Most gadgets are extemely nice, shiny and clean... but that only lasts for a few minutes after taking it out of the box. To deal with this sad truth, a lot of companies are designing cases to help protect them, from cheap polycarbonate ones, to expensive handcrafted leather cases. Today, I will tell you about a hardcase with an aluminum back from RhinoSkin, destined to protect your 3rd generation iPod Nano...


Announced less than a day ago, the aluminum hardcase for 3rd generation iPod Nano from RhinoSkin has a clear front panel that protects your player from scratches, and is also shatterproof, while the back is made of durable aluminum, as the name suggests. Its soft grip sides reduce the probability of slipping, and both 40GB and 80GB models fit in without giving you any headache!At last, it should be noted that a lanyard is also included, and the price of this case is $24.95. To purchase this product, or maybe find another one that suits your tastes and needs, feel free to visit this page.

Apple just updated its online store with some interesting things, although they didn't come up with anything revolutionary. As far as I know, their iPod shuffle is the smallest music player around, and now, the 1GB version just got cheaper. While I am not crazy about such players that lack a lot of functions, and can only play music, without allowing you to choose anything when it comes to sound quality, playlist management, and so on, I am sure that a lot of people love them. In fact, it's all about music, and nothing more...


As I was saying, the iPod shuffle got cheaper, with a new price of only $49 for all 1GB models, including the (PRODUCT) Red, exclusively available at the Apple Store. For now, you can choose from five colors, including four new hues.

All these models are shipping withing 24 hours, including the (PRODUCT) Red. Inside the box, you will find the iPod shuffle, its earphones, the USB dock, and a Quick Start guide. iTunes is available as a free download, obviously, but there are also other various programs that can help you manage your iPod shuffle's content.

At last, you should know that current system requirements include at least USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X 10.4.8 or Windows XP SP2/Vista, iTunes 7.4, and Internet connection for using the iTunes Store.

Now...one more thing: wasn't USB 2.0 backwards compatible? I guess the iPod shuffle should also work on older computers with USB 1.1 ports, but I wouldn't bet on it, so if you have some information about it, please let me know!

Watersports allow you having extreme fun, while keeping fit at the same time, but not all your gadgets are waterproof, and if they are going to have a close & personal contact with water, it may not end up well for them... While most watches are (more or less) waterproof "out of the box", the iPhones are not waterproof at all, so finding out about a waterproof case for it is something that I must share with you, especially since we're talking about fresh news here...


<-234x60 Half Banner - left->Aquapac is a company from the United States which designs and manufactures waterproof cases for a pretty wide range of products, and they just announced not one, not two, but three protective cases that work without any problem with Apple's iPhone.

The Aquapac waterproof cases have an "Aquaclip" hermetic seal, combined with a shatter-resistant polycarbonate seal, which has a pair of sliding levers, and these cases are guaranteed to be waterproof to 15 feet below the surface, and if you happen to drop your iPhone in water while encased, the Aquapac case will help it stay afloat.

The models available are the action-sport ready Small Armband Case ($35), the Mini Phone/GPS Case, and Small PDA Case, both priced at $25. At last, I am sure that if you're not swimming with your iPhone on, you'll be pleased to know that these cases allow you full use of the multi-touch display, as well as the use of the microphone and speaker.

If one really loves its iPod or iPhone, the money spent on the device itself is nothing, compared to how much can be spent on customizing it, as well as to add various accessories. Today, it's not about skins or protective cases, because if you want style, you should start with the accessories that came with your phone or player, and I am talking about the earphones here...


Today, the iPhone and iPod world has risen to a higher level of style, with the help of the i83 crystal earphones, pictured above. They are my favorite in the fresh i80 series, and although I wouldn't use them (I am addict to simple designs using as much Black as possible), I would gladly grab a few sets to use as presents, starting with my wife. The i83 set has a maximum power of 10mW, 105dB sensitivity, and is priced at $39.99, being available in 4 colors (details here).

If you're into ear-clips, the i84 could be a very good choice for you, especially since the price and technical specifications are about the same(only two colors are available, and the sensitivity is a bit higher, with a value of 109dB). More details about these stereo ear clips can be found on the official product page, here.

Since we're dangerously close to Valentine's Day, if you didn't decide what to grab for your girl yet, now it's the best time to choose, and since Microsoft's "Valentine Edition" Zune is not going to arrive in time, you can try your luck with iLuv...

More than a year after its launch, it was already clear that the iPhone needed to come up with something new, and since Apple released a new iPhone, they also refreshed the iPod touch line of products with a new one, although the first models were released not so long ago, back in September 2007. Anyway, since they did this, let's see what do we get from these new models, shall we?

To be honest, I expected to see more with the release of these new models, especially when talking about the iPhone. Anyway, the iPod touch could also get some serious improvements, such as the addition of support for Ogg Vorbis and FLAC audio formats, but I won't get into that now. For me, the iPod touch is not something worth buying, and that's all. If you're looking for better and cheaper alternatives, there are quite a few of them out there, and I talking especially about Cowon players.

Now, let's get back to yesterday's "big story". This story can be reduced to this: 16GB iPhone, and 32GB iPod touch. Other than that, it's silence. Nothing. No new features, no 3G support, no design improvements(is it me, or the iPod touch looks a bit too much like the iPhone?), and not at least better prices!

Well, here's the pricing - the new 16GB iPhone is available already through the Apple Store at $499, while the 32GB iPod touch costs exactly the same. In my opinion, the touch is outrageously expensive, but the new iPhone looks pretty interesting, sicne the 8GB model is priced at $399, currently.