Back in Black

The Wii is the game console of the moment. With its motion controls and Nintendo only games the likes of Mario, the Wii’s latest innovation is less revolutionary and more aesthetically focused. The Wii has finally taken a new look. This summer (August to be precise) the Wii will be coming out in black. The new look was announced in June.

If you don’t already own a Wii now you’ll have a choice. It’s not quite the variation we see in other consoles or MP3’s, but it’s a step in the right direction. We all love variation. There’s no word on if the black Wii will come with any hardware upgrades, but don’t worry, the Wiimote and the Nunchuck will match the black console as well.

Deliciously Musical

The new ipod shuffle is small and kind of lacking in Apple’s usual showy design department.  A small silver brick that you could lose just as easily as you can buy one.

While much has been said about the design and the problems related to the ipod shuffle the fact is the bland little baby opens itself up to the design creativity to everyone else outside of the apple network.  Chocoshuffle is just one such bit of designer brilliance.  The ipod case is just as delicious as the name makes it sound.  Basically you can dress your ipod as a lovely little piece of chocolate rather than as a sleek silver glob (this is much more cute).

The Chocoshuffle comes in dark chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry chocolate.  Just remember, just because this makes the new ipod shuffle a bit more interesting it doesn’t make the thing any less easy to lose.

Play Music

Lego has really hit the ground running with it’s digitized products recently.  From mini speakers to cell phones the brick look just never gets old.

Now there are two new brick modeled gadgets on the market.  The lego MP3 player and the lego boombox.  With 2 GB storage and color display the MP3 players are pretty cute (especially with a $39.99 price tag).  They look just like you could have put them together all by yourself.

The boombox on the other hand isn’t quite as builder friendly, as it’s designed to look like a singular brick in and of itself (though a rather large one).  It plays both the radio and CD’s and has a digital clock.  Priced at $39.99 as well the only decision you’ll have to make is whether you need your music to travel with you or not.

Play it Outdoors

Summer’s coming and it’s time to examine the new music scene outdoors.  Household music systems aren’t quite as rugged (or as exercise enticing) as a basketball hoop.

Spalding has recently released its iHoop .  It’s a combination basketball hoop and outdoor stereo system. Though the name obviously caters to ipod users the sound system should work with most MP3 players.  The hoop contains an ipod compartment and control center in the hoops base, where the built in speakers also reside.  The only catch is that the music is not battery powered, so an outdoor outlet is necessary to fully enjoy some warm up music before a pick up game.  It makes more sense than trying to practice free throws with any MP3 player clipped onto the waist band of your shorts.

Traveling Music

It’s another portable speaker, but this one is attempting to be especially fashion friendly, and cute.

The music balloon (currently only available by order from Japan) is a portable speaker that looks like a clowns nose attached to a white wire.  It’s simple in that all you need to do is plug the speaker into any headphone jack and you have music.  Let it dangle, swing, whatever, as you listen without the aid of headphones.

The music balloon comes in any of five different colors for personalization and added cuteness.  But this speaker may have to stay in Japan and stay cute for the almost ridiculously high price of $80.

Speaking Small

Lets be honest, some portable speakers aren’t all that portable.  Well, the X mini has a new design, and new features, and remains pretty mini, and pretty portable.

The X mini II is slightly larger than the original X mini, but with features to match.  It can be charged through a USB connector cable, can boost volume of laptops, MP3 players, and phones, and (if you get your hands on more than one you can chain them together to get especially pumped sound.

With a small globe esque design the X mini II is backpack friendly, which is exactly what a portable speaker should be.

A Reading Voice

Scanners are incredible, color photos, signatures, articles, all can be duplicated.  Yet, can a scanner go beyond the visual? Beyond saving a file to creating one?  The answer is yes.

The Book Reader V100 is up and running and ready to create MP3 files out of the written word.  It’s a simple and silent way to create your own books on tape.  I can’t say anything about how nice the digital voice will be to the ears, but it’s a start.  Think of the possibilities?  Get me a scanner that can copy my comics into video files and then you’ll really have something .

Music on the Brain

You can’t carry a boom box on your shoulder anymore, every type of music i pocket sized now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t show off your musical taste anyway.

The iCap it a hat, baseball hat to be exact, that has two speakers contained not so discreetly in the brim.  Download your favorite songs onto the built in MP3 player and you can listen to your favorite songs on the go in a whole new way.  Everyone around you can listen too. (for $99 to $119).

I don’t think that hat’s attractive or necessary, but hey, fashion is unpredictable.

Turnable Transformation

I’ve heard nothing sounds like vinyl.  I wouldn’t know, I kind of missed that musical revolution.  Vinyl remains in style though, I know it looks cool, and now Numark has created a marriage of the past and the present in musical technology.

Numark’s TTi Turntable comes with a USB connection and dock for your ipod.  This is perhaps the quickest and easiest way to transfer music straight from any old (or new) vinyl albums to your ipod library in MP3 format.  (Software is included with purchase).

I can’t attest to sound quality, or what is lost in translation, but a straight transfer sure beats having to buy the tracks all over again on itunes if you want to take them on the go.

Theme Song

Life is better with background music, that’s one of the reasons movies are so entertaining.  Well here’s a new step towards your own life soundtrack or theme song (without carrying a boom box around on your shoulder).

ThinkGeek’s personal soundtrack shirt is now real and available to order.  The shirt started as an April Fool’s Joke earlier this year but got such a positive response it’s now a real product.  The shirt has a velcro speaker attached to the front which runs on AA batteries.  Upload a few of your favorite songs or plug in an MP3 player and your all set to make your statement.

The shirt comes with a wired remote for song selection and volume control, as well as removable parts so that you can throw the T shirt in to wash on the gentle cycle.  Does it get any easier than that?