Zooka works with tablets, smartphones, laptops and media players. It’s made out of silicone and will outdo the volume of built-in speakers by as much as five times. The good thing is that Zooka connected wirelessly via Bluetooth to your mobile device. Devices that don’t have Bluetooth connectivity can be manually plugged in via the 3.5mm audio jack. The silicone-covered speaker also has a convenient slot cut into it, which is the perfect size for sliding tablets into.

The speaker charges through a mini USB port and a full charge will give you 8 hours of media playback. It comes in seven different colors, with more on the way once it’s released.

The Zooka is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter and it’s aiming for an August release. You’ll need to pledge at least $89(USD) to get one, which is a discount off of the proposed retail price of $119.

[via designboom]

Logitech’s Mini Boombox is a great way to fill a room with sound, and it’s available in a nifty candy-like red color scheme, perfect for Valentines Day – but great long beyond February 14th. This compact sound system fits in the palm of your hand, but offers substantial sound when paired up with your Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. It’s also got backlit touch-based controls for playback, volume and pairing with your phone.

It’s definitely small enough to carry in a backpack or large purse too. Battery life is rated at about 10 hours, and it even will work as a speakerphone for your A2DP-enabled Bluetooth devices, thanks to a built-in mic. It’s also got a 3.5mm input jack if you need to go old-school. And if for some reason red isn’t the right thing for you, it’s available in black too – but that would sort of defeat the whole Valentines Day theme.

The Logitech Mini Boombox retails for $99.99(USD) and you can grab one over on Logitech’s website now. If you move quick, you can still get one in time for Valentines Day, so you don’t end up in the doghouse. Oh yeah, spring for some candy and flowers too.

The iBamboo was made by New York area Etsy contributor Anatoliy Omelchenko and I have to say that it does look good with an iPhone in place. It’s machined so that it can rest on a flat surface. You just insert your iPhone 4 or 4S on the top and press play. The natural resonance of bamboo will amplify your music – though I’m not sure how much. With openings on both ends of the dock, it’s supposed to produce a “stereo-like” effect, but don’t expect true stereo separation, since the iPhone only has a single speaker.

Each one is crafted from a single piece of bamboo, then finished with a black lacquer coating. Keep in mind that since iBamboo is crafted from a natural material, each dock will be slightly different. The iBamboo sells for $25(USD) on Etsy.

[via Make:]

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).

The new product line will be focused on a younger, tech savvy generation, and will eventually offer products across the consumer electronics spectrum. B&O describes the brand as “playful,” “outgoing” and “vigorous.” The first device in the B&O Play line is the new Beolit 12, a portable sound system which was floating around the web via some leaked FCC pics last month.

I’ve had a chance to hear the Beolit 12 up close and personal, and it sounds awesome for its size, filling a room with smooth sound and punchy natural bass. The Beolit 12 portable sound looks sort of like a lunch box, with an aluminum case and grille, and a high quality leather carrying handle. It’s wireless, with full AirPlay support, and has its battery and power adapter built in. It’s a true 2.1 system with a 120 watt class D amp – a lot of power for a portable for sure. It’s got two 2″ tweeters, and a 4″ woofer for boom. Battery life is rated at 8 hours via line input, dropping to 4 hours over AirPlay.

So what about pricing? At $799(USD)/€699(EUR), it’s not cheap, but by Bang and Olufsen standards, it’s a bargain, especially when you realize the audio system was designed by the same team who makes $20,000 speakers.

The Beolit 12 is expected in the Bang & Olufsen online store and select Apple Stores sometime in late January/early February, and B&O Play will continue to roll out new gadgets on and ongoing basis.

The Samsung Audio Dock’s hybrid amp system combines digital amplification with vacuum tubes. The 2.1-channel speaker comes with a built-in subwoofer and produces 100 watts of sound. It has USB and analog audio inputs, support for AllShare, AirPlay and Bluetooth wireless audio streaming, and the dock is capable of accepting either iOS or Samsung Galaxy devices.

