iPod

*(Ed. Note: The following product review was prepared and written by Josh, a new contributor here at MacMove. He is far hipper and more stylish than I am, so this seemed to be a good piece to introduce him with. It's about the iPod and he is 'down with that.' If you like what Josh has to say, let him know by posting a comment.)*

One of the biggest problems for college students these days is not whether or not to ditch class, but how to wear and protect their iPod when they are on the move. Boy, did the Kenpo iPod Jacket come at the right time. You will never have to bring your iPod Armband with you unless you are going to the gym.

This jacket is lightweight and, most importantly, waterproof. Picture this: it is snowing or raining outside and class or work is a long walk away. You need your iPod with you–you can’t live without it–but God forbid it may get wet and possibly ruined if you carry it with you outside. What do you do?

Simply put your iPod into the specially-designed pocket on the inside of this jacket, plug in a few things and run your headphones up the track on inside of the jacket. You’re off, and your iPod is safe and sound in the jacket’s pocket.

How do you control it you ask? Simple: this jacket has a specially designed system that keeps your iPod in hold mode when you aren‘t listening to it. The controller is on the outside of the left forearm. IT’S LIKE HAVING A NINTENDO POWER GLOVE ON!!

To unlock the iPod, simply press down on the track-forward key and count (preferably to yourself) for three seconds. Now your iPod is unlocked and you can shuffle songs and adjust volume... and it automatically returns to hold after three seconds of inactivity! Its brilliant!

If the jacket gets dirty, no problem. You just unsnap the special ribbon connector that is attached to the inside of the jacket pocket and the jacket is ready to wash or dry clean. There’s even a friendly reminder to remove your iPod before washing.

Finally by keeping the ipod inside your jacket, you limit its exposure to possible theft.

###Five things you need to know###

* The jacket has several zipper pockets on the sides and underneath the forearms which are perfect for the other junk you need to carry. Because they zip, none of your crap will fall out. It’s a nice detail.
* The designed inside pocket for your iPod has *just* the perfect amount of room for an iPod and–most importantly–a skin. I used this jacket with my iPod photo. Even though I had to take my belt clip off, my ipod and skin fit perfectly inside the pocket.
* The jacket does not come with a hood. So I put on my hooded sweatshirt and then the Kenpo jacket over my hoodie. Happy to say that the jacket still fit comfortably.
* The jacket’s controls do not include a menu key, so make sure you are in the proper playlist or willing to listen in shuffle song mode before putting your ipod into the jacket.
* A newer model could be made to accommodate a lady’s figure. This jacket is clearly for a man with a tall build and long arms. Fashion-wise, it looks great, a lot like a North Face fleece which instantly makes anybody cool.

If you can never leave your home without your ipod and you take the subway to work this jacket is for you. If you are always outdoors whether walking to work or school; this jacket is for you. If you jog regularly, hike, or travel on a boat or sea (don‘t want your ipod getting wet from the water), this jacket is for you. And if you want to be in vogue you need this jacket.

###Addendum###

* You can visit the Kenpo website [here](http://kenpofashion.com/kenpo.html) to learn more. (Warning: The site auto-plays a commercial that includes music.)
* We received one jacket for review but images at the Kenpo website show other styles, including at least one hooded jacket. According to the site, there are 4 men's styles available.
* The jacket is compatible with all model iPods except the iPod shuffle.

Apple's released a new iPod today, a 1GB iPod Nano that sells for $149.

Now, you might think I'm bummed, since I own a 1GB iPod shuffle which I bought about a year ago for the same price... but I'm not.

See, I treat my shuffle like crap. I mean, I throw it around, I leave it in my car, I stuff it into my bag, my pocket... anywhere. I know that there is nothing on it that can break and no display to scratch.

A nano, however, is like a jewel. I mean, it's got a color screen, that metal back and a plastic face known for showing wear and scratches. I would never be able to use a nano the way I use my shuffle, so I'm not bummed.

Of course, they now sell the shuffle for less money: $69 for 512 MB and $99 for 1 GB, so I might feel like I spent too much since, when I bought my shuffle, it cost $149. But I don't, since I've gotten to use it for so long.

Apple is refreshingly unafraid to make changes to the product line and offer consumers new and exciting options on a regular basis. Yes, it does mean that people who bought an iMac G5 the week before Macworld might feel like they were shafted... but they weren't. The next best thing doesn't render your last, really good thing worthless.

Besides, if there's anything you can count on Apple to have, it's the next best thing.

iPod e-journalist extriodanaire and online pal, [Bill Palmer](http://billpalmer.net), has founded yet another website which promises the same in-depth analysis and tireless updating that his other sites currently provide. This site, The MacBook Garage, is currently in pre-Beta (so it's not as pretty as it will be) but it's already running several pieces per day, so you might as well start reading now.

The site says:

>Welcome to MacBook Garage, the official sister site to iPod Garage, the world-prominent iPod website. MacBook Garage will feature the same great daily commentary, the same great product reviews, and the same great industry news -- except it'll be all about the MacBook Pro, Apple's other Macintosh laptops, and the Macintosh universe in general.

So,[ check it out](http://macbookgarage.com/). And, while you're bookmarking, Bill's other websites are:

* [MacMischief](http://www.macmischief.com/), a Mac news site
* [The iPodGarage](http://www.ipodgarage.com/), a *huge* site devoted to everything iPod and digital music
* [Mac Using Educators](http://www.macusingeducators.com/), a group-written weblog (currently in a dry spell while the spring semester gets underway) about real-world use of the Mac in education
* [LoadPod](http://www.loadpod.com/), the "nation's leader in iPod loading services"

This is priceless.

I still hear people complaining about the "flaws" in iPod batteries. Listen up, folks: batteries are *finite* - they eventually wear out and die. Even rechargable ones like the one in your iPod. My PowerBook's battery used to last only two hours per charge. I replaced it and now I get over hours easily.

Yes, Apple charges a lot to replace a battery - so much that it's not worth it. But, there are [third-party replacement batteries](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=replacement+battery+ipod&btnG=Google+Search) that come with instructions that make it easy to change the battery yourself. In order to prove how easy it is to do, [Other World Computing](http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ipod/batteryreplacement/) had someone do it *blindfolded* at MacWorld earlier this month. :)

So, this wasn't a banner year for iPods at MacWorld. Or, was it?

[iPod Garage](http://www.ipodgarage.com) founder Bill Palmer has dubbed 2006 "[The Year of the PodCast](http://www.ipodgarage.com/article.php?id=865)" and I think he's onto something. Plus, his site has published [The EXPOBOOK](http://www.ipodgarage.com/article.php?id=858), The Complete Free Downloadable iPod User's Guide to Macworld Expo 2006.

This is from the same group of writers who published the [NANOBOOK](http://www.ipodgarage.com/article.php?id=715) late last year, so you know it's got to be quality. Go get your copy of both now.