LG to develop iPod washing machine

LG recently introduced the HDTV Refrigerator, and now it looks like the MP3 washing machine is next

First came internet fridge; now MP3 appliances

Anna Lagerkvist

30 Jul 2007 13:33

Sorting out your dirty clothes, chucking them in the washing machine and waiting for its spin cycle to finish isn't exactly the height of fun. LG wants to change all that with a new washing machine featuring a built-in MP3 player - at least then you'll be able to listen to your favourite tracks while doing your chores.

LG Electronics , which has previously developed the internet-enabled fridge, has filed a patent application to introduce consumer electronics to white-goods.

Patent application US 2007/0118862 A1 describes a "home appliance with an MP3 player comprising the MP3 player adapted for storing contents; and a washing device for washing or drying clothes, the washing device being connectable with the MP3 player and having a communication function with the MP3 player to play back the contents stored in the MP3 player," according to a ComputerWorld.com report.

In other words, LG wants to develop the first washing machine and/or dryer with a built-in MP3 player.

Has convergence gone too far?

Analysts didn't seem too impressed. "I don't think that there is any ongoing trend involving the addition of MP3 players to everything that doesn't move," said Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at research firm Parks Associates.

"On the other hand, it's not too far-fetched to think that someone might want to listen to their music while participating in a mundane chore, such as doing the laundry. But, honestly, I don't get it - why not just crank up the stereo or clip your Apple iPod to your belt?"

"To me, it doesn't make a world of sense," agreed Tom Dair, president of international design, product development and brand communications firm Smart Design. "Whistling while you work is helpful, but having the complexity of an MP3 player in your washing machine seems like a mismatch. If you love music, you probably have a wireless system set up in your home, so why bring in this device, which is probably located in a small room?

"Another disconnect is that a washer/dryer is not a portable item," Dair added. "An MP3 player makes sense if you're walking down the street, but I'm not seeing many people on the street with a washer/dryer. You're adding a mobile feature to a product that is anchored to the ground in a specific place where you don't spend a lot of time relaxing, or even sitting. But if it makes your clothes come out cleaner, that would be great."

Internet fridge flop

LG has previously added internet and TV capabilities to its fridges. The LG Internet Refrigerator , launched in Korea and the US, was a massive flop. That didn't stop the electronics firm from releasing the $3,999 (£1,976) LG HDTV Refrigerator in May this year though - the first fridge in the world with a high-definition screen.

The LG HDTV Refrigerator unit features a 15-inch high-definition LCD screen and FM radio with remote control, a cable connection and a DVD connection. An additional 4-inch screen can display local weather forecasts, a recipe bank and various organisational tools and reminders. It will also display your family pictures downloaded via a USB port.

AMD plots 16-core super-CPU for 2009

Bulldozer is AMD's first all-new CPU since the K7 Athlon in 1999

AMD is preparing an all-new PC processor with up to 16 execution cores. Due out in the first half of 2009, the new architecture is codenamed Bulldozer. In an official announcement, AMD said Bulldozer will be its first substantially new CPU core since the original Athlon 64 processor of 2003. And it'll be the first ground up architectural redesign since the K7 Athlon of 1999.

In that context, it's likely the Bulldozer architecture will provide the foundations of AMD CPUs for many years to come. In other words, the architecture is rather important. The news is the latest in a flurry of announcements from AMD's PR machine in the past week. AMD has already revealed plans for a second-gen quad-core processor known as Shanghai and demoed its upcoming Phenom quad-core desktop chip running at 3GHz.

Meanwhile, the world is still waiting for Barcelona, AMD's first generation quad-core CPU , to appear. AMD has promised that Barcelona will launch later this August.

Bulldozer is the name, crushing Intel is the game

But what about Bulldozer? The big news is that it will form the basis of AMD's first massively multi-core PC processor with up to 16 execution cores. Bulldozer will also be fully compatible with AMD's so-called M-SPACE modular CPU design.

