In an ideal world, I’d play all of my games while looking at a giant HDTV and surrounded by some sweet speakers with the volume cranked up. Unfortunately most of us don’t get to live such a dream. Instead we find ourselves trying to make the most of the small area that we have for out gaming needs. If you’re tight on space, but still want a great set of speakers to compliment your gaming experience, Antec wants you to give their SoundScience Rockus system a look.
This 2.1 speaker system does more than just crank out your sound effects and music with 150 Watts of power. With the push of a button, it can simulate 3D surround sound, letting you feel like you’re in the action, without messing with a 5.1 or 7.1 setup. Console gamers will be happy to see the inclusion of an optical input, as this means you can plug your 360 or PS3 directly into the speakers.
The SoundScience Rockus has a nice set of features, but the real question is whether they are enough to make this a “must buy” setup. Check out the full review over at GamerFront for all of the details.
Product design is a battle between form and function, and ideally you always want it to end in a draw so there’s a balance between the two. But sometimes one side is the clear winner, and in this case it’s form that takes all the glory. Jonas Damon’s beech wood Alarm Dock is as featureless and functionless as it gets. It’s basically just a faux wooden alarm clock designed to hold your iPhone at an ideal angle so you can use it as a bedside alarm clock.
An opening on the back allows you to run the iPhone’s charging cable through so it charges over night, while a downloadable flip clock app adds to the retro charm. And I’m completely surprised that you can actually order one from AREAWARE for just $39.50. Sure it’s kind of expensive given it does nothing, but the rule of thumb is that designery things usually cost an arm and a leg right?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that most people with even a moderately capable smartphone already use it as a replacement for their alarm clock. And I’d love to count myself among those who do, but unfortunately I usually require a decibel level on par with a passing commercial airliner to wake me up in the morning. So unfortuntely the speaker on my iPhone doesn’t quite cut it.
Thankfully alarm clock dock accessories for the iPhone are just about as plentiful as cases these days, and I recently had the chance to try out the compact 3 in 1 Microdock from XtremeMac. Its small footprint not only makes it ideal for home use since it won’t take up a lot of space on your nightstand, but it’s easy to travel with as well. That compact form factor does come with a few trade-offs though, which I’ll go into detail about in my full review found after the jump.
Disney, start your marketing machines! I know they probably sound like crap, and the original movie really didn’t warrant a sequel, but damned if this isn’t a cleverly adorable design for a pair of earbuds. Shaped like a tiny version of Cars 2′s Lightning McQueen, the retracting front wheels are the actual earbuds while a gas pump headphone jack extends from its rear. As clever movie tie-in products go I have to give credit where credit is due, though like I said, with a price tag of just $11.99 you can probably expect the awesomeness to stop at its cute design.
Usually when I write about a Kickstarter project I’m excited about the product, but pessimistic about it ever actually coming to fruition. But the iPhly is proof that some projects do successfully raise the funding they need. Designed for RC enthusiasts, the iPhly replaces those incredibly expensive controllers with a considerably cheaper and far more compact housing that attaches to your iPhone and interfaces with it through the headphone/mic port. So instead of flying an RC plane via a couple of sticks, you can take advantage of the iPhone’s built-in gyroscope to pitch, roll and even throttle up by swiping across the display.
The accompanying iPhly app, which of course is available for free from the iTunes App Store, uses a simulated attitude indicator for its interface showing how the plane is oriented to the horizon, or a simple animated steering wheel when used with RC cars and trucks. At $99.99 the iPhly isn’t terribly expensive if you’re already an iPhone user, however, you do need to add a Futaba-style frequency module. But if you’re already an RC enthusiast you can just swap it over from your existing controller since most of the popular brands have already been tested to ensure they work with the iPhly.
A computing and music researcher at Stanford University has created a new way to scratch digital files using a traditional turntable, without the need for timecode encoded vinyl. Instead, Nicholas J. Bryan’s Mopho DJ uses the accelerometer and gyroscope inside a couple of iPhones, or iPod Touches to be exact, to detect and wirelessly transmit the movements of the turntable to an accompanying piece of software running on a MacBook. And like other laptop-based solutions, the software is then responsible for playing back the audio file faster, slower or even scratched.
From the looks of the video included below the setup seems to have minimal latency, though it’s hard to tell without actually playing with it myself. And while the iPod Touches he’s using are sitting atop a clear plastic disc with a rubber pad to keep them in place while the wheels of steel are spinning, I’d be inclined to find a more reliable way to strap them down securely when the party really gets started.
Available in two sizes these Talking Recordable Envelopes let you record a message or song, up to 10 seconds in length, that’s played whenever the flap is opened, about 300 times before the battery’s kaput. They can be re-recorded as well, perfect if you’re the re-gifting type, but I have my doubts the opportunity to do so will ever be there. I feel that when you give someone a card on a special occasion, they’re more inclined to tear into the envelope than the card itself. So putting the electronic talking bits in the envelope, instead of the card, just doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. It’s kind of like giving someone a wrapped gift, only for them to discover that the shredded wrapping paper all over the floor was actually the gift.
They are made from a thick paper stock with an aqueous coating to discourage them from immediately being ripped to shreds, and feature clear warnings for the post office to only hand stamp them- Which I’m sure will be completely and utterly ignored. The 5×7-inch version is $4.75 a piece, while the 6×8-inch is just a bit more at $4.95. However, you have to buy at least 10 at a time, putting the cost closer to $50.
There are a lot of things to consider when you’re looking for a computer case. Everything from the size, physical appearance, and even the amount of noise it puts off go into your decision. You might not think that last item is all that important, but there are plenty of situations where a noisy computer can be a nuisance. Sure, you can drown out loud fans with music, but you shouldn’t need to do that. Instead, you can get a silent case, such as the NZXT H2.
This chassis has more to offer than just sound-dampening foam to keep it quiet. Extra features such as USB 3.0 support and a a built-in hard drive dock make this one worth a second look. But do these features make this case stand out enough to make it a must-buy for your next PC? Check out the full review over at GamerFront to find out.
Nixon, best known for their watches and recently known for their headphones has now introduced a couple of rechargeable speakers to their lineup including The Block. Powered by a lithium-ion battery providing up to 6 hours of playtime The Block is a stereo set of speakers that connect together with magnets to form… a block… that’s easier to transport and store. A USB and 3.5mm line-in connector are integrated into a single cable to keep things neat, and as far as controls go you only get a single analog volume dial keeping the design clean and simple. Available in black or white for $80.
Related Tags: Audio, GamerFront, Review
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