Radio, Radio
Two of the hottest gadgets around are Apple’s iPod and Sony’s PSP. Yet neither comes with a radio that you can listen to when you want to catch up on news or you simply get bored with your music. Realizing its own deficiency, Apple has come out with the iPod Radio Remote ($49,apple.com). It hooks up to your iPod’s dock connector and combines a remote control, FM tuner (which you control from the iPod’s screen), and earbuds (which contain the antenna). Likewise, Griffin’s iFM PSP ($49.99, griffintechnology.com) combines an FM tuner and remote control in a tiny dongle that also includes a pass-through port for headphones.
Earphones
Most mp3 and portable media players come with cheap, cruddy-sounding earphones. If you care about the way your music and movies sound, you’ll want to upgrade to a pair that actually enhances the audio. Ultimate Ears’ super.fi 3 Studio sound-isolating earphones ($99.99, ultimateears.com) slide straight into your ear canal and block out environmental noise, such as cars, conversation, and the sound of the crying baby one row behind you. The ’phones come with six pairs of tips in three different sizes, so even if you have Dumbo-size ears, you should be able to make them work. Like the Ultimate Ears’ ’phones, Shure’s i2c sound-isolating earphones ($129, shure.com) insert straight into your ear canal to seal out ambient noise. However, the i2c features dual connectors: one for your mp3 player, one for your cell phone (provided your mobile has a 2.5mm headphone jack). A control switch lets you toggle between music and phone calls, and a mike allows you to keep up your end of the conversation. The only bummer: you won’t hear calls ring through on the earphones, so you’ll want to keep your phone on vibrate.
Scratch protectors
Whether you have a DS, PSP, iPod, RAZR, or all of the above, it’s important to keep them protected. One way is with ShieldZone’s InvisibleShield clear-film protectors ($9.95 to $24.95, shieldzone.com). Made from the same material used to guard military-helicopter blades, the InvisibleShields are strong enough to prevent your gadgets from getting scratched up, yet thin enough (just .008 inches) to keep them functional. They offer full-body wraps, as well as screen-only protection, and you’ll find models for many different cell-phone, PDA, mp3-player, and gaming-device brands. One warning: the InvisibleShields can be fairly tedious to apply, although they are nearly indestructible once you get them on (there’s a lifetime warranty).
Go wireless
If you’re tired of accidentally yanking the headphone cord out of your mp3 player every time you move around, try going wireless. The Logitech Wireless Headphones for mp3 ($129.99, logitech.com) work via Bluetooth. Plug the included wireless adapter into any mp3 player’s headphone jack, pair it to the headphones, and you can wander up to about 30 feet away from the player without losing a connection. It’s great for throwing your device in a backpack while listening to music or for strolling to the fridge for a snack without having to lug the whole player along.
