As if the new iPod Shuffle isn’t tiny enough, designer Alexei Mikhailov has some ideas of his own for the iPod’s future. The appropriately-named iStick folds the aesthetic of the iPhone and iPod Touch into a finger-sized dongle. All four sides of this conceptual gadget are touchable, allowing for plenty of interface tinkering in a tiny package, at the expense of a little carpal tunnel from all the wrist-twisting. The silver cube on the end is a scroll wheel, which would presumably allow for easy volume adjustment without a glance at the interface, but I keep envisioning a USB cover instead. To complete the dream device, the earbuds are wireless — and just like the Shuffle, it would probably cost extra to buy compatible third-party headphones. [via Industrial Design Served]

Turntables and laptops running Ableton Live are fine, except they relegate the DJ to a shadowy corner, kicking out the beats in obscurity. Wacom, maker of touch screen interactive displays for designers and photographers, has the answer with its nextbeat touch screen console. It’s got all the buttons and knobs a DJ might need, plus a touchable circular screen that acts as a turntable. The right-hand side of the unit pops off and goes wireless from the rest of the device, letting the performer move freely around the stage or the dance floor. Just giving you the heads up for when the DJ starts grinding on your girlfriend. [Wacom via FLYLYF]

Much is left to the imagination with designer Erick Sakal’s speaker concept. We’re guessing, for example, that the big speaker hole in the front is the subwoofer, while the fins of this sea creature-like creation hold the midrange and tweeters. The speaker does seem to operate wirelessly, with a special iPod transmitter, but where’s the power cord? The photo is tagged as “organic” so maybe we’re looking at some fine lumber from a small farm. Or maybe I’m reading into this too much. It’s pretty to look at, anyway. [via Industrial Design Served]

With stereo speakers embedded in its eye sockets, the iPig 2.1 from Speakal is positively thrilled to play your music. A gentle touch of the ears controls volume, but a remote control is also included. It supports all generations of iPod Classic, Nano, Touch and Mini, as well as the iPhone, and there’s also an auxiliary jack for other sound sources. The four speakers (other two on the back, likely) are 25 W each, with a 15 W subwoofer. Not bad for a little oinker. Grab the black limited edition for $130, or save $10 by choosing white, pink or yellow. [Amazon.com via BB Gadgets]

Kilpsch has released two hot new headphone models, the S2 and S4. The oval-shaped ear tips have a moving coil design with coil dampening, and the S4 rocks a “hot rod” dual magnet motor and comes bundled with a crush-resistant aluminum case and a cleaning tool. S2 owners only get a basic cloth case with the earbuds. The S4 is expected to be released in April for $79 with the S2 following in July for $49. What are your favorite earbuds? Would you consider picking these up? [via Engadget]

Apple’s newest iPod shuffle doesn’t just play your tunes, it also talks to you. The device has a new “VoiceOver” function that will tell you the name of the song you’re listening to as well as the artist name. You can also get it to read you what tracks are coming up in your playlist (since the shuffle doesn’t have a display screen). The 4GB music player is so small now that all its controls are located in the earbud cord (which will definitely create an issue if you like to rock other headphones or lose yours). At $80, the player is pretty reasonably priced; we’re definitely thinking about picking one up- what do you think about the new shuffles? [via Wired]

If you’re looking for an iPod speaker system for your girlfriend or child, this one might be a winner. This cute and cuddly teddy bear is actually an iPod speaker system in disguise. The system in concealed in the plush bear (so you don’t see ugly speakers) and you can connect your iPod to it via a USB cord, much like when you connect your phone to your computer. The bear runs on batteries (that hopefully aren’t charging your iPod) and runs $38, which could make it a reasonably affordable gift option. What animals would you like to see a speaker system built in? We’re thinking a dragon or snake option might be pretty cool. [via DVICE]

Many online music streaming sites have been forced to shut down in recent months because of their inability to pay high licensing fees. One music player has come up with a way around all the fees, bu simple streaming tunes that are already uploaded to YouTube. Music streaming site Muziic (which was created by a 15-year-old by the way) takes music uploaded by record companies as well as users and allows you to stream it through their player just as if it was anywhere else. The player, which focuses on streaming music off YouTube is certainly an interesting concept.. In addition to allowing you to stream music, it also gives you the ability to upload music easily through its interface to YouTube to share with other users. Napster Part 2 anyone? [via ArsTechnica]

Music’s marriage to the modern computer has opened the doors of creativity to a new world of musicians.  The ability to create, record and edit sound once carried a heavy cost– and can now be done for a few hundred bucks on your home PC or Mac.  But what is missing in this digital revolution?  Touch.  Music is best created in a tactile environment, one that is lost the world of a mouse and a keyboard.

In recent years, manual control surfaces have helped manage this problem, but none as creatively as this concept by industrial designer Mike Neumann.  The Poly.Touch Tangible Synthesizer Concept is a music synth engine with a revolutionary control surface that uses physical objects to create/control sound.  The formation and position of each block on the control surface shapes the sound like the knobs and faders of a classic synth controller.  Drop a few blocks on the surface, arrange and tweak them, you’ve created a new sound for your digital music environment.  While the Poly.Touch is still only a design concept, we’d love to get our hands on a working prototype…