An Overview of the Top iPod Classic Accessories

By R James Cook

The popularity of Apple's iPod has spawned a huge industry of iPod accessories. There is such a wide variety to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones are important to look at and which ones are pointless fluff. Here's a look at the five iPod classic accessories that every iPod owner needs to consider.

Case
The first iPod classic accessory that every owner should purchase is a protective case. A case is especially important if you travel with your iPod, and if you shove it in your pocket or purse with your keys you're just asking for trouble without a case. The finish of the iPod classic is especially vulnerable to the dings and dents of everyday life. A protective case will keep your iPod looking pristine, and helps keep dust and dirt away from the vulnerable electronics inside.

Screen Protector
Almost as important as a case is a screen protector. Most cases do not cover the screen, because users want to be able to see the screen without taking it out of the case. A screen protector will protect the screen, which is even more vulnerable to scratches than the metal body. And a scratch across the screen is even more annoying than a scratch across the body, because you'll be looking right at it every time you look at the screen. Like the case, if you move your iPod classic around a lot, a screen protector is a valuable iPod classic accessory that will keep your iPod looking good.

Charger
An iPod with a dead battery is basically a paperweight. An extra charger or two is an iPod classic accessory worth having, both for convenience and to reduce the chance of running out of juice.
Having an extra charger means you can charge your iPod at home and in the office, and you won't run out of power in the middle of the day. If you spend a lot of time in the car and listen to your iPod while driving (through speakers or an iTrip, please don't use headphones while driving), a car charger that plugs into the lighter jack will ensure that you have music the whole way.

Cables
Cables are another necessary iPod classic accessory. With just about every computer peripheral now using a USB connection, free USB ports may be at a premium on your computer. Fear not, because you can get a cable that lets you connect your iPod to your computer's FireWire port instead. Also, if you have iTunes installed on your computer at the office as well as your home computer, an extra sync cable will save you from having to transport the cable back and forth. There are also cables available that let you connect your iPod to your home stereo.

Speakers
Speakers are one of the most popular iPod classic accessories, and therefore come in a wide variety. Most speakers plug into the headphone jack, and are either battery powered or plugged into a wall outlet.

There are also speakers that the iPod classic can dock with, which will have the added benefit of charging the unit while it's playing. Many of these docking station speakers come with a remote, so you can skip songs and adjust the volume without going over to the unit. Speakers will generally give better sound than headphones, and will allow you to share your music with everyone in the room. If you're looking for portability, go with the battery-powered speakers.
Otherwise, AC-powered speakers will sound better and can have the added functionality of being a docking station.

The wide variety of iPod classic accessories available can be overwhelming. Now, you've been given the information that should help you to decide on what accessories you need, and what ones you can avoid.

Visit R James Cook's website at http://www.blingipod.com for iPod accessory information, products, and reviews.

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Xbox 360 Accessories Are State Of The Art

By D Ellenwood

Microsoft has developed the Xbox 360 to be one of the premier gaming systems available today. Besides the quality of games, the gaming experience is truly enhanced by the quality of accessories available for the system. Xbox 360 accessories are some of the best currently on the market. The following is a brief look at some of them.

Controllers: Up to four controllers can be used at one time. Most systems come with wired controllers, but now wireless is the new trend.

Battery Packs: A rechargeable battery pack is available that provides twenty five hours of power for the wireless controllers. A play and charge kit is a popular way to recharge a controller while playing a game. This is accomplished by plugging the controller into one of the Xbox 360 USB ports. Also available is the quick charge kit which has two battery packs.

Chatpad: A small keyboard that is used for messaging. It usually includes a headset that is plugged directly into the chatpad.

Steering Wheel: Used mainly for racing games, most steering wheels have a force feedback so it feels like you are driving a real car. It also includes floor mounted brake pedals and accelerator.

Big Button Controller: These look like game show buzzers with one large buzzer button at the top and four smaller buttons for multiple choice answers.

Arcade Gamestick: Just like the arcade machines, this gamestick has a spinner control and a joystick.

Guitar Shaped Controller: This controller was released with the Guitar Hero game and is much like a regular controller except with less buttons.

Headset: Used for gamers to talk to each other.

Wireless Headset: Used for private chat, in-game voice recognition, and voice chat.

Live Vision Camera: Some arcade games have camera functionality. The camera also allows for the creation of an in-game representation of a player.

There are many other miscellaneous Xbox 360 accessories which are available through third party suppliers.

Microsoft has proved that they are serious about staying in the video gaming business by offering new accessories for the Xbox 360 from time to time. Some of the most recent were the Halo 3 special edition console and the Xbox 360 messenger kit.

To learn more details about Xbox 360 Accessories, please visit this Xbox 360 Accessories site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D_Ellenwood