Laser beams and flashlights for your iPod
By Phillip Torrone 
posted Sep 24th 2004 11:19PM
posted Sep 24th 2004 11:19PM
Griffin hasn't posted this to their main site yet, but we saw it in their product section. Whoopsie! Here we were, about to do a How-To on adding a laser beam and flashlight to your iPod, and then we get link slapped with Griffin announcing this thing: the iBeam. Damn you Griffin (we mean that in the kindest way possible, of course)! The Griffin iBeam set consists of a flashlight and a class IIIA laser pointer, each with a protective cap that can be attached to a keychain.
We have a laser and flashlight for a Sony Ericsson P900, and it's been more than handy when trying to plug stuff in and needing illumination behind computers and TVs and such—and as always lasers are a lot of fun to mess around with your (real) house pets.
...a fan? How about an iPod charger for your cellphone?, or how about a Kryptonite lock pick for the iPod?...C'mon Griffin, you make some innovative stuff, but these are bogus. You can buy cheap stand alone laser pointers and led flashlights that are no larger and don't need to stick out the top of the iPod to work. These look like damage to your iPod port just waiting to happen.
Am I missing something?
well for me ($20) is a fair amount to take those things apart and use the parts to do something more with them.
What, does it attach to the headphone port of your iPod? You can't use your iPod while turning it into a $270 laser pointer?
I seriously thought it was September 25th but I guess it's April 1st all over again! I have a LED flashlight that attaches to my keychain, it was free from a vendor. I also have a laser pointer in need of batteries, that'll end up costing me $5 - or I could just buy a new one for $10.
Seriously, what is the point of this? Just to say "hey, I did this!"? Maybe if it attached to the dock port and allowed you to still use the headphone port, it might be sort of useful.
By the way, how do you turn it on? Similar to the iTrip's coded MP3s that set the frequency?
...the laser or LED pulsed light with the music.
Why would I go spend $20 for a LED flash light? all the cases I can think about wanting to use it I could just turn the backlight of my mini on and find what ever I've dropped.
The laser pointer has a certain 'cool' factor, giving a presentaion and using your ipod as the pointer.
for all the people who are asking WHAT the point of this is.....the answer is WBIC (why because i can!) who cares really if you have a separate one, the fact is that you CAN do it now and it has the coolness factor
i guess the laserpointer is pretty cool and could work for the mini (because it is so small).
i dont think the flashlight will be much use thouch cuz the ipod's backlight is so bright already.
let me guess, pocket pc thoughts forums?
A few months ago, I remember a feature on Engadget that demonstrated how to turn an iPod in to a universal remote control (can't find the original article).
I was curious as to whether these two stories could be put together i.e. Is it possible to use the iBeam to convert the iPod into a universal remote control?
Now that would be cool (and useful).
Kap
all i wanted was an ipod with a frickin' laser beam attached to it....
One would think that this little laser would have a green beam, like the one I use at work. It's ten times more visible than a red beam, and five times cooler-looking. Nothing came across my desk, but I could have told them....
I loved the Griffin iTrip, but these new gadgets are just ridiculous, and I'm sure overpriced, too. I'd rather pay $5 for a mini Mag Lite that can go on my key chain, and another $5 for a real laser pointer.