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Accessories<br />
Myriad gizmos offer to protect,<br />
charge, and extend your MP3<br />
player. Some had us shuffling<br />
with joy; others just gave us<br />
pause. —MATHEW HONAN<br />
Mophie Bevy<br />
$15 • mophie.com<br />
Oh, beer, is there anything you can’t make better? Exhibit A: This<br />
multitasking iPod shuffle case also serves as a bottle opener, key<br />
fob, and earbud wrap to keep cords tidy in your pocket or purse.<br />
The only downside: You can’t charge the shuffle while it’s in the<br />
case. Know what helps when the juice runs out? A beer.<br />
EDITORS’<br />
PICK<br />
Portable Media<br />
Belkin TuneStudio<br />
$250 • belkin.com<br />
This mixer records four channels of sound to a video<br />
iPod. It’s got EQ knobs aplenty; 1 /4-inch, XLR, and RCA<br />
inputs; and USB for streaming to and from a PC. But the<br />
lack of overdubbing forces you to record all four tracks<br />
at once—fine for capturing live gigs or mixing existing<br />
tracks but a deal killer for most studio recording.<br />
DLO HomeDock for Zune<br />
$100 • dlo.com<br />
We haven’t forgotten you, Zune owners. Either of you.<br />
If all that on-the-go tune-sharing (aka squirting) has<br />
tired you out, plop down in front of the TV and stick the<br />
player in this dock to pipe music, videos, and pictures to<br />
your home entertainment system. The included remote<br />
lets you control everything via your TV screen.<br />
GelaSkins<br />
$15 • gelaskins.com<br />
Protect your iPod in high style. Featuring iconic modern<br />
designs from artists such as Ralph Steadman, Bob Dob,<br />
and Audrey Kawasaki, as well as classics from the likes<br />
of Edvard Munch and M. C. Escher, GelaSkins will turn<br />
your pedestrian pod into a clever curio. Tired of your<br />
skin? Rip it off; the adhesive leaves no residue.<br />
Griffin Technology<br />
PowerDock for Sansa<br />
$40 • griffintechnology.com<br />
SanDisk’s Sansa line could give the iPod a run for its<br />
money, if only it had some of that Steve Jobs mojo.<br />
This dock charges and syncs your Sansa with Windows<br />
Media Player and looks stylish doing so. An audio<br />
output lets you blast your tunes over the stereo.<br />
iHome iH20<br />
$80 • ihomeaudio.com<br />
This in-shower speaker lets you shake your booty<br />
while you scrub it. Dock an iPod and use the built-in<br />
controls to play, pause, skip tracks, and adjust volume<br />
(other MP3 players can be attached through the linein<br />
jack). Water-resistant housing protects your player<br />
from the sprayer. Sound quality is good, not great.<br />
JanSport LiveWire Granite<br />
$125 • jansport.com<br />
Pack soundly. This solid 1,800-cubic-incher stowed<br />
our laptop, magazines, camera, jacket, and four cans<br />
of Guinness, and somehow the padded back made<br />
it comfy enough to wear all day. Your iPod tucks safely<br />
into a special pocket; navigate tunes and tweak volume<br />
via fabric controls on the shoulder straps.<br />
Monster iFreePlay<br />
$50 • monstercable.com<br />
Not only is the iFreePlay a set of headphones with an<br />
iPod shuffle mount built in, it’s also a magical celibacy<br />
hat: If anyone sees you wearing it, you’ll never get lucky<br />
again. Assuming you can get over the dork factor, the<br />
headphones actually sound fantastic.<br />
WIRED TEST<br />
1 0 3
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