Alpine's new line of automotive headunits including the iDA-X200 and iDA-X300 expands on the idea that your iPod should really be the center for all your mobile media. If you are still living off of CD's, don't even think about the new iDA because there is no CD slot to be found anywhere on these units. These new systems are fully interactive with whatever iPod you might have, extending the media you bring with you everywhere anyway. Simply connect your iPod and the iDA does the rest for you by creating an already familiar interface right in your dashboard. No word on pricing and availability at this point, but the iDA is definitely a step in the right direction for alternative automotive audio solutions.

For starters... the new Cowon Audio N3 is only available in Korea which really sucks because this is truly a "do almost anything" device. GPS, DMB (portable TV), video (including DivX/XviD support), music, photos, wireless, internet browser with flash support, card slots and much more. All this on a wonderful 7-inch touch screen that is large enough to enjoy all your media no matter what it might be. From the looks of it, the screen interface is up to par with the iPhone with large and highly refined touch sensitive buttons. Problem is... no internal memory, which is a fatal flaw in my opinion because you now have to rely on pricey memory cards to get the job done. Anyway... I'm sure that if you really wanted one of these, there are several creative ways to get one. But for those of you that just like to window shop, head over to cowon.com and check out the N3 in all its glory.

MassivePress.com is back from vacation and the new JVC woodies are first on the list of things to write about. JVC is renowned for quality gear including their lineup of headphones, and now you can get the HP-FX500 in-ear headphones complete with Wood. Wood is good just in case you aren't in touch with the latest grainy trend. Plus, the use of wood in audio products is known to enhance sound quality, especially in headphones which is why JVC is part of the in crowd. JVC's pricier line of full range headphones including the HP-DX1000 have been trimmed with wood for several years. But if you don't want to pay the $1000 price tag for the DX1000, the FX500 line of headphones might be a better bet at around 15,000 yen or about $130 US dollars if you can find a pair on ebay.

Creative (not Apple for once) brought a little excitement to the portable media player scene today by announcing the worlds first high capacity 32GB flash based player to be released, well, as soon as they can stock them. And to top it off, this new Zen sizes up to a small stack of credit cards all for a very reasonable price of 378 dollars. Other features include a 2.5 inch display, 30 hours of music playback, five hours of video playback and an SD card slot to expand on the go. This is great news for Creative and I can attest to the quality of their products, even compared to the latest lineup of iPod's. But... This news is sure to be short lived with MacWorld right around the corner. Check out the full press release here or the official product page here.

Zinio has been around for several years delivering digital versions of your favorite magazines to read right on your computer and now they are tackling the mobile scene. Web based iPhone/iPod Touch applications are all the rage right now and it was only a matter a time before a company like Zinio caught on to deliver mobile magazines on these popular devices. The new Zinio Mobile Newsstand for the iPhone and iPod Touch allows users to browse and view Zinio's top selling titles such as Men's Health, Car & Driver, Mac World, Maxim and many more. Simply head over to "zinio.com/iphone" on your iPhone or iPod Touch, "tap" the magazine of your choice from the mobile Newsstand and you now have a full version the print issue right at your fingertips. Zoom and pan to read articles and view magazine photos or click the handy "table of contents" menu to skip to the page of your choice. This is only the beginning of alternative mobile media, and as mobile devices evolve things are only going to get even more interesting. For more info, check out Zinio.com.

Nixon is a company that is very well known for delivering accessories that stand out from the average crowd and the new Nixon Tetris and Pong playing watches are no exception from the rule. This new line of watches features a dot matrix style light on dark display for perfect on the go retro game play. That 80's calculator watch wearin style is back in a big way anyway so you might as well get a nerd watch that plays games for your money that is guaranteed to get just as many stares on the subway, in the office or wherever your day takes you. I have to admit that there is something comforting in the fact that pong is only a wrist and a click away. We have no info on pricing or availability yet, but click here for a few pictures of these new gems.

We already covered all the details of the next generation Zune launch in yesterdays news, but today there is a bit more info you might be interested in. For those of you that have decided to pick up the new Zune, maybe you would like to stand out from the crowd by getting a limited edition Zune Original at ZuneOriginals.net. At the Zune Originals store you can select the Zune model of your choice, customize the color, and then finally choose between three "art" options to make the back side of your Zune just that much more interesting. Your first option is a personalized text message of your choice which I don't think is all that "Original", but maybe you have something really good to say. If text isn't you bag, you can go with the second option which is the Zune Tattoo series, or the third option which allows you to choose from 27 unique designs that were developed by a group of 18 artists including famous Barcelona artist Catalina Estrada. Head on over to ZuneOriginals.net to get started.

Gibson is planning on changing the rock world forever by introducing the first ever auto tuning "Robot Guitar". With the simple push of a button, the Robot Guitar cranks it's strings to perfection, saves tuned presets for various playing styles and much more. "Since the dawn of the instrument, musicians have come to accept the guitar's imperfections and lack of tonal precision as necessary evils. Onstage and off, guitarists have fought to stay in tune. Every music lover and performer has had to suffer through the show halting, mood-killing atonal droning of a loudly amped guitar being brought into tune. And in the studio, or at home, imprecise intonation throws the guitar in and out of tune, up and down the neck, as the instrument requires tweaking with each season and at times with each string change." The Robot Guitar will soon be here to change it all, but considering only 10 units are being released to 400 select stores around the country this December, the odds of getting your hands on one is pretty slim. Check out the one and only Robot Guitar demonstration video here or head over to Gibson.com for more information.