When many of us think of hard drives, we immediately think of notebook and desktop computers where storage capacities can reach into the terabyte level. Storage capacities are equally important for smaller devices like MP3 players and camcorders.

Toshiba has announced a new 1.8-inch hard drive today that is the world’s first dual disc 1.8-inch 240GB HDD and the world’s first 120GB single platter hard drive. The new 240GB HDD is Toshiba part number MK2431GAH. The drive spins at 4200 RPM and offers a 33% improvement in energy consumption compared to Toshiba’s 160GB 3600 rpm 1.8-inch drive.

Apple has unveiled its new iPod Nano line, not that it was any big surprise, making it tall and skinny. The large screen takes up half of the surface of the front and it now comes in a wide variety of colors to fit your personality.

But that’s not all. Some other new features are an accelerometer inside, which flips the screen when you rotate the player,. That feature really comes in handy when watching videos and perusing photos. You can also now shake the player to shuffle the songs, which is sure to get old real fast and will have some not too bright users breaking the device in wiimote fashion. I personally can’t wait. The new nanos come in 8GB and 16GB and are available for $150 and $199, respectively.

Here’s something retro and neat. Dock your new music thing into an old music thing. It’s the Phonofone II, Limited Edition in Black and it’s designed by Tristan Zimmerman with only 200 of the devices available for sale. It looks like yet another iPod speaker dock in the shape of a Victrola but this time it’s different, I swear. It uses no power except the power of your iPod Classic or iPod Touch to amplify music through the horn part of the Phonofone II at 55 decibels.

So it’s like actually blending the technologies of past and present. Ok, not really. The iPod Nano or shuffle won’t be powerful enough to amplify the Phonofone II unless you use an inline headphone amplifier. It’s like Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs collaborated, with Steve setting the price. The Phonofone II sells for $600.

If you like to take your iPod everywhere with you — like to the gym, office or other public place — you might be worried about someone stealing it. Theft of gadgets like iPods is common thanks to the small size of the devices.

Master Lock has been protecting all manner of property for years now with many different types of locks for different uses. Master Lock is now offering protection for your iPod with its new iCage. The iCage is a locking box with a security cable that is flexible like a bike lock.

Ask anybody and they’ll tell you Apple invented the iPod. Not entirely correct according to Apple themselves, who has credited a UK man as author of some of the original patents that outlined how today’s PMPs work. Kane Kramer had no idea about iPods back then, but he sketched out a rudimentary media player in 1979. Sadly, financial difficulties in 1988 meant he couldn’t renew the patent and so it entered the public domain. Apple then used the concept as evidence in their legal case against Burst.com, who were accusing the company of patent infringement and looking for a slice of iProfits.

Kramer’s PMP was called the IXI, and stored only 3.5 minutes of audio and oddly enough it even looks just a bit like what eventually became the iPod. The inventor had to endure ten hours being questioned by Burst’s legal team, who had claimed that the intellectual property of four patents they held was being used by Apple without payment or agreement. Obviously now that Apple has fessed up, Kramer is looking at some kind of compensation. Apple did give Kramer a free iPod that apparently broke after several months. Sadly if not for the lawsuit Kramer may have lived in relative obscurity and we would never have known.

Here’s the latest in Hello Kitty novelty items. The Hello Kitty iPod DJ speaker. As you can see Hello Kitty is DJing away behind the bullet-proof glass like the Pope in his Pope-mobile. That’s because she has had several attempts on her feline life. There was that shooter behind the grassy knoll, and in the book-depository, then there was that time that I was brain-washed to take her out and shot up a bunch of cat products with a semi-automatic. I claimed I was just a patsy. Looks like she’s protected now. This one is from Japan, of course. A Hello Kitty speaker that connects to your iPod or other audio device. Comes in pink or black and requires 1 AA battery. $24.99.

The iLogic Sound Hat actually lives up to it’s name by being fairly logical. It eliminates the need for headphones or earbuds, with the added benefit of keeping you warm and in style if your style is a plain beanie hat with a fake equalizer on it.

The speakers fit snugly over your ears and it’s lined with comfortable fleece. Just put it on and connect it to your iPod or mp3 player. Forget hassling with earbuds and carrying around headphones. Plus, others still won’t be able to hear whatever it is you listen to.

