Fans of the Evil Dead franchise may have heard of a remake of the 1981 cult classic. It’s the one franchise that made Bruce Campbell famous playing the chainsaw armed Ash and Sam Raimi as director (unfortunately he went on to direct other things like the flop that was Spider Man). So it has come to this: one of the defining pillars of geekdom is being remade after 30 years. Think about it, geeks: Army of Darkness is really just as old as the NASA Space Shuttle Program.

So, while we wait for the remake of Ash’s time warp into the medieval era, it might not be a coincidence that the Evil Dead franchise has subcontracted game developers to build two iOS games for both the iPad and iPhone. As to whether the game was initiated by .. err .. MGM or the devs, I have no idea.

Army of Darkness Defense

I’ve already reviewed this in a previous post. It’s one of those games that you WON”T end up deleting after letting it tease you for 5 minutes. This is one of my iPad staples.

When I first reviewed the app, I had just acquired archer support. Now, I’m well into my 40′s and have unlocked the hero, Arthur. Army of Darkness Defense is pretty straightforward — you run back and forth killing Deadites and you can get a level done in less than 5 minutes. That’s pretty much how we roll.

Download here (STILL FREE)

Now if you’re looking for a little bit more RPG, you might want to consider Evil Dead, the mother franchise of Army of Darkness.

The Evil Dead HD

Updated recently, Evil Dead is a top down action shooter that’s got more story in it that AoD. You basically re-enact the movie starring Bruce Campbell from a not-so-quite bird’s eye view. The premise is pretty simple: in each level, you have to guide Ash through pathways to reach a certain objective while picking up weapons and mowing down enemies.

It’s a dungeon crawler, ladies and gents, with controls that are a bit off and well … the game really doesn’t feel as polished as AoD. Remember playing an old retro favorite called Alone in the Dark? Well that’s how the 3D polygons look like. It’s a tad disappointing as aiming my boom stick is pretty screwed up and I can plow through my ammo without actually hitting anything.

Download here (STILL FREE)

All in all, if you’re a huge fan of the Evil Dead series, both these games are worth getting — simply because they’re FREE for a limited time only. AoD trumps Evil Dead but Deadites are Deadites and if mowing them down with your chainsaw is something you fancy, then by all means grab both!

There were some jaws that had to be picked up off the floor this morning when Apple held its latest media event. Emceed as ever by Steve Jobs, the event was primarily about Apple updating its entire line of iPods, but it was a handful of other announcements that stole the show.

Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know.

1) Ping. Perhaps the biggest news of the entire press conference: Apple has entered the Social Media War with its very own social network. But instead of making it a network about anything and everything, Apple has shrewdly zeroed in on one aspect of its business that it would be most beneficial to add social features to: music on iTunes.

Ping works much like Facebook, but it’s all about music, allowing fans, musicians, and friends to be easily linked together, so you can see what your friends are buying, thinking, what concerts they’re going to, and more. It’s pretty nifty, but it should be interesting to see if users who are used to doing their social networking on the web will be willing to give that up; Ping works only inside iTunes, or your iPhone or iPod. Ping comes with iTunes 10.0, a brand new version of iTunes, which should be available to download for free shortly, with its shiny new CD-less icon.

2) AppleTV. New 99¢ TV show rentals are certain to hasten Cable’s demise, and could take a good chunk of satellite TV as well. Imagine new TV show episodes available to rent for one dollar, and every TV show imaginable is available. If you watch fewer than 50 or so new episodes of TV a month (and most of us probably do), then what reason is there for subscribing to cable or DirecTV anymore? Movie rentals are $5, day and date with DVD releases. The big AppleTV upgrade also unveiled an entirely new device that’s only 1/4 the size of the original, ditches hard drive storage in favor of rentals from-the-cloud, and even adds streaming from Netflix. And it costs $99, a fraction of the old device’s price.

3) iPods. The entire line of iPods (except the iPod Classic) got a complete overhaul. The Nano and Shuffle are now very nearly the same size — a tiny little square clip-on doodad — only the Nano comes with a small touchscreen. The iPod Touch is even thinner than before (apparently Steve isn’t going to be satisfied until it’s a razor blade), while adding front and back cameras for picture and video taking, as well as FaceTime, the iPhone’s much-ballyhooed video chat app. Available next week.

