The fashions on American Idol are as fun as the singing, and in some cases far more entertaining. Case in point, please see Sanjaya's many hair "experiments" and then count how many of his songs are on your iPod.

This past season was no exception, and we issued an impassioned plea to Ramiele Malubay to let Mr. Miles, stylist to the stars, help her "up" her fashion game. Imagine our giddy surprise when the actual Mr. Miles dropped us a line to say that the girls were styled by this season by Blair Levin.

We couldn't find much information about Ms. Levin, but she worked on mafia caper/girl power film Wise Girls, starring Mira Sorvino and Mariah Carey. From the trailer (above) it looks like something we'd love to see, and discuss over drinks with her!

Blair, call us next time you're in SF. We're buying if you're willing to dish!

At the risk of sounding a little bit nutso, we definitely think there is an art to packing the ultimate beach bag. If you can pack it up with essentials and still keep it light, then you've got the knack.

Remember when the iPod first came out, how those white ear buds were the coolest status symbol of cool coolness you could ever get?

Well, now everyone has them, and it's time for new, cool trendy earphones. For a while we thought it would be Bose, of the exquisite sound and $300 price tag. But those mothers are huge! They make us feel like we're wearing a bad DJ costume on the bus and at the gym.

Since the glorious days of L.A. Lights, we haven't been able to get excited about any clothing that needs batteries -- until now. Lots of companies have been marketing devices that make dealing with cords and ear buds less annoying, but wiring a hoodie for sound -- that has got to be the coolest solution to the problem yet.

The "hood.e" combines two of our favorite things: mp3 players and hoodies into what some might call the ultimate piece of street wear. Apparently, Tim Dubitsky designed the amped-up hoodie for his nephew who crosses busy intersections on the way to school. Tim wanted to free up his nephew from the noise-blocking effect of ear buds, so he could be a little safer on his way through the busy streets. Thus, the hood.e was born. Somebody please mass produce these things.

[via Core77]

Is that a home theater system on your head or are you just happy to see us? If you chose anything but "both" then keep reading. We've got something to show you.

The Vuzix iWear may look like something off of Star Trek, but it's much cooler. That's right, we said something was cooler than Star Trek (see Battlestar Galactica), deal with it.

This "face-furniture" as the good people at Firebox call it, provides "a fully immersive audiovisual assault" that replicates watching a 62" screen from a safe distance. Really. It's like watching a huge big screen on your face.

How many times have you been using an electronic device only to have the battery die on you? It happens to the best of us, and usually during something really important, like that conference call with your boss and the board or when you're getting the high score on Tetris. It is frustrating, and aside from the example of the conference call, rarely appreciated.

Enter the FreeLoader Solar Charger ($49.95) and with it the solution to your troubles. Hum along with me on this one, here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right. Yes, it is all right. The FreeLoader is a portable, solar-powered battery charger for any number of electronic devices.

From Firebox:

Super sleek and barely bigger than a cell phone, the lightweight aluminium FreeLoader pulls open to reveal two solar panels. Simply charge it by allowing it to soak up some rays. Its internal battery will then power an iPod for up to 18 hours, a mobile phone for up to 44 hours, a PSP for up to 2.5 hours and a PDA for up to 22 hours. That's a lot of juice for such a tiny gizmo. Once the FreeLoader has emptied its charge just power it up again via the sun. You can also charge it via USB if you're near a computer.

Will require access to the Sun (widely available throughout the world).

Gallery: FreeLoader Solar Charger

It's available in silver or pink and even works with the iPhone and iTouch. That's cool, right?

On Christmas morning there was one gift left. It was for me. I was a bit surprised as I had already been sufficiently spoiled by all in attendance. I opened the box and looked inside. An iPhone was resting there, gentle and content. Oh, how my heart skipped. I jumped up, still in my pajamas and announced to the 9 family members around me that I would be back momentarily. I had an iPhone and I loved it so much that I just had to be alone.

Actually, what I really said was, "I'm going to take this behind the middle school and get it pregnant." Yes, I stole that line from Tracy Morgan, but damn, I really loved it.

I still do.

The iPhone is sleek and stylish. It is compact and powerful. It is a laptop in your pocket. I'm writing this post on it right now. In a park. That is what the kids call a tax write-off. I'm also using it to listen to Seu Jorge on the built in iPod. When I'm done here I might watch a movie. I rented some flicks off of iTunes and I purchased Season 1 of MTV's classic sketch comedy show "The State."

I won't. I don't want to show off, plus I have kids to play with. I promised them Daddy would be "it" as soon as I was done writing this love letter. Yes, that's exactly what it is.

Now excuse me, I have a phone call.

It's funny -- I try to be a minimalist, but when it comes down to it, I'm surrounded by stuff. And I tend to cram a lot of this stuff in my purse, as long as there seems to be room. I mean, how could I possibly leave the house without six shades of lipgloss, gum, phone, iPod, wallet, a small clutch (in case I need to go somewhere and leave the bulky purse behind), checkbook, and more keys than there are doors in the world?

