Gear4 HouseParty III iPod Speakers Review

There are literally hundreds of different speaker solutions available for the iPod, so when making YOUR choice, the product needs to offer something that little bit extra. Here, I take a look at the HouseParty III from Gear4.

Before you even get this speaker come dock out the box, the feature list reads very well indeed. You get 30 watts of music power, a retractable iPod dock that slides in and out of the unit, a mysterious hidden display and the bonus feature of an FM radio.

Unpacking the unit is a pretty good experience. It feels a little bit on the cheap side, but everything is well made, the design is nice too, with curves in all the right places. There are dock adapters supplied for the 4th and 5th generation iPods, the Mini and both generations of Nano. These slot into the dock, which actually slides in and out of the centre of the base. This is a nice feature, meaning that when you do not have your iPod connected, the unit looks very neat.

Turning the unit on reveals the (hidden) red LED display. Another nice touch, whereby the front of the unit is all made to look like speaker grill, and when turned on the LED display shines through. The buttons on the top are also nice, a firm click for the power, volume and mode, instead of being left wondering if you have actually pushed the button in (as on some fancy touch sensitive units). I really prefer the buttons on the HouseParty III. You are also not restricted to listening to just your iPod, the unit has an FM radio built-in. This worked very well in my tests and is certainly a welcome addition. Of note, you can also plug in your iPod USB cable, so if you are using this product near your computer, you can sync it to your iTunes library. You also get a little remote control, which is very handy for controlling the unit from afar.

Sound Quality
This is the only part of the HouseParty III that lets it down. Don't get me wrong, it is not awful, but compared to other similarly priced offerings, it sounds a little muddy and muffled. It also lacks bass, there just seems to be nothing there. It is perfectly acceptable though, just not outstanding.
However, for the money, plus the combination of dock, speakers, and FM Radio, the HouseParty III still offers good value for money. Great for a kitchen or bedroom, but not for your main listening device.

Product: HouseParty III
Price: £79.99
Supplied by: Gear4
Contact:

Boomtube H201 - iPod & MP3 speakers

When you are looking for iPod speakers, you really are spoilt from choice. It ends up being a decision to either go with the big name brands or take a risk on something a little different. Think Outside have certainly tried to break the mould with their Boomtube H201 speakers, which we take a look at here.

Out of the box, things look pretty good, mainly because the unit has some weight to it. The finish is pretty darn good too, with a nice brushed aluminium paint effect. The main tube houses the inputs, outputs and bass/volume controls. This same tube also contains the subwoofer unit. The satellite speakers actually twist and attach to the main tube, which is handy if you are off on your holidays and need to take the Boomtube with you. Of note, you also get a handy carry pouch supplied as part of the package.

I want to get a quick negative out of the way, before returning to the units performance. The way the little speakers attach to the main tube, and the carry pouch supplied, really shouts "portable" to me. The problem is you need a mains power supply. If only Think Outside had included a battery compartment, this would be a really neat all-round package.

With that moan out of the way, back to how this little baby sounds. There is no dock, so you connect your iPod (or any other MP3 player, even a PSP) via the supplied mini-jack cable. Turning the unit on and playing some music was a bit under-whelming at first, but fear not, you just need to tweak that bass control. The Boomtube delivers 40-watts of power and believe me, this little device can really deliver some loud volume and awesome bass. Whilst it is not very refined (audio buffs look elsewhere) for parties and the like, this really could be the answer.

Overall, I was impressed with the Boomtube. It delivers a great sound and goes very loud. The lack of battery power is a big shame, but if you can overlook that, then this is a very well made and extremely power compact speaker system.

But wait, you say there is no batteries compartment… complete and utter nonsense. Think Outside built in a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which one charged delivers about five hours of music. Well, I guess I am off to the local park to shake the local community into submission. The Boomtube H201 rocks both the house and outside the house too.

Product: Boomtube H201
Price: £99.99
Supplied by: Think Outside
Contact: Widget UK Ltd. 0845 055 0005
Link to UK supplier

Sennheiser CX300 Earphones - wise upgrade !

