digest boys are predicting a special edition Madge iPod.

Read

IPOS Z5 - MP3 and Video Player

Shiny reader Annie Paterson wrote in to wax rhapsodic about her IOPS Z5; an ultra-colorful, teeny-tiny, MP3/Video player.  (IOPS refers to it as a "music vitamin" - but in those colours, they remind me more of musical M & M's.) Available in 512MB and 1G models, the IOPS supports  MP3, OGG and WMA music files and can playback  MPEG4, WMV, AVI and DIVX video (converted to MP4) on its full-color, OLED display. 

According to the product page at Advanced MP3 Players, it has a Lyrics Display function as well - which might make it tiniest personal karaoke device ever.  -(Star C. Foster)

Read   (Thanks, Annie!)

Pendant player glues on a Swarovski

The N11 pendant music player, upgrade of the iRiver N10, still hasn't made its way over to this end of the planet. But over in Korea, they're all laughing and pointing at us while they plug themselves into the necklace MP3 player and admire their Swarovski crystals glinting in the sunlight. Since I never quite plucked up the courage to wander into the street wearing my N10 as a piece of jewellery, I'm not feeling too sore about their spangly special edition N11s. Still, pull your finger out, iRiver, and get the N11 on shelf over here.

Read

Win! MSI Megaplayer 521!

There's nothing quite like a product comp for making me feel all smug and self-congratulatory, which is why I've been badgering the lovely people at MSI to hand over one of their new MEGA PLAYER 521s. The MP3 player doesn't just play tunes and FM radio, it also works as a pedometer, stopwatch, voice recorder and USB memory device. In order to be in the running for one of these jogging buddies, you'll need to get yourself over to this special webpage, read the literature and answer a simple question. It's like GCSE English Comprehension all over again!

Enter the Comp!

Douglas J. X Diamond-Encrusted MP3 Player

Today I have learned a valuable lesson: never underestimate the power of excess.  Here I was thinking the XK1, with its single diamond, was at the zenith of needlessly bejeweled MP3 players - when along comes the Presidential from Douglas J..  For a mere £25,000 you can be one of the privileged few to own a gold (white or yellow, your choice) MP3 player with your choice of diamond configuration.  And it'll be delivered to your door by private escort, natch.

I'd like to tell you more about the Presidential, but it's so exclusive that it costs £50 just to get a look at the informational booklet.  And, well, diamonds are nice and all, but a girl's got to eat. - [Star C. Foster]

Read (via The Gadgeteer)

Philips Tune In

This little concept device wasn't actually on show in working order, mainly because it's quite a bit leap for tech design. The idea is that this portable MP3 player has a radar on it that seeks out other Tune In devices in your vicinity. When it finds another player, it can pick up the broadcasts from that device and tap into the tunes stored on it. So, if you're sat on a Tube and someone else has a Tune In near you, you can listen to their songs. The product demo people were pretty vague about how this would actually happen (mainly because they were all out of work actors) but it's an interesting idea that could work around the current file sharing laws.

The coloured dots show you how close another Tune In person is, and also represents different types of music, which you can tap to tune into. No mention about what happens when Mr Groovy Tunes next to you wanders off when you're mid-way through listening to his copy of Take That's Back for Good (ironically, of course...), but the opportunity to rifle through a complete stranger's music collection has a certain nosey parker appeal to it.

iDockCovers - Wooden Stands for the iPod

iDockCovers are fancy wooden iPod stands designed to cover your iDock and fancy the place up a bit. (You know, like those dolls with the long, crocheted skirts people sometimes use to disguise the extra roll of toilet tissue...but for your iPod.)  Availble in a variety of wood and faux-stone finishes, iDockCovers are designed to allow full access to all the necesssary ports.  If you don't have an iDock they'll throw add a "MockDock" to the base for free - so the iDockless can still have a wooden iPod stand (if that's your thing), even if it isn't hiding anything. - (Star C. Foster)

Read (thanks, Meredyth!)

Sansa m200 Flash-Based MP3 PLAYERS

Sandisk is offering a new MP3 player, the m200.  Available with 512 MB - 4G of flash memory, the m200 series supports MP3 and Windows media files, has an LCD screen, a voice-recorder and FM tuner, the largest can hold about 64 hours of MP3s - approximately 19 hours of which you can play back on a single AAA battery.

The m200 also incorporates Windows' PlaysForSure, which will help users ensure the music they download (from certain legitimate music subscription services) will actually play on the m200.

The Sandisk m200 ranges from $79 - $119, and is already available here in the US.  Europeans looking to pick one up will have to be patient and hold out until the begining of November. - (Star C. Foster)

Read

Sanyo enters MP3 market

Sanyo has recently joined the hoards of music player creators out there with the launch of the HDP-M3000, a pocket sized MP3 player with 6GB hard drive and up to 12 hours playback time. The small white It supports both MP3 and WMA (including DRM tracks), has full dot matrix LCD display, earphones and an integrated microphone. It is likely to retail for around £120 which is very reasonable indeed. 

World's smallest MP3 player #403

Yes, it's time for yet another "world's smallest MP3 payer". We haven't had one for a while, so it seems only right that we talk about the latest miniature music maker. The Support Plus Q-Be really is a tiddler with measuring just 24mm cubed. There’s just about enough room for an OLED Screen and tiny control buttons and as well as WMA and MP3 files, there's a built-in voice recorder and clock. It'll cost you £84.99 for the 512MB, while the 1GB goes for £109.99 and is available from the usual suspects, including Dixons and Currys and these places.

First DAB radio & MP3 player

I had an email the other day from a reader looking for an MP3 player that also had a digital radio. I had a little run-around and came back with nothing, but now Morphy Richards has come to my aid with this DAB MP3 Player. As far as I'm aware, it's the first portable MP3 player to come with a digital radio, making it a very appealing little gadget indeed. It is available with a 256MB or a 512MB capacity and - joy of joys - will let you simply drag and drop music files onto the player without having to faff about with installing software. And if you go out of DAB signal range (which is inevitable), you can tune into normal FM radio instead. It'll cost you£139.99 for the 256MB product and £159.99 for the 512MB.

Morphy Richards

Oregon's wireless speakers for the iPod

I may be just about the only person in the world not to own an iPod, but even I can't help letting a little speck of drool escape from my mouth at the sight of Oregon Scientific's wireless hi-fi system. Thankfully, it will work with other players, but the Music Sphere system has been designed with the iPod in mind, and it even has the iBall version with a matching iPod dock/charger. The rounded speaker connects wirelessly to a base station that will feed it music from a CD player, computer, radio or MP3 player. Apparently it will work at distances up to 30 metres.As well as the iBall version, there's also the WRS368 Music Sphere, which can accommodate up to three sources at a time.

Sadly, the LED display on the speaker unit doesn’t offer track listing, so you’ll have to return to your music player to find out what you're listening to. The Tech Digest gang saw the speaker in the flesh yesterday and tell me that it sounds much better than FM style streaming devices (this one uses Frequency Hopping Shared Spectrum (FHSS) wireless). The price is good too with the iBall going for £199.99 and the WRS368 Music Sphere at £179.99. Both are on sale next week both in the US and the UK.

Oregon

Creative Divi Cam 426 Multi-Use Camera

I have nothing against multi-functional gadgets, so long as their multiple functions make some sort of cohesive sense.  I understand the logic involved in combining a still cam with a cam corder - and I can even understand adding in a voice recorder function, since if you're filming (MPEG-4) video, you'll be wanting a microphone anyway.

Where the Creative Divi CAM 426 loses me is with the addition of an MP3 player. Being an urban commuter, my MP3 player is practially embedded in my ears.  Even with  Creative's promise that their Li-ion battery will allow you to "watch up to 100 minutes of video, listen to 160 minutes of songs, and view up to 500 pictures" I'm pretty sure I'd suck up my daily battery allowance listening to tunes, and then find myself camera-less at the critical moment when  I had my next celebrity sighting (or, you know, desire to snap myself making a funny face).

