MacGears - Mac Accessories

Besides listening to the iPod all the time, you can use your iPod to records stuffs as well. A friend of mine had a conversation about recording over the iPod and he was very adamant (or should I say stubborn) that the iPod is built for listening and not for recording. Talk about love for an iPod.

There are 2 ways that you can get started recording. Firstly (the easiest way), get yourself a Griffin iTalk, iPod Voice Recorder ($39.99) and start recording audio sounds. with these devices you do not have to install anything else. When you plug the iTalk into your iPod’s headphone jack, your iPod will immediately go into voice-recording mode.

The other way (FREE!!) of getting your iPod to record is using a software called podzilla. Do note that not all iPods can be installed with podzilla as you will be required to boot into your iPod’s linux. With the podzilla, you can then use a normal microphone and record away.

Armed with a recording iPod, you can now record your lectures, voice memos or the chirp of a bird. If you are contemplating signing up for the American Idol contest, you can even sing into your iPod and listen to yourself after that. There will be no stopping you from practising, anywhere. You’ll never know, with a $40 addition to your iPod, you’re on your way to be the next American Idol winner!!

I’m sure you guys know what Skype is (so, I won’t bore you with the basics of Skype). When I roam around the city, I see many Skype users using a normal headset with a microphone that juts out like a sorethumb. I used to have one of those Altec Lansing headsets but when I travel around with my iBook, the headsets suddenly appears impractical largely due to the size.

When I laid eyes on these IPEVO Skype Phone, I was captivated by the beauty, style and fashion statement it was making. Compared to the current Taiwanese brand that I use currently, the IPEVO Free-1 USB Skype Phone wins hands down. Fits perfectly into my bag too.

A quick rundown of the specifications:

• Size: 151mm x 38mm x 25mm
• Weighing in at 65g
• Programmable buttons to add to your convenience
• Use keypads to make SkypeOut calls or receive and control Skype conversations
• Volume control and mute function buil-in to the handset
• Does not require and onboard PC sound card
• 10 types of ringtones to choose from including silent
• Attached USB cable of 2.5m in length

Retailing at $34.99, the IPEVO Free-1 Skype Phone comes in Alpine White or Ultimate Black. Get both!

I am so glad that I found the Belkin Kickstand Case for my iPod Video. Watching a 2-hour movie while holding the iPod is really tiring. At the end of the movie, I need to pry my fingers from the iPod. Now, with the Belkin Kickstand Case, I’m able to rest my iPod Video on the table while watching movies and MTVs.

The Belkin Kickstand Case is made of premiere quality leather in white/black and comes with an unbeatable lifetime warranty. Priced at $29.99, the case is a steal owing to the convenience and quality of the product.

The iTower is specifically designed to house your iPod regardless of the models. iPods are connected to this towering speaker sets using ZipConnect cables. This speaker set is also compatible with other MP3 players by connecting the players using a standard audio cable through the headphone jack.

The iTower is 42 inches high, 9 inches wide and consist of 4 aluminium cone speakers, a 1-inch true-dome tweeter and a subwoofer built into the base.

The iTower ZipConnect Speaker Set is available from Amazon for $199.95. If you need more than 1 tower, purchase the 2nd unit at $100.

Isn’t it frustrating to hook on to weak wireless or WiFi signals; resulting in constant timeouts and signal disconnection? What you need is a wireless signal booster to increase the signal range. Stronger wireless signals will result in reliable Internet connection, higher data throughput and better surfing experience.

This is where the QuickerTek’s transceivers help in the above. Their tranceivers are WiFi compliant, supporting both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless protocols and works with Mac OS 9.x and Mac OS 10.x systems. As an example, imagine the power of QuickerTek’s iMac G5 tranceiver; taking Apple as a comparison, the iMac G5’s RF output is approximately 30mW while QuickerTek’s transceiver pumps out 500mW. Depending on your Apple models, you will experience 10 times the normal signal strength and/or an additional ½mile wireless range!

QuickerTek has transceivers for iMac, PowerMac, iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini and Airport as well as the new MacBook Pro.

For more information and purchase details, visit QuickerTek’s website at www.quickertek.com.