I was at my uncle’s last weekend, and I had a play with one of these iPod remote controls which Engineered Audio manufacture. Although it seems like it’s just one of those tacky gadgets which would be cool for a few weeks, then end up sat at the bottom of a drawer, it’s much more than that. It comes with a really small, classy remote control (white or black - U2 iPod owners can enjoy it too) and works on a radio frequency so doesn’t need line of sight.

This is a great idea, especially for when you are in the car or your iPod is in your pocket. It’s much easier to tap a button on the remote than unzip your coat, reach into your pocket and use the iPod itself. It’s not a bad price either really, at only $45.00. Postage to the UK isn’t cheap, but you can buy them from Everything iPod.

I’d really like to see inclusion of some sort of playlist navigator, or the ability to flick through albums (maybe an LCD display?), but it’s great for the price. However, I suppose if this was included it would mean that the size had to go up, and it would defeat the object of a small, thumbsize remote.