Gadgets of tomorrow do not need to be all things to all people.  That being said, I'm totally with Katie on Radio Toaster being a good idea.  And I'm not ill, so I know it's not the fever talking (although it may be my own week's worth of washing up influencing me). - [Star C. Foster]

Creative Divi CAM 426 (via Portable Gadgets)

Sony WALKMAN

Sony's WALKMAN - the Grandaddy of all personal music devices - is back and this time it means business. The new WALKMAN players come with a nifty, seamless EL display, support MP3s and ATRAC3plus (with a promise of future codec support) are are being released in two sizes (The NW-A1000 6G and and NW-A3000 20G). They also come in a variety of colours (with matching headphones, natch.)   

Clearly trying to give the mighty iEmpire a run for its money after yesterday's iPod nano launch, the NEW WALKMAN offers its own specialized shuffle functions (the year based "Time Machine Shuffle" and the it's-quite-obvious-what-it-does "My Favorites Shuffle"); its own music library management system (the CONNECT Player); and is being released in tandem with "a whole range of design-matching accessories." 

And let us not ignore their attachment to ALL CAPS - clearly a slap in the face to the lower case i's currently dominating the market.-[Star C. Foster]

NEW WALKMAN (via Engadget)

Apple's iPod Nano goes on sale

Apple's new ultra skinny iPod nano is the product of an unholy union between the shuffle and the mini, using flash memory like the shuffle, but sticking with the (slimmed down) design of the mini. It comes with either 2GB (£139/$199) or 4GB (£179/$249) of storage and comes with a nice new colour screen so you can view pics. It is available in three days in the UK. Looks like Apple's gone and done it again with this rather lovely player. As you can see, it's slimmer than a pencil (remember those?!) and it weighs just 1.5 ounces. The only downer is the rather rubbish fourteen-hour battery life. Boo to that.

In other news, Engadget has details of a Harry Potter iPod with a Hogwarts crest etched on the back and all the audiobooks pre-loaded. Madonna's back catalogue is finally up on iTunes (Steve Jobs rang Madge for a chat during the presentation) and the new iTunes 5 software has a better shuffle facility called "smart shuffle".

Motorola/Apple ROKR iTunes phone

When the iTunes Moto-Apple phone was finally unveiled I was sat in a vault in London Bridge staring at Microsoft's latest batch of mice and keyboards (more of that later). The ROKR E1 handset is, of course, a white number, though the design is suprisingly sedate considering the two companies involved in its creation. It's also set a few bottom lips a-quiver at its capped storage capacity, which limits listeners to just 100 tracks no matter how large your memory card. This is due to some sort of "licensing issues", which is fast becoming the standard excuse for any crap aspect of a music player. Tracks are loaded randomly as per the iPod shuffle, or you can sit and do it by hand if you feel moved to do so.

There will be no over the air downloads - so no buying tracks straight from the iTunes store (since that would annoy the network providers who have their own music stores). It costs $249 from the Apple Store (US) and is available in North America via Cingular. It'll be out with the Carphone Warehouse in mid-September, then with O2, followed by Orange, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile and other top retailers throughout September and October. Not Vodafone for some reason.

Diamond-encrusted MP3 Player

Fancy carrying an MP3 player that's got a real diamond stuck to the front of it? Personally, I have more pressing things to spend my money on, such as food and electricity, but if you've got spare cash poking from every orifice, Adamond will be happy to relieve you of some. The XK1 is a pretty standard MP3 player, with sizes starting at 256MB and ending at 1GB, and prices starting at £75. If you want the diamond version, you can choose from 0.11 to 0.5 carat with prices starting at £145 for the 0.11 diamond. Features include dual earphones, MP3 direct encoding via line-in, radio and built-in microphone, and a USB connector to plug straight into your computer. The company also makes the ZK1, the first 2GB flash player to appear on the market.

Read

Saitek's new audio range

Saitek has been coming up with a lot of new products recently, but these latest bits of kit are part of a whole new audio range. Rather than do the usual and just mimic what's already around, the designers seem to have been given free rein on the look of the products. First thing they seem to have done is dusted down the black crayon - unused since Apple's colour-free reign began - creating these curvy black, orange and red speakers. The Audio A-200 on the left is a portable speaker system that you can plug into your laptop, MP3 player, or anything else with a 3.5mm audio jack, while the rather more phallic looking on the right is the A-250 wireless speaker set. You can use this to listen to all the music stored on your PC, or internet radio wirelessly from anywhere in and around your house. It will work on both batteries or from an AC adapter. Both provide stereo sound delivered through two 3W tweeters and a 3W sub-woofer and both will work on 4 AAA batteries or via the supplied AC adapter.

The A-200 will cost you £79.99, while the A-250 will set you back £99.99. Also in the range are a set of stero headphones for just under £20 and a set of wireless headphones for £79.99. They'll all be available from October.

More info here

Top 15 tunes for your vibrator

It's Friday afternoon and what better time to drag this site down into the gutter? Remember that inspired Audio-Oh vibrator that buzzes in time to your music player? Well, the wags over at Grand Opening, the company responsible, have compiled a list of the songs that will apparently provide the best vibrational experience when using the Audi-Oh. Personally, I can't imagine how anyone could find buzzing along to Cyndi Lauper in the least bit erotic, but thankfully there's room in this world for all types. Keep reading for the top 15 songs to get your rocks off to.

1. American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
2. I Love Rock n' Roll - Joan Jett
3. Family Affair - Mary J. Blige
4. Come Out And Play - Offspring
5. The Distance - Cake
6. Kiss - Prince
7. My Sharona - The Knack
8. Just a Lil Bit - 50 Cent
9. She-Bop - Cyndi Lauper
10. Coin Operated Boy - Dresden Dolls
11. You Spin Me Round - Dead or Alive
12. Gonna Make You Sweat - C & C Music Factory
13. Mony Mony - Billy Idol
14. In This World - Moby
15. Lust For Life - Iggy Pop

foofpod Cloth iPod sleeve

Look, I know I've been a bit hard on the iPod in the past...but with all the luxury gear on the market designed solely to to stop it being scratched in your bag, it's quite difficult not to anthropomorphize it into a Vicious Gadget Diva for whom only the best will do.  (Ok, ok. I'm also a bit jealous that every Tom, Dick and Harry in the universe isn't busy slapping fur, leather and sparkly bits together to make custom kit for me.) 

But maybe your iPod is doesn't suffer from delusions of digital grandeur.  Maybe it knows that underneath it all, it's just an MP3 player (there, I've said it) and although it does need protection from the bumps and bruises of everyday life - it doesn't require that touch of mink.  For these gadgets, there are foofpods - cloth iPods sleeves that come in a variety of whimsical styles and colors, and that will provide a snug-fitting (as in won't-topple-out-on-its-own) protection for 3 & 4G iPods, the iPod photo, and (in some cases) the iPod mini.

And at $20 AUD ($24.95 at the US Shop) you could purchase one and still afford to purchase some music for the player too. - [Star C. Foster]

foof

Shuffle knock-off for Canadians

Not sure how many Shiny readers are from Canada, but I'm willing to bet that 90 percent of the Brit readers have Canadian relatives (if not, it'll be Australian - it's always one or the other). I certainly get a visit every 10 years or so from anorak-sporting relations who wee themselves every time they spot a mediaeval wall. Not that that has anything at all to do with this Centrios 512MB music player with FM radio, which is on sale in Canada for $129.99, but I needed a Canadian link, and it was either that or a tale about how one of my old language lecturers used to make my Canadian friend say "blue" to all the other students so we could hear her funny pronunciation. Again, nothing to do with this iPod shuffle imposter, but what's to say really? It supports MP3, WMA-DRM and WAV formats, has an OLED scrren and will let you make voice recordings. The usual stuff.

The Source (thanks Fido!)

Tunebox speaker system for your iPod shuffle

I can't find any mention on the website if this little speaker system for your shuffle takes batteries, which means that TuneBox won't be accompanying you for the final few lazy days in the park that are left of this summer. Still, if you rather fancy listening to your iPod shuffle's random playlist out loud in your home, these speakers may be what you're after. The speakers will charge your shuffle as it plays (via a DC power cable), and apparently provide a "powerful, dynamic sound with unexpected clarity. Griffin's TuneBox is available now for $39.99.

