The iPod is ubiquitous. It is so popular that it has sold over 100 million units and spawned a whole new industry around the iPod, with entrepreneurs coming up with a myriad of products and services created especially for the Apple portable music player. Sales of such iPod-inspired ideas are growing in tandem with the iPod’s popularity:
- LoadProng’s iPod loading service boasts a network of more than one hundred service professionals throughout USA who can be dispatched to pick up your iPod and your CD collection at your home or office. For $1.59 to $1.89 a CD, LoadProng will load all the songs from your CDs into your iPod and return all equipment to you within five days. You can save on the 60-100 hours which are otherwise wasted on filling up your 40GB iPod.
- Fancy having a (virtual) personal trainer giving you exercise instructions at the gym while your favorite music plays on? PumpOne (pictured above) has designed a range of workout programs (with names such as PumpedForLife and PumpedForSummer) so that you can focus on weight loss or cardio health while listening to music on your iPod. Each workout includes instructions, tips and visuals you can watch at your own pace.
- Levi’s is joining the iPod craze too. The RedWire DLX is a new range of ‘iPod jeans’ featuring built-in headphones, joystick and docking cradle. Designed for men and women, it has a special side pocket with a white leather patch to store an iPod. A four-way joystick on the watch pocket allows the user to control the iPod without removing the player. Retractable headphones have been built in, together with a docking cradle that allows users to look at their iPod screen and control it via the jeans.
- The iRosary has an odd religious twist: it converts the iPod’s white headphones into a hybrid prayer bead that can be shifted and then heard as an “audio bead” during prayer. Users can choose from “Infidel”, “Believer” and “Shepherd” settings; the iPod will play back the matching MP3s as the bead is moved. Perhaps it can help make the rosary more attractive to younger iPod-toting believers.
Can you come up with unique products and services pitched at the millions of iPod users out there in the world? Or have you come across other iPod-inspired business ideas in your country? Share them with us!
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This New Business Ideas Report is compiled specially for Small Business Trends from the editors of CoolBusinessIdeas.com.
People can sure be inventive when they want to. The iPod is really a great piece of work. I’m not at all surprised that these items are popping out. Although I have to admit, the iRosary did catch me off guard. While it looks cool enough (based on the image), I’m not sure if teenagers would use it for how the creator intended. Still, it’s a pretty innovative way of re-introducing prayer into today’s generation.
Amanda
The PumpOne seams like a really cool concept. I wish you could view on online demo though. They offer a really good variety of workouts which was surprising.
Lara Nygaard
The processor is described as just a bit recent model number however it and the GPU are likely the similar pace as the 3GS. The old Contact using the similar Processor and GPU as the 3G was quicker. Besides getting the clock pace turned up greater the Contact has much less software to run since it is not a telephone. It ought to beat any iPhone to day in overall performance.