Okay, I’m not sure how much practical sense it makes to use your the next gen iPod nano as a watch — but it’s pretty cool, in a geek dreamy sort of way. And you can do just that with the US$19.99 Rock Band from iLoveHandles (http://ilovehandles.net/).
The band is made of leather, is specifically designed for the nano and sports a cut-out notch to make sure the iPod is centered. It has five holes so it can be adjusted for just about any size wrist, including a skinny one like mine.
The Rock Band does exactly what it’s supposed to do — no more, no less. Of course, there are disadvantages to using the nano, as a watch, namely:
° You’ll have to recharge your “Apple watch” regularly, something you don’t have to worry about with a typical wristwatch.
° It’s easy to bump into something and scratch the nano with it on your wrist. That’s not something I worry about with my $20 Casio.
° You’ll have to press the iPod on button every time you want to check the time, as there’s no way to keep the nano’s backlight on all the time (and that would drain your battery too quickly anyway).
° The iPod nano has no alarm clock app, so you can’t use it in this way, as you can with most alarm clocks.
So, really, there’s no practical reason to use the nano as a wristwatch or buy the Rock Band.
But it is pretty cool.
Macsimum rating: 6 out of 10
— Dennis Sellers
