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Last week, I took a look at several cases for the iPod shuffle. As any iPod owner will tell you, though, cases are only half the fun when it comes to iPod accessories. There are also numerous devices that can change the way you use, transport and even display your iPod. The Shuffle is a bit more limited in what it can do, but that hasn't stopped numerous companies from cutting themselves a slice of the iPod pie. And just how tasty are they? It all depends upon the slice.

A couple of the devices are barely worth the bother, I feel. The XtremeMac SuperClip ($14.95) and DLO Flip Clip ($19.99) are nothing more than small clips that you attach to your belt, shirt pocket, purse strap, etc. The Shuffle is held in place by the USB cap of the Flip Clip and by tabs that wrap around the side of the Shuffle with the SuperClip, and both seemed fairly secure. Neither device offers much protection, however, so your Shuffle can still get scratched up.

The Flip Clip keeps your Shuffle upright, and its clip is fairly tall, allowing it to easily fit over my large belt. A tab at the bottom of the clip holds it in place. The SuperClip, however, is held in place by pressure, which left me feeling a bit uneasy. This is fine when it's affixing the iPod to a purse strap or something thin, but it couldn't get a good grip of my leather belt. The SuperClip holds the iPod shuffle horizontally, which I would say makes for awkward control, but it's kind of irrelevant because accessing the iPod on a belt is awkward no matter how it's positioned. More important is the matter of how easy it is to remove the Shuffle and put it back in place. Here, the Flip Clip wins hands down as the pressure system of the SuperClip takes more work.

I guess if you're really upset with Apple's lanyard and would rather keep the Shuffle closer to your person, these do the job. For the money, though, you can do better.

XtremeMac also offers another approach with their SuperHook ($19.95). This devices replaces the Shuffle's USB cap with a sturdy latch that can easily snap on and off a belt loop, a key chain, etc. The large latch makes for easy access, so it's much easier to get to your Shuffle than with the SuperClip or Flip Clip. However, the SuperHook does leave your Shuffle dangling by the USB port. My Shuffle never came away from the SuperHook during the review period, but it's something to consider. A more secure solution for this can be found in Marware's SportGrip. The SportGrip is also over $10 cheaper, comes in multiple colors and offers some protection against scratches and drops, rendering the SuperHook unnecessary.

But the iPod shuffle needs to be connected to your computer, too, not just to your body. To that end, DLO offers the USB Dock Cable ($19.99) and the Flex Dock (19.99). The Dock Cable is nothing more than a four foot USB cable with a Shuffle-matching USB cap at the end. Those who keep their computers on the floor or who have G5 iMacs will understand the importance of such a device, as it's not always easy to get to a USB port to plug in your Shuffle. The Dock Cable gives you easier access, but not in an elegant way. When your Shuffle is not plugged in, you've got an unused cable sitting on your desk, which defies the Apple aesthetic. Plus, cables have to be wound up and packed up when you're about to hit the road.

A cleaner solution is the Flex Dock. Although this device won't do you much good if you have to crawl under the desk to get to your USB port, it's perfect for G5 iMac and portable computer users. The Flex Dock is simply a USB Shuffle cap attached to a short, steel, gooseneck pipe. The pipe can be twisted into different directions and will hold its shape and the Shuffle. This proved tremendously useful with my G5 iMac, as I could plug one end of the Flex Dock into the computer, then twist it so that the cap end peaked out from behind the back of the computer. I no longer had to reach behind the iMac to plug in my Shuffle. And although the Shuffle could bounce on the Flex Dock when I hit the desk, it never dropped or fell out. The Flex Dock is also useful to owners of portable computers as it's compact and easy to transport, and it keeps your Shuffle up and way from the USB ports that may be too tight to accommodate the Shuffle...something to consider on USB hubs, as well. In all fairness, the Dock Cable helps with this, too, but in a messier way.

If you want something a little sturdier and that looks better sitting on your desk, I highly recommend either Speck Products' Shuffle Dock ($24.95) or Pressure Drop's DecoDock ($28.99). Both serve the purpose of Apple's traditional Dock that doesn't come with the iPod shuffle; plug one end into your computer, and the Shuffle rests comfortably in the other end. Both the Shuffle Dock and DecoDock charge your iPod while the computer's on, and both offer a steady, decorative way to display your Shuffle and prevent it from getting knocked around your desk. It's also easy to control the iPod while it's resting in either Dock.

The Shuffle Dock looks like an extension of the iPod shuffle itself, and therefore is quite natural in its appearance; it blends in well with your Macintosh and matching accessories. It's 4.5 foot cable is more than adequate, and its base has a rubber footing to prevent it from sliding around your desk. The DecoDock provides no such grip on the desk, and can therefore slide about. This is not a terrible thing, though; if you accidentally bump your Dock or yank it with your headphone cord, it's better that it slide than get knocked over. The DecoDock's USB cord is 6 feet long, which is perhaps too much, but I'm sure some will put that to good use. The most striking feature, though, is its art deco appearance. The Shuffle sits in a curved base (which comes in an assortment of colors), flanked by columns that rise up against it. When drawing USB power, these LED columns light up either white or red, depending upon the model. It's a sweet effect, and it's much better at showing off the iPod shuffle than is the Shuffle Dock, in which the Shuffle simply blends in. And although the lights are drawing their power from the same source as the iPod, recharging and transfer times are not affected.

And finally, there's the XtremeMac AirPlay FM Transmitter for iPod shuffle ($49.95). I'm generally not a fan of FM transmitters, mainly because they never seem to work in the Akron/Cleveland, Ohio area where I do most of my driving; too much interference from the crappy Cleveland radio stations (if Cleveland really is the "birthplace of rock and roll," you can bet that child moved away long ago and never even comes back for Christmas). FM transmitters work, you see, by broadcasting the iPod's signal to an unused FM band on your car radio. If you find that they do work in your area, though, the AirPlay is a pretty good device.

One end plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, the other into the base of the iPod shuffle. The illuminated LED is easy to read in the daytime and at night, and the buttons for tuning and assigning/retrieving three presets are easy to access. The signal is fairly strong, and I found that the system sounded quite good when I wasn't getting interference. Volume is controlled only by the Shuffle or your radio, so there's no confusion there. And as long as everything's plugged in, the AirPlay will recharge your Shuffle. The only drawback in the design is that there's no included method for attaching the AirPlay to your car, so the whole system is forced to hang lose on the dashboard, the passenger's side seat or wherever else you can place it.

These are only a few of the varied iPod shuffle accessories available to consumers. If the products covered here don't address your needs (whether they be protection, transportation, aesthetics, etc.), just keep looking. You're playing your music, after all. You should do so in the manner you want.

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