DLO debuts Mini Fling, iPod Mini case

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today announced its new line of mini fling fashion cases for iPod minis. Designed specifically for the fashion conscious iPod mini owner, mini flings come in 12 styles that range from metallic pink to psychedelic green. The cases also feature a removable wristlet with charm, elastic loop for headphone or lipstick storage, and a flip-up cosmetic mirror. Mini flings are available online at DLO's website for $35.

Sony and 3 to offer music on mobile phones

Sony and Britain's mobile phone company 3 are poised to bring Sony's musical artists to mobile phones, presenting competition for the new iTunes "Rokr" phone as well as Apple's iPod. The highly anticipated mobile phone from Motorola and Apple is set to debut this Monday, though no date has been set yet for the Sony/3 devices. All artists whom Sony has mobile rights for will be accessible to 3 customers, according to The Guardian. Such artists include Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Foo Fighters, Usher, and many more.

Upcoming iTunes phone could limit storage to 25 songs

The upcoming "Rokr" iTunes mobile phone, expected to debut this coming Monday, could be a dissappointment, according to a new report. Forbes.com quotes one source as saying that the phone was designed to store only 25 songs which would be "sideloaded" from a computer using iTunes. It uses a 128MB Sandisk TransFlash memory card, which is likely swappable with a higher capacity card; however, the report indicates that the phone's software appears to artificially cap song storage at 25 songs, regardless of how much memory the phone has. Both Apple and Motorola declined to comment: Forbes.com notes that the phone could be different than the one Apple and Motorola will unveil next week, or that multiple versions of an iTunes phone with different capacities will be introduced.

Creative wins music player interface patent...

Apple may be faced with another patent struggle following news that Creative Technology has won the patent for a user interface for digital music players, according to Macworld UK. Earlier this month it was revealed that a Microsoft patent on an iPod-like interface prevented Apple from receiving its own iPod interface patent. Creative's "Zen Patent" (US Patent 6,928,433) "was awarded to Creative for its invention of the user interface for portable media players, including many of the Creative Zen and Nomad Jukebox MP3 players", the company says. The Zen Patent covers the user interface that enables users of portable media players to "efficiently and intuitively navigate among and select tracks on the players," the company explains. Creative applied for the Zen Patent on January 5, 2001 and it was awarded on August 9, 2005.