JBL Spot
A two-speaker and subwoofer system, Spot from JBL ($129.95) looks like something straight out of Woody Allen's Sleeper. The design is simultaneously futuristic and retro, and with interchangeable covers available in a variety of colors, you can easily work it into your decor. Spot connects with a regular stereo input jack so you can hook it up to your computer, iPod, Lyra, Zune, PS3, or anything else that fits. It features touch controls that allow you to adjust volume or mute/unmute with the press of a button. Finally, someone has made speakers that actually look pretty cool.
Saffire iPod Jukebox
Everybody loves a jukebox, especially tipsy bar patrons with fists full of dollars. Until recently, bringing that piece of your favorite watering hole was a ridiculous luxury reserved for only wealthy collectors. But with Saffire's Affordable iPod Jukebox, a few more dreams of in-home jukeboxes may be realized. Well, sorta. It doesn't really work like a jukebox, it's just a stereo system styled after the holiest of all bar accessories. It includes an iPod dock, a top-loading CD player, and an FM radio. It's a whimsical accessory for the phpiring jukebox hero.
Phone Music:
Apple iPhone
A phone, an iPod, and an Internet communication device all in one, Appleís iPhone long-anticipated iPhone has everyone in the consumer electronics industry on the edge of their seats, while Apple loyalists plot their way out of cell phone contracts and start saving up. The iPhone is a beautiful device with a widescreen display that automatically senses orientation (landscape or portrait, depending how the user holds it), 4GB ($499) or 8GB ($599) of storage space for music, video, and photos, and a multi-touch user interface unlike any other touch screen technology weíve seen. Through an exclusive deal with Cingular (now AT&T), the phone will offer visual voice mail, displaying your voice mails in a list similar to an email clientís inbox and allowing you to pick and choose which messages to delete or listen to without having to listen through them in order. Itís more than a smartphone; itís a state-of-the-art gadget that combines all of your mobile devices into one. This is one device NOT to leave behind in a bar.
TenTechnology
iPods are small but for active people they're sometimes not small enough. TenTechnology's naviPlay, a Macworld 2005 Best of Show honoree, enables you to lighten your gadget load a bit. Plug the transmitter into your iPod, strap on the naviPlay remote, and pop the earphones in. Your iPod has to stay nearby, but at least it doesnít have to be attached to you, which is great if youíre on a treadmill or riding a bicycle (although cycling with headphones is not recommended, especially if in the city). The device even pairs with your cell phone so you can switch between music and a phone call without having to change headphones.
Headphones:
Shure
Shureís E Series sound-isolating earphones are for the serious music lover who wants to block out as much of the outside world as possible. Ranging from the low-end E2c ($109) to the triple driver E500PTH ($499)ówith one tweeter and two woofersóShure has a pair of earphones that suit everyoneís needs. Unlike many noise-canceling headphones, Shureís Sound Isolating Technology does not require batteries to shut out exterior sound. The Personal Fit Kit provided with every pair ensures that the user will have the best possible fit, since fit is what really makes the sound isolation possible. They are lightweight at 1oz and the cables pass behind your ears, not in front of them, keeping them out of the way.
Etymotic ety8 In-The-Ear Bluetooth Earphones
Tired of getting tangled in your headphone cord? Etymoticís noise-isolating ety8 In-The-Ear Bluetooth Earphones are not only wireless but also high definition, too, so thereís no need to sacrifice great sound for wire freedom. For $199 you can buy just the Bluetooth headphones to use with any Bluetooth-compatible device, but for an extra $100 you can purchase the headphones with the 8*Mate adapter that enables you to use the earphones with your iPod. The adapter works with the 1st and 2nd generation Nano, 4th and 5th generation iPod, and the iPod mini.
More Audio
More News
iPad Costs
iSuppli Corp., which generally waits until it can actually get the new Apple product to estimate its production cost, has decided to forgo hands on examination in the case of the iPad. They have--from just looking at it, it's amazing--decided the base model only costs $219.35 for Apple to produce. According to AppleInsider the base model won't make Apple anywhere near as much profit as the 32 GB model with 3G wireless priced at $729...that one reportedly costs only $287.15 to produce.
That's some profit! No wonder Apple execs have said they'd stay nimble on pricing! With demand for the iPad under scrutiny and this week's news that the "Take Picture" hint was removed from the Address Book app in the iPad simulator even we are starting to wonder if it's not worth waiting for the 2nd generation.
Trust us, it's painful to say.
Google Challenges the Internet
"Think Big" indeed. This time, Google is setting its sights on the very way we transmit information and asking people from around the country to nominate their city or state to be included in an ultra-high speed open internet network of Google's building. Set to include anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000 people, this network will boast 1GB per second fiber optic connections that Google reps are hoping will bolster developer creativity, test new ways to build the infrastructure and challenge internet service providers to band together to create a better internet instead of shunning change to maintain their bottom lines.
This is huge news, and we hope our city is on the receiving end of the new interwebs...here's the official Google Blog if you want to read it all in detail or submit your community.
Dogs on Twitter
From the country that's given us karate and karaoke comes the newest iPhone app: that's right, Japan's Index Corp. has announced the release of "Bowlingual," the dog emotion translator. Latest in a long line of technological advances, this app (to be released this summer) analyzes Fido's bark and puts it into one of six categories, like "needy." Or "happy." Then it adds a caption based on the emotion and allows you to snap a photo of your pooch in its current mood; as if that weren't enough it can modify that photo to enlarge your pet's eyes...oh...so cute.
Seriously, the app is set to sell for $5 and will post your pet's barks to Twitter. Silly? Yes. Fun? Probably!!
Will you let your dog speak his mind? Tell us here.
