iPod Sound Docks - An Overview

In the iPod environment the Dock is probably one of the most important accessories that are available for the media devices. Of course we know they come in all shapes and sizes and designs. Some of the biggest names in the audio industry from Altec Lansing, JBL, Bose and others like Logitech, TDK et al have contributed to this aspect of the iPod’s accessory market. We can’t neglect the other third party manufactures of course and some of their ‘innovative’ (I use that word loosely) concepts. A while back I had listed a few of these Oddball iPod docks and I thought a follow up was in order so here are a few more of those rather ‘unique’ speaker systems.

Eco Friendly Docks???
I’m all for the environment and obviously eco friendly products. And why not, it’s important to keep the environment clean and safe but this is ridiculous.

The whole idea of keeping the environment safe is to avoid cutting down trees for inane purposes like making an iPod dock. However the dock showcased above is actually made from salvaged timber. Portions have been cut out to fit the electrical components of course and the ends have holes for the speakers.

While that may seem like an innovative use of un-used firewood, the next one is one for the books.

This dock is actually handmade from Cedar and there wasn’t any mention of it being salvaged in any way. Does that mean that a tree died for this? It has two ports for dual iPods to be connected and apparently costs about $120 which works out to about Rs. 5,775. Are you kidding me? Eco friendly this ain’t!

Animal-Like iPod Dock
While skimming around the web looking for information for this article, which I have to admit was quite entertaining, I came across this baby, the iPig iPod Dock.

I’ll be brutally honest and admit that it’s not the ugliest dock I’ve seen and does have a certain ‘Cuteness’ quotient to it. The dock has a sub woofer at the base of the ‘animal’ with its eyes that function as two smaller speakers and two smaller speakers under each ear. Even its ears are functional as a control for the volume. It has a 3.5mm Line In option as well and guess where that port is… ok ok I’ll tell you, it’s at the rear. Is that cute or what?

Speaking of animal-like iPod docks, one that’s actually available right here and made its way to our labs is what’s called the Lulu Cat iPod dock. The remote control is in the shape of a paw. A flat panel speaker is located in the ‘head’ of the cat. Another cute one, but really, a cat and a Pig, what’s next, pink elephants?

Steering Wheel
The iPhone is by far one of the better handsets when it comes to mobile gaming. The quality and design of the games created for this device from Action, Adventure, Racing or even Puzzle are at a very different level as compared to any of the other handsets out there. Although we’ve seen play-gear attachments for the device here’s one that really takes the cake.

Following in the footsteps of the Wii’s accessory list with controllers and add-on’s for the same designed to look like actual weapons and such to give their games a more realistic feel, the iPhone Steering wheel is actually not that bad a device. It comes with a stand that has a suction cap at the bottom so you can stick it to any surface, pop your device in between and you’re good to go. Some of the racing games designed for the iPhone could easily rival devices like the Sony’s PSP and the Steering wheel could make them a little more fun. However consider the fact that the iPhone and iPod Touch are portable devices, this is not something I want to cart around and play while I’m in a train or in a doctor's waiting room for that matter.

Lego iPod Dock
One of my favorite toys while growing up was Lego. Normal kiddy building blocks were not as intricately designed as Lego blocks and not as diverse in terms of the ability to pretty much make anything if you have the right shapes. They even have an art category just for creators who use Lego blocks as their canvas. Needless to say it’s not really rocket science for a guy who knows his way around electronics to build an iPod Dock out of Lego.

NeoTune headphones with iPod Dock
In this corner, weighing in at a hefty 180g (or so), is the NeoTune Headphones with its built-in iPod dock. Designed to accommodate only the 2nd Gen iPod Nano which is rather strange considering that was no small device, this headgear is perfect for this list. The funniest thing about the NeoTune is that it could make a pretty neat pair of headphones, if it were usable with any other normal player.

The NeoTune has no wire attached so it can’t be plugged into any other player that supports audio out via earphones. So in other words you’d look a little bit silly walking around with a set of headphones that have an iPod sticking out of one them. However, according to reports, the Japanese company that manufactures the headset are planning on a newer version that will accommodate the Shuffle and that, dear readers, is probably something t look forward to, the concept does have some merit you’ll have to admit.

DJ Dock
One of the zaniest iPod docks, and I couldn’t find a better word to describe it, that I came across was the KNG FUNKIT Dock. It looks just like it sounds and comes with its very own DJ.

The KNG dock is absolutely brilliant as a portable speaker system and seems more like something I’d have as part of my Action Figures set rather than use it for an iPod. Built to look like a DJ spinning his tunes it has a little torso where the iPod sits and two table top turntables with built in speakers at the bottom. Very jazzy! The design concept makes it look like the iPod itself is cuing tracks with one hand on his headphones and the other on the turntable.

As iPod docks go, it seems like there’s plenty of room for design and creativity. They can be creative or odd or arty as hell and still get your attention. The best of this set in my opinion is the KNG DJ Dock. What’s yours?