Join 
JBL Encounter Speaker Review
In a world of boring shelf speakers that are as fascinating as the wires that connect them, the JBL Encounter draws people towards it with its innovative tongue-in-cheek design and then lavishes them with deep warm sound. JBL proves once again that they know how to box up a brilliant set of speakers. They appear as though they were intended to be fine decor while at the same time hold nothing back when it comes to pure crisp sound. Where most speakers seem to be designed to be hidden, the Encounter defies you to ignore them.
Space Monkeys, prepare for blast off. We took JBL Encounter into orbit and although we didn’t reach Warp 11, the volume at least went that high.
Here’s our full JBL Encounter 2.1 speaker review.
Beer Belly Review
We reported on the cool beer belly product earlier in the year. Thanks to the good guys who make the beer belly we can now follow up on that report with an unbiased (though at times maybe intoxicated) review.
As I have a natural beer belly I enlisted my mate Russell (Software engineer by day, beer belly model by night) to do the photo shoot and product testing (Russell will do just about anything for free Stella Artois).
Continue reading » Beer Belly Review
Aquapac MP3 case
Aquapac are a company who make … umm… plastic bags? Well yes, but these are not your ordinary bag. Aquapac cases are designed to protect your fragile consumer electronics from water (hence the name). If you’re a regular visitor to the beach you’ll appreciate that water and sand can really make a mess of your gadgets! These guys make a range of waterproof bags to cater for different appliances (including phones, cameras and PDA’s) but the one I’m looking at today is the new MP3 player case.
Continue reading » Aquapac MP3 case
Klipsch iGroove
Klipsch’s snazzy new iPod speaker, the Klipsch iGroove, has a couple of tricks yet to appear on other brands’ compact power speaker systems. First off, it comes with a pair of two-way speakers (woofer and tweeter), whereas most iPod-inspired alternatives rely on a single, small woofer per channel. Within the Klipsch iGroove’s compact dimensions, Klipsch engineers installed a stereo pair of 2.5-inch woofers and 1-inch horn-loaded tweeters that focus the treble sound up toward the listening position. A set of volume up/down buttons and an on/off switch are the unit’s only controls. The Klipsch iGroove is available in both matte-silver finish and high-gloss black, called the Klipsch iGroove HG.
The Klipsch iGroove comes with a handy mini-remote that adjusts the volume and your iPod’s play/pause functions, as well as changes tracks on your playlists. Like the Bose SoundDock, the Klipsch iGroove can accept any iPod with a dock connector. Full-size iPods, including the video-enabled fifth-generation iPod, fit snugly, thanks to an adjustable backrest. An adapter is included for older iPod Mini models, and Klipsch has begun bundling adapters for the iPod Nano as well. If you bought the early versions of the Klipsch iGroove that lack the Nano adapter, just call Klipsch’s customer support, who’ll ship one to you for free. Don’t own an iPod?
No problem–other similar-size MP3 players can use the included J-Cup cradle and loop the provided cable into the headphone jack. In fact, you can plug anything with a headphone or line-out jack into the Klipsch iGroove, even if it doesn’t fit the cradle. The speaker runs off the included AC power supply and charges docked iPods as well.
We started our evaluations in earnest with some Simon and Garfunkel’s tunes, and the Klipsch iGroove sounded pleasantly natural. Their soaring vocals, the guitars, and the band on the Bridge over Troubled Water album sounded great. The Klipsch iGroove is just 15 inches wide, so stereo separation isn’t its strong suit. In small bedrooms or kitchens, the Klipsch iGroove will play reasonably loud, but it’s not exactly a party animal. That said, considering its modest dimensions, the Klipsch iGroove generates surprisingly satisfying bass without exaggerated boominess or thickening.
We noted that some tunes elicited a mild buzzing sound between our iPod and the Klipsch iGroove. Most of the time, we were unaware of the noise–it happened on only a limited range of bass notes. After adjusting the Klipsch iGroove’s backrest, the buzz disappeared, and the bass noticeably improved. In other words, make sure the iPod has a solid connection with the Klipsch iGroove’s dock.
We liked the Klipsch iGroove, but it’s nowhere as impressive as the company’s three-piece iPod speaker system, the Klipsch iFi Speaker System for iPod . That set features a hunky 8-inch, 200-watt, powered subwoofer and a set of Klipsch’s superb two-way, RSX-3 satellite speakers. It takes up a lot more space than the Klipsch iGroove, but it’s far and away the best iPod speaker on the market.
Source: CNET
read more | digg story | treblemaker
Bosch iPod Power Box Review
Like to listen to music while you work but find your workplace a little too dangerous and dirty for your fragile little iPod? Bosch, a company more famous for their power tools than stereo equipment just might have the perfect solution for you.
The Bosch Power Box is a feature-rich stereo system that not only sounds great, but has a protective roll cage that keeps it safe in busy commercial and outdoor work environments. When used with the Bosch Power Box iPod Dock (sold separately) you can bring your job sites into the digital music age. The Bosch iPod Dock easily connects to the Power Box where it not only protects your iPod but recharges it too.
The Bosch Power Box and iPod Dock sound like a powerful combo, but let’s take a look at all the features of each item and how well they perform together in a busy work environment.
Review: Bosch iPod Power Box
Harmon Kardon’s iPod Bridge
The thought of being able to select music on the iPod from across the room has always intrigued me. I mean – come on now – most of us have a lineup of remote controls on the coffee table for a TV, Cable box, DVD player and our receiver. Until now, the iPod was stuck in its own land of “wheel control” consisting of clicking and turning when you needed to find Van Halen down at the bottom of your list.
But thanks to Harmon Kardon’s slickly designed Bridge iPod docking station, you can now select music with your AVR 40 Series receiver remote either on a TV screen or directly on the receiver display itself.
Read the entire review here.
read more | digg story | treblemaker
Shower with Your iPod?
There’s no doubt the iPod has revolutionized the way we to listen music. People take their iPods everywhere. On the run, in the car, or at the gym, our iPods have gone with us to the ends of the earth… except places near water.
Until recently, a short fall or a splash of water meant certain death for an iPod, but not anymore.
Thanks to a company called OtterBox, makers of watertight storage cases for electronic equipment like PDAs, and GPS units, you can safely take your iPod near or even underwater. OtterBox has created a waterproof hard shell case they call the OtterBox for iPod.
We put all their waterproof iPod cases through several tough tests including a steamy shower and a trip to the beach.
Here’s our full series of Otterbox case reviews:
Bug Zapper
This is one of those gadgets which is really fun to play with, however you wonder if anyone actually uses them for a real purpose. I personally own one and I’m quite sure I’ve never used it for its actual purpose, however I’ve had a lot of fun with it doing just about everything else I could think of.
The Bug Zapper is an appropriately named gadget which could potentially help you get rid of annoying bugs, however it’s great fun for other things too. It is shaped like a tennis racket except instead of plastic strings it has metal wires which, when turned on release high volts of electricity into the object unfortunate enough to come in contact with it.
Continue reading » Bug Zapper
