You're The Tops
David A. Dodson

Nyko's iTop

The iPod is an amazing device. No thought was spared in making it the most compact, powerful and downright convenient media device on the market. Well, almost the most convenient. The iPod is fine if you plan on listening to your cuts while sitting, driving or some other sedentary activity, but the control placement on the face of the unit makes it rather unwieldy to use when carried in your pocket or clipped to your waist in a case. Anytime you want to adjust the volume or skip a tune on the go, you have to take it out, look at it and make your adjustments; sort of dangerous when running, biking or skating. If only there were some way to move the controls where you could get to them with minimal effort or concentration. Well worry no more, for those maestros of mobile music at Nyko have come up with the perfect solution with their iTop control insert. The big idea? Relocate the controls to the top of the iPod where they can be easily accessed while on the move. Not only does the iTop make the controls easy to get to, it also uses raised, engraved buttons so that you can feel what you're doing without having to take your eyes off your path.

Sounds great, but does it really make that much of a difference. Damn straight it does. It's so much easier to simply drop your hand to the top of the iPod and click a button than to drag it out of your pocket, mess with the click wheel and navigate a menu when you merely want to bump the volume a little. The buttons on the iTop are the perfect size and conveniently spaced for blind usage. The volume and advance buttons on the iTop also have the same functionality as the click wheel: click once to go to the next volume setting or advance to the next song, or hold the button to gradually change volume or fast forward/rewind a song. Installation is also a snap; just pop the iTop into the headphone jack and you're ready to go. It runs off of the iPod's power supply so no extra batteries are needed.

The iTop sports play/pause, hold, volume up, volume down, next song and previous song buttons along with a headphone jack. It also matches the iPod's chrome and off-pearl white color scheme.

Bottom line is that the iTop from Nyko is the perfect accessory for the iPod user on the go. Attractive, easy to use and unbelievably convenient, it's a must have for those looking for an easier way to navigate their iPod. For about thirty dollars you can grab one wherever electronics are sold or one of the retailers listed at www.Nyko.com.