Griffin Technology has long distinguished itself as a manufacturer of peripherals for the Mac and the iPod. Now the company is developing a new line of products for Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP).
The first three products to be announced as part of Griffin’s line of gaming accessories are the iFM PSP, iTrip PSP and SmartShare PSP — devices that iPod owners can find for their own systems, as well. Like the PSP itself, all the new devices are molded in black plastic.
Sony’s PSP doesn’t just play games — it’s a portable media player that can play music, let you view photos or watch digital movies on its optical UMD drive or movies you’ve ripped yourself stored on a Memory Stick Pro Duo slot. Since its North American introduction a year ago, the PSP has spawned a cottage industry of shareware utilities designed to help Mac users synchronize content with their PSP or prepare video to watch on it.
The iFM PSP is a $49.99 FM radio and remote control for the PSP — it features a large red LED display, a passthrough port for headphones, and a clip. The remote features media playback controls.
The iTrip PSP is a reimagined FM transmitter, designed to fit on to the base of the PSP. A built-in antenna broadcasts the PSP’s audio to a nearby FM receiver. It features a red LED display and is powered by two AA batteries. It costs $49.99.
The $14.99 SmartShare PSP is a headphone splitter that enables two users to listen to what’s on the PSP at the same time — useful for plane rides, car trips and waiting rooms, said Griffin. Each end of the splitter features independent volume controls.