Want to play your iPod's music throughout the room? You don't need external speakers when you've got the Kerchoonz K-box, which turns any solid surface into a speaker.
The K-box has a standard 3.5mm audio jack, so it works with any audio device. Simply plug it in to your player and the surface beneath it resonates with the music you're playing. To see it in action, check out this impressive demonstration video on YouTube.
According to the press release, the K-box uses patented Gel Audio Technology to convert surfaces into speakers. It has both a standard speaker inside for mid- to high-range frequencies, and the Gel Audio Technology for delivering bass through the surface beneath it. The result seems to be a much more balanced sound that most compact speakers can produce.
The K-box is the size of a mobile phone, and it recharges through a USB connection for a playtime of 20 hours between chargings. Get it for $74.50 US plus shipping and handling from the company site.
Over at PCMag today, we're marking the 30th anniversary of the Sony Walkman by looking at the last 30 years of portable audio. Do you know who Andreas Pavel is, and why Sony paid him millions? Do you know what the Walkman was originally named on its first U.S. release? How 'bout the name of the first MP3 player? (Even if you think you know this one, I bet you don't!)
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't especially excited about the forthcoming Zune HD--not until I actually got the chance to have some hands-on time with the device. That opportunity presented itself last night, during a Microsoft event in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The Zune wasn't exactly the centerpiece of that show--that honor almost certainly went to Beatles Rock Band (which, for the record, was a blast).
In fact, the Microsoft rep who was talking up Zune actually slipped the HD from a pouch that he was holding in his pants pocket. The software on the thing still isn't final, but the device was able to play video, which looked pretty snazzy on that 480 by 272, 16:9 widescreen OLED. It should also be noted that Microsoft's Zune Insider podcasts have revealed that the Zune HD will use Nvidia's Tegra chip.
The hardware itself looks very sleek. The device is a lot slimmer than I had originally suspected. Microsoft is certainly starting to edge in on the iPod in the aesthetics department. Check out another up close picture of the device after the jump.
The Zune HD is due out in Fall of this year. No word on pricing.
Hosts Brian Heater and Kyle Monson are joined by PCMag executive editor Jeremy Kaplan to talk netbooks. This episode features interviews from One Laptop Per Child's COO, Charles Kane; PCMag's laptop analyst Cisco Cheng; and senior editor Eric Griffith.
Brian gets political and contemplates the space time continuum in this week's Hot Five in Five. Also don't forget to Koogle the website disapprovingrabbis.com--find out why you should in this weeks podcast.
Find out who won the PC vs. Mac challenge. Visit the iTunes Store to download the latest episode or go to pcmag.com to listen in.
Looks like someone has designs on Sonos: Yamaha Electronics has unveiled the MusicCAST2 Network Music System, a completely wireless, multi-room music setup that supports Rhapsody streaming, Internet radio, and NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices.
MusicCAST2 consists of the Network Music Commander (MCX-RC100, $500, pictured)--a compact remote control--along with two Network Music Players (MCX-A300, $400, and pre-amp-equipped MCX-P200, $400) that can live anywhere in the house. The system works with up to 32 Music Commanders and Music Players, and can play MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, and iTunes AAC files (without DRM). Meanwhile, the MCX-RC100's 3.5-inch, full-color LCD displays zone and source icons, album art, song titles, and other relevant info. There's also a built-in alarm and sleep timer. Yamaha throws in a charging cradle to keep the whole thing ready to go.
The only downside I see immediately compared with Sonos is the lack of 802.11n support--or at least, Yamaha doesn't mention it. That could be a problem in crowded apartment buildings. To sweeten the deal, Yamaha put together a start-up package called MusicCAST2 Zone Pack 2A, which bundles one MCX-RC100 and two MCX-A300s for $1,200 (a $100 savings). Optional accessories let users hook up iPods, Bluetooth devices, and USB thumb drives. All components are available now.
Sirius XM Radio has announced that its service is now standard on 2010 Toyota Camry vehicles with the premium audio option. The service will continue to be available as a dealer-installed option on Camrys with standard audio.
In addition, Toyota plans to launch XM satellite radio as a factory option on other 2009 Toyotas, leading the two companies to predict that over one million Toyotas with XM satellite radio will be prowling the roads of America by the end of this year.
XM also announced that its NavTraffic service, which offers up-to-the-minute traffic updates for 80 major cities, will be standard on all Camrys with the navigation system option. That adds the Camry to the Corolla, Matrix, and Venza, along with the Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h L, the LX 570, the 2010 RX 350, and the upcoming RX 450h, as all having NavTraffic capability.
All XM-equipped Toyota and Lexus cars come with a minimum of three-month trial subscriptions; after that, a paid subscription is required to continue using the service--which remains the biggest obstacle to satellite radio option to date, given the plethora of HD radio and streaming Internet radio options that are beginning to hit the car scene in earnest.
This week, hosts Brian Heater and Kyle Monson are joined by PCMag's consumer electronics senior editor, Wendy Sheehan Donnell. Wendy looks under the hood of her iPhone and shares a maintenance story when attempting to fix her broken face panel.