Griffin

Sirius S50 Mobile Satellite Radio Player

This September, Sirius Satellite Radio will be offering a new, personal player for listeners...the Sirius S50. It has 1G of flash memory, can play MP3s, record Sirius content, and comes with a car dock.  The $359.99 price tag seems steep to me, considering the player only offers six hours of battery life, restricts users to using only about 512MB of that flash storage for non-Sirius MP3 and WMAs, and the fact it can only receive live Sirius content when the player is docked.  -[Star C. Foster]

(via PC Mag via UberGizmo)

TechnoTunes MP3 Watches

I'm still not sold on the idea of an MP3 watch (I like the Dick Tracy aspect, but I'm still not so keen on attaching headphones to my wrist), but I will admit my interest has been piqued by the TechnoTunes watch.  The nine hour playtime isn't especially stellar, but I do appreciate the fact that, in addition to being able to hold about sixty songs, it 's USB compatibility makes it a useful data storage/transport device (and ergo, a good prop when you want to play Super Top Secret Spy).

Admittedly, it's no Diamond Fiction, but it's not bad looking, as watches go. - [Star C. Foster]

Logitech Wireless Music Transmitter

The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC is a nice solution for those of us who store our music on our PCs, but would sometimes like to listen to it in rooms other than our office (not everyone has a laptop you know...and a desktop computer is a bit clunky to drag around just to listen to the latest White Stripes album).   Plug the transmitter into your computer, the receiver in to your stero or speakers, and viola, music.  And, of course, there's a remote control so you don't have to go running up and down the stairs to skip those tracks you don't like.

And before you worry about having to re-rip your music to some new, mysterious format, this system works with iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp and a number of other exisiting media players. Rockin'. -[Star C. Foster]

Product Page (via UberGizmo)

iJoy Massage Chair

Wow, they really will slap a lowercase "i" and a set of speakers on anything these days...even furniture.  Case in point: the iJoy ZipConnect Robotic Massage Chair. For just shy of a grand, you too can own a massage chair with a built-in speakers and sub-woofer. 

Despite the nominal "i", the iJoy can accomodate any audio source "with a headphone jack," however, for an extra ten dollars, you can add on a Zipconnect charger/player for your iPod or Shuffle.

Best I can tell, the massage function is meant to benefit the human who parks their posterior in the seat and not to the MP3 player...but with the way iPod accessories seem to be catering more to machine than man these days, one can never be too sure. - [Star C. Foster]

Available from Sharper Image (via Endaget)

Kapo Super Monkie Radio

I find very little practical use for an huggable FM radio housed in a giant pink monkey head....but now that I've seen the Kapo Super Monkey Radio I'm having a hard-time picturing my life without one.  I want to hug it and squeeze it and pinch its voluming controlling ears.  I want to cuddle it and search for a listenable local radio station by playing with its hair.  (I can't help it.  I have a thing for monkeys - especially super cute ones.) - [Star C. Foster]

This tech toy will set you back abou $30, and is just too adorable for words. (via Gizmodo)

Frost French Motorola 'Pinktooth' Headset

Yes, you read that right, they really have called this special editon HS801 Bluetooth headset the 'Pinktooth'. Motorola has teamed up with FrostFrench who've created some limited edition skinny scarves to put in the box with the limited editon pink headset. Designed by Sadie Frost and Jemima French - members of that interbreeding (ex)Cool Britannia set that infest Primrose Hill - the scarf and headset gift box is available from The Carphone Warehouse. The skinny scarf - part of the uniform of any self-respecting boho type (eg Sadie's nemesis, Sienna Miller) - is apparently worth £70, while the headset and scarf will set you back just £49.99. Meanwhile, the HS801 will give you up to 90 hours standby and 4 hours talktime. Incidentally, FrostFrench seem to be rather partial to teaming up with tech types for product launches - this isn't their first foray into the gadget world.

The Carphone Warehouse

tux iPod Stand

Sure, it's an MP3 player - but is it art?  Plasticsmith's tux for the iPod (and iPod mini) is an flame-polished acryllic display stand. Available with either a black or white base, and with either an upright or tilted display it will hold you iPod and, er..display it. 

After all,  any gadget that's accustomed to be carted about town in the lap of luxury certainly deserves something more than being casually tossed onto a computer desk once you've returned home. - [Star C. Foster]

Available for $35 from The Plasticsmith (via OhGizmo!)

JVC's flash players go on sale

Speaking of flash music players, JVC’s latest digital music players, the XA-MP51 and XA-MP101 will be on sale this week for £99 and £129.99 respectively. The MP51 flash memory-based player offers 512MB, while the MP101 comes with 1GB of storage. They both also feature an integrated FM tuner. They support playback of MP3, WMA and downloaded WMA-DRM files, offer four-line dot matrix backlit displays, and feature voice recording facilities. The models are powered by one AAA battery which will apparently last for 17 hours' playback.

JVC

Sony's WALKMAN Bean flash player

Sony's opted to try a bit of novelty value with its latest player. The new flash players are bean-shaped - hence the name - and come in black, white, pink or blue. Capacities are 512MB and 1GB and you'll be able to transfer tracks onto the player using the same Sonic Stage software all the Walkman's use (ie. the one that runs so slowly and causes my laptop to over-heat and die every time I try to use it). There's no cable involved - like the iPod shuffle it has a USB connector built in, which will pop up when you need it. Oh, and they've squeezed on a 1-line Organic LED display, which is nice. Battery life is quoted ambitiously at 50 hours, and they're both set to be in stores from September. No pricing details as yet.

Sony

Burberry Gold iPod Case

Everytime I think I've seen the be-all-end-all of iPod carrying cases, someone else comes out with a newer, slightly more ridiculous luxury accessory.  This time its Burberry, who has taken their plaid iPod case and done it up in gold leather.  Perfect for the preppy Bond villain...and perhaps more than a bit silly for the rest of us. [Star C. Foster]

(via Gizmodo)

BeeTune MP3 Player With Infrared

This new MP3 player is scheduled for imminent release in the UK and is currently travelling under the codename, "BeeTune."

I can't say I blame its for adopting an assumed identity - because all though BeeTune's FM radio, voice recorder and variety of colors are all innocuous enough, the fact that it will allow users to share music via infrared technology will likely mean recording industry watchdogs will be stalking it at every turn.

In the UK, the BeeTune will probably set you back between £70 and £120, depending on your preferred storage size (128MB to 1GB).  I'm willing to bet the RIAA does its darndest to make sure it never makes it to the US. - [Star C. Foster]

(via Chip Chick )

i-deck speaker dock for your iPod

Boxing up your CDs for under-bed storage will leave you feeling incredibly smug about your sudden clutter-free existence. If you haven't done it already I heartily recommend it. Then all you have to do is hook up your music player to your sound system and you can play drunken DJ when your friends come round far more efficiently. Or, you could go for something like this Monitor Audio i-deck, which (if you've been paying attention) you'll know is about the 4000th one we've posted up here. The i-deck pumps up the volume on your iPod, playing your songs through the speakers, as well as connecting up to your computer so you can keep transfering tracks onto your player. It will fit the iPod mini, Photo and standard iPod and you get a remote control thrown into the package as well. Yours for £249.

Read

iriver's latest necklace MP3 player

Remember the N10 music player from iriver? The tiny little flash player was designed to be worn as a necklace for those days when you wanted to listen to music and accessorise. It was actually a pretty neat little player, which is probably why the company has apparently decided to upgrade it. The N11 looks pretty much identical to the N10 from what I can see, but there's an extra 2 hours on the battery life, bringing it up to 13 hours. There's also an FM radio, support for Ogg Vorbis file formats, tweaked voice recording and that seems to be your lot. Apparently it will be with us in the next couple of months.

DAPreview

MPIO releases world's smallest digital player

We're finding it increasingly difficult to get excited when yet another company claims to have come up with the "world's smallest" whatnot. Sure, smaller is better, but it's not the size that matters but what you do with it that counts (a sentence surely every lady has uttered at some point in her life). The MPIO One has a small 65k colour screen and can play MPEG4, DivX, AVI, and WMV movie formats. It can also play JPEG photo slideshows and OGG, WMA and MP3 audio files. The player weighs a miniscule 35g and measures a just 32 x 55mm. All very nice etc, but hands up anyone that wants to watch a movie on a screen that's only 1 inch big. The players are available now for £119 for the 256MB version, £139 for the 512MB, and £179 for the 1GB version. Also included is software to transcode movies on your PC.

MPIO

iPod My Baby

Babies are cute.  iPods are cute.   Babies are fun to dress up.  iPods are fun to dress up.  Ergo, I can see how  dressing up babies like iPods might seem like the next logical step in a never-ending spiral of cuteness.  However, I'm here to caution you against it.

