iLounge

Dan Torres of Rio Audio talks to BusinessWeek about how his company aims to take on the iPod. Strangely, Torres plans to target buyers who value “ease of use.”

Blogger Matt Haughey has received his free special edition TiVo iPod thanks to good performance in the company’s referral program.

In his review of Portable Media Centers from Samsung and Creative, Wall Street Journal tech guru Walt Mossberg says the handheld video and audio players are not ready for prime time.

At a press event Tuesday, Apple released the iPod photo and U2 iPod in Korea. More than 95 percent of the Korean market is currently dominated by flash memory-based players.

One reporter is using his iPod and the Griffin iTalk for recording news audio content. “Coming up next: an iPod with a station logo painted on it,” notes the blogger who spotted the act.

Diesel Sweeties is now selling a T-shirt for the iPod early adopters that reads: “I had an iPod before you even knew what one was.”

The iPod was honored for the second consecutive year at the BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) Awards. It picked up the Experts’ Choice award, designed to recognize “products, services or initiatives that have influenced the digital sector in the past 12 months.”

After buying a colleague’s iPod still loaded with 3,000 songs, John Schwartz of The New York Times says that he now knows his co-worker better than ever.

Micromaxx is selling an iPod mini knockoff in Germany. “It’s probably just a matter of time until Apple has the lawyers saddling up and ready to ride,” notes Engadget.

One iPod owner has posted photos and detailed captions of his installation of the NaviPod wireless remote control for hands-free iPod navigation in his car.

While Sony flounders, the iPod mini remains the No. 1 selling portable audio player in Japan.

Only 20 iPod owners showed up at Creative Technology’s headquarters to trade in their Apple gadget for a Creative Zen Micro MP3 player.

The MP3 Experiment is the world’s first live theatrical performance that audiences will experience exclusively through headphones—there are no actors. Audience members will download an MP3 track from the show’s Web site in advance, load it onto their iPod, and bring it with them to the show.

One iPod fan has created an excellent iPod commercial that rivals any big production company.

An online petition has been posted in hopes of getting Apple to add PDF booklets with liner notes to each song download from the iTunes Music Store.

Even though Motorola’s new 5GB M500 player is $20 cheaper and 1GB bigger, Engadget says it’s still not enough to dethrone Apple’s iPod mini.

PhotoshopSupport.com has posted a great tutorial on creating your own iPod silhouette ad.

The Nokia Neo is an upcoming iPod lookalike mobile phone that has a scroll wheel instead of a regular keypad.

Tom Cox of The Times explains why he is selling his vinyl collection and switching full time to iTunes in order to make his life easier.

Engadget has posted a step-by-step article on how to use your iPod photo to give PowerPoint or Keynote presentations.

The Censtron iBend “brings the Heavy Metal experience everywhere” inside the case of a 3G iPod. It comes with “four rocking guitar solos,” the “Censtron bend wheel,” and an “extreme pitch knob.”

iLounge staffer and “iPod and iTunes Hacks” author Hadley Stern asks if the iPod photo is breakthrough device or a work in progress.

One large bank plans to give every employee an iPod so they can listen to earnings calls and other business related audio.

Belkin has been honored with seven CES Innovations Distinctions, including awards for TuneBase FM for the iPod mini and Digital Camera Link for the iPod.

Japanese company Bird Electron is offering limited edition iPod speakers that are handmade from actual gourds.

PortalPlayer, which makes components for Apple’s iPod, plans to go public this week, selling 6.25 million shares at $11 to $13 a share.

Wired’s Leander Kahney found the fIRSt evEr prOTotyPe dDArwIng Of tHe IPOd.

One music fan shows that the 5.11 Tactical Shirt is perfect for storing an iPod.

The French Competition Council has dismissed a case brought by Virgin’s French arm against Apple for alleged abuse of market dominance.

The Think Different Store now has the new iSkin eVo 2 in stock for fourth-generation iPods.

CNET News.com this week posted two iPod competitor articles: “Will pocket-size Sony PC take on iPod?” and “Cell phones take iPod challenge.”

Geek Culture’s Joy of Tech comic reveals the Dirty Secrets of iPod Socks.