Thanks to the people at Eos Wireless, they sent over an Eos Wireless iPod speaker system and dock for review just in time for Summer.

While other offerings claim to be “wireless”, such as the Marantz IS301, you will still need wires to get the speakers to play some sound. Not the EOS Wireless system where the speakers have built in wireless receivers and amplifiers built into the speaker – just supply a power socket and no other wires.

Mind you, I live on a relative big patch of land (28+ acres in total) and in some areas if I wanted music, I’d have to have concert level speakers (and noise) in order to feed my dogs which are about an acre away. I’m not in the mood to pay for disturbing the peace however I do have power that runs down there next to the dog’s lot since I might have to do work in that area. And despite being rated only for 150 feet, these speakers worked at about an acre (212 ft/~65 m) away. And clearly too, I might add.

However, the Eos Wireless system though is a mixed bag – more good than just “okay”.

The build quality is actually very nice, with thick, black plastic and a very tight fit being the norm and per usual, the finger print magnet black plastic that basically will keep cleaner business going basically forever. The remote control is perhaps the smallest thing I’ve seen in ages. Smaller than a zippo lighter, but still tactile enough to keep me using it in the near future without discomfort.

The sound… this is where it gets good.

If you’re expecting enough boom to shake the change in your pockets loose; it’s not gonna happen. But the sound from these little speakers (5.75 in x 9 in x 5 in) has some of the clearest midrange and treble, even matching in clarity my much more expensive Paradigm speakers that comprise part of my game room stereo. The speakers do include SRS WOW! technology that kills any harshness and mellows out the mids easily. Simply put, you can hear very clearly the vocals, the high hats and cymbals in each and every song you own.

The bass, while not spectacular, it present enough to let you hear songs with enough range to keep you satisfied. Hiphop and jazz fans won’t be overwhelmed with the bass, but at least this does not bottom out as easily as the Mint DS 220 speaker system I had reviewed a while back.

The design of the speakers was hit or miss for me. The look is pretty darn cool complete with the prerequisite blue LED, but the plug portion was troubling for me. Anytime there is a sticker that says “Push down hard” I get scared and think of how I can break things. The cool part is that you can leave the plugs in without having to “push hard” down on them to disengage them and plug them straight into the wall and let them hang there like a towel on a hook. Despite the “push down hard” label, I still liked how the plugs were worked into the back of the speaker.

The controls on the main unit, which has speakers of its own, are simple enough. Ever used an Apple iPod? Then you’ll have no problem whatsoever with this. Serious… it’s that easy. And that’s a very good thing.

Back to the wireless part. I hooked up the base and plugged up a speaker in a different room. On the top of the speaker, there’s a volume/power knob and another push button with a status LED. When there’s a connection, it’ll stay on solid and blink if there’s any disconnection. Pulling the speaker out all of the way to the dog lot in my backyard, plugging it into the power that’s back there and having it sync up easily was surprising yet the audio was still very clear.

And speaking of transmitting wireless tunes, the Eos Wireless system promises to not interfere with wifi, bluetooth and cordless phones. I can also confirm this is entirely true – works great, didn’t interfere with anything my house at all. Phone calls came and went without that annoying interference noise or lose of quality.

All in all, the Eos Wireless System is great for whenever you’re outside and want to add extra speakers without having to bust through some walls or run wires all over for people to trip over and break things. It has a very good sound that’s not entirely devoid of bass and a clarity that would make you and others think that it should cost more than $249. While testing around, I got the attention of my friends that truly enjoyed them and were curious about them as well.

So far, it seems like you can buy them only at their website, but with 3 payment system via Paypal as well as credit cards, there are a few ways to pay for this cool product. Only bad part of this system to me was the unlocking mechanism for the power plugins. I’d really recommend this system for the people that do any kind of entertainment for others while outside. Just don’t get them wet – they’re not waterproof.

If you’re that type of person that wants your tunes outside or in other rooms, then this system is perfect for you. In fact, the Eos Wireless iPod System gets Remove The Labels (RTL) very first 5 out of 5 (A must buy).

[ Eos Wireless ]

Everybody loves free stuff, and when the makers of my current favorite software TuneUp announced a contest, I had to spread the word.

Wooohoo – get excited! We are going to start doing regular TuneUp contests where you can win some awesome prizes. Seriously. To kick off this whole new movement, we’re giving away a bunch of TuneUp schwag in addition to these über-cool iPod speakers (see above):

I know, right!? Let’s face it. Speakers are typically pretty boring. But this guy, the Headphonie mp3 speaker, is here to add a little charm to your listening experience. He might be petite, standing 3″ tall, but he delivers intense sound whether he’s plugged into your computer or mp3 player.

Want it? Participating is easy:
- Join our Facebook Fan Page
- Drop your haiku into the CONTEST: HAIKU thread under “Discussions”.
- Post your best TuneUp 5-7-5
- Cross your fingers and hope for the best

This is a winner take all contest – no runner ups.

Best TuneUp haiku added by May 21st wins it all. So get to it.

Now, don’t be a dummy like me and submit on their blog; save that for the above rules – yes it involves Facebook. I’ll have a very thorough review on this software very soon. As of right now, I’m loving it.

