LAS VEGAS--The miniscule theKube2 MP3 player has been a runaway hit sold through 7-Eleven stores in Singapore. Now its maker is hoping it goes big in the U.S. after a CES launch.

The main selling point for the wee little music box is its wee little size. Bluetree Electronics calls it the "smallest touch MP3 player in the world."

You could lose it in the depths of a big pocket. It's so small, a pet rat could use it. A very technically advanced pet rat, that is.

Despite its size, theKube2 is pretty sturdy. The body … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The show floor at CES 2012 looks like a spaceship full of headphones crash-landed onto it, blasting earbuds and DJ headsets into every booth. AfterShokz finds a way to cut through the clutter by bypassing the ears completely.

AfterShokz sit over the back of your head and hook over your ears. The pads touch at the back of your cheekbones and use bone conduction technology to deliver the sound.

I already tested out Yurbuds, rubbery earbuds designed for athletes. The AfterShokz are also designed for athletes, particularly runners.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--CES doesn't allow under-18s onto the show floor. So when Justin Bieber showed up at the Tosy Robotics booth, he was greeted with guttural man-screams from the predominantly guy-geek crowd.

Bieber showed up to promote Tosy's new entertainment robot, mRobo. It's a little fella with a speaker in its belly and dance moves to go along with the tunes it plays.

The robot is humanoid, but folds down into a more compact size for use as a portable speaker system. It joins Tosy's existing lineup of robots.… Read more

When CNET first covered Samsung's DA-E750 based on the pre-CES press release, it was easy to be skeptical.

The built-in tube preamp can seem a bit gimmicky and it's hard to not grin at the coincidence that the dock can support both iOS and Samsung Galaxy S devices.

But the DA-E750 fares much better in a real hands-on scenario. I had a chance to listen to the DA-E750 in a private listening room in the Samsung booth, where they had it matched it up to the Bose SoundDock. Listening conditions were less than ideal with the anarchy of CES just outside the room's wafer thin walls, but to my ears the Samsung DA-E750 sounded a notch or two better than the Bose. It's never a good idea to judge sound quality based on canned manufacturer demos, but I'll be interested in spending some time listening to the DA-E750 when it's released.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you consider yourself a "Fandroid," you might like to know that Philips has announced the CSS5123 SoundBar: the "first Android streaming Home Theater experience."

The $349.99 SoundBar is designed to sit at the center of a home-streaming setup controlled with a dedicated Android app, SimplyShare, which Philips is pitching as an alternative to AirPlay. It's worth clarifying that the SoundBar itself doesn't run on Android.

SimplyShare is based on DLNA and is compatible with other DLNA devices including Windows PCs, network servers, and dare we say it, (probably) DLNA apps on … Read more

LAS VEGAS--With so many headphone makers at CES emphasizing brain-vibrating bass, it's great to see the folks at Moshi bragging about precision acoustics in the company's new Clarus flagship earbuds for discerning audiophiles.

A 15mm woofer and a 7mm tweeter in each earbud power the Clarus headphones (Moshu calls this "DynaDuo") for accurate reproduction that shines in warmer genres like jazz, classical, and acoustic music. And Moshi claims the dedicated high-frequency driver with passive crossover lets you hear the recordings the way the artist and producer intended.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Everyone loves gathering around a campfire listening to someone strum an acoustic guitar, but lugging that delicate instrument through nature is cumbersome, and why should only one person get to choose the music?

Outdoor Technology suggests you democratize your next adventure with its new wireless Turtle Shell boom box, a Bluetooth-powered speaker with rock-star sound, IP5X durability, and a built-in tripod mount.

I swung by the Outdoor Technology booth here at CES, and the dudes took me into their camper setup to demonstrate the Turtle Shell's flexible features, like an integrated speakerphone and a threaded tripod mount on the bottom that lets you attach it to almost anything--they had it hooked up to a Joby GorillaPod.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--USB mics aren't known for being fashion plates. Looks aren't tops on your list when you're Skyping or jockeying a teleconference. Blue Microphones is changing that with the new Tiki mic.

The Tiki portable USB mic has some pleasant specs like CD quality audio, a multicolored LED status indicator, and an extended docking cable. Also, it's less than 3 inches. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Unsurprisingly, Sony's HomeShare platform didn't take off in 2011, having most of its thunder stolen by a rival wireless audio solution: AirPlay.

Give credit to Sony making a quick adjustment. Sony introduced two new HomeShare speakers today at CES 2012, both including HomeShare (which works with DLNA) and AirPlay support. That puts the speakers in the position of being able to stream music from both Android and Apple mobile devices. There are also dedicated apps for both iOS and Android letting you control the speakers.