There's no shortage of protective, stick-on skins for the iPod available on the market, but GelaSkin has taken that existing idea and put a fresh twist on it. The thick, textured stickers are decked out in cool art by well-knowns (such as Van Gogh) as well as up-and-comers (such as Aaron Kraten). You can choose from more than 50 designs, depending on the iPod you have. (GelaSkins makes the stickers for the 4G, 5G, Mini, Classic, Touch, and all of the Nano generations.) I had no trouble finding multiple designs to suit my taste--particularly the colorful and fanciful doodles of Alex Noriega. If you have trouble deciding yourself, If you're having trouble deciding, I fully advocate buying more than one--why not change it up every few months? Keep an eye out for the promotions GelaSkins run from time to time, and you might even get a deal.

If you're in the market for an alarm clock that works with your iPod, there's no shortage of contenders. The bad news is that most of what passes for iPod alarm clocks are usually just iPod speakers systems with a clock shoved in. Our first impression of the i.Sound Time Travel alarm clock ($59.99) was it actually looked like a functional alarm clock, complete with a real snooze button.

The latest version of JBL's slick-looking, sweet-sounding On Stage iPod speakers looks the same, works the same, and sounds just like its predecessor--except this time, you get a small, lightweight remote that lets you adjust the volume, skip tracks, and scan within a song. While the remote makes these speakers even more attractive for iPod aficionados, the JBL On Stage II--pricey at $170--comes saddled with a heavy, bulky AC adapter, and its bass response leaves something to be desired.

Sure, playing music and movies is great, but every once in a while we wish our iPod could do something really useful--like tell us how to mix drinks. That's where Enrique Quintero Design's Pocket Bar & Grill ($10) comes in. The app, which is nice to have on hand if you want a bartending guide and a cookbook on you at all times, was until recently two separate apps known as Podtender and Podgourmet. Now combined and rechristened (due to a request from Apple), it contains recipes for 225 foods and 750 mixed drinks. The developer cut down the number of each to meet the iPod's limit of 1,000 notes.

The iPod is a successful music- and video-playing device, but some users have complained about the player's lack of extra features, such as an FM radio and a voice recorder. If you fall into the latter camp, XtremeMac has one possible solution for you: the MicroMemo ($60). Unfortunately, you'll need a fifth-gen or newer iPod or a second-gen Nano to use it, but those who do will be rewarded with an easy-to-use device that gets the job done.

Keyspan offers a wide range of computer and consumer electronics add-ons, but its A/V Dock for iPod is the company's first venture into the highly saturated iPod accessories market. This product doesn't make any huge bounds in the area of iPod A/V docks, as DLO did with its HomeDock Deluxe, which outputs the iPod's menu to your telly. However, the Keyspan does come with an RF remote and has a competitive $65 street price.

Late last year, amid much hype--and after Steve Jobs repeatedly belittled portable video devices--Apple announced its fifth-generation iPod, dubbed by many as the iPod video. Seven months later, the U2 iPod has caught up to the pack. Originally debuting with fourth-generation technology (a monochrome screen with a click wheel), then later with a color screen, this special-edition iPod, a collaboration between Irish rock band U2 and Apple, is basically a red and black version of the fifth-generation iPod.

We thought we'd seen it all until we came across the jWin iLuv i1055, which is designed to be both a portable DVD player and an extension screen for the iPod with video. Yes, this tablet-style, portable DVD player with a 7-inch widescreen display has a slot in the back that you can slide your video iPod into. Once docked, the videos on your iPod will play back on the DVD player's larger screen, which makes them a whole lot easier to watch, especially for multiple viewers.

The MobileTune looks and feels like a shifter knob, though you'd never accidentally mistake it for your car's because it's short and compact. The 5-inch-long device plugs into the car lighter adapter and a 26-inch cable attaches to an iPod dock connector. Because the knob section has a diameter of about 2 inches, you might have trouble fitting the transmitter into tight spaces, though we didn't encounter any problems. In fact, its compact size makes for easy transport, and it doesn't bulk up your dash area like the dock-style DLO TransPod.

The Sharper Image's wares fall almost entirely into one of two categories: expensive, useful electronic toys or expensive, useless electronic toys. When I first caught sight of the iPulse, a light-adorned speaker system for the iPod, I fully expected it to fall into the latter category. After my experience with the Griffin Disko, who can blame me? However, the $149 speaker with subwoofer (a $99 model, without a subwoofer, is available) is a surprisingly fun and engaging gadget. iPod owners looking for a complete audio-visual experience will be enamored with the iPulse.