New speaker takes a cue from the old Ma Bell

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It's not mentioned in its product description, but there's an obvious point to make about the design of the new "Parrot Party" portable speaker: It looks like an old-fashioned telephone receiver.

So even if you have the newest, hottest music phone on the market, you'll immediately be transported back to the bad old Ma Bell days if you pull out this "Black Edition" of the 6-watt, 9-inch-long speaker to go with it. Pocket-lint says it's compatible with other U.K. devices too, so the throwback might not be so obvious with a media player or PC. If you do happen to like this retro look, however, there are plenty of other options.