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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]
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.
Confusing the people: Rumors vs. News
There have been rumors of the iPod shuffle's impending doom for some time now, with prolific soothsayers predicting the emergence of a 1GB nano-like device to take its place. The rumors are so frequent, it seems, that even local news stations are picking up on the "story," relaying the speculation as infallible will-eventually-be fact.That sloppy reporting leads to conversations like the one I had at dinner tonight, with my dining partner insisting that, yes, Apple is discontinuing the shuffle and replacing it with a 1GB nano. The unbridled confidence in his statement led me to call up a colleague, confirming that I didn't in fact miss a whole product shift in the 15 minutes between leaving my desk and arriving at the restaurant. "Well," said my friend, "that's what they said on the news tonight."Hmph. Rumor sites speculating on future products is one thing, but TV news stations? I know the iPod is The "It" Thing and everyone's looking forward to seeing what Apple has in the pipeline, but since when do credible "news" organizations indulge in rumor? Isn't reporting on possible iPod updates just like headlining with "Is Britney pregnant? Check out this photo!"? It makes the news nothing more than a tabloid. And the confusion amongst viewers only complicates the situation, threatening Apple -- perceptually and financially.What do you think? Is the iPod so hot that TV news stations need to discuss rumors? Or are they just looking for a cheap way to spur interest?
Scam or Not?: 8GB iPod nano upgrade
My compatriot Eliot and I tried to slog around the net this morning to figure out if this 8GB nano upgrade is a fraud. We are fairly sure that this is a complete fake (helped by the eBay strangeness and lack of proof photos). However, this did bring up a bit of a conundrum.We couldn't find pictures of the insides of any 4GB iPod nanos without daughter boards. I personally seem to recall seeing them somewhere. The daughter board versions were the first ones to get ripped open and there are quite a few pictures floating around of those. I have a plea for you, dear TUAW reader. If you have pics of the inside of a 4GB nano without a daughter board, could you email a link to them to our tip line or leave the url in the comments? You will help our quest to weed out fake iPod memory upgrades.
Apple brings FM radio to the iPod
No, it's not as sexy as the iMac and MacBook Pro (I'm still not thrilled about that name), but today Apple announced the availability of the Radio Remote, which adds FM radio to the iPod nano and iPod with video.When connected to your iPod, a "radio" menu option becomes available. When selected, you're presented with an interface that looks like an analog radio dial. Search for a station within the range of 87.5MHz to 107.9MHz (US and Europe) or 76MHz to 90MHz (Japan). Also, you can save favorite channels for future reference and move from station to station with either your iPod's clickwheel or the wired remote.My feeling on this is "eh." The interface looks pretty cool, but I would have been happier had it supported satellite radio. The Radio Remote costs $49.00, works with the iPod with video and iPod nano and is shipping now.
Griffin announces TuneFlex auto charger
Do the developers at Griffin ever sleep? Today, they've announced the TuneFlex auto charger for the iPod nano. With one end plugged into your car's 12 Volt accessory outlet, your nano sits at the end of a flexible arm that allows you to position it just so in your car. There's a line out for connecting to your stereo (either via a cassette adapter or a line in port, if your car stereo is so equipped), and a "pass trough" on the connector itself will let you attach an iTrip or an AirClick Remote. The Griffin TuneFlex works with the iPod nano, costs $39.99US and is shipping now.
Pod Jams iDiddy fashion covers with iLanyard for iPod nano
The Pod Jams iDiddy fashion covers for the iPod nano come in two styles: Clear and Bling. Clear, as you might imagine, allows the true beauty of the nano to shine through while still protecting it in plastic. Bling (pictured) steps up the flashy style by encasing your nano in a diamond-like sparkling plastic case. Both of these iDiddy's come with an iLanyard, similar to Apple's lanyard, boasting superior earbuds that "pound out the base and highs." Fortunately these cases can be used with or without the lanyard.At a competitive $29.95, it's nice to see more lanyard style cases cropping up. They're expected to ship the first week of January '06.[via Playlist]
Hello Kitty wants to protect your nano
The picture isn't the greatest, but the cuteness of Hello Kitty still packs a punch. Krunker tells us that these Hello Kitty themed adhesive protectors for your nano are available in Japan in 4 different varieties.
Griffin ships iTrip Auto
The new iTrip Auto from Griffin Technologies is both an FM transmitter and charger that works with all iPods with a dock connector, from the nano to the new 5G iPod. It features a backlit LCD display for easy searching and status. From the website:"iTrip Auto brings with it all the innovations of its iTrip lineage, including selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality audio under real-world conditions, US and International tuning modes, Griffin's RF technology, and the trademark Griffin world-class industrial design."Sounds good to me. The iTrip Auto costs $59.99 and is shipping now.
