Technabob » ipod nano

Man Implants Magnets on Wrist to Hold iPod Nano, Must Have Not Heard of Straps

Lambert Varias — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:55 +0000

…then again, that’s like saying people who like permanent tattoos must have not heard of marker pens. Whatever the case, no, you are not on The Onion. Body piercer Dave Hurban really did install four magnets on his wrist, and yes, mounting an iPod Nano on that wrist is one of the reasons (if not the only reason) that led him to do it.

The proof is in the video below. There’s a bit of blood and drilling through skin and flesh involved (you have been warned,) but even if you don’t have the stomach for it, the image above shows the end result, so you’re not missing much.

And so now Hurban is much cooler or less cool or not cool at all depending on which YouTube commenter you ask. The only thing we can say with certainty is that he’d better be careful around MRI machines.

[via You Bent My Wookie]

N-Product Deckster iPod nano Watch Strap Comes with an Eject Button

Range — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 17:00:14 +0000

What I first thought to be a watch that mimicked a Nixie vacuum tube display is actually a strap to house your iPod nano 6G (and then just set the nano to its Nixie display mode). The Canadian-made N-Product Deckster looks quite distinctive and different from the other iPod nano watch straps that I’ve come across.

This is N-Product’s first watch design, and it’s made out of aircraft-grade aluminum. The casing features an eject function, that is reminiscent of an old cassette tape player. Unlike most nano watchbands, the Deckster allows you to easily remove the iPod nano without having to mess with hex screws other fasteners.

All nano functions are accessible through the casing, including the headphone jack and volume controls.

It’s available with either red or black leather bands. There’s also versions with a bike tire or innertube rubber band. While it looks great, the Deckster is not exactly cheap – with prices ranging from $150 to $165(USD). No iPod Nanos are included at this price.

[via dezeen]

iPocketWatch Case Turns Your iPod nano into a Stylish Pocket Watch

Range — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:00:55 +0000

There are quite a few different cases that transform your iPod Nano into a wristwatch, but this is the first one I’ve seen that makes it into a pocket watch. While I don’t use pocket watches, I can see some people liking this kind of setup, since it’s definitely unique.

The iPocketWatch was conceived by Edwin Conan and his project is currently trying to get funding through Pozible, a Kickstarter-like crowdfunding site in Australia.

The case is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, and hand finished, and allows access to all nano controls when in place. The design is available with either a square fascia or round one – which are interchangeable, and for an extra fee you can get a black finish instead of the silver one shown here. It includes a 30cm long (11.8″) chain, which can be hooked to your belt for security while it’s in your pocket.

Conan says that the new iPod nano needed a classic watch case to match the roman numerals of one of its updated clock faces, so that’s why he did it. The idea is interesting for sure, and I can even see some people using the case to attach it to a pendant and using this as a necklace instead of a pocket watch case.

You’ll need to pledge a minimum of $49(AUD) (~$52 USD) for the basic iPocketWatch, $69 AUD (~$74USD) for a pack with both square and round fascias, $75(AUD) (~$80 USD) for the black version, and $95 (AUS) (~$102 USD) for the black version with both fascias. To get yours, head on over to Pozible now. The project closes on March 19, 2012, so be sure to order before then.

Gavio Pill Dock: Your iPod nano Takes the Red Pill

Range — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:00:03 +0000

A nano-sized device should require a nano-sized dock, that’s basically what Gavio decided to do with their new speaker dock, The Pill. It will match your iPod nano (6G) quite well, since it doesn’t take up much space, it’s also easily portable.

Gavio is a Singapore-based company and their Pill dock reminds me of the capsules in The Matrix, though I wouldn’t want to try and swallow one of these. It measures 5.78″ wide by 1.89″ in diameter, and appears to have a speaker at each end of the pill, as well as track and volume controls which are accessed located on a ring towards each end. The product page doesn’t mention any detailed specs, but they’ll probably update them soon.

The Pill dock will be available for pre-order soon. There’s no mention of price or availability, but my guess is that this little speaker dock won’t break the back. It looks like an easy and fun way to share your tunes if you use an iPod nano.

[via Ubergizmo]

1G iPod nanos Replaced with 6G Hardware Gratis! Thanks, Apple!

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:48:27 +0000

Not so long ago Apple issued a recall on every single first generation iPod nano they built. The reason given was that they might overheat. The long and short of it was that the fear was the old things might burst into flames and Apple didn’t want any of that. No renewed memories of that battery debacle of a few years ago.

The cool part is if you have one of these 1G nanos lying around that doesn’t work – or perhaps that you never use, you can get a free exchange. That means if you have have that original nano (made between Sept. 2005 and Dec. 2006) tossed in your sock drawer you can dig it out and return it. The reason is that Apple is replacing those old and tired nanos with the new hotness that is the 6G nano. It’s not clear if the 6Gs are refurbs or not, but it’s still a great deal.

