Crave

The Sony PlayStation is finally getting a price drop, but some dummy retailers in Europe are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade console set. In other news, a Twitter user is offering his followers a line to God, Starbucks says OK to freeloaders, and we also debate the most prolific technology of our time! You'll never guess what Wilson has up his sleeve...

It's a washing machine.

(Credit: First-Act)

In case you haven't heard, our economy is in a little bit of hot water right now, and while most companies like Sony are slashing prices to keep up with the competition, the geniuses at Microsoft EU are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade from £129.99 to £159.99. Furthermore, the five Xbox Live Arcade games will no longer be included in the bundle. The company's excuse is that it is to "counteract the poor pound-to-euro currency exchange rate." Who allowed this to happen at Microsoft? At least fix the failure rate before you increase the price!

In other news, Starbucks is opening its doors to Wi-Fi freeloaders. We reported in the past that several cafes in New York are banning cell phones and laptops, cutting off Wi-Fi access to discourage freeloaders from just hanging out and surfing the Web for free. Starbucks has always been an easy place to gain paid access to the Internet, and it will continue to provide a welcoming environment for customers to enjoy their $68 cups of flavored coffee.

Many more stories to get to today, including a Twitter account that gives followers a direct line to God and a hilarious poem from our buddy CHRISTOPHER WALKEN!

Sony Ericsson's MS500 is the company's first outdoor Bluetooth speaker system.

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

They're a far cry from the classic boombox and they don't carry that bit of nostalgia of the good 'ol days (shoot, am I dating myself here?), but Sony Ericsson's new Bluetooth speakers will certainly turn heads and achieve the same goal of broadcasting your music wherever you go.

The Sony Ericsson Outdoor Wireless Speaker MS500 is the company's first outdoor Bluetooth speaker system and is powered by two AA batteries so you can bring it with you anywhere and stream music for up to five hours.

Using Bluetooth, you can wirelessly stream music from "most" of Sony Ericsson's Bluetooth-enabled phones as well as other manufacturers. (You can find a list of compatible phones from Sony Ericsson's Web site.) In addition, you can use your handset as a remote control to change tracks and adjust volume.

The egg-shaped MS500 weighs a lightweight 5.4 ounces (with batteries) and features a splash-proof shell and a strap for attaching to your bag or wrist. The speaker will be offered in two color combo options: orange/black or white/pink. Sony Ericsson said the Outdoor Wireless Speaker MS500 will ship in the next three months, though pricing was not yet revealed.

(Credit: Soundcast)

Soundcast Systems focuses its efforts on a very limited line of wireless audio products and it shows: the company consistently earns praise for its top-notch wireless sound quality. Competitive pricing, however, is not Soundcast's strong suit, and the OutCast is no exception.

This $700 weatherproof, wireless speaker setup is definitely not your average iPod speaker, but that's a good thing. It's innovative, extremely easy to use, and offers great sound quality. It could use some help in the looks department, though. Read the full review.

Could it be: wireless speakers that live up to the name?

(Credit: Griffin Technology)

There are a lot of dubious claims in the world of consumer electronics. Some of my favorites are "DVD-quality video" and "CD-quality sound" (for digital media that is often anything but) and the always classic "installs in just minutes." But one of the biggest truth-benders in recent years has been "wireless speakers." As resident blogger Steve "The Audiophiliac" Guttenberg recently pointed out, many so-called wireless speaker systems actually introduce more wires into the equation. That's exactly why Griffin Technology's new Evolve Wireless Sound System looks so promising: The $300 iPod speaker system includes two speakers that look to be completely and totally free of cables.

How'd Griffin do it? ... Read more

Wireless speakers usually come with a lot of wires.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Fact is, all of the wireless speakers I've reviewed for CNET still use speaker wires to do what speaker wires always do, deliver audio signals from power amplifiers to the speakers. And since wireless speakers have built-in power amplifiers, they need to be plugged into an AC wall outlet. So where a standard speaker has one wire, the wireless speaker has at least two! The "wireless" part refers to the system's ability to wirelessly transmit audio signals from the front of the room to the surround speakers.

The two wireless transmission systems, infrared and radio frequency, are fraught with problems. They all too frequently add noise, hiss, and pops--and when they're not adding those nasties--they just quit entirely and the sound cuts out. Infrared systems beam light from a transmitter, usually placed somewhere near the A/V receiver or home theater in a box DVD player, to the wireless speakers (so there must be a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the speakers). Depending on the room's physical layout, that may or may not be easy to implement. Radio frequency systems get around that hassle, but can have noise and radio frequency interference problems of their own.

Oh, and for the most part wireless speakers are pretty lame sounding speakers. They're typically woofers only, one-way systems--eliminating the tweeter gets around some of the noise problems associated with wireless speakers--and always at the cost of eliminating treble detail. Hi-fi they're not.

KEF's Universal Kit.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Now, that's I've totally trashed the wireless fantasy, there's one wireless system that I can get behind, KEF's Universal Wireless Kit. The "universal" tag refers to the kit's ability to be used with almost any speakers: big ones, small ones, you name it. I used the kit with my high-end Dynaudio Contour 1.1 speakers, and came away impressed with the wireless KEF's sonics. That said, even the KEF system comes with a big mess 'o' wires. Reality bites.

(Credit: Yanko Design)

If the furniture industry wised up, it would start designing a slew of lines with embedded media technologies. The combination of smaller devices and wireless connections could make entertainment options as common as choices of color and upholstery. And like any other quality product, aesthetics don't have to be sacrificed in the process.

The "Music Sofa" by designer Giongkun Wuqiongkun (conventional spelling) proves this point. The piece is beautifully done and fully functional with a built-in CD player and wireless speakers that can stream MP3 audio from an audio system within range, according to Yanko Design. And its open-air design provides the perfect counterpoint to the arch-villain look of the "Sonic Chair Boom Box."

Crave first spotted this one a few weeks ago, and now Intellitouch has announced its inexpensive, wireless "whole house" iPod speaker system.

The Eos works with up to four wireless speakers.

(Credit: Intellitouch)

The Eos system consists of an iPod dock/base station with integrated speakers and a subwoofer, and separate Wi-Fi speakers. The base station can transmit audio to as many as four wireless speakers; each speaker has a removable power supply so that you can mount it directly on a power outlet or place it on any surface like a bookshelf system. Intellitouch claims that in contrast to existing wireless speaker systems, its GigaWave technology can transmit CD-quality audio up to 150 feet through walls and ceilings. (We'll find out when we get our hands on one.)

An optional weatherproof wireless outdoor amp connects to standard landscape speakers. The Eos system will be available in March in either white or black; Intellitouch is currently taking preorders. The core system with the base station and one wireless speaker is $299 (the base station is also sold separately for $129). Additional wireless speakers and the outdoor amplifier are $129 each.