4) iOS 4.1. The first major upgrade to iOS 4 fixes a lot of bugs and adds GameCenter — essentially Apple’s version of Xbox Live. Gamer profiles, leaderboards, multiplayer matching, the works. It’ll be a free download for iOS 4 users. iOS 4.2 is planned for November, and brings all of the iOS 4 stuff to the iPad.

Does this scenario seem familiar?  Your beloved music collection is in your iPod and your computer.  For some reason, your iTunes library is incomplete, corrupted, or empty.  Or maybe you reformatted your hard drive and lost all the data.  Whatever the reason, you want – you need – to transfer your iPod files to your computer.

Now anyone who has tried to do this would know that it is not the simple matter that it is when transferring files from the computer to the iPod.  Due to all sorts of copyright issues, transferring music from the iPod has not been made easy.

That’s where software like CopyTrans comes into the picture.  This nifty piece of software comes from WindSolutions, which was founded in 2004.  The latest version of CopyTrans is perfect for iPod users – all the different kinds – as it is iTunes 9 ready.  The interface is pretty (yeah, that matters to me) and intuitive.  Even technologically-challenged people will not have difficulty using this.

The software offers two modes of operation:

1. Smart Backup
2. Manual Backup.

Smart Backup is perfect for those who do not have much time or patience.  All you need to do is click on a single button and the software will transfer all your files  – songs, videos, etc. – to the computer.  It is also “smart” enough to detect existing files so that no duplicates are made, and only the missing files will be copied.  Manual Backup provides more flexibility for those who know exactly what they want to do and which files they want to manipulate.

How much will this set you back?  A mere $19.99.  There are other products available in the site – go check them out.

Everyone’s favorite Sith Lord (like you were going to vote for someone else?) is now available in cuddly, cute, Hello-Kitty fashion with these new skins by Infectious. Dubbed the “pink.invader,” this skin is available in several different sticky flavors, for your lappy, iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, or Trapper-Keeper notebook. Alright, we made that last one up, but only because our Trapper Keeper had Optimus Prime on it, and it doesn’t get much more badass than that. Designer Michael Sison worked this bad boy up for Infectious, and he’s got another cool design too,  with retro Gameboy skins for the handhelds.

Now I get it; This particular skin may not be for everybody. That’s why you can check out the site and pick out anything else you’d rather have from their hundreds of designs, or create your own. There’s even some love for the Apple fanboys and girls out there, with special skins with the trademark glowing Apple logo cut out of the design. I’ve had dibs on this one for the past few months now, and someday I’m gonna get that thing. Alternatively, you can also just design your own, and have it look like whatever you want.

I can personally attest to the wear quality of these things, too. My wife picked up one over a year ago for her iPhone 3G, and it’s been holding strong ever since with no sign of wear and tear anywhere.

This compact desktop companion features a dock that’ll take a range of iPhone or iPod models, plus a separate dock at the back that is ready fitted with a 500GB, Mac formatted portable hard drive.

The dock has two USB 2.0 ports while the hard drive has a single USB and FireWire 400/800 port.

Naturally, as it’s ready to use with Mac, it offers Time Machine compatibility, and it comes with a variety of adapters to fit most iPod models.

Available next month at around £199 in the UK (about $300)

The AR.Drone is a quadricopter (central cockpit and four propellers) that’s fully controllable via an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Operating over Wi-Fi, it features two cameras. One is used to allow the drone to sense its height and speed, which pictures from the second are relayed back to the iPhone where they can be used either as-is or as part of “Augmented Reality” games.

Various onboard technology, including three axes accelerometer and gyro and an ultrasound sensor, helps to compensate for environmental factors such as wind when flying the drone outside and makes the drone very easy to fly. The iPhone’s accelerometer is put to full use in controlling its flight.

What’s exciting is that Parrot have offered an open environment for games developers, so we could start to see games that use the drone. Even so, it’s exciting enough just to have the drone as it is.

Exact pricing and availability is still be confirmed, though it’s expected to be available this year.

