5/1/07

11:22 AM

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Toys & Tools

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Queue up your favorite tracks and get ready to rock with the latest iPod speakers.

ANTHONY LOSANNO

Altec Lansing inMotion iM500 iHome2Go iH26

> JBL Radial

Known to car fanatics as the only speakers for the road, the JBL Radial brings the companys tradition of excellent sound indoors.The Radials stunning design incorporates four full-range drivers and one low-frequency driver into a speaker-covered dome.The Radial works with the nano, iPod, and Shuffle and comes in either white or black. Now your music will look as good as it sounds. Priced at $299 and available at jbl.com.
After sitting through a cross-country flight, you wont want to wear headphones at the hotel. Enter the Altec Lansing inMotion iM500.This ultrathin, travel speaker dock measures only 0.7-inches thick and a weighs a mere 12 ounces. But it offers enough sound to fill an entire room.The iM500 slides neatly into your travel bag and runs on either an AC adapter or six AAA batteries for up to eight hours. Priced at $129 and available at alteclansing.com.
Who wants to wake up to an annoying buzzer or the static of a local FM station? The iH26 is a portable alarm clock and iPod speaker dock in one, complete with a remote control.Your iPod will charge using the included AC adapter, and if there is a power loss, a battery backup will make sure you get rolling on time. Priced at $99.99 and available at ihomeaudio.com.

WRAP IT UP

< Klipsch iGroove HG
Klipschs iGroove HG screams rock and roll.This all-black speaker wraps dual 2.5-inch woofers in a small, sleek package. Music sounds like its being played live thanks to the iGrooves horn-loaded tweeters, which produce rich, lifelike sounds.The iGroove HG includes a remote to control your tunes from across the room. Priced at $249 and available at klipsch.com.
< Burberry Check Mini iPod Cases
This Italian-leather case envelops your iPod nano in a classic Burberry check. A fold-over cover secures your player so it wont fall out on the go. Listen while youre iPods covered, thanks to a slit for your earphones. Priced at $109 and available at burberyyusaonline.com.
Your shiny, new iPod looks good now, but after a few weeks in your bag it will be scuffed and scratched. Want to shield your pocket-size jukebox? Protect it with one of these stylish cases.
Dior Elastic iPod Video Holder

< Louis Vuitton iPod

Classic Cover
This monogrammed canvas iPod case is the perfect addition for any music lovers purse. Its lined with leather and folds together to snugly hold your iPod. Openings let you keep your headphones plugged in and dock your iPod without removing it from the case. Priced at $285 and available at louisvuitton.com.

> Specktone Retro

This speaker looks like something straight out of the 1970s. But before you dig out the 8-tracks, keep in mind the Specktone Retro is made for your iPod. This gorgeous wooden speaker (with a four-inch subwoofer) is good enough to fill a small office or den with music, and its available in black, light green, or a white-lacquer finish. Priced at $149 and available at speckproducts.com.
Simple and elegant, this black leather case has a pocket to hold your credit cards and cash. An interior display window lets you see whats playing without removing your player from the holder, and a Dior-logoed strap secures everything inside. Priced at $255 and available at eluxury.com.

WINTER

T R U M P

10 March 2007

By: Florin Tibu, Editor, Software Reviews

Impossibly Thin

Altec Lansing inMotion500
OK, no more iPod praising or rant at the beginning of this piece of news. Yes, it's about iPod, another "Made for iPod" equipment, from one of the new brands I have grown to respect quite a lot, Altec Lansing. Altec Lansing has become one of the leading speaker system manufacturers in a rather short time: I don't know their recipe for success but who cares as long as they release outstanding and yet affordable gear?They (Altec Lansing) have designed and released more iPod-oriented gear but this particular one has something different about it: it's incredibly thin! Most of the travel-purpose iPod docks are small and/or thin, because after all, this is their purpose - portability, but this one is ridiculous! 0.7" (17mm) thickness (or should I say thinness) is quite a thing!Despite this Lilliputian dimension, the Altec Lansing inMotion IM500 iPod dock outputs great sound; well, don't think it would sound like your $1,000 home cinema system at home, it's a travel speaker set, for goodness sake! Nevertheless, this compact and low-weight (3.4kg) piece of equipment is one of the coolest gadgets you could buy for your (obviously beloved) iPod nano.It runs on two full-range speakers and it also benefits from bass enhancement technology, therefore the sound it will deliver isn't by far a cracked and shallow one but a rich and full one, perfect for filling up your hotel room or even tent with the music you like. Yes, tent, because the Altec Lansing IM500 runs not only connected to an AC source but as well with 6 AAA batteries which will most likely give you 8 to 10 hours of music. Sync and recharge your player, but in the battery mode this is costly. Anyway, another cool thing is that the IM500 can also receive audio signal from other external sources such as PC or CD player.Finally, one word on portability: its stand folds so it becomes not much bigger than a larger notebook; notebooks as in school, not in laptops! For just under 100 bucks, you can add value to your (already) valuable iPod nano.
Logo for new excellence Altec Lansing
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