By Andrew Liszewski

There’s been an odd resurgence of cassette tape related gadgetry recently, but the one place where they definitely still have a strong presence is in older model cars. FM transmitters seem to be one of the more popular solutions to using your iPod with an older car stereo, but dealing with interference and finding an open frequency can be a pain. Not to mention those FM radio waves can’t be used as a dock for your iPod either, an advantage that clearly goes to this iDeck cassette adapter accessory.

When the cassette end of the adapter is inserted into your car’s stereo it provides enough support to hold nearly all of the more recent versions of the iPod Classic, the Nano and the Touch (no iPhone support is mentioned anywhere) and while an included cigarette lighter adapter is included, it’s not needed if your iPod has enough juice to last the trip. The adapter also has a jack allowing you to connect any audio source via a 3.5mm audio cable, and the only caveat I can find is that the cassette doesn’t rotate to accommodate the more common horizontal tape slots. $37.99 from NewEggMall.

[ iDeck Integrated Car Cassette Adapter for iPod ] VIA [ GadgetReview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the iPad features the same 30-pin dock connector used by the iPhone and many of the iPod models, it’s larger size means it can’t be used with the docks featured on a plethora of iPod accessories, from stereos to alarm clocks. But that’s no longer a problem thanks to the CERULEAN Bluetooth receiver from iSkin. It’s a simple wireless adapter that’s small enough to sit in any iPod dock and streams music over A2DP from the iPhone, or any Bluetooth source.

It doesn’t require batteries since it draws power from the dock connector, and if you happen to be using it with a phone it will pause the music so you can answer a call, and resume playing once you hang up. Unfortunately though I think it’s a bit on the pricey side at $89.99 given it’s limited to only being used with Apple-specific accessories.

[ CERULEAN RX Stereo Bluetooth Receiver ] VIA [ GadgetReview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I guess if you’re an iPod/iPhone accessory maker, the easiest way to make your product appeal to the Apple crowd is to basically rip-off the design of another Apple product. In this case it’s an iPod dock/speaker that looks like it was constructed from a discarded iMac of yesteryear. But in its defense, this particular dock does bring something relatively unique to the table.

Instead of featuring a traditional speaker, it uses resonance to transmit the sound from your iPod, iPhone or anything you connect to the 3.5mm line-in jack, through a hard surface such as a wooden table, a marble floor or glass windows. The audio output is rated at 12W, though I have no idea how loud that translates to with a resonating object, but there’s a built-in amp as well which should help boost the intensity. The arm holding the actual dock does articulate if you were wondering, though at just a couple of inches in length I can’t see how that’s beneficial in any way. ~$42 available from Chinavasion.

[ Resonance Speaker and iPod/iPhone Docking Station ]

By Andrew Liszewski

For those who prefer a minimalist look in their homes, but still like to indulge in the high-tech necessities of modern day living, the Hohrizontal 51 is a sleek looking shelf that can support up to 55 lbs of equipment, not including speakers since those are already built-in. It’s got hookups allowing you to plug in your stereo or TV so it can be incorporated into your home theater setup, as well as an integrated iPhone/iPod dock if you prefer to listen to your music that way. Available in a wide variety of finishes including high-gloss solid colors or matte wood veneer, the Hohrizontal 51 will fit any decor, though with a price tag of $664 probably not any budget .

[ Hohrizontal 51 ] VIA [ Cult of Mac ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Ultra-high performance concrete didn’t exist when the ancient Egyptians built the original pyramids, but it doesn’t seem like designer Thivend Stephane is striving for historical accuracy when it comes to his Horus Coffee Table. Not only is the scale way off, but the real pyramids don’t have an iPod/iPhone dock, 2 amplified speakers or a tempered glass tabletop illuminated with LED accent lighting. And I have no idea how much it costs, or if it’s even available for sale.

