Turn your iPod nano into a home stereo with Xitel's HiFi-Link for iPod nano. This new docking station, which is designed specifically for iPod nanos, "replicates the the high-end outputs of audophile grade equipment" for that high quality sound you can enjoy in the comforts of your home. It comes with a remote powerful enough to control your iPod within 50 feet away. Now, if you don't have those powerful surround sound system that you've always wanted, don't fret because you can connect your iPod to your boombox or powered speaker. It's still powerful enough to wake the neighbors up.

"By processing the cleanest possible signal from nano's base connector, HiFi-Link for iPod nano provides exceptionally pure and dynamic audio for a true high-fidelity experience. It features adjustable SRS TruBass signal processing, which significantly enhances the lower frequencies of all music. Using sophisticated psychoacoustics, HiFi-Link for iPod nano adds back the warmth and depth audio compression takes away."

HiFi-Link for iPod nano is priced at $69.95 and will be available in mid-April through CompUSA, through CompUSA, J&R, Frys and theXitel's website.

We know we can talk, but now we can record our babbles in CD Stereo quality sound with the help of iPod and Griffin's new iTalkPro! iTalkPro is a recording attachment for 5th generation iPods. With a press of a red button, you can record audio sound in CD Stereo quality, a tool absolutely great when you want to skip through your teacher's boring lecture.

The iTalkPro could record for 3.5 hours in a fully charged 60Gb iPod and 1.5 with the 30Gb. Despite the quality of the sound, the perk of this lovely toy is its dependence with your iPod's power, more so, its availability only to the 5th gen iPods.

Geneva Labs has started shipping its first two Geneva Sound System for your iPod.
There are 2 models the L which is 100 watts and costs $600 USD and the XL which is 600Watts and costs $1075 USD.

The package includes:

• Ipod dock
• Built in CD player
• FM radio
• Audio inputs
• Color-coordinated remote

The system also comes in three cool colors white, black and red. You are also able to buy stand for both models for about $100 USD.

In a bid to diversify its iTunes Music Store offerings, Apple is beginning to sell bundled music videos and DVD-length music videos online.  All the clips from Tori Amos' new 21-song music video collection Fade to Red are being offered separately or as a complete package.

We hear that this offer is only Apple's first salvo in a larger effort to move bundled videos and music online that will include iTunes-exclusive products - video albums (compilations of several videos from an artist which have not been released elsewhere) and vingles (videos matched with their corresponding audio single).

It's a logical step for the company; after all, the music video business is enormous, its online equivalent is still in its infancy, and Apple's Video iPods are perfectly suited to handle music videos thanks to their capacity, battery life and larger screens.  Apple's emphasis on video jives too with the rumors of upcoming Video iPods with larger screens and Apple's mention of potential movie piracy in its vehement response to the French debacle. It's all of a piece, we think.

So it's been a few years since Apple started offering free music downloads on Tuesdays.  Nice way to find some new music and get a few free songs in your pocket.  There were always a couple 'hidden' freebies each week, and over time I lost the iMixes that pointed them out, and would occasionally look on my own.  But that takes too much effort. 

Now featuring video content, Apple has begun making limited-time video downloads available for free.  I've grabbed a few, and they've done their job in whetting my appetite for the network-viewable edition of the show.  But again, finding them can be the trick.

Well no more, friends!  There's a site that offers the free content, description, and an iTunes link to the show!  Grab the RSS feed and be notified when there's a new freebie to be had.

So you've got an iPod and you want to play it in your car.  But the FM transmitters just aren't cutting it for you.  Your best bet is a direct connection to your factory (or after market) stereo.  But what's the best solution to accomplish this you ask?  Crutchfield has the elegant answer for you.

Use their excellent little wizard to find out the perfect fit for your iPod and car.  Start by selecting the iPod you'll be using, then go through the car selection.  It will give you a diagram of the ideal connection and show you the pieces that you need to buy - with links to Crutchfield's checkout of course.  While Crutchfield tends to be a but pricy, they prices I saw on the couple setups I was shown were pretty in line with pricing elsewhere.

Of course a factory option is the best bet, but we can't all have that.  If you've got one of these aftermarket integration systems for your iPod, let us know how it works.

The Times Online tells us that a company owned by the former Beatles and their heirs is dragging Apple to court over the iTunes Music Store, in the latest episode of one of the longest-running battles in the history of British corporate law.

The Apple Corps, owned by former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, is claiming that iTunes' creation runs counter to their $26 million agreement with Apple in which Apple agreed not to get into the music business.

The lawsuit is all about the logo Apple uses - which, unfortunately, closely resembles the Apple Corps logo that appears on their records, a ripe apple on one side and a sliced apple on the other. The Apple Corps debuted their logo in 1968; Apple's first appeared in 1976. Five years afterwards, Apple Corps sued Jobs and accepted an $80,000 settlement, as well as a promise that Apple would stay out of the music business. In 1989 another lawsuit was filed when Apple introduced a music-making program; Apple again settled, this time for $26 million, and was legally allowed to make and sell goods and services used to reproduce, run, play or otherwise deliver [music].

Apple will argue that the iTunes music service is merely music transmission and doesn't run counter to what's legally allowed it. That sounds like the end of the story to us, except that one never knows what strange twists and turns a legal case like this can take. More on this when we get updates.

This is a comfort for Apple. After a gripe with the French government over a bill forcing Apple to make its downloads work on all digital music players, the American Government expressed its support to the embattled music download service company. Citing violations of intellectual property rights as the reason why the American government is throwing its support to Apple, the American Commerce Secretary asserts that any apparent violation of one's property right will not go uninvestigated.

Is this another Franco-American cultural and technological war? Also, would this mean the end of iPod sales in France? I would have to think so.

Bet you didn't know your iPod had a diagnostic mode!

The good guys over at Methodshop tell us how to keep our iPods healthy by entering diagnostic mode and running various tests. They've included directions for all the different generations of iPods, from the first to the current generation. (Nothing for the relatively unsophisticated shuffle, though.)

Ever since I migrated to the OS X platform about 4 years ago, I've noticed that on occasion my audio balance would drift off to the right or left.  I knew I didn't do it, so what the heck happened?  For the longest time I just accepted it as some bug that would get squashed along the way.  While it's never been a frequent issue, years later I still notice it happening.

A search through Apple's Support documents shows an item for the older 10.2 versions of OS X.  Though personal experience would argue it's through to 10.4.x.  The cause is said to be rapidly increasing or decreasing the system volume (the volume up/down keys) while the processor is under a heavy load.  I can identify with those conditions, thus, I accept that as the cause. 

The fix?  Open the Sound Preference Pane and reset the balance to centered.  Huh?  I would have expected a bit more to fix this, but no.  Each time you find your audio balance has drifted, you just have to suck it up, and go change it back manually.  Bummer.  Seems like something that's ripe for a bug fix Apple.