We here at SvenOnTech love, love, our Sonos. We can listen to our vast music library and change tracks, volume, and so forth, from anywhere in the house. But there’s one thing the Sonos can’t do and that’s play Apple FairPlay music, or, music downloaded from the iTunes Store. But that problem is about to be amended.

Today Keyspan announced its TuneView a unique dock that connects to any stereo or to powered speakers via a line-out connector. It also will bring the video of the iPod to a TV through an S-Video jack. Charging and syncing to iTunes is handled through the high-speed USB connector. And oh yes, don’t forget the 2-way RF remote with an LCD screen.

“TuneView is unique. It’s unlike any iPod remote that you’ve used before,” explained Keyspan president Mike Ridenhour. “TuneView features a color LCD screen that lets you remotely view the contents of your iPod and control playback — allowing you to manage the iPod as if it were in your hands.”

The TuneView will be equipped for the future with the ability to update itself via upgradeable firmware. “Both the TuneView dock and TuneView remote are USB devices that can be updated via a firmware download, just like an iPod,” noted Ridenhour. “Over time, Keyspan will release firmware updates that will add new capabilities to TuneView.”

So like the Sonos, the Keyspans TuneView will let you rule your music collection, only limited by the size of your iPod, from a little hand-held remote that will never leave your side. From the kitchen or from the backyard, it really won’t matter where you are, you will be able to control your iPod from just about anywhere. And, you’ll be able to finally enjoy your iTunes Store music without being chained to your computer or iPod.

You can grab your own TuneView for an MSRP of $179. The Keyspan store has it all ready for you to snap up in addition to being able to find it at Amazon.com, PC Connection, TigerDirect, Buy.com, MicroCenter and other leading computer products resellers. Those outside the US will be able to enjoy the TuneView for purchase in January 2007.

Ever since I purchased my PowerBook (TiBook) back in 2002, I’ve really come to dislike widescreen displays on computers. I don’t get it. What world are most of you working in? Sure, for movies they’re great but for work? I’m not an accountant so I have no need to go right but rather down. Web pages, e-mail, documents, ftp, and the list goes on where there are items that go top to bottom more than left to right. Thus, with these widescreen LCDs, I’m losing screen real estate. So why the big hoopla for them?

I understand how they just fit right on laptops, but for desktops, unless you’re getting an 30 inch LCD that can handle high resolution, it just doesn’t make sense to get one. I find on many web pages I scroll much more on my MacBook Pro (MBP) than I do on my PC with its 21 inch 4:3 LCD screen. Sure, I don’t have as much room on the right, but who cares, the MBP isn’t giving me much more that I can use it for something anyway. No, I’m happy with the 4:3 setup and some times dread my MBP for it’s lack of depth. Maybe a higher resolution would help.

Now I wouldn’t mind having a widescreen LCD much like what co-Mac developer Andy Hertzfield and Burrell Smith came up with when they left Apple in 1986 to create Radius. The Pivot monitor was a work of art. I remember the first time I used it I thought the rest of the world would follow. To my disappointment, it didn’t. But today you can pick up something in the same, excuse the pun, frame of thought such as the Philips 170W4P LCD Display. It’s a bit dated, but reviews show it to be a pretty good display and since you can turn it on its axis and get more depth when needed, it hits my mark just fine. But, sadly these type of monitors are not too easy to find and thus I’m back to my beginning rant of why widescreen monitors suck. Lack of depth.

The wonderful key fob. Yes, fob. So many in my family crack up when I tell them the correct name of that black thing attached to their key that locks and unlocks there door as well as create the all ignored “panic” alert.

Reports are, GM will be bringing even a better fob in April to rappers and gang bangers around our great nation with the next model of the Cadillac Escalade. The new fob will notify G-Kill-C3P-Oh when his tires need some air and his tank some fuel. Homie will be able to start his car from inside the crib as well as lock it from six times the distance he can today on his bunk ’07 Caddy. If he’s interested in how many miles his ride has, he’ll be able to get the 411 on dat as well as change XM to RAW all from the new fob. Now homie ain’t trippin’ that this will cost him $150 more since that’s only a few more dime bags and not a whole rock to sale. GM is also saying that if our beloved capitalist losses his fob, it’ll cost less than $100 to replace.

For all us real world folk and law abiding citizens, you’ll be able to pick this up in one of the other great GM SUV offerings as well as other models soon after the release in April, 2008. Until then, keep cool.

[Via Autoblog]