On occasion, a new tune I hear on my iPod causes me to tap my feet or even lip-synch along, and I suspect Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is OK with that. The same cannot be said for the iGasm, though. iGasm is a new device marketed in the U.K. that is attached to the iPod on one end and to a female listener's mommy bits on the other. The audio feed is translated into vibrations that turn the music into a whole-body experience. In other words, the iGasm is a sex toy!

I doubt Apple has an institutional bias against female orgasms, but News of the World reports it reacted to the pilfering of the trade name, and more adamantly, the copyright infringement on its silhouette motif, by sending a strongly worded cease-and-desist letter.

The product (in Apple white) comes with two silicone 'ticklers' that supposedly respond to the audio feed, especially the base part. While we await the outcome of Apple's challenge, feel free to suggest ideal song lists for an iGasm. I'm thinking some Dick Dale surf rock.

In talk of Apple's earnings report coming out, all the buzz on the street is about Apple hitting 0.44 EPS.

What's getting missed, is the concept of critical mass and that Apple's hugely succesful iPod has reached that stage. Critical mass is that point when a product/concept/idea reaches a point where it is not merely the incumbent but rather defines the genre in such a manner that it cannot do anything but grow. During my academic years, eBay and its user base was a prime example of critical mass and how Yahoo! auction and other auction sites could no longer compete once eBay had reached a certain level of users, because all new auction users would gravitate to EBay where the 'market' existed.

The referenced article on how Die-cast auto maker Corgi is creating a iPod speaker, the iCar, cast in the mold of popular vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade or Nissan 240 SX is shocking to me in its insight into the size of Apple's critical mass or as I like to refer to, its 'iMomentum'.

When a company is banking its fortunes on the iPod, that tells me that the iPod is here to stay. Corgi is only one among the many who are rapidly clamoring after the estimated $5 billion iPod accessory market. Griffin is a name that immediately comes up when I think of companies whose corporate strategy revolve around the iconic MP3 player. A look at any of last year's 'Holiday Gift Guides' will reveal numerous iPod accessories from just as many manufacturers.

My rant/rave is essentially this: sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers, and with Apple it's that unidentifiable, undefinable, 'iMomentum' that is the real story.