Just fill out this form and follow the directions to send your old nano in and a new (likely refurb) 6G nano will come your way in about six weeks. That means you can get yourself one of those uber-geeky nano watchbands and have yourself a ball gazing at the free upgrade Apple gave you for Christmas.

[via Macrumors]

Timesnap: an iPod Nano Clone That’s Better Than the iPod Nano?

Lambert Varias — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:45:51 +0000

With the proper accessory, the latest model of the iPod Nano can be worn on one’s wrist like a watch, but you can’t watch videos on it like you could on the previous generation. If you want to get the best of both worlds, Chinavision has something for you – sort of – in the form of the Timesnap media player watch.

Not only does it play MP3, WMA and WAV files, the Timesnap can also play video files on its 1.5″ screen, specifically MP4 and AVI formats. It’s also an FM radio, a sound recorder, and an e-book reader… as long as said e-books are .txt files. It has a microSD slot, and comes with a 4GB card. Like many modern gadgets its Li-ion battery is recharged via USB. Unfortunately, like the older iPod Nano, the Timesnap doesn’t have a touchscreen, and is controlled using good old buttons.

One other thing that the Timesnap lacks? Originality. Many of the menu icons are ripped straight from Apple. At least you can keep it in watch mode when you’re around other people. Desperate to watch video on the go? The Timesnap is available from Chinavision for about $37 (USD). I just hope it’s not lacking in quality.

[via Ubergizmo]

ZShock Diamond-Encrusted LunaTik iPod Nano Watch for Wealthy Geeks

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:56:03 +0000

We have seen plenty of watchbands to turn your iPod nano into a wrist watch that you can wear around to show off your geekiness. Most of them are made from silicone like the ones you can pick up at Best Buy from iWatch. If you are a rich geek that has the funds to get something a bit fancier this is the nano watch band for you.

The customized iPod nano comes from ZShock and it appears to be based on the $80 LunaTik. But the ZShock’s case is made from white gold and then inlayed with lots of pave-set diamonds on the face and the watch clasp for added bling.

You would have to be nuts to drop the $18,000 (USD) the watch band costs, so the product name is fitting. It takes about 3-4 weeks for the company to make the watchband. You can also get the case made from other metals and get different color diamonds as well. I could see Bill Gates rocking this watch – if only he used Apple products.

[via BGR]

iWatchz 6G iPod nano Watchbands Land at Best Buy

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:00:20 +0000

Geeks often like to make fashion statements that show off just how geeky they are. This is the reason for things like the Millenterprise Falcon mashup shirt that gives you +10 geek cred. Another way to show that you are geek is to wear that small 6G iPod nano as a watch.

There are tons of watchbands on the market today the will let you wear that nano on your wrist, but most all of them have to be ordered online other than a few in Apple retail stores. If you don’t live near an Apple retail location, Best Buy is getting the full iWatchz Q series of bands for the nano.

The bands are cool and made from silicone in several colors. Best Buy will carry all of the colors and the bands will sell for right under $25. You will be able to walk in and go home sporting your geeky watch.

WALdok Gives Your iPod Nano a New Home

Technabob — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:30:20 +0000

The iPod Nano’s minimal, tiny form factor has made it the perfect centerpiece for a wristwatch, but its design is also great for other integration opportunities, like this nifty Nano-specific dock that can hang on the wall, plugged directly into an outlet.

Designer Hern Kim’s WALdok is a compact speaker dock that perfectly complements the design of the latest iPod Nano, giving it a warm and cozy place to live when it’s not in your pocket or on your wrist. The tiny dock hangs neatly from a spare wall outlet, so it’s perfect over your kitchen countertop or in your bathroom.

The curvaceous design of the WALdok provides a nice contrast to, but complements the Nano well, and certainly looks way better than any old wall charger and cord. Inside the WALdok is a 40mm audio driver surrounded by a custom-designed bass chamber to provide the best low-end possible given the small size of the enclosure.

In addition to the white design, he also plans on producing a limited-edition black version (although I personally like the see-through variant that’s being made for the prototypes.)

At this point Hern is raising funds to produce the WALdok via Kickstarter, and if you’re interested in getting in on the action, you can bid as little as $10 bucks to show your support, or those who pledge at least $59 will get a WALdok when released, and pledges $99 and up get a pair. Higher pledges qualify you for the limited-edition models and other perks.

HEX Teases iPod nano Sport Watchband for NIKE+

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:51:59 +0000

Back in November, we mentioned the HEX silicone watchbands that had launched to turn your iPod nano into a geeky wristwatch. Watchbands for this purpose have become very popular since the new nano landed.