Along with traditional PC processors, therefore, expect to see AMD Fusion CPUs powered by Bulldozer cores but also offering a range of specialised processing units. Think graphics processing cores and high-definition video decoding engines and you'll get an idea of the sort of additional functionality Bulldozer-based Fusion processors will deliver.

As for the main execution cores themselves, they retain the same basic out-of-order superscalar design as AMD's existing PC processors. However, Bulldozer will utilise a deeper instruction pipeline. That's a measure traditionally introduced to allow higher clockspeeds. However, deeper pipelines typically also reduce clock-for-clock performance.

Bulldozer also receives a range of new instructions designed to accelerate media processing and performance in high performance computer clusters. With as many as 16 cores humming away, keeping Barcelona fed with data will obviously be a tough task. In response, AMD says the chip will benefit from "highly scalable memory and I/O performance".

Specifically, that means a new version of AMD's Direct Connect technology along with four HyperTransport 3.0 links per processor. Support for ultra fast DDR3 memory as well as AMD's G3MX memory extender technology will further boost the data and bandwidth available to Bulldozer. AMD's G3MX technology is designed to allow increased system memory without resorting to Intel 's power-hungry FBDIMM approach.

How fast is she, mister?

It all sounds pretty impressive on paper. But how fast will this 16-core chip be in practice? Well, according to AMD, Bulldozer is designed to be nothing less than "the highest performing single and multi-threaded compute core in history".

If AMD is to be believed, Bulldozer will improve upon every metric of CPU performance. From performance per watt to outright multi-threaded performance and old school single-threaded oomph, it's promised Bulldozer will be the new king.

Of course, by 2009 Intel will be shipping some fairly exotic kit of its own. A major revision of Intel's Core architecture, complete with an integrated memory controller and HyperTransport-bashing Common Serial Interface, is pencilled in for 2008 with a further revised variant in 2009.

What's more, with that longer instruction pipeline in mind, it will be interesting to see how Bulldozer pulls off improved single-threaded performance. Rumours are currently circulating that Bulldozer may be capable of thread-fusing or using multiple cores to compute a single thread. Thread fusing is one of the holy grails of PC processing. If Bulldozer is indeed capable of such a feat, the future could be very bright indeed for AMD.

3GHz desktop quad-core processor shown by AMD

AMD has demonstrated its upcoming Phenom X4 quad-core desktop CPU running at 3GHz to journalists in the US. AMD showed the Phenom X4 CPU operating at 3GHz courtesy of a standard AMD heatsink. The move was clearly designed to distract attention from the success of Intel's new 3GHz quad-core desktop chip. AMD's key rival Intel released its first 3GHz quad-core desktop processor earlier this month.

However, the jury remains out on exactly how well Phenom will perform. The demo did not include benchmarks or comparative performance figures.

AMD recently announced that its first quad-core server and workstation CPU, known as Barcelona , will only hit 2GHz at launch later in August. It's therefore likely the demonstration was also intended to reassure journalists and investors that AMD's quad-core processor will eventually be capable of scaling to more competitive clockspeeds.

3.0GHz Phenom processors

But it's also worth noting that the first Phenom chips will not hit 3GHz when they appear towards the end of 2007. In fact, the latest leaked AMD roadmaps suggest Phenom is expected to be released with a maximum frequency of 2.4GHz.

3.0GHz Phenom processors, meanwhile, are not due to arrive until mid 2008. By then Intel will no doubt have raised the bar even further.

The Phenom CPU is based on essentially the same 65nm quad-core CPU die as AMD's long-awaited Barcelona server and workstation chip. It therefore boasts a similarly enhanced feature set, including 2MB of shared cache memory, a big boost in floating point performance and improved power management.

