Hercules i-XPS SoundBox Portable Speaker for iPods

The i-XPS Soundbox is the perfect companion for lounging out by the pool or at the beach. This portable speaker will enclose your iPod Nano (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod Mini ( If anyone still has this), iPod Classic, as well as other MP3 Players. The integrated mini jack cable connection inside the unit will hook up to the speakers through any headphone jack on the your MP3 Player. It zips up to keep your MP3 player safe from harm and it also includes a big metal clip, wrist strap, and attachment for your bicycle handlebar. In addition the speaker is powered by 2 AAA batteries. What really makes this stand out from the already cluttered field of portable iPod speakers are its looks. It’s available in a Stone, Splash, and Spray design which we assume is used to make it blend in with its surroundings, or to get it’s rugged theme accross. Pricing and release info TBD, so keeping checking out their site for updated info on where to purchase it.

Maxx Digital’s Portable DVD Player Takes Design Cues from the PSP

Ok, so we’ve never heard of Maxx Digital, but they do have one interesting DVD Player. By interesting, we mean that it certainly looks familiar. The Maxx Digital PDV-8500BLK 8.5″ TFT looks a lot like a popular game handheld, you know, the PSP. Spec-wise the unoriginally designed widescreen Maxx Digital PDV-8500BLK 8.5″ TFT can play back DVD, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, and it supports JPEG, MP3 and MPEG4 video files via its built-in SD, MMS/MS card reader. It also comes with a remote control, AV cable, and carrying case. Not bad for $130.

Macally PowerTune Do-It-All iPod Accessory

Macally’s PowerTune is one of those iPod accessories that just make sense to get. Designed for the iPod Classic and 5th generation iPod, the PowerTune is a portable speaker that also moonlights as a battery charger. But that’s not all folks, it also doubles as a protective case and a stand. The speaker itself has two built-in 500mw speakers with volume control, while the device recharges your iPod’s battery from power drained from a USB port. The PowerTune retails for a reasonable $39.99, which is probably less than the total you would spend if you bought all four types of accessories.

Samsung YP-S2 Pebble MP3 Player Review

In April we had the chance to go to the Samsung Spring Fever event and check out  some new products being released soon from Samsung. One of the items that struck us as especially unique was the YP-S2 MP3 Player aka the “Pebble.” It was tiny and adorable and definitely female friendly. It would certainly give the Apple iPod Shuffle a run for its money. So because we begged and pleaded to play with one, Samsung was nice enough to send us one to review. So now we get see if the Pebble is really Bam Bam. [Read more]

GPX iPod Clone Has Dual Headphone Jacks

When you look at this DAP, you’re probably thinking - oh no, not another cheap iPod clone. But the GPX MW3837 does have something to offer that we wish high-end Mp3 players would included - dual headphone jacks. Forget using a cable splitter, the GPX MW3837 lets two listen to music together. It’s other features are standard - 1GB of memory, it supports WMA DRM files, it’s got 1GB of built-in memory and it comes with a carrying bag. Not too shabby for $34.99 - get one for the kids for road trips.

Hello Kitty Pendant MP3 Player is Cheap & Pink

Generally Hello Kitty branded gadgets are way overpriced, though we did spot a cheapo HK MP3 player a while back. If that last one wasn’t quite what you’re looking for, here is another cheapo Hello Kitty MP3 player that looks like it’s a relatively good value. The Hello Kitty Pendant MP3 Player features 1GB of memory, a voice recorder, and 6 equalizer presets. Not exactly cutting edge here, but for $39.99 with a matching set of pink headphones, HK lovers will appreciate it.

Rockin’ Lap Desk Carries Your Homework and a Beat

I guess what can be called the lunchbox of the 00’s, the Rockin’ Lap Desk is a cushy bean bag that can hold your homework, possibly a lunch, and it doubles as a portable speaker that you can plug your MP3 player into. The Rockin’ Lap Desk can be personalized with monogramming in different colors or font. It also comes with a sturdy top that can be used as a desk. Four Double AA batteries are required to power the speakers. The lap desk retails for $129.00.

