Touch-screen fever spreads to speakers

(Credit: Genius)

Taiwan-based Genius has come up with some pretty odd creations, ranging from a combo camera-speaker set to a mouse with a mini-game controller. But it seems to have settled on at least one recurring function that may help separate it from the novelty-gadget crowd: touch screens.

It started late last year with some interesting Bluetooth headphones that featured a built-in touch-sensitive panel. And now the company has integrated another touch screen into a new set of 30-watt speakers designed for laptops.

Still, navigation panels can go only so far; as far as quality goes, the compact SP-T1200 will have to do better than the last pair of portable speakers reviewed from Genius. Otherwise, it's back to the combo lab.