Phenom X4 processors will be backwards compatible with many existing Socket AM2 PC motherboards.

iPhone interface for Windows Mobile phones

An iPhone-style interface on a Windows Mobile device - that's the aim of WhoNeedsAniPhone.com

How do you fancy having an iPhone interface on your Windows Mobile smartphone? You could be enjoying something similar pretty soon - with an iPhone-style launcher already available to download and other applications currently under development.

WhoNeedsAniPhone.com is blog project to develop an iPhone-style interface for Windows Mobile devices, piece by piece using Adobe Flash CS3. Details of the first alpha version of the launcher page have been posted and a beta version of a weather widget is already available to download. Other iPhone-alike pages are under development.

An iPhone-style interface on a Windows Mobile device - that's the aim of WhoNeedsAniPhone.com

WhoNeedsAniPhone.com has versions of iPhone-style launcher and weather apps available to download

Plenty of like-minded Windows Mobile fans are joining in the online development project. It's run by self-confessed iPhone lovers who want to bring a similar level of functionality to the Windows Mobile platform.

O2, Carphone Warehouse to sell iPhone?

Leaked source code puts O2 as iPhone frontrunner

Anna Lagerkvist

30 Jul 2007 13:43

Will O2 finally be picked as the Apple iPhone operator in the UK?

Rumours suggesting that O2 was mentioned in the source code on a Carphone Warehouse web page (which has since been removed) indicate so.

The Carphone Warehouse website already has a blank page ready which is reportedly intended as a teaser ad for the Apple iPhone. That's according to The Inquirer which has been searching the website for clues about the forthcoming device.

Viewing the now-removed web page's source code apparently exposed the words 'Apple' and 'iPhone'. It also revealed the ability to ask Carphone Warehouse to email you when the product becomes available. The word 'O2' also appeared in the source code, again raising the question of whether O2 is to get the coveted Apple iPhone contract in the UK.

Previous reports suggest that Apple has been in talks with O2 , Vodafone , T-Mobile and Orange about making its Apple iPhone available in Europe.

Different mobile networks have different strengths in different European markets, so it's likely that Apple won't go for one single operator, as it has done in the US. Choosing a retailer like Carphone Warehouse would also ensure a wide distribution of the Apple iPhone in the UK.

Samsung i85: not just another camera

The 8.1-megapixel Samsung i85 is only 20mm thick and features a built-in media player

Samsung has gone convergence mad with a new digital camera that plays music and video clips, and even comes with a built-in tour guide.

The 8.1-megapixel shooter has all the usual camera functions like a 5x optical zoom, ASR image stabilisation, ISO1600 sensitivity and a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000sec. But it's the secondary features that really take the cake.

The first of these is the built-in digital audio player which plays back WMA and MP3 files. The Samsung i85 even has built-in speakers and a 2.5mm headphone jack so you can groove while you shoot.

Better yet, you can also shoot and playback video. Capturing video is carried out using the MPEG-4 format. Playback is the same, so if you want to watch an MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV or ASF on the camera, you'll have to convert it using the supplied software first. The i85 comes with a 3-inch LCD for viewing your clips.

The 8.1-megapixel Samsung i85 is only 20mm thick and features a built-in media player

The i85's 3-inch display is easily big enough for watching movie clips on

Built-in tour guide

But best of all, the Samsung i85 also includes a tour guide with built-in travel information for over 2,600 regions in 30 countries - so you'll always know where the fun stuff is taking place.

Of course having all these music, movie and photo files will take up quite a chunk of memory. Luckily the i85 comes with 450MB built-in, and you have the option to add more via external SDHC cards. All this and the camera's only 20mm thick. Isn't technology marvellous?

The Samsung i85 goes on sale at the end of August, price £299. It's joined by three other touchscreen cameras , which were also launched today.

iPhone set to change smartphones forever

Consumer-oriented smart mobiles will overtake business ones

Rob Mead

30 Jul 2007 07:45

Smartphones are about to go mass market - and it's all thanks to Apple's iPhone. That's the message from research group Infonetics , which also says that Wi-Fi mobiles will boom.

