Lava World Cup iPod nano cases debut

AVA Showcase has introduced its new range of Lava World Cup Cases for Apple's iPod nano. The new cases are available for 12 different teams in the colors of England, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Argentina, Germany and the USA. The accessories are made from anti-dust coated silicon featuring a rigid screen protector, covered clickwheel, and easy access to the headphone port as well as the Dock connector. Lava World Cup Cases are priced at $15 and work with iPod nano as well as first-, second-, and fourth-generation iPods.

Griffin TuneFlex adds cassette adapter

Griffin today announced that its TuneFlex dock and charger for iPod nano is now bundled with a cassette tape adapter. The TuneFlex package now provides a complete solution for charging, mounting and playing iPod nano in an automobile, offering a 1/8-inch stereo line-out jack to connect the iPod along with a cassette for the auto's tape deck. TuneFlex holds the nano in a snug cradle on a flexible steel neck that adjusts to any angle or elevation. The cradle grips the nano and rotates to stay upright and easily readable in any position, and always at the operator's fingertips. In addition, TuneFlex plugs into any standard 12 Volt accessory outlet to power and charge the iPod even during use and feaures fuse-protection. A light at the base of TuneFlex's neck shows power status at a glance, while a pass-through dock connector accommodates digital iPod accessories such as Griffin's iTrip FM transmitter, AirClick remote and SmartDeck cassette adapter. It is available for $50.

Sony to launch Walkman phone in Japan...

Sony Ericsson and mobile carrier KDDI today announced plans to offer a Walkman mobile phone in Japan that will allow users to download music onto the handset, which will increase competition with Apple's iTunes service. While Sony Ericsson already touts a portable Walkman phone that plays music in the U.S., the forthcoming device will be the first of its kind to debut in the Japanese market, according to a report from the Associated Press. Japan lays claim to one of the world's most sophisticated mobile phone markets, and more than 90 percent of music downloads in the country are performed directly onto mobile phones. Officials from Sony Ericsson said the new handsets will ship with 1GB of built-in memory, and will offer up to 30 hours of continuous playback.