Apple are doing well from the MP3 Market (which of course they pretty much generated), iPod’s are more popular than ever, the iPhone is now open to several mobile phone networks and iTunes are still the number one music download site. Apple seem to have created a gold mine (I’m sure they worked hard for). However its not just Apple that are benefiting from the popularity of the iPod. There are now many large brands that have built their reputation on the back of the success of the iPod and iPhone. Usually revolving around iPod accessories.

The modern iPod is a thing of beauty, its stylish looks are appealing to the eye and its functions are second to none. Its natural that most people want to protect its stunning image and increase its functionality. Listed below are 5 must have iPod accessories that really improve the function / styling / quality of use of the iPod.

1) iPod Protective Skins and Cases – Were first introduced to protect the iPod and touch screen from scratches & damage while left pockets, handbags or vehicle gloveboxes or any other environment where damage can occur. However iPod case production has now moved into an additional areas offering bespoke and original design artwork, its easy to personalise your iPod and style it to how you desire. If you want your iPod to stand out from the crowd this is an excellent way of doing so.

2) Apps – There are far too many apps to mention here, and new and improved versions are being created every day. So what are Apps useful for? Well depending on what functions you’re after, you can probably get an app for it. A good example of an app i love to use is wikipanion. Its basically a mobile version of the wikipedia website. If you need any information on anything, load the app and search for what you need and you have everything you need to know about it. Browse the apps store on your iPod, you will definitely find something you’ll like.

3) iPod Car Kit – I particularly like this invention because it increases the usability of your iPod. Like its predecessors the iPod was designed to make your music mobile so you can listen to it where ever you go, One of the only exceptions of doing this is while your driving. The iPod car kit extends the usability of your iPod while driving, which most people over the age of 17 do a lot of. There are a lot different kits available, each offering different functions and features. Listening to the music, podcasts & audio books you love on a long drive makes the time go much quicker.

4) iPod Dock Station – Your iPod is basically a mobile Juke box. It carries around all of your favourite music all of the time, New iPods can hold some of your favourite videos or films too. Take advantage of your iPod’s storage capacity load all of your music, and with the spare space upload music videos, films and favourite TV programs. Use a docking station at home and play your music and videos through the stereo or TV.

5) iPod sport Kits – A Great invention for the keep fit fanatic, most people who regularly run listen to music (usually via an iPod). Apple and Nike offer an iPod sports package that allows you to listen to your music & keep track of your training secessions. The Sports pack records the pace, time and distance you have covered during the work out and added to your nikeplus account, allowing you improve your performance each time you exercise.

Any of these 5 ipod accessories will improve your user experience, obviously they will not appeal to everybody. My personal favourite is the iPod car kit as i spend a lot of time on the road.

More and more people are getting HD radio installed in their cars. The reception is better, the sound is clearer, and there is a wider variety of shows and stations to listen to. So, if you have already purchased an HD radio for your car – or if you bought a car with a HD radio already installed – why get an iPod car kit?
For one thing, with HD radio, the sound quality is improved over a normal radio but the sound will be poorer than an iPod kit; there are also commercials in between tracks. Sometimes the commercials are as often as every few songs, depending on the station. There is less static with HD radio compared to the standard FM or AM radio, but you can still have problems listening to stations; the station won’t fade out as quickly, but if you are too far from where the station is being broadcast, you won’t be able to hear it. This is especially a problem for people who often make long drives – searching for a new station every hour, because you’ve traveled outside of the previous station’s broadcast radius, can get pretty annoying. Obviously, neither the commercials, nor the geographical location, are a problem for someone who is listening to an iPod.

Even though HD radio has a greater variety of programming than regular radio, it can’t beat the variety of programming that can be found on podcasts, and played through your iPod. With an iPod, you can always choose what you want to hear; if a song comes on that you don’t want to hear, you simply fast-forward. No more flipping through stations hoping to find something you’ll enjoy; you have control over what you want to hear, anytime you listen.

The iPod is now more universal with the iPod Car Kit

Apple recently introduced two new iPod Touch models, the 32GB version and the 64GB version. Apples main marketing push for these iPods was built around the bases that the iPods are “50% faster than previous models”. As usual, most forum users were scepticle. As we all know, word spreads quicker than ever before with the internet becoming more important to our life’s – this makes it easier for rumours to spread. It only takes one respected forum user to dislike or not fully believe an idea and you have mutiny! Once this has happened, other forum users take his opinion as gospel and it spreads like wild-fire.

This push from Apple had just this problem. However, we have had a few test models and have compared them to older iPod Touch models (1st and 2nd Generation). We found the following results;

• Boot speed was cut from around 25-35 seconds to around 15 seconds.
• Opening web pages was cut from 30 seconds to around 20 seconds.
• Loading games was also cut in almost half. Games included Rolando 2, Tap Tap, Spore and more.

