No idea why Li Xiang is so obsessed with sports right now, but she did influence me in some way. I have started jogging every Wednesday since 2 weeks ago and perhaps will extend to jogging twice per week and perhaps in the future 3 times a week. Even when jogging, the gadget freak in me also bought some gadgets for it.

Got my Nike + iPod Sport Kit (SGD$55) and SwitchEasy Runaway (SGD$16) from Ion’s EpiCenter. I am intending to use it with my newly bought 6th Generation 16GB iPod Nano (Graphite) (SGD$278) which will be delivered tomorrow from Apple Store (Singapore). I ordered online because it includes free laser engraving! This is my first time owning an iPod Nano.

As I am not using the any Nike shoes that supports Nike Plus (I am using Asics), I need to get the SwitchEasy Runaway so that I can secure the wireless sensor to my shoes. An alternative is to get the Shoe Pouch but unfortunately it does not ship to Singapore directly.

For more information, check out:

• Nike Running
• Nike + iPod

Nike + iPod Sport Kit with SwitchEasy Runaway

Wireless Sensor

Receiver

SwitchEasy Runaway

On Asics’s Shoe

PS: This is the first time the pictures are taken with my new Canon PowerShot S95.

Sony ICF-C1IPMK2
I have been eying on the Sony’s ICF-C1IPMK2 recently because it is quite affordable. The retail price is SGD$179 but challenger is selling it at SGD$159 with member discount. The ICF-C1IPMK2 is a iPod/iPhone Dock Clock Radio.

Sony ICF-C1IPMK2

Official Page: Sony Singapore: ICF-C1IPMK2
Review: iLounge: Sony ICF-C1iPMK2 Speaker Dock / Clock Radio for iPod + iPhone

Sony ICF-CL75iP
The recently announced Sony’s ICF-CL75iP made me think twice about getting the ICF-C1IPMK2 as the ICF-CL75iP has much better features and it is only USD$50 more expensive!

Sony ICF-CL75iP

Alarm clocks, digital photo frames, and iPod/iPhone docks are usually bland and simple. Only very recently have we seen style truly grace these products. However, when one of my contacts forwarded me information about the upcoming ICF-CL75iP, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. This is probably the greatest looking fusion of all of the aforementioned devices that I’ve ever seen. This is the most advanced Dream Machine ever produced by Sony to date – it has a crisp 7 inch color WVGA (800 x 480) LCD, 1GB of built-in storage, and a retractable iPod/iPhone dock. What’s truly outstanding is that the photos on the screen can either be pulled from your iPod/iPhone, or loaded onto the unit via USB. You can also store and play music (mp3, WMA), and movies (MP4, Motion JPEG and AVI) on the device. And in true Billy Mays fashion, wait, there’s more – a FM/AM radio (with 39 total presets), and the option to either wake up via radio, iPod/iPhone, nature sounds (Sea Waves, Birds, Rain, Brook, Under the Sea), or through a 10 second voice recording.

It is retailing for USD$150 = SGD$216.

But for ICF-C1IPMK2, it is retailing for USD$99 (SGD$142) in the US, but in Singapore, it is retailing for SGD$179. So it is about SGD$30 for tax (I am assuming) so I think we can see the ICF-CL75iP retailing at SGD$249 and above.

Source: Sony’s Upcoming ICF-CL75iP Is An Alarm Clock, Digital Frame, And Dock For Your iPod/iPhone

Last Wednesday, Apple Store (Singapore) had a special one-day shopping event and are offering discounts in their online store. The discounts for Apple products is quite pathetic, imagine only SGD$20 off for iPod Nano only. If you are intending to buy it long ago, SGD$20 is definitely better than nothing but it will not attract you to buy. However the discounts for 3rd party products/software are quite good. I bought the Belkin Auto Charger For iPod And iPhone for SGD$30 (including delivery). The usual price is SGD$37. It is about 19% discount. Bought it on Wednesday and it got delivered to me on Friday.

Outer Box

Outer Box – Opened

Belkin Auto Charger – Box

Belkin Auto Charger – Contents

Belkin Auto Charger – Car Charger Head

And yes, IT WORKS on iPhone 3G.

