GadgetReview

So before you completely dismiss the Rihanna Kitchen Scale with built-in iPod dock, consider how often you listen to music while cooking?  Ah, ah, that’s right, now you know what I’m talking about.  But, yeah, seriously, this is beyond gimmick.  If you look closely the 2-watt speaker resides just underneath the glass surface, which will no doubt make for some interesting sound quality.

Currently the Rihanna kitchen scale is in a concept only stage, but the company, ADE, does have plans to bring it to market for just over $100.

Where there is gimmick there is sales!

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Still trying to figure out how to make your iPhone a tad greener and all the while not cluttering up your desktop?  The Regen’s Renu solar panel is a modular system that charges on its own and when the time comes, can be placed in one of their two docks to charge up the iPhone.  That means you don’t have to expose your iPhone to direct sunlight, potentially harming the phone’s fragile components.

Renu currently offers an iPod dock, which just does the usual or you can opt for the more expensive but heavier featured Sound Dock, which includes a set of speakers and a slot for Regen’s Renu solar panel, providing up to 8 hours of sound or power to your iProduct of choice. The Renu solar panel takes about 3.7 hours to charge in direct sunlight outside and 7.3 hours of ‘direct sunlight indoors’. …Continue reading: Regen’s Renu iPod Dock Is My Favorite Solar Panel Gadget To Date

Word on the street is that Apple will hold a press conference on Wednesday, September 9th.  Historically speaking the Cupertino company has announced new iPods around this time, so if you’ve got expectations for a touchscreen laptop, now called the ‘iPad‘ by many a bloggers, you can probably forget it.  I’d also expect to hear more news on the rumored ‘Cocktail‘ music project, which should add many ’social’ features to iTunes amongst other things.  Perhaps we’ll also see the debut of that newly minted commercial.

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This is the first I’ve heard of, or at least recall Lifeworks, but the recently founded company has just signed a licensing deal with iHome and from the looks of it they’re churning out some cool iPod integrated products.  I’m particularly fond of the iConnect Media keyboard, which also comes in a Mac specific flavor.  Integrated into the keyboard is an iPod dock with media controls and 2 rotating USB ports.  It’s not exactly ground breaking, but it certainly does look svelte and sexy.  Also of note is their iStand Notebook Media Center, which is just brand speak for a notebook stand with an iPod dock, speakers, 2 USB ports and touch sensitive volume controls.  The complete line will launch sometime this summer and cost $149.99 and $299.99 respectively.

One more pic after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Lifeworks iHome iConnect Keyboard And iStand Notebook Media Center

Amazon has a great price for the Philips DCP951/37 9-Inch Portable DVD Player with Ipod Docking.  It’s $99.99 + free shipping = $99.99 shipped! Features include an iPod dock, 9-inch LCD, 2.5 hour battery life on a single charge and it doubles as an LCD photo frame. …Continue reading: Philips DCP951/37 9-Inch Portable DVD Player with Ipod Docking – $100 Shipped

iHome, the makers of the original iPod clock docks, is entering the realms of higher audio with the iP1.  Looking as if it would fit perfectly in Patrick Bateman’s apartment (American Psycho), the iP1 should hit retailers around the middle of July for $300.  Featuring digital signal processing by Jon Bon Jovi’s actual cousin Tony Bongiovi, the iP1 is designed with higher volumes in mind as well as clarity in compromised scenarios where the music will be competing with other environmental and ancillary sounds.  Featuring a 100 Watt amp, two 4-inch woofers and two 1-inch tweeters we’re hoping this thing bangs.  The remote supports EQ settings and the option to turn the DSP off while the unit itself is fully iPhone compatible and has a video component output.  IHome has made a name for itself in the last several years so we wish them the best of luck with their new “Studio Series” speaker docks!

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It’s often more than likely that American families and households have more that one Apple product.  I myself have an iPhone and an iPod Classic.  The Griffin PowerDock 4 for iPhones & iPods is an awesome choice for any family or bunch of roommates that wants to have a large charging station in their kitchen or living room.  The PowerDock 4 is also an ideal choice for vacations and traveling.

