dock

We review a lot of iPod/iPhone speaker docks and most of them sound somewhere between fair and OK, which is why we initially scoffed at the promotional materials for Altec Lansing's $199 Octiv 650, which the company bills as "epitome of stylish audio performance."

It's not unusual for a company to speak highly about its own products, but the description for the Octiv 650 was especially gushing: "Its discreet lines and unique wedge shape blend in with your decor while it fills your space with full, well-balanced sound...the design is clean and stylish...… Read more

An iPad stand is one thing. An iPad dock gives you a place to both sync and charge your tablet while keeping it upright--great if you like to use it as, say, a photo frame.

I've always thought the Apple-branded iPad Dock was a bit of a rip-off at $29. (Actually, a lot of Apple-branded accessories are overpriced, but that's a discussion for another day.) But 10 bucks? Now you've got my attention.

For a limited time, Verizon is offering the Apple iPad Dock for $9.97, plus sales tax. Shipping is free, and it's two-day … Read more

Back in 2009, we reviewed Altec Lansing's $300 Mix iMT800, a modern iPod/iPhone dock with the look and feel of an old-school, crank-it-till-your-ears-bleed boom box. Now Altec's updated that portable speaker system with some small tweaks and is shipping the new Mix iMT810.

In our review of the previous model, we said the design of Altec Lansing's Mix iMT800 "may not appeal to everyone, but its winning combination of good performance, lots of oomph, and portability makes it one of the best iPod speaker options out there."

While we haven't tested the new … Read more

Memorial Day marked the beginning of the summer season, which means that with any luck you'll soon be organizing outdoor activities like backyard barbecues, rooftop and poolside parties, and picnics in the park. As you draft your summer checklist for this year, don't forget to pack a travel-friendly speaker dock for your Apple iPhone or iPod.

Unlike Bluetooth speakers, iOS-specific speakers offer the convenience of a docking station that lets you connect any iPhone or iPod with a universal port.

Each of the models below includes a battery option in the form of a built-in rechargeable, or, in … Read more

As a general rule, laptop speakers bite. That means if you're using your portable PC to, say, watch a movie or listen to music, you're stuck using headphones if you want decent audio.

The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 offers up a pair of bigger, louder external speakers housed in a comfy lap- and table-friendly riser. It normally sells for $59.99, but right now you can get a refurbished Speaker Lapdesk N550 for $23.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code logi_n550_51611 at checkout.

The N550 is designed for 14-inch-and-smaller laptops. Indeed, the accompanying photo shows it … Read more

Speed matters. It's why faster 4G data networks are gaining in popularity; it's why we buy new computers with better processors. This is the appeal of Thunderbolt, the Intel-developed high-speed data port that's popping up on new Macs in 2011. So far, it's in 2011 MacBook Pros and iMacs.

Thunderbolt is lightning-quick, as the name suggests. Transfer speeds are 10Gbps--twice as fast as USB 3.0--and it works both ways, into and out of your computer. HD video and data can be carried back and forth over the same tiny cable, with a connection port that'… Read more

The OS X Dock is a convenient tool for storing commonly accessed applications, documents, folders, and other items like Web links. While you can customize the contents of Dock, there may be times when changes you make to the Dock will be reverted, either instantly or after a brief period of time.

The only items in the Dock that should not be removable are the Finder icon and the Trash icons, but if other items either do not add or are stuck in the Dock then you may be experiencing one of two problems.

Corrupted preferences Items you store in … Read more

While some technologies, such as smartphones and laptops, change by the month, others evolve at a far more glacial pace. Bathroom tech isn't an area where one expects great strides from year to year, but I couldn't ignore an invite to test Kohler's new Numi toilet. It's not every day I get asked to test-drive a commode.

The Numi is U.S. bathroom furnishing manufacturer Kohler's first big stride into a top-to-bottom high-tech toilet. While Kohler had previously introduced an attachable seat with several functions built in, the Numi is more of a complete toilet overhaul.

High-tech toilets are very popular overseas, particularly in Japan; in fact, I first used a high-tech toilet while on my honeymoon in Tokyo. Toilets with seat warmers and automatically adjusting bidets are strangely luxurious, but many times the toilets that employ them end up looking like astronaut equipment.

Comparatively, the Numi is shockingly minimal. At first glance it looks more like a piece of high-end kitchen equipment. Compact, squared-off, and glowing, it has barely any visible buttons at all on its smooth facade. Instead, the toilet's functions are controlled with a full-color touch-screen device that magnetically docks with a wall-mounted panel. … Read more

Another AirPlay-compatible device has hit store shelves.

Harman's JBL On-Air Wireless AirPlay Speaker Dock, which launched today, allows users to play music from their iTunes library or iOS-based devices over their wireless network. The device's screen displays album artwork and song information to let users know what's on at any given time. In addition, the speaker features a iPod/iPhone dock to let users charge their devices or play music when they can't stream content via AirPlay. The device also offers an FM radio tuner.

Apple's AirPlay service allows for video, music, and photos to be streamed over a wireless network to compatible devices. However, the JBL speaker joins a relatively small number of products that actually work with Apple's AirPlay service, including the Apple TV, Denon AV receivers, and the Klipsch Gallery Series, among others.… Read more