Oh, sure, a baby in an ipod My Baby onesie may be the most adorable thing ever...but one must consider the consequences.  Think about how your relationship with your parents might differ if in a photo album somewhere there existed baby photos of you dressed as a CD...or (horror of horrors) an 8-track cassette. - [Star C. Foster]

If the call of the cute is just too strong to resist, ipod My Baby onesies are available in pink, blue, and of course, white for $15.95 (via Gear Live)

Ball-shaped Music Players

Nothing much to say about these little MB-900 music players, not least because the 128-512MB flash players aren't currently available, but how could I pass up the opportunity to write about such nice balls? Sadly, however, they're not making me think smutty thoughts, but are rather reminding me of balmy evenings spent playing boules in the south of France. Which is a sure sign that I'm getting old. They've got OLED screens on them, an FM tuner and voice recording facility.

Read

BenQ's Flowery Qube Z2 Phone

When I see stuff like these BenQ Qube mobile phones appearing on sale in Taiwan I tend to feel a foot stampy attack coming on. But before I start channelling Veruca Salt, let me first tell you what's got me all petulant. These neat little flowery mobile phones (PTO for more pics) aren't just odd-looking mobiles, they also come with a 1.3-megapixel camera and have been designed to double up as MP3 players,with miniSD storage, 3D sound and an integrated FM radio. Sure, they'd be a nightmare to text on (see over for pic of the back), but that doesn't stop me coveting one.

Read [more info and a great non-flowery phone design pic at CNET Asia]

 

Mink iPod Case

We've covered some posh iPod cases in the past, but this mink (mink!) iPod case tops them all.  In case you were looking for proof that the world's gone a bit bonkers about the iPod  ..this is it.

The Mink iPod Case is available from the appropriately named minkglove.com for $199..or $189 if you're only looking for a furcoat for your mini.- [Star C. Foster]

(via Gizmodo)

p

Kimono Case for your iPod

These Kimono cases apparently express the "Tranquil Harmony" that is the essence of Kyoto, the cultural centre of Japan.' Thankfully, you're not obliged to listen to any of that god-awful Geisha girl caterwauling on your Kimono-covered iPod - there's not a ounce of "Tranquil Harmony" to be found in one of those tunes. The cases are $40 a pop and are made of leather and cotton. And very nice they are too.

Kimono Case (thanks Caz!)

Portable Karaoke Microphone from Panasonic

Good news for rock-star wannabes (like me) who find that the occasional forays to the local karaoke clubs aren't enough: Akhibara News is reporting a new portatable Karaoke microphone from Panasonic.  Load the mic's SD card with the MP3s and lyrics for the songs you love best, chuck it in your purse and you'll be able to terrorise...er...treat your friends and family by turning their TV into your own personal karaoke machine at a moment's notice.

Sadly, the Panasonic site is in Japanese, so I have no idea when this will be available stateside.  But here's fair warning to my friends and family: either get your vocal chords warmed-up or your earplugs ready, because this is likely to find it's way into my bag. - [Star C. Foster]

Read

MP3 Players for Kids

We all know that TV is the best baby sitter in the world. Can't be arsed to play yet another game of "horsey" with your children (in which you, weeping silently on all fours, adopt the role of horsey)? Put them in front of the TV and they sit, slack jawed, zombie-eyed and silent, staring in wonder at the screen for hours at a time. Now there's a new parenting aid in town in the guise of Bush's idrop music player. Designed specifically for kids, these multi-coloured creations not only come with 128MB of memory and their own sticker sheet, they also come pre-loaded with a bedtime story, saving you the hassle of having to read to them at night. This is great. Soon you won't have to actually see your children for days at a time.

idrops

Radio Pen

Why in the world you would ever want a pen with a radio built it is not entirely clear, but that's not a question troubling the minds of the Q-Ying Gifts and Toys Company employees - they keep on making those Radio Pens regardless. Plug the headphones into the top of the pen, scan for a station, and get listening to your favourite shows. Since I spent the best part of 20 minutes yesterday trying (and failing) to hand write a short, legible note without my fingers cramping up - and without the aid of spell-checker, I'm not really target audience for this one. But then again, is anyone in the world really crying out for a pen-radio? Answers on a (neatly typed) postcard.

Radio-Pen

Is it curtains for Rio?

Well that's just typical. I go and have my photo taken with a lovely Rio Carbon Pearl strapped round my neck and a company called SigmaTel (the guys who make the chipset for the iPod shuffle) goes and buys them up, making the future of one of the oldest music player manufacturers look extremely unsettled. It's too soon to start digging a hole, but it may be worth getting the priest robed up for last rites. That's made my rainy day just that little bit more overcast.

Read

Griffin's Many-Coloured iPod Cases

Writing endless iPod accessory stories is an incredibly unfulfilling way to spend your day - there's only so many crap gags about muffs, skins and pouches a person can conceive in a lifetime. Still, I shouldn't moan - after all, writing the stories may be dull, but finding out about new bags and cases is one of my most favourite past-times (even more enjoyable than crocheting - never let it be said that I don't know how to party). Still, though, how much do you really need me to tell you? Griffin Technology's Chameleon cases for the iPod mini are tough polyvinyl skins that come in a variety of bright colours and patterns, cost $14.99 and won't interfere with your usual iPod usage. There, that tells you pretty much all you need to know. Oh, except that you'll be able to buy them here soon.

Griffin

ipop for your iPod

Here's a clever little sucker for your iPod shuffle. Stick it on the bottom of your music player and you can stick your music player on your bottom... or anywhere else you fancy. 

ipop! [via Design Sponge]

MobiBLU's tiny MP3 player arrives

Remember that really rather unattractive pic of the woman wearing a music player as an earring? Well, the latest in a long line of "world's smallest" MP3 players has arrived in the UK, going on sale with Advanced MP3 Players . MobiBLU's DAH-1500 cube-shaped model is actually one inch in height and length and weighs a feather-light 18g, nevertheless the maker has still managed to find room for a cracking OLED screen. It will playback MP3 and WMA files, features an FM radio, has a battery life of fifteen hours and is available in six different colours. Techie Diva also has details of some cases for the player, with the likes of Hello Kitty and Snoopy making those teeny players that little bit cuter. Prices are £79.99 for the 256MB, £99.99 for the 512MB and £129.99 for the 1GB model.

Advanced MP3 Players

iDog iPod Speaker available in UK

Remember the iDog that I nearly peed my pants over a few months back? Well, good news, it will be out in the UK this Autumn. The iDog starts life as a puppy, requiring regular "meals" of music, which you'll have to feed it every hour (already I'm going off it - you need to actually look after the thing?). You can attach it to your music player, PC, Video Game system or stereo and it will play music like a normal speaker. It's also equipped with 8 emotions, ranging from happy to angry, which it can express by moving its ears, rotating its head and flashing its 7-colour face LEDs. If he doesn't like your music, he'll go all grumpy. Plus, it will play stored mysic sequences and melodies - although there's no mention of how much memory its got for this. It's going to cost £29.95 and will be available from October.

Firebox

iPod Cozy Cuties

The excellently-named Doug Kwong Gordon emailed to let us know about the iPod Cozy Cuties he's been knocking up for his Frosty Cream Clothing company. Made from felt and fleece, the cases cost $17 a pop and have been designed so you can still listen to your music even when the head is Velcroed into place. Obviously, you're not limited to just storing your iPod in there - any similarly shaped player can benefit from the protection of Horatio "the ladies' man", Babs "the plucky one" or Chauncy "the bad boy".

[Edit: having just re-read this, I now suspect (from my in depth knowledge of the Dirty Dancing script - sad but true) that "knocking up" doesn't have quite the same meaning in the US as it does over here. Much hilarity must surely now ensue.

Frosty Cream Clothing

Make your own iPod Covers

Today's shaping up to be a bit of an iPod accessories day. Not my fault (apologies to those of you that really couldn't care less about the white status symbol): it's just that everyone and his uncle seems to be currently beavering away at some form of outer-wear for the player. The Wrappers people have just got in touch to tell me about their latest wheeze: sticking your face on your iPod cover. Basically, you send in the photo or painting (or whatever) over to them and they transform your design into a stitched, durable case. The ARTY cases cost £32, which includes P&P worldwide.

