The iPod Nation

Noice-canceling headphones are awesome little devices, they work great on a plane trip, road trip or if you just don’t want to hear your woman’s nagging anymore. These iPod specific noise-canceling headphones from Hitachi Maxell are unlike any other iPod headphones. Not only do they do a great job at blocking outside noises, they don’t need batteries either. They make use of an iPod dock connector to power the headphones as well as transmit your tunes. They feature 20dB of noise canceling but work with the iPod and iPod touch, not the iPhones. The Hitachi noise-canceling headphones go for about $80 in Japan.

-Ray

[Source: gizmodo]

Recently we got our hands on a pair of Portable Fold-Up Speakers from Inspiretech. The Portable Fold-Up Speakers are designed to work with any MP3 player equipped with a 3.5 mm audio jack and come with a cradle to support your MP3 player of choice. In true Inspiretech fashion, the Portable Fold-Up Speakers are sleek and function oriented. The power source can be either 4 AAA batteries or USB (cable is included in the package) The Portable Fold-Up Speakers come in back and white to match your existing MP3 player. While the sound quality at higher volumes will not “rowdy up” your party, they make excellent ambiance enhancers and a great travel companion for camping trips. At $8.99, you really can’t ask for much else, I definitely recommend the Portable Fold-Up Speakers for a great Christmas present as well.

-Derek

Just imagine this. You take your date back to your place. You want to set the mood right. So you bust out your iPod and hook them up to your….CupSpeakers?!?! That is right. iPod Speakers that are made from paper cups and toothpicks do exist. Designed by Dmitry Zagga, the CupSpeakers are made up of only four paper cups that are attached together by toothpicks. It is yet unknown whether these speakers are for sale, but I could imagine these wouldn’t be too hard to make. Looks good with the iPod too. In all honesty, these speakers look better than those SpongeBob speakers.

- Geoff

[Source: Wired]

iHome has released their iHM77 portable speakers for the iPod, iPhone and any other device that uses a 3.5mm headphone jack. The iHM77 are collapsible for easy storage in your car or backpack. They feature integrated amplifiers and are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The iHM77 come with a USB charging cable as well as a carrying case. The iHome iHM77 go for $50 and are available in black, silver and red.

-Ray

[Source: ipodnn]

Ever wished you could share your iPod videos during dinner or at a party? Well Optoma has the solution you have been looking for. Optoma is set to release the PK-101 Pico Pocket Projector, which is compatible with iPhones and iPods. According to the report from The New York TImes, the Pico Projector uses DLP projection and an LED light source to project an image up to 60 inches. The Pico Projector features a rechargeable battery (1.5 Hours of battery life), Mini USB input, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and it includes a tripod, RCA to Mini-Jack A/V cable, and iPod Kit with Dock Connector cable, and a bag. The projector should be available by the end of the month and it has a retail price tag of $430.

- Geoff

[Source: iLounge]

Wow, this is definitely going to be the one true way to wrap headphones. I’ve always been amazed at how fast I go through my ear bud headphones. Apparently I haven’t been wrapping them the correct way. Wrapping the cords around your MP3 player like you’re holding it hostage is not advisable. Taking my iPhone around with me, I use the included headphones as both a microphone when I’m driving (thanks to California’s no driving and talking on the cell phone at the same time policy…) and to listen to music. I don’t have a purse (for obvious reasons) so most of the time I just put the headphone in my pocket. However, if they are incorrectly wrapped, they can receive damage. The video above details a great way to wrap your headphones and prolong their lifespan for as long as possible. Do you guys have any other unique ways of wrapping your headphones? Do share!

-Derek

Want to become an iPod DJ? Gemini makes it happen with the introduction of the iTrax iPod mixing console. This nifty console is a double iPod docking station that allows users to mix tracks using the iPod MP3 player. The docking station is perfect for DJs to browse through the music library and choose songs to mix. The iTrax also has three band equalisation controls for each channel and also houses a composite video output on the back of the console. Other features include two displays for the VU meter, a master volume control, user replaceable X-fader, and a microphone jack. This iTrax iPod mixing console is perfect for anyone who wants to rock the party. A release date and price tag has yet to be announced by Gemini.

- Geoff

[Source: AudioNews]

If you are a solar panel fanatic, then you will definitely love this new accessory for iPhones and iPod Touches. The PhotonSynthese, a solar charger for, what it looks as, iPhones and iPod Touches. It is developed by the French company Vivien Muller Design. The “leaves” on the branches are basically solar cell leaves and they can be interchanged and modified to any way the user wants it. It makes an awesome coffee table piece and at the same time it can charge your iPhone as well as the iPhones of your guests. I haven’t been able to find the release date or a price tag because I just found this on a French website. But it looks cool.

- Geoff

[Source: VivienMullerDesign]

Read the rest of this entry »

To be honest, this isn’t quite the news that iPod Touch and iPhone users would want, but its news. Sony has just introduced the ZS-S4iP boombox. So what makes this iPod-as-cassette boombox different from other similar boomboxes? Actually, nothing. The only nifty feature that this boombox possesses is the eject feature which opens up a tray for the user to insert their iPod Touch or iPhone, just like a cassette. But other than that, nothing else catches our eyes. This Sony boombox has a retail price tag of about $140 and should be made available around October of 2008. But other than that, there isn’t really much to report on.

- Geoff

[Source: SonyInsider]