Accessorize Your mini: iPod mini Gear Roundup

Even the release of Apple's new '4G' iPod can't stop the success of the iPod mini. No matter that the mini now holds a mere one-fifth the music of even the smallest of its big brothers - people love the diminutive dimensions, cool curves, and hot hues that only the 4GB mini can offer. In fact, all but the pink version of the $249 unit have been almost impossible to come by up until the past week or two, with "savvy" Craigslisters and eBayers commanding upwards of $300 for the coveted silver model.

If you've managed to get your hot hands on this season's coveted accessory, no doubt you're eager to accessorize your mini itself. Here's a look a some add-ons to make your mini even better:

Griffin iTrip for iPod mini -- $39.99, Griffin Technology
Griffin's iTrip is the undisputed king of FM transmitters for iPod. While people seem to either love or hate its playlist-based user interface, few will deny its top-notch industrial design and performance. The mini version of iTrip has been described as resembling a small stick of deodorant, but it does follow iPod mini's curved cylinder form to a tee. Following mini's narrow, thin body meant that Griffin had to make iTrip mini roughly an inch tall in order to house all the necessary components. A necessary evil, I suppose, but it does somewhat detract from iPod mini's delighfully, well, mini form factor.

iTrip mini functions nearly identically to its big brother in terms of both how and how well it works. Your results will vary depending on how crowded the FM spectrum is in your neck of the woods -- finding an empty spot on the dial in both Brooklyn and the San Francisco Bay Area took a little doing -- but once you do, the transmitter locks in on it loud and clear. The closer I placed the unit to my antenna, the better results i got, which has been the case with all FM transmitters I've tried. Griffin includes a handy piece of software with iTrip mini to help you find open frequencies wherever you are in the US of A. Suffice it to say that sticking the unit directly atop my home stereo receiver or in the empty space directly below the car stereo yielded the best results.

For forty bucks you could find yourself an old-style 1/8" minijack to cassette adapter, and that would yield more reliable and somewhat better-sounding results than iTrip mini. But cassette decks have gone the way of the dinosaur, and iTrip mini works well once you find a sweet spot on the radio. Plus, the mini offers easy access to its internal antenna, which while giving off a somewhat cheap appearance does mean that you can hack your system and broadcast your own mobile pirate radio station. Gotta love that.

Griffin's iTrip mini is available at many online and brick 'n' mortar retailers and direct from the Griffin Technology website.

Speck Products Skin Tight mini Arm Band -- $29.99, Speck Products
Apple sells an armband for iPod mini, but Speck Products' version is better. The mini is small and lightwieght enough that clamping it to your upper arm while you workout, jog, or walk around town is a really easy way to enjoy it. While Apple's armband does a fine job of keeping the mini attached to your arm, it offers little in the way of protection against accidental bumps and scratches to that nice brushed metal casing.

Speck's armband combines their SkinTight "Kraton plastic" mini case with a vulcanized rubber and neoprene armband and metal and plastic clamp similar to Apple's offering. For the same 30 dollars as Apple's band, the Speck combo adds see-through protection for your mini's casing while still letting you access the click wheel. While I wish it included a screen protector, the Speck system is just as comfortable as Apple's, includes handy clips for cable management, and gave me a little more piece of mind as I rollerbladed around town with my mini on my arm. Well, okay, my cousin did the rollerblading, but I felt safer walking around, believe me.

Speck Products mini FlipStand -- $29.99, Speck Products
Speck Products now also offers a mini version of their FlipStand, a see-through ABS plastic case for iPod that doubles as a desktop stand by way of a clever flip-down plastic hinge that protects the click wheel when closed. While the full-sized FlipStand comes with a customized plastic dock that you can thread a dock connector cable through, the mini version does not. This is my only real complaint with an otherwise clever, attractive, and effective product: The hole on the bottom of the mini FlipStand works with an Apple connector cable, but leaves you with a FlipStand that won't really stand up. Beyond that, said hole doesn't seem to work with any third-party connector products (like car chargers) because it's too small. So if you're looking for a hard-shell case to use in your car, beware.

Beyond that, the mini FlipStand is great. I love the fact that I can leave the iPod in its case, prop it up on my desk so I can see and access the controls, and then flip the stand back against the case and clip the thing to my belt or backpack. Also, the click wheel protector keeps the metal parts of mini covered even when flipped open. The clear plastic shows off your mini's flavor, is lightweight, and will absorb most impacts or simply crack and break under extreme stress, protecting your iPod either way. While the case isn't scratchproof, it still looked good after thorough testing. Speck, if you're gonna offer a dock with the full-sized version, give it up for the mini too, huh?

All Speck Products iPod cases, including the SkinTight Arm Band and mini Flipstand, are available direct from their online store and many major retailers.

Tunewear Icewear Case -- $24.99 (shipped), Tunewear
Tunewear sent us an advance sample of their transparent silicon Icewear case, which will begin shipping this Wednesday (August 18th) and be shown off at Apple Expo Paris later this month. Icewear is a very cool-looking product, whose simple design is meant to show off the look of "Apple's beautiful creation." Clear, high-grade, 1mm thick silcon covers all of mini save for the click wheel, screen, and top and bottom controls/ports. Actually, the entire top panel of the mini is left unprotected, which actually makes it more compatible with iTrip mini's flush-mount design than most cases. Additionally, two narrow slots on the back of Icewear function as a belt loop and, according to their website, to vent mini to keep it cool. I'm not so sure about the latter claim, but the belt loop works will. The rear embossed logos also a somewhat insane amount of "skid resistance" when you lay the mini on its backside on a flat or even angled surface. Spurred on by these crazy pictures on the Tunewear website, I tried some similar experiments of my own, and it's really true: This thing is like the SpiderMan of iPod cases.

Icewear works well, is lightweight, and feels good to the touch. Tunewear claims the silicon used is the same stuff that divers' masks are made of, which is higher quality and nicer to the skin than your average silicon. My favorite thing about Icewear is the way it glows when mini's screen is lit up. The shock-absorbing ribs on both sides of the case add to the glowy effect which, of course, takes on the color of your mini's casing. Still, twenty-five bucks is a lot for what's essentially a soft-side sleevecase, though Specks' SkinTight will run you two dollars more once you figure in tax and shipping. But, hey, you can't really put a price on bling. And Icewear will give your iPod mini that extra bit of bling that goes so far. Especially if you use it in the dark.

Icewear is available direct from the Tunewear Online Store.

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Noah Kravitz is the author of the book Teaching and Learning with Technologyand he runs the Technology and Culture blog Threebase.com. He is an educator, musician, and writer who now lives in Oakland, CA.