Hasta La Gadget!

All music should be accompanied by a light show. And, if said light show comes in the form of a three-foot tall self-contained iPod dock, all the better. iHome’s iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower is not just a catchy name any more, it’s now a product you can actually purchase for $199. The unnecessarily tall iDevice dock is loaded with color changing LEDs that pulse, fade and blink in coordination with your tunes and you can even connect other media sources via Bluetooth. You can pick up the GlowTunes dock now direct from iHome or at unnamed “retailers nationwide.” Check out the PR and video after the break.

Continue reading iHome’s iP76 3-foot tall LED Color Changing Speaker Tower dock now available

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

iHome’s iP76 3-foot tall LED Color Changing Speaker Tower dock now available originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there is a portable speaker that you might want to consider owning, how about taking the wireless route with the Genius SP-900BT Portable Bluetooth Speaker? This is a device that also sports a built-in microphone, but we will get to that afterwards. Basically, the Genius SP-900BT will be able to hook up to your smartphone or tablet sans wires. This particular compact speaker will allow you to listen to audio or music directly from your smartphone or tablet at volumes which can be cranked to pretty high levels, while letting you attend to incoming phone calls and conference calls, hands-free.

Synchronizing the 2-watt SP-900BT is as simple as using a press of a button to your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet, where it will play nice within a distance of up to 30 feet. Should there be an incoming phone call when the music is playing, the SP-900BT will inform you with a ring. Answering the call will allow you to talk and listen without requiring you to touch your handset at all. No idea on how long the 700mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery is able to last though. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Zooka portable speaker is elegant, Genius releases Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad and Android tablets,

The annoying group of teenagers blaring music from their phones at the back of the bus are set to become even more frustrating if NXP Semiconductors has its way, with new tiny speaker tech promising huge increases in output. The TFA9887 can deliver a 5x increase in loudness, NXP claims, pushing in excess of 2.6 watts RMS into micro-speakers previously limited to just 0.5W. Best of all, the company says it can do so with more sound accuracy and no potential for damage to the speakers themselves.

That’s because the new NXP audio system packs far more monitoring tech than previous versions. New circuits track speaker performance using adaptive excursion control, tracking how much the speakers cone is physically moving to make sure that it’s within design limits, while temperature monitoring keeps a metaphorical eye on the voice-coil to make sure it’s not overheating.

Thanks to all that, one of the biggest compromises usually involved in mobile speakers can be avoided. Usually, device manufacturers are forced to trim bass and cut maximum volume, just in case a particularly meaty bassline ruptures the speakers. The TFA9887, however, optimizes the audio signal based on the movement of the speaker, allowing its full capabilities to be utilized without ever driving it beyond its limits.

“An advanced clip avoidance algorithm monitors audio performance and prevents clipping, even when the power supply begins to sag. Bandwidth extension increases the low frequency response well below speaker resonance. And an intelligent DC-to-DC boost converter maximizes audio headroom from any supply level despite battery undervoltage. The TFA9887 automatically adapts to any changes in the speaker – including ageing, damage to the enclosure, and blocked speaker ports – helping to optimize performance and maintain the desired sound quality.” NXP Semiconductor

Bundled tools allow manufacturers to tweak their audio output to make best use of the processing tech. NXP is sampling the new audio chip and demo boards based upon it, though there’s no telling when it might end up in mobile devices on store shelves.

NXP Semiconductors boosts smartphone speakers by 5x is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

What a lovely set of speakers. Let me just dock my smartphone right th…

Or perhaps you happen to own one of the thousands of devices not equipped with a proprietary Apple dock connector. Well, when it comes time to slide your Android or Windows Phone into place, the only sound you’re likely to hear is the screech of a 30-pin plug scratching up the case. If the speaker rig packs Bluetooth, you can use that instead, but if you own one of many that don’t, you’ll probably want Pear. Drawing some name and design inspiration from an arguably more popular fruit, Pear brings Bluetooth connectivity to any dock connector-equipped speaker set, drawing power from the port so it can pair with virtually any smartphone or tablet, letting you play your tunes while keeping your handset in hand. It offers a range of 30 feet indoors or up to 75-feet outside (there’s a video proving the feat at the source link below), and works with any apps and devices that offer Bluetooth output.

The wireless gadget’s designer is turning to Kickstarter to raise the funds necessary to launch Pear into production. The team has already developed a working prototype, so there’s proof that you’re not backing vaporware, and a $30 pledge can net you one of 250 early bird devices. After that initial run, you’ll need to hand over 40 bucks (which also happens to be the expected retail place) for an arctic white or jet black Pear. The developers are hoping to raise $40,000, to cover their prior investments and push the device to the manufacturing stage (no, it won’t be “made in the USA“), so if you want to see Pear pop up in a speaker dock near you, hit up our source link below to make your pledge. You can also jump past the break for a quick intro video, and an update on a previous Insert Coin project.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Pear brings Bluetooth to your Apple-compatible speaker dock

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Wireless

Insert Coin: Pear brings Bluetooth to your Apple-compatible speaker dock originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those who bought the regular Jawbone Jambox have had to look on at Big Jambox owners with envy over the past several weeks for more than just the obvious: the larger model was the only one to support the Android version of the Jawbone Companion app and give audible reminders of distinctly non-audio tidbits, such as Google Calendar appointments. The software side of the gap is now closing through a version 2.2 update to the original Bluetooth audio brick. Along with adding in that missing Companion support, there’s now a slightly misleading silent mode — it’s just turning off audible control cues and voice prompts, not turning the speaker into a paperweight. If these and minor tweaks like subtler volume tones strike your fancy, the Jambox update is ready and waiting.

Filed under: Cellphones

Jawbone Jambox gets Android app support, semi-ironic silent mode originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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