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Novelty Speakers
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Amp It Up With a Mini Desktop Speaker Amplifier
As much as I wanted to be in an all-girl garage band in middle school (and still feel the urge when I play Rock Band), I never got it together. Never learned the guitar, never took much-needed voice lessons, never got to bring home an amp that would make my parents scream obscenities at me from the floor below.
But now, the joys of adulthood and USB capabilities have given me a new shot — with this desktop Mini Amplifier Speaker ($25)!
Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Cupcake Speakers
Okay, so maybe I'm not the only person on this earth that has a soft spot for delicious cupcakes and pretty speakers. Calamari spotted these adorable speakers by Semk over at Technabob. Apparently, the speakers plug right into your computer or MP3 player for sweet, sweet sound.
Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Novelty Speakers
We've all seen our fair share of novelty gadgets, particularly "i"- gadgets or funky speakers in the shapes of animals, alien-inspired towers, or daises, but the question is, would you buy one? RaRaJulia recently moved into a new place and sent me these photos of her novelty dog speakers, which she says are quite the conversation/compliment starters. We know they are totally cute, but is the concept of novelty speakers geeky, or geek chic?
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Novelty iPod Speaker - Looks And Sounds Good
I first saw the JBL On Time speaker, $249, earlier this month at Macworld, but didn't get the chance to listen to it until last week. Visually, the speaker is quite fun - I've decided it looks like the machine Jodie Foster goes into in the movie Contact - and surprisingly, the sound quality and power is pretty stellar. While there are plenty of other iPod speakers out there that take the cake for originality, such as the colorful flower power speakers, this little number is attractive enough that it won't be an eyesore on your desktop or bedstand, and does include a nice element of design and symmetry.
iFish, iCat, iDog - Surprisingly, iDon't Hate
I usually hate on silly 'i" things for the simple reason that there are too many of them. When it comes to the iFish, iDog and iCat, my feelings are all friendly and fun. The small little critters are interactive speaker toys that hook up to your iPod or MP3 player.
iPig iPod Speaker: Love It or Leave It?
It's unfortunate that I look at the iPig iPod Speaker ($160) and can only think of pig references in movies, like Carrie and Deliverance, because I see him and get a little creeped out (maybe it's the dead black eyes).
He is, though, for all intents and purposes, very cute, especially when that purpose is to blast music from your iPod.
But for something that's kind of a novelty item (pig-shaped things not being every grown-up's tchotchke dream), my mouth is agape at the $160 price tag.
Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Working Speaker On Plastic Body
BNKO Studio's "Working Speaker on a Plastic Body" combines novelty speaker with art. Its description "Enceinte (en etat de marche)," translates to "Pregnant (in the state of walking)," which in turn leaves me in a state of confusion and awe. Despite the pretty form, I can't decide if I would ever purchase a novelty speaker.
Funky iPod Speaker Docks
In the past couple of years iPod speaker docks have become one of the most replicated and abundant novelty items on the gadget scene. Every major electronics manufacturer has released one, two or even five models. Whether built in alarm clocks, lamps or waterproof bottles, iPod docks offer iPod enjoyment sans earbuds.
Neil Poulton's Fire-Wire Speakers - Sight For Sore Eyes
Neil Poulton's Fire-Wire Speakers offers a fresh sense of style after months of gawking at busy and colorful novelty speakers. The clean and crisp speakers are ideal for both mac and PC users because they offer a hint of classic white (for the MacBook fans) and black (for the classic PC fans). Mac users can just plug in and start jamming, while Windows users need to install a quick CD.
Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Plush Animal Speakers
SkinnyMarie shared these fun Plush Animal Speakers with me, saying that they were given to her as a gag gift because she have been infatuated by penguins since she was five.
While we can all agree that novelty speakers shaped like cupcakes or tiny wooden cubes probably don't boost the sound power of more serious speakers, these are fun desktop accessories. They are currently on sale for $16 and feature a plug-and-play design that works with laptops, iPod, CD or MP3 players.
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