One watt of power doesn't seem to sound like much, but, according to the makers of the PocketParty, it is enough to blow your friends away. The PocketParty is a micro speaker system and detachable stand for the iPod that adds a little bit of heft, but also lets you listen to your device on your desk or something.

The PocketParty runs for 10 hours off of a single AA battery, cranking out the sounds from two speakers. The attachment currently only works on the iPod Nano, requires no cables and weighs only 38 grams.

With concerns that the earphones bundled with the iPod can cause hearing loss, I guess more accessory companies will unveil these little attachments to keep you out of harm's way. Though I've never thought one watt of power was a lot, I'm going to have to try these out, you never know. In any case, the design sort of complements the iPod itself and looks pretty cool as a stand.

You know, I wonder what next great invention will incorporate iPod compatibility? We've seen it in cars, we've seen it in clothes. We've seen it in home stereo systems, we've seen it in our video game systems. Oh, I know what, I haven't seen it on my bed.

As though the truly hardcore of us don't already have a killer rig set up in our bedrooms to sleep to beautiful music and dream, Design Mobel has introduced a bed that integrates full iPod compatibility into its construction. Sporting a built-in dock for an iPod, the bed also has space in which you can house a full Bose system.

According to designers: "In designing Pause we explored the notion of ?rest? (whether it be while awake or through sleep) and how we choose to create our own personal bedroom space. In doing so, the conceptual design of Pause aimed to challenge the conventional definition of the bedroom environment. The resulting design incorporates functionality that lets your mood guide the pace," says Pause bed designer Dan Gillingham.

What next? You know, when I take time out of my day, I sometimes wonder why I can't just connect my iPod to my toaster while I prepare some breakfast. I give it three months before we see that. P.S. Actually, this bed idea kind of makes sense.

[Via, Mac Daily News]

You know what, as a five-year-old I once designed something that looked very similar to Elecom's new iPod Nano speakers. The only difference, really, is that my design looked sexier when compared to the bundle of nonsense that is Elecom's product.

A white ball, yes, a ball, opens up to reveal speakers on either side for the casual listener who wants his friends and neighbors to be forced to listen to that particularly rousing version of "My Humps" at work. Though the idea behind the iPod is to immerse yourself in your thought and gain some semblance of tranquility, these speakers say Apple is just being poo-poo selfish in closing the music from the rest of the world.

Oh, by the way, these are the same speakers the company showed off a few months ago but with a few cosmetic changes, most notably in color. Check them out if you like your electronics to come in balls. I myself don't have the balls to use them in public.

[Via, DL Mag]

Today, we say goodbye to a friend of ours, the Dell Hard Drive MP3 player. The player had long suffered from bouts of depression as it watched an old school friend, the Apple iPod, soar to heights it could only dream of.

The MP3 player lived hard, but lived quick, with its life a series of triumphs followed closely by a few tragic affairs that made it the subject of more than a few jokes from MP3 player newcomers and challengers alike.

In late December, doctors at Dell made the decision to pull the plug on the player, saying that it would find more peace in death than in life. His family supported the decision. The MP3 player, the last of any hard drive-based music-playing device for Dell, will be missed. It is survived by the Dell DJ Ditty.

?We saw an opportunity to streamline and consolidate our portfolio,? Dell spokesman Liem Nguyen said. ?We made a decision to transition from the hard-drive products to flash players at the beginning of this year.

[Via, Real Tech News]

Alpine, one of the world's leaders in car electronics, has announced the newest version of its iPod-enabled stereo systems. Though several car companies are now offering iPod compatibility with their latest line of cars, most of them are worth the same, or more, than this radio offering from Alpine.

According to Trusted Reviews,

The headlining feature of this latest unit is its â??Full Speed Connection Capabilityâ??, which as Alpine puts it: â??lets users control their iPod directly through the head unit, with the experience being more like directly interfacing with the iPod itselfâ?�. In real terms what this amounts too is 200 per cent faster data transmission for super fast file navigation as well as full-tag artist, album, song and playlist information displayed on the head unit. â??Quick Searchâ?? lets music be found using all these classifications, while the head unit will also charge the iPod, allowing it to play instantly even if its battery is fully depleted.

I can't wait to get it. Yes, I know several other companies offer similar devices, but I've always been something of an Alpine man myself.

[Via, Trusted Reviews]

The new A737 from Hong Kong based manufacturer Ever-E may not have the catchiest name, but it's a fascinating piece of kit. "What's the point in an iPod Nano case that makes it so damned big?" I hear you ask. Well, your Nano docks into it, and far from just being a protective case, the A737 acts as a Bluetooth adapter, broadcasting your Nano's music to the Bluetooth earphones of your choice. If that's not enough, it also packs in an FM radio tuner. It also carries a built-in battery, giving your Bluetooth broadcasting a five-hour lifespan.

Not too shabby, even if it does bulk your Nano up a bit more than you might like. No word yet on availability and price yet though.

[Via Gadget Review]

The CES continues in full swing, and more and more gadgets are announced daily by more and more manufacturers. Audiovox have an interesting one to add to the growing pile - a universal iPod docking station.

No pictures or release date as yet, but once it's ready to launch, 70 dollars will get you a set of 'super bass' speakers with docking space able to accept any iPod model, from 1st generation to Video, or even the Shuffle. While docked, your iPod will also be recharged (the docking station connects to the mains).

Whilst docking stations with amplifiers or speakers are far from new and exciting, this looks like the first to be compatible with so many different iPod models, from the oldest to the latest. Although designed to fit iPods, Audiovox say that the docking station will work with a wide range of other MP3 players too.

[Via iPodNN]

This is one of those ideas which seems so obvious once you see it. Surely somebody already thought of this, but no - it's a first. In fact, it's only a propotype so far, on display at the CES today in Las Vegas. It's a rugged toolbox with sound system built-in, and includes a dock for your iPod.

Handymen across the world will be queueing up to buy these. Have you ever seen a plumber, carpenter, decorator or electrician come into your home without both a toolbox and a boombox?

No news yet on availability, prices, or, well, any other details really. But it's a great concept.

[Via Engadget]

The 2.1 Tango speaker system by XtremeMac works with any dockable iPod and offers audio/video output for integrating the iPod to any entertainment system. Tango's trio of powerful speakers, including a downward-firing subwoofer gives a deep booming bass and sharp clear vocals. A sound stabilizer provides grip on most surfaces so the bass vibrations don't cause the unit to dance around on the surface. Tango also comes with a wireless infrared remote and charges the iPod while docked. The estimated price will be around $200 and is expected by the end of March.

[Via, xtrememac]

GadgetReview reports that a brand new set of audiophile quality speakers have come to market which are "

designed to smooth over distortions found in digital recordings as well as compensate and minimize the quality loss inherent in compressed audio such as MP3s.

"

Hammacher Schlemmer's tube-based studio-quality Triode-Tube iPod Speakers system featuring aluminum-encased amplifier is designed housing four powerful Class-A tubes and claims to be virtually distortion free. As a bonus, you receive an "

RCA cable and two highly-insulated 13' triple-core speaker cables with gold-plated connectors

". While these are a one of a kind item currently, so is the price - clocking in at $3,999.95 for this new iPod "accessory".