"To date, smartphone purchasers have been largely business power-users, but the launch of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's BlackJack - media-playing smartphones that appeal to consumers - is giving the smartphone segment a boost, and could change the dynamics of the mobile phone market.

"Vendors will design more consumer-oriented smartphones, and cause fierce competition among incumbent players," says Richard Webb at Infonetics Research.

Infonetics points to figures in its Mobile and Wi-Fi and Subscribers report , which show increasing mobile use in the developing world, and increased smartphone use in the developed world.
nfonetics said smartphone revenue was up 10 per cent in the first three months of 2007, partly driven by the wider availability of 3G networks.

Fixed Mobile Convergence

Infonetics also said having a Wi-Fi / mobile phone combo is becoming ever more important. It says demand for them will grow by an average of 31 per cent per year between now and 2010.

It also says that seamless handover FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence) phones will make up 35 per cent of the Wi-Fi / mobile phone market - they're currently pegged at 3 per cent.

Google brings Gmail to mobile phones in Japan

Rebranded mail service to leverage Google image for KDDI

J. Mark Lytle

30 Jul 2007 07:45

As Google continues its bid for domination of the internet, particularly in the expanding mobile arena, we hear word from Japan of the US company offering a customised version of its Gmail email service to phone users there .

From September, subscribers to KDDI 's au network will be able to use a rebranded version of Gmail on both handsets and PCs. While Gmail can already be used on multiple platforms, the new service will be known as 'au one mail' and will come free of charge.

Familiar look

The Japanese-language interface shown by KDDI is similar to the normal Gmail look, with the only difference being an orange logo at the top of each screen.

As the networks in Japan already allow users to access their mobile mail through a PC website, the value of the new deal is likely to be in the perceived value of the Google name to Japanese customers. Typical users are either unaware of the PC interface or prefer to use their phones anyway.

The au network is the second largest in Japan, with almost 30 per cent of the market there. Google and au previously collaborated when the carrier started offering Google searches on its mobile homepage last summer.

Explosive mixi SNS does a Facebook in Japan

Japanese networking site draws 1 in 7 internet users there

J. Mark Lytle

30 Jul 2007 07:55

Unless you've been - in internet terms at least - hiding under a rock the last few months, you'll be well aware of the amazing growth of Facebook , the social-networking site (SNS) that reaches people who never thought they'd fall for an SNS.

While the success and appeal of Facebook are well documented it is, of course, not the only SNS out there. Of the many hundreds of variants available around the world, one of the most popular is Japan's mixi .

Millions on mixi

Although the publicly listed mixi has a mere 10 million users (compared to Facebook's 26 million in the US alone), that represents one in seven of all internet users in Japan. On top of that mixi users currently spend 1.2 billion minutes a month on the site - a figure that dwarfs the 726 million minutes YouTube attracts there or the 292 million racked up by Google in Japan.

Those statistics are doubly impressive when you consider that membership is by invitation only and that most users access the site exclusively by mobile phone.

Information flow

As described in more detail in this excellent piece at Network World , among the many reasons for the success of mixi, one of the most significant has been the ability of users to control who sees their personal information within communities.

Given that this very close guard applied to user data is big part of why Facebook has been so successful, perhaps the flotation of mixi on the Tokyo Stock Exchange last year and the instant enrichment of founder Kenji Kasahara points the way ahead for Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg - if he gets through the current litigation , of course.

Satnav from iriver doubles as media player

Multi-function GPS unit plays music and videos on the cheap

J. Mark Lytle

30 Jul 2007 08:15

The latest shiny bauble to come from iriver Japan is not the usual well-designed audio player, but a stylish car GPS system that happens to double up as a media player.

The ¥39,800 (£166) Siren PN100 comes with a 2GB SD card that holds maps of Japan along with a database of addresses and details of restaurants and other likely driving destinations.

