Portable CD MP3 Player

On the heels of Apple’s launch of its own iPod speaker system and leather cases, some iPod users on the forums on this site and elsewhere have questioned whether Apple might be looking to take over the iPod accessory industry, which has long been in the hands of third parties, and claim the whole market as its own. These users claim to see a pattern. First it was iPod socks and nano tubes, then the FM radio tuner, and now speakers and cases. With each passing month, Apple brings another iPod accessory to market, seemingly making it progressively more difficult for third parties to compete. All this leads to the question: is Apple really trying to claim the iPod accessory industry for itself, or is there more at work here than meets the eye?

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), a maker of iPod accessories, today announced a new transmitter/charger accessory designed to work with all current iPods. The new DLO TransDock micro is priced at $69.99 and available now.

The DLO TransDock micro , said DLO, broadcasts the iPod’s music over a car radio while at the same time charging the player’s battery. Users plug the TransDock micro into an auto power outlet, connect the dock’s cable to an iPod and select a FM station to play the MP3 player’s music on.

Wolverine Data, a developer of mobile products, over the weekend unveiled a portable media player. The new MVP 9120 is priced at $599 and should be available now.

The MVP 9120, said Wolverine Data, is part of their MVP portable media player family and reportedly is the first portable media player on the market to sport a 120GB hard drive. It can store up to approximately 40,000 photos (depending on resolution), 120 full-length movies (1GB each) or 40,000 songs (3MB each). The player is capable of interacting with a number of media file types, including JPEG, TIFF, BMP, TXT or RAW photo files, MPEG-1, MPEG-4 and DivX-5.x video files and MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV audio files.

Protective Solutions, a maker of protective cases for electronics devices, has debuted a case for Creative’s Zen Vision:M MP3 player. The new invisibleShield for the Creative Zen Vision:M is priced at $24.95 for a full body version and $14.95 for a front-side option only.

The invisibleShield for Creative Zen Vision:M, said Protective Solutions, comes in two varieties. One covers the entire front of the device , including the screen and the controls. The other option shields the front, the sides and the back of the device, creating “full-body” protection. These cases are designed to protect the player from scratches and dings and are made from a film originally created to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades.

Griffin Technology, a maker of popular iPod accessories, announced a new flexible car mount and charger for the iPod nano. The new TuneFlex is priced at $39.99 and should be available now.

The TuneFlex , according to Griffin, has a flexible steel neck which can be adjusted to various angles or elevations to make controlling the iPod nano easier. The cradle of the TuneFlex is designed to grip the iPod and rotates to stay upright and readable in any position.

Here’s another new product designed to fit the on the go iPod lifestyle. The iBikeMount, announced yesterday by Strata Systems, is priced at $30 and should be available on March 15.

The iBikeMount, said Strata Systems, is specifically designed for the ultra thin iPod nano. It secures the iPod to the handlebars of bicycles, exercise machines and strollers for a convenient means of hands-free access. No tools are reportedly required to attach the iBikeMount and the device weighs a lightweight 1.4 ounces.

High-Fidelity Speaker System for iPod Redefines the Home Stereo System

CUPERTINO, California—February 28, 2006—Apple® today announced iPod® Hi-Fi, an all-new high-fidelity speaker system that works seamlessly with the iPod to redefine the home stereo system. iPod Hi-Fi delivers breathtaking acoustic performance and room-filling sound unlike any other speaker system designed for the iPod in an innovative, all-in-one design that can be powered from a wall socket or by six D-cell batteries. iPod Hi-Fi is easily controlled by the Apple Remote for an amazing stereo experience in any room in the house.

We are announcing that the COWON A2 Firmware is available now.

Please refer to the descriptions below for more information about this version, and click on the link below to download it.

Download COWON A2 Firmware 1.61

Firmware 1.61 (for COWON A2)