The iBeam for the iPod from Griffin

[Messiahtosh]

http://www.macminute.com/

Griffin offers iPod flashlight, laser pointer add-ons
September 25 - 00:46 EDT** Griffin Technology has quietly posted information on iBeam, a set of iPod accessories that consists of a snap-on flashlight and a class IIIA laser pointer. Both add-ons come with a protective cap that can be attached to any keychain. "The iBeam flashlight is surprisingly functional when a quick beam of light is required in a dark car or doorstep. The iBeam laser pointer is an amazingly powerful red laser beam that is capable of being seen over a quarter of a mile away. Need we say how much fun this could be?" The iBeam set is priced at US$19.99 and will begin shipping by the end of next month.

http://griffintechnology.com/images/products/prod_ibeam_3.jpg

When I read this I thought it would be a highly overpriced item, maybe something like $40. When I saw that it is only $19.99 I almost hit the buy now button, but then realized, I have no need for this. Plus, I CAN just use my iPod backlight as a flashlight if I have to. ;)

[Luca]

Seems kinda useless. You can get a white LED flashlight or a laser pointer for $5 each, and they are just as small. And they run off their own power source, and don't have to be attached to a bulky iPod in order to work. It would be an interesting idea if flashlights and laser pointers were normally very bulky. Seems to me like there's absolutely nothing to gain by attaching them to an iPod.

[Messiahtosh]

Seems kinda useless. You can get a white LED flashlight or a laser pointer for $5 each, and they are just as small. And they run off their own power source, and don't have to be attached to a bulky iPod in order to work. It would be an interesting idea if flashlights and laser pointers were normally very bulky. Seems to me like there's absolutely nothing to gain by attaching them to an iPod.Well, I guess the idea is to make the iPod a flashlight? haha, seems pretty obvious. I could see where it may be useful, say climbing into bed at night and trying to find which earbud is L and which is R. And, it makes the iPod a laser pointer, the most stylish one ever. Just a whiz-bang feature that may be useful to either gadget conscious presenters or gadget whores.

[Wrao]

The iPod display is so bright, that, while that light is ultimately MORE bright and useful, I've never needed a flashlight when I've had my iPod on me.

[Luca]

I still don't see why attaching a flashlight (which can already be a small as the iBeam) or a laser pointer (which is also as small as the iBeam attachment) to an iPod, which is quite large in comparison, is a good thing. It has plenty of disadvantages and no advantages at all. What's the point again?

Disadvantages:
Rely on iPod battery for power
Must connect to iPod in order to use, can't just fish the thing out of your pocket and use it
Total size of device (iPod plus attachment) is much larger than a standalone device you can buy at a gas station or department store
Cost is about twice as much as buying a standalone flashlight and laser pointer
Requires an extra step to use - pull out of pocket, attach, use, rather than just pull out of pocked then use

EDIT: Pictures of a small flashlight and a small laser pointer, either of which can be had for $5 each:

http://www.roadandtravel.com/newsworthy/nwimages/photonlightcoins.jpg
http://www.shop-pitsco.com/pitsco3/itm_img/58812.jpg

See, you're not saving any space. So what's the point?

[Canoe112]

Well, I guess the idea is to make the iPod a flashlight? haha, seems pretty obvious. I could see where it may be useful, say climbing into bed at night and trying to find which earbud is L and which is R. And, it makes the iPod a laser pointer, the most stylish one ever. Just a whiz-bang feature that may be useful to either gadget conscious presenters or gadget whores.


"trying to find which earbud is L and which is R."

Why would anyone care?

Would the music be backwards? :rolleyes:

[Luca]

Back when I used iPod earbuds, I could tell by feel.

[Messiahtosh]

This has nothing to do with the iBeam, but the earbuds (L and R) do have output differences. Sound comes through differently depending on the music being played.

[CoreMac]

I was hoping for an animated laser light show that responds to the music. :lol:

[Luca]

This has nothing to do with the iBeam, but the earbuds (L and R) do have output differences. Sound comes through differently depending on the music being played.
I know, it's called "Stereo Sound."

I can tell by feel because the "stalk" is on the back half of the hemispherical bud.

[BarracksSi]

Would the music be backwards? :rolleyes:

Believe it or not, there's some music I've got that made me feel backwards when I put on my headphones backwards.

I was listening to some drum corps (www.dci.org), which has very specific staging to its instrumentation at different points in a performance. The horns, drums, and "pit" (keyboard percussion on the sideline) are in certain places, and after hearing them a hundred times I expect to "see" them in prescribed places in the stereo image.

When I put on the headphones wrong one night, rather than feeling like I was in the audience, I felt like I was right down in the pit, facing away from the drum corps, because every voice was coming from the opposite side compared to before.

It was pretty wild, actually.

Then again, I'm kinda weird that way, anyway.

[alcimedes]

yeah, i have a lot of songs memorized. it would trip me out to have the sound coming from the wrong side. as for the flashlight, unless you already have your iPod with you, it's pretty pointless.

however, if you're jogging or something and come back and need to see the keyhole, it could be useful.

[MacUsers]

Yeah but you have to carry this super easy to lose little thing in your pocket.. unplug your headphones, and put it in.. so it isn't as convenient as it should be.

[DMBand0026]

Yeah, this whole thing is lost on me. I imagine it'll become an IT geek guy toy and won't really take off. Just seems overpriced and inconvenient to me. I don't know anyone who wants to waste their iPod battery doing a presentation with their iPointer ;-)

[Frank777]

<Vader voice>

"I see you have constructed a new Light Saber..."

[Mr.Fusion]

Now that this little gadget is actually available, has anybody tried it?

[BlueRabbit]

Now that this little gadget is actually available, has anybody tried it?
Well, I saw it in the Apple Store once, but I didn't buy it. It seems to me as though it would just be another light/laser pointer.

Kind of off topic: Last year, there was a really windy day when the power went out. Since the band room has no windows, it was pitch black. However, half the class had cell phones, so the room just lit up again. These days, everyone has an iPod, so I guess it would be brighter... :)

[Paul]

Yeah, I used my iPod as a flashlight way back when they first came out. I was surprised at how bright it was. These iBeam things are junk, but I'm sure griffin is selling enough to make a profit off the lemmings. "OoH! iPod accessories! I'll take 20!" :rolleyes: crazy people... at least they create a market tho.

[Koodari]

I have a flashlight on me all the time. It's very useful both for emergencies, surprising events, and small tasks in dark. With the coin cell lights being so small, there is no excuse for not having one.

Nokia builds similar power flashlights into their cellphones, that is one of the few features that I think is actually a good idea to have in a phone. No worries of eating a coin cell battery dry, and the main difference to the iScamLight: it's built in the phone so no worries of damage. I don't have one of the phones with light, but I'd pay $10 for getting a light on my next one. I'd still carry the Photon, but use the cellphone light anytime I had the phone with me to save Photon battery.

[atomicbartbeans]

I always carry the Infinity LED light (one AA lasts 80ish hours; super-bright) in my school bag, along with my flashlight-equipped cell phone from Kyocera. Don't forget my iBook's screen... usable brightness when it's up all the way. :D

[rasmits]

Maybe if you had an iPod Photo slide show running, you could use the laser pointer? It's really rather pointless, but I've seen laser pointer attachments for cell phones, GameBoys, and other weirder things.