Is the shuffle really an iPod?

I caught a little flack earlier today when I mentioned I don’t consider the iPod shuffle to be a “real” iPod. Many people correctly pointed out the term “iPod” is Apple’s to do with as they please, and they alone should be able to decide what does and does not qualify as an iPod. If [...]

Review: Altec Lansing T612 Digital Speaker System for iPhone and iPod

When the portable inMotion speaker designers at Altec Lansing released the non-portable M602 Digital iPod Speaker System a year and a half ago, the appeal was obvious: as a combination of metal-grilled speakers and an iPod dock, M602 offered an audio experience close to the popular, similar Bose SoundDock at two-thirds the price, with added versatility in the form of bass and treble adjustments, video-out, line-in, and USB sync features, as well as…

Review: 32GB iPod touch

The inclusion of Mail, Stocks, Maps, Weather, and Notes has transformed the iPod touch. Now, not only is it a solid and attractive portable media player, but, finally, a darned fine Internet communications device as well. The 32GB model may well be worth a look if you’ve held off on buying a touch.

Backstage: New York City: iPod + iPhone Central, in Photos

Over the past several years, we’ve published a series of feature-length international iPod reports from major cities outside of the United States; this week, we wanted to turn the camera on a major domestic destination—New York City—in a slightly less formal way. Though I spent most of Friday meeting with investors there, I took the time to visit all of the local Apple Stores and, of course, do some iPod- and iPhonespotting around…

Review: ifrogz Audiowrapz for iPod nano 3G

Though we wouldn’t have guessed a year ago that we’d be as excited about such a thing as we actually are, iFrogz’ Audiowrapz ($25) does for the third-generation iPod nano what the internal speaker does for the iPhone: it provides a pocket-sized integrated listening device for those times when you’ve left your earbuds aside. And it goes further, actually, serving as an almost completely protective carrying case for the nano…

Review: RCA RP5500i iPod alarm clock

As a sound system, the RP5500i might disappoint, but as an alarm clock, it succeeds admirably with a variety of timer and alarm options. If you value versatility and user customization, the RP5500i won’t disappoint, as long as you don’t mind the poor radio reception and sub-par audio performance.