Parrot

What’s the point in that, you may be thinking. Well, how many times have you heard of stories about people getting their iPod snatched away by some low life scum? I remember when I got my first iPod – no one really recognized what it was so it wasn’t that “thief-friendly.” These days, though, iPods are prime targets.

With this cool Walkman iPod case, though, you can protect your iPod from hungry eyes and quick hands. As you can see in the picture, the case looks just like a Walkman that almost everybody used way back when. Now imagine walking around the city or taking the train or bus. If you are the type who doesn’t like other people staring at your modern iPod, you would find this case really handy – no one will take any interest in stealing your “Walkman.”

The case was made with the classic iPod in mind, I heard that they have some for the other models as well. One thing that I would like is a case that looks like the black Walkman. That looks so much better than this red shiny thing. Just because I want a nondescript case, it doesn’t mean that I want something that is not aesthetically pleasing!

The Steve Jobs-led Cupertino-based company pushed out a number of products, and while not all were raging commercial successes, they all exuded that certain “Appleness” that fanboys love and competitors try not to admit to but are secretly green with envy about.

So here, in no particular order, are my top ten Apple products from 2000-2009.

You’re bound to disagree with some, if not all, of them, so please leave your own thoughts in the comments below.

iPod

Although it feels as if the iPod has been around forever, it was in fact introduced in the October of 2001.

The beginning of the decade saw a wave of white earbuds being worn on public transport, increasing as Windows-compatible iPods became available and as the number of different iPod models increased and popularity soared.

Though criticised for tying users into the iTunes software and for heavy DRM on tracks bought from the store, there’s no denying that the iPod has been one of Apple’s biggest successes of all time, propelling it into the mainstream consumer electronics market where before it had relied the small market share of its line of computers.

There have been six generations of standard (now referred to as classic) iPods, with an increasing feature set including larger colour screens, video and downloadable games.

Additionally, a range of other media players were spawned off the back of the iPod, including the Shuffle, Nano and Touch.

Typically expensive, other media players often offered more features and better sound quality for less money, yet the Apple faithful (and many new converts) continue to buy iPod in all its variants. Many even stick to the standard white earbuds.

iPhone

A top Apple product list wouldn’t be complete without the iPhone.

Rumoured for ages before its eventual release in the summer of 2007, it has arguably done to the mobile space what the iPod has done for portable music players.

While many well-established cellphone manufacturers continue to push out a myriad of different handsets, hoping to appeal to a wide section of the population, Apple has to date launched just three iPhone handsets: the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, all with increasing functionality, network connectivity and speed.

Though Apple has been criticised both for some hardware decisions (non-removable battery, initial proprietary headphone socket) and business ones (locking to one mobile carrier) the iPhone has been a phenomenal success for Apple.

Power Mac G4 Cube

The Cube was not one of Apple’s greatest successes but it was certainly an eye-catcher when it launched in the year 2000.

The Cube measured just eight inches cubed and was suspended in a ten-inch tall acrylic enclosure.

This wasn’t a machine you bought if you were going for the highest specification G4 available, as you could get more powerful (but visually less interesting) Macs for less money.

However, in a world of beige PC boxes (and let’s not forget that Apple itself made some pretty lousy-looking boxes in the ’90s) it was a breath of fresh air.

Not the only one, of course, as in the 2000s we also saw the…

iMac G4

The iMac has been through a whole host of changes, from the all-in-one G3 iMacs in a range of colours through to today’s Quad Core iMacs, but for me this was the first iMac that had me drooling.

It featured a fully movable display and a hemispherical base in which all the other components were stored, plus a front-facing optical drive.

Not only did it look fantastic but it also had its own range of Pixar-created TV ads.

The iMac G4 was definitely the Mac to be seen with, particularly if you were working in a design agency or other creative profession.

Power Mac G5

Though Apple has come under fire for its claims surrounding the speed and performance of the various chipsets it has used, it’s hard to deny the power of the Power Mac G5 line of computers.

Definitely aimed at the power-hungry professional, and including a dual core version, they were 64-bit computers with a rugged, anodised aluminium chassis.

The Power Mac G5 was the last in the line of professional Macs based on PowerPC architecture, superseded by the Intel-based Mac Pro.

