You can never get enough power these days, with iPods, PSP, Laptops and other gadgets there always seems to be something on charge and sometimes there aren't even enough plug sockets to charge them in - especially whilst on the move. It's very annoying when your laptop displays low battery warnings or your PSP turns off when you you are in the middle of completing the final mission of your favourite game. This is where the Xantrex PowerSource Mobile 100 comes in, giving your gadgets more juice.

The Xantrex PowerSource Mobile 100 can charge via the two available USB ports or through the AC outlet, giving PSPs 12 hours of additional gaming time, 2 hours of notebook life and 3 whole days worth of airtime for your iPod Nano. Here's the full list of features:

• Converts 12 Vdc power from a vehicle battery into 120 Vac power
• Three-prong AC outlet to handle all chargers and adapters for mobile electronics
• Blue LED on/off indicator
• DC cable with vehicle and airplane connector
• Lightweight AC charging adapter
• 4.0 Ah lithium ion battery pack
• LED battery status/charge status indicator
• Over-temperature shutdown
• Low battery voltage shutdown (10.5 Vdc with automatic reset)

Remember  the Vacuum Cleaner Robot? Well, here's another possible Robot ancestor. Miuro, the music innovation based on utility robot technology.

So what does this music on "rollers" do? You basically attach your 3rd Gen iPod on it's head (just like a brain) and have it blast sonic waves (music, for the meantime) from its rolling arms. You control the robot by remote control. It also receives signals from the PC to play iTunes and other programs (safe programs, yes). As you can see above, it comes in 4 different colors. Additional accessories will include a camera and sensor so it can map your house and remember all your rooms.

The Creator, Shinichi Hara, designed it so that it would look gentle and become part of everyday life. He's hoping that 10,000 Miuros will be rolling inside houses by the first year. They remind me of those enemy fighters in Star Wars to tell you frankly. Will this change the way we listen to our music? Instead of carrying the iPod, it will plod on right behind you when you least expect it. Then it will blast you with sonic vibrations. But that's just us thinking.

Maybe the UBOT and Miuro can be molded into one. Imagine, it's going to make music and vacuum your floor! Multitasking robot. But putting too much power in one thing can be dangerous.

It's now available online.

Eleksen Group is the world leader in touch sensitive interactive textiles for electronics interface design. Kenpo, Inc. on the other hand, premiers the manufacture and distribution of apparel for the general consumer market. Put them together and what have you got? Elektex-powered Kenpo Jacket for iPod!

The fashion and technology duo came up with a new set of designs and alterations for the iPod jacket that will fit their Spring 2007 collection. According to CEO of Eleksen Robin Shephard, "Kenpo's release of a new range of clothing and its growing adoption by some of America's largest retailers reinforces our belief that wearable electronics is beginning to hit the mainstream. These new Kenpo designs illustrate that ElekTex is as compelling a solution for lighter weight garments as it is for heavier winter wear."

The Kenpo Jacket for iPod allows quick and easy navigation for users that is compatible to almost all iPod models, as the garment provides a 5-button switch sensor in the sleeve that requires no batteries. The new line will be unveiled at the upcoming MAGIC show, August 28-31, in Waltham Massachusetts.

Now here's another fashion innovation using the iPod. Old iPod headphones were spotted being worn as earrings. Dangling from the earlobes of one lady, this new fashion idea has been coined as the headrings. Hmm...makes you think what else you can do with your iPod and other gadgets. This seems to be the trend now: wearing technology, and wearing it fashionably.

If you'll remember, Levi's recently came up with the iPod jeans to cater to the iPod-toting market. Now, if  you're bored/resourceful/creative enough, you just might be able to find other new ways to make use of your iPod. After all, there's nothing wrong with exploring the full potentials of a product, especially if it doesn't come cheap at all.

The company's had to endure quite a number of red marks on its books recently - sweatshop iPods, hot-running laptops, the lawsuit with Creative, MacStains, malfunctioning logic boards, and their own massive LiON battery recall in the wake of the Sony battery/Dell exploding laptop scandal - but they didn't stop Apple shares from finishing 50 cents higher in the NASDAQ Friday.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said that the company will not be feeling any financial impact from the battery recall program - despite the fact the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates up to 1.8 million Apple laptop batteries worldwide are covered by the recall. By comparison, Sony expects costs of between $172 million and $258 million to recover bad batteries and ship replacements. And the Japanese government had recently ordered both Sony and Dell to investigate their battery troubles, and report their findings by the end of August - or face a fine.

