Remember the Popdrive, that USB drive that we posted about a while back? The one that could also double as a bottle opener? If you have an iPod shuffle, you can actually turn it into something like that thanks to Mophie's new iPod Shuffle case.

  

Called the Bevy, this case is for Apple's second-generation iPod Shuffle. It's made of clear polycarbonate with a stainless steel insert. The Bevy's design allows for a way to wrap excess earbud cords. The Bevy can also act as a keychain and bottle opener. It's available for US$ 15 and comes in green, pink, blue, orange and silver.

The Bevy's design actually resulted from Mophie's Illuminator project at January's MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. During the event, Mophie invited people to draw their own designs for new products at the Mophie booth. The Bevy design was created by a a 17-year old student named Jared Fiovorich, who promptly got paid for his design. Fiovorich also got a case of Bevys to boot.

Griffin Technology is at it again. After releasing three new iPod cases last week, the popular accessory maker is now unveiling a new docking station - AirDock - for Apple's portable media player. The obvious advantage and unique feature of this station is that it can be controlled via remote control.

Not only that, AirDock is also capable of recharging your unit's battery whenever it's on idle mode. Griffin made sure that the accessory has the ability to sync with your computers too.

All you have to do is connect AirDock to your computer's USB port, then plug in your iPod to recharge its battery while you sync with iTunes. The accessory also comes in with "HomeConnect" cable that allows it to be connected to the stereo or TV sets.

In this way, you can actually listen to music and enjoy pictures, as well as videos, from a distance using the RF remote control. AirDock is priced for US$ 69.99. In case you are interested, the Read link should take you to Griffin Technology's product page where you can order AirDock online.

iSkin is offering a new line of wireless devices for Apple's iPod. The newest addition to iSkin's line of iPod accessories, the "Cerulean" line, includes a transmitter, receiver and a headset.

The transmitter's called Cerulean TX. It's a plug and play stereo Bluetooth transmitter that connects to the iPod's dock connector. The TX works with the Cerulean RX receiver to send wireless audio to a speaker system. Users can also connect other devices that have headphone output through an auxiliary jack. The Cerulean TX and RX combo goes for US$ 149.99.

The Cerulean F1 headset, meanwhile, combines a Bluetooth stereo earphone with a mono mobile headset. It has a price tag of US$ 129.99 and is designed to work with both the Cerulean TX and a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. Users can even have it connected simultaneously to the TX and a mobile phone. The F1 will automatically switch to headset mode when a call comes in.

  

Looking for a gift for an iPod lover? Check out the Hoodry, Jason Siu's latest audio creation. The Hoodry not only looks pretty in pink, it also works as an iPod holder and speaker. The product page for the Hoodry doesn't specify what kinds of iPods are supported, but a look at the back shows an aux. in jack, so we think that just about any iPod -- possibly any mp3 player, for that matter -- can work with the Hoodry.

If you're thinking about getting one as a gift (Mother's Day's coming up *hint, hint*), you better act fast. Only 30 copies of the Hoodry have been produced, making it an extremely limited item. You can get one for about US$ 120 on KidRobot.com.

iPod docks typically come in small sizes. Of course, there's always the exception - like the Tune-In Bed. Today we came across another one thanks to Uber-Review: the Geneva Sound System XL. Check it out on the right.

Looks custom made for an iPod, right? Actually, aside from working as an iPod dock, the Geneva Sound System XL can also act as a huge speaker for other mp3 players. You can also connect it to vinyl, TV or any audio using the bundled audio and line-in (RCA) cables. It also has a built-in FM radio receiver and a slot-loading CD that can read both audio CDs and mp3s.

Yeah, it's big - it weighs 38kg and is 61cm high - but that's because it has a 600-watt high fidelity digital amplifier. This behemoth is available in three colors: white, red, and black. The price? US$ 1,075 without the optional aluminum floor stand, US$ 1,194 with it. Oh, and it also comes with a remote control.

Known accessory maker Griffin recently unveiled three new iPod cases that are welcome additions to their growing stable of iPod accessories. The iPod cases are The Courier (cost US$ 29.99), Tempo for the iPod shuffle (US$ 14.99), and iVault for the iPod nano (US$ 24.99). All of them are shipping now.

  

Tempo for the second generation iPod shuffle is an armband case made of elastic micro-membrane fiber. In other words, that's one tough cookie to crack. Comes in black and grey and is washable. The Courier is made of leather and Cordura and not only could it house your iPod, it also has enough room for your iPod accessories.

Lastly, the iVault for the second generation nano is an aluminum case metal enclosure that would provide access to your iPod's screen, click wheel, ports and switch. To know more about these products, click on our read link below.