The screen is a 3.5-inch touch-sensitive number that is operated with the included stylus. Although a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels might make for a little too much squinting at the maps.

Although the 178g PN100 has no memory of its own, there's still 512MB left over on the SD card once the navigation data is factored in. And, of course, other SD cards can be used when the satnav isn't needed. At those times, it can handle JPEG, MOV, AVI, MP3/4, 3GPP, ASF, WMA and WAV files, but not anything with DRM included.

With a 1.5W speaker, a cigar-lighter connection for power and a sucker arm for connecting it to the car's dashboard, we can think of plenty of reasons that make the PN100 a fun starter navigation system. If you're in Japan.

tech.co.uk

BitTorrent comes to mobile phones

Control your downloads remotely using mobile phone

Anna Lagerkvist

27 Jul 2007 11:20

Peer-to-peer downloading software BitTorrent is now available for mobile phones.

The mobile µTorrent mUI interface enables you to control your torrent downloads remotely, using phones like the Sony Ericsson K750 and Nokia N70. You can also pause or discontinue downloads. You can't add torrents to the BitTorrent interface yet, but this capability may be added in the future, Slyck News reports.

Remotely controlling a P2P application via the web is nothing new but it is the first time that BitTorrent downloads can be managed from a mobile phone. Various services, including eMule , µTorrent and Azureus have previously introduced the concept to the BitTorrent community.

tech.co.uk

Mobile calls abroad cheaper with Jajah

VoIP service can connect mobiles at low rates

Phil Lattimore

27 Jul 2007 14:00

Using your mobile abroad could be even cheaper than the EC's new capped roaming charges with VoIP carrier Jajah's new Roam Home international calling service.

Jajah's service allows users to set up mobile or landline calls from Europe that can cost from 1.7p a minute - with calls to other Jajah users free. The Jajah VoIP service operates by enabling users to set up calls online - via the Jajah.com website , the Jajah mobile internet site at mobile.jajah.com or by using a downloadable Jajah app on a Symbian smartphone.

Using the online option, the user can tap in the caller and recipient number and the service calls up both to connect them. The smartphone application provides a seamless version of this, where the user is only required to select the caller number.

With Jajah Roam Home, users need to have some sort of internet connection before initiating the call, which could bump up the overall charge. Once connected though, either via a mobile, hotel room phone or other landline, call charges back home are minimal compared to typical international roaming call charges. And outside the EC, where new roaming cap regulations don't apply, roaming savings can be more considerable.

tech.co.uk

BBC disappoints iPlayer registrants

Nobody posting on the BBC forums seems to have login details

Daniel Grabham

27 Jul 2007 15:49

The BBC may have launched its iPlayer this morning, but the same question seems to be on the lips of many who have registered for the service - "where are my login details?"

The service has around 15,000 established users from an earlier beta, while the Beeb says it will gradually introduce more to the service to "manage the increase in numbers". Fair enough, but nobody posting on the official BBC iPlayer forums seems to have received a login since the public beta was launched last night.

Eskimo 48 says: "Unlike what they have been saying on the website, the iPlayer is not launched yet, only [the] application to join [has been] launched". The BBC's press releases have made it clear that this is an open beta phase. But few news outlets have made it clear that signups are heavily phased - and some of the BBC's news stories today both on and offline haven't helped.

"The BBC presented [the iPlayer] in [its] news article as being released to the public today and now they go back on their word," says Ctsttom. "I missed Jekyll last week and was really looking forward to being able to catch up." This has left many disappointed - many are complaining that an open beta would be just that.

According to the BBC's Jonathan posting on the forum, publicity has been limited: "We have chosen initially not to market or publish widely the availability of the service as we wanted to see what the initial demand would be - and interest so far has been extremely strong.

Lack of log-on details

"We will of course begin by activating those users who registered their interest first. We have begun this activation process already... The necessity to be cautious initially means that not everybody will be able to be admitted to the system straightaway. We understand their eagerness but hope they will be patient."