The DA-E750 is the flagship model, but there’s a 40-Watt DA-E670 model as well, which skips the fancy vacuum tube setup, and looks nearly as good. Pricing and a release date has yet to be announced.

The built-in battery, which must be pretty big, can power the Backyard Blaster for up to 12 hours of use. The whole speaker is supposed to be somewhat rugged, which is good since it will get kicked around a bit at parties. It was made for iPhones and iPods, but other players, including the iPad, will need to use the auxiliary audio input. The blaster even has an integrated microphone from impromptu karaoke sessions.

The Backyard Blaster is being launched at this week’s CES show, and we should know more about a price and release date then.

[via Ubergizmo]

The foxLO is small enough that you can hide it behind your desk or even inside the desk without issues. The dimensions of the little device are just 2.5″ H x 4.5″ W x 6.3″ D, which is small enough to fit under the cramped quarters beneath my desk. The gadget has a pass-through output for use with speakers without a subwoofer output, as well as adjustable bass levels.

The sub is able to deliver deep bass from such a small package thanks to its Linear Magnetic Drive, which sounds like a way to launch spaceships to me. The amp inside the box is a 25W unit and there is a passive radiator system as well. It also has a charging port for your iPhone or other USB device on the side too. The point of this is to supplement the low-end for soundmatters’ foxL speaker system. The foxLO will retail for $149(USD) and will hit stores this spring.

The Japanese manufacturer Pleiades [JP] designed Trumstand. The acoustic amplifier is made out of gold- or silver-plated brass, and elongated into a long ‘S’ shape. Apparently, this amplifies the bass of the music being played. Just set your iPhone into the rubberized dock to form a tight seal, and you’re all set. Despite the fact that it’s an acoustic amp, they were at least kind enough to include a USB connector for charging your phone while docked.

They are quite striking, but I still can’t imagine that amplifying the iPhone’s tiny little speaker could possibly be as good as a proper set of speakers and an amp.

The gold version costs ¥158,000 (~$2,000 USD) and the silver ¥138,000 (~$1,800 USD). At those price, you better be sure you’ll like the way they sound.

[via core77]

It’s supposed to increase the bass capability of your MacBook significantly, picking up just the low-end, and still leaving mid-range and high frequencies to the MacBook’s internal speakers. A single USB cable delivers both power and sound, which cuts down on wires and clutter. The Bassjump 2 comes with software to customize the sound, including volume and crossover frequency – between 100Hz and 300Hz.

If you tend to use your MacBook Pro or Air as a way to share music with your friends, then this is definitely a good option to check out. The Bassjump 2 costs $69.99(USD) over at Twelve South.

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.

Gavio is a Singapore-based company and their Pill dock reminds me of the capsules in The Matrix, though I wouldn’t want to try and swallow one of these. It measures 5.78″ wide by 1.89″ in diameter, and appears to have a speaker at each end of the pill, as well as track and volume controls which are accessed located on a ring towards each end. The product page doesn’t mention any detailed specs, but they’ll probably update them soon.

The Pill dock will be available for pre-order soon. There’s no mention of price or availability, but my guess is that this little speaker dock won’t break the back. It looks like an easy and fun way to share your tunes if you use an iPod nano.

[via Ubergizmo]

Bring me the head of Darth Vader and plug it into my MP3 player! As far as sound quality, it is likely on par with something that the Ewoks built, but at least it’s cool to look at.

These speakers feature an audio jack and a USB connection, so you can plug one directly into your phone/MP3 player or your computer. They’re available for pre-order from Entertainment Earth for $30(USD) and will arrive in April 2012. Boba Fett and Stormtrooper versions are also on the way.

