The (temporarily code-named) iTV promises to connect the TV to the Mac, which means that all those downloaded iTunes movies can be viewed on the boob tube as well as the iPod's tiny-but-portable screen and the monitors on the Mac boxes and notebooks. But that is still to come.

For now, there's the ViewSonic ViewDock Desktop iPod Dock, which will do for the iPod's screen what a host of speaker-dock accessories have done for the iPod's earphones.

The ViewDock, being shown off at the Paris Expo, will display the video content of its docked iPod on a 19 or 22-inch screen. No resolution details have been released by ViewSonic, as well as the expected retail price. But the company has released other technical details for the ViewDock, including several USB 2.0 ports, a microphone (iPod karaoke?), and integrated stereo speakers with a subwoofer for a decent audio experience from that downloaded movie of yours. The product is expected to go on sale later this year.

Okay, this thing doesn't do anything for portable video entertainment - not at 19 inches minimum, anyway. But no one can criticize the iPod for its small screen anymore. Of course, once the iTV comes out, this might turn out to be redundant, but maybe it could double as an LCD CPU monitor, too. And besides, at the rate things are going, the iPod will soon be able to dock to anything. Like, you know, the toilet paper dispenser.

Buy: [iPod]

Japanese company Logitec (different from Logitech) will release its LBD-A2FU2/WM - the first Blu-ray disc burner for Apple computers - this month. The 2x BD drive can write to the 25GB BD-R, the 50GB BD-RE, DVD-RAM, DVD±R/RW, dual-layer DVD±R and CD-R/RW discs. It also comes with Roxio's Mac OS X application Toast 7 Titanium. The Blu-ray drive connects to both USB 2.0 and Firewire and will retail for $1,148. Apple People elsewhere will have to wait as no shipping date outside Japan has been announced.

Too much clutter in your desk? Got no more room for a bulky dock/speaker system? Well, you might wanna cast your eyes on this SwitchEasy creation, the KuroDock, which claims to be the smallest iPod nano dock ever to grace this planet. Well, we ain't sure about the smallest dock, but it measures 48 x 54 x 16mm and weighs 72 grams, so you be the judge if it is indeed the littlest of all them nano docks.

The KuroDock connects to your computer via USB 2.0, allowing you to transfer your photos and music at fast speeds. And from that you can see that this one has a standard mini USB connection instead of the Apple connector so you can use cables that run a lot cheaper than Apple's. Its lights are a pretty sight -- when active, the normally white LED indicator bar glows red, returning to white when it is safe to unplug your iPod.

It also features a stereo line out port so you can connect the KuroDock to your home stereo. In case you're wondering where the company got the product's name, "kuro" in Japanese means the color black, that is why it isn't surprising if this small and black contraption is as such. This one will go for roughly $30 and will only come in black for now, but apparently a white one is in the works.

A plug and play internal Bluetooth upgrade is now available for PowerMac G5,  PowerMac G4 and iMac G4 systems. The chip adds Bluetooth connectivity between Macs and a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled devices such as PDAs, cellphones, cameras, headsets, printers, keyboards and mice.     

It's very easy to install as the Bluetooth module fits directly into the Mac's main logic board, attaching to the built-in Apple antenna.

It's now available for $25.95 and comes with 1-year warranty.

Compatibility:

PowerMac G4 (FW 800)
PowerMac G5
PowerMac G5 (June 2004)
PowerMac G5 (Late 2004)
iMac G4 (17-inch Flat Panel, 1 GHz)
iMac G4 (USB 2.0)

Belkin tomorrow will announce the TuneSync, a new iPod accessory that combines a dock for syncing/charging your iPod and a five-port USB 2.0 hub.