The downside to the original design for geeks that like to exercise with the NIKE+ add-on was that the dongle wouldn’t attach to the nano with it inside the watchband. HEX has now announced that it will be offering a compatible product for NIKE+ users in April.

The watchband looks the same as the original with the difference being a cutout on the side for the NIKE+ attachment. That attachment apparently plugs into the charge and sync port so you should be able to charge the nano in the new case as well. HEX also has a new ARM band that will hold your cables still while you workout.

Leather iPod Nano Watchband for Emo Types

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:16:34 +0000

We have seen and talked about a bunch of watchbands for the iPod nano and all of them that I can think of have been made of plastic or silicone, and look modern and slick. If you are the emo sort of geek, that just won’t cut it. Everyone knows that emo geeks need leather with studs.

Rest easy emo folks, your watchband has arrived. It comes from Elecom and is big, wide, and made of leather. It may be lacking in the stud and zipper department, but you can always whip out your Bedazzler or something. You can get brown color in addition to the black.

The hardware has a burnished brass looking finish and a leather strap hold the nano onto the main watchstrap body. Apparently, the straps are about $43 each, and will be hitting Japan in January. No word on when you’ll be able to get one elsewhere.

[via Gizmodo]

Tiktok and Lunatik Nano Watch Bands Are the Coolest

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:33:24 +0000

Bands that turn a new iPod nano 6G into a watch are getting to be very common. It seems like every time I turn around a new one is on the market. A guy is looking to bring a couple more to market over on KickStarter and his are so much cooler than any of the other bands I have seen.

The project is by a dude named Scott Wilson and they are epic. The bands are called the TikTok and Lunatik multi-touch Watch Kits. The bands are made from premium materials with the Tiktok using a snap in design where you just sit the iPod nano into the face of the band. It looks like a digital watch more than any other nano case like this I have seen. All the controls and ports are left uncovered.

The LunaTik is more complex and is a conversion kit that encloses the nano inside the band where it’s not easily removed. It is mostly for the user that wants to make their nano into a watch permanently. It’s made from machined aluminum with straps made from silicon rubber. It will be offered in red and the plain silver designs. It seems that Scott has raised enough money for the project to move on so we should see this hit the market in the near future.

See more details over on Kickstarter.

Visual Memory Nano: iPod Nano Stuffed Inside Dreamcast VMU

Lambert Varias — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:01:17 +0000

The Dreamcast’s VMU was a failed experiment. It was a great idea – a storage device that also played games – but in reality it didn’t get enough support from developers. Goteking’s hack on the other hand, was a great success, stuffing the new 6th generation iPod nano into a VMU.

Obviously the buttons don’t work – I don’t think mapping them to the touch-only iPod is even possible – but let’s not get bogged down by such details. The two are a perfect fit! Or not. Goteking had to cut a chunk of the VMU’s back cover to give space to the Nano. Some white tape (it looked like double-sided tape, except the adhesive cover wasn’t peeled off) was also applied to the edges of the Nano so that its black frame wouldn’t show.

Here’s the VMN in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Check out Goteking’s website for more detailed instructions.

[via Kotaku]

IPod Nano 6g Sprouts Legs and Walks

Technabob — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:25:58 +0000

Remember the guy who created those goofy walking iPad and iPhone robots? Well, Terasaki-san is back with a new addition to his i-Family, the iPod nanobot 6G.

By building one of his walking contraptions onto the back of his brand new 6G iPod nano, and giving it a face, he’s created the cutest darned anthropomorphized iPod nano ever.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Aww, isn’t that just so sweet you want to throw up? Thought so. Just do it over there in the corner, away from the webcam.

Rampant View Turns Your iPod Nano 5g Into a Helmet Cam

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:57:04 +0000

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and so the story goes with the Rampant View helmet cam system. A guy and his son wanted a cheap helmet cam for a ski trip so they cobbled up something from foam and other materials to hold the 5th gen iPod nano that has a camera inside.

The product we see today isn’t made from foam and duct tape, but it’s pretty darned cool. The thing looks sort of like a welders mask with a space for the nano to fit securely inside. The nano can still record video with the camera and back exposed.

An elastic strap holds the whole thing to your helmet and the material the thing is made from appears to be sturdy enough to prevent your iPod from dying in the event you eat it while recording. The strap weighs 5 ounces and has a headphone pass-through so you can listen to the audio. Here’s an example of the video quality, in case you were wondering how well it works…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Not too shabby, eh? You can get the Rampant View Strap right now for $34.99(USD) including shipping.