Sort of like “stadium seating” for you iProducts, the PowerDock 4 is simple in its utilitarian design and is meant for being away from the computer.  I say that because there are no USB inputs or anything else besides the wall plug and the 4 charging ports.

Embracing the usual visual flair indicitive of Griffin products, the PowerDock 4 looks very upscale with its brushed aluminum exterior and would match many home’s kitchen appliances.  The Griffin name is emblazoned on the front and the rest is made of a glossy black plastic.  The bottomside has a rubber base to give the PowerDock 4 traction on most all surfaces.

The PowerDock 4 comes equipped with 8 black plastic inserts for many different iPods and iPhones.  Once they are attached they require a knife to remove so there’s no real risk of them falling out when packing into a bag for travel use.

As simple as the PowerDock 4 is, it would have been nice to see some extra features nonetheless.  Adding some USB ports would have been nice for charging Mophie Juice Packs or iPods/iPhones in 3rd party cases, and computer compatibility would have made it more versitile.  Charging indicator lights would have been well received as you have to manually check each gadget to see where it’s at during the charging process.  A bonus would also be a retractable power cord so the PowerDock could be just one piece.  Also be sure to check the list of included inserts to make sure you don’t have to order additional ones.

End result is that if you need something to ONLY charge multiple iProducts, then the Griffin PowerDock 4 is probably your best bet.  I have seen a couple other chargers out there for up to 4 devices, but I would reccomend checking out the Griffin PowerDock 4 before anything else.

Pros:

• Simple setup and easy to use
• Looks at home in the kitchen
• Decreases the amount gadget clutter

Cons:

• Does not “sync” with computers
• Only charges Apple iPods and iPhones
• May be pricey for just a charger

Buy it for $43 here!

Here’s a company you might not of heard of: LiveSpeakR.  They produce one product: an iPod/iPhone compatible portable speaker system.  Two grilled speakers flank the dock on either side and tucked neatly at the center is a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery and flip out stand.  At first glance, the LiveSpeakR doesn’t warrant a double take but after plugging in my Gen 1 iPhone I can honestly say I’m a convert.

Don’t be misled by the LiveSpeakR’s tiny size, this thing can produce some serious sound.  But before we get there let me tell you a bit about its feature set.

Front and center of the LiveSpeakR is an unusual docking system that smoothly accepts my iPhone into its clutches and works surprisingly well given its odd aesthetic.  Rotating the dock 90 degrees into landscape mode resulted in the speakers automatically extending beyond the iPhones length allowing the speakers to continue to emit sound unobstructed.  A little odd but smart as this allows the LiveSpeakR to be used in both orientations: landscape for movies or portrait mode for music. Instead of utilizing the standard ‘made for iPod’ 30-pin dock, LiveSpeakR opted for a simple headphone jack, which not only works with the Gen 1 iPhone and iPod Touch, but makes it compatible with other MP3 players on the market.  The rechargeable Lithium battery placed squarely behind the dock, that not only centers the device’s weight but doubles as a stand thanks to the included flip out, height adjustable mount.

…Continue reading: Gadget Review: LiveSpeakR Portable iPod/iPhone Speaker System (video)

Apple whipped out a brand new iPod Shuffle today.  They’ve doubled the capacity (4GB) as well as the complexity.  No joke.  Instead of controlling the Shuffle with the standard set of buttons us humans have come to expect they’ve removed them and placed the controls inline, on the headphone cord.  They’ve also added ‘voice over’ support which now reads aloud the track playing, and added playlists to the screenless device.  And just in case you’re wondering, yes, you’ll have to use the included headphones otherwise the 2009 iPod Shuffle is totally useless.  Can someone say Gen 1 iPhone all over again?

You can order it now for $80.

Update: Video walk through after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Apple Quietly Pushes Out New iPod Shuffle, Pisses Off Many (video)

Vann’s, via Amazon has the Klipsch RoomGroove Wireless iPod Speaker for a good price.  It’s $150 + free shipping = $150 shipped! Features include an iPod dock, battery powered, 2.5-inch woofer, 1-inch horn and remote.