Last week it rained consistently and beautifully for three straight days here in Greensboro. I was not only excited about the alleviation of the drought and the marathon naps I missed classes for, but I listened to some pretty solid stuff last week. Music just feels better when it's been raining and I have the perfect songs to prove it.

I took the liberty of buying Feist's new record, The Reminder, and it was everything I thought it was going to be. If you watch TV you should know who she is. Her song "My Moon My Man" is the theme for the LG Chocolate phone on the Verizon Wireless commercials. Or if you've seen the new iPod Nano Video commercial they use her song "1 2 3 4." Leslie Feist, the lead singer, has somber, sometimes muted and melancholy vocals which makes her perfect to listen to on a rainy day.

iLuv launches new docks, Bluetooth headset

Accessory maker iLuv has released three new products for the iPod and iPhone. Leading these is the i166, a stereo dock with clock functions. Users can listen to their iPods or AM/FM radio, and set two separate alarms for different purposes. The dock has two 2.5W (RMS) speakers, but owners can output both video and sound to a TV, or connect a subwoofer for better bass. In either case separate cables are required. Officially supported iPods include all Video and Photo models, all Minis, plus first- and second-generation Nanos. The dock costs $70 and comes in white or black.

The i189 is a speaker dock with the same general power and support of the i166, but with added Classic, Touch and iPhone compatibility, as well as simulated surround-sound. The main constraint is the lack of a subwoofer jack.

Cambridge debuts i765 combo iPod stereo system

Cambridge SoundWorks has released a new combination stereo system, the i765. The system is notable mainly for merging several major abilities into the same unit, including AM/FM radio, CD and DVD playback, and iPod docking, arguably the focus of the design. A wide variety of iPods are said to be supported, but the stereo more specifically supports Apple's new Touch, Nano and Classic models. Listeners can control their iPod through the bundled remote, and see track information displayed on the LCD.

Wattage ratings are unpublished, but the company says that a built-in subwoofer should provide more bass than many similar systems. The 765 is somewhat limited in terms of output options, however, as it uses a basic auxiliary sound connection, and composite or S-Video TV jacks. The stereo should be out now at Apple Stores and other locations for $500.

First Grope of the Flash Zune Hardware

Brian Lam of Gizmodo got his greasy hands on a new Flash Zune and he was more than happy to take the multimedia player out for a test run. And yes, he once again tries to stuff the thing down his pants. To make matters worse, he selected the tightest pair of jeans he could find... and then he took a video. In terms of general impressions, Brian is fairly impressed with the new hardware, especially with the touch-sensitive Zune Pad. This means of menu navigation is a significant step in the right direction compared to the first generation Zune. He also notes that the Flash Zune is quite thin, but it's not as thin as the new iPod nano. Because of the extra length, it's also not as pocketable. Other things that he mentions include his love for the "slickest paint you've ever seen on a gadget", the fact that the headphone jack is on the bottom, his appreciation for the raised profile on the D-pad, the dullness of the aluminum back, and how the black border "helps the screen pop nicely." He also says that the chassis does have some flex to it.