Analysts love to come up with all sorts of conjecture based on history, numbers, and general guesswork. In this case, FBR Research analyst Craig Berger has a few predictions to give us regarding the future of Apple's iPod and iPhone lines. We'll keep them short and sweet here and leave the static mulling to you. First, he expects an updated, lower-priced iPod nano in the near future along with product refreshes for both the iPod classic and touch. That sounds about right, as Apple is almost due for updates of those products anyway. As far as Apple's production rate, he says Apple has increased iPod production around 15 percent and sees Apple shipping 15 million iPhone 3G by the end of the year (he's a big fan of the number "15"). Nothing really surprising here, but if all this pans out, Apple will dig deeper into the smart phone market while tightening its stranglehold on the PMP landscape.

24 Hour Fitness just announced that it will be the first to offer Nike+ iPod enabled gym equipment at select clubs starting next month. The press release says the following:

"Nike and Apple worked with major gym equipment manufacturers to make their cardio equipment Nike + iPod compatible so gym members can easily track and record workouts on cardio equipment like treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes."

The press release only mentions the iPod nano. In fact, that may be all that we're talking about here. Nevertheless, July is synonymous with the iPhone 3G, 2.0 firmware, and App Store launches and there's that little ol' patent application (the source of the picture above) which describes leveraging the iPhone's sensors to turn it into a "lifestyle companion." Nike of course, already confirmed that its Plus system would be extending to the iPhone and iPod touch sometime in the future. July seems as good a time as any don't you think?

Though not the first audio recorder we've seen to get buddy-buddy with Apple's darling for storage -- nor the first Alesis product to partner up with the iPod -- the ProTrack is still pretty swank in its own right. Hailed as a "professional handheld digital stereo recorder for iPod," this unit enables direct-to-iPod stereo digital recording for folks needing gobs of storage space. You'll find a pair of condenser microphones built-in along with twin XLR - 1/4-inch inputs for connecting external mics and line sources. Folks who can't locate an AC outlet can count on four to five hours of use from four AAA cells, but it should be noted that only select iPods (2G / 3G nanos, 5G iPods and the iPod classic) are supported. Look for this one to land in Q3 for a currently undisclosed price.

[Via Brad Linder's Blog]

Just when you thought iPod docks couldn't get any cooler -- bam! -- along comes iHome with the "world's first" computer speakers for an iPod. Yes, we also started to pound out an uncontrollable rhythm on the snooze button the first time we heard about these, but don't forget that the iH69 and iH70 allow you to dock, charge and jam out to your iPod without adding any extra fuss to your decked out computer audio superstation. The dock / speakers are available for pre-order at $99.99 and $129.99, respectively, and will be on store shelves "soon" -- which we assume will be sometime this month.

Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

Though we're breaking slightly from our typical Screen Grabs format (movies, TV), we could never live with ourselves if we didn't share these shocking gadget appearances from Metal Gear Solid 4. That's right, despite being on some kind of deadly spy mission, Solid Snake will find time to bro down with a fifth-generation iPod (above), while some lovely cohort of his dials up for pizza on a Sony Ericsson W62S clamshell. More pics after the break.

[Via iLounge / CellPassion]

Quick, what's the best way to dress up an otherwise dry piece on how companies can register non-traditional trademarks? If you answered "mention Apple and the iPod," you're the big winner -- and you've gotten yourself published in the Wall Street Journal. We'll be the first to admit that Apple's January registration of the three-dimensional design of the iPod strains credulity, but the simple fact is that non-traditional trademarks have been around for a while now -- we seem to remember a little kerfuffle regarding magenta recently, but we can't quite recall the exact details. Similarly, Nokia trademarked the 12 notes of its default ringtone back in September (even though they're part of a larger piece written in 1902 called "Gran Vals"), NBC has a mark on its ding-ding-ding station ID, and Coca-Cola has registrations for basically every bottle design it sells. Still, you can bet Apple legal threw quite a pizza party when this mark was approved -- and we can only imagine the kind of buttoned-down corporate lawyer jam that'll go down if the company succeeds in getting a mark on the design of the iPhone, which it's currently applied for. Hope you're ready for some more funktastic control layouts.

Read - WSJ article
Read - Apple iPod design trademark

Owners of yesteryear Apple products (and consumer advocates) had a pretty solid week. Friday it came to light that more than two million 2001-era PowerBook owners could be eligible for refunds between $25 and $75 in a class-action settlement (which is set for final approval on September 8th) over faulty, sometimes even sparking power adapters. But that's not all: Apple is also offering up $45 credits to any Canadian iPod owner that bought before June 24th, 2004 as part of a class-action suit claiming Apple misrepresented the advertised battery life of the players.

