The winged avenger strikes back

Iron Man may be getting all the press these days, but Batman will always be No. 1 in our pantheon of superheroes. (With Mr. Furious coming in a close second.) So even though we're reasonably sure that this Batman MP3 player won't displace the iPod anytime soon, we still wouldn't mind adding it to our collection. Described by Gizmodo as "shaped like a 2.75-inch black bat shuriken", it has 1GB of memory and comes with headphones made to resemble bat suit hood ear-shaped bat ears. Perfect for late-night viewings in the Bat Cave.

Via Crave CNET

MP3 cassette to relive drive-in memories

While other car stereo makers are trying to disguise their systems behind faceplates of yesteryear, this music player is taking a different approach to the retro game. The Cassette MP3 Player from ThinkGeek looks like a regular tape circa 1976, but its real purpose is to house an SD card carrying digital tunes.

The ersatz device can be used in any cassette player, recharging and hooking up to speakers through its USB port. And it needn't be a dashboard version, by the way--we're certain that some poor souls will insist on reliving their glory days with a boombox. Or you can go solo with it as a portable, using its 3.5-millimeter headphone jack and built-in Lithium battery.

If all this sounds like too much trouble, but you're still a fan of the old-school look, there's a happy medium: The iPod nano cassette case.

Via Crave CNET

Cowon joins the post-bamboo era

Bamboo is so yesterday. While the eco-quotient of that reputedly sustainable material remains the subject of some debate, a few manufacturers are headed for other forested regions to make their wares with finishings of the wood-grass variety.

Fujitsu went with cedar in a laptop showcased earlier this month in Milan, and now Cowon is gracing the Korean market with a new version of its N3 all-in-one gadget in what appears to be burl walnut, as Akihabara News reports. Other than the sylvan exterior, this portable navigation device is pretty much the same as the original model with a 7-inch touch screen, GPS features, and audio and video functions. Our prediction: A future model for the dashboard.

Via CNET Crave | Credit: Akihabara News

Do not feed the CD player

Stitch seemed relatively harmless when he debuted with Lilo way back in 2002, but things have changed since then--and he looks downright creepy now, at least in the form of Disney's new CD player and radio.

It doesn't help that it's made only of his head, which must bear the teeth of his trademark ginormous mouth to insert the disc. What kid would want to do that? It's probably just as well that this is destined for Japan, where children have been raised to be comfortable with mechanical beings practically from birth.

Via CNET Crave | Credit: Fareastgizmos

Goodmans creates the anti-boombox

If this is an indication that the latest incarnation of the boombox is dying, we're all for it. For some unfortunate reason the iPod has inspired a rebirth of the '70s staple in video form, which has resulted in some awkward designs. Even recent makeovers can't adequately disguise that polyester leisure suit we know is lurkig underneath.

Goodmans has released its own version of an iPod dock with an LCD, which is a welcome antidote to the retro ugliness that has stricken so many other models on the market. This multimedia station with a 7-inch display has a design that's much more streamlined than most and comes with a 3-in-1 card reader as well, according to Chip Chick. We've yet to learn anything about its A/V quality but, if nothing else, at least it's a relatively manageable size.

Via CNET Crave | Credit: iPodWorld

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