Quotes of the Day
Once a gadget like Apple's iPod achieves cult status, it swiftly spawns loads of accessories. These days there are plenty of ways to dress it up, tote it around and make it more useful. Here's a look at what I found:
-- COVER-UPS For the fashion-conscious, the market is flooded. You'll find everything from a flashy rubber "jam jacket" to glow-in-the-dark cases, executive "podfolios" and designer gear from Pucci and Coach. The Schwarzenegger of the bunch is iPod Armor, a $50 anodized aluminum, foam-lined hard case ideal for skateboarders, snowboarders and other sports enthusiasts who tend to fall down a lot.
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
I opted for an Xtreme Mac case in simple black leather. (It's also available in blue denim, camouflage cloth, London plaid, even a butterscotch checker pattern.) I liked the easy access to the player's controls, the extra-secure belt clip and the Mylar inside cover that enabled me to clearly see the display. Xtreme Mac offers its case in three different "bundles," with the basic version retailing for $40 and an "essentials package"--including a lanyard, two swivel mounts and a car charger — for $20 more.
-- SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE Tired of carrying two headsets — one for the iPod, the other for a cell phone? The aptly named Skullcandy combines the two into one model and lets you switch between calls and canticles with the push of a button. For purely musical pleasure, the options are even wider. After all, the ear buds that come with your iPod are adequate but not great. If audio perfection is your priority, you'll need to research a variety of brands — Etymotic, Sennheiser, Sony, Koss and Bang & Olufsen — before you buy. Check out www.headphone.com to get an idea of the choices.
-- RADIO CONTROL Want to lose the headphones entirely? A transmitter attachment to the iPod can broadcast tunes from the player to a nearby FM radio. Each model has its pros and cons. One of the priciest is the TransPod ($100), which mounts on your car's dashboard and doubles as a battery charger. Less expensive is C. Crane's model, but it's nearly as big as the player itself. The iRock 300W is smaller, but it plays through only a measly four frequencies. I chose the new iTrip from Griffin Technology, a stylish gizmo roughly the size of a roll of Tums. It fits neatly on top of the iPod and costs just $35. Also, it works over several frequencies, the signal never drifts, and it's easy to program.
There were, however, a few small problems. The transmitting range never quite got to the promised 30 ft., and scratchy static erupted when I tried it inside a friend's Lexus. (This was possibly caused by reflective material in the Lexus' windshield, according to a Griffin spokesman.)
Some add-ons are perhaps a tad over the top. Felicidade has a pleather Groove Bag available on drbott.com that turns a specially designed tote into an iPod-powered boom box. And Griffin developed a prototype infrared gimmick that allows the iPod to double as a TV remote control — but Apple refused to let Griffin access its top-secret operating system for this purpose. Let's hope Steve Jobs adopts the attitude of my girlfriend, whose motto is "Don't agonize; accessorize!"
Got comments? Jeffrey can be reached at jressner@aol.com
- Jeffrey Ressner