MP3 Players & Accessories

About a month ago, I received a sample of the BodyGuardz Skins for my 4G iPod nano. When I opened up the package I thought, "Wow. Do I really want to go to the trouble of trying this out?" The application looked rather difficult, but once I viewed the video online, it helped out tremendously. And, boy, am I glad I did! You see, BodyGuardz Skins are custom-made transparent protectors for your mobile devices. They protect against scratches and wear and tear of just about every mobile device out there (iPhones, Blackberry, cell phones, iPods…even your MacBook). And wouldn't you know it, only a day after I put BodyGuardz on my iPod, my son knocked it out of my car and it went sliding on the concrete. I was scared. I knew that BodyGuardz is made of material that protects your car, but thought for sure that it would have at least ONE scratch on it. I slowly walked over to my iPod to examine it…and do you know what? Not one single scratch! Thank you BodyGuardz!

BodyGuardz Skins are available at www.bodyguardz.com for $24.95 for full body protection or $14.95 for screen protection…and if you ask me…worth every penny.

Similar to Vuzix eyewear products, Mobintech will be launching their new Digital Display Glasses for mobile TV at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 trade show in Las Vegas.

These Personal Display Glasses (PDGs, as Mobintech calls them) are said to have a better picture quality, and almost double the battery life as compared to watching TV on your mobile phone. Mobintech also says that when combined with the stereo earplugs, it is equivalent to watching TV at home on a 30” TV.

They will be available in four colors: red, white, black and silver. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced. Perhaps we’ll find out more as CTIA gets closer.Read more

Nextar, known mostly for their GPS systems and digital photo frames, just announced a new super-thin audio/video player. The MA809 portable media player sports a 2.8-inch screen and comes with a built-in speaker, Micro SD media slot and supports 20 languages. And get this – it’s only .25 inches thin and weighs just 7 ounces!

It will be available in Q2 2009 with an MSRP of $99.99 for 2GB capacity, $119.99 for 4GB capacity, and $149.99 for the 8GB capacity model. Read more

You don't need me to tell you that times are tough. Some of us are brave and will tackle the depressing news head-on, but for the rest of us, escapism is looking more pleasant by the day. Television is the ultimate in escapism, because, regardless of whatever else is going on, your full attention is devoted to the program for that blissful and problem-less hour.

Vuzix's latest product, the iWear AV310 Widescreen, is the epitome of escapism. Looking like regular glasses, the iWear AV310 provides a 52-inch virtual screen to the person wearing them. Weighing less than four ounces and lasting upwards of 11 hours on one single AA battery, the glasses allow the ultimate escape from reality.

As interesting and desirable as this product is, Vuzix is in-tune enough to know that consumers can't be shelling out too much money right now. That's why the AV310 Widescreen costs only about $250.

You can always bet that as soon as a new iPod product is announced, accessories will not be far behind. In fact, today I found information on two new headphones for the 3rd generation shuffle from both Klipsch and Scosche. Here is the scoop:

Scosche is currently developing three earphone models for the iPod shuffle. The IDR350M, IDR450M and IDR650M are all noise isolating earphones that feature an integrated control surface. Users can control play, pause, adjust volume, skip tracks, navigate playlists and hear the name of the song and artist. If you own an iPod touch, nano or 120GB iPod classic, you can also record voice memos thanks to its miniature microphone built into the back of the control surface. The headphones are expected to be available this spring and range in price from $49.99 to $99.99.

Scosche is also developing an inline control adapter kit which will let you use any standard set of headphones and enjoy all of the features of the third generation iPod shuffle. The inline control also allows users to plug their shuffle into any vehicles auxiliary input and maintain full control of the iPod. Visit www.scosche.com for more info. Read more

Klipsch, known for their high quality audio products, just introduced a cheaper alternative for those who still want excellent sound quality in their headphones, but at a less expensive price point. The new Image S4 and S2 in-ear headphones are priced at $79 and $49 respectively, yet still feature the same ear tips used in their pricier headphones – which can cost up to $350.

What make the S4 and S2 different are their oval ear tips that comfortably fit into your ear canals, blocking out almost all outside noise. Other headphones with their circular design can get uncomfortable after a period of time, but not these! The people at Klipsch have put a lot of time and effort into making affordable, comfortable high-performance headphones.

The Image S4 will be available in April for $79 in a piano black and silver finish and include three different-sized oval ear tips (a small/medium dual flange design as well as medium and large single flange designs), an ear tip cleaning tool and an aluminum case.

The Image S2 will be available in July for $49 in a piano black finish and include three different-sized oval ear tips (small, medium and large) and a cloth “Snap-tite” carrying pouch. Read more

I don’t know if I’ve been living under a rock lately or what, but I had no clue that Apple was going to be announcing a new iPod shuffle today. Much to my surprise, this new shuffle is nearly half the size of the previous model…and get this…it TALKS to you. With its VoiceOver feature, the new shuffle can speak your song titles, artists and playlist names. It is smaller than a AA battery and can hold up to 1,000 songs.

The third generation 4GB iPod shuffle is now available in silver or black for $79 through the Apple Store.

Read more

I opened up my email this morning and noticed information about a product called eFizz. eFizz? Is this a new kitchen appliance? Or some gadget that takes away the carbonation in my two-liter Coke Zero? Boy was I wrong! It is a Swiss made (in conjunction with Cabasse, a HI-FI French speaker manufacture) iPod dock and sound system just now shipping in the United States.

Not your usual dock/sound system, this baby has 70 watts of power! The Ewoo eFizz also includes a 2-way HandMusic remote that mirrors your iPod (cover art included) onto the 1.8" color screen of the remote control. That is, as long as you’re within 500 feet of the device.

The eFizz is compatible with all iPod’s (iPhone and iPod touch too), starting from the Nano G1. The price is kind of steep at $499.99, but you want the music from your iPod to sound good, right?