Here's something different: a case that combines with your iPod to resemble the do-it-yourself MintyMP3 player, but clearly born on the other side of the railroad tracks from the aforementioned Altoids-based audio companion.

TinPods

The TinPod is quite simply a tin... for your iPod. As tins go, the TinPod is standard fare: lightweight, a little flimsy, and with a hinge design as basic as you could imagine. But you won't notice any of that at first glance thanks to the hand of Kurt Ketchum, whose creations wrap the three TinPods. Even if his art fails to suit your fancy, there's no denying the designs are different and eye-catching.

The TinPod is lined with foam padding inside to protect your iPod, while inserts ensure it fits snugly regardless of 3G, 4G, or 5G model. Earphone cut-outs are naturally a part of the design, but once your iPod's inside there's no access to its dock connector or hold switch, not that it would be easy to accidentally toggle a button when the case is closed.

Unfortunately, no dock connector access means you'll need to remove your iPod regularly just to charge it, and that's not so easy a process since the padding hugs your iPod so well. You can always pry your iPod out with a skinny object, even if that concept makes you cringe, or tap the case on a hard surface several times. We found hitting the palm of the hand holding the TinPod with our other hand was most effective (anyone who has ever removed a baseball card from a hard plastic sleeve knows what I'm talking about), but you'll want to exercise some restraint so your iPod doesn't come flying out.

The Bottom Line

The TinPod is neither the most durable nor the most practical iPod case, but what it lacks in convenience it makes up for in personality, provided you dig the design. If you're on the fence, keep in mind production is being limited to 5,000 of each style (possibly a buying point in and of itself for some iPod owners), and that even if you decide you don't like it, you can always plug the earphone cut-outs and have the fanciest fresh breath dispenser on the block. Try doing that with a piece of iPod-formed silicone.

TinPods cost $16.95 a piece, but two can be purchased together for $29.95.