Cinema Display 24″

Apple has created some fairly impressive displays over the years, but the 24-inch LED-backlit model, designed to complement modern Mac laptops, is one of the best.

Yes, you can get the incredible 30-inch cinema display, but this display not only features the latest LED display technology but also a range of complementary features such as iSight camera, MagSafe connector, USB hub, speaker system and built-in microphone.

A great display when you’re ready to work at a desk, or hook it up to a Mac Mini and use it as a TV.

Mac Mini

Ahh yes, the Mac Mini. Perhaps the evolution of the Cube, it has spanned the PowerPC and Intel gap, first released in 2005 with a G4 processor.

It was always promoted for its small form factor, and while it wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some of Apple’s other Macs, it could certainly be hidden away or placed on a small section of desktop.

It is fairly well suited for use in a home theatre setup and is an interesting machine for users to upgrade.

OS X

The big cats of the Unix-based Mac OS X began roaring in 2001 (1999 if you include the Server version) and have progressed through Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard.

Moving to OS X for the new millennium was a far from pain-free process, not least for many users who were used to System 9.x (or earlier) operating systems and whose software relied on it.

However, it’s probably been one of the best software moves Apple has made. It has made transitioning to Intel-based hardware a lot easier, offers a high level of reliability and security, and allows easier Windows compatibility for those that need it.

With OS X, Apple has created and continues to develop an OS and variants that can be used across a range of its hardware including the latest iPods, iPhone, Apple TV, as well as its line of desktop and laptop computers.

iMac Quad Core

I’ve picked the latest iMac because it’s both powerful and beautifully designed.

I must be honest, I’m not a great fan of all-in-one systems, despite having picked two of them for the top ten, but I’m going to make an exception for these babies.

Grab a 27-inch LED-backlit display and a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and put it all in a seamless aluminium casing and you have one heck of a computer.

Apple has proved that, while the really power-hungry user may still want to invest in a Mac Pro, prosumers will still get an amazing system with the latest display and processor technology with an iMac.

MacBook Air

Touted as the thinnest, lightest notebook of all time when first launched, the MacBook Air has been imitated and criticised, but it continues Apple’s commitment to seamless, visually appealing design in both its desktop and notebook computers.

Granted, you have to pay a lot more money for a less powerful system than you’d get from a MacBook Pro, you don’t get an optical drive or a lot of expansion options, and Apple continues its policy of non-removable batteries, but it’s still not hard to fall in love with the Air.

So there you are. That’s my selection of ten Apple products from the last decade. What’s your favourite?

Get your daily Apple fix at the Apple Gazette.

Clearly not, as there’s a big red line under it in my text editor, but I think it has to be one for next year’s update of the Oxford English Dictionary, because it seems that you can stick an iPod on just about everything these days.

Take an everyday object and iPodify it by sticking an iPod-friendly dock on it.

Electrolux wants to iPodify one of its own products: a vacuum cleaner.

My first impression is a definite WTF because vacuuming is not generally known as a quiet activity. Yet the home appliance giant reckons it has created a cleaner that is “as silent as normal conversation”.

In other words, you can do the vacuuming and listen to your music at the same time thanks to the dock and built-in speakers.

Of course you need to have conducted a research study, too, and Electrolux has found that people get the vacuuming done more quickly and with less stress when listening to music.

That’s all very well, but if this wonder cleaner is so quiet, why can’t I just use my regular hi-fi to listen to music?

Via

Taking a look at the gadgets on sale today, I realized that I am not alone – people want toys to go with their workout routines; and I am not only talking about mp3 players! For those of you who want to work on becoming fitter in the coming months, here are great gadget ideas that will entice you to shed those pounds off.

Nike Plus Sportsband
This is the standalone version of the Nike + iPod nano tandem that was released several years back. The idea of the original gadget was to have a sensor inserted into a slot, which some Nike shoes have. This sensor will then send back data wirelessly to your iPod nano; data such as your pace and the distance you’ve covered. This standalone version does away with the need for an iPod, if you do not want one (I can’t imagine why!) and only costs about $60.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT
As much as I like the Nike + iPod tandem, this other gadget has more to offer. More than giving you information on your pace and distance, the new Garmin Forerunner also has a heart rate monitor option. For someone who is obsessed with heart rate while exercising, this is perfect as I do not have to manually count how fast my heart is beating. This model also works under water for up to 165 feet – perfect for triathletes! It’s quite expensive at $350, though.

