Apple iPod Accessories

When you charge your iPhone or iPod, you expect to make it through a full day of use without charging again. How many times have you been talking only to realize you are out of power and you have to start thinking about charging in the middle of a call? It is never a convenient time to run out of juice. Well, Griffin Technology knows you need a little stored up energy to get you to the charging station. The PowerBlock Reserve and the PowerJolt Reserve each hold and charge a Reserve Battery Pack for your iPhone and iPod.

Now, you can unplug your gear, and take a little more power with you in the Reserve Battery Pack from Griffin. The PowerBlock Reserve has an MSRP of $39.99 as does the PowerJolt Reserve. The PowerDuo Reserve is $59.99. The PowerDuo Reserve is both PowerBlock and PowerJolt in one price.

I like the light meter on the Reserve Battery Pack that tells you how much power remains – it is an Apple battery signature, and Griffin compliments Apple with this feature.

We've all done it: left for a day away from the house or office with our favorite iPod or iPhone, only to discover the dreaded battery symbol is only one third filled, or worse, flashing. While this would have been little more than a nuisance in the past, in today's ever-connected world, not being available can be far more costly.

Fortunately, thanks to Belkin's Dual Auto Charger, you won't have to suffer, or even decide which product is more important. With its two USB ports, both your iPhone and iPod can find a home before their day-long adventures. Fortunately for the user in a hurry, it works under quick-charge and won't delay your adventure. Tell your friends not to worry – the USB ports are compatible with many kinds of technology, not just Apple.

At thirty dollars, people on the road for long periods of time may well find the Dual Auto Charger to be a boon.

The BIG screen being your 16:9 ratio HDTV home television. In our home we use the Apple cables to watch our iPod and iPhone content on the television. These cables are great for traveling with kids too. ezGear has an April special for $29 for this cable made for your iPod or iPhone. The cables that provide the same function from Apple are $49 on the Apple Web site. ezGear is an effective, affordable solution for this cable.

We call the video on the iPhone the electronic babysitter. You can go anywhere with the kids and to ask them politely to sit down and be quiet, but that doesn't work as well as handing a handheld video machine over – especially one with games! When traveling, we simply buy the kids some of their favorite content from the Apple iTunes store, and it becomes a plug and play solution. Most new cars with video solutions also come with the proper connections for this cable set. It is worth the money to buy these at this price.

More information is available at www.ezgear.com/iPod/ezGearVideoCable.html.

We all know what spring brings us…rain. After all, "April showers bring May flowers", right? To help protect your gear from the elements is the Micro Case Series from Pelican.

The Pelican Micro Case Series protects cell phones, PDA's, important papers, and more from damp and rainy weather. They are crushproof (can withstand up to a 5,000 lb truck!), are watertight and have an automatic purge valve. The cases come with an impact absorbing inner liner that absorbs shock and keeps your devices completely waterproof.

Available in four colors (black, red, blue and yellow), Pelican Micro cases start in price at only $9.42 at CableOrganizer.com. That's a mighty low price to protect your investment…

The new Armor Series cases from OtterBox are cool. Like this Apple iPod nano fourth generation case, for example. It features impact-absorbing rubber on all sides to protect your iPod from impact. This case - as well as other OtterBox cases - can be submerged up to a yard (3 feet) under water. It protects against dust and dirt too.

I have a few of the small waterproof OtterBox products. They are perfect when traveling, camping, boating and more. I primarily store Compact Flash (CF) cards in the small OtterBox when traveling.

There are some bigger cases as well from OtterBox. We have a staff photographer who keeps a large OtterBox case in his SUV. His DSLR is always with him, and the foam filled OtterBox gives him peace of mind.

Visit www.otterbox.com for more information and to view their wide selection of protective cases.

Scosche just announced the availability of the new reCOIL mobile charger for the iPod and iPhone.

The reCOIL allows you to conveniently charge your iPod or iPhone by plugging the device into your vehicle's 12V power/accessory outlet. The reCOIL's retractable cord charges your iPod and iPhone neatly, keeping it tangle-free, and features a magnetic locking dock connector to mount in your vehicle when not in use.

The reCOIL is priced at $29.99 and is available now at www.Scosche.com.

Speck is bringing their fashionable "fitted" hard shell cases, which are very popular among iPhone 3G users, to the iPod touch 2G and iPod nano 4G. These stylish cases come in female friendly patterns, materials and colors.

The new patterns include BubbleSpotDot Aqua and CheeryPlum Purple for the iPod nano 4G and Lovely Roger White/Pink, Lovely Roger Black/Grey and CheeryPlum Purple for the iPod touch 2G. The new styles are made out of durable, textured vinyl creatively wrapped over a protective hard shell case.

The cases for the iPod nano 4G and iPod touch 2G are available in colors and styles that express the personality of the user as they browse through songs, videos and podcasts. The simple case is a custom-fit design that allows full access to viewing the screen, controls, ports and plugs.

Speck cases for the iPod nano 4G also feature a clear, hard shell front with click-wheel opening to protect from scratches. All fitted cases are priced at $29.95 MSRP.