Two essential Bluetooth accessories for the iPod nano 6G
I've been on vacation this week in Lake Tahoe with my family and wanted to share two of my favorite iPod nano 6G accessories. I like to listen to music when I snowboard, in fact, I have to listen to music when I ride, it's an essential part of the experience for me. But snowboarding isn't a prerequisite, Bluetooth earbuds are great for any time you want to listen to your iPod without a tangle of wires around your body. I use this same setup at the gym and for doing yard work at home.
Here are my two must-have iPod nano accessories:
- i10s Bluetooth adapter ($45) - Since the iPod nano 6G doesn't have Bluetooth, a dongle is your only option. While dozens of choices exist, the i10s BT adapter is the smallest of the lot. When you're rocking the world's smallest iPod, you don't want a big horsey adapter jutting out of the side. At about two-thirds the size of Sony's BT adapter, the i10s is the perfect fit. The i10s is zero-config and auto-pairs when it's powered up. It also has pretty good range, although I mostly used mine about a foot away from the receiving headphones. The i10s looks like it'll be the perfect fit for my LunaTik watch kit when I get home.
- Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Bluetooth earbuds ($119) - For BT earbuds I took the advice of my podcasting co-host (@parkerdigital) and purchased a set of HBH-IS800. They're absolutely tiny and don't need to go over the top of your head. These buds are fantastic because you can't tell that you're wearing them (they connect with a small cable that goes around the back of your neck.) They paired flawlessly with the i10s adapter and were able to make it through a 6-hour ski day on a charge -- barely. They could be a little louder and fit isn't perfect (mine fall out now and again) but I think that this can be addressed with using one of the larger pairs of flanges included in the package.
Sure, I could probably ride with my iPhone and the HBH-IS800's, but I generally prefer a dedicated audio device like the nano when riding. This allows me to leave the iPhone in the car, or dedicate it to more important things like running the Ski Tracks app (more on that in another post).
What's your iPod > sports combination?