iPod

Bundled earphones suck. I'm talking about the ones that came with your Zen, Zune, iPod, or whatever. (Exception: the Zune 80's "premium" set.) If you really want to enjoy your music, nothing beats a good pair of sound-isolating in-ear earphones. Like, say, the Etymotic ER6i Isolator, which Amazon currently has on sale for $69.99 shipped.

I've owned a set of these for a couple years, and I absolutely love them. (I'm not the only one: Check out CNET's review.) They're not only way more comfortable than earbuds, but they block out … Read more

I just heard a guy on the radio refer to Fountains of Wayne's "Traffic and Weather" CD as a lo-fi wonder. What's up with that? Most of the lo-fi recordings I've bought from street musicians sound like the band I heard on the street, which is definitely a good thing. Which is more than you can say about most of today's slickly produced pop and rock music CDs. They sound awful--voices never sound remotely human, guitars don't sound like guitars, and drums, forget about it, they bear absolutely no relationship to the actual … Read more

One of our favorite in-car iPod FM transmitters just got better. The DLO TransDock Deluxe ($129) improves on last year's TransPod by adding video output, a USB charging port, a remote control, and a more attractive design.

Make no mistake, the DLO TransDock Deluxe is not your typical puny iPod FM transmitter. Instead, the TransDock is an unapologetically big, beautiful in-car iPod dock that comes in four pieces: a dock, a stand, an extender, and a remote control. Once assembled and connected to your car's cigarette lighter, the TransDock stands out, both physically and aesthetically from your car'… Read more

There's no denying the mobile version of Safari found on the iPod and iPhone Touch offers an above-average browsing experience for a portable device. That said, the software is not without its shortcomings, and one of them is how it handles links found on various Web pages. Depending on how they've been coded by the author, links can be set to open up in a new window or tab, or simply in the same page. Usually you don't find this out until you click on them, which can be a juggle considering the device is only capable … Read more

We're a little more than a month away from the Macworld Expo, and the expectations are starting to get a little clearer for arguably Apple's biggest show of the year.

CNBC reported Thursday that Apple plans at Macworld to introduce a 12-inch Mac laptop with flash memory in place of a hard drive. Apple followers have long anticipated such a product, and several other reports have come out this year predicting a similar type of announcement was nigh.

The ultraportable Mac is said to be 50 percent thinner and lighter than a current MacBook Pro, the largest notebook … Read more

Simplify Media--a free desktop application for Windows or Mac OS X that lets you stream your digital music or your friends' from iTunes or Winamp (Simplify Media covered previously)--today released a new version of its software that is developed to run on the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch.

Rather than function as a conventional iPhone app, (i.e. a Web app built for Safari), the new program is standalone software that requires a "jailbroken" iPhone to work.

The ability to listen to your entire music collection or your friends' anywhere your iPhone or iPod Touch has … Read more

News.com has been running hugely cool photo galleries excerpted from sister site TechRepublic--their "Cracking Open" series, where they dissect, gut, and then try to reconstruct your favorite electronics.

Latest entries include the iPod Touch--you won't believe how thin the components are--and the remote-control game, "Shocking Tanks."

Links: Cracking open the iPod touch and Cracking open "Shocking Tanks."

DLO's TuneStik handily combines an FM transmitter with an RF remote for the iPod, and now that remote will feature an LCD screen for displaying the FM frequency. In addition to allowing users to adjust the FM band, the remote controls basic playback functions of the iPod, offers a 25-foot range, and comes with a clip for attaching to a steering wheel. The transmitter portion, which connects to the bottom of any docking iPod (including the newest models), is a low-profile black rectangle that is suitable for both in-car and at-home use. It includes a pass-through dock for attaching … Read more

So you've managed to get your hands on one of the world's most popular MP3 players, the Apple iPod. The device on its own will keep you plenty entertained for sure, but you'll soon realize there's a lot more fun to be had if you move beyond the confines of what comes in the box. To that end, we've created a one-stop-spot for all the aftermarket gear that can help you take full advantage of your player. Whether you're interested in an alarm set-up to coax you out of bed with your favorite tunes, … Read more