Despite Jonathan's comments, nobody posting on the forum has received any login details. "Comments on other forums back up the fact that no one that registered (last night or today) has received any notification about log-on details as of yet," says Lee Richards. "Clearly it's not the end of the world, but it may be quite embarrassing to the BBC if after all the hype nothing actually happens today.

"I'd be very surprised if out of all those that were successful, not one of them has posted about it here or elsewhere."

Blog: DRM only barrier to BBC iPlayer's supremacy

Feature: BBC iPlayer will change your viewing forever

tech.co.uk

iPhone definitely coming in time for Xmas

Now on display at Computer Warehouse

Anna Lagerkvist

27 Jul 2007 10:34

Apple has confirmed that we will definitely be getting the Apple iPhone in time for Christmas.

In its financial results conference call yesterday, Apple confirmed that it will ship the Apple iPhone to a few major countries by the end of 2007. By then, some 1 million Apple iPhones will have been sold, according to Apple's estimates.

The UK, France and Germany are likely to be among the first countries to get the coveted Apple iPhone. The rest of Europe and Asia will have to wait until sometime next year

If you want to get a sneaky peak of the Apple iPhone ahead of the UK launch, head over to Apple reseller Computer Warehouse . The UK-based firm said on its website that it has an 8GB Apple iPhone on display at its showroom in Brentford , London.

Apple also mentioned it will announce carriers (plural) in the coming months. It's possible that Apple will sell the Apple iPhone through Apple Authorised Resellers such as Computer Warehouse. That's rather than relying exclusively upon its own retail locations and those of its European partners, such as the case with AT&T in the US.

tech.co.uk

Blu-ray and HD DVD set for big sales boom

s consumers begin to embrace more high-definition products and services, next-generation disc players are poised to experience significant growth over the next five years. That's according to a new report from Parks Associates titled Next Generation DVD Players: Will History Repeat?

The new report estimates that, with set-top box models and game consoles combined, more than 32 million Blu-ray and HD DVD players will be sold in United States by 2011. That's an 85 per cent increase from the 4.9 million units expected to be sold in 2007.

"Purchasing or renting DVDs will continue to be a dominant way for consumers to view content," stated Chris Roden, Research Analyst at Parks Associates. "What has yet to be determined is which format will become the standard, HD DVD or Blu-ray?"

According to the report, consumer confusion is still prevalent with less than 10 per cent of U.S. consumers stating that they are familiar with the HD DVD or Blu-ray formats. "However, we are starting to see the pendulum swing slowly in one direction," said Roden. "Recent retail developments, support from major Hollywood studios, and inclusion of the format in the PlayStation 3 puts the Blu-ray format in the lead."

HD sales boom

It's good to see that more people are going to embrace HD, but really, who couldn't have predicted that the next five years would see a big boom in sales?

tech.co.uk

7 great iPod holiday speakers

Going away? Well don't starve yourself of sounds, take these

tech.co.uk staff

27 Jul 2007 16:20

Passport? Yes. Suntan lotion? Yes. Tunes? Hell, yes - your entire music collection stuffed into a pocket-sized party box for easy transportation, your ever-faithful iPod . But nobody ever got a party started with headphones. So when you're off on your hols you'll need some space-efficient, preferably loud and battery-powered speakers. There are of course a squillion varieties of speakers out there designed specifically for your pocket pal, but we've pulled together some of the best for your pre-flight perusal...

Logic3 i-Station IS10 iPod clock radio (£70)

The best ideas are usually simple ones, and this alarm clock radio designed specifically for the iPod is most definitely one of them. It's a simple little box, with no extrusions that can snag and no extra plug-ins that can get lost. And it'll wake you up in time for the tour bus with whatever sounds you want.

