iPod Mondays

iPod Monday at The Lift in Des Moines, Iowa celebrates its first anniversary next week. I've been meaning to go for, well, I guess a year now. Love the idea. It's indicative of the cultural force that the iPod has become on our daily lives. The concept is to build a 15-minute playlist on your iPod and the bar will play it sometime through the course of the night. It's brilliant and not surprisingly, very popular. Check out the website for just a sense of what the culture is like.

Of course, as you probably already assume, Des Moines is not known for its night life and The Lift is certainly not the only establishment that has an iPod-themed night. But for it to maintain and build popularity in a place that South Park once called two years behind everybody else is a testament to the lasting power of the iPod way of life.

Billion Songs Countdown

Download the billionth song from iTunes and get a sweet package including a new 20" iMac, Ten 60GB iPods (yes, 10), $10,000 iTunes Gift card, and a full-ride scholorship in your name to a world-famous music school.

For every 100,000 song downloaded in the meantime, win an iPod nano and a $100 iTunes Gift card.

Free (Legal) Movies For Your iPod

There are many films that are now public domain that you can download for free. Public domain is when the copyright has run out and is not renewed or cannot be renewed. The famous George Romero flick "Night of the Living Dead" is in the public domain.

The Internet Archive has a ton of these movies for download, many of them already in an iPod-friendly format. For those not in the format, you can convert using iTunes or QuickTime Pro.

The Last iPod Video Guide You'll Ever Need

Everything you ever wanted to know about getting video onto your 5th Generation iPod is here. The Last iPod Video Guide You'll Ever Need has it all. Convert video in H.264 or MPEG? Find the answer here. How can I get commercial DVDs that I own (of course) on my iPod? Find the answer here. How can I get 3+ hours of battery life from my 30GB iPod? Find the answer here.

It definitely lives up to its name.

New 1GB iPod nano, Reduced Shuffle Prices

Apple announced a new 1GB iPod nano today as well as reduced prices for the iPod Shuffle. The new 1GB nano will sell for $149 USD. The previous 1GB Shuffle sold for $129, so for just 20 bucks more, you get a much more attractive iPod with a screen.

I really don't get the Shuffle - I've never been able to make it successfully work at the Apple Store, and the fact that it doesn't have a screen really bugs me. But if you're looking for the small form factor of the Shuffle as well as the small price tag, it might be worth it. The 512MB Shuffle is now $69 and the 1GB model is now $99.

iPod prices now range from $69 to $399, so there is an iPod to fit everyone's budget and needs.

iTunes Signature Maker

This is cool. The iTunes Signature Maker will make a short WAV file of up to 100 snippets of your tunes from your iTunes collection so that you can add it to your email signature. Very unique idea.

Another Dumbass Lawsuit

An iPod user is suing Apple Computer over the sound volume on the iPod.

Okay, so the iPod at full volume is as loud as a jet airplane taking off (115 decibels). But you don't need to listen to it at full volume. Apple's lawyers have always had the legal copy talking about listening to music at high volumes is bad for you, yada yada yada. Bottom line - it is your personal responsibility - not Apple's.

Now back to my lawsuit against the hair dryer industry for the volume of my hair dryer.

iPod Seeing Red?

No, iPod being red. Maybe. According to T3.co.uk, U2 front man Bono was overheard talking about a red iPod for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS charity. We'll see. There's been a few color iPod rumors in the past - a pink one for Madonna, etc.

New iTunes Phone - Motorola SLVR L7

Motorola is out with a new phone that will hopefully address some of the flaws with their first phone with iTunes. Extremely thin, this phone has elements of the popular RAZR phone, but is not a flip-phone. The 100 song limit and USB connectivity is still there however.

iPod, Pop & a Snickers Please

Need an iPod? Don't want to wait for it to be shipped? Don't have a store near you that sells them (where do you live anyway, Timbuktu?) Head down to the corner, slip a couple quarters in for a Coke and a couple hundred dollars for an iPod!

I'd Like to Buckle Her

Yeah, this new product for the nano has been featured on many other blogs, but I couldn't resist posting about it just for the excuse to include the picture. Yum. It's the TuneBuckle, and you can preorder it now. For anybody who likes obnoxious belt buckles and needs a place to showcase their nano, this might be for you, particularly if you're hot like this.