[Edit: I'd love to show you a pic of the case, but Typepad seems to be having a wobbler right now. And we're back.]

Wrappers

Lacquer iPod mini case

This is a very neat little case from those barking Solid Alliance guys over in Japan (remember the USB Ghost Detector and those Sushi USB memory keys). It's actually reasonably sane by their standards, coming in the shape of a lacquer medicine box that is traditionally hung from a kimono sash. The case is actually made from lacquer too, which apparently means it should get shinier with age and will naturally repel germs. Shame it's only available in Japan at the moment.

Read [via Dottocomu]

Sony Ericsson's Walkman phone on sale

So Sony Ericsson's W800i Walkman phone is all boxed up and ready for sale. It should be on shelf on Friday 12th August, with the Orange Store on Oxford Street staying open till 12 midnight so it can be the first to sell the phone. On a Friday night in town at 12, I'm guessing the only people purchasing mobile phones will be lost drunk people searching in vain for a public lavatory. Still, Sony Ericsson and Orange seem pretty convinced that this is going to be the Harry Potter of the mobile phone world, even if the handset does only have 512MB of storage space. It does have some things going for it, though, including excellent battery life (30 hours) and lots of entertainment facilities. Plus, you can always swap the memory stick for a spare if you get tired of hearing the same songs. Speaking of which, master of recycling music, Jay Kay, will be on hand to perform a special private gig to mark the launch.

Pink Muff Dock for your iPod

While the word muff has provided me with countless opportunities for a good snigger, I'm going to write this story without one smutty joke, just to prove that I really can rise above innuendo and write sensible stories about pink muffs. This little $20 beanbag comes in a selection of colours. The Dock name is a bit of a misnomer since you can't actually use it to connect up to your computer, so it's more of a snazzy stand really. See! I managed that one without a single rude euphemism! For those that felt the story was the worse for it, you can get a full helping of rude mimsy gags on this past effort.

Muff [via iLounge via Tech Digest]

Incase iPod Journals

I swear I'm not deliberately picking out these things, but somehow, after the uber-naff cellphone wallets of last week, I've managed to stumble across the iPod equivalent. These are much cooler, though. The iPod journals from Incase are limited edition leather and suede organisers with a protective pocket for your iPod and headphones, and the usual card and money slots. The case is available from 80s Purple in three colourways, and even comes with its own, um, microfibre case. It's a bit like a Russian Doll, isn't it? Shown is the pinstripe 'suit' design, which costs $75. [Gemma Cartwright]

80s Purple

DLO Mini Fling iPod mini cases

Personally, I'm finding these DLO Mini Fling cases a tiny bit vomitous, but if your heart is set on having a metallic flip case for your iPod mini, you'll probably be thrilled to bits at the very sight of these shiny items.There's a bit of storage in the backside for all your gubbins and a mirror under the flap means you can admire yourself as often as you please. They're $34.99 from Everything iPod.

Everything iPod

The Audi-Oh - Vibrator for your iPod

Yes, that's right, someone's created a wearable vibrator that works in harmony with your music player. Strap the silicone butterfly in place, plug it into your favourite music player and get jiggy with the musical beat. It will also work in rhythm with external noises from stereos or club sound systems, so you'll be able to get into the groove and get off on it all at the same time. Ah the joys of modern living! If that's not an example of technology making life better, I don't know what is. Get yours from the excellently-named Grand Opening for $69.95.

Grand Opening (Thanks Samantha!)

Jeans for your iPod

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that jeans are going to be the new fashion this year. I know, I know, call me reckless, call me crazy, but I just have a hunch that it's a fashion trend people are going to go for.  Not only will we all be wearing this brand new clothing craze, we'll be able to kit our iPods out with a set of denims courtesy of FabriX. And paint splattered ones no less. Honestly, it's so versatile, I really think this denim trend could be here to stay.

iPod Styles [via iPod Lounge]

Healthy MP3 Player

Thanks to the high volume I use to avoid having to speak to fellow commuters listen to my music, my MP3 player is almost certainly contributing to future problems with my aural health. 

Stubbornly hanging on to the "if it's too loud, you're too old" mentality, I doubt my volume knob will turn anytime soon; which is why I've turned a curious eye towards this 128mb MP3 player.  Apparently, along with playing music, it produces alpha waves that are said to do some mysterious good for the brain.  And if I insist on going through life with those headphones all but glued to my head, I might as well try and do something good for the wobbly bits inside. - [Star C. Foster]

[via Ahihabara News]

Frontier Labs Nex3 players

These SD memory card-based Nex3 flash players from Frontier Labs look like cute little items. Kind of throwaway, and maybe a bit "plastic pedometer" or "free with Happy Meals", but I'm drawn to them anyway. I wouldn't go so far as to call them "Lucking Fovely" as they do on the Frontier Labs site (FL - geddit!), because that would be just plain vulgar of me. Bot Nad is more like it.

Frontier Labs [via DAPReview]

Woodi MP3 with built in speakers

This WOODI CA-S550 looks very similar to Philips' Shoqbox (above right) which is already out over here. Like that portable player, the Woodi can play MP3s stored on its 256MB-1GB memory, making it just super for picnics and sunbathing (although it looks like we've had our 5 minutes of sunshine over in the UK for this year). Unlike the Shoqbox, which uses a rechargeable battery (that lasts a fair while in my experience), the CA-S550 runs on AA batteries. Personally I prefer rechargable because I only ever seem to have run down AAs in the house, but I know some people vote AA every time. There's no mention of whether this one has a line in so you can plug in your proper MP3 player for a larger selection of tunes, or whether it's got a radio on board, but I'm guessing not. The Shoqbox has both and it also has impressively loud speakers on board... Are you getting the hint that I like my Shoqbox?!

No word on whether this WOODI player will ever leave its native Korea, but you never know.

Read

Soft Calf Music Holder

Close your eyes a moment - and imagine a soft, Italian, suede-lined, calf leather jacket. Mmm...lovely to touch, and terribly stylish.  Well, before your imagination takes off down the catwalk with you, I have to tell you, this jacket isn't for you; it's for your iPod.

(Sigh.  I suppose it's just as well. It's summer here, and it'd be a pity to let a jacket like that pine away in the back of the closet.)

Available in black, cherry and aquamarine, the Marc Jacobs Collection Soft Calf Music Holder has the ever important square and circle openings to allow you navigate your songlist while leaving your iPod ensconced in its little lap of luxury.  -[Star C. Foster]

Marc Jacobs Collection Soft Calf Music Holder - $175.00 from eLuxury

aigo Zodiac MP3 Players

I'm a Gemini.  This means my birthstone is the moonstone; my birth flower, lavender; and my ideal MP3 player colour is mustard.   The latter being the designation of the aigo F850 MP3 player, which is being offered in 12 fashion colours - one for each sign in the Zodiac: lemon yellow (Aries), bright green (Taurus), mustard (Gemini), powder blue (Cancer), red (Leo), Cream (Virgo), lime green (Libra), lilac (Scorpio), Pink (Sagittarius), Orange (Capricorn), canary yellow (Aquarius) and pale blue (Pisces).

In addition to cosmic coordination, the F850 offers MP3, WMA and WAV support; FM radio, 10 hours battery life; a voice recorder and a line-in function, which will let you transfer music from cassette, CD or other archaic sources you might have gathering dust in the closet.

The 512MB aigo F850 is available for £79.99 (inc VAT) and the 1G for only £99.99. No word on whether you're better off ordering the player that matches your star sign - or the one for the sign you're most compatible with.  Universal harmony is a tricky thing. - [Star C. Foster]

 

Paul Frank iPod cases

There's not much to say about these that you can't already glean yourself from the pictures. Julius the Monkey has been joined by two other Paul Frank designs to create this trio of iPod cases. If you can find these creations on the website you're a better man than me.

Paul Frank [via Chip Chick]

NHJ C@ndi: Super tiny cusomisable players

These teensy c@ndi players from NHJ are being billed as the smallest players in the world. Whether that's strictly true or not is open to debate, but there's no doubt that they're mighty minute. Available in a selection of colours, you can also customise the casing yourself using the c@ndi sticker paper and some free software. There's also various accessories you can get, including the soft Jelly Bean skin coating and a key chain. They're available in 128, 256, 512MB and 1GB sizes, with prices starting from £29. You don't get a screen, so it works on the same principle as the iPod shuffle, but sadly you only get 5 hours of battery life. Cute though - and great for those of you that like to match everything.

