While this is off topic, we have an article up on our new Gadgets blog that is really stinkin' cool. A friend of QJ.NET invited us to help him mount twelve 30-inch Dell flatscreen monitors to his wall, and it was a blast. Above you can see an image of the finished product, and man is it sweet! Powered by 6 top-of-the-line video cards, and three 1000 watt power supplies, this thing is a beast. Click on the Read link below for the full article and step-by-step.

EDIT: Here is a link to an update that we made to the article, where we answer many of the users' questions and have a video. Check it out!

The guys over at onedigitallife have created a cool tutorial for how to back up your music using iTunes. iTunes will automatically burn your backup across multiple CDs or DVDs, and can track what has already been backed up so that subsequent backups are quick and easy. Click the Full Article link below for the tutorial.

A Japanese site has released a series of photos about iPod NanoÂ?s dissection:

The same case with other iPods, very tight.
No air caps.

Divided into 3 parts. The connection between the internal unit
and the front panel has been cut off for comparision.

Internal comparision with iPod mini.

The battery was minimized for space saving.

Data I/O is the same with other firewire versions.
Audio Out and the data port is now on the same side.

Internal unitÂ?s surface.
You can see the data memory chip there.

Internal unit (back)

2MB cache memory chip on memory connector board.

Comparison with iPod Photo.

ezGear, a leading marketer of iPod accessories, announces today the ezSkin cases for the new iPod Nano. The ezSkin Nano cases are made of high quality silicon and have openings on the top for access to the hold switch. The opening on the bottom provides access to the iPod dock connector and headphone jack. Each ezSkin comes with a neck strap, an integrated removable belt clip, and a clear ezShade screen protector.

Five (5) Great Colors
? ezSkins Nanos come in five stylish colors: Sky Blue, Princess Pink, Lime Green, Onyx Black, and Frost White. The Onyx Case is opaque and the other 4 cases are semi-transparent.

Integrated ? Removable Belt Clip
? ezSkins come with an integrated sturdy belt clip. The belt clip is made of high quality high impact plastic so that it lasts long. The belt clip is removable so you can use your case without it.

ezShade Nano
? Each ezSkin comes with a clear ezShade screen protector. ezShades are a clear plastic screen with rubber bumpers on each corner that fits over the screen of your iPod.

ezShades Color add-on for ezSkins
? ezShades for iPod and ezShades for iPod Mini are available in 5 pack color screens ? pink, blue, clear, orange, and green.

The ezSkin Nano suggested list price is $24.98. ezSkin Nano cases will be available in two weeks through iPod resellers and distributors, electronics superstores, and www.ezgear4u.com/ezSkin.

Now Apple has released iPod nano and subsequently they are proud to announce ICEWEAR nano. Just like the rest of the ICEWEAR series, ICEWEAR nano utilizes high density silicone as found in diving masks and their patent pending Rib-Technology to protect your iPod nano. We think that the new iPod nano is the most beautiful iPod yet, and you need the serious protection that only to keep it that way.

ICEWEAR nano will be available online and in stores in October 2005.

You can check it out at their website [here].

Microsoft has announced that the Apple iPod MP3 player will interface with the Xbox 360 console. Users will be able to browse the iPod playlists and play MP3s directly from the iPod through the Xbox 360 interface.

The iPod can be plugged directly into the USB port of the Xbox360 console, and thus this feature will be available to both buyers of the XBox 360 Core System and the XBox 360 Premium Edition.

The Xbox 360Â?s iPod connectivity will allow users to play music stored on the iPod through the sound system connected to the XBox 360 console, using a process commonly referred to as Â?streamingÂ?, namely the real time replay of audio (or video) data stored on one device and replayed on another.

In the past, owners of the original Xbox were able to rip songs from CD onto the built-in harddrive. Some games allowed to use ripped songs as background music during gameplay. The new Xbox 360 console doesnÂ?t require this ripping process - instead, MP3s stored on the iPod can be accessed directly through the XBox 360 interface and played through the sound system connected to the XBox 360 console.