Listening to music… a great British pastime, and something I enjoy every day. It comes as no surprise, mainly because it has been said many times before, that the earphones bundled with the iPod, or any MP3 player, are not brilliant. The iPod earphones are better then most, but for a small investment you can get a lot more music for your money.

Sennheiser are well known for their high quality offerings, but this needn't break the bank. Their CX300 earphones weigh in at under £20 and are available in either black, white or silver. They come supplied nicely packaged with small, medium and large ring adaptors for a comfortable fit. Of the three colours I really like the black, which are accented with silver rings. To see the other colours there is a link at the end of this review to the Sennheiser website.

Being the in-ear type of headphone, comfort is very important. Out of all the earphones I have tried, these win on the comfort stakes. The material used is very soft, with a matt finish and the medium size for me was just right. They don't fit too deep inside the ear canal, just a little way in. Once fitted they really block out a a lot of outside noise, so are perfect if you listen in a noisy environment.

Of course, I used the CX300's with my trusty iPod (what else) and the clarity of sound delivered was superb. Bass was nice and deep, the mid-range was rich and the treble end was very good too. In comparison to others, it was only the higher end that was not as refined, nothing to worry about, but worth mentioning. Even at high volume they behaved impeccably, keeping things clean all the way.

So when you buy an iPod, yes the supplied earphones are OK, but invest a little and you will enjoy your music a whole lot more. The paltry asking price for a pair of CX300 earphones really do make this a no brainer… it is definitely money well spent.

Product: Sennheiser CX300 earphones
Price: £39.99
Amazon: £16.24
Supplied by: Sennheiser UK
Contact: info@sennheiser.co.uk

*Please be aware, there are a lot of cheap copies of headphones on ebay. Please ensure you are buying genuine products when making a purchase.

Recharge4 Review - Extend Gadget Battery Life

The ReCharge4 from Exspect promises to deliver a smart battery that recharges a lot of different devices. Ranging from mobile phones to MP3 players, claiming to extend battery life up to four times. Read our review below to find out if it really does deliver on its' promises.

The ReCharge4 might be mistaken for something that has been done by so many other manufacturers, but even within the first few hours of use, I was convinced that this little device had been really well thought out. The package consists of the ReCharge4 battery unit, which has a power input on the base for recharging its internal 4800mAh lithium-ion battery. On the top right of the unit is another socket, where you plug an extension cable, it is this cable that you then attach the various tips that in turn plug into the device you want to charge or use.
On the front of the unit is a small button and a line of green LEDs. If you press the button it shows you how much juice is left in the Recharge4. It takes around six hours to initially charge it to full power. In my test it was showing a full charge after three hours, but I left it plugged in for the full six hours to be on the safe side.
To finish the package off, you get a mains adapter for recharging the internal battery and a small cloth pouch for carrying everything around…

So, I had a fully charged ReCharge4, now for the test. I had a Motorola L7, Nokia 6280 and a Samsung D600, both with completely flat batteries. The Motorola went first and after connecting the charging lead, I plugged in the supplied Motorola tip and then put this into the phone. You are supposed to press the button on the front of the ReCharge4 to initiate charging, but I found that this was not necessary as the L7 started charging straight away. After three hours the L7 was fully charged and only two out of the eight LEDs on the ReCharge4 had gone out. Because I am clever at maths, I guess that means a quarter of the capacity had been used. The Nokia 6280 also fully charged in around 3.5 hours and the Samsung charged to almost full capacity before the Recharge4 unit ran out. This was pretty impressive, to be able to fully charge two mobile phones and almost a third from such a small device.

There are three versions available for mobile phones, MP3 players, or portable gaming devices. The main unit remains the same, it is just the tips that are supplied that changes. For example, the mobile phone version comes with tips for almost every Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung offering. The MP3 version comes supplied with tips suitable for the Apple iPod, Creative, iRiver and MP3 players that charge via USB. These small tips are available separately, so you can buy the most suitable main package and then add a few individual tips for specific devices.

In summary the Recharge4 is a very well designed, compact, and useful device. The asking price represents pretty good value for money. Combine this with the fact that you can add new tips for your new devices and you have a useful device that will help power your gadgets for many years to come.