Read - Power adapters
Read - Canadian iPods [sub req'd]

Sure, there are already a handful of options out there for extending the life of your iPhone / iPod battery, but since when have we been ones to gripe about a little competition? Kensington has just introduced a standard and miniature version of its Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone / iPod, which unsurprisingly provides juice to your device's internal battery and can be recharged simultaneously. As you could likely guess, the only differences between the two contraptions are the size, price and battery life; the 0.22-pound standard model extends play time to up to 100 hours (music) / 6 hours (talk), while the even tinier mini version livens things up for another 30 hours (music) / 3 hours (talk). Each is available now for $69.99 / $49.99.

What's better than having a nice leather or cloth iPod sleeve to show off to your friends? If you're thinking one made of imitation meat -- you're dead right! Apparently, a company in Japan is under the impression that you want to wrap your music player in a grade A lookalike, undoubtedly to the thrill of your vegetarian friends and family. Of course, don't just get one for the shock value -- this thing oozes pure, sophisticated style. If you've got ¥6,800 (or about $66) and dignity to spare, it can be all yours.

[Via DVICE]

Oh sure, the iHome iP99 is certainly a welcome addition to the fray, but the first iPhone-compatible clock radio it isn't. Nevertheless, this device claims to be able to play back tunes on your handset without that sanity-killing interference that's so common on most iPod stereo systems. While blasting out tunes, users can still expect to receive calls while it's charging, and if you're currently rolling sans an iPhone, it'll also play nice with all docking iPod models. Per usual, there's an AM / FM tuner, auxiliary input, a variety of wake modes, dual alarm settings, backlit buttons and a remote control for switching tracks / controlling volume from afar. Of course, by the time this thing lands in June for $149.99, we could be testing to see if it works with an all new iPhone.

Update: We've been informed that what was really supposed to be said here was that it's "is the first clock radio available for purchase that is designed specifically for the iPhone," and it's been awarded the coveted "Works with iPhone" sticker from Apple itself. Needless to say, this bad boy has all the shielding you'll need.

Nah, it's not April 10th just yet (in most of the world, at least), but one particular bloke managed to score one of Nike's new SportBands at a London marathon exhibition today. The going rate on that side of the pond was £40 ($78), but we wouldn't mind that dreadful exchange rate too much if you're curious about eventual US pricing. Nevertheless, feel free to tap the read link to peep the unit fresh out of its packaging, but be forewarned, there aren't any surprises.

[Thanks, Terry]

That video we saw the other day of two iPod touches running a networked Quake 3 deathmatch sent ripples through the iPod / iPhone community. Those of you doubting the authenticity of the clip can probably put some fears to bed, as GameCyte has gotten a hold of the programmers, and they make it fairly clear it wasn't some elaborate hoax. According to developers Cameron and Marcia Tofer of Hermitworks, they managed to get the game up and running on the touches in, "Between eight and twelve hours," using jail-broken units, no official SDK, and modified code that added basic accelerometer support. The game in the video is being hosted on one of the devices and played over a local network -- and the Tofers claim that running a full 64-player match wouldn't be out of the question. Unfortunately, there aren't any plans to make this demo public, as the team is working on original content for the platform. So... email petition anyone?

We don't really know what to call it as the name convulses between the iBig Box, the iBoombox, and "Inflatalbe" Boombox on the product page. Regardless, somebody out there has single-handedly put the "ass" back into plastic. The only features listed besides inflatable are a pair of speakers and what we presume to be a line-in connection for the "Ipod" and any other portable media player. Oh, and a weight of exactly 12.00. $60 if you dare.

[Via NewLaunches]

Despite Becks' prior troubles with über-geeky car thieves, we're fairly certain the LA Galaxy midfielder still has a soft spot in his heart for technology. And even if he doesn't, we're confident there's a nook in there for precious metals. Reportedly, Mr. Beckham has been gifted with a gilded iPod touch (the top-end 32GB model, no less) by his English teammates after participating in his 100th appearance for the national club. Word on the street has it that the golden touch only set the squad back £600 ($1,188), which isn't too shabby considering the £329 ($651) sticker on the vanilla version.

Right on cue, Nike's making things official with its oft-rumored (and still unpriced) Nike+ SportBand and even had the time to toss in details about Nike+ Coach, too. The band, which opens up features at the NikePlus website along with enabling runners to check out distance, pace, time and calories burned, is indeed marketed as a standalone device for those who'd prefer not to have a DAP flanking their arm when exercising. Moreover, the outfit's online Nike+ Coach system will allow runners to have the information they need to appropriately train for long distance events or achieve customized goals. Get those kicks cleaned up prior to April 10th -- after all, that's the day you'll be sprinting out to pick this thing up, right?