speakers

Now that's more like it. We got a bit worried when we saw that Sony was contemplating joining the speaker lamp market, a trend we've yet to understand. So we were comforted to see that it hasn't abandoned the electronics industry's tradition of creating alien speakers, especially those that feature giant eyeballs.

The SRS-AX10 makes a valient attempt to join that category, though Chip Chick says its long, skinny neck makes it look like "the Olsen Twin of speakers," particularly because of their correspondingly weak 1-watt output. But we don't mind--we'll take … Read more

Well here's twist we didn't see coming. Just the other day we were talking about the curious trend toward combination speaker lamps as companies build MP3 players into lighting appliances. What we didn't realize, however, is that the trend goes both ways.

Lyx, a home furnishings company based in Sweden, is listing a "Lightspeaker Lamp" that's designed specifically to look like an acoustic device but doesn't actually function as one. Much attention has been paid to detail, as Technabob notes, including a "volume" knob that's really a dimmer. Why? Because, … Read more

Sony is apparently ready to join the booming trend of lamp speakers. And why not? The combo light-music movement continues to expand, even leaving the confines of the house and into the garden.

Its prototype, dubbed the "Hana"--which means "flower" in Japanese--has taken an appropriately Ikebana form that kind of looks like a silver-plated calla lily illuminated by an LED. Whatever it resembles, the lamp functions as an MP3 player with "full-length" speakers, according to Plastic Bamboo, though we can't quite tell what that means from this photo alone. Speaking of which, … Read more

We can remember a time when many car owners had removable radios, stereo receivers and tape decks that they'd stow in the trunk to thwart potential smash-and-grab thieves. And in our neighborhood, if you left a Blaupunkt system in the dash while parked outside overnight, you might as well have put a sign on the windshield announcing your stupidity.

So it seemed perfectly natural that the German musik meisters would come up with an in-car subwoofer that could easily be removed to take with you. The "Velocity 2Go" functions as a speaker while docked in the back … Read more

Sony's taken the wraps off two more iPod-compatible home audio products: the ICF-C1iP clock radio, and the ZS-S2iP boom box. The ICF-C1iP clock radio is available in black or white and offers an adjustable backstop for accommodating various sizes of 'Pods in the built-in dock. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard feature set for the clock radio category--adjustable brightness control; AM/FM radio; wake to iPod, radio, or alarm; and wireless remote. Personally, i think the clock's digital display--along the bottom of the iPod dock--seems like it would be too easily obscured, but maybe I just have too many books on my nightstand. … Read more

We here at Crave are fans of faux food, even more so when the comestible appearance actually masks a gadget. So we're enchanted by these Cupcake Speakers from Semk, first publicized by Technabob. Though we'd prefer they looked more sophisticated--a little more Sprinkles, a little less Hostess, please--we love the idea of turning an otherwise antiseptic tech product into an homage to deliciousness.

So tell us: what are your favorite gadgets that look like food?

Through July 17, MWave.com is offering these all-purpose, basic little speakers for only $7--about half of their usual price--plus $8 shipping. Plug-and-play means they connect easily to PCs, CD and MP3 players and shielding means you can use them near your PC or TV without interference. Here are the specs:

Total RMS power: 4 watts RMS (2W + 2W) Total peak power: 8 watts Frequency response: 70Hz - 20kHz Signal-to-noise ratio: >70dB

What: Logitech R-10 PC multimedia speakers How much: $7 Shipping: $8, varies Where: MWave.com (via Dealhack) When: Through July 17, 2007 Click here for CNET product … Read more

With Caroline McCarthy on tough assignment at E3 all week, we've been having a field day poaching on some of her favorite topics. We're talking pillows specifically and, better still, ones in the kind of obscene neon colors she so loves.

These phone-shaped music pillows, for instance, connect to any MP3 player for direct eardrum-shattering pleasure while maintaining a suitably cheesy look. (The player can be kept snugly in a mesh sleeve at one end of the giant fuzz-bound receiver.)

As Shiny Shiny astutely observes, these items are being marketed for for kids, but we all know better. … Read more

You young'uns out there can have your Transformers and such. We oldsters, and our creaky animated icons, are making a comeback.

Soon we'll be roaring to life in Speed Racer's "Mach 5," but first we must pay respect once again to another of our childhood favorites, Spider-Man. The latest tribute to the Webbed One comes in the form of a "Spider-Man Speaker Pillow," which Uber-Review says can play tunes from an MP3 player or anything else that can take a 3.5-millimeter headphone plug.

Actually, the real reason for posting this item was … Read more