mySimon Shopping Picks

New from Belkin: The GoStudio, a device that lets you record high-quality audio (16-bit, 44kHz WAV files) directly onto your iPod's hard drive. Designed for musicians, journalists, podcasters, and students recording lectures, the GoStudio has 2 built-in microphones as well as professional XLR and 1/4" audio jacks (for recording from external microphones or mixing boards). When you're done recording, you can put your files into iTunes, edit them, or upload them to your blog/website/Facebook page.

Big fingers (or long nails) can make typing on your iPhone or iPod Touch tricky. And even if you have small fingers and chewed-off nails, your iPhone is no match for the grease on your fingers after a bucket of KFC. Check out the Pogo, a lightweight stylus with a soft, durable tip that won't smudge or scratch your screen. It works just like your index finger, only better. The included clip keeps the stylus handy. Choose from 4 colors. More iPhone accessories.

If you've ever tried to drive with one hand and use your iPhone's GPS with the other, you will appreciate the new Griffin WindowSeat. It's a simple, adjustable suction bracket that holds your iPhone or iPod Touch at eye level on your car's windshield or dashboard. When you get to your destination, just press the corner tab to release your device (take it with you so no one smashes your windows!). The WindowSeat comes with an adaptor for steeply angled windshields, plus an audio cable to connect your iPhone/iPod Touch to your car stereo.

How cute is this knit "Applepod" iPod Shuffle case? It's got happy rainbow stripes in the shape of an apple; fits 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation iPod Shuffles; and has a hole in the top for your headphones. Yes, you can still use the clip function, so you can wear your iPod as a big brooch. Just $12 at Etsy.

New from JVC: A clock radio and iPod speaker that accommodates 2 iPods (or iPhones), side by side, and is still only 13" wide. You can switch back and forth between iPod A and iPod B, but there's no mention of being able to play both at the same time. There's an illuminate strip under each iPod dock that you can set to display 1 of 9 colors. Other features include an AM/FM tuner, remote control, and video output. We're guessing this gadget is made for couples or roommates with very different tastes in music. More iPod speakers.

If you've ever dropped your iPod, iPhone, or MacBook and watched in slow-motion horror as it descended to the pavement, you should check out Speck's line of SeeThru cases. Made of translucent hard plastic, the cases protect your electronics while giving you full access to all the controls (so you don't have to take the case off to check your email). The SeeThru cases for iPods and iPhones have holsters that also work as stands, while the MacBook cases have rubber feet for added support. Choose from several different candy colors.

According to Belkin, more than half of all teenagers listen to their iPods at school. (And you thought they went to school to learn.) So Belkin created the RockStar to let them share their playlists with friends and also create their own music mixes. The RockStar has 5 jacks, which lets 5 people listen to one or more iPods (or other MP3 or DVD players). The device also has mixing and fade-in controls so you can mix songs together and pretend you're a DJ. More Belkin iPod accessories.

iFrogz Audiowrapz aren't just cases for third-generation iPod Nanos. They're also speakers. But they're "passive speakers," which means there are no built-in amplifiers, and they don't need batteries or draw power from the Nano. The speakers probably don't provide boombox sound quality, but we like the idea of sharing music without sharing headphones. More iPod Nano cases.

Griffin says we should buy their TuneBuds headphones so we can have headphones that match our iPod Nanos. We'd rather scandalize the fashion police by pairing green headphones with a blue Nano. Pretty colors aside, there are plenty of other reasons to pick up some TuneBuds: They offer noise isolation and deep bass, they come with 3 different sizes of washable silicone inserts so you can get just the right fit, and you can get them for as little as $8. Headphones that match our budgets? Now there's a trend we can follow.

As far as we know, one of the greatest rap albums of all time, Doug E. Fresh's "Oh My God!" (1986, Reality Records) has not been reissued on CD. We still have the cassette at home, even though we no longer have a cassette player. But now, thanks to the Ion Tape2PC, a gadget that converts audio cassette recordings into MP3s and imports them directly into iTunes, we can listen to those songs again. The Tape2PC works with Macs and PCs, comes with easy-to-use software, and has a plug-and-play audio interface. We can't wait to get "All The Way To Heaven" and "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" onto our iPods.

