Target is currently promoting an offer for a complimentary $20 gift card when you buy a 32GB iPod touch in black or white for $295. That gift card can then be used to cover about half the price of a 2GB iPod shuffle, currently going for $46.

The Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones are going for $299, and if you’d rather share your music with the room, the Sonos PLAY:5 all-in-one wireless music system will run you $399.99 and nab you a $40 Target gift card.

If you go with the iPod touch, you may also want to consider picking up the Helo TC device-controlled helicopter (on sale for $45), which you can actually fly around the house using the iPod touch (or any iDevice, really) as the remote. Of course, this is provided you don’t mind the kids crashing a helicopter into your tree all day. For a quieter Christmas, you may want to consider the Griffin/Crayola electronic stylus.

In addition to all of this, Target will give you 5% off your purchase if you use your Target debit or credit REDcard.

More deals are sure to come, and we’ll be watching for them. But when it comes to holiday shopping, there’s no better time to start than the present.

See [Target.com]

With over 300 million units sold to date, it is no secret the iPod has become a major success in the portable music player industry. The term “iPod” is almost universally recognized today, and for good reason; it has changed the way the world listens to music.

In honor of 10 years that the iPod has been around in its many forms—from the iPod Mini to the iPod Nano and iPod touch—Most Wanted has put together an iPod infographic to show just how far the iPod has come.

Read [Most Wanted]

Also see Apple removes click wheel iPod games from the iTunes Store.

Strangely, Apple has not removed its advertisements highlighting the ability to purchase and play these games from the iPod classic’s features page and the iTunes A to Z page. Right now, it is unclear what Apple is planning for the iPod Classic and Shuffle models, although no refreshes or news about either does suggest a discontinuation in the near future.

Steve Jobs confirmed through an email to a customer last year that Apple had no plans to discontinue the iPod Classic. The only thing is, Jobs isn’t CEO anymore, and this stance could have certainly changed since then. Time will tell what Apple decides to do with these two iPod models, but we wouldn’t count on them being around for much longer.

Via [MacRumors]

Apple Computer has been working on signing deals with Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and EMI. This is one big advantage over Amazon’s Cloud Drive and Google Music, which don’t have agreements. Record companies aren’t too pleased with them, and have even called the Cloud Drive potentially illegal. Having the record companies on Apple’s side means you’re not limited to using the iCloud just as a place to store the music you already own. You could buy songs and listen to them anywhere you have an internet connection without having to download them to your device’s hard drive. In addition, you won’t even have to upload songs you have to the iCloud because it will scan your hard drive for songs you already own and give you access instantly.

Keeping your songs in the iCloud means you don’t have to decide which ones you store on your device, especially if you want to save room for video recording, taking pictures, and downloading apps. You also won’t have to keep track of what songs you have on each of your portable devices because you’ll know they’ll have access to any song you own automatically. The downside is that Apple seems likely to charge a subscription fee to access the iCloud, although there’s no information available about how much it will cost.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Apple if this was all there is to it. Patently Apple has a great description of all of the features that the iCloud will have, as well as a picture of how you could access it through iTunes. One of the best features they describe is being able to keep part of the songs on your device so that you won’t have to wait for them to download before you can start listening. How much of the song is kept on the hard drive depends on the speed of the internet connection. There are also different ways described of how Apple will prevent unauthorized people from getting access to your songs and how this won’t work with just songs but with audio books as well.

Some are speculating that this will be announced (or at the very least mentioned) at the upcoming WWDC starting on June 6th. However, I don’t think Apple will talk about anything that’s not completely ready, and won’t feel pressured to release something that isn’t as close to perfection as possible. Currently Apple is scheduled to discuss the future of the iOS and Mac OS X platforms and their closer integration in future versions. Of course, with Apple, anything is possible, and Steve Jobs loves to surprise us.

Via [CNET and DailyTech]

Command your sleep/wake environment with this evolutionary alarm clock music system for iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Charge and play your Apple devices—even connect and control your bedside lamp. Expand your mastery of TimeCommand with the free Stem:Connect™ App from iTunes.

Features include:

• App-enhanced, customizable dual alarm clock
• Nap/Snooze/Sleep controls
• Bedside lamp control with dimming*
• Precisely tuned Stem:Sonic iQ acoustic system
• Unique curved LED display offers expansive viewing angles
• Display is fully dimmable and brightens to the touch of a button
• Pivoting dock connector accommodates devices in or out of protective cases
• Stem:SafeWake battery-backup feature wakes you when power is out

To enter:

1. Read the Stem TimeCommand giveaway contest rules.
2. Make sure you’re registered with Appletell and logged in (if you’re not registered and logged in, your entry will be void).
3. Leave us a comment below on this page, not on the contest rules page, by midnight, May 8th, 2011. If you had more command of your time, tell us what you’d do with it.

That’s all there is to it. Good luck, and remember; time may not give you time, and time may make lovers feel like they’ve got something real. But you and me? We know they’ve got nothing but time.