Making its appearance at IFA 2008 in Berlin, the Made for iPod refrigerator is the first of it’s kind. Gorenje might have a winner on it’s hands with this here fancy fridge. Sure, we’ve seen refrigerators with a bunch of multimedia features that allow you to listen to music, watch TV, even surf net, but this is Apple certified. It features a built-in iPod docking station and speakers, so as you might expect, you can play music and video and connect to the internet via a Wi-Fi network.

Apparently by integrating the iPod with iGorenj app, you can control all kinds of Gorenje appliances like washing machines and the oven for instance. The app is not built for iPhone/iPod touch, it’s served from a home server that controls your appliances directly. That way you can use the iPod touch, but also any other web device in your home that uses a Wi-Fi network. Looks like we may have an iKitchen sooner then some of us thought.

You might have noticed that the Clone Wars movie got some pretty bad reviews. So it’s not really a surprise that they’ve been pushing all kinds of Clone Wars merchandise in an attempt to make some extra money so George Lucas can get that new flannel shirt he’s had his eye on.

This is the ISpeaker. It uses a flat panel speaker and is compatible with iPod, iPhone and other MP3 players. It features Captain Rex from the Clone Wars and seems almost as lame as the movie. Small kids might like it, but your average Star Wars geek will probaly want to pass. It’s powered by 4 AAA batteries. The Clone Wars iSpeaker is available for $19. The lightsaber stylus for the DS is only $7.99 and a lot cooler.

Whether you’re into the classics or just want it to look like you are, the Ode to Beethoven MP3 Player Speakers will bring a little Beethoven into your life. It is designed by UK artist Fiona Thomson, with the idea of combining classic artistic aesthetics with modern technology. More importantly, it lets you dock your mp3 player in a stone bust of Beethoven’s head, so you can look all classy while playing your AC/DC and Alice Cooper. Right now, it’s still just a concept, but hopefully it will be a reality soon and herald a new age of stone iPod docks.

Sony is revamping its Xplod line of car stereo units that will work with iPods. The iPod-aware models are the GT630UI, GT430IP, GT330 and GT130, and each features a USB connection that transfers data and charges the iPod.

These are the first models of their kind that feature scan technology known as “ZAPPIN”, which will do what auto-scanning does for radios, but for your digital content. So, using it will play samples of each track in a given piece of the listener’s library so you get a taste of songs, rather than text descriptions. If you want GT630UI you’ll have to pay $160, while the GT430IP and GT330 will cost $130 and $100, when they’re released in September.

There have been a ton of rumors about the new redesigned iPods. But wait, there’s more. MacRumors and Ars Technica are both saying that we’ll be seeing the new iPods on September 9th. No specific details, but new nanos are a part of it, along with a rumored subscription service and maybe even a new iPod touch at a new lower price. We’ll see.

We told you the other day about how Kevin Rose had some “news” that a new iPod nano is coming. A slimmer longer sexier device. Not exactly hard evidence, but there are some new developments.

These two case-related designs are supposedly destined for Apple’s next PMP. News is that Chinese accessory-maker Beelan has a silicon sleeve ready to ship through Alibaba, and iDealsChina has renders of the 4th gen nano as well as another case from an unknown Canadian company. Neither design can be confirmed what with the fact that they appeared on the heels of the Rose rumor, but who knows. What do you think?

Multi-room audio is hot these days with more manufacturers than you can shake a stick at bringing wireless audio systems to market. Lots of competition is a good thing because it means a large variety of price points and models for music fans to choose from. Sony has launched a high-end music system designed specifically for the iPod that streams music wirelessly to different rooms of your home.

The system is called the Sony S-AIRPLAY and is a wireless multi-room solution that can transmit audio from the main docking station to its wireless speakers up to 164-feet away. The system includes one docking station and two S-AIR wireless speakers. The system can support up to 10 speakers simultaneously. In addition to the iPod dock — that also charges the iPod — the system features an AM/FM tuner.

I have no idea if this is a concept or some geek’s elaborate prank in order to get girls or something. It could be a modified cassette player, but somehow I doubt it. You would need a few AA batteries at least. All I know is that had the actual iPod and Walkman merged in the 80’s, this would be the result. I suppose it would download music off of itunes, and store it on it’s cassette hard drive. When that casette is full, insert another and begin again. Very bizarre, but a cool pic.