While all was quiet on the review front this week, our First Looks section saw more than enough action to make up for it. We got our first look at the iHome RX Stereo Bluetooth Receiver, TX+RX Stereo Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver, and F1 Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Earphones. We took a gander at the Memorex Mi1111 Home Micro System for iPod, which packs quite a feature set—CD player, radio, iPod dock and subwoofered speaker set—into an affordable package, and we also checked out the Belkin In-Desk Dock for iPod, which uses a grommet hole to mount your iPod flush with your desk. Not to be forgotten are new cases; we looked at a bevy of iPod nano and iPod shuffle cases from Capdase this week, and got our mitts on the Mophie Bevy Protective Case with Earbud Wrap, Key Chain, and Bottle Opener for the iPod shuffle.
Backstage, we took some time out from our iPod-related duties to check out the Soho from iSkin for MacBook & MacBook Pro, and while it packs good looks and decent protection, it does have its drawbacks—heat retention and port access among them. We also were first to report some new Zune news out of Redmond: Microsoft’s trying again, with a bigger-than-nano flash Zune and another hard-disk-based Zune with a bigger screen. Also, as you can see from a couple of the photos above, and our gallery here, competition in our iPod Fashion Contest is heating up, with some great entries vying for four iPhone prizes and iTunes cash.
In the news: New iPhone features were hinted at in an AT&T email to prospective customers, Steve Jobs revealed that Apple is still considering third-party iPhone apps, and Motorola’s CEO claimed that the company is “ready” for the iPhone — frankly, so are we. Also, a study claims that iPods can cause pacemaker malfunctions, EA has plans for four new iPod games, and Belkin released two iPod nano cases that help fund breast cancer research. Finally, an Apple patent showed a new dual-sided, touch surface-on-back handheld device, an analyst claims that labels want digital bundles on the iTunes Store, and Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista to fix iPod
