iMarks and iSpencer

I don't really know what i s so hard about pulling the iPod out of a pocket and changing tracks using the touch wheel, but manufacturers, developers and designers keep looking for alternatives to this apparently difficult task. The latest to succumb is British retailer Marks & Spencer with their new iPod business suit, a classic black pinstripe, two-button, modern-cut wool and Lycra design, for the executive too busy to rea ch into his breast pocket to adjust the volume of his new Joss Stone track. Or should it be Abba? Built into the left lapel is a five-button controller using Elektex fabric, a high-tech material developed by the Eleksen Group, and why it's particularly high-tech is not immediately clear. A connector is sewn into the pocket for the iPod, and the wires are hidden in the lining. I t costs about P8.5K for the jacket and about P5.5K for the pants, which togethe r could get you a nice video iPod instead. The important thing to note is that they still haven't solved the main problem of providing a method to switch albums and playlists with the system; it's stil l limited to the usual Volume Up/Down, FWD/REV, and ON/OFF. Y ou'd still have to yank the iPod out of your pocket to do anything more complic ated. Still, nice suit. You'd need, what, maybe two or three to last you through the whole work week?