At Apple’s conference on 1/27, Steve Jobs announced that 250 million iPods have thus far been sold. Considering a world population of 6.7 billion people, that’s one iPod for every 27 people. Obviously Apple is seeking more market penetration. This means only 1 in every 27 people can listen to an iPod within the privacy of their own ears. IPod speaker systems let more people listen to iTunes.

Among the many audio speaker manufacturers clamoring for a way to accessorize those iPods, Sony has a trick up its sleeve. Did I say trick? Sorry, I meant Trik.

The Sony TRiK iPod Dock Speaker System is designed to play your favorite tracks stored on a compatible iPhone or iPod MP3 player. This speaker system delivers high-performance sound with 75 Watts of total power output. It includes an aux-in jack for use with other MP3 players or for plugging right into your PC. The stylish speaker system also charges your iPod or iPhone while it’s docked and includes a wireless remote.
Continue Reading »

 

Looking for a sweet little iPod dock that doesn’t take up too much space? Check out the iHome IH41BR. The iHome IH41BR is great because it’s compatible with most iPods (classic/nano/mini/touch). It includes all the variable plates to dock your iPod, a remote control, a power adapter, and it is pretty much plug and play. Acoustically, the sound is surprisingly good for a mono speaker and much better than what I had previously. The layout is very straightforward; both the unit and the remote control are easy to understand and extremely easy to use. I keep it here in the office and it’s a great way to consolidate and keep clutter down to a minimum.

Pros:

Easy to read LED Good sound for a mono speaker Compact and clean design Aux input to play back non-iPod sources Nice big snooze button

Cons:

iPhone users will hear a slight staticky buzzing right before an incoming call and when data is syncing. It’s not very pronounced, but it does happen every so often. No Radio. Not a deal breaker for me, but might be for some.

Basically, if you need a compact, inexpensive dock/alarm clock that sounds good, iHome’s Rotating Alarm Clock is a contender.

 

As the insane amount of iPod accessories available out there shows, you need more than just a portable music player to get the most out of your mobile audio experience. You need accessories, and lots of ‘em.

So rather than buying your portable music player’s accessories one by one, you might as well make it as easy on you as possible and get them in one shot. This Griffin Technology PowerPlay Pack has everything you need in one convenient package. First, you get the iTrip Auto Universal, which connects your iPod to your car radio wirelessly, letting you listen to your music without any wired adapters or anything of that nature. Next you get the PowerBlock Universal, a charger that’ll let you juice up any USB-powered gadget without requiring its own charger. Then there’s the California Roll, a roll-up carrying case for all your devices and accessories. Lastly there’s a USB to Dock cable that lets you plug in any generation of iPod into a computer. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t.