With the iPhone getting so much attention people seem to forget about it’s little brother with just about the same functionality but half the price. That is the iPod Touch, and in this case you can grab this 32GB model from Amazon at some extra savings, making it just $273 and with free shipping. The iPod Touch utilizes iOS similar to the Phone itself, but instead of including 3G and Talking it’s main purpose is to take advantage of all available apps, Play Music and videos, and have an incredible experience online portably. Of course the center stage goes to its 3.5-Inch screen and the previously mentioned 32GBs which gives you plenty of space for up to 8,000 songs or 40,000 photos. The battery squeezes out about 40 hours of audio playback on a single go, amazing for a trip or vacation and 7 hours of video playback. While not a phone, the iPod Touch gives you plenty of other features you crave portably.

Save 9% on this product instant when you buy it from Amazon.  Checkout price is $272.95

Sony has revamped and modernized its classic Walkman with the new Z Player powered by Android that’s designed for music lovers. Stylish hardware meets outstanding audio to result in what Sony claims will be the “ultimate mobile entertainment experience.” As the first MP3 player from Sony to be powered by Android 2.3, users can easily access the Android market with its built-in WiFi, browse the Internet, check e-mail and more. Sony’s Entertainment Network’s cloud-based Music Unlimited Service(via subscription) offers more than 10 million songs. The Walkman Z player also offers easy transfer from iTunes for Windows or Windows Media Player.

With its anti-reflective 4.3-inch multi-touch LCD touch screen users can enjoy music, vido and games on a large screen. The Walkman Z Player features the integrated S-Master MX digital amplifier to greatly reduce noise levels and distortion along with additional audio technologies to create an enriched music experience.

SenseMe technology allows users to play music that complements their mood as users keep their music in tune with their mood by automatically categorizing music tracks into different channels. Sony will offer three different models based on storage capacity with the 8G Z Series going for $249.99, the 16G for about $279.99 and the 32G for about $329.99. All three will be available for purchase this Spring.

It’s hard to imagine life without an iPod. It’s been embedded into our everyday lives and incorporated into popular culture. It’s changed the way we listen to music, watch videos, play games, exercise, drive, interact with friends and more! Apple’s iconic media player even changed the music industry, shaking up its entire foundation. It’s been 10 years since the iPod’s introduction and throughout the years it’s been revamped into an even better version of itself, but one thing always remains the same…it’s one of the best devices of our century!

The Beginning: 2001

Back when it was first introduced on October 23, 2001, the iPod was welcomed with less than stellar reviews. In what was predominately a Windows-based world, and hardcore techies didn’t think it would really make a huge impact on the industry. Boy, were they wrong!

With intentions to enter the very popular personal digital device market that was beginning to take off, Apple decided to enter it with its own rendition, but didn’t want to make it big or clunky as others had been. When the late Steve Jobs showed off the first generation iPod, he promised “1,000 songs in your pocket” for $400. Instead, he delivered an entirely new gadget that has grown into the world’s leading way we listen to music, as well as helped propel other such devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Like all first versions, it was expensive, especially for only being 5GB (nothing compared to what’s out there now). It was white and very boxy; about the size of a deck of cards. While it wasn’t exactly clunky, it was a bit bulky. The interface was simple with its mechanical scroll wheel that dictated its functions on the small black-and-white screen. What made it so cool was that the spinning wheel interface as fun and new, which is what helped give the new iPod an edge over the competition. A new era of music was officially born.

iPod 2G: 2002

A year after its debut, Apple give its fairly new iPod some minor updates. First the price is now cut to $299, making it more affordable to the masses for the 5 GB. Then begins the cycle of offering different and more expensive versions of the gadgets. The new 10 GB and 20 GB version are born, selling for $399 and $499, respectively. These larger iPods now featured a touch-sensitive scroll wheel and a wired remote. But, the big news was that Window users could now use the iPod on their PC, allowing them to download music via MUSICMATCH Jukebox.

iPod 3G and iTunes Music Store: 2003

The third-gen iPod got a totally new design for the first time in April 2003, when it showed up with a new lighter and thinner enclosure. Again, Apple did some price adjusting, launching the 10 GB at $299, but also dropped a new 15 GB for $399 and 30 GB for $499. But then later in September, Apple decided to just upgrade the two more expensive ones to 20 GB and 40GB. The era for bigger and better for Apple’s iPod was in full force…and only three years from its birth!

iPod Mini: 2004

Aww, the iPod Mini that so many love came to be right at the beginning of the year, when Steve Jobs announced that 2 million iPods had been sold thus far and showed us the baby iPod. Half the size of the original one, the iPod Mini was the first to get some color (enclosure-wise). They came in silver, gold, pink, blue or green and were made of anodized aluminum. The iPod had now entered the fashion world! But that’s not all the Mini did. It was also the first to include Apple’s new-styled “click wheel” instead of the scroll one. Since it was half the size of an iPod, it was also priced so, coming it at $249 for a 4 GB model, offering 1,000 songs.

