• Picks for ‘26

    Maybe think different

    Apple Computer launched the revolutionary iPod in 2001 with this simple pitch: “1,000 songs in your pocket.” It cost $399. That’s around $725 in today’s dollars. The first portable MP3 media players were “retired” in 2022, but they’re making a resurgence among the younger generations who just want to experience nostalgia and a break from smartphones. As in, the joy of listening to music without being interrupted by notifications for emails, texts and dreaded phone calls. Call it a comeback driven by digital burnout. (Where are my corded headphones?) I’m also young enough to remember the original Apple iMac G3 from 1998. It was a groundbreaking, all-in-one computer that rescued…