Lordy

This has got to be the silliest Mac product ever. It's a translucent base puck for the Griffin PowerMate. What's the PowerMate? Why, a $45 metal button that rotates, linked to your Mac via a USB cable. A blue LED shines from beneath the base. What would you do with such a device? Apparently, change the volume on your MP3's.

Now, some claim that you can use it as a Non-Linear Editing jogdial, but there are plenty of other devices which do the job a whole lot better.

OK, so none of them have the cool blue LED.

I suppose if you'd gone ahead and blown $45 on the PowerMate, where's the harm in spending an additional $20 for the IceMate. It will apparently amplify the blue light through transparent or semi-opaque acrylic polymer, thus turning what was a subtle effect into a glowing distraction that will cast your face in a ghastly blue pallor. But sometimes I wonder about all this materials fetish in the Mac market. As well as the fact that, although there have been no updates to Internet Explorer for a few years now on the platform, and all development seems to have stopped on 3rd-party media apps in the face of iLife, these goofy accessories for accessories seem to command more and more mindshare.

Pretty soon, the only thing that will be selling well will be translucent holders for adaptors for stands for connectors for iPod engraving instruction booklet sheath mounting rivet carrycases.