Color Screen iPod: 2004

After the success of the colorful iPod Minis that debuted earlier that year, Apple decided it was time to bring some color to the iPod’s screens and unveiled a new version in October 2004. It was capable of storing 25,000 digital photos, but we’re not sure if anyone if did that, but it was still cool, nonetheless!

iPod Shuffle: 2005

Deciding that the iPod Mini was still too big, Apple dropped their iPod Shuffle the very next year. They weren’t wasting any time trying to take over the digital device market with every kind of size imaginable. The MP3 player was “smaller and lighter than a pack of gum,” according to Jobs. Apple marketed the new version as a random way to listen to your music, making it perfect for those on the go and who liked a compact version of the iPod while out exercising or whatnot. IT plugged into a USB drive and had 512 MB of storage, which was 120 songs, for $100. It also brought out a larger version 1 GB for $149, which held 240 tunes.

iPod Nano: 2005

So the Shuffle wasn’t small enough, or the Mini, which brought the new iPod Nano. Slimmer, thinner and lighter than any of the previous versions, its claim to fame was that it was “thinner than a standard No. 2 pencil.” Not only was it the smallest one with a screen in the fairly short history of the iPod, but it had the smallest capacity for an iPod with a screen. It sold for $199 for the 2 GB version and $249 for the 4 GB one. Despite having less capacity, the Nano was a success!

iPod Video: 2005

Apple had a big year in 2005, with the Shuffle and Nano and its new iPod video that they released in October. Not only was it a music device, a hard drive for pictures, but the new video could also hold up to 150 hours of video and boasted a high-res display. Also notable, was that it was the first time a full-sized iPod came in another color besides white; black was now an option.

iPod & Nike Collaboration: 2006

As if Apple wasn’t a huge iconic company on its own, it decided to partner up with Nike, which was one of the first extensions of Apple’s non-music platform marketing. So Nike made special shoes that synched with the iPod Nano to store data on exercise and the like. It did wonders for athletes everywhere.

iPhone & iPod Touch: 2007

From the great iPod came the idea to make a phone from the same concept…and volia! The iPhone was born. Taking a lot from its famous iPod, the iPhone was Apple’s first phone that featured touch controls, including “swiping” through menus. The iPhone has obviously become its own iconic device, but that’s an entirely different post! While the iPod might have inspired what many believe is the best phone on the planet, the iPhone inspired something great on the iPod…a new touchscreen version. Basically, the new iPod Touch was an iPhone without a phone. Genius, right?!

App Store & iPod revamped: 2008

Every year gets better and better for the iPod and in 2008, Apple launched it’s new App Store and the 2.0 iPod Touch that could play music, browse the web and more.

iPod Nano with Video: 2009

The iPod Nano received a video camera and FM tuner in 2009, as well as slashed the price on the Shuffle and added new color options. Again,

The Present

The iPod hasn’t exactly changed much since 2009, but the iPhone has evolved significantly. Also, the iPad is now part of the family, helping the extremely innovative company stay on top of the mobile device game.  And to think, it all spawned from the iPod.

We no longer listen to music the same way we did and the industry has felt the repercussions of it. Nobody goes to buy full-length CDs anymore at a record store; they instead download their favorite tracks online from the App Store or some other MP3 online site. Car radios don’t make a CD player an upgrade option, but have now made iPhone/iPod-enabled features standard. Life has definitely changed thanks to such a small device…has it been for the better? Hell yes and we have the Steve Jobs to thank!

The Future

It seems Apple will obviously be redesigning and upgrading their current line of successful products. For sure, expect an iPhone 5 soon and from what the rumor mill says, an Apple-based TV. But with Steve Jobs gone, his memory will obviously live on and inspire more innovative tech from Apple…at least we hope he left them in good hands.

2 out of 5 stars

When I first noticed the SolidSound iDuck music player, I thought that this was a device I could surely get some use out of. Sure, it’s designed for children who need a little bit of entertainment while they take a bath, whereas I am a bachelor in my mid-twenties who usually only spends a few minutes in the shower when it’s absolutely necessary. Still, my biggest moments of inspiration tend to come when I am either listening to music or taking a shower or bath, and I thought wouldn’t it be great to combine those two great muses with one little yellow device.

Billing itself primarily as a device for children, I had to think about what kinds of things might happen to an iDuck. I am happy to report that the device presents no obvious choking hazards, but once I started playing with the floating yellow speaker, I noticed a very crucial oversight. Kids like to play with their bath toys, and they like to splash in the water. Heck, I like to splash in the bath too. After submerging the iDuck in water for just a few seconds, the effect to the sound was akin to dropping your favorite pair of headphones in the pool. Though the water did pour out of the speaker quickly, you would expect a waterproof device to handle water a little better.

The wireless transmitter hooks up to any device with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, including MP3 players, laptops, and more. The range of approximately 13 feet works very well, though if the signal is lost, it usually needs to be reset via the button the duck’s back. Though the water rolls off, the rubber control panel placed on the back only allows you to scan for FM stations, use the wireless egg-shaped transmitter, or change the volume between low and high settings.

