iPod

Et tu, iPod? Say it ain't so.

We've come to accept the electronics industry's penchant for taking perfectly decent products and making them disgustingly garish, especially where gold is involved. But the idealist in us naively thought the iPod would be immune to this unfortunate trend.

Yet there it is on Luxurylaunches, in all its 24k glory--and not just any gold, but "unique hardened mirror gold," whatever that means, from $600 to $800.

And who's responsible for this egregious blingdom? Why, Amosu, of course.

We loved the floating MP3 player showcased recently by fellow Craver Tim Moynihan, despite his rather graphic description of its design (which, we suspect, says more about Tim than the device in question). But it's got some competition in the hypercompetitive aquatic music market.

The "Drop Speaker" from Zumreed has waterproof controls so it can be handled alongside the bath, pool, hot tub or any other venue where you typically splash your electronics. And beyond the unique droplet design (get it?) that conceals an iPod dock insider, Technabob says the speaker comes in blue, white and orange … Read more

What's the difference between an alarm clock and another alarm clock? Nothing. That's right, nothing. They disturb our tranquil slumber with their irate, buzzing ringer that is single-handedly provoking more pre-8am violence than any other product in existence. So what's the remedy? How about attaching something to your alarm clock that you don't want to hurl at the closest wall, such as your iPod? To make waking up all the more enjoyable, why not throw a subwoofer into the mix too?

Logic3 has kindly decided to build an iPod-docking alarm clock that comes complete with 2.… Read more

iPod battery replacement kits are nothing new. Manufacturers like Sonnet Technologies have offered reasonably priced do-it-yourself battery replacement kits for the past few years. What distinguishes the latest line of Blue Raven iPod batteries from previous efforts is a boast of 30 to 50 percent better battery life over the factory original (depending on your iPod model). The Blue Raven batteries are also much more attractively packaged than other replacements I've seen, which seems silly to mention, but I think packaging can have a huge effect on how intimidating a DIY project appears. Kits are available for around $30 … Read more

Car audio veterans Blaupunkt have plans to release a new iPod-ready portable music system that can double as a subwoofer for your car. It's a decent bet that the sound quality will be quite good, but to be effective as a car subwoofer, it will likely weigh a ton. It uses a rechargeable battery with an optional in-car dock and is said to deliver 60 watts of maximum power (30 watts RMS). The MP3 player input is simply a stereo minijack input, so don't expect this thing to actually charge or integrate with your iPod.

Along with … Read more

This shiny white Belkin kit solves all your podcessory needs in one fell swoop?-there's a car power cord for charging on the move, a cassette adaptor to listen to your iPod through your stereo, a headphone splitter to share your music, an in-car holder and a Y audio cable to connect your iPod to a stereo.

The headphone splitter offers a whopping 114mm (4.5 inches) of flexible rubber action to facilitate two people listening to your tunes at the same time. This eradicates the feelings of guilt often experienced on long journeys with friends or family when … Read more

It's only been a few months since Keyspan debuted its "TuneView" remote for the iPod, and the company has already given it a serious makeover. Apparently, customers weren't too keen on the appearance of the original version, which had a gray case that made it look decidedly utilitarian.

The new model, according to iLounge, is jet black--which, as everyone knows, is Steve Jobs' color of choice in the turtleneck department. Fortunately, Keyspan kept the original $180 price and didn't tack on the cost of the new paint.

At Crave we're very fond of iPod-ready speakers and we're not averse to those that claim to be of a superior quality. How do you think we felt this morning to see a set that look like our studio monitor speakers and claim to be the most dynamic-sounding smart speaker system on the market? We felt good inside.

Sierra Sound has a history of producing high-end studio audio equipment, so theoretically it should know what it's doing designing the iN Studio 5.0 iPod speaker system. (We don't think the same can be said of … Read more

As much as we appreciate the aesthetics of natural wood finishes when done well, the idea doesn't always work for all things technological, especially the iPod. But sometimes, concepts work best when they're integrated less with the design of the core product.

Miniot's "iWood" line, for example, borrows from some retro designs we've seen recently to create a cigarette-style case for Apple's media players made of various hardwoods. The sylvan look is available in maple, walnut, mahogany, cherry and oak, Red Ferret says, for 75 to 175 euros (about $102 to $237). We'… Read more