Product: ReCharge4
Price: £39.99
Supplied by: Exspect UK
Contact: info@exspect.co.uk

Griffin iKaraoke Review - Fun with your iPod

How about a bit of fun with your iPod? Well, crack open some beers, get your iPod out and connect a Griffin iKaraoke, for what should be some guaranteed fun.

The iKaraoke landed on my desk this week, so I rushed home to get it tested by the ultimate gadget users in my house, a few invites went out to my gaming friends, and the house was full for a bit of a knees up. This new gadget from Griffin Technology plugs into the dock connector on the bottom of your iPod. I tested it with a 5th generation full size iPod, but it also works with the 1st & 2nd gen Nano, the iPod Mini, and the 4th gen iPod.

Once plugged in you can sing along to your favourite music track, which is great, but Griffin took things one step further... you can add reverb to your voice via an on-screen setting, plus you can also connect the unit to your home hi-fi unit via a line out socket. So you Karaoke skills (or lack of in my case) can be broadcast at some pumping volumes. Already great fun, well to push the possibilities even further, you can lose that wire connecting you to the hi-fi…

The iKaraoke also has an FM transmitter built in, so you can set a frequency for it to transmit on (again on the iPod screen) and then tune your hi-fi into the same station, and voila! it will have you prancing around the room (or hiding) whilst singing along to your tunes. You can also mute the music, which allows you to announce something, this could be useful if you were using this at a party on in a pub situation.

The microphone unit that you hold in your hand is really well made, and has a high quality feel. It has a switch for turning vocals on and off in your music, plus iPod controls around the other side for track selection, and play/pause. When you power it on, there is also a nice red glowing light around the tip. Back to your iPod screen and you can also adjust the volume of the music, so that your voice can be heard.

So did we have a good time? Well, it was fun, and everyone wanted to have a go. The minor problem was the quality of filtering out vocals from the music tracks, which is a tricky thing to do in all fairness, but could have been better. The FM transmission was pretty good, not fantastic quality, but more than acceptable.
On a more positive note, the iKaraoke really did deliver on what it promises, and that is to have some good fun. Out of the eight people (not including myself) that used it, I asked if they would buy one. Well two said yes, but did not have iPods. Of the remaining six that all own iPods, five said that for the low cost they would definitely invest in an iKaraoke. What more can I say...

Product: Griffin Technology iKaraoke
Price: $49.99
UK Street Price: £25.00
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000

SyncWear Shirt - Wear your iPod !

The newly designed SyncWear MP3 Shirt for the iPod Nano certainly was something a little different for me to look at this week. This is a second generation design from "Malachi & Company" under the new SyncWear name. For a very short history lesson, the previous generation shirts were sold under the PodWear ProActive name.

This short sleeve shirt is made of 100% polyester and to touch it feels very high quality. If you look at the stitching it really is impeccably made. The shirt is very lightweight and lends itself well to sports use, though it could be used for any occasion. So let's take a look at what makes this shirt unique…

As the title suggests, the SyncWear Shirt was designed with the iPod Nano in mind, but it does offer a lot more besides, so if you don't own a Nano please keep reading. At the base of the shirt is a dual-layer 3-in-1 side pocket. One of the inner pockets is custom fitted for the Nano, the pocket next to this will accommodate a USB type MP3 player, such as a 1st generation Shuffle. There is then a layer of material between these two small pockets and a larger storage area. The idea for this larger area is to bundle up your excess headphone cable. The pocket is then secured with two velcro tabs.
Now, at a pinch I managed to fit a full size 5th generation iPod in the larger pocket, albeit with only one velcro tab secured. I also managed to fit an Archos 404 Cam MP3 player in there, with both velcro tabs secured. This should give you an idea of just what can be used with the SyncWear Shirt.

Along the side of the shirt are two fabric loops, through which you thread you headphone cable. This keeps it nicely tucked out of harms way. The upper loop is just below the neck on the front of the shirt (as shown in the photo). This is my own minor problem, that whilst this works absolutely fine, I personally would have like the same loop repeated on the back of the shirt, just to give me another wearing option, but I really am splitting hairs here.

