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This is a reasonably priced and small portable Wireless speaker that features NFC to enable quick and easy connection. However for those who have not got NFC then it can still be connected in the more traditional way to give great sound.
At the front it is 20x5.5cm it is 6cm deep and at the back it is 19x3.5cm. It is White with a Black mesh grill that is the front and sides of the unit. I am told they are also available in Black and Silver for the main colour. The base has two anti-slip strips. The back has an on/off button, 3.5mm Auxiliary connection and a micro USB port for charging a 1metre long cable to charge the unit from any USB port is supplied. Beside the port is an LED that glows red when power is connected.
Here a dock that can ramp up the volume even without mains power, in fact it can work even if the i device is not even docked in the unit. Yes in this form it is Bluetooth enabled even though it mentions Wireless, so connected or not.
The HouseParty Portable is 34x14x7cm and weights 1221grams with your ‘i’ device which can if required be docked. While most iPods can be docked using the standard connector later iPod Touch and the Phone and iPad can all also connect Wirelessly. Let me state here that ‘Wirelessly’ means without visible connection as it uses Bluetooth.
This is an i dock but it can and does do far more. It has a built in FM Radio and clock with alarm it also has a sleep countdown timer so although it does support most i devices everything mentioned in this sentence is built in.
The Gear4 AlarmDock Halo2 measures 15cm wide, 14cm deep and 18cm tall. The depth is only for the first 2cm – base – the top with the display is only 3cm in fact it is an ‘L’ shape with the front being the lower corner and you are looking above any ‘i’ device at the back. It is even more intelligent should you have more than one iPod Touch or iPhone using a free app available from App store.
With its passion for all things music and strong support for the Apple family of devices, it is not surprising that Gear4 has developed offering that combine these two elements in a single product such as the HouseParty Rise.
This Gear4 product is an app-enhanced alarm clock radio designed specially for use with the iPod and iPhone. It also has Bluetooth wireless connectivity that expands its range of linked devices. The HouseParty Rise has a stylish modern look. Its overall shape has the appearance of an elongated squashed circle.
The first allows you to connect your device Wirelessly, the second is a speaker dock for your iPod or iPhone that can be powered by AAA barriers or mains. The first in traditional black, while the seconds come in four striking colours.
While I think ‘Street Party’ is a little optimistic for the use of this small unit, it can certainly enhance the sounds from a device connected to it either wirelessly or via a 3.5mm lead. You can even answer phone calls on it. It is 19x10x7cm the last figure the height is at the front the sloping back nature means the rear is only 6cm. If you are taking around and about then weight is important and that is 560grams, a good bit of that is its inbuilt battery.
Recently I have been coming across more and more speaker products that rely on Bluetooth technology as the main method for delivering audio content to them.
Continuing my look at product line-ups available for the festive season, Gear4 takes central stage.
While Christmas comes but once a year, the month of July often see a proliferation of events that are labelled as Christmas in July by various companies. The reason for the temporary time-shifting of the festive season is so that interested parties get the chance to view the goods that manufacturers expect to feature, and hopefully be placed at the top, on the must-have lists of consumers.
First a set of 2.1 speakers shaped like a helmeted head single unit and no doubt will be sold on the Angry Birds name. Second a set of high specification 7.1 headphones designed predominately for those who are into gaming.
When does a toy or game become a serious product? Here we have a rather nice iPod dock with speaker but I suspect the initial sales potential will be round the ‘Angry Birds’ name and with pester power being what it is… It is 13cm wide and 16cm deep with DC lead inserted, 15cm tall before your iPod or iPhone is inserted my iPod Touch adds 10cm. This is a 2.
Think back a generation and perhaps your TV had a basic remote to change the channel or increase/decrease the volume. Now almost any electrical item that is not tethered to you has a remote. So here a control that uses your i device to control most of your device whose remotes have vanished, been eaten by the dog or just stopped working.
The one device that most – especially the young - never lose is their music player and all the ‘i’ devices can do that, of course it may run out of power but that’s another story. Here a device that turns your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad into a remote control so whether it is a TV, Blu-ray player, Hi-Fi or other such device your ‘i’ can control them all.
Sometimes a products title can give you a clear indication as to its purpose and functionality but this is not always the case as this next product illustrates.
The KRG-D50 gives nothing in the way of evidence to explain what is in the box. You could easily indulge in flights of fancy as you come up with numerous suggestions as to what the KRG-D50 actually is and still not come anywhere near the fact that this is a radio-alarm with iPod docking and charging capabilities. Even then there is one important feature still to be revealed.
Here I am looking at iPod docks from Pure (the DAB radio people) and from Gear 4. Both seem to work with most iPods and of course both will charge the iPod while it sits in place playing or not providing you have mains power. Similar products but aimed for slightly different jobs.
When this arrived it was a shock – as I had not asked for it – but mainly because it was a new departure for Pure. There are certainly the best known name in DAB radio and indeed certain of there units do have docks. Pure EcoPlus is their stab at saving the planet. Reduced power consumption in both operation and standby, materials from sustainable sources and or recycled. Less packaging and components selected to lessen environmental impact. More details at . The dock itself is 7.
First an offering from Altec Lansing whose two speakers each have their own sub woofers. Second an offering from Gear 4 intended to pep up the output from your iPod of almost any type.
This is a pair of speakers with what amounts to a sub woofer built into the units. So instead of a pair of speakers that require a separate unit to handle the bass these speakers do it without any extra assistance. These can be used with a PC or any other device needing output but they can also be used as out for an MP3 or iPod device. The two speakers are a similar size but the right one has on/off and volume controls on top and all the inputs. The two units are connected by a quite thick lead.
This is what used to be called a clock radio but with the ability to accept input from any device with a 3.5mm jack socket. It also has a dock for almost any kind of iPod. It has FM radio and of course a good sized clock display with two alarms and of course a snooze setting, so now the iPod has invaded the clock radio bedroom.
It is 26.5x10x12cm however the power lead protrudes 2.5cm from the rear thus increasing the middle figure the depth to 12.5cm. You will probably not be surprised to hear it is black. My iPod is white and this sits in the multi unit dock on the top increasing the third figure the height by 8cm however this will change according to the type of iPod you have.
This is a neat speaker system for your Apple iPod that also incorporates a good FM radio and can also take input from an external source.
Mains powered and measuring approximately 225 x 165 x 100mm (WxHxD) and sporting a black grill with brushed aluminum trim the HouseParty 4 is a general purpose sound-system for iPod. The product is packaged with five iPod adaptors covering most iPods right up to the latest iPod Nano, Touch and the 3G iPhone. Also in the box is a short 3.5mm jack lead for connecting to other audio source, a small remote control, manual and power supply.
You've painstakingly loaded all your music onto your iPod and you want to enjoy it wherever you are. Headphones are not always the answer - but do you go for high-quality 'fixed' speakers for home and and to be limited to when out, or do you sacrifice sound quality indoors in exchange for portability?
Well - now the answer is neither. Gear4 have produced the 'Duo' - the idea is that this one product provides you with rich sound when home and still have light-weight slim portable unit for when you're our and about. The solution is a little Russian doll like - heres how it works! In it's home configuration you have a largish unit measuring around 14 x 23 x 15cm (HxWxD) weighing a little under 2Kg. The bulk of this size is a 20W sub-woofer.
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