The only solution I can think of is to lose the big purse and simplify things by carrying this. The Violet May, London Blackberry purse holds a Blackberry/iPhone or an iPod (but not all, unfortch), and has a wallet to hold coins, notes, and credit cards.

Besides, when I finally realize that I still need all my crap, I can toss it into my gigantic purse and have the best of both worlds! And at just $390, I could get two ... in my mind.

Just in case your little Paris Hilton pooch wouldn't look good dressed as a sci-fi bad guy, here's another option that I'm completely in love with: the dock-in-a-dog jacket.

Plaid might be back (kind of), thanks to the whole 90s-grunge-ala-Nirvana resurgence, but I'm still not a huge fan of wrapping tartan fabric around a Bichon Frise. However, the little jacket turns your dog into a walking boombox -- so now the entire neighborhood can rock out whenever you take Bruiser for a walk. Amazing.

At the moment the dock-in-a-dog jacket is only a concept, but it won't be long before you're able to buy it. Although, if you do get one, I'd be careful before cranking out the big bass -- something tells me that can't be good for Fido's innards.

When I got my Video iPod last year, the first thing I learned was that a protective cover of some sort is absolutely necessary because, apparently, the shiny iPod casing is very prone to scratches. So, I immediately got a nice fabric cover with a helpful piece of plastic over the screen. Unfortunately, that fabric cover is starting to become a little grungy, probably due to the fact that I often listen to my iPod when I'm painting or doing something equally messy. Anyway, this prompted me to look for some cooler alternatives to the usual fabric cover and that's when I came across GelaSkins!

For years I was a pack rat. Because I didn't like to carry a wallet, my pants pockets were like magnets for random crap -- old receipts, cards, change, whatever. I never understood how women in skirts and dresses were able to manage. If you don't want to lug around a purse, where do you keep all you stuff?

The new iPod miniskirt may be the answer (kind of). It's nothing revolutionary, just a pair of biker shorts underneath the skirt -- but the cool part is, that the shorts have a hidden pocket, designed especially for your iPod, cell phone, or whatever else you can fit in there.

Otherwise, it's a pretty boring skirt. But if you're into the straightforward look, and want access to your tunes without carrying your MP3 player, there's an entire range of iPod-friendly women's apparel that you might want to check out.

The clothing may not be fashion-forward, but It's certainly novel, and great for when you want to be hands-free.

Remember when it used to be cool to walk down the street with a boombox -- blasting your tunes for the benefit of your entire neighborhood? Yeah, sure, it was kind of annoying, and they became a little pointless once walkmans, then discmans, and then iPods took over the portable music market -- but carrying one made you look like a bad ass.

Now there's a new boombox -- lighter, sleeker, and more ergonomic than it's predecessor. The shape makes it easy to carry on your shoulder, or you can use the strap to wear it like a shoulder bag. Plus, the design allows for a large enough speaker and amplifier to crank your tunes up nice and loud.

So, what's the verdict? The new boombox definitely doesn't make you look tough, and it'll be just as frustrating for everyone around you -- who may or may not be interested in hearing you music at the bus stop, or on the train, or wherever. It's nice throwback to the 80s, but beware -- with advent of inexpensive, private portable music players, I doubt those around you will be tolerant of music they don't want to hear.

Ever wish you could walk around (or jog, or whatever) with your iPod nano, but don't like holding it, and are appalled by those ugly armbands Nike makes? Fortunately for you, a new clip makes it possible to wear your iPod with anything.

The secret is ModYFire iWear. It's essentially a little clip, designed by Peter Zaolt Korean, that can hold your iPod through any item of clothing.

My favorite suggestion on how to wear the device is definitely the guy at right in white turtleneck. He looks like one of the pilots from Starfighter -- that dorky 80s movie about how some high school guy kid saves the world aliens and total destruction.

While it'd be a bargain at any price, at $25 a piece, the iWear clip is well within everyone iPod owner's price range.

Plus, you can look like a sci-fi action hero -- bonus!

[via Gizmodo]

Contrary to what my brightly-colored hair and "art school whatever" demeanor may suggest, I am a tremendous lover of Victorian era's fine aesthetics. Of course, a lot of the items and activities from the era are not particularly usable in today's world, so I am always excited when someone manages to work a little magic and make those lovely things practical.

My latest discovery of such an instance is really wonderful... Someone has managed to modify a gramophone to play music from an iPod. Huzzah! Here, you can find a rough step-by-step on the process. Sure, it may not sound as great as a top-of-the-line Bose set, but I think it looks a lot cooler.

If I ever find myself with an old gramophone on a free rainy day and have miraculously shrugged off my laziness, I will definitely attempt this. Emphasis on "attempt".

[via Brass Goggles]

The iPod's trademark white earbuds already look sleek and clean, but perhaps a few of you out there are looking to accessorize those gadget accessories. From the Pixelgirl Shop come these adorable "emotibud" earbud attachments, each featuring a different emotion.

At four pairs for $16, I personally feel that the price is a little steep for such a tiny, trivial decoration, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about buying 'em.

[via Boing Boing]