The entire rig is powered by 2 AAA batteries inside the duck and either 3 AAA batteries or a 4.5 volt DC power supply connected to the transmitter. Neither the adapter nor the batteries are included with the equipment, though the battery life lasted long enough for plenty of baths, assuming you turn both devices off when not in use.

Overall, the sound quality was very crude, but unless your child runs a music blog, the reverberation off of bathroom tile make the sound full enough to enjoy. The iDuck failed to meet expectations in terms of usability in the bathroom, but the FM tuner did perform quite admirably, and the flexibility of using any device with a headphone jack to provide the music is a good design choice to let those tunes come from almost anywhere.

The SolidSound iDuck is available from ThinkGeek for $29.99.

Pros:

• 13 feet of clear range allows device to be located pretty much anywhere inside of the bathroom
• Novel design seeks to enhance bath time by offering musical accompaniment
• Built-in FM tuner works surprisingly well, with good range and smart signal scanning

Cons:

• Requires 5 AAA batteries or a DC power supply and 2 AAAs to operate, and doesn’t come with either
• Rendered nearly unusable if the speaker becomes wet, which is likely to happen inside of a bathtub
• With only two volume settings and only a scan button for the FM tuner, getting precise results is difficult

Amazon is offering a discount on this Nokia X3 Slider Unlocked GSM Phone with 3.5 MP Camera for only $159 – $39.01 Instant Off + Free Shipping = $119.99!

If you’re looking to get your hands on a slim phone with big sound then take a look at this discount! The Nokia X3 Slider phone is the ideal solution for portable music in the form of a phone. It features a super sleek and elegant design perfect for taking with you anywhere and is built with precision in mind. It hides within a powerful set of stereo speakers which can be used to play Radio music from FM bands as well as portable MP3 files for up to 24 hours at a time. It has dedicated media keys and even music based elimination for visual effect so you can take your portable music to the next level. It also allows you to connect to your favorite social networking sites and has an SD card slot to fit up to 16GBs of capacity at once, that’s 4,000 songs!

At just 0.4 x 1.25 x 1.75 inches, and weighing a mere ounce, the UwaterG2 is the smallest waterpoof MP3 player. And not just the smallest in the world, but also extremely cheap, as it’s making the discount rounds at around $20, down from a list price of $79.95.

Waterproof down to 10 feet, the smurf-sized device from Fitness Technologies uses a twist and lock seal for the earphone jack and comes with spare soft silicon ear tips, four in number, as well as a headband and belt clip.

The UwaterG2 doesn’t discriminate between Windows and Mac, and it’s Li-ion battery will keep streaming from the 2GB of internal memory for 6 to 8 hours before needing some alone time with a dry USB port.

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This deal includes a $25 Amazon gift card that can be used on anything

Model: 501438

Ah yes, perfect for the campsite as pictured above.  Taking the whole Vizio thing a couple steps further, The TV Hat is ready to take you to a introverted place of the likes in which you’ve never seen before.  The TV Hat uses a 2.5x magnification screen to broadcast the image from your PMP with the privacy shield blocking out everyone else except for little old you.

Mega cheap at $30, I can’t imagine the price dictating the quality.  Anyone use one of these?

[via RandomGoodStuff]

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Of all the crazy whacked out clocks we usually post on, the Verilux Rise And Shine Natural Sleep System is a nice change of pace.  The alarm clock gently awakens you using a combination of dimming and brightening lights while also simultaneously raising and lowering the sound levels.  Looking sort of like a mini-stadium light, I’m interested to see just how well this thing works.

The clock also has an AUX input jack for your MP3 player, an FM tuner, and about 800 songs worth of internal memory.  It also looks like it has some sort of SD card slot.  Get one now for the beefy price of $249.95.

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The price is $39.99 + $6.99 S&H = $46.98!

That darn DJ equipment can be so back debilitating sometimes.  No problem.  The Pocket Sized MP3 Player Mixing Deck has you covered for your next gig. It works like a standard mixer and even allows you to preview your next track before mixing.  Of course you’ll need two MP3 players for a smooth transition and a headphone jack will let you preview and listen to your work without being interrupted by drunk flusies.

ThinkGeek has it for $25.

[via UberReview]

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They’ve got it for $289.99 – $40 instant savings + $0 S&H = $249.99 delivered!

For the hard hat wearing construction worker whose gone through countless stereos and boomboxes due to falling beams and toppling port-o-potties comes the Ryobi Tek4 Allplay Music Player.  Built for the most rugged of job site scenarios the 2GB MP3 player is water, dust, and impact resistant.

Found in home improvement stores across the heartland for $70, the Tek4 has large buttons for use with gloves on, and easily attaches to a work belt or armband.  Battery life should last around 72 hours per charge.  Now all you’ll need is some heavy duty Dewalt speakers.

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TigerDirect, via Amazon has the iRiver 1LP4BLK Lplayer 4GB Video MP3 Player for $39.99 – $2.79 S&H = $42.78 shipped! This MP3 player has 4GB of storage, a black finish, up to 12 hours of music on a single charge, 2-inch 320×240 LCD, FM radio, voice recording and supports numerous codecs.