Picture this scenario - you’re running too many applications on your desktop that your screen real estate is not large enough to display every single window that you want to see. Or imagine yourself as a prima donna blogger who has more RSS feeds to go through than you can shake a stick at, and yet you do not want to constantly switch between windows as the distraction will disrupt your train of thought. Getting a larger monitor won’t help either, hence the introduction of the Alphacool LCD display as a secondary monitor. For $240, you get a fully programmable 240 x 128 pixel display.

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With the proliferation of iPods today, you would think that we would be faced with half-deaf senior citizens four decades down the road. Most youth today do not give two hoots about the health of their ears, turning the volume knob way up on their iPods and digital audio players without a care in the world. If you are going to purchase an iPod for your child or know somebody who is stuck to his/her digital audio player like a leech, perhaps picking up the iHearSafe earbuds for them would be one of the best things you could do on their behalf.

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Want to be a rebel and break the law in the United Kingdom? It’s easy. All you need is an iPod and a CD.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Pop a CD into you computer.
Step 2: Import the songs into iTunes.
Step 3: Sync the songs onto your iPod.

Millions of people in the United Kingdom break the law everyday just by using their iPods. Why? The music industry in the UK claims that the illegal practice of coping music onto your iPod costs them hundreds of millions of pounds a year. Anyone else getting a 1998 Napster flashback here?

Apparently the UK music industry is about a decade out of sync with reality. In an effort to help the UK music industry get with the times, ministers in the UK are being urged to relax copyright laws to prevent music fans from facing prosecution for using their iPods. A UK think-tank called the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has recommended an overhaul of the legislation to allow a “private right to copy” music, and thus stop home users being treated the same as large-scale pirates.

Ian Kearns, deputy director of the IPPR, had this to say on the subject:

“Millions of Britons copy CDs on to their home computers, breaking copyright laws every day. British copyright law is out of date. When it comes to protecting the interests of copyright holders, the emphasis the music industry has put on tackling illegal distribution, and not prosecuting for personal copying, is right. But it is not the industry’s job to decide what rights consumers have. That is the job of Government.”

The dawn of the digital age of music was initially damaging to the music industry… but only because the industry failed to embrace the change consumers desired. As a result, people turned to illegal file-sharing sites such as Napster to find digital music. However, since the launch of the iTunes Music Store, digital music has proven to be a successful business model and the laws in the UK should be changed to better reflect current times.

Duh!?

digg story | methodshop.com

If you’re scratching your head what to buy for a kid with just $50 in your pocket, perhaps the iPulse Bear Speaker System will be a wise choice, leaving you with a smile on your face and some loose change in your pocket to boot. This cute little bear will bring the disco experience home, featuring a kangaroo-like pouch on his belly that will keep your iPod or any other digital audio player securely. Turning the iPulse Bear on (somehow that doesn’t sound quite right) requires one to just squeeze the paw.

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If it weren’t for that click wheel, the iPod would probably be less symbolic. Consider, for example, navigating the iPod via the touch screen. Or, finding barely visible buttons on the frame of the display. Apple has apparently been experimenting and filing patents for this type of navigation control for quite some time now, but the patent only got published last Thursday. From the looks of it, we’d soon be watching more videos from our iPods and playing songs less often.

It isn’t really a black or white concept. Apple’s been looking into a hybrid, just to appease you guys who’ve fallen so faithfully for the click wheel. If this hybrid sees the light of day, we’ll be seeing a virtual wheel in the touch screen and a bunch of other navigation controls in the display frame as well. The perfect reason for this, according to Apple, is that the display ought to take more space in the device, and the click wheel is indeed going to get in the way.

And if it does see the light of day, expect something more freakish features in the iPod versions of the future. In the patent diagram, Apple showed that the iPod would have a sensor that will detect whether you’re lying down or standing up. The text, display images, and touch screen controls would change horizontally or vertically and adapt to your spatial orientation. Neat!

Apple didn’t confirm, however, whether the new features will be included in all the iPods or in the latest video-playing versions only.
Source:
Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/15868279.htm

Just like every other kid, I too faced the point in my life where I decided I wanted to be a drummer. I didn’t actually get a real drum, but I did get an electric one that lost its fun in about a month. Nowadays, I wish I had gotten the USB Drum Kit, maybe it would’ve lasted a couple of months longer.
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If you remember and enjoyed yesterday’s post about the Teleglass, you will probably like this one as well because both products are on the same category. The HMD800 actually costs less and is already available for purchase, those are the 2 bonus points.

The Head Mounted Display (HMD) works with iPods, DVD Players, Gaming Systems, and any other device that features a AV output. Its function is to reproduce the image that is being played on your device, into a 30-inch virtual theater-like image that you can see while wearing the glasses. Read the rest of this entry »

Probably the cutest iPod speakers in the world, the DJ Bear.

Amazingly we’ve not written about any iPod paraphernalia for a while (shock, horror!), the iPod accessory scene seems to of been something quiet of late. So it was nice to see an iPod accessory for kids (or soppy adults) the DJ Bear.

With the DJ bear you place your iPod (or any compatible MP3 player) in his front dungaree pocket, squeeze his hand to turn him on and then listen to you favourite tunes from speakers in his teenie weenie feet. For kids to get the full stereo effect they’ll just need to give him a shoulder ride.

You can get the DJ Bear from Janlynn for $39.99.