Good thing for us, we can find all sorts of gadgets and toys to lessen the headache that traveling can bring. Here are some of my favorites – some I have and more on my wish list.

1. Apple iPod or any mp3 player. I was having second thoughts about writing “any mp3 player” as most people I know will not accept anything but an iPod, but the point is to have music to soothe you or to pump you up while waiting for your flight or while you’re trying to get over your fear of flying.
2. Kindle or any other e-book reader. I do not have a Kindle, although I wouldn’t mind getting one this Christmas. What I use is the PSP, and it works perfectly well. There’s nothing like reading to pass time!
3. Netbook. A MUST. It combines the functions of items 1 and 2 plus more. Having a netbook handy can help you tune out the crowd as you watch movies, surf the net, write, listen to music, or play a game. I also like to lug around my USB wireless Internet dongle with me as I have no assurance of access to the Internet everywhere I go.

And what’s on your geek travel bag?

The two devices have a similar shape, so were disassembled and then the iPod’s circuit board was connected up to the Apple Remote’s buttons.

There’s also some other clever stuff going on in there — without headphones it functions as the Apple Remote, but when the headphones are connected the device works like an iPod and automatically shuts off anything playing in iTunes on the associated Mac – though apparently it still functions as a remote which could get a tad annoying.

Anyway, it’s a cool little hack if only for its own sake.

Via

Get it for little more than $300 (WTF!?) from BBTS.

Anyhow, it got me reading up on more Walkman stories, and one of the most interesting that I ran across is Scott Campbell’s little experiment. Scott is a 13-year-old kid who has used an mp3 player most of his life. When challenged to swap his iPod for a Walkman for one week, he didn’t realize just how much of an adventure he was in for.

The BBC featured his review and comparison of the two portable music players. It was quite amusing to read his thoughts:

My dad had told me it was the iPod of its day.

He had told me it was big, but I hadn’t realised he meant THAT big. It was the size of a small book.

When I saw it for the first time, its colour also struck me. Nowadays gadgets come in a rainbow of colours but this was only one shade – a bland grey.

His dad’s Walkman must have been way older than mine – mine is black and not THAT big (at least I think so!). Anyway, you can read the rest of his story here.

Maybe you have your own nostalgic moments about the Walkman? Any interesting stories of your own?

Designed by Rhea Jeong and inspired by water droplets and musical notation, it has a tumbler toy built in to the base meaning that it will always self right itself.

In addition, spinning or pushing the speaker in different directions can be used to operate the iPod. Left and right (with the Shuffle facing you) would skip back and forward a track, front to back would pause and resume the music, while spinning it one way or the other would adjust the volume.

How about one for the iPod touch?

My finished wood ipod mini. This has been such a fun project for me. It’s handmade (with special thanks to my 8yr old dremel) from Australian red cedar, Camphor Laurel for the clickwheel, brass plates, brass screws and the guts from the first ipod i ever had.
I was given a new ipod mini for christmas and I just couldn’t leave my trusty old mini to sit unused somewhere. So I decided to finally try a wooden shell mod on him that I had wanted to do for a long time.

More photos at the Wooden iPod Mini set on Flickr.

They have a total of nine in their list, here are the most appealing to me.

Hotel Gansevoort
Located in the meatpacking district of New York, rooms don’t come cheap here. But then, you get free WiFi, 42-inch LCD TVs, CD players, alarm clocks with iPod docks, in room safes, and Wii consoles by request. Can’t beat that, can you?

Seattle Hotel Monaco
Considered a boutique hotel, this is relatively low-tech compared to many. The main selling point for me is their Guitar Hero social hour, from 5:00-6:00 pm. Perfect time to relax before going out for the night!