Product [TimeCommand]

The reason is that—a far cry from when it dived as low as 62 cents American in 2002—Canada’s “loonie” dollar has been trading at a higher value than the U.S. greenback all this year so far. And unlike with its brief upward spike in 2007-’08—during which time it briefly hit US$1.10—this time the Canuck-buck is forecast to remain above-par through 2012 as well, and perhaps beyond. So, why should Canadians be paying higher nominal dollar prices for Apple hardware (and most everything else) than Americans?

Here’s the current disparity in Canadian vs. U.S Apple Store pricing:

iPods and the Mac mini are the worst deals proportionate to price. The $500 nominal discrepancy in iPhone prices relates to an AT&T service plan subsidy in the U.S. that is not available from Canadian service providers.

So is Apple gouging Canucks? After all, while retail pricing can’t be expected to track floating exchange rates precisely, the Canadian loonie (so-named in reference to the Common Loon that appears on Canada’s $1.00 coin) has been at par or above for about four months now, and as noted, this time it’s not expected to be a temporary blip.

However, in defense of Apple and other retailers operating in Canada, it isn’t quite that simple. Wholesale unit cost is just one element of the pricing dynamic. Canadian businesses have to pay their staff, their rent, and in most instances all of their other overhead costs in Canadian dollars, the overall tax burden is substantially higher in Canada, and there are the negative economies of scale in serving a market roughly a tenth the size of the U.S.’s. Another factor is a less-competitive market environment north of 49. Some Canadian market watchers say Canadians are just simply unwilling to spend as much time comparison-shopping and rooting through bargain bins as Americans.

Nevertheless, if the loonie soars to U.S.$1.10 again or higher, as some are predicting, for any length of time, demanding at least nominal price parity wouldn’t seem too unreasonable an expectation.

1. In iTunes, click on “Edit” in the menu bar and choose “Select All” (command A) to highlight all of the songs in your playlist. Or, if you only want to equalize some songs then do so manually by clicking on them while holding the command key. Then, right click and choose “Get Info” (command I). If your Mac asks you if you are sure you want to change multiple files, select “Yes.”

2. Click on the tab labeled “Options,” as this will take you to the volume controls. For most songs, the default “Equalizer Preset” and “Volume Adjustment” should be none.
3. If you want to change the default volume on songs that are too soft or too loud, you can do that with the Volume Adjustment slider. iTunes will remember your choice for all selected songs.
4. There are numerous equalizer presets from which you can choose. There is no best setting for each song, you are going to have to try them out and see what works best for you.

[Editor's Note: Something to consider when you force an EQ and volume setting for your songs on your iPod or Phone in this manner is that it won't play nicely with settings speaker docks. For instance, if you jack up the bass in the song's EQ options and then dock the iPod with your car stereo system, your EQ there is going to jack up your already jacked up settings. It's therefore wise to leave at least one EQ flat, whether it be the song settings in your iDevice or on your speaker system.]

It’s that time of season when friends and family gather together for an evening of wine, obnoxious sweaters and music. We can’t help you with the alcohol and poor fashion sense, but we can at least suggest you take a look at TEAC’s SR-100i when you’re ready to play some classic Spinal Tap, Wall of Voodoo and Dance Hall Crashers Christmas tunes…or are those just my parties? And is that why no one ever comes?

Regardless of your choice of holiday music, the SR-100i looks like it could deliver. First of all it supports (and charges) just about every dockable iPod and iPhone, up through the latest iPod touch and iPhone 4. When you’re not using the iDevice dock, it folds into the system for better protection and aesthetics.

Via the RCA auxiliary input in the back, you can connect any device with audio output. If you haven’t yet transferred all of your Christmas CDs to your iPod yet, though, you can also use the slot-in CD player on the top to read CD, CD-R/RW, MP3 and WMA discs.

And finally, you can tune in one of those 24 hour Christmas stations via the PLL synthesized FM Tuner, but I don’t recommend that. You may hear Wham’s “Last Christmas” or Hall & Oates’ version of “Jingle Bell Rock,” and you don’t want to be the one blamed for ruining Christmas for everyone.

The SR-100i features two 50W speakers (1-1/4″ tweeter and 3-1/2″ woofer), so it should be more than enough to fill your room no matter how crowded it gets with party-goers.

At 22.4″ wide, 9″ high and 8.7″ deep, however, the football-shaped system is going to take up quite a bit of shelf space. Consider the height if you’ll be using the top loading CD slot…you’ll need room on your bookshelf to slide them in.

Although the brochure available at TEAC’s website states the possibility of a red grill (as well as silver and blue), the SR-100i is currently available in black only. That’s too bad, because the red and silver models would look quite festive. Black will look better in the winter doldrums of January and February, though, I guess.

The TEAC SR-100i is available now from Crutchfield, Buy.com, Amazon, JR.com and World Wide Stereo for around $299.

Product [TEAC SR-100i]

Also be sure to check out Appletell’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide for our recommendations for the best Macintosh, iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple TV gift options for the 2010 holiday season.