Thanks, Popgadget.

Xtreme Mac iPod Cases - Baseball

Xtreme Mac has kickin' new iPod with video cases sporting (pun intented) your favorite Major League Baseball team. Part of their Iconz line, these cases are molded to the exact shape of the iPod. The plastic covers the screen and even the click wheel but still gives you complete control. Check them out!

Bob + Jobs = $$$

Disney and Pixar are making nice, which might amount to a huge windfall for Mr. Apple. Maybe that will mean we'll never see another horrid piece of garbage like Chicken Little again, at least not from Disney.

Cheer Down

Apple profit up, but shares down "because of a slight 'pause' in sales as the company switches to Intel processors."

Tivoli iSongBook Available in Chocolate

If you like the Tivoli iSongBook but want it to match your black (chocolate) iPod, Tivoli now makes the iSongBook in black and white.

Apple Announces New Hardware & Software

Apple announced at MacWorld 2006 that for the holiday quarter they sold 14 million iPods - 3 times as many as they sold in the same period a year ago.

Apple announced a new iPod Radio Remote that enables you to recieve radio on your iPod. I still don't really understand why so many people want this (or think they want it). I personally use the iPod to get away from radio. The remote is powered by the iPod and has a wired remote that looks identical to the new Apple Remote and iPod Shuffle. The interface is very well done with a digital readout of station you have tuned-in as well as a simulated analog readout. You tune the stations in using the jog wheel and can save favorites. Very slick.

But the biggest announcement was new kick-ass iMacs and the new MacBook Pro computers based on the Intel Dual Core processor. 2-3 times faster than the PowerPC processor, these machines will run OS X AND Windows! The new MacBook Pro is the successor to the PowerBook line, sports a built-in iSight web cam, Dual Core Intel processor, Front Row software and the new Apple Remote. The iMac features remain the same, but have now sport a speedy Dual Core Intel processor as well. Once I accidentally run over my employer-issued IBM Stinkpad, it WILL be replaced by a MacBook Pro.

iLife gets a major upgrade with the addition of iWeb - a program to quickly create web pages, blogs, etc. iLife will also include easy single-click conversion of any video to an iPod. iPhoto will let you do "photocasting", and much much more. The Apple web site has been swamped so I haven't had a chance to learn all the details.

Arrested Development Coming to Your iPod?!

Sweet!!! Posted about an hour ago on the official Arrested Development forum:

New from MacWorld SF Conf:Apple is going to add a number of FOX TV shows to it's iTunes video downloads tomorrow including critically acclaimed Arrested Development. Fans take note that there will be 3 exclusive unaired episodes available for download after Steve Jobs' keynote address (9 a.m. PST). FOX has not decided when or if these episodes will air on its primetime schedule.

It's got to be part of a test to see how rabid AD's fans really are. So people, hopefully starting tomorrow, you'll have a shot at downloading the funniest damn show on TV, and if it helps keep it on the air, DO IT! And don't forget to visit saveourbluths.com.

UPDATE 9/10/06: Steve Jobs made all the major Apple announcements during his keynote at the Macworld conference in San Francisco this morning and they didn't include anything about AD or Fox video content. Bummer.

Google Gaga

Google must think it's still the 90s before the dot-com bust. Every single day they seem to introduce some new feature or service and now they've moved into online video. I suppose it was inevitable that it would be compared to iTunes' foray into video, except that for the most part, Google's copy protection will not allow users to place them on their portable media devices. Pricing is set by the content provider, unlike iTunes' standard $1.99. And for now, Mac users are SOL. But really, who wants to watch an NBA game again, or CSI?! Good luck with your bid for world domination, Google. This might be too much too soon though, and for me, I'll stick with TiVo, iTunes, and Yahoo!.

By the way, Google, thanks for Blogger, or should I say, thanks for swallowing Blogger in your vast gut of Google goo.

Bevy of new iPod Accessories Announced at CES

Playlist Magazine has a listing of the new iPod accessories announced this week at the CES in Las Vegas. One of the most interesting offerings is the Altec Lansing iM9 portable speaker system. Engineered for poolside living, this system is splash and shock-resistent.

