I had the chance to review the ZoFunk iPod Video Cases today, and I hadn’t even gotten one of them fully unpacked before my wife grabbed it and slapped it on her 30GB video iPod.

“Finally!” She exclaimed excitedly, “Something to protect my screen from scratching every time you drop it!”

I have to admit that I have wrought some damage to her iPod since buying it “for her” for Christmas 18 months ago. I’ve busted the cool white earbuds, gone through two iPod Car Conversion Kits, and the iPod screen itself is barely visible after I got tired of the previous neoprene case we had as protection and (stupidly) removed it.

But now I have hope. These cool new silicon-based iPod protectors from ZoFunk are ultra slim (only 1mm thick!) and you can barely tell that your iPod is even in a case. Unlike what was not the case with my previous bulky case, your iPod will still be stylin’ in your choice of Red, Pink or Blue.

With their thin profile, all of the plugins and ports still remain very accessible, and you can even use your docking station without removing the cover. I didn’t have any problems plugging in our car adapter or the earbuds. In fact, most control adjustments to the iPod were as easy to do with the case on, as they usually are without a case. The click wheel is surprisingly responsive, even though it is covered. As I usually “over-track” when using the wheel, the ZoFunk case actually made my navigation more controllable.

The ZoFunk iPod cases come with a screen protector, color-matching caps for your earbuds and a micro-fiber cleaning cloth. I definitely recommend wiping your screen down well prior to putting on the screen protector, as any grain of sand or dust will not allow you to squeeze all of the air from out under the protective film.

Zofunk iPod video cases are available online directly from ZoFunk or through Amazon for only $26.99. Looking back, I wish that this iPod protector was available when we purchased our iPod. It would definitely be in much better condition today.

In case you are one of the last to know, the new Apple iPhone will be available for sale starting on June 29th! The release date scoop was first broke by the good folks over at Engadget, which was then confirmed yesterday by the a commercial airing on 60 minutes (who says that Apple isn’t targeting the business customer!).

For those of you who have been in hibernation over the winter, the Apple iPhone is one of (if not the) most widely anticipated new mobile phone releases ever. Combining a wide-screen iPod, phone, web-browser along with a kick-ass new touch-based navigation system, the Apple iPhone apparently is already off and running with over 1 million pre-orders.

But check it out for yourself here — watch these three commercials currently running for the new iPhone over at the official Apple iPhone site.

Sony HDR-CX7

Sony is solidifying it’s lead in High-Definition Camcorders with the recent launch of their AVCHD technology-based models.

The new Sony HandyCam HDR-CX7 AVCHD 6.1MP High Definition Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom weighs only 15 ounces (with battery), making it the world’s smallest and lightest AVCHD High-Definition Camera. The HDR-CX7 can record up to three hours of full HD 1080 video on an 8-GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Media.

If it’s total recording length you’re after, the new Sony HDR-SR7 AVCHD 6MP 60GB High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom can hold over 22 hours of full HD 1080 video on it’s built-in 60GB Hard Disk Drive. It’s cousin the Sony HDR-SR5 AVCHD 4MP 40GB High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom can hold just more than 15 hours of full HD 1080 video on a 40GB Hard-Drive.

Video from all three models can be downloaded to your PC through standard USB.

Still-picture Quality
The HDR-CX7 and HDR-SR7 models utilize Sony’s 3-megapixel sensor for full HD 1080 video and 6-megapixel digital still photos. They are also equipped with Super SteadyShot(R) optical image stabilization to produce smooth video results, as well as virtually blur-free photos. The HDR-SR5 model integrates a 2-megapixel sensor for full HD 1080 video and produces a 4-megapixel photo.

Advanced Features
The new camcorders debut enhanced functions for easy browsing and searching on their high-resolution, 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus(TM) screens. You can swiftly find scenes via the new film roll button to view footage as a film roll index, which displays multiple scenes as thumbnails within a single movie file. Sony also integrated new face index technology so you can also access specific scenes by familiar faces.

While 16% of mom’s chose the traditional gift of flowers, they were in the vast minority in the recent national survey commissioned by Circuit City.

What did Mom’s want for Mother’s Day?

• Digital Camera - 20%
• Flowers - 16%
• Camcorder - 16%
• DVD Movie or CD - 12%
• MP3 Music Player - 9%
• Candy - 1%

The same survey confirmed Mom’s role as “Chief Family Historian”, with more than twice as many Moms than Dads taking the majority of family photos.

I would love to see the follow-up survey to tell us all how many mom’s actually got their wish for Mother’s Day. And what they husbands will (or won’t) get!

Well, it’s a Mini-theater, actually. With the recent launch of the Altec Lansing iMV712 Digital Mini Theater for iPod, you can enjoy your iPod Video content on an 8.5 inch screen instead of the much smaller 2.5 inch standard iPod video screen.

With an 8.5 inch LCD screen, a 4-inch subwoofer and two three-inch speakers, the new iMV712 delivers crisp video and crystal-clear sound suitable for everything from your kid’s room to your kitchen counter.

Features include:

• High Quality Audio
  3-inch Neodymium speakers and built-in 4-inch subwoofer
• SFX Technology
  Altec Lansing’s Stereo Field Expander that boosts the sound field to give the user an immersive stereo sound experience
• Crisp, Clear Video
  High-resolution, widescreen 8.5 inch LCD Screen
• Apple Universal Dock
  Let’s you dock & charge iPod models with the standard 30-pin connector.
• Wireless remote
  Controls both the iMV712 (volume, treble/bass and mute) and iPod (pause, menu, play, stop, forward/reverse).

The Altec Lansing iMV712 Digital Mini Theater will be available in May in retail stores and online for an MSRP of $349.95.

Amplifi 2.1 Sound System for iPod

Feature Specifications include:

• Compact acoustically-tuned wooden enclosure
• iPod-ready with docking slot and 6 iPod adapters
• 3.5mm stereo input jack supports all players
• Two 2.75” neodymium high/midrange speakers
• 5” woofer and bass reflex port
• Slim 6-function IR remote
• Charges iPod during use
• Includes AC Power Cable (100–240V AC)

Be sure to check back on June 4th!

Pure Digital today unveiled Flip Video, a new line of digital camcorders designed to make it easy for everyday consumers to shoot and share video.  Retailing for between $119.99 (30 minutes) to $149.99 (60 minutes), the new camcorder is available at over 9,400 retailers nationwide.

Flip Video is looking to address the portability issues traditionally found with camcorders, letting you share videos as easily as digital pictures. The built-in software allows videos to be uploaded via USB directly to popular Internet video sharing sites, including YouTube. If you want to do more, you can also edit clips, make custom movie mixes, add your own music, or even capture still photos from video.

“With Flip Video, Pure Digital has created a brand new category of camcorder that puts the power to instantly capture, edit, and share video in the pocket of everyday consumers,” said Jonathan Kaplan, Chairperson and CEO of Pure Digital Technologies. “Flip Video has the potential to forever change the way people use this increasingly popular medium.”

Announced Features include:

• One-touch recording with 2x digital zoom
• 1.5 inch color playback screen
• Built-in software for instant viewing & editing.

Pure Digital is perhaps best known for the “disposable camcorders” that allow you to take video and trade in the camcorder for a DVD at your neighborhood drugstore. Flip Video is their play into a market where a physical DVD is getting less and less important in this day and age of online video, especially for the all-important teen market.