G-Tech kicks out iPod-controlling Messenger Bags with integrated speaker

'Tis the season for iPod controls on every piece of wearable kit possible? Apparently you stand a decent chance at being given some form of iPod-enabled clothing / gear this holiday season, as a swarm of manufacturers are jazzing up their apparel with built-in controls for Apple's cashcow. On deck is G-Tech's Messenger Bag, which sports your average selection of handy compartments in which to store your notebook, cellphone, PDA, or other portable gadget, as well as coming in black / chocolate brown colors. This knapsack boasts Eleksen's ElekTex smart fabric controls -- a "unique five-layer laminate of electrically conductive materials that transforms fabric into an electronic touchpad" -- to handle the play / pause, volume, and track operations of your dock-connected 'Pod. If that weren't geeky enough, the bag also sports an integrated speaker (no word on wattage) and a 3.5-millimeter "extension jack" in case removing your DAP from the snug confines of the Messenger Bag proves too time consuming. If Monster's iEZClick lacked that dual functionality you yearn for, G-Tech's shoulder bag / iPod boombox hybrid is available now for $129.

[Via Playlist]

[Matt B @ Oct 24th 2006 4:23PM]

How come every ipawn accessory costs about as much as an ipawn itself?

[tomtiki @ Oct 24th 2006 4:42PM]

Forget all this sewing into clothes crap...just buy one of these and go wireless for about $35 :

http://abtech2.com/iJetBottomDock.htm

[PDubNYC @ Oct 24th 2006 4:48PM]

@Matt B
ipawn, hahahahahahaha, so very clever.

moron.


Maybe it's just me, but I find pressing a button through my coat as my iPod sits inside a pocket works just fine for me. Not really into all of these customized creations, most of which would make you like like a total idiot.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Oct 24th 2006 8:17PM]

"@Matt B
ipawn, hahahahahahaha, so very clever.

moron."


Baby.

Anyway, wouldn't it be a tad annoying to hear someone else's sh***y music playing when walking down the street? lol, I wouldn't be surprised if a tech-geek got jumped in the city.

[o rly @ Oct 25th 2006 2:05AM]

PDubNYC : "Maybe it's just me, but I find pressing a button through my coat as my iPod sits inside a pocket works just fine for me. Not really into all of these customized creations, most of which would make you like like a total idiot."

Yes because you won't look like an idiot when you're trying to play with your DAP's buttons through your jacket.

[Frank 'viperteq' Young @ Oct 24th 2006 5:34PM]

How come the G-Tech link leads to another Engadget article insteaf of to the G-Tech website or to the bag itself?

[Merkidemis @ Oct 24th 2006 5:58PM]

These things can be nice and can be a headache. There was a dude who'd frequent a game store I played at and he had a backpack with speakers in it. He'd always be playing some garage band sounding attempt at heavy metal through those tiny things, strutting around like we should all bow to him for blessing us with his tunes. I'm all for trying out new music, but I want to be able to turn off what I don't like.

[Matt B @ Oct 24th 2006 8:07PM]

PDubNYC @ Oct 24th 2006 4:47PM
@Matt B
ipawn, hahahahahahaha, so very clever.

moron.


Hey, my first flame!!! :P

[Aard @ Oct 24th 2006 10:34PM]

Target has had this for a while. The older version was on clearance for under $20 in Walnut Creek store.

[Aaron @ Oct 24th 2006 11:25PM]

Engadget, I love you, but... please no more talk about iPod accessories. It's just not worth talking about at this point.