Exspect Stereo Speakerbag

We'll gloss over the fact that this Stereo Speakerbag from Exspect has been given the nickname of "Funbags" due to its titilating shape and push right on with the fact that for less than £40 you can get yourself a portable speaker to plug your music player into, along with space to store your CDs (if you haven't yet embraced the delights of digital music files) and the player as well. Plus, you can inflate the case to create a headrest that you can lie on with music pumping straight to your ears. After all, as Cornershop so rightly pointed out, everyone needs a bosom for a pillow. And Exspect has taken that to its logical conclusion and come up with the perfect sunbathing aid.

Exspect

Turn your iPod into a portable movie player

Fancy watching movies on your iPod? You'll be needing one of these Nyko Movie Players then. Slide your player into place and you can watch films on the 3.6-inch screen. Not only that, but you can record video straight onto the player from a camera or TV, making this a pretty nifty portable video recorder and player. It's got two stereo speakers on it plus two headphone jacks so you can listen out loud or in private, and if you use your iPod (or iPod mini or photo) to store pics, you'll be able to view them in larger format than the photo can manage. There's loads more detail over at iPod Lounge since they actually got their hands on the prototype. There's no current exact price or release date, but it should be around $199 to $249 and out in October/November time.

iPod Lounge

iCarrier

As if the iPod didn't already have enough of superiority complex, someone's gone and built it its own monument.

The Ignitek iCarrier is a remote-controlled, three-way tower speaker system  able to accomodate iPods of all sizes (no word on whether it can contain the iPod's growing ego as well).

I have to say, it does looks fabulously sleek; I appreciate it's simple lines and the fact that it takes up less than a square foot of floor space.  Still...everytime I look at it I my primal brain itches. I half-expect a gaggle of bone-weilding monkeys will show up and demand that Thus Spake Zarathustra be played on infinite loop. -[Star C. Foster]

The Ignitek iCarrier [via OhGizmo!]

NEVADA ND-01 portable DAB digital radio

It's widely agreed that DAB is the best thing to happen on Planet Radio since Simon Bates left the building. Only problem is, most DAB radios still cost £150 and have to be plugged into the mains. Glory be, then for the Nevada ND-01, the first DAB radio that you can carry around in your pocket - and it costs less than 80 quid.

The ND-01 weighs less than half a tin of beans and comes with high-quality headphones and rechargeable batteries. Best of all, unlike other portable radios it won't keep changing to a different local pirate station every 30 seconds. Its DAB technology means crystal-clear digital sound wherever you are. It also has 12 memory settings for ease of finding your favourite station after a heavy night at the pub. It runs for up to eight hours from its batteries or from the mains, and you can also use normal AA batteries. Get it for £79.95 from John Lewis. [Jane Hoskyn aka Lady Muck]

Nevada Radios

iriver's answer to the iPod shuffle

iriver's press release for its new T20 series of flash music players makes a big song and dance out of the fact that its memory stick-style flash players come with a screen built in - unlike a certain un-named rival (who could it be?). The players are available in either 512MB or 1GB capacities and support MP3, WMA, ASF and Ogg Vorbis file formats. There's a line in for real time MP3 encoding, a microphone for recording voice notes and an alarm clock. And, of course, there's that screen - a four-line, blue-backlit LCD display.

The USB connector is tucked away under the lid, and you'll get 14 hours of music play back. It weighs more than the iPod shuffle (30g to the shuffle's 22g) and while far squatter, is also chunkier, measuring 58 x 27 x 14mm. You'll get 14 hours of battery life compared to the 12 hours quoted by Apple for the shuffle. The 1GB light gold version is set at £132 while the red 512 MB version will be £99 when they hit the stores in July - so pricier than the shuffles.

iriver

The Queen's got an iPod

A slightly less important story than the one with me in appeared in the The Sun today. Apparently, the Queen has gone and got herself a iPod. Obviously, she didn't pop down to Dixons on ladies' night, but instead sent some flunkey along to purchase the player for her. By all accounts it's the silver iPod mini. Presumably it had to be the silver since the more regal gold one's not available anymore. According to Tech Digest, the Queen already has a mobile, which she uses to text her grandchildren. It doesn't matter how many times this story is reported, there's no way I'm going to believe for a second that the queen sends texts and listens to MP3s. 1 smply cnt blieve its tru.

Lipstick Shaped MP3 Player

Little-known fact about the blokes who make gadgets - they think that women will only buy something if it's shaped like a lipstick. Sigh.

The lipstick vibrator was a clever idea, mainly for airport security-related reasons. Also your mum wouldn't have a seizure if she found it in your bag. The world really did need the lipstick-shaped vibrator, and we are grateful. But the world really, really doesn’t need the lipstick-shaped 512MB MP3 player. Not even Ann Widdecombe's mum would be too concerned to find a (gasp!) MP3 player shaped MP3 player in her daughter's handbag.

There is a large and spendthrift proportion of the fairer sex that will buy anything if it's the right shade of pink (like Gemma), and the rather masculine hard-on nature of most MP3 players may not be their thing. So the lipstick MP3 player is sure to have its fans. To say that I'm among them would, however, be a stretch. [Jane Hoskyn]

Global Sources [via OhGizmo!]

d.muse iBlue

For those of you not happy with the earmuff-style iMuffs, there's another iPod to phone bluetooth gadget on the market. The d.muse iBlue bridges your iPod photo or 3G/4G iPod and mobile phone so you don't get caught up in a tangle of wires every time your phone rings while you're listening to the new Coldplay album. Plug one of these babies into your iPod and all you need to do is press a button to switch off the music and answer your phone using the earphones as a hands-free kit. When the call ends, the music stars up again. All this for $69.99. [Gemma Cartwright]

Semsons [via Engadget]

Artwhizz HangPhones for your iPod

I have been known to hang my flash music player round my neck using the special earphone-necklace combo the manufacturer thoughtfully provided. I'd feel a bit of a div parading round with it on show though so I always hide it under an item of clothing. Which is why I'm not entirely sure I'd want to take up the HangPhones offer of attaching an iPod or iPod mini round my neck. I'm not sure I could come up with an adequate excuse for the unsightly bulge it would produce under my cardie. Still, if you rather fancy wearing your Apple round your neck, the HangPhones from Artwhizz should do the trick. They're available in black and white and the company also makes some see-through cases that work in conjunction with the earphones.

Artwhizz

rock it! iPod Case

For those music-toting occasions that are less-than-formal, you can wrap your iPod in that ironic retro-chic that's all the rage these days. With exterior choices of "casette tape" or "boombox" (both suede-lined), you can have the modern-day technology and still rock-it old school. (Never mind the fact those pesky ear-buds might give you away.)

The rock it! iPod Case is available for $36 from fredflare.com

Dior's "Black Tie" iPod Case

Having been to a fair number of tedious Balls in my youth, I can appreciate the benefits of taking your iPod along with you to drown out the drunken, droning haw-hawing of your Sloaney companions. Luckily, Dior has been thoughtful enough to provide an iPod case suited to the occasion, namely the Black Tie case. This has the dual benefit of passing the necessary dress codes to get you in and retaining your designer credentials among the Carolines and Tarquins in your acquaintance. Sadly, my education was subsidised and I'm not sure Dior offers a bursary on its items. $215 from eLuxury.

eLuxury [via Ubergizmo]

Boxing Bag with iPod Holder

This Tanner Krolle special edition boxing bag comes with with an iPod mini holder attached to the shoulder strap. You can whip it off and use it separately should the mood take you, and for once it's something that's actually available in Britain. It'll cost you £694 mind. The Italian leather bag comes in black, dark brown and cream.

Oki-ni [Via Techie Diva]

iGuy - Daft iPod Case

Let's face it, your iPod is pretty sure of itself: it knows it's cooler than you, and everyone else around it for that matter. So teach it a lesson by dressing it in this get up, turning your oh-so-trendy white monument to minimalism into a goofy iGuy with arms, legs and an added key holding menial task facility. That'll learn it. There's currently a model for the standard sized iPods, but a mini is apparently on its way later in the month. It’s yours for $34.95 from here.

