The iPod has spawned an entire market and entranced a generation. The elegance and power of this mighty music player is a thing of beauty. Because of the iPod's popularity, third parties have turned to making iPod accessories in a bewildering array. I thought it would be fun to give you some of the best, most innovative iPod accessories out there.

Pocket Bar & Grill - This is a great little program that, of course, offers up a great array of recipes. Enrique Quintero, the maker, says "Pocket Bar & Grill combines Podtender and PodGourmet into Pocket Bar & Grill. Pocket Bar & Grill has two sections. One is the 'Bar' section with 750 mixed drink recipes from A through Z, each drink individually listed. The other section 'Grill' contains 225 select gourmet recipe with an index in each category with links to the recipes within that category." Enrique also offers a vegan version of the Grill. It Requires Macintosh or PC formatted iPod iPod Firmware 2.0 or later and 3rd, 4th or 5th generation iPod or iPod Mini, Nano. The cost of the program is $10. You can find it at: http://www.enriquequinterodesign.com/pocketbargrill.html

wiPod - If you're a road warrior, you'll appreciate this little proggie. According to wiPod: "Now when you are on the road you can look up a free hotspot quickly and easily right from your iPod. No, the iPod isn't wi-fi enabled (yet). wiPod uses the Notes functionality of the iPod OS to store the database in an easy to use format." And best of all, it's free - you just have to register at: http://anchorfree.com/wipod/

iSubwayMaps - Everyone is calling for more public transit use. iSubwayMaps helps you by offering, drum roll please, subway maps. There are many maps available, such as: Berlin, Germany; Bilbao, Spain; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Hong Kong; London, UK; Los Angeles, CA; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; Milan, Italy; Montreal, QC; Moscow, Russia; New York, NY; Paris, France; Philadelphia, PA; Salt Lake City; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Tokyo, Japan; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Washington DC. Go get yours - it's free! You can find it at: http://www.isubwaymaps.com/download.php

ClickWheel - If you love comics, then you are going to love clickwheel. Clickwheel "is a whole new way of using your iPod, and a whole new way of reading comics. Looking for a simple innocent laugh? A dry, sophisticated chuckle? A true story of crime, disaster or ordinary life? A brain-bending exercise in comic art? Turn to us and it's all in your hands." That's straight from the funny folks at Clickwheel. If you're a comic creator, you can get your comics listed on here for free - with possible commissions if you're good! Clickwheel is free, get yours at: http://www.clickwheel.net/gallery/list

piPod - New Yorkers love their pizza, there's no doubt about that. piPod gives them pizza options at their fingertips. "Download piPod, and save it to the Notes directory (in the Extras directory) of your iPod. You'll get a series of nested menus directing you to the best pizza in the five boroughs of NYC. Browse by borough or pizzeria name." You have to have an iPod with the notes function. It's free, you can download it at: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26330

iShield - One of the worst things about owning an iPod is the fear of having it scratched or broken. iShield gives you peace of mind about your iPod (for a full review, see my website below). It is a thin, transparent, durable covering for your iPod. "The invisibleSHIELD is the toughest, most durable screen protector on planet earth. It is made from a film originally created by the military to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling hundreds of miles per hour!" It costs from $10 to $25, depending on the device you purchase it for. You can find it here: http://www.shieldzone.com/