Expansive sound from a compact footprint. The Griffin Evolve is a wireless iPod speaker system with 3 parts: A charging base and two 5.5" cube-shaped speakers, each with its own on/off switch, that can be moved up to 150 feet away from the base station, so you can put them wherever you want and get real stereo sound. MTV.com says "If you're looking for a simple yet effective and incredibly designed wireless speaker system, you can stop looking right now -- the Griffin Evolve reigns supreme."

Once you shell out for an iPod, it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on expensive iPod speakers, especially ones that cost more than the iPod itself. (Bose, are you reading this?) Which is why we like the looks of the $29 Altec Lansing Orbit. It's a rugged, pocket-sized speaker with a 360-degree sound field that works with iPods, music-enabled cell phones, and other MP3 players. You can prop it up on its edge for more directed, personal listening or lay it down flat to subject your whole cube farm to the High School Musical soundtrack. More portable iPod speakers.

How do you get your old vinyl records onto your iPod? Easily, thanks to the Ion LP Dock. It's a turntable with an iPod dock that lets you play a record (33 or 45 RPM) while recording it directly onto your iPod. It also comes with software (for Macs and PCs) if you want to make CD or MP3 archives of your collection. And there's a line-level output for connecting the turntable to any home stereo with an AUX input. More USB turntables.

Problem: Your friend has some awesome photos/videos/playlists on his iPod, and you want to put them on yours. Solution: The MiShare, a handy little gadget that hooks up to both iPods (no computers or cables required), letting you push a big button to transfer the stuff from one iPod to another. The MiShare does not unlock DRM-protected files, and doesn't work with Shuffles, the iPhone, or the iPod Touch, but the company's working on a firmware update for that.

As seen in the December issue of Wired magazine: The Vers 2x iPod speaker system, a compact (11.5" x 5.5" x 5.5") iPod speaker housed in a cabinet with real cherry wood veneer. It's got two 3", 15-watt speakers and works with the iPhone and almost all iPods (except the Shuffle). A 14-function remote control lets you navigate your iPod from up to 25 feet away. Each speaker supposedly takes a week to make, and no 2 are exactly the same. More iPod speakers.

If Mom's getting Dad a new iPod Nano this holiday, one of the best (and most affordable) gifts you can give him is this leather folio case from Belkin. Available in 3 color combinations (black/chocolate, pink/chocolate, and persimmon/bone as shown here), the case protects the Nano in its soft suede lining, while still providing access to the hold switch and dock connector. The case has a magnetic closure, and even with the Nano in it, it's still small enough to slip into a pocket. More leather iPod cases.

This probably isn't the first time someone's made an iPod case with a bottle opener, but it's the first one we've seen for the second (and third) generation iPod Shuffle. The Mophie Bevy is a protective polycarbonate Shuffle case with a "bevy" of features, including one that will open your "bevvy," as they say in the UK. The case has grooves around the edges so you can wrap your headphone wires around it, a keychain, and a bottle opener. It comes in orange, green, pink, blue, and silver. More holiday gifts under $50.

iPod geeks, TV freaks, and gadget hounds will love the iRecord. This little device (not much bigger than an iPod) lets you record music, movies, and TV shows directly onto your iPod or PSP - without a computer. It comes with all the cables you need, so you can just hook it up, turn it on, and hit "record." The iRecord can tell if you're recording just audio or both audio and video, and it can record 3 hours of either per gigabyte of storage. A great way to take you favorite shows on the road.

If you liked the Bose SoundDock, you might be interested in Bose's smaller, portable SoundDock. It's 12" wide, 6.75" high, and 4" thick (but still delivers Bose-quality sound), with a rechargeable battery and a molded handle that makes it easy to carry the 5-pound speaker from place to place. You can use it with your iPhone, any iPod with a click wheel, or other audio source (via the auxiliary input). But it's not cheap. More iPod speakers.