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Seagate 1 inch 12 GB drive
Who doesn't love tiny little hard drives with lots of capacity? Seagate recently announced their smallest drive yet, measuring 40x30x5 mm (that's millimeters, which is metric for "frickin' tiny"). Why do you, as an Apple fan, care about this?iPods, my friends, iPods. With smaller, higher capacity drives becoming available that can only mean that the birth of the iPod invisa will soon be upon us.[via HiFi Blog]
Libraries loaning out iPods and cataloging iTunes
Playlist's Mathew Honan has penned an interesting article about more and more libraries turning to iTunes and iPods for a number of reasons. While this topic has been covered fairly heavily, Mathew's article takes a new angle: DRM.You see, libraries have to serve two masters: the public that wants information, and the content providers who don't like the idea of having a CD in a library where hundreds of people can use the same CD (without having to buy a copy themselves).Worth a look, if you are at all interested in DRM or the future of libraries.[via Library Stuff]
iTunes to feature Sports Illustrated swimsuit videos
When I was a young lad, the month of February meant three things: the Westminster Kennel Club dog show would greatly damage my own dog's self esteem, I had to prepare for the coldest weather of the year, and it was time to figure out how I was going to sneak the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue into the house. You kids today have your iPods, which takes all of the fun out of this annual adventure. Sports Illustrated will offer 8 videos in the iTunes Music Store for $1.99US each, featuring videos from the shoots. The magazine hits newsstands tomorrow, which just happens to be "new content Tuesday" in the iTMS (and Valentine's Day), so check it out.[Via MacDailyNews]Update: TUAW reader Jordan notes that, when you buy a paper copy of the magazine's swimsuit issue, you'll find a code that will give you one free swimsuit video download from iTunes. Thanks, Jordan!
Light Blue Optics PVPro mini projector
Is that a projector in your pocket or are you just happy to me? That's what people might be asking if you carry a PVPro from Light Blue Optics. This mighty-mite has no moving parts and is just 3.78 cubic inches, which is roughly the size and shape of a matchbox. Lo and behold, the PVPro uses lasers to project green monochrome images at up to a 1024 x 512 resolution, although the company kindly points out that up to 2048 x 1280 is available by request. The PVPro is really geared towards short-range projection from a mobile device (can you say video iPod?) and there won't be a full color version until later this year, so don't pull your projector from the ceiling just yet.[via HDBlog]
Strange wooden velvet-lined case for iPod nano
Occasionally strange iPod cases surface (no not that pink knit case your great-aunt made you last year). Take for example this wooden velvet-lined iPod nano case engraved on the cover with the To-fu Oyako character found by Popgadget today. I find a few things wrong with this case, beyond the fact that a cartoon tofu guy is on the front: there is no access to the iPod controls nor, from what I can see, access to the dock connector when the case is closed.I think we may have reached saturation on iPod cases folks. Feel free to post your favorite wacky character that should appear on an engraved iPod case in the comments. I vote for Trogdor (the Burninator) on a metal slip down iPod case.[via Popgadget]
Solar iPod charger available in black
The Solio is a solar-powered iPod charger that you can use to give your iPod (or phone, or PDA) some more juice when an outlet isn't available (we first took at look at the Solio in November of '04). With the iPod connected and the solar fans unfurled, the Solio will give your iPod one hour of life per hour of charge. Plus, if your iPod is completely flatlined, you can run it off of the Solio via a stored charge. It's now available in black for those of you concerned with matching your accessories. It costs $100US.[Via iLounge]
Keep iPod away from the third rail
There's an amusing story in the New York Times this morning about a man and his iPod. Having been long separated from his companion (it had been away for repairs for a couple of months), Thomas Beller was glad to finally have his iPod back. While rushing to catch the subway, he watched in shock as the iPod fell from his coat, skidded across the floor and slipped into that small space between the platform and the train. It was down on the tracks. What happened next...well, we'll just let you read the article. Let's just say he really loves his iPod. Who could blame him?
