REVIEW: Accessories to Jazz Up Your IPod

An Apple iPod is shown with an FM radio remote, left, Thursday, August 17, 2006 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (Mark Lennihan - AP)

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Koyono BlackCoat

Clothier Koyono walks a fine line with its iPod-controlling sports jacket. One button too many in the wrong place, one little ounce of extra heft in the wrong spot, and this piece of apparel would be relegated to the interesting-but-unwearable pile of techie togs.

Thankfully, someone at Koyono knows the difference between cool and dorky.

The Koyono "BlackCoat" is a light, all-weather three-button jacket ($299) that allows for control of an iPod (iPod nano and video models) through a thin strip of rubbery buttons sewed on the lining near the button holes. The iPod connects through a 30-pin connector that fits in a small pocket that all but disappears into the lining.

To activate the control pad, I held down the forward button for three seconds. That gave me access to my connected iPod nano. I was then able to skim through a playlist of songs, adjust the volume and play/pause, of course.

The jacket gets high marks for styling, and the control pad is easy to use on a walk to work or a stroll with the dog. If playlists are your thing, this jacket provides excellent usability.

Still, it would have been nice to include an earphone stereo miniplug jack so I didn't have to snake the earphone cable from the iPod to my head. That's the only improvement I can see.

The 30-pin connector and the electronic pad behind the buttons can be removed when the jacket needs to be washed. The Koyono jackets are currently only available in men's styles, and range in price from $199 to $299.

Who NEEDS one of these jackets?

"The way to a man's heart these days, we feel, is gadgets," says Koyono's president, Jay Yoo.

_ Ron Harris, AP Writer