docking

What's an 8-foot-tall Lego man doing on the beaches of Siesta Key Village, Florida? We don't have the answer, but it's the third one that's washed ashore in the last three years--similar occurances were reported three years ago in Brighton, England, and Zandvoort, Holland; each bearing the same cryptic messaging: "NO REAL THAN YOU ARE."

Yahoo News did the dirty work and inquired about the phenomenon to Lego's assistant brand relations manager, who vehemently denied, on record, any affiliation with the stunt, eliminating the possibility of it being a viral stunt. Who knows, maybe it was printed on a 3D imaging device by the folks at MakerBot!… Read more

Welcome another AirPlay speaker to the fold as Audyssey has officially launched its cubist Lower East Side Audio Dock Air. Alas, like all speakers that feature support for Apple's wireless-streaming platform, this one doesn't come cheap: it'll list for $399 when it hits stores in November.

In case you've never heard of AirPlay, it's built into Apple's iOS for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, and it allows you to stream audio to an AirPlay-enabled device such as Apple TV and a host of speakers and AV receivers that are trickling out onto the … Read more

Chevy Spark EV on the way, Cadillac CUE debuts, airbags for The Three Stooges, connect your Android phone to your iPod connector, and we drive the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302.

• CNET drives the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

• Cadillac CUE looks like a winner in car tech interface design

• This *might* be a good way to connect your Android phone to an iPod dock

• Nissan envisions charging electric cars in 10 minutes

• Take a look at the new BMW 3 Series for 2012… Read more

You can hang your iPad on your fridge, strap it to the back of a seat, and even mount it under a kitchen cabinet. But what about simply putting a frame around it?

That's the idea behind Striped Sail's MiFrame, which docks, charges, and accentuates the iPad--and functions as a plain old picture frame when your tablet isn't around.

As you probably know, your iPad already has a pretty awesome Picture Frame mode. But a docked iPad can also display stock updates, weather reports, your latest tweets, animated landscapes, and a lot more. (See our list of five killer apps for your docked iPad.)

The MiFrame provides a photo-frame-style home for your iPad, standing it upright and charging it via a standard dock connector. A 5-foot USB cable supplies AC power via your iPad wall wart. You can position it in either portrait or landscape orientation, though switching between them does require a bit more than just rotating the frame--you have to perform a bit of reassembly.… Read more

You have an iPhone--a wonder of sleek, compact, multifunction technology. You essentially have a powerful multimedia computer system that fits in the palm of your hand. You must be thinking, "All I'm lacking is a giant log I can stick it into to play loud music."

Scream "Jackpot!" because KMKG Studios has introduced the iTree, a $15,000 personalized sound system for the iPhone, the iPod and (with a little rigging) the iPad. According to KMKG's designers: "The iTree is a top-quality iPhone and iPod docking station made out of a simple tree trunk. This is hollowed out using a special technique and specialized tools, expertly proportioned to produce optimum sound quality."

Because no two trees are alike, every iTree is a personalized creation. Buyers select the size and kind of wood they'd like before their iTree is manufactured. KMKG reports spruce, cherry, or poplar are most popular. If home audio and potential splinter enthusiasts want to haul themselves to KMKG Studios HQ in Austria, they can go for a ride in nearby forests and pick their own tree. After iTree artisans kick the Keebler Elves out of their ancestral home, they'll make the in-house music system to specifications.

We have yet to give an iTree a listen, so we can't attest to the sound quality. But if the price is any indication, it should be impressive. The only potential drawback we see for the iTree is--unless you live in a ski lodge or a late 1800s cattle ranch--visitors might be prone to ask, "Why do you have a giant log in your living room, Grizzly Adams?" … Read more

A new series of Angry Birds iPhone/iPod/iPad speaker docks is winging its way over from accessories maker Gear4.

The units feature a red Angry Bird ($79.99), an explosive black Angry Bird ($99.99), or an evil helmet-wearing pig ($99.99). Each includes a 2.1 speaker, power adaptor, 3.5 mm line-in cable, and 3.5 mm port. Though Gear4 is hyping the products' release now, they're not available just yet as "coming soon..." is splashed across the Gear4 Web site.

We've already seen Angry Birds plush toys, T-shirts, bras, Halloween costumes, stickers, and amusement park attractions, to name just a handful of tie-ins to the Rovio game.

These new Gear4 speakers might be excellent products, but the onslaught of Angry Birds gear is starting to give the popular game that Disney/Star Wars/Mario Brothers uber-merchandised feel. Kind of makes you wonder how far away Mighty Eagle Condoms might be.… Read more

In my kitchen we have a great Altec Lansing speaker dock that plays host to my iPhone and the kids' iPods. But my wife's Android phone sits quietly on the sidelines, unable to interface with the dock's nonstandard, Apple-only 30-pin connector.

Same goes for the car: there's an iPod/iPhone connector in the glove box, but no interface for anything Android-powered.

Enter the CableJive DockBoss+, a specialized adapter cable that runs from your Android device's Micro-USB port and headphone jack to any 30-pin docking port or cable. It's a potentially killer solution for mating with speaker docks and car connectors alike.… Read more

I've seen a lot of iPad docks in my time, but I've never needed a professional to help me use them. I usually just plug the dock in, connect my iPad, and move on with my life.

The iRoom iDock iPad dock has a name that makes me want to pry the "i" key out of my keyboard. It also comes with a subtle "professional installation recommended" instruction.

There are some good reasons for not attempting to install this yourself. The iRoom iDock is flush-mounted with your wall and requires a hook-up to your electrical system. That means installation requires power tools and playing with electricity, a tricky combination.

On one hand, it would be awesome to have your iPad flush inside your wall with charging capabilities, a proximity sensor, and motorized docking and release. On the other hand, Mr. Electric is going to have to come over to help you with it first.… Read more

Altec Lansing has added another new portable iPhone/iPod speaker to its growing lineup with the $149.99 inMotion iMT630 Classic and Sport.

Continuing with Altec's trend of creating more distinctive-looking speaker docks, the iMT630 has a slim yet curvy design, a built-in rechargeable battery, and comes in multiple trim colors (the Sport version is available in red and teal, and the Classic is black).

Like other Altec speaker docks, this one becomes "app-enhanced" by adding Altec's free iOS apps, which include its Music Mood and Alarm Rock apps. The Music Mood app incorporates an ambient … Read more