Yesterday, we covered almost all of the major players at the Apple Expo in Paris; today we’ve done a second sweep to make sure we covered as much of the rest as possible.
It would be unfair to call the show “sleepy,” as the energy level is perhaps a bit higher than that, but it’s certainly low-key by comparison with anything but the now-defunct Macworld Boston. There aren’t a ton of people crowding the show floor, but many people have been watching Apple’s presentations and sampling the products from key exhibitors. Here are highlights of what we’ve seen; a second full photo gallery is now online, while the previous huge photo gallery is available from this link.
Belkin
We came back and saw the iPod mini version of Belkin’s windshield TuneDok, which was highly similar to the full-sized iPod version. The company was also showing TuneFM, the FM transmitter that debuted in The Free iPod Book.
Be-Ez
Be-Ez was showing updated versions of the Dopi cases we have previously reviewed; while using the same shapes, these were made from soft plastic instead of felt, and featured printed graphics.
i-Doll
This new collection of stylish iPod shuffle cases is exclusively for French/EU customers.
Matias
iPod Armor maker Matias was most prominently showing its combination USB 2.0 keyboard and iPod shuffle dock.
Pacific Rim Technologies
Pac Rim was showing a new clear plastic hard case for the iPod nano – an early sample, but coming soon – as well as a new version of its iPod dock, this time featuring video output capabilities, and a new version of its previously announced Bluetooth headphone accessory.
The company plans to retool the dock to support Apple’s Universal Dock Adapter, eliminating the awkward mounting of an iPod nano. It also plans to revise the Bluetooth accessory’s transmitter based on the discontinuation of the iPod mini.
PodGear
In addition to the nano speakers we mentioned yesterday, PodGear was actually showing HouseParty, a small two-driver dockable speaker system for iPods.
Power Support
We reported on most of Power Support’s new designs yesterday, but wanted to spotlight a few other things that we liked at the booth. Here’s a shot of the Tsuzumi table, which plays audio and displays a colored light show at the same time.
The company has also developed thin but still high-quality leather cases that have faux suede interiors. These cases will be available in flat back and belt clip versions.
As part of the company’s upcoming line of fashion products, we saw a Kimono cord-retooled version of the iPod earbuds, and a high-fashion shirt with iPod pocket. We were really impressed by the designs, which are apparently intended as low-quantity production designer items, and have no prices as of yet.
SkinIt
Utilizing a production process that apparently is now becoming available to companies around the world, SkinIt offers customers the ability to create high-quality vinyl iPod tattoos of their own design at a cost of under $10 per sticker. In addition to utilizing superior printing technology to what is available in consumer printers, SkinIt’s skins are laminated to resist damage.
Tunewear
We took another pass through Tunewear’s collection late yesterday, spending time looking at PodWallet, Ambassador, TuneTag and Icewear for iPod nano, each of which appears in shots within our gallery.