L8 SmartLight Serves Notifications Without a Peep

Silence is golden. That’s something I learned after working a few months in an always-busy office environment where some people can be extremely loud. Now talking might be unavoidable sometimes, and in the din of all that noise, you might miss the occasional notification or so from your smartphone or email client.

So for that, you need the L8 SmartLight. It serves up notifications using a unique lighting system, so you don’t need to hear anything to get the message. All you need is to see it.

L8 SmartLight

The device is made up of a grid 64 LED lights on one side and a super bright LED light on the other. It connects with your computer or smartphone via Bluetooth to deliver stuff you want to know through light codes, like tweets, Facebook messages, e-mails, game results, temperature, and more. And it doesn’t just light up in blue – the L8 is works in full color, and can be programmed to work as an ambient light or even turn on when somebody approaches it.

l8 smartlight colors

The people behind the project need to raise $90,000 to make the L8 SmartLight into a reality. To find out more about it and maybe even support it, head on over to Kickstarter. A minimum pledge of $69(USD) will get you your very own L8, and $80 will get you the developer edition, complete with early access to the SDK.


HMDX Audio delivers HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker

HMDX Audio has just announced the availability of their latest consumer electronics device – the HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. This latest speaker was last seen at CEA LineShows during CE Week New York, and just what kind of performance does it offer? For starters, this sleek device is capable of delivering sweet sound quality in a tiny footprint without breaking the bank – after all, many of us are in a particularly tight spot financially, and we would do well to spend each penny wisely.

We are talking about a retail price of $39.99, where the HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker sports the ability to connect sans wires up to 30 feet away – and since it has a Bluetooth chipset inside, it will most definitely play nice with just about the entire gamut of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops/desktops in the market. Underneath the hood, you will find a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery that is said to offer up to four hours of wireless play.

HMDX Jam will come in half a dozen colors – some might even say, “flavors”, where they would be Strawberry, Grape, Blueberry, Blackberry, Apricot and Apple, and is available nationwide, just about virtually anywhere portable electronics are on sale – and those places include Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Kohl’s amongst others.

Ron Ferber, President, HMDX Audio, said, “We believe the HMDX Jam is, ‘ounce for ounce’ the sweetest sounding Bluetooth wireless speaker you can buy for the money, especially when compared with other wireless speakers that sell for double the price or more. The HMDX Jam squeezes Bluetooth audio technology into an amazingly small package that bursts with exceptional sound quality. Finally, there’s an affordable Bluetooth wireless speaker for everyone that doesn’t make you sacrifice your musical tastes.”

Its diminutive size betrays its ability to deliver sweet audio, and has been deemed to be perfect by many for just about any setting, regardless of whether it is in the kitchen or the bedroom. The tapered cylinder-shaped HMDX Jam will be presented in a distinctive clear jar, topped with a metal lid, and featuring vibrant, fruit-inspired colors.

Press Release

[ HMDX Audio delivers HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)

Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012

Another day, another speaker dock. We initially dismissed Gear4‘s latest accessory at Google I/O 2012 until we noticed that the attached Nexus 7 was playing audio digitally via the USB port instead of simply through the headphone jack (or wirelessly over Bluetooth for that matter). It turns out that Jelly Bean supports USB audio, a software feature that’s bound to spearhead a whole new generation of accessories for Android devices. Gear4’s universal speaker dock with alarm clock radio is the first to handle USB audio. While the sound for any app can be routed to the USB port in Jelly Bean, the functionality is missing from older versions of Android. Thankfully, Gear4 includes an app with its accessory that can be used to set alarms, sync time, tune the radio and play media over the USB port on legacy versions of Android. Want to know more? You’ll find our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)

Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$399 Triad speakers for Nexus Q surface in Google Play store

$400 Triad speakers for Nexus Q surface in Google Play store

Well, we certainly know what’s coming at 12:30. In addition to outing the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus Q media-streaming device, the Play store has a listing for $399 Triad bookshelf speakers “designed to optimize the sound quality of the Nexus Q.” The listed specs peg each speaker at 14 pounds, with a 1-inch fabric dome tweeter and a 6.5-inch proprietary woofer. The speakers’ range is 75 Hz – 20 kHz, and according to the page they will ship in two to three weeks — only in the US.

$399 Triad speakers for Nexus Q surface in Google Play store originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carbon Audio Zooka slide-on speaker bar for your Apple devices

We all know that Apple churns out some really spiffy looking devices, and have done so for a fair number of years already, without any hint of them stopping anytime soon. Well, if you happen to own at least one of the following – the iPad, iPod touch, iPhone or MacBook, then you might want to check out the Carbon Audio Zooka slide-on speaker bar which was specially designed as an accessory for the mentioned devices.

Of course, for anything to work in tandem with Apple’s devices, they will certainly need to look their best – or at least, flow along with the general design principles over at Cupertino. Good to know that the Carbon Audio Zooka slide-on speaker bar conforms to such lofty standards, and we shall take a closer look at just what it is capable of delivering for your ears to enjoy right after the jump.

First and foremost, we are looking at what Carbon Audio claims as “extraordinary sound quality”, where the Zooka is tipped to deliver a concert hall experience which is capable of significantly enhance the kind of music you hear, movies you watch, and games you play – amongst others, of course. Not only that, you can live in complete wireless freedom with the Zooka thanks to the ability to “project” sound via wireless Bluetooth, leaving you with the choice of placing the speaker a good 30 feet away from the primary device.

There is also an integrated microphone thrown into the mix, allowing the Zooka to work in tandem with the iPad, transforming it into a high quality speakerphone that will make your Skype and Facetime experiences a whole lot more pleasant. Of course, having said that, it will also play nice with other communication software to boot. Sporting a unique patented design, the Zooka can slide onto the edge of an iPad or MacBook without getting into the way of the camera.

To make sure the Zooka lives up to its purpose, there is also a removable kickstand that lets your iPad stand up, making it ideal for watching videos on the go without leaving your hands tired. The Carbon Audio Zooka slide-on speaker bar can be yours for $99.95 each, where it will come in nine colors including black, blue, dark grey, green, orange, pink, purple, red and teal as it rolls out sometime this August.

Press Release

[ Carbon Audio Zooka slide-on speaker bar for your Apple devices copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Pioneer SMA wireless speakers put AirPlay, HTC Connect in one happy family (update: hands-on photos)

Pioneer SMA wireless speakers put AirPlay, HTC Connect in one happy family update handson photos

Apple and HTC might be at each other’s throats in court, but they’re living in peace and harmony in Pioneer’s world. The fresh new SMA wireless speaker line supports both Apple’s AirPlay format and HTC Connect-certified DLNA to take audio over WiFi no matter whether it’s coming from an iPhone or a One S. Proof that we can all get along is good in itself, but Pioneer is also throwing in Wireless Direct, a trick that turns the speaker into its own WiFi access point if it can’t latch on to a nearby router. Pioneer’s stratification of the range is dictated by whether you value freedom or raw power. The XW-SMA1 is the baseline with two 3-inch speakers and a 3 / 4-inch tweeter, with a bass reflex port doing its best to mimic a subwoofer; the XW-SMA3 is the exact same with a lithium-ion battery good for six hours of cord-free play, and the XW-SMA4 goes battery-free but rolls in a proper 4-inch subwoofer and an extra tweeter. The lot arrives in August and costs either $299 for an SMA1 or $399 for either of its premium siblings.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Pioneer SMA wireless speakers put AirPlay, HTC Connect in one happy family (update: hands-on photos)

Pioneer SMA wireless speakers put AirPlay, HTC Connect in one happy family (update: hands-on photos) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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