Sony NW-HD5 now on sale in UK

I'm rather partial to Sony's Network Walkman range, so I was very near punching the air with pent up excitement when I heard that the latest in the family, the NW-HD5, has finally gone on sale in the UK. Your best price currently looks like £183.99 from Amazon, which makes the 20GB more than £6 cheaper than its equivalent iPod. It's also smaller than its rivals and and offers an impressive thirty hours of MP3 playback before the battery dies. It's available in silver, black and red.

Check Prices (UK)

Creative Neeon

If you've been holding out on purchasing an MP3 player due to their lack of customizability - prepare to fire-up your earbuds. With it's 5 gig hardrive, USB 2 compatability and 16 hours of playtime, the Creative Zen Neeon is pretty standard on the inside - but outside, it's your party. The Neeon comes in 10 different body colors, offers 7 backscreen color options, and there are 16 different decorative face-sticker styles available; allowing you to play MP3 dress-up all day. - [Star C. Foster]

[via Akihabara News ]

iMuffs - Wireless iPod Headphones

I'm a big fan of ear muffs, so I've spent more than a fair portion of my adult life being sniggered at while grown men shout "Oi! Nice muff!" at me from across the street. The sad thing is, each one truly believes that he's the first one to have ever thought of the gag. But, stoic that I am, I live with the torment through the winter months. Still, even I have to concede that the word "muff" is intrinsically funny, which is why I'm so glad that these iMuffs exist in the world. Bluetooth lets you hook up to your iPod without involving any wires and you can sync it with your mobile to make and take calls as well.

Read [via Gizmodo]

Solar Powered Handbag

Not quite big enough to stuff your laptop into, but there should be room in this handbag for all your other tech gear, including mobile phone, PDA and music player. As to whether there's enough (decent) weather in the UK to actually power anything via the solar panel remains to be seen. But in my experience english sunshine doesn't cut the mustard so this one's strictly from our more sunkissed gadget-loving cousins. They're available for import if anyone fancies buying a job lot.

Read [Via TRFJ]

Archos Gmini XS 100 Coming your way

French company Archos' smallest hard drive music player, the Gmini XS 100 is soon to hit these shores. The official launch date has just been given as "the end of May", which is a bit vague, but these Continentals don't like to rush things. Pricing has been given at £139.99, for which you'll get 3GB of memory, support for MP3, WMA, WAV files and a choice of 4 colours. It'll sync with Windows Media Player 10 and the screen is a blue backlit number instead of the usual colour one.

Archos

Check Archos Gmini prices - UK
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Update: Your iPod Wrappers

Remember the iPod shuffle Wrappers people were asking for suggestions on designs? Well, they've been as good as their word and produced a couple of Wrappers inspired by vintage chewing gum packs. Like the other designs they're £10 a pop and limited editions. There's also a design inspired by the gadget loving Paris Hilton.

Wrappers

Hip Tunes iPod mini belt

And me being me, I've selected the tackiest item on display in the June issue of CE Lifestyles to post on here. These faux-leather Hip Tunes belts have been designed especially for your iPod or iPod mini, providing a big buckled holster for your player, as well as a back pocket to stuff your earbuds, keys, money or any other detritus into (mine would be full of half used tissues). They're available in a variety of colours and will set you back $29.95.

Hip Tunes

Samsung's YH-820

Ashley over at Tech Digest has managed to get his mitts on the Samsung YH-820 5GB hard drive player for a review. And he's decreed the following: it's got a neat colour screen, stylish light design and decent overall playback of MP3 and WMA files. But the battery life is "rather pathetic". I had a quick go with it yesterday, but I couldn't tell you much about it - we were on a noisy road which isn't the best testing ground. What I can say is that it's a lot smaller than this picture makes it look.

Read

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iRiver 6GB H10 Arrives In The UK

There seems to be a theme running through today's post titles. Here's another product that's pitched up in the UK. The 6GB version of the H10 will be here at the end of May for around about £200. Its main feature (aside from the extra Gigabyte of storage) is really the colour screen that displays 262k colours, making it just dandy for viewing your digital pics inspite of its iPod mini-esque proportions.There's also a built-in FM tuner for the day that your own music bores you, and it's compatible with Media Player 10, which I'm personally rather partial to. Other than red, you can go for "midnight blue", "neo silver" and "slate grey". Because really there's not enough slate grey things in the world.

Check Prices - UK
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Noreve available in the UK

The people from Please Can I Have One emailed me to say that UK iPod fanciers can also enjoy the benefits of the vastly over-priced Noreve iPod Love cases I featured yesterday. They'll set you back a wacking great £979. My gob is well and truly smacked at that figure. If you too find the concept of paying that much for a case hard to compute, you'll be relieved to hear that Noreve also has a selection of sensibly priced cases that start at just £20, such as these iPod shuffle cases. There are also cases for the full iPod range, the iAudio M3 and X5, the Creative Zen Micro and the iRiver 300 series. Plans for a case for the Sony PSP are also afoot.

Please Can I Have One

Noreve $1,800 Leather iPod Love Case

Want to pay six times more for your iPod case than you did for your iPod? Noreve's iPod Love case is a limited edition leather case (just 20 are being made) with a velvet interior, a white gold heart encrusted with 44 WSI quality diamonds and a 25 day wait (while they put one together specially for you). Each one is signed and numbered by S. Schaming of Saint-Tropez Schaming Jewellery (who? should I know this?). They're also available in black, white, grey, beige, baby blue, ocean blue, or red. There's a word to describe cases like these. It starts in V and ends in ulgar.

Archos Gmini XS 100

There's no colour screen on the latest Archos Gmini players so there'll be no photo viewing or video watching or any of that usual Archos business going on. But you will be able to listen to MP3, WMA (DRM) and WAV audio stored on the 3GB hard drive. 3GB's a bit of an unusual capacity, but it'll be cheaper than the ($199) 4GB iPod when it launches in June at $179.95. Available in grey, black, blue and pink.

Check Archos Gmini prices - UK
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Why are only 4% of downloads done by women?

The Guardian had a piece in on Friday about why only 4% of legal music downloads are done by women. There seem to be lots of theories as to why women are reluctant to download tracks off the internet (one of them being that the figures are just plain wrong), but it doesn't really come as a huge surprise to me. Finding out about file types, compatibility and downloading the various software pieces is hardly the most thrilling past time, and even I was pretty late to disover the joys of digital music - in spite of the fact that I spend my days surround by endless reams of gadgetry. The piece also muses on whether downloading and digital filing is all a bit too clinical for ladies, who like to get a good grope of their purchases first; it also points out that the actual downloading market is very small still and there's a chance that families are all just using one downloading account. Oh, and we got a nice name-check as well, along with the lovely Popgadget girls. Comments are open if you want to opinionate.

Read

Samsung's latest MP3 Players

Three new Samsung MP3 players have just arrived in the UK. First up is the £249 H-925 (pictured) an Audio/Photo player with 20GB of storage and a high quality 262K colour screen. Next comes the £169 YH-820, a very small 5GB hard disK player to rival the iPod mini. Unlike the mini, however, it's got a colour screen so you can view photos. Finally, there's the YP-T7, a little flash player, again with a colour screen that can display pics. The 512MB version is set to cost £129.99 and the 1GB version will set you back £159.99.

Chewbacca iPod Case: Mk II

Remember that Chewbacca iPod case I wrote such a pithy piece on recently? Well, looks like they have been multiplying after all. Paag Pak also has a furry iPod muff called the Chewbacca - though this Chewie specimen seems to be a tad more albino than the other one. It'll probably look like big white man dreadlocks after the first month of use, but I can't help being drawn to its warm and fuzzy appearance. The Chewbacca Puff will set you back $30 for which you'll also get the respect and admiration of your peers.

PaagPak

iPod Speaker Bags

Remember those iPod Speaker Tote bags? Well, they're back. Good job too - I've been struggling to live a full life without them. Japanese company BrightonNet is responsible for these special white vinyl bags that slots for your iPod and feature integrated speakers. Unfortunately, they're only on sale in Japan but it's only a matter of time till somebody imports them.

via TechJapan

iPod shuffle cases

After the Wrappers I put up the other day, another reader got in touch to say she also makes cases for the iPod shuffle. These are slightly different to the Wrappers, with a little matching neckstrap so you can adorn your body and keep your shuffle scratch-free at the same time. Lovely selection of designs and, like the Wrappers, pretty exclusive since only a couple are made in each design. Jocelyn's selling her cases on eBay for $6 a pop. It's nice to see that Shiny readers are keeping the arts and crafts movement alive and well - with a tech twist.

