The Energy Stream Radio&TV 120 has built-in Wi-Fi and can stream music from over 15,000 internet radio stations and over 2,000 internet TV channels. In addition, it’s can play a wide variety of audio and video formats through its internal speaker (or headphones) and its 2.4-inch LCD screen. It’s got 4GB of on-board storage, and can be expanded up to 16GB extra using a MicroSDHC card.

Energy Sistem hasn’t posted its dimensions or weight, but the entire device is clearly small enough to carry around in your backpack or bag, though it looks like it might be a little big to fit in your pocket.

If you’re interested in the Energy Stream Radio&TV 120, it sells for €89.90 (~$119 USD) over at Energy Sistem’s website.

The idea for this design comes from ancient manuscripts from China, where before paper was invented, they used to carve their books into strips of bamboo held together by string. G.O.D. notes that in Chinese culture, people still hold printed books this way.

The Literati Roll Case uses the same approach, breaking the tablet’s cover down into individual strips which can be rolled up. The case can be used as a stand as well. While the prototypes were made out of bamboo, the production models will be made out of plastic, available in black or white. Since the case was designed specifically on behalf of Blackberry, it’s unlikely that the Literati will be available for the iPad or other popular tablets any time soon.

[via designboom]

Craftsman’s press release also mentioned that the tool cabinet has a “built-in power charging station” for up to four devices, so I’m guessing there are four powered USB ports – or maybe even a whole power strip – somewhere on or in it. The Contour Powered Series Tool Storage will be available in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Hopefully mods of the cabinet will come soon after.

[via NotCot via Apartment Therapy]

The thought is the scammers purchased the iPads and replaced the tablets with a block of clay weighing the same as the iPad. Then they rewrapped the iPad in retail-grade cellophane and returned them to the store. Then the retailers returned the units to the shelves. Most stores log the customer’s ID on large returns, so they would have had to be clever about that to not get caught. Best Buy, Apple and Future Shop are investigating the situation. Hopefully this won’t happen to you. Maybe someday they’ll have to start x-raying high-priced items when they get returned to prevent this.

This wouldn’t be the first (or last) fake iPad scam – a while back, a woman was sold a wooden iPad for the low, low price of $180. However, that bait-and-switch didn’t happen at a legitimate retailer.

[via TechCrunch]

Daniel McLeod of Black Mountain Audio gutted an old Atari 2600 (made back in November 1980,) and replaced its innards with a couple of computer speakers, and added a dock where the cartridge usually goes. It also comes with an external subwoofer, which he wasn’t able to cram inside the console itself.

He swapped out the power connector with a 3.5mm jack, suitable for plugging in any media player. While I love the idea of this, I wish that it could actually accommodate a 30-pin dock connector for charging an iOS device. Maybe you could cram one of these in the cartridge slot instead. There also should be some way that you could still play games on it – especially since you can still connect controllers to it. It’s just too tempting.

Still, it’s a pretty cool conversation piece if you’re into retro gaming, and want a unique dock for your media player. It’s currently for sale over on Etsy for $100 (USD).

At CES 2012, the company has rolled out a new turntable called the Duo Deck. It gets its name because not only will it convert your 33-1/3or 45 RPM vinyl records to digital tracks, it also has a cassette player in the back that will convert your 80′s cassette collection to digital too. The deck also works as a standalone turntable and tape player, thanks to a built-in speaker. It even will run on batteries.

The device comes with EZ Converter software and Audacity software to clean up the tracks once they make their way to your PC or Mac. ION didn’t talk price or availability yet, but it should be around $100 or so I’d figure. ION is rarely way out there with their pricing. This may be the best way yet to get those Milli Vanilli cassette and records onto your iPod.

Its makers state that with the cover in place and a reasonable amount of sunlight, you’ll be able to use your Kindle for three months straight before needing a regular recharge. The SolarKindle cover also comes with an LED lamp, to allow you late night reading. The lamp will be juiced up for 50 hours of continuous use.

The cover can also be recharged via USB, so it doubles as conventional battery in case there isn’t much sun around. Thanks to the Kindle’s minimal power requirements, an hour under the sun translates to 3 days of reading. The SolarKindle cover will retail for $79.99 when it’s launched.

