Hasta La Gadget!

Here’s an accessory so clever, you’ll want to run out and buy an iPod Nano, if you don’t have one already. Griffin, the gadget powerhouse, unveiled Slap for iPod Nano (6th generation) today, an 80s twist on modern technology. This wearable case aims to make the wristwatch popular again by turning the Nano in a functional, fun, fashionable timepiece.

The Slap Case crosses a wristwatch and a silicone skin. It’s flexible, spring-steel band is wrapped in soft silicon. Snap the Slap open, then snap the Slap shut across your wrist. It self-adjusts to the right size. The Nano’s thick silicone guards against bumps and jolts. It protects the dock connector and volume controls, but leaves the headphone port open so you can plug in and listen. It will be available soon for $24.99.

This Apple-1 and a signed note from Steve Jobs included with the package can be yours for the low, low price of $161,000 to over $240,000 if you have the money and the stomach to bid on it. The Apple-1 is up for auction at Christie’s in London, and was originally one of the first 200 Apple-1 computers to be sold by then partners and now Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who parted with the hardware for a very evil and now infamous $666.66.

Similar Apple-1 models have sold at auction for as much as $50,000, but the addition of the signed note and the near pristine condition this Apple-1 is in may have led to the bump in starting bid. This Apple-1 comes with the original packaging, operating and instruction manuals, and sales invoice that lists the address of the garage where Apple started as the company address.

Bidding is open now if you want this piece of computing history in your personal collection, but it’s more likely that the buyer will either be a wealthy private collector or a museum or foundation looking for a unique piece to put on display.

Blue Microphones announced the second generation Mikey iPod/iPod Touch/iPhone microphone back in June, but it seems to have been delayed several months. We’ll it’s here now–just about. On Monday the 15th, you’ll be able to get Mikey 2G at Amazon or Apple.com for $79.99. The original earned a lot of fans as a plug-and-play mic for Apple devices that was able to record CD-quality sound. Now the second generation upgrades the first with improved circuitry for better recording at higher volumes. It also now features a 3.5mm line-input for direct recording from sources like a guitar or mixer.

The Mikey 2G offers a 230-degree range of adjustability with seven positions. That means you can position it perfectly for whatever you’re recording: a lecture, voice notes, live music, interviews, or anything else. It also now comes with a carrying case. Like the original, it offers stereo condenser capsules and three selectable gain settings. Note that it doesn’t work with the iPad or iPhone 4, which use different input technology. Blue says an updated version is coming. But when? 

Something for audiophiles and style mavens: Tivoli, maker of the some of the world’s best consumer audio equipment, has unveiled The Connector, an Apple-certified iPod dock. The Connector charges and plays iPods and iPhones, and offers Tivoli’s usual combination of high-tech and high-style. It features a back support for your player and come with nine choices of adapters to ensure a snug fit.

Using the Connector, you can play music from your iPod or iPhone through your stereo, and even play movies from your iPod to your TV using the S-video output. One unique feature lets iPhone owners answer calls and play music at the same time. An included remote lets you control volume, change the track, and select a playlist.

The Connector is available in a variety of wood finishes and lists for $124.99.

Apple does a lot of things well, but making headphones isn’t among them. Those cheap little white plastic earbuds have long been a dim spot in company’s otherwise aesthetically perfect mobile devices.

They’re cheap and uncomfortable, and surely nearly everyone who has picked up an iPod or iPhone has almost immediately upgraded to a third-party pair of headphones. Word is, however, that those little white ear canal stretchers are going to be replaced by Apple. The company is reportedly working on its own stereo Bluetooth headphones.

The headphones are said to be the fruit of the company’s reported acquisition of Wi-Gear, the company behind the iMuffs wireless headphones. As Ars Technica notes, neither company has actually confirmed the acquisition, though Wi-Gear’s site notes that the company has “ceased operations,” and its lead engineer Michael Kim is now on Apple’s payroll.