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The DockBoss puts your Android phone into an Apple dock

Problem: You own an Android phone, but you live in an iPhone world. Every device, from cars through speakers to refrigerators comes with a 30-pin dock connector.

Solution: The DockBoss. This adapter lets you take anything with a 3.5mm jack and hook it up to an iPhone dock, including your Android phone or even your Zune.

Inside the business end — which plugs into the dock itself — is a mess of electronics which are powered by the dock (both USB and ancient FireWire docks are supported). These make sure that the sound is sent properly to the host device, so pretty much anything should work.

And yes, you could even use this to plug your iPhone into Apple’s Universal Dock.

It’s a smart idea marred only by the fact that almost all iPhone-compatible accessory come with a 3.5mm jack socket too. On the other hand, for just $23, the DockBoss means you’re ready for absolutely everything.

DockBoss [Cable Jive]

See Also:

• TARDIS iPhone Dock Pumps Out Transdimensional Tunes
• MiniDock Turns iPhone Charger into Tiny, Wall-Mounted Dock …
• Fast Work: In-Car, Dash-Mounted iPad
• It Was Bound to Happen: Kitchen Scale With iPod Dock and …

Sure, two turntables and a microphone might be where it’s at, but you’ll only get so far before you wish you had a mixer plonked in the middle. Makers of high end DJ finery, Pioneer, has just added a member to its exhaustive family, the DJM-250, and the sweetest sound it makes is the chuckle of a happy bank manager. Landing in at just a dollar shy of $400, the aforesaid outfit reckons it’s the cheapest two-channel mixer on the market that boasts channel filters, for those silky smooth transitions. Aside from those, you’ll enjoy up to eight inputs and club-system friendly balanced XLR outs, and a choice of two colors — black and white! A December release date means it’s likely to find it’s way into a few Christmas stockings, though fans of white will have to wait just a little longer. Give the PR a bounce or watch the promo video after the break for more.

Continue reading Pioneer’s new DJM-250 budget mixer tries not to fade your balance

Pioneer’s new DJM-250 budget mixer tries not to fade your balance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No need for the bookshelf speakers? No problem. Aperion Audio just introduced the second-generation Zona Home Audio Link system, enabling cable detesters to send music from any USB / 3.5mm-enabled source to, well… just about anything. The basic HAL package is comprised of a compact wireless transmitter and receiver, and since there’s no proprietary shenanigans going on, it’s about as universal in nature as you’ll find. Needless to say, folks who’ve been trying to find an easy(ish) way to convert their existing indoor / outdoor speakers into wireless speakers should certainly have a gander, and given that it’ll stream uncompressed 16 bit/48 kHz CD-quality audio to up to three simultaneous zones, the $149 price tag just might be justified. Hit the source to learn more (or place your order, if you’ve heard enough).

Continue reading Aperion Audio’s second-gen Zona Home Audio Link cuts the musical tether for $150

Aperion Audio’s second-gen Zona Home Audio Link cuts the musical tether for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s churned out plenty of speaker docks for the smaller iDevices out there, but until now, it hadn’t given the largest Apple handheld any love. It’s a little late to the party, but the company finally jumped on the iPad bandwagon with its latest RDP-X500iP speaker dock. Sporting a built in subwoofer, magnetic fluid speakers and Sony’s Clear Phase DSP sonic technology, this little gem purportedly packs a pretty good bass punch while delivering quality audio. Picking one up will leave your wallet $300 lighter when it’s released next month, and you can reserve yours now by getting in on the pre-order over on Sony’s website.

Continue reading Sony unveils $300 RDP-X500iP speaker dock, gives your iPad some sonic assistance

Sony unveils $300 RDP-X500iP speaker dock, gives your iPad some sonic assistance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, so check this out — that thing above is both a 5W LED light bulb and a 10W wireless speaker. Around the edge is a ring of glowing diodes with a four-stage dimmer, while the center is a 2.25-inch driver that speaks to a dock via 2.4GHz wireless. The AudioBulb from GiiNii is a fairly unique way to kick out the jams anywhere in your abode and they disappear into practically any lamp. A basic setup of two bulbs, a dock and a remote will set you back a surprisingly steep $299, but you can add on up to six more bulbs for $99 a pop. Speaking of rooms and bulbs, you can configure the speakers to work in stereo pairs or in mono, and set up two zones with different volume levels.

The dock is a chintzy feeling piece of plastic with an integrated iPhone/iPod connector and around back you’ll find an auxiliary jack for the non-Apple fans. The dock can connect to the speakers from up to 100 feet away, depending on the environment, and comes pre-paired with the bulbs in the box. Adding additional speakers requires just the push of a button on the base and bulb simultaneously to get the party started. It was tough to hear the tunes over the din in the hall at Pepcom’s event, but we’re confident it can’t quite compare with the Play 3. They did, however, give off enough light to keep their little corner of the convention well lit. Check out the gallery below as well as the PR after the break.

Continue reading Giinii AudioBulb hands, eyes and ears-on

Giinii AudioBulb hands, eyes and ears-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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