Logitech’s Pure-Fi Mobile Bluetooth Speaker Review

Logitech’s New Pure-Fi Mobile wireless speaker and speakerphone is not the first of its kind. There are many other bluetooth speaker / speakerphone systems on the market but the majority of them fail to deliver a good audio experience. However, Logitech produces some very good speaker systems and iPod docks, so we hoped that the Pure-Fi Mobile would too.

The Pure-Fi Mobile’s goal is to deliver a great wireless audio experience for use with your phone or PC whilst being small and portable enough to travel with. The speaker can last up to 12 hours with its rechargeable batteries. Aside from connecting it to your A2DP enabled phone or PC, you can also connect your iPod or Mp3 player to the Pure-Fi Mobile via the 3.5MM stereo jacket. A cable is even supplied to do so. Of course that means that it won’t be a wireless experience, but blame that on Apple for leaving A2DP bluetooth out. [Read more]

Oakley’s O ROKR PRO MP3 Bluetooth Sunglasses Review

The likelihood of water mixing with oil is very improbable because of the chemical composition of both of these liquids; Equate that same theory with the infamous internationally renown Oakley eye wear giant and one of the top telecommunication icons, Motorola teaming up and perhaps you’re left scratching your head.

However, in as far as technology is concerned, these two companies have managed to blend high end eye wear with hands free bluetooth wireless technology, with the O ROKR PRO sunglasses ($249). Oakley eye wear is widely known for it’s exacting durability and craftsmanship and sets the standard by which all other sporting and leisure eye wear companies emulate (think professional cyclist Lance Armstrong and more than a few professional baseball players that have several pair of Oakley’s in their collection).

[Read more]

Xi iPod Jukebox Has a LCD for Playing Music Videos

So we have seen a lot of ipod Jukeboxes over the years, but Sound Leisure’s Xi Jukebox definitely brings some unique features to the typical ipod Jukebox you might find out there. For starters, this one has a LCD screen for playing back music videos and photo slideshows. It’s also covered in LED lighting and has a color scheme that you can change according to your mood. The rest of it is what you would expect, it works as an ipod dock that will charge your ipod and play its music via its powerful Mk7 Twin channel Amplifier with 150w per channel. For those of you in London whom would like to check it out for yourself, we spotted one at Harrods and were impressed. This is one piece that would make a grand addition to your home furnishings. Unfortunately we don’t have pricing info but although the Xi Jukebox is designed for home use, don’t expect it to be cheap.

Lucky Brand’s Asian Themed Geisha iPod Speaker

Here is a great portable ipod speaker that certainly stands out from the rest of the ones out there. Instead of just simply making itself unique with a simple color, Lucky Brand’s Geisha ipod case is a special edition of the sonic Impact iP2cc that is covered in a beautiful Asian inspired theme made up of traditional hand-drawn Eastern landscape with floating, pop-art red lips. Spec-wise the hard case is designed for traveling and includes a strap, a 24 hour battery life and a power adapter. The case is available from Best Buy for $99.

Gilty Couture Luxury Gold Cases Cost More Than Your iPod

So maybe you’re not adventurous enough to have your iPhone or iPod actually blinged out with Swarovski Crystals but perhaps you’d like an alternative way to glamorize your beloved gadget. That is where Gilty Couture comes in. They have a unique line of luxury iPod cases. Some are made out of 14k gold, some are Silver plated cases and they either come with or without Swarovski crystals as an accent. There are cases for all current gen ipods including everything from the iPhone, ipod Touch to the 2G shuffle. You can also choose from different color crystals - including pink. Unfortunately the cases tend to cost as much, if not more than an ipod, but we figured as much. For example, a silver case for the Shuffle costs $69.99. But you always pay a price for couture, hmm.

