The same folks at ifixit.com who tore down the newly released iPod nano from last week also got their hands on Apple’s newest version of the iPod touch and carefully broke it down as well. In doing this they found some interesting surprises.

In dismantling the iPod touch, they found a faster 802.11n Broadcom wireless chip, still inactive but bringing wireless-N in addition to the a,b and G in the touch. Chances are that some OS update, hopefully in the not too distant future, will enable this faster wireless connection.

Oops. Best Buy has listings for a number of accessories from Belkin for the as yet unannounced iPod touch 3rd generation. None of the listings mention a digital camera on the back of this new model, but they list six new case lines on their website. Some of those cases sport “hand straps” however, suggesting that it will have a camera.

Following up on rumors that the new model might be delayed, Pocket-lint managed to get a Riverdale New Jersey Walmart to comment that they were expecting the “newer” iPod touch models at the “end of the month.”

You have your choice of iPhone/iPod battery packs, but Kensington has thrown one in with its new $70 charging dock. The Kensington Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack comes with its own mini battery that will charge next to your iPhone or iPod, so you will never be short on precious juice.

According to Kensington, it will give you an extra 30 hours of music or 6 hours of video on an 3rd generation iPod Nano, and an extra 3 hours of talk time on your iPhone.

Sure, the name sounds cozy, but iMuffs are not meant to keep your ears warm, which sucks because it is cold outside. But they will let you listen to your iPod Nano, iPod Classic, iPod Photo, iPod Touch, iPod Mini and all 3rd generation iPods without a cable.

Just attach the iMuffs Bluetooth transmitter to your iPod and you’ll be un-tethered. You can control the volume and playback with the headphones themselves, keeping your device safely in your pocket. The built-in battery can be recharged via USB, and they claim a play time of 16 hours. You can get the iMuffs in black or white for $129.99.

Here’s an updated version of that iPhone Bike Mount we showed you in April that has probably sent some people to the hospital by now. The iBikeConsole device is mounted on your bike in pretty much the same way and will let you control your 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation iPod Nano without moving your hands away from the grips, which is a bonus because that feature will surely keep you alive longer.

You can also check your speed, trip distance, and more if you’re a numbers geek. Has a nice looking weather housing too. It’s about time they came up with something that makes it all the more desirable to knock you off your bike and steal it, because that old bell on your handlebars just wasn’t hip enough. The iBikeConsole is available for $76. Getting your bike and your iPod stolen at the same time…Priceless.

The i-XPS Soundbox is probably designed for those who want to chill by the pool or at the beach, or wherever, but the first thing I thought when I saw these is that they are downright fugly. The portable speaker will enclose and suffocate your iPod Nano (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod Mini, iPod Classic, and other MP3 Players.

It has an integrated mini jack cable connection that connects it to the speakers through the headphone jack on the your MP3 Player. Then just zip it up to keep your MP3 player safe. It’s powered by 2 AAA batteries. I know you can’t wait to dress your iPod up as either Stone, Splash, or Spray design.

Alesis has come out with a product recently that takes advantage of the popularity and significant storage capacity available in the Apple iPods with a new digital stereo recorder that integrates with the media player. The ProTrack Stereo Handheld Recorder has sleds built into the design to securely dock your iPod inside and use it to store and playback digital audio recordings.

The ProTrack comes with two built-in stereo condenser microphones to pick up ambient sound, or you can plug in external mics or line-in audio sources to the 1/4-inch jacks. The recorder, like the iPod itself, is truly portable and runs up to five hours on four AAA batteries and can fall back on an AC power adapter if needed. They’ve even included a threaded mount on the bottom to hold it steady with things like a camera tripod.

Creative has launched a new addition to it’s line of portable speakers with the TravelSound for the iPod nano. This one-piece speaker attaches to the docking port of Apple’s nano and pumps out the sound to share with others. This new TravelSound speaker appears very similar to the TravelSound i50 that we saw last fall for the iPod nano, and the design is no doubt inspired by it.

The new TravelSound portable speaker is relatively small and lets the 3rd generation nano fit right into the design giving it an overall thickness of less than an inch with 3.9 inches in total height. It also comes with a little plastic stand, and if you can keep from losing it since it’s not attached, will provide a safer rest for the speaker with your iPod in it.

This morning the Apple Store was down for a little while which usually means they’re bringing on some new stuff. When it came back up we noticed a new Pink iPod nano as the latest addition in the lineup of the 3rd generation players. The new pink model is an 8GB version (4GB only comes in silver) and retails the same as the other 8GB models for $199. Apple is also offering two lines of free engraving on the back and 24 hours shipping so you can get your pink iPod in plenty of time for Valentines day.

iFrogz announced the release of Thumpz, today at CES 2008 in Las Vegas. Thumpz is currently designed for the 3rd generation iPod nano and will also be available for the iPod Classic and incorporated into the Tadpole case. It’s a 100% silicone case with speaker that gives you a compact, more stylish way to listen to music.

The new Thumpz uses a passive speaker technology that offers great sound without the added bulk of batteries. Just slide the iPod into speaker case and connect through the headphone jack. It only extends the length of the iPod about an inch. It claims to give you full protection and you can still share your music and videos without the need to remove the case or plug it into other speakers.

iFrogz is targeting owners of the third generation iPod nano with a semi-translucent hard case. The new iFrogz 3rd Gen Nano Crystal Cases are priced at around $13 or $18 if you add some click wheel art.

The iFrogz 3rd Gen Nano Crystal Cases are available in a variety of colors, including pink, purple, orange, green, yellow and light blue. They protect your nano from scratches by covering it while also offering full access to the scroll wheel, headphone jack and other ports. The screen is also fully covered by the case.

Apple made a quiet release of a firmware update for both the iPod classic and the 3rd generation iPod nano on Saturday. The new version 1.0.2 mostly consists of bug fixes according to Apple but ended up revealing a little bit more once installed. Aside from some improvements on calender and contact synchronization MacNN reported installing the new firmware through iTunes updates and finding upgrades to the Cover Flow making it more similar to iTunes 7.4. The new firmware also had another “Ask” option added to the TV output option which allows users to turn on the TV out mode when the iPod is connected to a device capable of showing video output from the iPod. Nothing too spectacular but little surprises like these are always nice.

Today Marware launched four new decently priced iPod cases targeting the new 3rd generation video iPod nano, one of which being the Sportsuit Relay, combining two cases in one.

The Sportsuit relay case is created to hold both the new iPod nano and the Nike + iPod Sport Kit receiver and sensor, and includes a small sensor pouch that weaves into the laces of almost any running shoe along with a wristband carrying case. An expansion component …

Griffin is Johnny-on-the-spot with advertising its new cases for latest version of Apple’s iPods, with one of the coolest looking ones being a reflective case for the 3rd generation iPod Nano.

This case fits the new, fatter-style video nano and features a mirrored chrome-finish on the front. When the iPod is turned off it appears that the case has no window for the display with a seamless reflective face. When the iPod nano is powered on the display shines clearly through. The back of the Reflect case is …

Denon has been coming out with a number of products lately with one of the cooler ones being this WiFi iPod dock. The small round docking station connects to your home theater components via RCA and S-Video to let you stream music and pictures to them wirelessly from your PC, or from the iPod that’s docked in it.

Controlling the device is done through an included remote control and can be visually navigated on-screen through your connected television, which will also show information on the current track playing and can control your iPod when …