I think thats pretty conclusive evidence that Apple are on the right track here!

These new kits also appear to work perfectly with the Dice and Dension iPod Car Kits and In Car iPod kits on first quick tests (although tests will continue to confirm)

There are a lot of options available to the customer when buying a car phone kit, with all the different car kits out there, what are the main differences between them and specifically a wired car kit and a Bluetooth one? Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages which must be considered when choosing which kit to purchase.

Wired car kits require the phone to be placed in a cradle upon entering the car. The cradle charges the phone, and calls are routed automatically through the device, and if the device is a hardwired connection to the vehicles head-unit, audio can be heard through your car’s speakers. Any actions you want to perform – making, answering, and ending calls, or using menu options – must be done directly from your phone, so it’s essential that the cradle is positioned correctly for comfort and convenience. There are also negatives to having a cradle, the cradle will only match 1 phone or in some cases a specific brand. This means you can’t use more than one phone, rendering the kit useless if you upgrade phones or if family members or work colleagues have different mobile phones.

With a wireless Bluetooth car kit, calls are automatically routed from your phone to a small speaker or through your stereo and car speakers – your phone never has to leave your pocket or purse. The connection is established automatically when you enter your vehicle and start it. Any functions of your phone that you need to use are controlled from the dashboard control unit or via voice command, instead of from your cell phone. Additional benefits of the Bluetooth kits include the extra options available. Including additional inputs including iPod, AUX Mp3 and on some occasions USB.

Essentially, if you’re on the road for long periods of time and are concerned about phone battery life or you prefer to use your phone to control calls instead of learning to use the dashboard control unit, then the wired kit is probably for you. However, if you like the idea of using the dashboard control panel, or the convenience of not having to place your phone in the cradle when you get in the car, or you like additional music then the wireless bluetooth car kit is a better option.

Author of aritcle  Nick Janaw

Many people have had the experience of talking on a cordless or cell phone, and hearing snippets of another person’s conversation, a police radio, etcetera. Therefore, the concern over having someone eavesdrop on your conversation, or even steal data from your mobile phone, because you are using a Bluetooth device, is a legitimate one. However, these kits are designed so that doing so is extremely difficult for hackers.

Bluetooth kits utilize a common frequency for signal; the same frequency used by many mobile phones, cordless phones. However, even though it would seem as though Bluetooth devices would cause, or receive, a lot of interference because of this, the manner in which two Bluetooth devices are paired (or set up to discover and recognize each other) results in no interference. Bluetooth devices must be connected to one another, and once they are they establish a closed network of signal, which is very difficult to hack.

It is possible to take extra steps to protect yourself; if you set your phone and kit so that they are not “discoverable” by other Bluetooth devices, it is much more difficult for anyone who might want to steal your information to do so. Also, because Bluetooth devices operate on an extremely low-powered signal, which only has a diameter of about 30 feet, the likelihood that there is someone within 30 feet of you who is trying to steal the use of your phone is very low. So, despite the concerns of the ease of hacking wireless devices, the manufacturers of Bluetooth devices have safeguarded the technology against most opportunities to do so.

When the time comes to purchase a new Bluetooth hands-free car kit, the first priority is obviously to decide which model to purchase. Price varies, and some have far more features than others. However, once you have decided on the kit that works best for you, the next step is to decide where to buy it, and who should install it.

Most Bluetooth car kits come with an installation guide, which allows the consumer to install the kit himself. The process is fairly straightforward, and the manual walks the Bluetooth owner through the process, step by step (where to position the microphone, et cetera). Often the most tricky areas are routing the wires and positioning microphones. However, there are several important factors to take into consideration. One has to ensure that no part of the Bluetooth device blocks access to the mirrors, controls, gearshift, or any other parts of the vehicle used while driving. Also, some manufacturers consider the Bluetooth’s warranty null and void if a consumer installs the device by himself. This is only usually the case if any part of the kit is damaged during the installation.

The other option, of course, is to have a licensed and experienced technician install your Bluetooth kit. Always ensure that the person who installs your kit is familiar with your vehicle, and has worked on others like it in the past. The installer will be able to provide a guarantee that if the kit doesn’t work when tested, the problem will be fixed. (If it doesn’t work, some installation providers will refund the price of the kit, if you purchased it there, but not the cost of the installation labor.)

Bottom line: if you have done jobs like this before, and you are confident that installing the kit yourself, you should attempt installing it yourself, and save the extra charge. However, while it may cost more, having a licensed professional do the job is usually the better option.