Ick! Did I actually just write a headline with the words "disposable" and "battery"?! Let's see...yep, I did. But before you get your environmentalist dander up, consider: one, I recycle; two, I use compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and three, I have a relevant story to share.

With so many iPod colors coming out all the time, it can be difficult to coordinate them with their docks and speakers. The "iSoundSpa Fusion" is designed to take the angst out of coordinating accessories with your media player by providing the option to mix and match faceplates.

Those who'd dare to edge their way into the overcrowded iPod accessory market these days will want to find a way to rise above the ever-swelling ranks of functional yet uninspiring offerings.

Now that you've stocked your iPod with dirt-cheap, DRM-free MP3s (see yesterday's AmazonMP3 post), why not let others enjoy your great taste in music? No, I don't mean file-sharing those MP3s (that's illegal), I mean popping your iPod into a speaker dock and filling the room with your tunes.

The 2GB version of the screenless flash memory-based player will cost $69 and be available for sale later this month, Apple said in a statement. That's less than the previous price for a new 1GB model, at $79. (Apple has, however, been selling refurbished 1GB Shuffles for $49 in recent months.)

This bizarre creation from the U.K.'s Selfridges is a limited edition "designer" iPod Touch, according to Pocket-lint, though said designer is understandably anonymous. It's encrusted with black Swarovski crystals, hundreds of them, and forms the image of a diamond ring with silver and 24k-plated stones in the center as "a proposal 21st century style." It doesn't even have the excuse of being a Valentine's Day special, as it won't be available until next week.

The current system on the iPod touch and iPhone requires a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection, as well as touch input to advance the directions at each step. Presumably this system would allow the iPod or iPhone to be mounted and used in a similar fashion to a voice command-enabled GPS device via software alone. It could also signal backward compatibility with other enhanced-podcast capable devices, such as any iPod with a click wheel.

When I was a kid I was always going to my friends' houses to check out the latest additions to their record collections. We'd sit around playing new records, getting high, eating crappy food, and generally having a great time. As we got older that happened less and less, but we started to trade mix cassettes, and more recently mix CDs. Mixes are hit or miss in terms of finding good new music, but now that everybody has an iPod, it may be the best ever way to tap into my friends' music collections. I figured that if I spent a couple of hours listening to a friend's iPod over a weekend I'd find some gems

The very popular Videora iPod Converter is one case in which an app shouldn't be too hastily judged by its name. This video-converting freebie transforms files for the range of Apple's ilk--three types of iPods and the iPhone to boot. Videora iPod Converter can grab and convert YouTube videos through an in-app browser (this is good for owners of the classic iPods), and will also work over files stored on your desktop (this is good for everyone).

A lot of folks were understandably upset when Apple released five new applications for the iPod Touch that currently exist on the iPhone (Mail, Stocks, Notes, Weather, and Maps), and then proceeded to charge $20 for the package. Now, they're even more upset. Apparently, Apple's insistence on selling Touch owners the $20 upgrade is sending some of them into an unending loop of refusal and redirection.