The blue SyncWear Shirt that I tested is a really nice deep navy blue colour. It was (and still is) very comfortable to wear, it is very useful and above all, it looks very stylish. It is also available in black, red, and black with navy trim, plus their is also a women's cut version. I never thought I would be impressed by a piece of clothing, but know I find myself saying that "a T-Shirt has made me me want to go out more and get active with my iPod". Anyone who does a sport, or carries their iPod around a lot, should pick up a SyncWear Shirt, you really won't regret it.

The RRP on the SyncWear Shirt is $33.99, but for a limited time you can pick one up for $29.99 with free ground shipping in US and just $8.99 shipping to the UK. This equates to a total delivered cost of around £20 for the UK, which I think represents great value for money.

Product: SyncWear Shirt
Price: $33.99
Supplied by: Malachi & Company
Contact: contact@malachiandcompany.com

Griffin TuneCenter - iPod on the Big Screen

The Griffin Technology TuneCenter is one of those products that I was really looking forward to reviewing, mainly because it gave me an excuse to play with my iPod as part of my work. I am a big iPod fan, so any product that allows me to get more enjoyment out of it is definitely a good thing.

The TuneCenter at first glance looks like a glorified dock, but dig a little deeper and you will find out some real gems it has to offer. The package comprises of the main unit, power cable, dock adapters (in various sizes), a video/audio out cable and a mini remote control. The main unit where your iPod docks has outputs for the supplied cables, plus an s-video out socket and an ethernet port.

Within a few minutes of unpackaging the TuneCenter, I had connected the video and audio cables to my high definition TV, docked my iPod and was presented with a nice on-screen user interface. Apart from the set-up page, I was given the option of navigating my iPod or connecting to internet radio. I chose the iPod and was able to navigate my music on my large screen TV. The interface is really nice and well thought out. Sound quality is good, and with a little bit of my own cabling I routed the audio to my home cinema amp and it sounded great, much better than through my TV's speakers.

Video is a little different. The TuneCenter outputs video, but you first have to push the 'video' button on the supplied remote control. This turns off the on-screen TV display to allow the iPod's video output to show. This is fine, but it does mean you have to navigate to the video you want to play on your iPod screen, which is a little tricky if you are sitting on the other side of the room to watch your TV.
That said, this is only a minor inconvenience, and once playing the quality is superb. To test the video output I downloaded a low resolution version of Steve Jobs Keynote at the recent MacWorld Expo 2007. When playing back on my 40-inch screen it scaled up beautifully, to say I was impressed is an understatement.
In the same way that you output video, you can also view your photo slideshows, and again they looked great.

If you connect the unit via ethernet to a broadband connection the TuneCenter has another offering up its sleeve. Internet Radio is streamed over your broadband connection via the SHOUTcast internet radio service. You use the remote to navigate through the available stations, and again I was very surprised at just how much I found myself using this.

The remote control supplied is very nice, most manufacturers seem to throw in a remote as an afterthought, but not Griffin. This smart mini remote fit nicely into your hand, offers menu, up/down & left/right navigation arrows, a select button, plus play/pause, skip, volume and page buttons. It is well laid out and feels very nicely made, adding to the overall feel of the package.

All in all I was really impressed with the TuneCenter. The build quality of all the components is great, and where it counts the audio and video quality is great too. The video quality is what won me over though, I download a lot of video podcasts and other content and can honestly say that I was wowed by what I saw, even though I was scaling it up to a 40-inch screen. If you are an iPod fan like me, then adding a TuneCenter to your set-up is really a wise move, you will not be disappointed.

Product: TuneCenter
Price: $129.99
UK Street Price: £79.99
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000

Griffin EarThumps Review

When you buy an iPod, whether it is a full size version, Nano, or perhaps the miniature sized Shuffle, more often than not you crack open the packaging, load it with music and listen with the supplied headphones. This is all well and good, but believe me, things can sound better. It is possible to invest from around £10 upwards for a replacement set of headphones. Here we take a look at the lower end of the market in terms of price, with Griffin Technology's EarThumps.

