| Griffin intros new iTrip Auto, power gear
Griffin has released three new accessories for iPods. Prominent among these is a new version of the iTrip Auto, the car variant of its famous FM transmitter attachment. Users plug one connector into their iPod, and another into their car's power adapter, which then charges both the iTrip and the iPod itself. New to the Auto is a feature called SmartScan, which automatically tracks down the three cleanest frequencies, and saves them as presets so they can be selected with a single button. The AutoPilot is at its simplest an iPod car charger, but the knob that plugs into the power adapter doubles as a control surface, allowing users to play, pause, or skip tracks without reaching for the player. Griffin notes that this is particularly important for the iPod touch. The knob illuminates for night use, and cars with auxiliary-in jacks can be fed stereo sound directly.
Jeweler providing iPhones and iPods as incentives to buy on Black Friday
The Northeastern Fine Jewelry stores will be offering more than just diamonds next Friday, the unofficial start to the Christmas shopping season and one of the busiest retail days of the year. The jewelry store has set up a tiered rewards system, based on how much money a customer spends at either its Albany or Schenectady store on Nov. 23. The grand prize: Either a free Apple iPhone or a free Apple iPod Touch. The motivation? "We wanted to come up with a dynamic offer to reward our loyal customers," president Ray Bleser said in a statement. The systems works this way: Customers who spend at least $300 will receive a free digital FM transmitter and auto charger. The transmitter allows iPhone and iPod Touch owners to play music on those devices through their car stereo systems.
Book of the future has batteries included
Amazon.com changed the way the world buys its books and now it wants to change the way the world reads them. The US-based web retailer has launched a new wireless $US399 ($NZ528) electronic book reader dubbed the Kindle, a name intended to evoke a sense of igniting knowledge. The device is the latest attempt in a decade-long quest to deliver an electronic consumer gadget that will allow users to download, store and read digital books. And the always-connected technology opens up a new range of opportunities for authors and publishers to experiment with electronic books, or e-books. Comparisons are already being made between Kindle and Apple's iPod digital music player. Launched in 2001 at the same $US399 price, the iPod has gone on to radically change the music industry.
Japan: Sony Trying To Bite Into iPod's Market Share
TOKYO, JAPAN: Personal stereos have come a long way from the days of cassette tapes, with major manufacturers now battling for consumers' attention with functions such as video capability. The market leader is Apple Inc's incredibly popular iPod, but market veteran Sony Corp is in hot pursuit with its latest range of Walkman products. Sony's first generation of Walkman cassette players went on sale in July 1979. It was a groundbreaking product that, for the first time, enabled people to listen to their own music without disturbing others. Worldwide Walkman sales totaled about 370 billion yen (US$3.22 billion) as of the end of fiscal 2006. Apple released its first iPod in November 2001. It enabled users to transfer their entire music collection onto its hard drive and listen anywhere they liked.
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