Apple
Yesterday, Apple previewed their annual one-day-only Black Friday sale. Today, the full sale is in effect, and although the discounts on their own products are slight, they’ve announced significant savings on third-party products compatible with the Macintosh, iPhone, iPad and iPod lines. Save over $80 on cameras, $70 on headphones, $20 on games, $50 on speaker docks, and plenty more.

Best Buy
Best Buy also has an iPod Touch on sale. You can get the 8gb one for $229.99, and get a $30 Best Buy gift card with it.

Meijer
The first thing you see in the Meijer ad is a $199.99 Super Mario 25th Anniversary red Wii bundle. It comes with a Wii Remote Plus, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports and a $50 Meijer custom coupon you can use on another Meijer purchase. Directly below it is a $295 32gb iPod Touch that also comes with a $50 custom coupon. Each store will have at least 50 of the Wiis and 20 of the iPod Touches.

Micro Center – New
If you’re lucky enough to have a Micro Center in your area, they’re offering some great deals on Apple products through December 5th, including Black Friday, of course. The sale mainly covers Macintosh systems, on which you can save $50 to $300.

Radio Shack
There are also a few Apple products featured in the ad ad. Radio Shack stores will have 8gb iPod Touch units for $229.99, accompanied by a $20 gift card. Just be aware that Radio Shack is an authorized iPod reseller, so there’s a chance its refurbished. The new 8gb iPod nano will also be in some stores for $149.99, with a $15 gift card.

Sam’s Club
Black Friday is just around the corner, but chances are you aren’t going to find a better deal on an iPad than Sam’s Club. That’s right, Sam’s Club is the latest in a number of retailers that have begun to offer the iPad. The only difference is that Sam’s Club is doing it at a discount. You’ll need a membership card, but you won’t need to buy it in bulk.

TJ Maxx – New
Not to be outdone by Sam’s Club’s recent discount on iPads, it seems as though some TJ Maxx locations are carrying 16GB WiFi iPads at the earth-shatteringly low price of $399. That’s a solid Benjamin off normal price. Seems that Black Friday deals may be less and less useful this year if things like this continue to happen. First things first, not all TJ Maxx locations actually have stock of iPads…

Target
Gamers may also be interested in Target’s iPod Touch sale. An 8gb iPod Touch will only be $225, and you’ll get a $30 Target gift card with it. Plus, since it’s over $100, you’d get the $10 gift card too! And, if you need a portable or external hard drive, both the 2tb Western Digital desktop and 1tb Western Digital portable hard drives are $69.

Toys ‘r’ Us
Let’s go through some of the 10 p.m. Thursday to 1 p.m. Friday deals first. The first page of the ad says all iPod Touches will come with a $50 Toys R Us gift card, whether you buy a $229.99 8GB model or a $299.99 32GB model.

The Toys R Us sale ad for November 14-20, 2010 is out, and it continues Toys R Us’ push of “better than Black Friday” sales, including a custom iPod Touch bunde. You get an iPod Touch, either an 8gb or 32gb, a Belkin rotating charger, a Belkin screen protector and a case. The 8gb version is $257.96 and the 32gb version is $317.96. You also get a $10 gift card with either bundle.

Wal-Mart
Of course there are non-gaming deals here as well: 8GB iPod Touch with $50 Walmart gift card – $225.

See [2010 Holiday Apple Gift Guide]

iPod shuffle owners have always been a little overlooked when it comes to accessories. Headphones and playback controls are nearly your only choices. But now you have one more choice: the Pod a Porter. It’s a textured plastic tube meant to act as a necklace-like case for your iPod shuffle. But is it worth it?

In one word, No.

The Pod a Porter is a good idea on paper. It’s a plastic tube that essentially covers a long portion of your headphones and grabs on to your iPod shuffle on one end. This plastic tube is curved so you can wear it similarly to a necklace. And it’s textured too, to prevent it from sliding around. This all seems great because you won’t have to clip the iPod shuffle to your clothes or put it in a pocket anymore. Around your neck is the perfect place for it, since the headphones need to get to your ears and it’s always within reach.

Sadly, the reality of this product is that it’s little more than a bendy straw. It doesn’t cover your iPod at all, and it won’t accept headphones other than the standard Apple headphones. So, if you bought a third party playback control accessory, you likely won’t be able to use this with it. And when I said textured plastic, I really meant abrasive. You likely won’t want this directly against your skin.

It does accomplish its two main goals, though; it keeps your headphones untangled and your iPod shuffle around your neck. I think there are much better solutions to solve either of these problems though. One is to use the clip on the backside of the iPod shuffle.

If you still think this product is for you, make sure that you don’t move a whole lot while you’re using your iPod shuffle. This thing will bounce a bit if you’re running, which may or may not irritate you. If you’re going to be riding a bike or walking, you should be ok.

The Pod a Porter is simply too expensive for what it actually is, a plastic tube. But even if it were cheaper, it wouldn’t make it any more useful. I had such high hopes for this product, because I truly hate carrying my iPod shuffle in my pocket, but this just isn’t going to fix anything. While the product does what is advertised—allow for the hanging of an iPod shuffle around your neck and keeping your headphone cable untangled—you won’t want to use it.

Appletell Rating:

Buy Pod a Porter