The EarThumps, which weigh in at just 12 grammes, are available in a black or white finish. The cable is 120cm long, which is more than enough. They also come supplied with three different size ear inserts, to ensure a comfortable fit. The ear inserts feel more rubberised, rather than the gel appearance of more expensive brands, though I am sure the material used is very similar. The 3.5mm jack (where you plug the headphones in) is has a small plastic surround, so it fits nicely when your iPod is in a case. Some headphones have an angled larger plastic surround, which causes problems with some cases, so this was nice to see. The EarThumps are supplied with a tiny zip case, with three internal pockets. This is great, as you can store the headphones plus the ear inserts to keep them safe.

Fitting the EarThumps into my ears with the medium size rubbers was easy, and provided a nice comfortable fit. Unlike the Apple supplied headphones, they do not just sit in front of the ear, they actually go inside a little way. Some isolating headphones seem to go too deep inside the ear, but I am happy to say that the EarThumps do not go too deep and still provide a nice seal against external noises. The sound delivered is a definite improvement over the Apple supplied headphones. The bass is a little deeper and the detail in the high and mid-range is noticeable. If you want to improve the sound of your iPod without breaking the bank, the Griffin EarThumps are well worth a look.

Griffin EarThumps
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
MSRP: $29.99
Link to product

Speck Canvas Sport Case for iPod Nano

With so many different iPod cases available on the market it is important to stand out from the crowd... with style. The Canvas Sport case from Speck for the iPod Nano tries just that with 'Converse' type styling.

This case is designed to accommodate both the 1st generation and 2nd gen iPod Nano. It is available in a variety of colours,light green, pink, black, silver and blue, all with contrasting white detailing. The combination of canvas and rubber grip areas around the edges make for a nice quality feel. On the front there is a hard plastic screen protector stitched in, with contrasting stitching around this and the click wheel. On the back of the case is a nice strong belt clip, again with stitch detailing.

access
Getting your Nano into the case is a breeze. A simple pop stud on the back to undo, then 3/4 of the back hinges down, iPod slips in and then pop it closed again. There is no access to the dock port whilst your iPod is in the case, but this didn't really bother me as it is so quick and simple to open the case. You do have full click wheel access (uncovered) and the top and bottom of the case have cutout for the headphone socket and hold switch. A minor niggle is that the top and bottom are quite thick textured rubber. This is nice to the touch, but it makes the hold switch quite difficult to switch on & off.

conclusion
If you want to carry your iPod Nano in style then you should definitely consider the Canvas Sport case. The quality is nice, the screen protection is nice and clear and the belt clip is nice a strong. Styling is also very pleasing to the eye, especially the stitch detailing. The simple access to get your iPod in and out of the case is also a big plus point. The Canvas Sport for iPod Nano, from Speck comes with a 8.5/10 rating.

Supplied by: Speck Products
Price: $29.95
Link to product: Canvas Sport for iPod Nano

Disko All Night Long with Griffin

A slightly different review this time around with the 'Disko' iPod case from Griffin Technology. Not only is this a different case, but a different type of review from Geekanoids, the first of many video reviews. Future reviews will have better lighting and sound, maybe even slightly better presentation as I get more practice.

On with the review; the video says it all really, but I should add that this case is really funky. Suitable for the 30Gb, 60Gb and 80Gb 5th Gen iPods, it is a hard plastic polycarbonate case, glossy on the front, matt finish on the back, available in smokey black or transparent to suit the white iPod. The difference comes in when you move the case, the motion sensors kick in and make little LED's light up around the click wheel. Fantastic !

Check out the video and the the links below to the product. This will make an ideal Christmas gift this season at a very reasonable price.

Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $29.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.

Apple iPod Nano 4Gb - New 2G Delivers !

To say I feel honoured is an understatement, but when I took the new 2nd generation iPod Nano out of the shipping box my jaw dropped. The new transparent packaging is fantastic and I  now know why Steve Jobs mentioned it in his keynote. Not thinking my jaw could get any lower I  removed the Nano from its’ packaging and was once again amazed at how much sleeker it felt than the previous generation.

