Technology is truly exploding. How often do you see a new electronic gizmo on the market? You can get cell phones that take pictures or even videos. Music can be brought along with in your iPod. Ring tones can be of your favorite song. Accessories can be purchased to make your iPod or cell phone fit your personality.



iPods are changing how we listen to music. No longer are we forced to choose on one radio station with one style of music. Your play list is entirely of your own choosing. You can choose an Italian opera for one song and the latest rap music for the next. Mix country and hip-hop, oldies and alternative. You do not even have to listen to commercials!

When variety is essential, iPods are perfect. They allow for easy portability to the beach or the gym. Parents can download kid-friendly songs and have the perfect soundtrack for a long car ride - without having to worry about R-rated conversations from the DJs or questionable music lyrics. With anywhere from 1000 to 10,000 song capacity on an iPod, users never have to get tired of hearing the same songs played over and over again.

iPods are changing how we watch movies as well. Now some iPod versions offer the capability to see video as well, and you can download the hottest new releases. It is an entertainment center in the palm of your hand, letting you have the ultimate in entertainment options. You can even download TV episodes and catch up on the latest Desperate Housewives while you are at the gym.

An entire side industry has opened up just to create accessories to give iPods the ultimate personalization. From colorful skins to practical carrying cases and from headphones to car chargers, iPods offer a myriad of options. There are even toys that can be plugged into your iPod. Accessories range from the practical and functional to those that are purely decorative.

Along the same lines, companies are changing designs of their current products to make room for iPod. Purses and briefcases offer larger pockets to carry an iPod in. Designers are making shirts and even ties with iPod pockets. There is even a stroller with a special iPod carrying space.

iPods are changing how companies market new music as well. With pod casting (a live feed of files placed on the internet for people to use) independent bands can market their music that would be too expensive for them to do otherwise. Shortened versions of the songs downloaded as ring tones are gaining popularity. No longer can companies focus just on the sale of music in stores, but they have to pay attention to what is being bought and downloaded online.

iPods are even changing the legal system. With so much music to download, legal issues began to crop up. The most infamous is Napster, where some artists sued because they were not getting compensated for their music that was being downloaded.

Now there is a variety of sites allowing you to pay a monthly subscription to download as many songs as you would like, or the option to pay a small fee per song. A boom in online music stores resulted, and now there are several places online where you can download music. Even Napster stayed around, in a newer form. Music piracy is another problem, keeping officials on their toes looking for illegal down loaders.

Also, as with any other great idea, other companies are starting to come up with their own version of the iPod. Companies such as Rio Audio, SanDisk, and even Dell have their own players on the market. Competition will keep iPod looking for bigger and better things for its consumers, which is a win-win all around.

As you can see, iPods have started a music revolution that has changed how the world looks at music and personal entertainment. It is very exciting to think of where it can go from here!