I have to admit that while acquiring my latest iPod case I was really only looking for an accessory, specifically, a cigarette lighter to FireWire adapter. Although the iPod has an ungodly amount of battery power, 10 to 12 hours during normal use, I consistently treat it like an island and constantly forget to charge it. It usually sits in my gym bag or the arm rest in my truck in between uses only getting charged when it is totally out of juice.
The problem is that my iPod will usually give up the ghost just as I am getting ready to depart for a road trip to the NJ shore, Murphy’s Law, I guess. That said, a car FireWire charger seemed to be the answer to all my troubles. I could keep it in my truck all the time and avoid missing out of my favorite tunes because I forgot to keep it charged.
Enter XtremeMac. A little research lead me to their iPod car charger which was exactly what I was looking for. The coiled-cord cigarette lighter to FW adapter hit the spot and comes in a beautiful white that compliments the iPod Xtremely well. The Premium iPod Car Charger itself sells for US$20 and includes a LED power indicator, replaceable fuse and a diode “which protects your car from backflow current.” Another great feature – you can listen to your iPod while it is charging, which is impossible when it is connected to a computer.
While cruising down the aisles at last month’s Macworld Expo something jumped out at me. The XtremeMac booth had a huge display of iPod cases in every color in the rainbow, but there was one in particular that I just had to have. Next to all the color samples was an iPod case that was called “Jaguar.” After assuring me that no actual Jaguars were hurt in making the case (it is actually suede), a representative confided that the case was actually a Leopard print but that the company was capitalizing on Apple’s Jaguar (Mac OS 10.2) announcement.
The US$50 iPod Essentials Bundle was the best option for me as I could get the car charger that I was looking for and the Jaguar iPod case too – cool! The essential bundle also includes a belt clip, earbud pouch, two swivel mounts and a neck lanyard, a bonus in my case.
The case is functional and cool looking. Adding the lanyard turned out to be a boon for working out and for general iPod use although the belt clip is slightly better if you are moving around a lot as the lanyard causes your iPod to swing around while you are moving. Overall the XtremeMac essentials bundle is a great deal if you are looking for an iPod case and a car charger for a fair price.