Brian and Kyle get into a heated debate about Apple computers and if they are superior to other PCs (or if they're just ridiculously good looking). They also talk with the inventor of the iFart iPhone app and find out what else is on his whiteboard.
Finally, we go to an interview with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor on piracy.
You can download the podcast off of the iTunes store or listen to it directly from the PCMag.com website.
Host Kyle Monson has guest gamers Dan Evans and Whitney Reynolds talking about E3 and, well, gaming. Other host, Brian Heater, joins the crew in spirit and interviews while covering the Entertainment Expo in L.A.
The crew covers recently released game, Sims 3, and speculates if Last Guardian (from makers of Shadow of the Colossus) will be a hot title.
Brian takes us to the show floor where he discusses booth babes with Jordan Morris and how they've changed over the years. He also takes us to an exclusive interview with pro gamer, Fatal1ty.
Tune in by going to the PC Mag After Hours site or download the show off iTunes.
Gefen, the signal switcher and converter gizmo company, has announced the GefenTV Digital Audio Decoder, which remixes 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround audio for stereo (L/R) outputs. That means the unit lets any movie or television program broadcasting in 5.1 Dolby digital audio to be decoded, and output on an existing pair of analog speakers.
The idea is to give two-channel stereo systems the ability to convey some of the same surround sound information as a proper 5.1 system, but without the artificialness (I assume) that usually accompanies "surround" enhancement circuitry.
The Digital Audio Decoder comes with S/PDIF and TOSlink inputs; users can switch between them using a selector on the Decoder, in order to connect, say, a set-top box and a computer simultaneously. Meanwhile, the built-in digital to analog converter includes a digital interpolation filter and support for up to 6 channels of audio encoded in Dolby Digital. The GefenTV Digital Audio Decoder costs $129.00 and is available now.
Apple today kicked off its annual World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco with a keynote presented by the company's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, Philip Schiller. The company used the occasion to announce refreshes across various product lines, including the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, OS X, Safari--and most hotly anticipated, the iPhone.
Schiller kicked off his address by welcoming the 5,200 or so developers from 54 countries who had descended on San Francisco's Moscone West for the week long software-focused event. After highlighting the upward trending Mac OS X, Schiller quickly changed gears to announce the release of a handful of refreshed MacBook laptops.
For home theater and stereo makers, it's adapt or die. The iPod has taken over our music, so any audio system that wants to make it big had better play nice with the iPod.
Pioneer recently released three A/V home theater receivers--the VSX-819AH, VSX-919AH, and VSX-1019AH--with iPod and iPhone integration. In fact, all three will enhance your iPod or iPhone experience as they offer technology that restores compressed music files and offers more dynamic playback. Pioneer's Advanced Sound Retriever will give tracks a richer sound. The Auto Level Control stops fluctuating volume levels so you're not jolted when one song is louder than the others.
These receivers even let you work visually, as they offer a full color graphic user interface that shows your album art. If you're plugging in an iPhone, you'll appreciate the Auto Music-Mute function, which silences playback when you get a call.
All three receivers are available now from Best Buy and other electronics retailers. Prices range from $299 to $499.
Belkin has launched two new products, called TuneBase FM and TuneBase Direct, that let iPhone owners make and receive hands-free calls or listen to music while in the car. The two units play iTunes tracks over the car's stereo speakers--and then fade the music out whenever a call comes in, which is also routed through the stereo. In addition, both TuneBase products can be used while the iPhone is still in its cradle. Both units also support landscape and portrait orientation for turn-by-turn directions or videos.
TuneBase Direct connects to your newer car stereo's auxiliary input using a 3.5mm cable, and also charges your iPhone so the battery doesn't run out. TuneBase FM goes the old-fashioned FM transmitter route, which usually sounds like crap and is subject to interference in cities with lots of radio stations. It also charges the iPhone, and has a ClearScan feature for finding the clearest FM signal to use for music transmission. TuneBase Direct will be available in the next few weeks for $69.99 including a 3.5mm cable, while TuneBase FM will drop in July for $89.99.
What's a premium company to do when its innovative designs are frequently copied by low-end competitors? Keep innovating and leave them in the dust.
Tivoli Audio, maker of eye-catching compact stereo equipment, just introduced two new lines of its NetWorks and Model One radios. The Networks Stereo Radio, which can tune in stations from around the globe via a WiFi connection, will soon be available in six new colors and four textures. .
Microsoft today announced a few new updates to the Zune today, including the addition of a Zune HD, later this year. Also on tap is the addition of the Zune video service to the Xbox live platform--both will be made available this fall.
The new Zune HD features a HD video output at 720p, built-in HD Radio receiver, Wi-Fi, a Web browser, and a 16:9 widescreen format display (480 x 272) OLED touchscreen.
The new Zune/Xbox Live integration will be fully detailed next week at E3 in Los Angeles. Gearlog will be on-hand for that event.
Microsoft has officially confirmed the existence of the ZuneHD, although key details like price and capacity are still being held back.
The ZuneHD will include high-definition 720p video output, an HD radio, a browser and an advanced touchscreen, the Seattle Times reports.
Microsoft is apparently referring to the Zune as just one of a range of "tuners" for Zune services. Another tuner? The Xbox, which will see the Zune store replace the Xbox Live Marketplace.
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