This is my first review where I  just felt that I  wanted to give you two pages (or more) of high resolution photographs. They say ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and with the new Nano those words could not be more fitting. The case of the Nano is now all anodised aluminium and is so nice to touch, a real smooth feel, no worries about fingerprints either, which is fantastic news. Colours have been introduced with the 2Gb model being available in silver only, the 4Gb being available in silver, green, blue and pink, and the new higher capacity 8Gb model in a sexy black. All have this wicked metallic look.

Back to the packaging a moment, before I  tell you even more about the latest Nano. I always trump on and on about the ‘Apple buying experience’ and yet again, unpacking this baby is no different, everything is packaged impeccably, the iPod lifts out and you are presented with two fold out pieces of card, which reveal a tiny quick start booklet, the new style headphones, usb connector and dock adapter. All so neatly positioned you wonder just how they do it.

Now, back to the Nano, and connecting it to my Mac for the first time presented me with a software update, which I  installed, then left it charging a little while before syncing with my iTunes application.
I  already own a 60Gb iPod myself, so my iTunes library is quite large, so when I connected the Nano, iTunes warned me that my library would not all fit and gave me the option of the application creating a Nano playlist for me, I took this option for speed and let iTunes select the songs for me. The actually capacity for files on the 4Gb silver model I am reviewing is 3.68Gb, the remainder being taken up with system files etc. So I  set the files transferring and it pushed 698 MP3’s across to the Nano in about 12 minutes, which to me is totally acceptable. I  made a few changes to the playlist and re-synced and was ready to play... to download the full review click here.

Product supplied by Apple UK.
Retail price: £129.00 (4Gb model)
Contact: 0800 039 1010
Link to product.

i-deck compact - Get That iPod Pumping

Having an iPod is something I have been lucky enough to be party to from the second generation release onwards, so I have enjoyed the simplicity in design, the superb interface, the usefulness and the power for many years. I use my iPod every day for music and podcasts mainly, but the odd video crops up every now and again.

About a year ago I invested in two separate speaker systems for my iPod in quick succession, the first I will not name, the second by Logitech was good and I still have it now. So it was with much excitement that I had the opportunity to review the ‘i-deck compact’, not only because it promised to be a step up from what I had been used to, but also because it is manufactured by Monitor Audio, who just happen to also make the home cinema speakers that I have now enjoyed in my lounge for the last two years.

You will hear many Apple devotees talk about how unpacking an Apple product is all part of the experience, the way things are cable tied, the box design, clever packaging and the smell. Yes, it sounds obsessive, but when you experience it you will know what I mean. Well, the i-deck compact gave that same feeling. OK, it was a big box, but the wrapping was perfect and unveiling the glossy white casing instantly made me very confident of the product.

This is a weighty unit and measures 42cm in length, which is great as is enhances stereo separation. The amplifier delivers 15 watts per channel, so when I say this thing goes loud, I mean LOUD !
The design of the unit is no less than ‘spot on’ sporting nice curves and that all important glossy white finish. The grey grills that cover the speakers are of a very fine mesh and compliment the overall design of the unit. For those of you with a black iPod, the ‘ideck compact’ is also available in black with black speaker grills.
Around the back, the unit is finished in silver and it sports the power socket, a connector for running to your Mac or PC so you can sync your iPod when it is connected to the ideck, a composite video ouput, s-video output and a 3.5mm stereo input jack, so you can connect other audio devices with the supplied cable to the ideck if you so wish. There is also an optional 12V car adaptor available, so you could use this whilst travelling or on holiday. Also in the box you will find a selection of dock adapters, that snap nice and easily into the unit, they allow a nice snug fit for all of the current iPod range.

Down & Dirty
Enough of describing the ideck to you, let’s get this baby powered up... to download the full review complete with more product images click here.

Product supplied by Monitor Audio UK
Retail price: £149.00
Contact: 01268 740580
Link to product.

Griffin PowerBlock - Juice up your iPod !

We all know how great the iPod is and how it is a runaway success for Apple. I love my iPod, having owned most of the generations released, but with the later versions charging became more and more tied to a computer rather than a power socket. If I want to pump some juice into my iPod, I do not really want to go to my computer (if I am at home), power-up and plug in. This is fine if I am synchronising it to iTunes, but I want just the extra battery power.