Watch Band Turns New iPod Nano Into a Wrist Watch

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:21:31 +0000

Geeky is as geek does I always say. If you really want to show off your new iPod nano and prove to the world that you are geek, what you need to do is turn your new nano into a massive square wrist watch. Having your nano on your wrist would also be a decent way to listen to your tunes while you exercise as well.

A company called CountryComm has some watchbands that are 22mm thick that can fit right through the pocket clip on the nano turning the thing into a large and sufficiently geeky watch. The bands come in a variety of colors and widths, but 22mm is the magic number for the nano.

A 22mm band like the red one in the pics here will set you back $17 (USD). The company also has a lighter case that will hold the nano if you want the thing on your belt. I will say that the idea is cool for a nano watch, but coming from a person that hasn’t worn a watch I years, the nano looks huge on the wrist.

[Thanks for the tip, Michael!]

Kickster iPod Nano 5g Case: by iPod Fans, for iPod Fans, From Quirky

Lambert Varias — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:30:35 +0000

The latest product from community-powered quirky was conceptualized by Apple fans “within 24 hours of Apple’s announcement of the 5th generation iPod nano.” I imagine dollar signs flashed in these people’s minds upon hearing Apple’s announcement: new iPod = new case = $$$! But if the hype is to be believed, then the Kickster is the only case that iPod nano 5g owners will ever want or need. The images below are just renders of the Kickster so the final product may not look exactly the same, but the essential parts are there.

The Kickster is a scratch-resistant case for the iPod nano 5g (I keep saying the damn gadgets’ version because the Kickster may not be compatible with older versions of the nano) with a depressed slot for the screen for further scratch protection. Now, see the bar attached to the back of the case? It’s a kickstand (hence the name) that can be moved to a horizontal or vertical position – or anything in between. The kickstand also serves as a grip for when you’re taking videos on the new nano’s so-so camera. Think the Kickster kicks ass? I don’t. But do you? Then pre-order the Kickster at quirky for about $14 (USD).

[via CrunchGear]

Nanotv Turns Your Old iPod Nano 3g Into a Tiny Television

Technabob — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:44:14 +0000

Got an old iPod Nano 3G lying around gathering dust? Why not turn it into a miniature television set?

Homade’s NanoTV provides your old Nano 3G with a cozy home inside a tiny TV cabinet. The mini TV completely conceals your Nano, and magnifies the screen from the original 2-inches up to a whopping 2.8-inches diagonal. The TV cabinet even has a miniature VHS deck built into the front, complete with tiny little RCA connectors. Plus there are a couple of little speakers inside the case so you can listen to your TV without any headphones on.

You can grab the NanoTV 3G over at ThumbsUp!UK for £17.99 (appx. $29.50 USD). Too bad they’re not making these for newer Nanos, but if you’re still using a VHS deck, you probably don’t even have a Diamond Rio MP3 player yet.

[via 7 Gadgets]

Retro Skins Make for Delicious Apple Gadgets

Lambert Varias — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:46:28 +0000

Infectious is like Threadless for your gadgets – the designs are submitted by users, so you’re bound to find something that suits your tastes. Here are a bunch of retro laptop, iPod and iPhone skins currently available at Infectious:

The awesome cassette tape player skin is called Retro Stuff is Better, designed by Tony Aguero. Michael Sison calls his Gameboy skin Monochrome. Both have iPod Classic and iPod Touch versions. The iPod Classic version of the Monochrome covers the scroll wheel with a large d-pad. Sweet.

And that’s the appropriately named VHS Heroes skin by Hollis Brown Thornton. I think it looks way better as a laptop skin, but it’s also available as an iPod Touch, Nano and Classic skin. All iPod and iPhone skins sell for $15 (USD), while laptop skins sell for $30. Head on over to Infectious for more designs. The shop also has instructions on applying the skins, but you can also check out Testfreaks’ review of Infectious iPhone skins for a tutorial, complete with photos.

[via holycool]

45 Nano iPod Nano Cassette Tape Case Makes for a Confusing Title

Lambert Varias — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:21:40 +0000

The 45 nano cassette tape case isn’t for people who like to wear tight pants, because it will turn your 4th gen, stick of gum-sized iPod nano into something as large as, well, a cassette tape.

And if you thought Apple did you a favor by having all sorts of colors for the iPod nano’s casing, you’ll love the fact that there are 32 different 45 nano cassette tape designs to choose from. Actually I shouldn’t call them designs, because the cases really are cassette tapes. They were just gutted and hacked to house an iPod nano. Variety, old school looks, and environment-friendly!

What’s not to like? Well, Contexture Design is selling the 45 nano case for $45 (CAD) (appx. $41 USD). If you’re good with your hands, you can probably make your own cassette tape case for free. But if not, well, you can sulk and flame Contexture Design for selling a gutted cassette tape for $41.

[via Gizmodo]