Product Page

Hello Kitty NHJ V@MP Player

Hello Kitty; she's an adorable, bow-wearing cat who's apparently willing to put her calm, comforting face on just about anything: Bluetooth headsets, memory cards, and even the odd MP3 player . (And apparently no one has signed her to an exclusive deal.) The "Hello Kitty Edition" of the V@mp VP-525D flash player offers 256MB internal memory, an SD card slot, and some plastic color panels for color-coordinating your LCD display with your outfit. (A gal who wears a bow with that much panache would never allow you to make a fashion faux pas.) I don't know what it is about that cat - she may have the most rentable face around, but she's just so cute that her mug plastered on anything does make it more desirable. She's just so darn collectable. [Star C. Foster]

V@mp VP-525D Hello Kitty Edition [via Gizmodo]

MobiBlu DHH-100-5

Like many MP3 players on the market these days, the DHH-100-5 from MobiBlu offers file storage and transfer capability (via USB 2.0), an integrated voice recorder, and a hard drive sufficiently large to hold enough music to get us through the day and then some (5GB). What makes this player stand out is the built-in stereo speakers (good for listening to your tunes at home or letting the folks on the bus know you're singing along to something other than the voices in your head); and the SD/MCC slot, which allows users to copy data from other digital devices (such as a camera) onto the DHH-100-5, thereby freeing up the cards for new data - great for those times when your music player is in your pocket, and your extra memory card is buried somewhere at the bottom of your bag (that sort of thing can't only happen to me). The Gadgeteer gals have a very thorough review on their site. [Star C. Foster] [and the award for longest ever sentence on Shiny Shiny goes to: Ms Star C Foster! -ed]

The MobiBlu DHH-100-5 [The Gadgeteer]

Creative Zen's Nano Plus

Creative Zen's Nano Plus flash player looks like it's going to be pretty run-of-the mill for the personal audio player market: 15 hour playtime, FM tuner, and a storage capacity for either 256MB, 512MB or 1GB worth of your favorite tunes. Where it does stand apart is its availability in 10 colors. If you're looking for fashion vs. features this May, this might be the MP3 player for you. [Star C. Foster]

MP3 Generation (French Site) [Via I4U]

Oregon's new MP3 player for swimmers

Oregon Scientific has upgraded its waterproof MP-120 music player so that it now comes with 512MB of storage space - four times as much as it used to. It'll be out in June and Ashley over at Tech Digest, who gave the last one a go, tells me that it works well but you need to make sure it's securely attached to your goggles and that the earbuds don't pop out when you're doing your laps. You may recall that Ministry of Sound unveiled a similar waterproof player last week.

Evergreen MP3 Watches

Do you and your partner share everything, all the way down to your MP3 collection - only to find yourself bickering about who gets to wear the MP3 related jewelry? Then Evergreen has just the thing for you: its 256MB MP3 watch now comes in fashion colours for couples; yep - you guessed it - pink or blue. (Let's be honest, no one uses their watch to tell time anymore - we all use our mobiles - so we might as well put watches to good use.) Now instead of arguing over who gets the 10 hours music playback on their wrist - you can tiff over who has to wear the pink one. (After all, pink does not go with every outfit.) Ain't the marriage of technology and romance grand? [Star C. Foster]

The Evergreen EG-MPW256CII [via Gizmodo]

Rafe iPod mini metallic case

For those who thought the C. Ronson iPod hoodie was a bit much (everyone, then?), why not dress up your MP3 player with this much nicer Rafe iPod mini metallic case instead? At $75, it's not exactly cheap, but who are we kidding, anyone with an iPod mini is interested in style, not affordability. This little leather number comes in blue, yellow or pink and has an appliqued heart, butterfly and flower in silver. And you could use it for your phone if you've yet to give in to the temptation of Apple.

That is the worst pun I've ever come up with.[Gemma Cartwright]

iPod shuffle wrappers

Keep your iPod shuffle under wraps with one of these smart covers. The Wrappers are hand made, embroidered overcoats for your music player that provide a bit more colour and a bit of protection as well. They're all available as limited editions so you can be sure that there are only about 5 or 10 other covers the same as yours in this world. Apparently, the most complex designs come complete with over 25,000 stitches, and you can have up to 10 different colours in one design.

Their creators emailed to ask whether any Shiny readers would like to suggest some ideas for designs - such as song titles or the face of your favourite revolutionary leader - and they've foolishly agreed to make one of the suggestions. You can email Freddie and Debbie with your creative input here or - and I hesitate to say this - you can post your suggestions to the comments below.

Wrappers

Ministry of Sound Waterproof MP3

The MOSMP016 waterproof player will be just super during these April showers (for which read: perpetual downpours"). It's got 256MB of memory, an FM radio and voice recording so you can record notes for your latest literary masterpiece midway through your 25th lap of the pool. That's what I always do. It comes preloaded with Ministry's latest Chill Out Sessions 2005. How many of those have there been now? All that relaxing music and yet the nation continues to remain on edge. Available from July, price to be announced.

MoS

Ladybird shaped MP3 Player

Ooh, this would go nicely with the ladybird USB memory dongle (if only it were still available). Those spots are the control buttons, which is pretty neat, and the head comes off to reveal the USB connector. Shame the features are a bit cack (128 or 256MB, just 256Kbps playback and USB 1.1) but since we'll probably never see the Ladybird (or Ladybug if you will) over here, it's all academic anyway.

Read [via Gizmodo]

Koss Lip Gloss earphones

It's all I can do to stop my hair getting covered in lip gunk when there's even a hint of a breeze, so god knows what sort of state these earbuds would be after a day spent stored next to four pots of goo and a brush that keeps escaping its niche (because they always do). And at $10, you're going to get below par sound quality and lip gloss you could put wallpaper up with.

Read [via Engadget]

iPod Hoodie

Even I couldn't get my tongue in my cheek far enough to pull this one off. But if you really must, you can buy this C. Ronson iPod Hoodie in blue or pink for $24 here.

Product Page [Fred Flare]

Sony's latest Walkman

Continuing in a long line of iPod "killers", Sony's latest Walkman - The NW-HD5 - is set for worldwide release in May. The 20GB player is smaller and lighter than the 20GB iPod and has much more battery power, offering thirty hours of MP3 playback. It will be available in black, silver and red and will leave you down £200 (£10 less than its equivalent iPod). All in all a nice little player. For some reason I can't seem to get enthusiastic about it, but I'm guessing that, like the lovely NW-HD3, you have to hold it in your hand to feel the (non-existent) girth before you can get excited.

Read more about it on Tech Digest

DAH-1500 MP3 Player from MobiBlu

I'm intrigued by the advance info on MobiBlu's DAH-1500 MP3 player that is making the rounds; it's got a teeny tiny foot print - (24mm x 24 mm x 24mm!) and yet still promises an FM radio, an OLED display and impressive 20 hours of battery life.

But what, exactly, does one do with an MP3 player that square and small? Toss it in your bag and (if you're as unorganized as I am) it's lost forever?; put it in your pocket and the corners are going to poke at you all day?

I'm afraid I'd have the overwhelming urge to paint numbers on it and use it to play Dungeons and Dragons ("My musical dagger does MP3 damage plus 1!").

I'm just kidding. I wouldn't treat my gear that way.
Know what else I wouldn't do? Hang it from my earlobes. Ouch. [Star C. Foster]

MobiBlu (no official info available yet) [via dapreview.net]

If you're one of life's classy ladies with a penchant for stylish gadgetry, this iPod speaker may have tweaked your interest glands. The iCub from Focal is an upmarket iPod speaker offering 400watt power, subwoofer and remote control. It can connect to any MP3, digital audio, CD or DVD audio system - but the iPod bit makes a nice marketing hook. Unfortunately, there's no smart dock built into it though. It'll cost you £450.

Focal

DLO Caps for your Shuffle

Love your iPod Shuffle but wish it were a bit less...bland? Now can you break away from the minimalist shuffle crowd with DLO's Cool Caps; colourful replacement USB connec