Apple has just refreshed its entire iPod lineup during the Apple Event “Let’s Rock” which ended a few minutes ago. The last refresh was on 6th September 2008.

iPod Touch

iPod Touch (2nd Generation)

This is the 2nd generation of iPod Touch which features a stainless steel design, volume control on the side and built-in speakers. It comes preloaded with iPod Touch Firmware 2.1.

• 8GB = USD$229.00 / SGD$388
• 16GB = USD$299.00 / SGD$498
• 32GB = USD$399.00 / SGD$648
• View iPod Touch
• View iPod Touch Specification

iPod Nano

iPod Nano (4th Generation)

This is the 4th generation iPod Nano which goes back to the good old days of the tall iPod Nano. The 3rd generation iPod Nano is fat but now the 4th generation iPod Nano has lost some weight and grew taller. Now it has 9 colors for you to choose from. Not forgetting that now it comes packed with the built-in accelerometer and note the new curved aluminum and glass design.

• 8GB = USD$149.00 / SGD$248
• 16GB = USD$199.00 / SGD$328
• View iPod Nano
• View iPod Nano Specification

iPod Classic

iPod Classic (6th Generation)

The iPod Classic has not much changes, the 80GB (thinner one) has been bumped up to 120GB and the 160GB (thicker one) has been phrased out. The color option still remain the same, silver and black.

• 120GB = USD$249 / SGD$398
• View iPod Classic
• View iPod Classic Specification

iPod Shuffle

iPod Shuffle (2nd Generation)

Nothing much have changed except for the colors. The colors are now brighter as compared to its previous color.

• 1GB = USD$49.00 / SGD$78
• 2GB = USD$69.00 / SGD$108
• View iPod Shuffle
• View iPod Shuffle Specification

I think this Apple Event has the most accurate leaked news ever.

New Ikea Table
My old Sitoca table has lasted me for more than 5 years and it is still in excellent condition. I am going to pass it to Li Xiang as her house computer table is showing signs of collapsing inwards.

Went to Ikea and bought a new computer table consisting of a table top, Vika Grevsta (White), for SGD$125 and 4 table legs, Vika Curry (White) for SGD$20 (SGD$5 each). The total bill is SGD$145.10 because I paid extra $0.10 for a plastic bag as there are only 2 of us and we have problem carrying all the parts without the bag.

I going to get a Desk Pad from Ikea another day to protect my white table top!

New Ikea Computer Table – Top View

New Ikea Computer Table – Front View

My Room – Before View

Apple iPod Touch 16GB
After some contemplation, I finally decided to get an Apple iPod Touch instead of Asus EEE. Since I got a laptop already, I might as well go for the iPod Touch as Asus EEE is just another laptop but smaller. I wanted to wait for the upcoming IT Show 2008 which will be from 6th March 2008 to 9th March 2008 to see if there are any free gifts as well as the rumored USD$100 price drop of iPod Touch and iPhone. But iPod Touch Fans somehow think that the rumor might be smashed.

I wanted to get the 8GB iPod Touch for SGD$498 but when I was surfing around Hardware Zone Forums, I saw this thread and it was offering SGD$560 for a 16GB iPod Touch and it comes with warranty, receipt of purchase and the best part is that the box is still sealed.

I wanted to bargained till about SGD$500 because after I did a quick search and found out that most users selling their 16GB are bidded for at SGD$500, but apparently at SGD$500 the owner did not want to release it.

So in the end I bargained with him till SGD$550 and I bought it. The original price of the 16GB iPod Touch according to Apple Singapore Store is SGD$698, and hence I saved SGD$148.

The firmware that the iPod Touch come with is 1.1.1 which is perfect for jail breaking as I do not need to downgrade.

I have so many problems with jail breaking that I jail broke my iPod Touch at least 10 times yesterday due to conflict applications, SSH issues and my iPod can’t recover from recovery mode even with the help of iBrickr. But anyway, in the end I manage to jail break it to 1.1.3 just fine.

Here are the best tutorials that I found:
iPod Touch Fans
1.1.1 -> 1.1.2 -> 1.1.3 – http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34376

iClarified
1.1.1 -> 1.1.2 – http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=593
1.1.2 -> 1.1.3 – http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=611