[via Chip Chick]

Designed by Dean Ekkaia and Sean Solberg, the Audman is aiming to be the world’s smallest speaker dock and it will even charge your gadget on the go. The case has dual speakers, two headphone jacks for sharing, and large analog buttons to control your music playback. It even comes with a mixtape app that makes it look like you’re playing cassettes while listening to tunes.  With the lid closed, you can listen to music, and iPhone users can receive calls and make them using Voice Control dialing. However texting and using apps will be problematic, as the case completes hides away the screen of your phone unless you pop the lid open. When opened up, it still holds your iPhone securely and it even works as a small kickstand for viewing video.

The Audman is up for pre-order over at Kickstarter, and you need to pledge at least $125(USD) for the full Audman model. For $35 to $65, the Audman LT model is also an option if you like the retro looks but don’t need the speakers or charging capabilities. They’ve got 14 days left to attain their $42,000 goal and they’re at $7,000, so if you want one, you’ll want to get over there and make a pledge.

[via Ubergizmo]

The Pyro Board was constructed for Fysickshow Aarhus in Denmark, and can create patterns from sound using flammable gas, pushed through a grid of pinhole jets. The rig sits on top of a loudspeaker inside of a flameproof metal box. When the sounds or music are played, they create low and high pressure zones between the metal box and the grid. These result in cool patterns of flame which move along to the beat of the music. Here, check it out for yourself:

It’s sort of like one of those sound-synchronized light shows, but using flames instead of LEDs or bulbs. While the patterns are definitely not as predictable as a Rubens’ tube, I think the effect is still pretty cool. Now I want a nightclub to install one of these and hand out marshmallows to roast on top of it.

[via Buzzfeed]

The iStation has integrated speakers and a keyboard that will pair with your iPad via Bluetooth. There’s even a USB cable to charge up your tablet. This means that the iStation will be tethered to a power outlet. It’s the sort of dock that wouldn’t look out of place in a kitchen – or a vintage computer store.

It’s available in a faux retro woodgrain finish or in white for $85.90(USD) over at M.I.C Gadget’s online store.

[via Ubergizmo]

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.

People People’s Glass Speaker makes it easy to blend in with your decor at home, since it lets you see through to the environment around it. The transparent case blends in with almost everything, yet is big enough to offer a good sound quality. The speaker comes with a small, rechargeable wireless transmitter that can be plugged into any computer, music player or smartphone’s headphone jack.

The speaker itself ships in a small package that fits in a mailbox. That’s because the glass sheets have to be ordered through a local glass repair shop, which will cut down on shipping costs and breakage. It’s not clear from the pictures if the frame of the box is somehow crammed into that small box too.

There’s still no information on price or availability of the invisible speaker. Still, it looks pretty interesting, although the glass will make it somewhat heavy and fragile.

[via NOTCOT]

Created by Dutch audio designers Thodio, the iBox XC is packaged in a handcrafted wood cabinet, and looks like it means business. The speaker system has a pair of 6.5-inch Kevlar coned drivers with soft-dome tweeters. Power output is a hefty 70 watts RMS (140 watts peak) per channel, so this thing is going to push out some serious sound.

The system weighs in at a hefty 19.8 pounds, partially due to the built-in rechargeable battery, which is supposed to give you about 12 hours on a charge. The iBox XC and can be custom ordered a variety of different woods, including MDF, beech, oak, teak and zebrawood, and there are options available for a Bluetooth audio receiver, or an integrated Apple universal dock if you prefer not to connect via the 3.5mm audio jack.

The iBox XC is available over on broodr starting at $495 (USD). That’s the price for the MDF model. Solid hard woods will run you a bit more.

It’s got a 6.5-inch midrange woofer and two 3.25-inch tweeters. In addition, you can slot your own Apple AirPort Express into its built-in dock, and it will extend your home Wi-Fi network an extra 150 feet, which is great to blanket your backyard while you listen to your tunes. It basically acts as a wireless repeater station. Unfortunately, the AirGo runs on AC only, so you won’t be going very far outside your house without a long extension cord.

The Russound’s AGO1 AirGo Powered Outdoor Speaker sells for $400 (USD), which on top of the $100 needed for the AirPort Express is quite a bit of coin.

[via DVICE]