This week: iTunes, Nano, accessories...

This week iTunes and iPod were awarded top honors at design event INDEX:, because "iPod together with Apple's iTunes software is truly changing the way people experience their music." Author Leander Kahney published "The Cult of iPod," examining the phenomenon behind the wild success of the iPod. Despite rising popularity of the device and the iTunes Music Store, Warner's digital strategy chief said that record labels might have no other choice than to cut off Apple's digital music sales if Apple doesn't show more flexibility in pricing at the iTunes Music Store.

Tunewear announces Tunetag Edge for iPod nano

Tunewear today announced Tunetag Edge, a dog-tag style silicone case for Apple's iPod nano digital music player. Due at the end of October 2005, Tunetag Edge is a dog-tag style silicone case for the iPod nano. It comes with a removable ball-bearing style chain so users can attach the Nano to a belt loop or bag strap etc. Users can also use their own strap (not included) to hang Tunetag Edge around their neck. "Compared to traditional silicone cases, Tunetag Edge uses the same high density silicone as ICEWEAR which allows scratch protection and a protective bumper around the edge of your iPod nano." The design offers full access to the headphone jack, hold switch and click wheel as well as full view of the color screen. (Pricing not available.)

SmartDeck cassette adapter provides iPod control

Griffin on Friday announced that it is now shipping the SmartDeck Intelligent Cassette Adapter for iPod. SmartDeck allows users to control their iPod using the built in controls of their cassette player. The SmartDeck uses a new technology to determine which commands the cassette player sends to the iPod. It achieves "truly seamless integration between iPod and cassette deck." Users can utilize the cassette deck's forward and rewind buttons to advance to the next or prior songs in the iPod playlist. In addition, pause and stop buttons do what pause and stop buttons are expected to do. When the user hits the cassette deck's Eject button or switches from Cassette to Radio, Griffin's SmartPlay technology automatically pauses the iPod. The device will costs $30 and works with standard iPods and the iPod mini (third generation iPods do not support the Play/Pause feature).