speakers

iPod meets Mr. Potato Head

If anything deserves a break once in awhile, it's your hard-working iPod. So the least we can do is make it comfortable on the job.

Chip Chick apparently agrees and has given us the "SpeakerMan" to do just that, with bendable arms and hands that can keep your exhausted media player from falling off the chair if it nods off. They also bear a remarkable resemblance to Mr. Potato Head's upper limbs, right down to the four-fingered, white-gloved hands. (Why do cartoon characters wear gloves?) The feet are different, but that's OK because they have … Read more

Transformer with an iPod at heart

For awhile it seemed that everyone and his dog were making iPod docks and speakers, and Crave was tempted to impose a moratorium on them as they were getting out of hand. Then along comes Takara Tomy with one we just can't resist.

The "Convoy iPod Docking Bay," which we spotted on Plastic Bamboo, is even fully licensed by Apple. It's not the cheapest at $145, but because it's a Transformer, you're really getting two toys for the price of one, right? Besides, unlike other robots, at least we know what this one's … Read more

They're shaped like 'fish.' They change colors. And they're speakers.

In my opinion, the Happy Fish Speakers don't actually look anything like fish--more like trilobites turned on their side. But I digress. These inexpensive ($16) USB-powered speakers, sold by Hong Kong manufacturer Brando (also known for the Wii Sports Pack), contain LEDs that will cycle through a range of colors. We've seen plenty of animal-shaped speakers, from pigs to my beloved penguins, but these are a tad more abstract. Kind of late-'90s-iMac-ish, actually.

Personally, I think it could grow a tad annoying to have something like this flashing its multicolored lights next to my computer all the … Read more

Let this jacket answer the phone

Goofy as it may look, the Audex knit cap with built-in MP3 player would still have some practical applications in cold-weather activities. But spring skiing is just around the corner, and you may not want to mess up your mullet with a knit cap if you don't need the added warmth.

One alternative is the Audex Motorola cargo jacket, a waterproof coat with Bluetooth speakers sewn into its collar. The jacket can play MP3 tunes or answer your phone with a built-in hands-free microphone. But for a retail price of $645, we think this garment should screen calls and … Read more

Another useless combo product

When we made our many pleas for wireless entertainment systems, this isn't exactly what we had in mind. In fact, we have to agree with Gearfuse in its assessment of this wireless speaker mouse pad as utterly useless--or, as the aforementioned blog put it gently, "You really don't want crappy speakers at your fingertips." We won't even get into the solar-powered calculator. The broader point here, ladies and gentlemen, is that there should be a limit to the number of functions a device is allowed to have. For its own good, if nothing else.

Combo camera and speaker set: Why?

Taiwan-based Genius is a company that seems obsessed with making all-in-one devices. But how they decide what goes into the "all" part of the equation remains a mystery.

We were mildly interested last month by its cross between a mouse and a VoIP phone, which we could see coming in handy on some occasions (maybe). But its latest Franken-product, the "Look 313," is a combo camera and speaker set--a device whose use eludes us. Electronista indicates that the USB system can be used as a hub, but we think it's real market is American Idol … Read more

JBL cuts the cord too

First our prayers were answered--now our cup runneth over. Awhile back we began a campaign in favor of wireless home audio systems, thinking that it was kind of ridiculous that the industry was still tethered to cords at this stage of technology history. And even after manufacturers began meeting the demand, some purists remained skeptical about quality from relatively no-name brands.

Now, however, one of the most recognized brands in speaker-dom has joined the wireless fray. JBL has released the "On Air Control 2.4G," which it describes as "a pair of wall-mountable loudspeakers that incorporates a … Read more

Some seriously cool-looking speakers

These LaCie speakers might look like pieces of futuristic white pipe, or the elbow joints of a Stormtrooper costume from Star Wars, but they're actually a cool, design-savvy sound solution that cleans up clutter. They aren't totally wireless, but they come close. Since they connect to your computer via its FireWire port, they don't require an external power source. That means you'll have a free outlet for plugging in your lava lamp night light.

And get this: They're $79 for a set of two. Sure, you can get lower-end speakers for a lot less, but … Read more

Wireless Oyster breaks out of shell

As part of our obsession over wireless home audio systems, we've mentioned Avega Systems as a case study of promises (and failures) to deliver on said technologies. But a year later, the company apparently made good on its vow to release its Wi-Fi speakers by this year's CES.

Avega has released its wireless "Oyster" audio system, which SCI FI Tech says "can accept wireless music streams from your PC or media server, game consoles or anything equipped with Wi-Fi." We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Amen.

A lamp, a speaker, an air purifier

There was a time when technological "convergence" in the home was defined by a combo device that merged television with computing. Now, it can be anything from a table-refrigerator to a smart coffee maker.

And the pace of innovation is furious. Just a few days after posting an item on a combo speaker lamp, we discovered that it's already been trumped by a combination lamp, speaker and air purifier, according to Chip Chick. The tower-shaped "Rigel," by Italy's Artemide, has a mirrored finish that gives way to colored lights when in use. But at … Read more