It’s Easy Being Green
All gadgets require power, right? Wrong! That used to be true, but then again, this is 2008 – being good to the environment is the newest
thing, isn’t it? Say hello to the newest of “green†gadgets:
the Anycom solar-powered, handsfree Bluetooth car kit! If you’re looking to avoid a ticket by keeping your cell phone out of your hands while you are driving, and you’d like to keep our battery-infested landfills a little less filled, then this baby is for you. Two little suction cups keep this cassette tape-sized device attached to your front windshield (preferably in a spot where you can still see the road, of course).
After just three hours in the sun, it’s
ready to pair with any Bluetooth-enabled
cell phone and serve as your personal in-car
Bluetooth speakerphone. Guess what? That
three
h o u r s
in the sun
will give you a crazy 15 hours of talk
time, which should allow you to keep
yapping until the next sunrise recharges
it again. Now you have less to
feel guilty about when opting for this
eco-friendly device, which sells for about
$50, instead of buying one of those expensive,
power-sucking, environment-killing,
global warming (hi, Al!) car kits.
Learn more about Anycom’s products
at www.anycom.com
Westside Gadget Guy
By KARL SUSMAN
I may be going out
on a limb, but you
probably happen to
be the owner of one of the 119 million
iPods sold. How do you like to listen to
your music on the iPod? Headphones, ear
buds, plugged into your home stereo, or
plugged into the car? How about one of
those hundreds of different docking stations
out there? You know when it comes
to plugging in your iPod, the options are
unlimited, ranging from the plain vanilla
speakers that you plug into your iPod to
the fancy speakers that are as big as your
parents’ old boom box used to be. Believe
you me, I’ve listened to my share of them
all. Some sound better than others, some
look better than others. I finally found one
that I really like, which actually satisfies
both criteria. Take a look at Vestalife’s
Ladybug, offering great sound and a truly
unique look.
Just tell me this isn’t
the cutest darn thing
you’ve seen in some
time. The speakers open and close, hence
the “ladybug†look and feel. This design
also gives you a nice separation between
the three (yes, you read it correctly, three)
distinct speakers. There is a speaker in the
back that you can’t see in this photo, and
it is part of not only the charm of this
device, but also its terrific sound quality.
Grab the included remote control, select
a track, hit the volume up and enjoy! If by
some chance you don’t have an iPod, don’t
worry! The good people at Vestalife kept
you in mind, too. Their standard audio
input jack lets you plug in just about any
audio device that you may have. Take it on
the road with batteries, or plug it into the
wall … either way, enjoy the Ladybug.
Sold online at www.vesta-life.com,
$109.95