Docks and remote controls

The JBL On Stage series of iPod speaker docks are practically an institution at this point. We have On Stage reviews dating back to 2005.

This year, JBL is doing something a little different with its iPod-amplifying staple, offering a new design that looks like it's been crushed by an elephant and artfully glued back together.

All kidding aside, the daring design of the newest On Stage systems is available on two models. The On Stage IV ($179) is the larger of the two, with a total of four JBL Odyssey transducers, battery power up to 16 hours, and … Read more

Sony may have lost the MP3 player battle, but it still knows a thing or two about making small, powerful speaker systems.

As evidence, we have the newly announced iRDP-X50iP, a portable speaker dock made for the Apple iPhone and iPod that boasts 40 watts of power in an elegant, minimal design.

With an asking price of $199, the iRDP-X50iP includes a bass reflex speaker design, aux input, remote control with full iPod control functionality, Mega Bass audio enhancement circuitry, soft-touch controls, and certified compatibility with the iPhone and recent iPods.

Sony's press release for the iRDP-X50iP emphasizes its … Read more

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to recommend a good battery-powered or rechargeable speaker for their iPhone that they could bring on a camping trip. It seemed like a simple request, but finding solid recommendations turned out to be harder than I expected.

Maybe I'm just a sound snob, but to my ears, most portable speakers sound pretty bad. To be fair, it isn't easy to coax great sound out of a speaker system that fits in a backpack. Even with the best audio engineering money can buy, when you factor in concerns over battery life, … Read more

Logitech has pulled back the curtain on a new portable speaker system for the iPhone and iPod, and we gotta say--the company has outdone itself. Due out in a few weeks at $149 list, and packed with a total of eight drivers, the S715i hits a sweet spot of price and sonic performance we've never seen before.

The tradeoff is that you don't get bells and whistles, such as Bluetooth audio streaming, alarm clock, EQ, or FM radio--which is already mostly covered by the iPhone, anyhow. Ultimately, what the S715i offers is a big sound in a relatively … Read more

When Harman Kardon told me it was launching a smaller version of the excellent Go + Play iPod boom box, I was expecting something, well...small. Even the name sounds cute: the Go + Play Micro.

But when the product arrived on my desk, I thought the company sent the wrong product. I reviewed the original Go + Play only a year ago, and this thing looked nearly identical--a futuristic bowling bag of sound rendered in brushed aluminum and black plastic. Sure, it lost about an inch on the back and sides, but it was in no way micro.

Only after turning it … Read more

Any iPod Touch owners who want to use your devices as GPS navigators (just like iPhone 3G or 3GS owners can), your wishes have just come true.

Dual Electronics announced Friday the availability of the its GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle for iPod Touch (model XGPS300). The cradle, which resembles a battery case in size and weight, provides a full-featured and portable GPS navigation solution for the iPod Touch. It includes:

A cradle with a built-in GPS receiver, a rechargeable battery to power the GPS or recharge the iPod, an amplified speaker for voice prompts, a microphone, a 3.5mm … Read more

The world of universal remotes, IR blasters, and signal repeaters is an automated, macho technoscape of high-priced components and intimidating remote controls. But if the complexities (or price) of something like Logitech's mind-blowing Harmony 900 super remote are more likely to induce a panic attack than a stream of drool, a $49 adapter made for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad might be a more ideal match for you.

The RedEye Mini boils down the essential hardware components of a universal remote control into an inch-long plastic tube that fits in your headphone jack. Remote navigation features such as … Read more

Everybody has an opinion about the Apple iPad. For better or worse, it's one of those viral products that just seem to get under your skin. People in my life who would normally never talk to me about tech are coming out of the woodwork to ping me for an opinion on the iPad, unsure if they should bite.

But in spite of all the fence-sitters out there wondering which way the wind will blow, there is one group of people who share nothing but undiluted joy at the prospect of the iPad. I'm talking, of course, about … Read more

Call it an occupational hazard, but as CNET's senior editor for MP3 player reviews, I'm constantly being called on to loan out iPod/iPhone cables to co-workers. I'm not complaining--in fact, it's sorta nice to feel like I can save someone's day with an iPod cable. If anything, I wish I could carry an extra iPod cable with me at all times, poised and ready to bail out a friend's dying iPhone or transfer music to my iPod.

That's why I freaked when I saw the $20 FlipSync cable on display at the … Read more