Â?We see the Xbox 360 as replacing your CD player in your entertainment center, but also as the best digital media amplifier available,Â? said Xbox 360 Product Manager, Barry Steinglass. Â?With Xbox 360 youÂ?ve got one central place to listen to all your music on the best sound system in the house.Â?

In contrast to the original Xbox, the XBox 360 allows users to make personalized game soundtracks for ALL games played on the console. Users will be able to listen to soundtracks from either their hard drive or MP3s stored on the their iPod during game play.

iPod Updater 2005-09-06 includes new iPod Software 1.0 for iPod nano. iPod Updater 2005-09-06 contains the same software versions as iPod Updater 2005-06-26 for all other iPod models.

With iPod nano Software 1.0 you can:

• Listen to music and view album art
• Browse your photo collection or view photo slideshows with music
• Listen to audiobooks purchased from the iTunes Music Store or audible.com
• Listen to podcasts, downloadable radio-style shows delivered over the internet
• Store or back up files and other data, using iPod as an external disk
• Store and synchronize contact, calendar, and to-do list information from your computer
• Play games
• Store notes
• Add clocks for multiple time zones
• Use stopwatch as you work out to track your overall time and your lap time
• Lock your iPod Screen to prevent your iPod from being used by someone without your permission

You can get it from apple.

Today, Cingular has put up for sale the Motorola ROKR phone with iTunes compatibility. This new bad boy is capable of holding 100 songs and has two stereo speakers, earbuds and the ability to download music from the Cingular service. Features include:

- iTunes player with dedicated key
- 850/1800/1900 MHz Tri-band GSM/GPRS
- Weight: 3.77 oz
- Dimensions: 4.25 x 1.81 x .80 in
- Display: 176 x 220, up to 262 colors TFT
- VGA Camera, 4x Zoom, flash and video record
- Music Tones
- Bluetooth Capable for voice calls
- Speakerphone
- Talk Time: Up to 9 hours/560 min
- Standby Time: Up to 9 days/230 hrs

You can check it out for yourself at the Cingular website [here].

Take everything you love about iPod and shrink it. Now shrink it again. With 2GB (500 songs) and 4GB (1,000 songs) models starting at $199, the pencil-thin iPod nano packs the entire iPod experience into an impossibly small design. So small, it will take your music places you never dreamed of. Features of the Nano include:

- Holds up to 1,000 songs and full-color album art
- Only 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and 1.5 ounces
- Bright 1.5-inch color LCD display
- Up to 14 hours of battery life(1)
- Apple Click Wheel
- Charges and syncs via USB
- Accessory-compatible Dock connector
- Completely skip-free playback
- Works with Mac OS X or Windows 2000/XP
- Plays music, podcasts and audiobooks
- Holds up to 25,000 photos(2)
- Syncs contacts, calendars and to-do lists

You can check it out for yourself at the Apple website [here].

iLounge has released a review on the newly released iPod Nano:

“What's the best way to prepare for the holiday shopping season after designing the world's most popular digital music player? Sony would lower the price and double its advertising. Apple Computer, of course, would discontinue it.

That's just what Apple did with the iPod mini today, touting the product - for the first time on the day of its discontinuation - as the industry's top-selling music device. Then, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained, since everyone was trying to copy the iPod mini, the company replaced it. The result is the brand new iPod nano, available today in two colors and two capacities. White and black 2GB versions are available for a price of $199 each, while identically colored 4GB versions are available for $249.

Except in a few arguably irrelevant ways, the iPod nano is so beautifully executed that it cannot help but be a huge success for Apple. It is the thinnest iPod ever released, yet preserves virtually all of the features of a full-sized, color iPod save storage capacity. Similarly, it scales down the classic, iconic acrylic and chrome enclosure design we have loved since the first days of the iPod, rather than further shrinking the anodized aluminum body of the iPod mini. When you look at it, you see an iPod - not an iPod-minus, like the shuffle, or something different, like the iPod mini. It's 100% cool, only tiny...”

You can read the full article [here].