The Roku Streaming Stick packs Wi-Fi, a processor, memory, and custom software that allows it to connect to MHL-enabled HDMI ports on modern HDTVs. This means that you’ll be able to access services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu Plus and Pandora without any problems. It hasn’t yet been confirmed whether it will offer 720p or 1080p resolution, as Roku typically only includes 1080p on their top-of-the-line models.

While many sets these days have built-in digital content capabilities already, Roku makes a good point that by going with their approach, you’ll be able to upgrade to the latest tech inexpensively and without having to buy a whole new TV. Good news for consumers, not so much for the TV manufacturers though.

The only problem I see with the Streaming Stick the need for the special HDMI MHL port, that not all HDTVs have. If you haven’t got it on your TV, you won’t be able to use this version of Roku. Some sets from Samsung and Toshiba already have this port, and many more are coming out this year. However, if you have an older set without one, you’ll need to stick with a regular set-top box.

Gavio’s TOAST! speaker dock looks like one of those shiny metal toasters you might find in your kitchen. Just don’t expect to toast up any bread in this thing. For starters, it’s only got a single slot. It also doesn’t have a heating element – instead, it’s got a speaker and a 3 watt amplifier inside. It’s also got a built-in Li-Ion battery so you don’t even need to plug it in.

The dial on the front changes volume instead of the darkness of your toast, while I’m not sure what the toast plunger does. I’m hoping that it changes tracks, and doesn’t just sit there looking cool. All I know is that is should have a bagel mode for cramming in older, thicker phones.

Gavio hasn’t announced the pricing or release date yet for the TOAST! dock, but I’m hoping we’ll see it pop up sometime early in 2012.

Granted, this gargantuan device isn’t really a guitar – the head stock is totally decorative – but dammit he’s carrying a whole console and three effects pedals. That’s a recipe for back problems. The gAtari 2600 also has a track switcher in the form of a joystick, although not in the form of the console’s iconic controller. Watch the video below to see cTrix lug the gAtari 2600 around while rocking out.

What an unbelievably crazy idea. I’m sure he could have taken out the console’s parts and ended up with a smaller instrument, but no, he just went for it. Somehow I can’t imagine a PS3 or Xbox 360 guitar looking as cool as this. Check out cTrix’ website for more of his gadgets and music.

[via Topless Robot]

The cool part is if you have one of these 1G nanos lying around that doesn’t work – or perhaps that you never use, you can get a free exchange. That means if you have have that original nano (made between Sept. 2005 and Dec. 2006) tossed in your sock drawer you can dig it out and return it. The reason is that Apple is replacing those old and tired nanos with the new hotness that is the 6G nano. It’s not clear if the 6Gs are refurbs or not, but it’s still a great deal.

Just fill out this form and follow the directions to send your old nano in and a new (likely refurb) 6G nano will come your way in about six weeks. That means you can get yourself one of those uber-geeky nano watchbands and have yourself a ball gazing at the free upgrade Apple gave you for Christmas.

[via Macrumors]

If a single AA battery is enough to power the speakers for up almost two days, a D cell battery can pull off one hell of a marathon – HiWave says one D cell will be enough to keep their module up for over 145 hours. Wow. The trick seems to be in the company’s proprietary amplifier chip, which they claim sips only 1/20th the power of other amplifiers. HiWave will have a demo unit at next year’s CES, and they expect consumer devices equipped with the power-sipping magic module to ship in the 2nd quarter of 2012.

[via Electricpig]

Another tiny music player to enter the market soon is the Kube2. It’s not as thin as the latest generation iPod shuffles, but the company behind it, Bluetree Electronics, has dubbed it as the “world’s smallest touch mp3 player” regardless.

The Kube2 features an aluminum body with a touch sensor to navigate through the screen and menu. A quick swipe will allow the user to switch to the previous or next track. Placing a finger at the top or bottom of the Kube2 will raise or lower the volume, respectively.

And if you’re particular about the look of your Kube2, then you can get some removable sticker skins to customize how it looks.

The Kube2 has a battery life of 6 hours worth of continuous play and charges up to completion in an hour. It’s available in Singapore now with a price tag of approximately $35 (US), and it will be shown off at CES 2012 in January prior to its worldwide release.

