Edwin Kee
ECOXGEAR is well-known for its rugged and waterproof products for the outdoors. Ecostone, its latest Bluetooth speaker has passed the IP68 international waterproofing standards and military grade testing MIL810G, and is able to withstand a range of harsh conditions, including being 100 per cent submerged in water, and searing temperatures of up to 60ºC.
It has a rubberised shockproof casing and rear mounted subwoofer, allowing music lovers to appreciate their tunes while fishing, resting by the campfire, or trekking through the desert. Ecostone also comes with a USB battery charger and an integrated LED flashlight as well as detachable mounting options to allow you to attach the speakers to other places.
Available in black, blue, orange and “real tree” for US$149 (RM472) each. www.ecoxgear.com
WiFi-TV for various media files
WESTERN Digital recently introduced its new WD TV — Personal Edition, an easy-to-use WiFi-enabled media player capable of handling any kind of media file stored on a USB drive or network storage device, and other computers that are connected to the home network. Among the numerous file formats supported are MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, and MOV.
It can also stream files from any connected USB drive, including My Passport Ultra and My Book, personal cloud and network attached storage drives, digital camcorder or camera, and any networked PC or Mac computer at home. Users can also take control of their entertainment through the customisation of the home page with their favourite apps, enabling quick access to favourite content folders as well as setting auto-run for preferred apps to load at startup.
WD TV media player also comes with Miracast support, allowing users to project their Miracast-enabled mobile device onto the TV up to Full HD 1080p for visual goodness. You can also stream hit movies and remain connected to social networks via the plethora of apps available. The WD TV media player retails at RM359 each. www.wdc.com
Karaoke goes mobile
KARAOKE fans may find the Singing Machine iSM990BT useful. This device would not look out of place alongside the rest of your home entertainment setup. You can pair it up with your favourite device, be it a notebook, smartphone or tablet, as it streams over 8,000 karaoke songs via The Singing Machine Mobile Karaoke App. Lyrics will be shown on your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to sing along to your favourite tunes, all without the need for a TV.
Alternatively, if you select to play your karaoke songs via a CD+G or USB flash drive, you can opt to connect the device to your TV or monitor to see the lyrics on a larger display. You can also record from the speakers and microphone so that you can perform a post-mortem of your vocal chord experience. The Singing Machine iSM990BT also doubles up as a Bluetooth speaker as it streams music from your compatible device or plays back CDs.
It is much smaller than a full-blown karaoke set and is available at US$129.99 each. www.singingmachine.com
Tablet all that entertainment
NVIDIA has released the NVIDIA Shield tablet which comes with sufficient features to make your mobile entertainment experience more exciting. The device comes with a powerful Tegra K1 mobile processor, touted to be the world’s most advanced mobile processor, an 8-inch Full HD display, and a stylus holstered in the back.
Its DirectStylus 2 technology enables everyone, from note takers to serious artists, to have fun with the tablet. Running on the Android platform, the NVIDIA Shield supports all apps on Google Play, has a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, as well as an LTE option that will keep road warriors happy.
As for your mobile gaming experience, NVIDIA has enhanced it, thanks to a wireless controller that can be paired with the Shield tablet right out of the box. Pricing starts from US$299. shield.nvidia.com