ESPN & ABC Sports Come to the iPod Video

iPod totin' sports fans will be able to get condensed versions of all four BCS Bowl Games from the iTunes Music Store. In addition, the Best Of The X Games; “SportsCentury” and select ESPN Original Entertainment programs — including “Knight School,” the reality show with Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight, will be available soon on iTunes.

Other Disney-owned properties ABC Entertainment, Touchstone Television, ABC Family, ABC News, Buena Vista Television, Disney Channel, and SOAPnet, as well as content produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation will all be available through iTunes.

Nano Killer?

Sandisk unveiled new MP3 players this week at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) aimed squarely at the iPod nano and iPod Shuffle. Available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 6GB models. All models provide a color screen, something the Shuffle does not provide. Prices range from $119 for the 1GB to $299 for the 6GB. Models support the Windows Media file format (WMA) and of course does not work with the iTunes music store.

Apple quietly responded by lowering the price of the 4GB iPod nano to $249.

Wearable iPod Display

Hookup the Eyebud 800 to your iPod and slip it over one of your eyes and it provides the equivalent of a 105-inch screen to watch that episode of Knight Rider. Now that's my kind of screen.

Off Their ROKR

Motorola's new ROKR E2 is unfortunately sans iTunes unlike the original ROKR. Could it be that the first one was more of a joke than a revolution? Who cares? I just cannot imagine someone would prefer to use their clunky mobile phone as their digital music player of choice anyway. But, alas, I'm probably out of the target demo these days. Maybe someday, someone will release a cool enough product that integrates mobile phone technology with music, video, Internet, calendar, notes, photos, and Tetris. Until then, nah.

Pardon?

You crazy kids these days with your iPods and headphones. You have been warned.

Honda & Acura Offer iPod Music Link Accessory

The Honda Motor Company is the latest in a string of automobile makers to add a built-in iPod connection which allows seamless integration between iPod and the car's audio systems. The accessory is available on the 2006 Honda Civic and the 2006 Acura RL, TL and TSX sedans and the MDX SUV.

If you haven't seen the new Civic, check it out - very nice.

The Queen honors Apple iPod designer

Jonathan Ive, the designer of the iPod (and iMacs, iBooks, PowerBooks and more) was awarded by Britain's Queen Elisabeth the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his achievements in industrial design.

Blackbird Singing In The Dead of Night

Songbird to bring down iTunes? Songbird is open-source music management software that would give users access to more than one music store. It is being compared to the Firefox experience. I still think people miss the fact that it's not the software - it's the seamless integration of the device (iPod) with the software (iTunes). That's going to be difficult to duplicate.

And the winner(s) is(are)...

Macworld bestowed their Editor's Choice Awards on the iPod nano and the iPod with video. Playlist Magazine (both magazines are published by the same company by the way) bestowed their Plays of the Year Awards on the iPod nano.

Apple Newton -- Get It?

Some might call it the very first twinkle of the iPod future. Now, it can be yours. One of every kind of the Apple Newton is on sale via eBay. Good luck.

Get Your Lyrics While You Can

You want lyrics? Get them now - the industry is at it again.


**UPDATE: Electronic Frontier Foundation slapped Warner/Chappell with a letter saying the company's actions could be violating law. Warner/Chappell and Pearlyrics issued a joint statement saying, "we are committed to working together to provide consumers a convenient, legal way to find accurate song lyrics."

Earn Free Music

To earn free songs, order an iTunes Music Store gift certificate from the PayPal website. For every $20 iTunes Music Store gift certificate you purchase, you’ll earn 10 free songs; for every $50 gift certificate, you’ll earn 25 free songs. But, hurry, the promo lasts only until December 31, 2005.

Ripplecasts

There's some cool new video tutorials on the iTunes Music Store from Ripplecast. Learn how to podcast, learn the new Aperature program, automator and more. And the best part is they're FREE!

Bah!

MTV and Microsoft are planning to ignore the iPod culture and willtry to compete with iTunes by creating its own rip-off that will not be compatible with the most popular personal media player on the market. The only way they can do this is to bully us into it by integrating it into Microsoft software and by playing even less music videos on the air so they can add more promotion time for a lame venture that we iPod users can hopefully destroy. But I have no strong opinions about this. Let the market decide!