[via designboom]

The thing is made from a solid chunk of aluminum, which is milled and glass bead blasted. This is the dock Steve would have made. The heft of the aluminum means when you jerk your iPhone out of the dock, the dock stays put. It also uses a low friction connector to plug in easily with or without a case. You can get the dock in silver, matte black, green, and orange finishes depending on how much money you pledge to the project. A $59 (USD) pledge gets you in on the action with a basic Elevation Dock.

The coolest part is the massive success the designer has had on Kickstarter. The project went up yesterday and was seeking $75,000. It funded in eight hours and as of this morning had $112,163 pledged and still had 59 days to go. As of right now the project has over $174,000, and is still going strong. It has picked up $50,000 since this morning! That’s pretty damned impressive for a hunk of aluminum.

[via Daring Fireball via Gizmodo]

Good news for those of you who use your Xbox to watch Netflix. The latest version of Netflix is tucked away in the latest Xbox 360 dashboard update and it has some cool new features.


You’ll find a new user interface that allows for a more streamlined browsing experience and there are up to 3 times as many titles available on screen at once. Users also have access to audio and subtitle settings, ratings, episode selection, and related title suggestions.

There’s also support for voice and gesture control when using Xbox Kinect for browsing and playing, 720p HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The Netflix app will be automatically installed when you do the latest Xbox 360 Dashboard update. Netflix on Xbox 360 is now available in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Of course, you need both an Xbox Live Gold and Netflix streaming account to take advantage of the updated app.

[via Netflix]

Designed by Jeremy Saxton and Jacob Hall, the ODDIO1 allows you to dock your iPod Shuffle directly into one side of the headphones. This eliminates the need for a cord flying about, and is ideal for exercise and outdoor activities.

Once the Shuffle clicks into place, you can still access the dock connector on the bottom so you don’t have to take it out of the headphones to charge or sync. I only hope they counterbalanced the headphones, otherwise the docked side might slump because of the added weight of the iPod.

The ODDIO1 is another Kickstarter project, and has thusfar reached just under $7,000 of its $45,000 goal. You’ll need to pledge $35(USD) or more to get a pair of these headphones.

[via core77]

Designed by Jason Farsai, this Bose-inspired Multi-Dock concept would allow you to simultaneously dock up to five iPods or iPhones, and then automatically queue up a mega-mix of tunes from all of them. Jason’s “Bose iQ” speaker dock also includes a wide OLED screen which would display album art from the upcoming tracks, as well as a touchscreen remote for controlling the multi-device library. While Jason doesn’t specify, I’d imagine it would also charge all of your devices while docked too. That would certainly be an added benefit for party-goers.

While the idea of five docks might seem a little outlandish, I think the idea of everyone contributing to the party mix is pretty cool. Hopefully Bose (or some other dock manufacturer) will see Jason’s design and consider it for production.

The Quick Chef Music has a USB port so users can easily swap the music. I don’t have the exact details about this function though, such as the length of the playback or volume control. Below is a commercial for the BGH Quick Chef Music:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you found that last bit funny, there are a couple more here. I think BGH should add an alarm clock feature to the microwave oven as well, so you can wake up to both good music and good food. While they’re at it, adding a coffee pot and a mini-fridge would be a good idea. And a toaster. And the kitchen sink. Innovation is easy.

[via Breno Costa's Vimeo channel via Notcot]

The catch so far has been that if you are on a computer where you can’t install the plugins and software you need for the Slingplayer to work, you were out of luck. Slingbox announced today a new version of the Slingplayer that will work on any computer with a web connection and a way to connect to Facebook.

The new Slingplayer for Facebook is out now, it will shoot your content out to the popular social network. That means any computer that supports and accesses Facebook will be usable to watch anything you have on your Slingbox. You must be using a Slingbox Pro-HD or Solo box for the Facebook player app to work.

[via Twitter]

The bump may be a piezoelectric speaker that is normal enough in today’s mobile gadgets. However, it might be made from a space-age material that was used during the Apollo program called Kapton. During the Apollo program, the material was used for insulation on the lunar rover and some was put on the outside of spacesuits as well.

The speaker would have some sort of recessed area on the clip to sit in. That recessed area would apparently help to enhance the speaker sound. The wires used would be flexible as well so they can survive years of clipping and unclipping. Do these tiny iPods even need a speaker? What do you think?

[USPTO via Patently Apple]