Hello Kitty Bargain MP3 Player, Just $37

A common problem for Hello Kitty fans lusting after Hello Kitty gadgets is the prices tend to be outrageous and hard to justify. However, once and a while we do discover some kittylicious bargains. The Hello Kitty 1.5″ Digital Photo Frame / MP3 Player supports MP3, WMA, and WAV files, and it can also play back AVI video files on its 1.5″ screen. Inside it’s got just 64mb of built-in storage but you can expand it via a SD/MMC slot. Matching headphones and a pink Hello Kitty ase are included as well. Not bad for $36.99. But grab it while it lasts since it’s an outlet item.

Oakley Split THUMP MP3 Sunglasses Review

The Split THUMP from Oakley is another addition to the Oakley THUMP family of sunglasses with built-in MP3 Players. I for one was never a fan of the original THUMP. I felt they were extremely masculine looking and certainly would not be considered very attractive on any woman. The Split THUMP however is a more softer, unisex approach with the original concept in mind but this time the design is a little more woman friendly.

Design:
At first glance the Oakley Split THUMP is a bit less severe in style compared to the other sunglasses in this line. They are styled as a high end pair of sunglasses which could easily pass as a pair of D&G or Gucci’s. However, the frames are on the large size and will probably not look good on petite female faces, then again, large frames are very in style this summer. The glasses come in several different Frames/Lens: Polished Black with Warm Grey lens, Polished Black with Grey Polarized lens, Crystal Black with Black Iridium lens, and lastly Brown Smoke with Dark Bronze Lens. We got to review the Polished Black with Warm Grey lens with 1GB of storage. There is a 2GB version of the same pair. The stems of the sunglasses have the controls for the Built-in MP3 Player. The right stem has the Power/Play/Skip/Pause controls. The left stem has the volume controls. When you take off the stickers that depict the functions on each arm you either better memorize it before throwing the stickers away or the only other way to see what the functions are is to take the glasses off and to look at the opposite side of the arm where the functions are lasered into the plastic.

The Split THUMP are unique because not only can you use them as a MP3 player but you can choose to use them as a stand alone pair of regular sunglasses by removing the speakers (ear pieces). The speakers are removable and can easily be snapped into place or removed depending on what you plan on using them for that day. In addition, the eyewear is designed to be sweat resistant, so that no sweat lines will form around the frames of the glasses. This is one pair of glasses that aims to do everything and a bag of chips. But onwards to see if it lives up to all the hype.

Setup/Installation:
Oakley’s Split THUMP comes with a USB cable which connects via a USB port under the right arm of the sunglasses. The USB cable not only sync’s music or transfers data files from your computer to your glasses but it also charges them as well when connected to a computer. A full charge the battery will last 8 hours, certainly enough time for a long jog or a bicycle ride. I tested the Split THUMP first on my Mac. After connecting the Split THUMP, in a few seconds it was available as a device to drop music files into. The Split THUMP does not support .m4p formats but it will support AAC (Non DRM), MP3, WMA, and WAV. Unsuprisingly, it won’t sync with iTunes either. When I opened up iTunes, it didn’t pick it up as a MP3 device for iTunes. The Split THUMP operates as a typical Flash Drive that you can drop music files onto when you use it with the Mac. For me it wasn’t really a deal breaker since I’m not a huge fan of iTunes anyway. However the web site advertises that iTunes Plus files will work with the Thumps, which is another way of saying that DRM free AAC music files purchased from iTunes can play on the Split THUMP.

I then moved over to my PC which is running Win XP Pro ( gave up on Vista) again it was a pretty simple setup. I attached the sunglasses to my PC via the USB and it was picked up automatically and installed. Windows Media Player was the only media player I had installed on the PC so it became the default player for the Split THUMP. When working with PCs, the Split THUMP also supports AAC, MP3, WMA and WAV as well. It picked it up right away and listed it as a device I could sync with. I sync’d a few songs and it did it very easily with no problems at all, I let Windows Media Player handle it. For both Mac and PC computers, I didn’t need to download any device driver software or have to use an installation CD. It was a very simple and painless install as well as transferring music on to the glasses.