Peninsula Tokyo
Of course, we can’t talk about hi-tech without mentioning Japan. This hotel has all the hi-tech amenities that one can ever want. From nail dryers to fax machines to espresso makers to heated toilets – ultimate hi-tech luxury!

Pod Hotel
For the budget traveler in NYC, this hotel sounds perfect. Rooms start at less than $100 but you get iPod docking stations, LCD TVs, and their Pod Community Blog, which is a veritable treasure trove of information.

Check out the whole list here.

Apple seems to be making raves around the tech video blog these days because they have just released their new version of the iPod Shuffle with a refreshing new design and one unexpected feature. Loaded with Natalie del Conti has scooped-out Cali Lewis of Geekbrief.tv with this release (though I’m sure they’ve got a quite different following anyway), but knowing Cali she’d bounce back with a fun take and a close-eye on the new iPod Shuffle. I wouldn’t be surprised if she would clip it to her nose as a gleeful gesture. She’s a Mac. :)

Well, ok… it’s still a clip-on (and I wouldn’t have it any other way) yet this time it seems to follow the shape a small clothes pin. I can tell you the iPod Shuffle has not seen any product revision and yes, it is really due for a re-design. Great for Apple because if they waited a little more, this product line may have seen the end of its life.

It comes in two colors only, as a debut, silver and black. It’s literally “faceless” except for the Apple logo because the usual controls were moved from the iPod itself to its wires. Hmmm… not too sure about this Apple, it may have been better off placed in the iPod Shuffle itself. Question now for everyone is… “so does this mean I always need to buy a replacement earphone set from Apple?”

Well, what’s really interesting is this new “Voice Over” feature. Somehow, Apple has squeezed a “voice” inside the new iPod Shuffle that can audibly tell you what the song’s title is and the artist name.

“Musically speaking, the new iPod shuffle is brilliant, thanks to an exciting new feature called VoiceOver. Say you?re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you as the music dips down. It even announces the names of your playlists. And when your battery needs charging, VoiceOver tells you that, too.”

It begins selling at Apple.com right now, at the moment they are accepting reservations. Unit price… about US$79.

Check out the features below:

- Smallest iPod shuffle ever
- 4GB of storage (up to 1,000 songs)
- Easy access controls
- VoiceOver – tells you song titles, artists, and playlist titles through your headphones
- Durable, anodised aluminium case with stainless steel clip

There’s a reason for that, Steve. No-one else would be silly enough to put that feature on their players – and even if they did, they wouldn’t shout about it.

OK, it’s a lot smaller as well, but it’s only a 4GB player so, really, what’s the big (or should I say small) deal there?

No, the amazing feature is that Apple is using VoiceOver technology (presumably in the same irritating voices that come in Mac OS X) so that the shuffle can tell you the name of your tracks, artists and playlists.

Of course, the main reason that you’d need this is because the shuffle has no display. Seriously, though, is anyone going to put on four gigs of music onto their shuffle and really not have a clue what they’re listening to?

Part of the problem is that the shuffle is trying to compete with higher capacity models. Back when it only had 512MB, it was unlikely that you were going to need to worry about playlists and huge swathes of songs. Now it’s got 4GB, it’s more complicated to find out exactly what’s on the SSD when you’re away from the computer.

I can see this being used for practical jokes by renaming playlists and songs on iTunes and then giving it to an unsuspecting friend who then gets sworn at by their new toy. Or, imagine if the shuffle could get viruses (I think it’s impossible, but just imagine) – something a bit like that virus that appeared on PCs that told computer users they were idiots, then farted at them. Now that would be much more fun.

Still, if you like the idea you can get the new shuffle for $79. You don’t have to turn VoiceOver on.

The Phonofone is a retro-designed speaker set for your iPod. What you may not know is that this isn’t powered by AC nor DC.

Through passive amplification alone, these unique pieces instantly transform any personal music player + earbuds into a sculptural audio console. Without the use of external power or batteries, the Phonofone II inventively exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to up to 55 decibels.

NOW you tell me if it’s still worth US$600… for the amount of technology (or retro-technology) this has… the price sure is just about right. And while this isn’t your ideal party piece… it certainly makes your pad a little more sophisticated.