  

Back in December 2006, we shared with you Apple Corporation's patent for a "hybrid lower computer mouse" which is basically an upgrade of its wireless mouse. As development for the accessory continues, it's becoming imminent that the patent is not just to fix the short battery life of the said peripheral because as you will see, it's capable of a whole lot more.

According to Brian Huppi, the same brilliant designer behind iPhone's interface, the next-generation Apple mouse design can switch between operational modes based on the way a user holds the device's enclosures. Huppi further explained,

The method generally comprises first sensing in which hand position the mouse is being held, each hand position indicating a corresponding mode of operation of the mouse. If the mouse is being held in a first hand position, the mouse performs according to a first mode of operation, whereas if the mouse is being held in a second hand position, the mouse performs according to a second mode of operation.

Brian Huppi then shared that Apple is thinking that the first mode of operation is going to be cursor-based where cursor movements can be seen and used on the display screen. The second mode, on the other hand, could be a scrolling and/or panning movements on the display screen.

Now, if you're wondering how the heck the mouse is going to figure in all of those, Huppi mentioned that the new mouse is configured in such a way to provide command information. This will inform your Mac as to which mode of operation (GUI movements) will be implemented. The designer took note,

The command information is generally provided by a switch arrangement that is actuated by the user during manipulation of the mouse, i.e., the user may switch between cursor movements and scroll/pan movements," he wrote. "For example, the switch arrangement may activate the cursor movements when the hand is positioned proximate the modal areas and it may activate the scroll/pan movements when the hand is positioned away from the modal areas (or vice versa).

...right off the box! Kudos to curious Randy of Randy's Rants and Grant of Joystiq. After grabbing the newly-released game and controller bundle of Guitar Hero II, they simply plugged it into their Windows machines. And that's right: Windows recognized the controller perfectly.

It's really nothing new, but since Microsoft has been providing Xbox 360 controller ports to use your wireless Xbox 360 controllers on Windows, this controller just screams Plug n' Play.

Playing Frets on Fire, a free clone of Guitar Hero, Grant found that it even works great, after a little controller configuration. Window Vista may have a little bit of a frame rate problem with the game, but if you could step up to official Vista drivers, it should run fine.

Mac OS X is a slightly different story, as Grant claims the controller isn't recognized as an HID-compliant device, with GamePad Companion or the open source Xbox 360 driver.

Additionally, the OS X version of Frets on Fire couldn't be run successfully. So we could extend this post to the Apple blog hoping to catch the eyes of practicing porters and see if they could do anything about it.

Watch out though, butcher99 tried plugging his controller onto the USB port of his Windows Vista machine and Logitech devices, which could include ultra-sensitive G5 laser mice and G15 macro keyboards, to stop working. It's another compatibility problem that Microsoft doesn't have any solution for, except perhaps keeping the controller plugged into your Xbox 360.

Like Randy, we're anxious to know what the homebrew community can spruce up for this interesting little development. Photo courtesy of Randy.

It seems that Sony has finally conceded to the iPod's ever-growing popularity. While checking out some of the new stuff over at the iLounge, we came across news that the electronics giant has finally created their own iPod dock.

According to iLounge, the new iPod dock - called the Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port dock - is designed to connect the Apple iPod to the Digital Media Port on compatible Bravia home theater systems and audio receivers. It's compatible with fourth- and fifth- generation iPods, first- and second-generation iPod Nanos, and iPod Minis.

Apart from playing audio from the iPod through the Bravia systems, it also works as an iPod battery charger. The Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port dock is now available for pre-order and carries a price tag of US$ 100. It's a bit steep, but if you've got the money to spring for a brand-new Bravia system, what's a hundred bucks more?

  

Freshome decided to survey one of the more interesting lines of iPod/MP3 player accessories out there: pillows. Seems like everyone's embedding speakers into the favored nighty-night companion. We've covered one of the seven devices they've surveyed, the Pillow Pod, but the other six turn out to be interesting in their own right.

There's the iPod Speaker Pillow set that comes in Rectangle and Neck - the Neck's gonna be useful for those long, long, long car trips. Options like the sports-themed iPod speaker pillows or the Cozy Tunes Speaker Pillow carry only the basic function of serving as a soft speaker. The Sound Pillow doubles as an MP3 player speaker and a tinnitus relaxer, actually designed by the UK Royal National Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

   

Most interesting perhaps are the iPod Pillow and the Music Cure Pillow (the two serve as this article's top images). The iPod pillow isn't just a speaker: it also has a built-in FM tuner and the buttons on the darn thing work! (For volume, switch-to-radio, scan for station, and power-off).

The Music Cure Pillow may be the priciest of the bunch, but it also ensures the best night's sleep. For it integrates speakers with ergonomic posture tech: "the pillow is made of viscoelastic foam... supports and relieves pressure on the heads and shoulders, thereby minimizing the risk of bedsores." That certainly sounds like a lullaby. Now, to find the bed that goes with this...