Wearability / Interface:
As we said earlier the control buttons are located on the stems of the sunglasses and are very simple to control. To turn on the sunglasses to use the MP3 player you have to hold down the “play” button and it will turn on. The same can be said when you want to turn them off. By a simple touch of any of the buttons you can easily operate the glasses. The tricky part is the removable speakers. You snap them into place on either stem if you want to listen to the music while wearing the sunglasses or remove them if you want to use them as just a plain pair of sunglasses. The speakers when snapped into the glasses are adjustable to fit comfortably in your ears. It took a few tries for me to fit them in my ears to hear the music and not look like total dork or the glasses looking crooked on my face. The speakers contort very nicely, it just takes a bit of playing around till you feel comfortable with them in your ears with the frames on your face. For me the stems were never behind my ear when I had the speakers in my ear. The stems rested just a little above my ears and just below my temples. Since I have long hair it was easy to cover up but for women with shorter cuts it may look strange to the average passerby. As a plain pair of glasses I was surprised that the Split THUMP didn’t really keep the sun out of my eyes all that well… for those who like very dark sunglasses, they indeed are just average. Personally I like my sunglasses to have shades as dark as possible, so maybe I am a harsh critique. On the other hand, one of our other editors thought that it was just right.

Sound Quality:
I was delightfully surprised when listening to music on the Split THUMP. Honestly I thought it was not going to be that great. But it wasn’t bad at all. There are no EQ or Bass/Treble options, basically you have to make sure to transfer decent quality MP3’s over to the glasses and it will play well. Also if you adjust the speakers in your ear you get to hear more or less bass. The music experience was definitely above par compared to some earbuds we have reviewed in the past. Unfortunately after an hour I started to get a headache and the speakers became uncomfortable. However I will give this disclaimer, I’m not a fan of earbuds at all as I wear traditional headphones for music devices so I could just not be used to it. But in regards to the sound quality and performance of the overall MP3 player part of the sunglasses, it was fine and the audio experience was good quality.

Conclusion:
For those training for the Olympics or cross training for a Triathlon these are certainly sunglasses for you. You won’t have to deal with wires and you will have a pair of sporty looking sunglasses on. Prices range from $249 to $399 depending on the storage capacity you choose for your Split THUMP. For the average consumer this is certainly a luxury item and at least for women they are nicer than the regular THUMP sunglasses. However for most folks this will never be an iPod replacement but certainly a cool gadget that will make your friends jealous and epitomize your geekiness.

The Good: A female friendly design, good sound quality, removable speakers means that they can be used as a plain pair of sunglasses, can drop data files as well as songs on to glasses.

The Bad: Gets uncomfortable after a while with speaker buds, lens could be darker.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun GeekKit

Can’t decide what to get your favorite pink gadget lover? Why not get her everything. The Girls Just Wanna’ Have Fun GeekKit comes with the Gadget Girl 300K Digital Camcorder that doubles as a webcam, the Bratz Rock Angelz Recording Studio Playset, a cute little Pink Radio Control Car complete with flashlights and sound effects, a bunch of multicolor LED bracelets, the 1GB Lasonic MP-01GS MP3 Player that supports WMA and MP3 files and has an FM radio, a pink foldable dust and water resistant keyboard and a matching 3 button PS/2 optical mouse that lights up red and purple when plugged in. This whole package costs just $64.50. Granted some of these items are a bit kiddish, but overall we like its concept and the price tag.