The battery recall is the latest in a series of "irregularities" either publicly revealed or admitted to by Apple, or accused of by third parties. The latter case is represented by the iPod sweatshop accusations leveled against the Chinese-based factories where iPod manufacturing is outsourced. Cases falling under the former include the battery recall, both of their older models and of certain batches of MacBook Pro batteries, as well as MacBook quality control issues.

But by stock performance it seems that the company's still ticking and kicking. Even if it wasn't the highest in the past year, things are still looking up for Apple.

Then again, we did say long before that any idea of an "Apple customer backlash" could be illusory.

These days when furniture are being crafted to accommodated your iPod and when "Googling" has become a legitimate everyday word, here's a little something for the iPod/Google loyalists out there.

Google has recently started selling vinyl wraps that you can use to jazz up your iPod a little bit. It currently features Google's four-colored logo and has been designed to fit quite snugly on fourth and fifth-gen iPods as well as iPod Nanos. It's a pretty good attention-catcher and can get your beloved iPod to stand out in the crowd.

The Google iPod wrap is currently being sold at the Google Store for $1.75 a pop. So, you can either get one for yourself, or buy a whole bunch and send it to all of your iPod-toting friends and relatives and let the world know just how you can't live without your iPod and Google.

Not entirely a new idea but still a good one, and an eye catcher at that. One who sees the Pillow Pods can easily be reminded by Linen 'n Things' very own, MP3 Pillow.

The Pillow Pod measures 15" square and comes in four colors: vibrant green, hot pink, intimate purple and cool blue. And as its name implies, these pillows have built-in speakers for that cozy music fix as you sleep.

It uses universal jacks so you can actually plug it to virtually any kind of portable electronic device, be it iPod, MP3 Player, CD Player, etc. Pillow Pods are available online at With Character (tagged at $24.99) or pre-order it at Amazon for $17.99.

Wouldn't life be so much simpler if there were universal batteries? The kind of batteries that would fit in any device? It would eliminate different sizes (A, AA, AAA, and all that) into just one universal "Battery X".

Lo and behold, notebook giants Apple, Dell, and Lenovo are looking into just that! They're to hold a summit next month to start developing standards for the manufacturing of lithium ion batteries used in portable and handheld devices. This initiative was pushed after Dell's recalling of batteries (due to Sony-manufactured cells being a potential fire hazard) from a few days ago.

The summit will assess the current standards relating to lithium ion batteries and eventually achieve the goal of standardizing design, performance, and safety requirements for these batteries.

Griffin Technology Inc., announced this Wednesday that they have begun shipping their 5.1 Surround Sound solution for Mac, the FireWave. Griffin Technology is known as one of the leading creators of accessories and peripherals for Mac, PC, iPod, and gaming and here they prove once again why.

Through FireWave, Griffin's Surround Sound solution for Mac, users are now able to upgrade their sound system via the FireWire ports. FireWave gets its power through the FireWire connection so there's no need for cables, batteries, or whatnot, to make it work.

FireWave is also small and portable enough for use with laptops, making it easy to incorporate into any computer setup. It also has an extra FireWire port so that it doesn't hog your FireWire port, letting you connect with other FireWire devices.

FireWave lets you enjoy DVDs in 5.1 surround, use Dolby Prol Logic II to listen from any audio source, whether from iTunes, QuickTime, or streaming audio. Another cool thing is that FireWave supports multi-channel playback from cross-platform OpenAL games (gasp!) like World of Warcraft and Unreal Tournament, definitely a gaming must-have.

Technical Specs:

• complies with IEEE1394 specification
• sample Rates supported: 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz playback in MBLA mode (non-Dolby) 32,44.1, and 48kHz in Dolby Pro Logic II o 48kHz
• encoded Digital in Dolby Digital Outputs: 6-Channel, 24-bit Frequency Response
• powered by the Oxford Semiconductor FW970 Pricing & Availability Griffin FireWave

FireWave is now available at your nearest Mac or FireWire accessories retail stores, and sells for $99.99. Not bad, eh?

Griffin continues to expand its already impressive catalog of iPod accessories with the announcement of the Hi-Way, a versatile, custom fit, roadworthy carrying case for Apple's iPod Hi-Fi compact stereo.

The Hi-Way is a unique combination of convenience and innovative features, all designed to fit your Hi-Fi like a glove. It's got pockets upon pockets galore for storing all of your iPod cables and accessories. Its outer shell, made of durable ballistic Nylon material, is tough on the outside yet the Hi-Way has a soft inner lining to keep your Hi-Fi scratch- and scuff-free, and the power cord pass-through lets you use your Hi-Fi while it's all snug and safe.

What price for all these features? Well, $49.95 will get you a Hi-Way and all the protection it brings to your precious iPod Hi-Fi.