Technology Reviews

Head over to mobile.newsthis.com to read about the new apple iPhone!

Apple recently filed a patent here in the United States for a “hybrid low power computer mouse According to Apple’s patent, their solution is a “hybrid computer mouse having both a low power accelerometer used in combination with an optical tracking engine to provide velocity or relative positional data with low tracking errors over a wide range of use.”

The patent goes on in detail to describe why there is a need for such a mouse and provides some background on the history of the computer mouse. According to the patent, this new mouse was invented by Steve Hotelling, Joshua Strickon, Brian Huppi and Christoph Krah. This mouse will most likely be wireless using BlueTooth technology and the “low power” modification will allow it to get a longer battery life.

After seeing the buzz generated by the new Nike+ that allows you to connect your iPod to your running shoes, many clothing companies have been looking for a way to integrate the iPod into their clothes. Today, we came across the $150 Kenpo iPod Jacket that has iPod media controls (play, pause, fast forward, rewind) built into the left sleeve. No batteries are required and the Kenpo iPod Jacket is actually a good jacket that will keep you warm and relatively dry in bad weather conditions making it a good deal at $150 even without iPod integration.

RhinoSkins has developed a new set of skins for the iPod Shuffle that give the small MP3 Player some color. The skins are very easy to use and you can easily remove a skin and replace it with a different one.

RhinoSkins come in 4 different color variations, red, pink, green, and blue, and you can buy the set of 4 skins online for just $20 at Saunders USA.

Since Apple decided not to include the direct-to-USB feature on the new iPod Shuffle, it was only a matter of time until some accessory company developed a gadget that allowed you to plug the 2G Shuffle directly into your computer or laptop.

Well, Marware has created the new $20 Travel Dock that allows you to easily connect your Shuffle to your laptop using a device as big as a standard USB stick. The new Marware Travel Dock even has USB 2.0 support and can be purchased at Marware.com

There were some rumors earlier this year about how iTunes sales tanked in the first half of 2006, despite the release of multiple new iPods. Today, Apple announced that this statement is “simply incorrect” and that iTunes sales are still as strong as they ever were. However, They would not release any statistics on total revenue or sales quantity.

What we do know is that the iTunes store reportedly earned a profit from September to November of 2006, but many financial companies doubt what Apple is reporting, saying there is very little to no room for profit with low profit margins and costs such as credit card fees and others.

For those iPod Nano owners who are in a festive mood this holiday season, you may want to purchase the new Griffin Disco iPod Nano Case that has lights around the click wheel that illuminate the iPod. There are two different designs, so you cal select the one you like best.

This iPod case retails for just under $30 and can be seen and purchased from Griffin.

The new iPod Dock from Brightonnet Japan may just be a cylinder with a 2.2 watt amp and speakers, but this is another great looking iPod dock. While it may not have all the features you may expect, if style is a major factor when you buy gadgets for your home and you are looking for a colorful and modern iPod dock, you may want to check this one out.

It comes in a variety of colors and works with almost every type of iPod. It can also be very easily transported being just 7 inches long and weighing under ½ a pound. This dock retails for $155.

Incipio has come out with yet another innovative device for the iPod lovers. This time we can have a look at the IncipioBud or in more general terms we can call it the ShuffleBud. The ShuffleBud is a very small and handy dvice which you can attach to the 2GB apple iPod Shuffle instead of the cable which comes with the iPod. The ShuffleBud can be connected to any Usb port.

The IncipioBud can handle high speed data transfer for your music, and is also compatible with working with iTunes. One of the best features of the IncipioBud is that it can charge your iPod too. The ShuffleBud costs around $10 and is really cheap for its use. It does not take any space and you can carry it in your pocket too. It weighs around 5 grams and measures 47mm X 16mm. So throw your cables away and get this neat useful thing.

Kevin Rose Confirms iPhone?
The new Apple iPhone is something that has been heavily talked about over the past few weeks and the discussion surrounding the new iPod cell phone heated up today after Kevin Rose, the founder Digg.com released a PodCast confirming the existence of the iPod Phone.

Here are the details we have:

• Coming in January to all providers
• 2 batteries (1 MP3, 1 Phone)
• 2 capacities (4GB & 8GB)
• Prices will run $249 & $449
• Flash memory (surprise)
• Slide out keyboard
• Touchscreen (on outside)
• “Cool” OS”

If you want to here the PodCast, you can do so at Revision 3