Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

So it might not be from the Logitech we all know and love, but this “professional audio recording” accessory for your iPod or iPhone includes an X-Y style microphone that should improve the quality of your captures if it works as promised. Audio is recorded in the uncompressed WAV format, and the lovingly named LIC-iREC03P module includes switches for enabling automatic gain control and adjusting the attenuation. ~$117 from Geek Stuff 4 U.

[ Logitec LIC-iREC03P ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While Tascam might not be a household name, they’re well respected in the professional audio industry. And when a company like them decides to start supporting the iPod, well then there’s a good chance that Apple’s little MP3 player might just catch on.

The CD-200i is a rackmountable CD player that includes a pop-out dock which supports “any Apple iPod” according to their site. In addition to playing music from it, the iPod can also be controlled from the CD-200i’s front panel or wireless remote, be recharged while docked, and even play videos through an S-video connection on the back of the deck. Oh yeah! It also plays CDs too (MP3 or WAV files) with an improved internal clock for smoother sound and support for CD TEXT and ID3 tag info.

[ Tascam CD-200i ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Hot on the heels of the retro-themed Mighty Mini Speakers we brought you on Monday comes this slightly larger, though still miniature, boombox speaker dock for your iPods. And let me emphasize the ’s’ on iPods since this thing supports almost every iPod released in the past 5 years like the Mini, all iterations of the Nano and every version of the Touch and iPhone including the 3GS.

The speaker doesn’t require any batteries, which is nice, though that also means it will be draining power from your player, reducing your playtime. And since it also uses the iPod’s dock connector, you won’t be plugging in and recharging while it’s playing either.

$31.99 from USBFever.com (in your color choice of black, black or black) which doesn’t include a miniature square of cardboard so you can rekindle your fresh breakdancing moves.

[ Retro Cassette Stereo Mini Speaker for iPod / iPhone ] VIA [ Fosfor Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I wouldn’t go as far as to call these iStubz replacement sync/charge cables for the iPod and iPhone genius or anything, I mean they’re just shorter versions of the ones Apple gives you, but 9 times out of 10 I only need 7cm of cord. I’ll happily suck it up that one time I need a bit more slack if the rest of the time my desk isn’t a cluttered cobweb of white cables. $7.95 for a 7cm version, $8.95 for a 22cm version or $14.95 for a bundle that includes one of each. And they come in your choice of traditional white or non-conformist black.

[ iStubz ] VIA [ Gear Diary ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Oh the mighty cassette tape, how do you continue to be relevant in this digital age? Back in the 90’s I had a decent little collection of cassettes, most of which were mixes recorded either from other people’s tapes or off the radio. For those too young to have done it, trying to record songs off the radio was a huge pain, and usually resulted in the first few seconds of the songs getting cut off. Thankfully we don’t have to mess with such things these days thanks to our iPods and such. If you’re still partial to the retro look of an old cassette tape, why not stuff your iPod into one and use it as a protective case?

While that might seem like too much effort than it’s worth, the people at Contexture Design have already done it for you. They’ve taken a bunch of old cassettes and gutted, routered and otherwise rebuilt them to house your 4th generation iPod nano. It looks as though you’ll still be able to access all of the controls, just like any other good case. One of these is going to set you back around $40, so unless you really miss the 80’s/90’s, this is probably more expensive than it’s worth.

[ Contexture ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’m pretty confident when I make the generalization that most people probably have a case for their iPhones. I don’t blame them, since if you’re going to drop a couple hundred bucks on something that can be easily damaged, it’s only smart to try and protect it. I never said that I was a genius, so don’t be surprised when I don’t lump myself in with the other iPhone users. I don’t really like dealing with cases, as I prefer my nice slim phone. Those that do have some of the bulkier cases might have found issues when trying to use their phone on certain docks. If you’re one of those people, then you might want to check this out.

The Cable Jive Dock Extender is basically a cord with a male and female iPhone dock connector. One end goes into the phone, the other connects to your dock. Sure, setting your phone next to your speakers (or whatever your particular dock does) isn’t as sleek as setting it in there, but it’s probably easier than removing your case every single time. You can pick one up for about $26. Or you can just find a new case that works with your dock. Personally, I’d go with the latter.

[ CableJive ] VIA [ GearFuse ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Back before the iPhone 3G was released I was content with just an iPod Touch. Sure, the lack of internet access was a bit of a drag when I wasn’t hooked up to a Wi-Fi connection. But what really baffled me was the lack of a camera. It just seems like it would have been so easy to include, since the iPhone has one. Well it’s about time for Apple to refresh the Touch, and it looks like a camera might finally be on the spec list.

Sure, rumors can come from nowhere, but apparently one accessory maker has shown a new iPod Touch case with a hole in the back, exactly where a camera would be. Even more interesting is that another maker has shown an iPod Nano case with a similar camera hole.

[ Uxsight ] VIA [ MacRumors ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I always thought that diving itself was supposed to be an enjoyable activity, so I’m scratching my head as to why anyone would need to bring along some other form of entertainment while down there. But that’s exactly what the iDive300 deep dive waterproof case is for. It’s designed for the iPod, iPod Touch and the iPhone and allows you to watch movies or listen to music (with an included pair of over the ear speakers) at a depth of up to 300 feet underwater. And while down there you’ll still have control over your media thanks to a set of waterproof buttons on the side of the case.

With a price tag of $349.99 the case is kind of hard to justify, even if it does make decompression stops a bit less boring, but it does come with peace of mind thanks to a replacement warranty for your iPod or iPhone should anything ever happen to them as a result of the iDive300 failing.

[ iDive300 ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Andrew Liszewski

My eyes usually glaze over when I come across yet another iPod/iPhone speaker dock, but there’s just something about the iF500 from Edifier that managed to pique my curiosity, and I think it might have something to do with the massive bulbous speaker clearly designed to mock subtlety. The iF500 supports various models of the iPod and iPhone via a built-in dock, but an aux input also allows you to connect anything featuring an audio output like cellphones or other MP3 players that clearly aren’t worth mentioning by name.

A “5 driver speaker system incorporates unique vibration and resonance control technolories coupled with low frequency porting and mid-range tuned cavities for smoother cleaner audio” and it also comes with the company’s patented EIDC or ‘Electrical Intelligent Distortion Control’ system if inane acronyms are an important feature for you. But if looks or sound quality aren’t enough to convince you to drop $249 on the iF500, keep in mind it also comes with a digital FM tuner!

[ Edifier iF500 iPod/iPhone Speaker ] VIA [ Crave ]