MP3 Players

The Cowon iAudio U2 MP3 Player has a great deal of features and excellent sound quality. One of the features that we like is the direct MP3 encoding and supports a wide variety of audio formats. What we didn't like is that quality of the FM tuner and the headphones, but obviously you can replace the ear phones.

CNET.com Review: The iAudio U2 was recently reviewed on CNet.com and received an impressive 8.7/10 score along with the prestigious Editors' Choice award . "Excellent sound quality; small and light; eye-catching looks; FM, line-in, and built-in mic recording; equalizer and several sound effects; USB 2.0 support; no drivers necessary in Windows XP or Mac OS X...."

MP3 Daily Rating: 7/10

Buy From:

Advanced MP3 Players - 256MB £69.00, 512MB £84.00
Amazon - 512MB - £96.49

For those that have 5th generation iPods and want to keep their iPod organised ;-) then the Tunewear Prie Tunewallet will probably do the trick.

This is a well thought out wallet as you can get to everything you need to when its closed and has three colour options although we're a concerned about the screen protection.

MP3 Daily Rating: 6/10

Advanced MP3 Players Review: PRIE TUNEWALLET 5G is a wallet sized genuine leather case for iPod 5G. PRIE TUNEWALLET 5G is made from smooth ultra high quality genuine nappa leather. With the flip-cover closed the PRIE TUNEWALLET 5G provides complete protection for your iPod 5G against dirt and scratches.

There is also three card slots inside the flip-cover to fit credit cards, business cards, train passes and more. In addition There is a pocket for holding items such as cash, small documents and much more. The iPod holder and card slot both have "quick release" mechanisms which make it very easy to insert and remove your iPod and credit card etc. Best of all, PRIE TUNEWALLET 5G is small enough and protective enough that you can simply throw it in your bag or pocket and enjoy your music wherever you go without having to worry about your iPod 5G getting damaged.

PRIE TUNEWALLET 5G is available in 3 colors: black leather with red stitching (RED), black Leather and white stitching (BLACK), white Leather and white stitching (WHITE). It also includes a FREE TUNEFILM 5G, a clear protective film that covers the front and back of the iPod for extra protection.

Buy from:

Advanced MP3 Players - £26.99
Go Audio - £24.95 (Delivery from £3.47)
Pod Zone - £19.99 (Delivery from £3.99)
MP3 Essentials - £24.99
Eoutlet - £23.49
Shiroi - £24.95 (Delivery from £3.49)
eDirectory - £26.99

Also try:

Tunewear ICEWEAR Shuffle
Tunewear POPTUNE
Tunewear POPTUNE Nano
Tunewear PRIE TuneTag Nano
Tunewear PRIE Ambassador 5G/Video

Otterbox has signed an agreement with H2O Audio to allow them to offer the pattened waterproof headphones via the Otterbox online store.

The high-fidelity speakers are avaliable with an Otterbox for just $39.95. We're just struggling to find retailers this side of the pond. But I'm sure you can buy diret if you wish.

Macworld reports that iTunes will be offering NBA highlights to download for $1.99. So the logical question is ... When will they come into the UK market with football highlights? Or would Sky and Sentana look to create their own offering?

Companies are on a massive drive, almost pathological, to make all information as easily accessible as possible. People in time are going to be deluged with information from the second we wake up. I'll be investing in non-technical retreats for people that want to get away from the sounds and vision being constantly being streamed to them night and day.

There are people up and down the country that are styling their iPods and the Capdase Alumor gives them the opportunity to do this with a metal case.

But the Capdase Alumor case is far more useful than just giving a cosmetic appeal. The outer metal layer gives the iPod supreme protection from the usual daily knocks. This is combined with an internal silicone layer which cushions the internal workings of the device.

MP3 Daily Rating: 6/10
Buy from: We're still trying to find suppliers. But expect some will appear on eBay.

The new video iPod is reportedly had its production delayed until next year according to various internet sources. The story surfaced after a spokesman for the chip-maker PortalPlayer mentioned the specific chip for the model hasn't been agreed upon yet.

As Apple need to keep new products hitting the market to keep the financial figures moving in the right direction we can expect to see them launch 5th Generation 80gb iPods and 8gb iPod nanos.

They may also look to improve the functionality of the iPod with a Bluetooth option which would allow the easier sharing of music as well as wireless headphones.