iPod used to steal $100 million (in a movie)
The iPod is being turned into everything from Halloween costumes to stethoscope training tools, and now it apparently is being used to help steal hundreds of millions of dollars - in Hollywood movies, that is (don't worry, this won't be a spoiler).Apparently Harrison Ford uses an iPod to permanently borrow $100 million from his bank in the new Firewall flick. Rick Warner, over at Bloomberg, already critiqued it quite nicely: "I don't doubt that computerized banking is ripe for theft, but the way Ford does it [sic] seems as far-fetched as James Frey's resume."While I think it's great that the iPod and Apple are receiving all this fantastic buzz, I'm having a hard time understanding how silly product placement like this benefits anyone, let alone who instigated it. How far is stuff like this going to go? Are we going to see exploding iPods hurled down hallways to destroy genetically modified monsters in a forthcoming sequel to Doom? Here's hoping Harrison doesn't have to decode an ancient culture's chant with nothing more than his 'trusty' iPod in Indiana Jones 4.[via iLounge]http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000088&sid=a4uL2l7YM5G8&refer=culture
Turn your Pocket PC into an iPod
Hardware hacking is a fickle and strange beast. Because of the iPod's popularity, even old Pocket PCs want to be iPod-like. Wait no longer and convert your lowly Pocket PC into a heavenly iPod. To get you started, here is the materials list for the hack: Hammer Large-tip permanent marker, black 1 Steel-toed boot Lighter fluid 1 match Fire extinguisher 1 can spray paint, white [via hack a day]
Widescreen iPod video is next?
TUAW is on the case, letting us know that the latest Apple rumor is a 3.5" touchscreen-enabled media player. The mockup pictured here is from Rainy Day Magazine. We've been waiting for a widescreen video iPod for a while, but TUAW doesn't expect it till the end of the year if at all. I just want to know if they'll let me download 720p versions of Lost from iTMS.
ThinkSecret: New Video iPod Coming
Thinksecret chimes in today with a rumor about something I've been thinking about for awhile now: What's next for the iPod Video? Specifically, they claim to have confirmation that Apple is wrapping up development on a video-enabled iPod with a 3.5" touch-enabled color screen. One of the problems with a device with a 3.5" screen is, where do you put the controls. Apple's solution, if this rumor is true, is to put the controls on the screen itself. This rumor is in alignment with recent Apple patent filings for using gestures on a touch-screen. If this is true, I'll buy this device without reservation. Like many, I've been waiting for an Apple PDA of some sort for years and a device like this might finally come close to what I'd expect Apple to release. Apple doesn't need to buy Palm, they just need to keep expanding the iPod as a device to tie together the different parts of our computing experience. An iPod video "tablet" would fit that bill nicely.While I personally believe that Apple is definitely working on an upgrade to its video iPod and that this is likely the form factor, I don't believe it will ship in "late March or early April" as ThinkSecret suggests. I believe we won't see an upgrade to the iPod video line until September or October. The picture above is a mockup, courtesy of Rainy Day Magazine.
iPod chip manufacturer to make WiFi components
Far be it for us to perpetuate completely unfounded and baseless Apple rumors, but here we go. Chip manufacturer Portal Player, the company that makes the audio chips for our beloved iPods, has announced their intentions to add WiFi and bluetooth support to their line of products (can you say bluetooth headphones and wireless file transfer?). Of course, neither Portal Player nor Apple has given even the slightest indication that a wireless iPod will result, but that doesn't mean we can't dream, right? I, for one, would welcome such a device.[Via Engadget]
iProposal: Getting hitched via iPod
With less than a week until Valentine's Day, your favorite (unofficial) Apple bloggers are in a sentimental mood. Or perhaps we're just still swooning over that cool gestures video. Either way, we were thinking about all of those wacky proposals you sometimes see on TV, in which a lovelorn young man rents out the Goodyear Blimp or some such craziness. Then it hit us: What about a proposal via iPod? Arguably they're the hottest gift around. Wouldn't you rather receive a 60GB iPod than a diamond ring? I sure would. So, is it possible that someone, somewhere, sometime may have popped the big question with a shiny rectangle of plastic and metal?Wonder no more, because it looks like it has happened. How sweet. Good luck, you crazy kids! So, what's your romantic iPod story?[Via Very Big Design]
Apple products in the Engadget awards
Engadget has compiled their list of tech awards for 2005, as selected by the readers and Engadget editors. Categories ranged from "Gadget of the Year" to "Disappointment of the Year." Apple received six readers' choice awards (but no editors' picks, oddly enough). So, here's how Apple fared, as selected by Engadget readers: Gadget of the Year: Apple iPod 5G (Editors' pick: Xbox 360) Desktop of the Year: Apple Power Mac G5 Quad (Editors' pick: Sony RC series) Laptop of the Year: Apple Powerbook 15" (Editors' pick: IBM Thinkpad Z) Media PC of the Year: Apple iMac G5 with FrontRow (Editors' pick: Niveus Media K2) Portable Audio Device of the Year: iPod nano (Editors' pick: iRiver U10) Portable Video Device of the Year: Apple iPod 5G (Editors' pick: Cowon A2) While not really an Apple product, Disappointment of the Year went to the Motorola ROKR E1. I whole-heartedly agree.