ID Your iTunes

If you're not as anal as I am about having all the id3 tags (the title, artist, album, etc.) of your MP3s, IDTunes might interest you. It will go into your music collection and will fill in 'unknown' or 'unnamed' file names, corrects syntax, corrects spelling, removes duplicates and fills in artist, album, genre and year information. It even adds lyrics to your songs.

If you have a lot of music which is 'unknown' or have a ton of duplicates, IDTunes would be worth it.

Add Synchronized Lyrics to iTunes & iPod

So you've been desperate to use your iPod or iTunes to Karaoke that Flock of Seagulls song you love so much. But there are no lyrics or way of doing this, is there? Well, now there is. iStar Composer will find lyrics for your music, and then synchronize it on iTunes or iPod. Pretty cool concept.

'Tis the Season

Time for the annual "best-of" and "year-in-review" lists. Here's a start:

Macworld (Apple stuff in general)
Playlist
iLounge

Keep checking back. We'll post more when we run across more. Or let us know what you find. I predict we'll see a lot of overlap. As good as the new iPod market might be, it seems to be dominated by several big players, for now anyway.

iPod 101

Apple has launched the iPod 101 site. This site will not only introduce potential iPod buyers to the device, but also provides support, hints, tips and more for existing users.

Check it out!

Knight Rider Now Available Through iTunes

In probably the most amazing announcement this week was the availability of the 80's classic TV show, "Knight Rider". Before recording albums and hanging out with hot babes, David Hasselhoff was TV's Michael Knight. Apple has really outdone themselves this time.

Oh yeah, the deal also includes Law & Order, The Office, Surface, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Monk, the Sci-Fi Channel’s production of Battlestar Galactica, and classics like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dragnet, Adam 12 and Knight Rider.

Joking aside, the addition of the "Vintage NBC" content is pretty interesting - and must be a very profitable offering for the networks.

Sleep for iTunes

Let's say you want to listen to music through iTunes while you fall asleep. However, you don't want to have it play all night. You can set up a semi-automatic smartlist, but you still have some manual work to do.

Or, you can use a program like iTunEcho. Set the time you want iTunes to play, and iTunEcho will automatically stop iTunes at the specified time.

Want to wake up to iTunes? iTunEcho also allow you to do that as well!

DumbDeck iPod Cassette Adapter

As a big fan of the steering controls on my Nissan Maxima, I had high hopes for Griffin's SmartDeck. Let's just say it's not so smart, at least not in my vehicle.

My first huge complaint is that the tape adapter is extremely LOUD in the cassette deck. I'm not able to crank the volume loud enough in the car to overcome the annoying noise of the adapter itself.

My second even bigger complaint is that it just doesn't work. "Forwarding" the tape adapter does not forward the iPod. It just makes the noise of the cassette adapter LOUDER and stops the music from playing. No amount of adjusting, tinkering, etc. will make it work. I'm sure it works in other cars - it just doesn't in mine.

Even if it did work, I would never be able to get over the annoying noise of the adapter. This cassette adapter is way over-hyped. Buyer beware.

**UPDATE** When calling Griffin to obtain an RMA number, they quized me about the car and the reason for the return. They were very nice and understanding. And they didn't even charge me the normal 20% restocking fee.

iPod Scratch Protection

There's been a lot of chatter about the new iPod Nano scratching easily. However, it's made out of the same exact material as the full-size iPod. And while you do hear about scratching, it's nothing like the iPod Nano complaints. I think it is just so portable and convenient that it gets tossed around quite a bit in your pocket, purse, etc.

You could get an case for it of course, but it kind of takes away from the sleekness, thiness and sexiness of it.

An alternative is a "film" or "shield" where a thin coating of clear plastic coats the iPod. Macworld has a great article on this type of scratch protection.

If you do happen to have some scratches on your iPod, you can use good ol' fashioned inexpensive Brasso metal cleaner. It's mild abrasion buffs out scratches. I've done this on 3 iPods and the results are amazing. No need to spend a ton of money on special formulas.

Apple's Number 7

Okay, they're number 1 in online music sales, they're number one with MP3 players, what do you mean they're number 7?

They're number 7 in the top 10 list of record sales; beating out Tower Records, Sam Goody and Borders for overall sales. Yes, you read that right, overall sales. And the three mentioned above of course are all retail stores.

Now on to beat Best Buy, Wal*Mart and Amazon.com.

Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

TiVo announced today that you will soon be able to transfer TiVo'ed programs to your iPod (and PSP) via TiVoToGo. I'm all for maxing out both TiVo's and the iPod's capabilities. This is a great idea to add value to both great technologies. Hopefully, it will boost TiVo's financial position so they stick around long term (assuming they're careful about privacy and "red flag" issues for which they've been criticized previously). I'm not concerned about the iPod's longevity!

See also

iPod Battery Settlement Delayed

The recent iPod battery class action settlement has been delayed due to an appeal. Apple confirms that the appeal is not from them. It is likely from a consumer who is smart enough to know that the only ones that benefit from class action lawsuits are lawyers.

TooPoppy: When Will They Learn?

Let's just hope that EMI has learned something from the Sony fiasco.

What is up with Sony anyway? Awful MP3 players, letting Microsoft get a giant leap on the PlayStation 3, and so much more. Looking at my Sony TV, Sony DVD Player, Sony Receiver and more, I'm thinking these will be the last...

iPod Dating

Well, as much as I like my iPod, I'm already fairly intimate with it that I don't really need to date it. But maybe I'm missing the point of PodDater.com.

Bad jokes aside, it didn't take long for PodDater.com co-founder David Hunegnaw and partner Roopan Dey to bring dating to the new iPod. Interesting concept - search for a potential date, download their video, and watch at your leisure on your iPod.

Registration & profiles are free (for now anyway) if you're interested in checking it out.

Buzz Off

My iPod has given me great pleasure since receiving it as a gift nearly two years ago, but this may be taking it too far. Novel concept, though.

The Most Beautiful iPod Case

This is great and something I'd never do. It really seems to be becoming a cliche now. Duct tape wallets. Duct tape phone. Duct tape, uh, tape. Now, the ubiquitous, all-purpose, grey sticky tape can be used to class-up your ratty, second-rate iPod. Hey, if anything, the instructional photos are delightfully terrible.

The New iPod Is Not Wider

The new iPod certainly looks wider than its previous generation, but it's the same 2.4 inches. The spacious 2.5 inch screen creates an optical illusion making the iPod look wider. It might be the same width, but it's substantially thinner than the previous generation. God I want one.

Internet iTunes Registry

Okay - now this is pretty cool & unique. The Internet iTunes Registry enables you to upload your iTunes-generated XML file, which it then analyzes, rates, compares, graphs and so much more. Check it out - really interesting stuff. Here's my Internet iTunes Registry homepage.

iBlue BlueTooth Hands Free Cell Phone iPod

If you're fortunate enough to already have a BlueTooth cell phone, there's now a product called the iBlue for iPods and iPod minis that provides the same functionality as a Motorola ROKR by utilizing your cell phone's hands-free capabilities. Unfortunately, the iPod Shuffle, iPod nano, and new iPod with video aren't supported, as they lack the wired remote port which the iBlue plugs into.

You can leave your cell phone in your pocket, purse, or bag. You just need to have easy access to your iPod (which is probably a given anyway). You can listen to your music and answer and make calls without getting out your cell phone, and the iBlue will automatically pause your iPod so you don't miss a beat (this is especially useful for audio books and Podcasts).

The included earphones have a microphone partway down the cord and a button for answering or making calls. After the initial configuration, which includes charging the iBlue's battery (you'll want to do this monthly, per the instructions), plugging it into the iPod, and pairing it with your cell phone, you can put your phone away.

Once you're using your iPod, it's just a push of a button to make or receive calls. A much better experience than regular hands-free accessories for cell phones.

Who really needs convergence when you can pick the peripherals you want and use them seamlessly and wirelessly?

Save 10% off an iBlue! Use coupon code IWantMyiBlue when entering web orders at Small Dog Electronics.

What? Me Fail English? That's Unpossible!

Don't really have anything to say with this. It's just darn funny.

The iPod's Halo Effect

iPod mania, along with other factors, is having a significant impact on the Apple v. Microsoft choice wars. It seems the popularity of the iPod is encouraging some Windows users to convert to Mac. One expert predicts Mac's market share will double by 2014. Keep in mind, that would only be an increase to 4%. Still, nice to see more switchers.

Still using a PC? Make the switch now - Pay no interest for up to 120 days on today's Mac purchase.

