The Griffin iClear polycarbonate case for the fifth-generation Apple iPod is Griffin Technology's latest endeavor in the world of iPod cases. This time around, the makers have chosen a transparent two-piece case that snaps around your iPod to protect it from the wear and tear of everyday usage. Griffin also includes two separate backings for both the 30GB and 60GB iPod models in order to ensure a secure fit.

Slipping your Nano into the case protects it from dirt, rain (kind of), and other harmful objects flying at your iPod, but it lacks the plastic screen protector that comes with most of these flexible-style cases. The case itself is constructed with soft treated silicone that repels dust and gives full accessibility to both the connector and the headphone port. Although the Tubes for the Nano might initially look clean and bright, once you find your player at the bottom of your backpack, you're going to wish you had that EzSkins screen protector.

If the StyleTap developers can bring StyleTap to the iPhone/iPod Touch, that will open up a huge collection of 3rd party applications for end users and will make my iPhone so much more functional.

Reading Katherine Boehret's "Apple's Update for the iPhone and iPod touch piece in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, I realized something that hadn't occurred to me before.

Now, I think that Apple's Time Capsule and the new MacBook Air products are likely to be very popular with Mac fans, but something that might not go down so well - the $20 upgrade fee to add Mail, Stocks, Notes, Weather, and Maps to the iPod touch.

OK, I've been using the new apps on my iPod touch for a few days now and I'm still of the opinion that 80% of them are pretty dismal. However, the email app is pretty good and makes the $20 upgrade fee easier to swallow.

I would have thought that after the iPhone price cut fiasco, Apple would have gotten a bit savvier on the customer-friendly front, but given the company's decision to charge $20 for the iPod Touch software update, I guess not so much.

Since my post yesterday about the $20 iPod touch software update several readers have contacted me to explain how Apple had to charge for this update because of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This issue, so I'm told, is much the same as the way Apple had to charge $1.99 the 802.11n enabler for the Intel-based MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Personally, I don't buy this. If this is going to be Apple's defense over the charge, then I say it's nothing more than a smokescreen. Here's why ...

Here's the question though - is the upgrade worth $20? Right now I'm not ready to commit and when I've used it a little more I'll have a better handle on how I feel. However, if you pressed me for an immediate answer I'd have to say "no" it's not worth the $20. That kind of money buys a lot of shareware software and if the iPod touch and iPhone were open to developers we'd see apps that competed with these available, and I have no doubt that we'd see free apps that would rival these.

Who says that iPhones are not for the business person? Certainly not Handmark as they just announced Pocket Express Travel for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Simply point your iPhone/iPod Touch Safari browser to http://www.pocketexpress.com/ and you will get FREE access to the Handmark travel services. I have used Pocket Express on Windows Mobile and Palm devices in the past and it is great to see an iPhone-optimized site with services for the traveler.