[ Thivend Stephane - Horus Coffee table ] VIA [ Furniture Fashion ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It lacks the subtlety of the Square payment system’s iPhone/iPod Touch credit card reader, but there’s just something about Macally’s new Swipe It Reader that makes it look so much more reliable and trustworthy. Maybe it’s because of the Swipe It Reader’s slightly bulky design that looks like the credit card readers we’ve been using at stores all these years? I’m not sure. But part of that bulk comes from the device’s spring-loaded arm which cleverly allows it to hold iPhones and iPod Touches wrapped in cases, or whatever future designs Mr. Ives comes up with.

The Swipe It Reader is compatible with Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover cards, and all swiped data is encrypted before it’s passed from the reader to the custom Swipe It app running on either device. Transactions can be wirelessly completed either over a cellular data connection or Wi-Fi, and while the reader supposedly only draws minimal power from the iPhone or Touch, I’m sure it won’t do any favors to the battery life of either of those devices, so an included AC adapter can also be used. As for pricing and availability info? That’s currently listed as ‘Coming Soon’ on the Macally website.

[ Swipe It Reader ] VIA [ ChipChick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not an advocate of mucking up the iPhone’s beautifully simple aesthetic with bulky cases or vibrant skins and decals, but if you feel you must customize your phone to stand out in the crowd, these new iaPeel Skins are definitely one of a kind. And how do I know that? Well it’s simple, they actually let you design and print your own custom skin, right from your home inkjet printer.

Special included software ensures that your design is always the perfect size, and it will even create a custom wallpaper (if your device supports that) so your graphics appear uninterrupted across the display. When you get tired of the design, the synthentic material is easy to remove without leaving a sticky residue, and I particularly like the pop-up guides on the back of the printed labels which ensures a perfect application every time. As for pricing, well the starter kit for the iPhone 3G, which includes 5 skins, is $29.95, with a 5-pack of additional skins costing $26.95. And that price point seems to be consistent for all of the iPods as well.

[ iaPeel ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Billed as the “World’s only Apple-certified solar charger carrying case” the new Solar Surge from Novothink for the iPhone 3G/3GS and the iPod Touch lets you harvest the sun’s energy to replenish your device’s less than epic battery. According to the Novothink website, “2 hours of direct solar exposure provides about 30 minutes of talk time on a 3G network or 60 minutes of talk time on a 2G network”, but if the sun hasn’t made an appearance you can always fall back to the included USB cable for charging its built-in lithium-ion polymer battery.

A series of 4 multi-colored LEDs on the back of the case lets you see the battery’s remaining charge, and they’ll also let you know if there’s enough light available to actually take advantage of the built-in solar cell. In fact Novothink has even gone above and beyond the call of duty by providing their free Solar Planner app for either device, which provides an estimate of how long you’ll have to leave the Surge in the sun to maintain your iPhone or Touch’s battery level, depending on the current weather conditions and your location.

Eventually available in 6 different colors, the Surge for the iPhone runs $79.95, while the single colored iPod Touch model is currently on sale for $52.95.

[ Novothink Solar Surge iPhone & iPod Touch Charging Case ]

By Evan Ackerman

Computers spend a lot of time thinking that they’re smarter than us. Like, with USB: your computer figures that it’ll just start firing up all of its software and whatnot whenever you plug something in, like your iPod or iPhone. Well, you know what? Sometimes we don’t want to sync our data. Sometimes we don’t want to automatically fire up iTunes and spend 10 minutes backing up our iPhones when we just needed a little bit of a charge, and God forbid the iPhone gets plugged into a different computer that tries to delete all of the music that’s on it…

You know what? NO.

Hence, this USB cable with a little switch that lets you decide whether you want a data connection, or just a power connection. The iPod/iPhone version is $13, and there are other USB adapters for $10 each. Yes, it’s more expensive than a cable without the switch, but if you don’t get one, you’re basically just admitting that your computer is smarter than you, and then the machines win. I mean, you don’t hate humanity, do you? Do you?

[ USB Fever ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]