Gear4’s Streetwear Adds More Hoodies to your Ipod’s Closet

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time we’ve come across ipod hoodies to dress up your ipod in. Gear4’s StreetWear for the 3G iPod Nano are the latest ones to to enter the game. There are two colors to choose from - a gray or a more feminine styled pink version with a printed floral pattern. Both feature a drawstring hood, a coat hook on reverse for attaching to a key ring, and each have a velcro pocket for headphone storage. Gear4’s StreetWear outfits retail for £9.99.

Flamingo Music Earbuds Review

The Flamingo Music earbuds feature EarClick technology which promises to provide a customizable secure fit for your ear that is also “weightless”. The product comes packaged with 6 EarClick ear-pads. I had to try on a few until I was able to find the one that fit my ear right. Once I found the appropriate one, the Flamingo did feel quite comfortable, however the non-appropriate sized ear clicks were just the opposite - they were uncomfortable. So you have to be sure to find the one that is best for you. True to their claim, the headphones did feel quite weightless as well, and the nature of the design does feel very secure - the earphones don’t fall out or get loose the way my iPod earbuds so easily do.

The Flamingo Music also came with a carrying pouch, which is appreciated because I hate carrying around headphones in my bag only to discover later that they’ve gotten all tangled up. Keeping them in a little bag keeps things neat in tidy. A clip is also included as well to keep things neat or to use to attach the earbud’s cable to your clothing or bag strap.

The design of the Flamingo Music is pretty slick and stylish, nothing spectacular but overall nice. Our review pair was colored in chrome and black. Although the Flamingo Music earbuds are a little bigger than your typical earbuds, wearing it in my ear was still pretty unobtrusive. The cable is shielded with a “sports-grade finish”. In other words, the cable isn’t your typical plastic cable that is more likely to snap or suffer from wear and tear.

Unfortunately when it came to sound quality the Flamingo Music suffered from significant tinniness and a lack of bass, even after playing around with the EQ settings. For $49.99 we’re not expecting Bose like quality, but even the standard iPod/iPhone earbuds provide a better audio experience. Is it the worst pair of headphones we’ve ever used? No. But still, for $49.99 we expected more punch.

The Flamingo Music retails for $49.99 and comes in a choice of 4 colors - chrome, black, blistered red or white. iPhone users will be happy to hear that the Flamingo Music is compatible with their favorite phone. Overall, if a high quality audio experience isn’t your priority but rather you are looking for something comfortable and lightweight, than the Flamingo Music might be for you.

Conclusion:

The Good: Available in 4 colors, Comfortable and Weightless

The Bad: Suffers from Tinny Sound and lack of bass

Blinged Out iSonic Snapbox X25 is Like a Nano but Cheaper

In the world of Nano rip-offs, there are many. But not many of them come blinged out with fake jewels. The pink iSonic Snapbox X25 Limited Edition sports a 2GB capacity, a 1.8″ LCD screen, a voice recorder, FM tuner, and it supports MP3, Mp4, WMA and Wav formats - you know all the features you would expect in a knock-off. Either way, the price is right at $59.99, it makes a good cheap DAP for those girly girls who like a little bling sprinkled on their gadgets.

StereoBudz Hot Pink Earbuds Help Fight Breast Cancer

Looking for a cheap pair of new earbuds, maybe to match your pink ipod or other pink MP3 player? Koss has a special pair of Susan G. Komen StereoBudz Earbuds. The package comes with both a white and hot pink pair of earbuds along with a carrying case. And naturally, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Koss Susan G. Komen StereoBudz Earbuds retails for just $14.99.

Otterbox Strength Cases to Come in Pink to Support Breast Cancer Research

Otterbox iPod cases are kind of like the Toughbook of ipod Cases, their rugged and meant to withstand the elements as well as bumps and drops. But tough and pink can go together, right? They have two upcoming limited edition cases that will be available in pink. OtterBox will donate 10% of the purchase price to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The cases are designed to fit the iPhone and the 3G Nano and will retail for $49.95 and $29.95 respectively.

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