It comes with a universal dock that will fit any size of iPod, plus there's an AM/FM radio on board. The IS10 also packs in 2.1-channel sound too, thanks to the twin stereo drivers and diminutive subwoofer pumping out 14 watts of power. The LCD's brightness can be adjusted, from snooze-enhancingly dim to retina-burning bright and it comes with its own remote control.

Available in black or white, the IS10's only problem is the chunky and ugly power supply, which won't do much for your luggage allowance, though you also get a battery.

Altec Lansing iM9 (£120)

ome iPod docks might be great for the hotel room, but they wouldn't last five minutes in rougher climes. Altec Lansing 's rugged little iM9 is different. Your iPod fits snugly into the speaker - no danger of knocking it and damaging the connector - and it will accept any iPod with the exception of the iPod shuffle.

The speakers are surrounded by a shock-resistant, rubberised coating for extra protection against bumps and splashes and it promises around 24 hours of uninterrupted sounds from four C size batteries. It's nicely compact at 280x76x198mm, weighs just 1.8kg and it even comes with its own backpack.

iStuff Companion Speakers (£10)

At the other end of the scale these dinky little speakers will just about fit in your pocket, with the added bonus that they require NO BATTERIES. They take their power directly from your iPod, which means you won't get quite as much music on a single charge, but no batteries means one less thing to carry.

The iStuff Companion Speakers connect to your iPod (or any MP3 player) via the supplied 3.5mm headphone jack. But you won't get much of a party going with them, since the sound from the flat 5cm stereo speakers isn't that loud, and there's no bass to speak of. That said, the sound is okay considering their size, and it's worth a tenner to free yourself from your headphones in your hotel room or apartment.

iRhythms A-460 (£37)

makes all sorts of iPod docks, but this is the one you'd want to take away with you. The universal dock will take any manner of iPod (except the iPod shuffle) and the twin 5cm neodymium speakers can handle 6W of power between them. There's also a 3.5mm jack for other players.

It will go decently loud but won't take up much of your precious luggage allowance and it's available in black or white to match or contrast your iPod. It will run on four AA batteries or the mains and it will charge your iPod while you play.

Grundig PSW 5000 Wireless Speaker (£100)

A bit chunky for the suitcase perhaps at 42cm x 23cm x 21cm (about the size of a small wastebasket). But if you're heading for the festivals or fancy a picnic, Grundig's noisy style statement could be the master blaster for you.

It pumps out 20W of power at 360 degrees through its downward-firing 127mm main driver and 25mm tweeter. Plus it has the advantage of being weather-resistant, so a splash of rain needn't kill the beach party. And there's an extremely funky blue ambient light to add ambience to any night-time boogie behaviour. It runs off eight size D batteries and Grundig claims it offers good sound at up to 50m.

Travel Tripod Mini MP3 Speakers (£15)

The Travel Tripod definitely has a distinctive look, but it's practical too. The tripod flattens into a single tube measuring a compact 40 x 150mm and comes with a protective cap to defend the 3.5mm jack plug against unwelcome knocks when it's stowed in your pack.

The downside of that skyward-pointing jack is that you'll need to plug in a larger iPod upside down, although it's ideal for the nano, which has its headphone plug on the bottom. It claims ten hours playback from two AAA batteries, though it can also be powered by USB link to PC or from the mains with a USB adapter. And speaking of the nano, it's also available in shocking pink, if you're that way inclined. You can pick one up from Go Planet Go .

Ixos XMM238 iPod Speaker Cube (£18)

This dinky little cube is ideal for stashing away in the bottom of your holdall or suitcase. It measures just 7cm each way, weighs 130g and offers a respectable 2W of sound from its speaker. Don't expect much in the way of bass from a speaker this small, but the cute quotient is off the scale.

The Ixos XMM238 connects to your iPod via 3.5mm jack, claims eight hours of iPod playback from four AA batteries. And it will also play from your computer via USB connection, or the mains, though you'll need a USB adapter for this. It comes in white, or a rather tasteful pastel pink.

Dave Oliver and Rob Mead