Bloody scratches! - iPod monstrosities - Tech Nightmares

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TECH NIGHTMARES: iPod monstrosities	E-mail to a friend

Monday's menace
Defunct iPod battery syndrome

Tuesday's terror
Dead-icated volume control

Wednesday's worry
iCeman cometh--the frozen iPod

Thursday's threat
Bloody scratches!

Friday's funk of 40,000 years
Frightened of Windows (and other computers)

See all nightmares

iPod monstrosities

By James Kim
(December 1, 2005)

Thursday's threat (nightmare #4 of 5)

Bloody scratches!


	How scary is this nightmare? Mr. Rogers (not scary) Mr. T (somewhat scary) Mr. Hyde (very scary) View results

iPods (and other sleek gadgets) are like shoes. You're careful with them during the honeymoon period, then soon enough you thrash them (so you can get the next model?). Within an hour of owning our fourth-generation iPod, we had a severe scratch on the LCD. Today, that scratch is merely a flesh wound on our seasoned and character-filled iPod. The newest iPods--especially the black Nano and the video iPod--are especially susceptible to scratches that you can see, but there are many ways to prevent scratches from forming and to preserve the iPod's gorgeous body.

Can I ward off those bloody scratches?

A veritable gaggle of iPod accessories protect the iPod's body--from rubber skins to military grade "jackets," from silly iPod socks to sillier tattoos. Some are hot, others not, but they will keep your iPod intact.

Some protective options:

1. Check out several cool cases in our "Ultimate iPod accessories" feature. You can also check Apple's accessories page. In general, you can find good cases for all models of the iPod from DLO, Speck, EzGear, and Matias.

The iPod's easy to slip into pockets, but beware pockets with keys and loose change. iPod body armor protects--but it takes away some of the iPod's luster.

Click to enlarge

2. If you have an inkjet printer, you can print temporary and customizable tattoos created by HP. The tattoos adhere to the front of the iPod and give it protection as well as a personal touch. You can download artist and album art from HP, or you can create your own tattoos.

3. There are cleaning agents that won't necessarily rid your iPod of all scratches but will improve the overall look of your player. Check out the iCleaner Scratch Remover Pro.

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