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Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Now Here Is Nowhere

    • 10 out of 10
    • Secret Machines
    • The Secret Machines' inaugural album, Now Here is Nowhere is both old and new in its sonic assault. The trio's surprisingly big sound evokes Pink Floyd (without ever sounding like any Pink

  • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

    • 8 out of 10
    • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    • When I first got hooked to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the only place I could get their debut album, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, was through the band's Web site. I listened to the two tracks a

  • Haunted

    • 10 out of 10
    • Poe
    • Dropping like a bomb on some of the blah musical offerings of her contemporaries, Haunted was one of the best albums of 2000, obliterating the competition.

      Ostensibly a tie-in to her brot

  • 8:30

    • 10 out of 10
    • Weather Report
    • This is Weather Reports quintessential line-up captured live. Jaco Pastorious and Peter Erskine join Wayne Shorter and, of course, Joe Zawinul to create this masterpiece.
  • Kind of Blue

    • 10 out of 10
    • Miles Davis
    • The jazz album to end all jazz albums. Miles Davis and John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly and the list goes on. The who's who of who's who in jazz have assembled for this monumental record. Get this

Reader Specials

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In-Depth Review

PocketDock

SendStation's line of iPod PocketDocks have seemingly been designed under two premises: that USB and FireWire cables are so ubiquitous that carrying around a six-foot iPod docking cable is redundant and that listening to music through the dock connector produces a superior listening experience.

PocketDocks
PocketDock FireWire and USB/FireWire Combo

One of the nice design touches of the first- and second-generation iPods was the built-in FireWire port that ensured an easy connection to any FireWire-equipped computer, provided a FireWire cable was lying about. The debut of dock connector iPods eliminated that convenience and gave birth to the original PocketDock, a tiny adapter plug less than inch long that gave your iPod a regular FireWire port.

The PocketDock line has grown since then with the addition of a FireWire+USB combo version, ideal for newer iPods that no longer support transferring music over FireWire. The idea is every bit as effective today as it was a year or two ago, and the only question that stands between you and PocketDock pleasure is whether the convenience is worth the $18.95 or $22.95, respectively.

For our part, we prefer the newest generation of PocketDocks, which pack a line-out port along with either FireWire or USB connectivity. SendStation claims that listening to the iPod through the PocketDock's stereo mini-jack produces a higher quality listening experience than the iPod's headphone jack. While that may be true thanks to the digital connectivity, our ears really couldn't tell the difference. What is definitely nice about listening to music through the PocketDock is that it leaves that standard headphone jack open, making it a cinch to share your music with a pal. Not to mention the PocketDock is smaller than most headphone splitters on the market.

PocketDock
PocketDock Line-Out USB w/ Cables

The line-out equipped PocketDocks will set you back $29.95, but splurging for the extra functionality also nets you a standard male-male stereo mini cable, as well a stereo RCA cable with an iPod-ready mini-jack at one end and connectors for your stereo at the other. And don't forget the detachable keyring that keeps your PocketDock at the ready.

Bottom Line

SendStation's PocketDocks are a fantastic example of how simple yet effective some iPod accessories can be. If you're tired of wrapping up that iPod docking cable and taking it everywhere with you or want a slick way to share your music with another pair of headphones, PocketDocks have you covered.

Just The Facts

PocketDock from SendStation

MSRP US$18.95 & up

Pros:tiny, effective, well-designed

Cons:none significant

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