Most of the ads we see for iPods just show people acting cool: dancing their way through life with their headphones plugged in. My nieces in Chicago let me in on their secret theory: that many of the people one sees on the street aren’t even listening to an iPod at all, but are just wearing earbuds minus iPod. Something to do with the coolness factor, they tell me. And, they are teenagers, so they know.

Personally, I occasionally listen to tunes and dance around while making dinner, but only if I’m home alone. 9o% of my iPod use involves pairing it up with iTrip and listening to my tunes while driving.When I’m out hiking or kayaking I want to hear nature AND the sounds of cyclists or runners or motorized craft coming up behind me, so I just don’t use it outside.

If you’re ready to move beyond merely listening to music or watching videos, here are some other great uses for your iPod:

Kottke.com shares this: 50 Fun Things To Do With Your iPod (kottke.org)

Engadget gives you directions for turning your iPod into a universal infrared remote control device.

Jake Ludington at Mediablab explains how you can use it as a harddrive.

NonstopMac.com advises using it to read RSS feeds.

And Micropersuasion shows you how you can use it Use your iPod as the ultimate presentation accessory.

Edited 3/7/07 – Here’s another good one: Over at “the After Mac, there’s mention of how museums are using Ipods for self-guided tours, which are created as Podcasts.