The PowerBlock from Griffin Technology offers me just the solution I need, it is a very simple, compact device that sports a two prong plug with a USB connector on it. The supplied USB cable then plugs into the unit and into the dock connector on my iPod. It works worldwide too, accepting 110v to 240v and will charge any iPod with a dock connector. These include the iPod Mini, 4th generation iPod, iPod Photo, iPod Nano and the latest iPod with Video (5g). I assume that it will also work with the new 2G Nano as this also sports the standard dock connector. Another point of reference is the output rating, which is 5.0V 500mA, so if you have a device other than an iPod that charges via USB with this rating, there is no reason why you cannot use the PowerBlock to charge this too.

It is the compact size of the PowerBlock that wins out for me, even the two prongs of the plug fold down when not in use. A tiny unit measuring about 6x4.5x2cm and weighing virtually nothing is ideal for travelling around with.

In conclusion, if you want to keep your iPod topped up with juice and need something that is suitable for worldwide use, then look no further than the PowerBlock. It is neat, very compact, ultra light and does exactly what is says on the box.

To download a printable version of review click here.

Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $29.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.

Griffin RoadTrip for iPod - Full Review

Using my iPod everyday is a forgone conclusion for me. I love my music, like looking at photos of my kids, but one thing I miss is catching up on the tech podcasts that I love so much. I often put them on when settling down for the night, only to find out in the morning that I cannot recall a lot of what I had listened to. For a long time I had wanted a solution so that I could easily listen to my iPod in the car, but all too often the little device needed batteries, or my iPod was low on juice, or even worse I found a spaghetti junction of wires in my car (as well as under my desk).

Griffin Technology addresses these issues with a neat all in one unit called the RoadTrip, but does it deliver the promises and how easy is it to install and use? Read on to find out...

Well, out of the box you are presented with extra bits and pieces to suit all iPods that sport a dock connector, see the ‘Extra Vies’ panel for images of these. Basically the box contains some protection pads, the iPod holder itself, the main body of the unit, the FM transmitter module, power plug (for your 12v cigarette lighter socket), and extension arm, USB audio cable and two additional plastic holders for the iPod Mini and Nano. The back insert of the box neatly unfolds to give you diagrams and full instructions of how to set things up, a quick read of this proves that things are going to be easy.

Now, I have three iPods to test this with, a Nano, 30Gb 5G iPod and a 60Gb 3G iPod, so here’s hoping they all fit nicely. I wanted to start with the 60Gb 5G iPod, so a quick read of the instructions told me to install the extra thick protection pad to the main iPod holder, which I duly did. However, when I then tried to insert the iPod it was such a tight fit that I initially abandoned it. The 30Gb iPod fitted very nicely though, so after the main install into the car (see ‘On The Move’)
I went back to try my 60Gb iPod again and it fitted, but was very tight. It fitted the second time due to the protection pad having squashed down a bit... to download the full review click here.

Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $89.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.

Tempo iPod Sports Wrap from Griffin

It gives me great pleasure to bring you the first full review from Geekanoids. If you are reading this on the website, towards the bottom of this article you will find a link to download the full review in PDF format, this is a free download for you to read, print and share with your friends.

On with the review, thanks to the kind people at Griffin Technology who sent us this ‘tempo’ sports wrap for the iPod Nano. It is also available in a larger option for the full size iPods.

The ‘tempo’ is made of a soft stretchy material, with a soft lined pocket for your Nano. Getting the Nano into the pocket is a little tricky, the fit is very snug, but once inside there is no danger of it slipping out. This is especially important if you plan to exercise whilst using your iPod. The plastic screen protector is ultra clear, so it does not degrade the image quality, so another thumbs up here.

Detailing on the ‘tempo’ is nice, with high visibility grey on either side of the iPod holder and a bright orange cord wrap, which is great for keeping your headphone cable nice and tidy. The grey detailing is also made of reflective type material, so car headlights will pick this up, a great safety feature if you run when it is dark.

Along the length of the armband there are multiple velcro patches... to download the full review click here.

Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.