Blueye connects iPods with cellphones
If you dread pulling out your earbuds (you use those?) when you get a phone call, dread no more. A new gadget by the name of Blueye will save you from earbud yanking by connecting your iPod headphones to your phone via Bluetooth. When you get a call, Blueye will allow you to mute your current music (but not pause it unfortunately). With the Blueye's built in microphone you can talk away without unplugging your headphones. Blueye is available in white, black and a sort of rusty red.Personally I use a Nokia 6230 with a gig of memory for my music listening on the go, even though I have a black nano, so the Blueye is not necessary. My Nokia 6230 sports a home-modified pop-port cable for any headphones and includes the original Nokia microphone to take calls.[via Engadget]
360 is Engadget's Gadget of the Year
The Xbox 360 won Engadget's Pick for the coveted "Gadget of the Year" award, beating out the Reader's Choice, the ever popular Apple iPod (5G). Congratulations Xbox 360, you deserve it, even if it has been a little bumpy. The 360 also handily won both Reader's Choice and Engadget's Pick for "Game Console of the Year," naturally.Oh, and I hate to spoil the party, but there was one device that won both Reader's Choice and Engadget's Pick for "Most Anticipated Gadget of 2006": the Sony PlayStation 3. Oh man, 2006 is going to be fun!
Rig of the Day: Your cube is naked
Today's rig features a Cube with a case that has been modded to be clear. Nice Cinema Display, turntable and an original iPod (cool). It's pretty hardcore geek to want to stare at a computer’s interior parts, but I like it."My Desk!" posted by scottdog1515.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
My swanky Vaja iPod case
Back in December, I used some of my Christmas money to order an iPod case from Vaja, and today it finally arrived. I now believe in love at first sight.It comes nicely packaged with some propaganda (flyers, stickers, etc.) that my 2 year old immediately claimed. I went with a hunter green for the front and a dark brown for the back, but there are literally dozens of color combinations available to choose from. The rear of the case is quite firm, with the logo printed on the interior. The front is soft but not squishy, and the iPod fits in beautifully. The hold button and headphone jack are exposed, as is the port on the bottom, so charging via the cable is no problem (though it won't fit in a dock while inside the case).There's both a screen protector and a click wheel protector (the click wheel protector is optional) that a scratch-o-phobe like me appreciates. The wheel protector does require me to press a little more firmly on the click wheel itself, but not so much that it's a nuisance. There are two styles of beltclip available, but I opted for no clip. I'm just as happy keeping it in a pocket, and it's now so well protected, that I don't have to worry about damaging it.Overall, I really love it. The leather is quite nice, the construction is very good (it should be, it took 29 days), the fit is fantastic and the peace of mind that I won't scratch the daylights out of the screen is nice, too (especially when I try to resell it a few years from now). On the downside, I can't connect it to the Universal Dock or my Griffin RoadTrip while in the case, but I'm willing to live with that. The Vaja i-Volution starts at $70US. More pictures after the jump.
More info on iLoad emerges
Last November, we wrote about the iLoad, a device that allows you to rip a CD directly to your iPod. Plug in your iPod, pop in a CD, click "Play" and you're well on your way to ripping piles of CDs you didn't pay for.Last year, the specifics on this device were very scarce, but today things are getting clearer. There are now two demo videos available (animations, really) for both the iLoad and a new device, the iLoadv. When connected to your cable box or TV, the iLoadv will record video directly to your iPod, with no computer required.The iLoad is set to retail for $249US, with a projected shipping date of mid-April 2006. The iLoadv will sell for $149US, but no shipping date has been announced. You can pre-order either device now.[Via MacDailyNews]
Dell kills Jukebox players
Looks like Dell is throwing in the towel as far as their hard drive-based Jukebox digital audio players are concerned. DailyTech reports "stiff competition from Apple and others" resulted in the decision to discontinue the line, although they will continue to sell their flash based DJ Ditty player. From what I can tell, the Jukebox has already disappeared from Dell's product site, so it seems it might already be too late to jump on the now extinct players.[via digg]
