Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

Surround sound is pretty awesome, but it’s rarely easy to set up, what with the wires and the other wires and the connectors and all that crap… Not to mention having ugly-ass speakers sitting all around your living room, and if you’re doing it properly, bolted to the ceiling. The SoundBulb is a combination lightbulb and wireless speaker system designed to solve all of these problems by letting you stick everything up in the ceiling and inside lamps.

Stuffed inside the form factor of a regular incandescent bulb is an array of LEDs to provide (eco-friendly!) light, with an 8-ohm speaker behind it. The speaker is connected wirelessly to your home entertainment system, and you can adjust the volume of each speaker by simply twisting the top of the bulb.

No idea when this concept might see production, but it’s a damn good idea and I’d absolutely buy a bunch of them. If they’re cheap. Which they probably won’t be. Internal diagram after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

Sometimes, you wake up, and it’s a purple day. Or a orange day. Or a blue day. You have the wardrobe to match your mood, and a complete set of iPod Nanos because that’s just how trendy you are, but oh no, what about your stereo? It’s so monochromatic! But worry not, for iHome comes to the rescue with yet another iPod accessory.

The iH15W is a cube with 2 speakers, a sub, and an iPod dock stuffed into it, along with enough LEDs to satisfy your wildest and most vivid color fantasies. A button allows you to change colors on a whim, or set it to cycle through them all to accompany your rapid and unpredictable mood swings. So, if you’re currently feeling in need of a “unique cube of beautiful color and sound” that promises to “illuminate your music and complement your mood,” the iH15w can be yours, as long as you’re also in the mood to pay $59.99 for it.

[ iHome ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Ok, so maybe it’s not the same kind of plastic wrap you use in the kitchen, but the SP-AW303 from JVC does appear to use some kind of highly flexible plastic faceplate that not only keeps your MP3 player safe from splashes, but also allows you to safely push all of its buttons, even if your hands are wet. The SP-AW303 itself is just as waterproof, and features a set of 28mm stereo speakers that will run for about 6 1/2 hours with the included batteries. There’s even a remote that can supposedly be used to control your MP3 player, but I imagine the functionality depends on which player you’re actually using.

The JVC SP-AW303 Splash Proof Portable Speaker is available from AudioCubes.com in your choice of white, blue or pink for $79.99.

[ JVC SP-AW303 Splash Proof Portable Speaker ]

By Andrew Liszewski

What’s better than having a miniature astromech droid sitting on your desk pumping out your tunes? Why 2 miniature astromech droids of course. This run-of-the-mill desktop speaker set makes you forget how crappy they probably sound with an awesome R2-D2 and R2-D1 design. The domes flip up revealing the actual speaker, and since they’re powered by the stereo headphone jack connector, don’t expect a THX experience from this pair.

You can pick them up from ThinkGeek for $39.99.

[ Star Wars R2-D2 Speaker Set ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While headphones seem like the obvious choice for enjoying your MP3 player while out jogging or riding a bike, they’re not always the safest solution. And that’s what inspired Jeff Lotman, a cycling enthusiast, to create the Cy-Fi speaker. It’s available in two wireless flavors, a bluetooth version which can connect to a cellphone, PDA or any other device that supports A2DP, and an iPod version that comes with a dongle transmitter that uses the Kleer wireless audio technology instead.

Both versions feature a rechargeable battery that’s good for about 5 1/2 to 6 hours of playback with a range of about 30 feet, and each one allows you to adjust the volume or change the track using a set of buttons on the speaker itself. However, the bluetooth version also allows you to use the Cy-Fi as a speakerphone for taking calls while you’re out and about. Both versions are available on the Cy-Fi online store, with the bluetooth model selling for $179.95 and the iPod model selling for just a bit more at $199.95.

[ Cy-Fi Wireless Speakers ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m pretty sure I still remember all the lyrics to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song, but I don’t seem to recall the part where they sing about his ability to pop his eyeballs out of the sockets. Maybe that was only seen in the movie. Either way, this soft spongy speaker dock is fashioned after the top third of SpongeBob’s head, and features a set of eyeball speakers that can be removed allowing them to wobble about based on the type of music you’re playing. The dock features a standard mini stereo jack which means any device that can accept a pair of headphones can be connected, and on top there appears to be an indent for holding your MP3 player while it’s in use.

The SpongeBob Speaker Dock is available from the Nickelodeon Shop for $39.99, and I assume the nightmares your kids will have with this sitting on their dresser are included at no extra charge.

[ SpongeBob SquarePants: Eyeball Speaker Dock ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You know those times when you just want to get down and dance but don’t have access to an abandoned factory like Kevin Bacon did? Well now you can let the iBoogie do the dancing for you. It’s basically a small speaker that connects to your MP3 player of choice via the headphone jack, but that’s not all. The iBoogie also includes an array of LEDs that light up in the shape of a stick figure who dances along with the music you’re playing.

The footloose stick figure apparently has over 50 choreographed dance moves, and if you don’t have an MP3 player, the iBoogie also includes the song Canned Heat built-in. It’s powered by 3 AA batteries and even includes the appropriate audio cable.

You can order one from the HSN website, and I assume the actual channel, for $19.95.

[ iBoogie Speaker and Dance Machine for MP3 Players ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yep, the Woodchuck speakers are your basic set of flat-packed cardboard speakers that would make IKEA proud. But for those who are worried what their friends will think when they discover that sweet stereo setup is actually made of cardboard, the Woodchuck speakers feature a wood grain print which should easily fool anyone into thinking they’re the real deal. That is unless of course they try to look at them, pick them up, splash water on them, set them on fire or happen to read OhGizmo! They’re available from Delight.com in a dark or light wood grain finish for just $13.50.

[ Woodchuck iPod/Laptop Speaker Set ] VIA [ Gear Live ]

By Andrew Liszewski

JBL refers to this speaker design as “90 degrees of pure ingenuity” and while I’ve personally never been stymied by a corner or a 90 degree angle when trying to install speakers, they do appear to make the task somewhat easier. I think the real innovation with these speakers (if you can call it that) is the modular design which allows you to easily connect up to 4 of them together, reducing the number of mounting brackets you need to attach them to a wall or other structure. Now I can’t vouch for how how good they actually sound, but with a price tag of $225 each from Harman Audio, I’m pretty sure you’re not just paying for the angled design.

[ JBL Control Now Speakers ] VIA [ Cool Material ]