Keeping your iPod safe and hands warm on the slopes

There are ways to keep hands covered while doing simple iPod navigation tasks in the cold. Perhaps the simplest of these devices is Kombi’s I-Rip gloves. Following a successful launch last winter, Kombi has added a lady’s version of the glove. Both the men’s and women’s gloves carry a suggested retail price of $150 (£108).

The gloves feature a wireless controlling system manufactured by Fibretronics. There’s a small joystick on the back of the left glove which connects to a transmitter contained in a small, waterproof pocket in the cuff of the glove. That transmitter sends one of five navigation commands - including volume control and track selection - to a receiver plugged into the base of a click-wheel iPod.

The iPod can be carried secure in a clothing pocket or backpack. The system works even when there up to 30 feet between the glove and iPod.