[ TuneUp Haiku Contest ]

Remember that teaser from early December? It was later announced that Metal Gear Solid and a few other Konami releases will indeed be coming out for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch (iTouch).

The game, based off of Metal Gear Solid 4 will be debuting on the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch on February 26th, 2009. As it stands, the game’s producer and Kojima Productions employee, Yasuyo Watanabe has stated that the controls for the game will definitely be simplified for the Apple iPhone/iTouch since it’s “not a gaming system” – which control-wise makes sense but definitely goes against John Carmack’s “The iPhone more powerful than Nintendo DS, PSP combined…” or Sega’s “…the iPhone Is As Powerful As the Dreamcast…” only if you wanted to start an argument that is.

Hell yes. February 26th, 2009. Mark your calendars.

I’ve already written about the Mint Digital Music Station 220 here before at RTL; it remains one of my favorite little things ever. It can dock and charge up your Apple iPod or iPhone while playing tunes that are on it. And if you’re anything like me, you probably have a sizable MP3 collection that resides on your main PC.

You’re in luck. With the Mint USB wireless transmitter, you can listen to whatever streams on your PC directly on the Mint 220 up to 45 feet away via their Mint Di-Fi™ technology – which means honestly that your music will stream over the air without any loss of quality whatsoever.

From the build quality – it’s surprisingly heavy, to the sound – it’s honestly deeper in bass than I expected and able to handle even Barry White at full volume, it’s a good little dock that matches the finish of my Sony Playstation 3 and fits in well into most any other room by just “fitting in” and not sticking out.

Back to the wireless PC music part. Just plug in the supplied Mint USB Wireless transmitter into your computer and once your machine finds it – my PC found it in like 15 seconds – it’s already streaming music and sounds out to the receiver. That’s it. And yes… it works on Mac or PC.

Currently, the Mint 220 can be bought at your local Best Buy, but at the moment you can buy it online at Mint’s website for an additional $20.00 off using the code DS220 at checkout bringing the price down to $129.99.

Definitely worth the purchase for the music lover in your life.

[ Mint DS ]

Next!

Prior RTL* Last Second Shopper Gift Guide Options:

• #8 – Microsoft Blue Track Explorer Mouse
• #9 – KOR ONE Water Hydration Vessel
• #10 – Nike Zoom Potro PrizeFlight Premium
• #11 – Tank Theory Dungeons Belt Buckle
• #12 – Vaja Case iVolution Case for the Apple iPhone3G

I would say that the development of Skype for the iPod Touch will only be a matter of time. The iPhone Skype software will need a few modifications to function in the iPod Touch environment, but if the hardware capability exists, you can bet people are going to make use of it. Depending on how easily other mobile Skype software can be adapted to the Touch, I would say that we could see it within the next six months.

People have been speculating about this sort of thing for over a year, but it is the next generation Touch that has made it an inevitability. There were hacks to incorporate a microphone on the original Touch, but to get the mainstream support that would motivate developers to produce the software, it needs to have native capability – as that provides the potential market to make it worthwhile. Voice over IP capability would be a selling point in its own right and would attract buyers that might not otherwise be prepared to buy an MP3 player, or for that matter, an iPhone. [Various Sources]

Link to the original article…

Master Lock, makers of the well-known locks that’s been shot, flamed, boiled, frozen and still worked – are now entering into the land of the Apple iPod case makers. Yes, a Master Lock inspired case; nothing short of a Fargo Wells entry might actually prove to be safer.

iPods have quickly become some of the most popular and widely used portable media devices by people of all ages, with over 170 million sold worldwide since its introduction in 2001. Their frequent use while people are on the go and potentially less attentive to their surroundings have made them an easy target for would be thieves on campus, in urban areas, on city transportation systems, and in many other public environments.

Master Lock, www.masterlock.com, the innovative industry leader in locks and security products, recognizes the importance of the personal and financial investment iPod users have made in their media players, and has now made protecting these devices more convenient with the introduction of the first-of-its-kind iCage™, a family of locking skins for iPod players. The iCage includes a durable, lightweight protective skin, set-your-own 3-digit combination lock for keyless convenience, flexible cable for lock-down security, and three (3) invisible shrink wraps for screen and body scratch protection. Best of all, the device remains fully functional in the new locking skin with access to all ports for the user.

With the massive proliferation of personal digital audio players, experts agree that the devices have contributed to increases in violent crimes. In major urban areas like New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles, crime statistics compiled between 2004 and 2007 show a substantial rise in iPod and cell phone robberies.

“So many people have made their iPod an essential part of their lives and that means more, and often easier, opportunities for theft. The iCage™ maintains the ease of use of these devices while keeping them more secure,” said John Heppner, president and CEO of Fortune Brands Storage and Security, which includes Master Lock. “The iCage locking skin enhances the iPod user experience by making security possible wherever and whenever people are using them.”

The new iCage is available for the 4GB and 8GB iPod nano; and the 30GB, 60GB, 80GB or 160GB iPod classic. It has a suggested retail price of $14.99 for the nano models, and $19.99 for the classic models. For more information about Master Lock’s new iCage™ and other security tips to keep you and your belongings safe, visit www.masterlockitup.com.