More Awards for Pixar Expected

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the fancy name for the group that awards Emmys) is going to announce a new category to award original video content that is designed specifically for devices like cellphones and iPods. It's quite interesting to see recognition of this new medium before there's really even a market or a lot of programs for it. With companies like Sony and Apple pushing it with devices like PSP and the video iPod, it seems the Emmys wanted to look cutting edge and be a leader.

Stupid Headphones

I can accept that some people get away with wearing gigantic headphones in public. It's like the antithesis to wearing earbuds, and a way to get noticed I suppose. Or perhaps they're compensating for some other shortcoming in their life. Nonetheless, I think it's a pretty stupid look. Don't get me wrong, a great set of high quality headphones are awesome for personal, at-home use. I still have my Sony headphones from my radio days that even survived a tornado. But now I digress.

The new m-Tune-N headphones (no need to discuss the stupid name) is a terrible attempt at integrating the iPod. The nano is inserted into the headphones. Then you put the headphones on. Thank god they made access to the click wheel. I mean, that made it so much more convenient. I just cannot see how this is a useful feature. I suppose if you don't have any pockets and need to use both hands for something and you're too cool to use the earbuds and you need to compensate for some shortcoming in your life and you don't need easy access to your iPod controls, then these headphones are for you. Knock yourself out. The price is right.

Lennon Goes Digital, Not on iTunes

John Lennon will be releasing his new compilation this week digitally and the rest of his catalog in December, but not on iTunes.

Another One Bites the Dust

Say goodbye to file-swapping Grokster. Hello, iTunes.

You Know My Name, Look Up My Number

Ah, new technology. The porn industry embraces it first, the Beatles last. According to this article, EMI, who owns the masters, but not the rights to the Beatles music, has been pressuring Apple Corps to embrace the digital music age.

But Apple Computer is yet again in a trademark infringement lawsuit with Apple Corp. Seems the last time they were in court, Apple Corp agreed that Apple Computer could use the name "Apple" as long as they didn't make music. The reported settlement Apple Computer paid was 30 million. When the Macintosh came out, it was capable of producing sounds and music. In typical Apple Computer rebelious fashion, one of the system alert sounds was named "Sosumi" (So Sue Me).

Now that Apple Computer is selling music, Apple Corps believes they are violating their agreement. I'd say that the case was delaying the Beatles appearance on iTunes, but I'm not sure. If you look back in history, they were always the last to jump on the technology bandwagon. Stereo. 8-Track. Cassette. CD's.

As a Beatles fanatic, I already own every song commercially released, as well as quite a few more. So I don't need to download their music. I'm just patiently waiting for them to upgrade the current CD's which were released in the 80's. Listen to their latest release, 1, and you can hear the incredible difference in quality. The bass is incredible (Come Together) and the quality is pristine.

C'mon Apple (Corps), get with the times and get on iTunes so that your fans - old and new - can get the Beatles music. Even the friggin' Rolling Stones are on iTunes.

Tunestir FM Radio for iPod

I've really never understood why people would want FM radio for their MP3 player. I use my iPod primarily to get away from radio.

But if you think you need it, check out Tunestir by Battery Technologies.

You can store favorite stations and even use it as a remote. People also seem to think you need remotes with portable devices. You know, the kind of devices you hold in your hand. Like a remote.

Of Course

As if we couldn't see this coming: porn on the pod.

A Warning for PC-using CD-buying Music Lovers

It's hard to believe that Sony would stoop low enough to destroy consumers' faith in the CD format, a format they helped balloon to mass popularity so long ago, by hiding dangerous software on its PCs in the name of copyright protection. These multimedia giants are ridiculously behind on the role of digital music in our lifestyles.

More evidence that iPods and iTunes are the future (and Macs, naturally).

Tivoli iSongBook Portable iPod Music System

Here's a new portable iPod speaker system by Tivoli. Tivoli is a premium name with a premium sound.

This system has a detachable speaker, supports Apple's new universal dock standard, a nice remote, and that premium Tivoli sound.

Read the review at iLounge.com.

Kensington SX2000 Speakers for iPod

iLounge.com has just reviewed the new Kensington SX2000 iPod speaker system that is one of the first to use the new universal dock standard.

Quite an interesting design. Almost looks like a flat panel monitor.