LITTLE ROCK — I was watching television the other day and noticed, despite the show only being a decade old, how completely different we do things today.
The main characters asked someone to take a photo of them with this huge camera, because they didn't have the compact one to hold at arm's length. They were listening to music from a huge jam box. (Remember those?) They even made a phone call from - gasp! - a phone booth!
It's amazing how far we've come in just 10 years. We've become a totally on-the-go society, no longer tied down by large electronics and miles of wires. Though things have become more compact, it doesn't mean they've become boring.
I came across a couple of unusual items designed to provide convenience while on the go.
The first is an item designed to take your tunes on the road without having to haul a huge stereo system. It's the Cy-fi Wireless Sports Speaker for iPod.
How to describe the look of this speaker ... a spaceship for a cricket? An alien's head? You get the idea. It's basically egg-shaped, with each side shaved down to thin, ridged edges. The power button sits at the bottom, with buttons on each side near the base for volume control and track selection. The device includes a charging base, mounting brackets and a wireless transmitter to dock with an Apple iPod. It's not made to work with the iPhone, though it worked fine as a speaker for mine.
The speaker includes mounting brackets to hook it to your on-the-go transportation, from bicycles to strollers. It isn't easy to hook it to the brackets, but once it's in there, it's in there.
The speaker has lots of volume, which makes it great outdoors. You don't get as much richness as you would with an indoor system, but there was more there than I expected from a single speaker. The volume and track controls were easy to operate, and I like that the speaker was small enough to carry in my pocket.
My only issue with the device was the button on the bottom. It works fine to play and pause the music. It's getting it to work as a power button that's the problem. You're supposed to be able to hold it for six seconds to turn it on, then another six seconds to turn it off. Turning it on worked fine. But I could hold it for 6, 12 or 18 seconds, and that darn blue indicator light kept blinking. Eventually, it went out and shut itself off. But it was a bit annoying that I couldn't get it to go off exactly when I wanted.
OK, I have one other issue. At $159 retail, it's pretty pricey for a single speaker, even if it does offer stereo sound.
The second device is the Joby Gorillapod. Though it slightly resembles a blast from the past, it's a modern twist on the old-fashioned tripod.
The Gorillapod is made up of plastic balls surrounded by rubber rings, with rubber feet on the bottom to help eliminate skidding. A small platform and screw is the only hint to this device's purpose - that of a tripod for a compact camera.The design allows you to twist the legs of this tripod in just about any direction. It slightly resembles the old Rubik's Snake toy from the 1980s. (Yes, I'm feeling nostalgic.)
The idea here is that you can twist the legs of this tripod to fit any surface, from uneven rock faces to slender fence posts. It's fairly easy to manipulate the legs, so twisting it around poles wasn't too much of a challenge. While the rubber rings decreased slippage, they didn't eliminate it. But it held the camera long enough to set the timer and get a picture.
The only issue here is the stability. The tripod is fine as long as there's no vibration on the surface in question,but shake things up a bit with an accidental bump and the tripod can topple or slide. The main problem is that the camera can make the tripod top-heavy.
Still, the Gorillapod does the job when all you need is a temporary holder for the camera. Its foldable, light design makes it very easy to carry.
These devices have a few imperfections, but they are unique.
They also show us just how far we've come from the days of huge jam boxes, giant tripods - and other 1990s Hollywood props.
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Where it's @
The Cy-fi Wireless Sports Speaker requires an iPod or iPod nano with a dock connection. The product retails for $159. The Joby Gorillapod Original requires a compact, point-and-shoot camera with a tripod mount. The product retails for $21.95. More information on the speaker is available at www.mycyfi.com. More information on the tripod is available at www.joby.com.
Business, Pages 21, 22 on 09/28/2009