It might say on the box that it plays MP3s, but it sure does a lot more than that. The Samsung YP-P3 is as you can see an attractive player and is arriving in the UK later this month. There’s a wonderfully high resolution display that has haptic (touch screen) to acknowledge your finger presses. It’s worth mentioning that the 3 inch screen is WQVGA – which produces an extremely clear image.

Also of benefit is the ability to use various EmoDio widgets on the YP-P3 – a throwback from the Tocco interface – and these widgets are (apart from being handy) quite interesting little things. Don’t expect google maps but do expect a few little games and similar.

Media support is very extensive, with coverage for MP3, WMA, OGG and many, many more. Video playback (yes, it does video and pictures) is inclusive of the usual formats you’d expect for something of this size, though I didn’t find anything to support DIVX. Other features include an FM radio, built in microphone and an internal speaker.

There are a few different versions of the player that will be available, from 4 to 32GB – meaning that there should be one for just about every budget. If like me you prefer your products non-Apple, then you can do worse than this Samsung player, though I’d still argue that Creative offer probably the best MP3 players on the market.

Only just created but immensely popular already, our Dept. of WTF continues to grow with this Pringles iPod dock by Nick M.

I made this project for a friend in about an hour. It is al made from found parts laying around our apartment. I uses a set of speakers, and an ipod charging cable. The entire project cost around 5 dollars and was quite fun. The project requires nothing but the can itself, a set of speakers, hot glue, ipod cable (if you want), and an exacto knife. The can holds itself up.

2 Points for creativity, minus 5 for looks and probably another minus 5 for sound quality.

Via Neatorama.

This is real, no joke at all! Just before I hit the sack I tried pulling up Amazon.com to see what is there I can find interest in. Page after page was all too boring, but when it’s time to hit the final click… viola! The iCarta iPod dock tissue dispenser! LOL.

Currently on-sale is one used and one unused unit. Boy, will that used unit stay there forever!

This seems to drive my suspicion a little further that they’re making iPod docs out of everything these days… there’s the iLamp, the iChair, the iEverything… now the iI’veseeneverything! The iCartca tissue dispenser for the toilet.

Here’s a brush stroke of features for you:

- Made For iPod – Compatible with all iPod models with dock connectors
- Audio selector allows you to play iPod shuffle or other Audio device
- 4 Integrated high performance moisture-free speakers deliver exceptional clarity and high quality sound – Speakers – 2 tweeters for highs, 2 woofers for lows
- Integrated Bath tissue holder that can be easily folded as a stereo dock
- Requires AC Power (AC Adapter included)

You can get one right here.

Will Steve Jobs be happy with this??? hmmmm….

Apple’s Let’s Rock event has finished and Steve Jobs did not disappoint in announcing new revamps in its mammoth bestseller iPod line.

The announcements have been across the board with all of the iPod products. First is that the iPod Classic now has just a single model, the 120GB. The new model though is much slender from its previous incarnation.

The biggest change is in the iPod Nano line, which gets a radical new form factor. The speculations about the Nano have been largely spot-on. It’s now rectangular with a portrait screen. It can also detect when the player is titled allowing people to view movies from a widescreen viewing ratio. The Nano also incorporate the new Genius feature that was introduced in iTunes 8. This allows for making playlists on the fly. Oh, and voice recording is now a standard feature for the Nano, which makes it so useful for students who want to record their teacher’s lectures.

The iPod Touch also gets some new features like the aforementioned Genius playlist, built-in speakers, new built-in apps and Nike Plus support. I was hoping for capacity upgrades to the Touch line but, sadly, this did not happen.

399, respectively.

The most persistent rumor are revamped iPod models. Details are sketchy about any new features or improvements to the line but one thing is certain, the actual look will change.

Already, there are a lot of purported pictures and drawings about the redesigns with the iPod Nano being the most frequent example given. Based on both concept drawings and (gasp!) leaked accessories pictures, the new Nano will be rectangular in shape and will have a portrait screen. It actually looks quite similar to the new generation Microsoft Zune.

I myself am looking forward to any news about the iPod Touch. I’m itching for an upgrade to my old fifth-gen iPod and I want to consider the Touch, but only if it bumps up the storage capacity to 60gb or more.