12
Switched
GADGETS
Hot Air has power
Speaking up for
portable sound
ZOOKA
Carbon Audio, $99.95
store.apple.com/au
★★★★
T
HE first thing you notice about the
Zooka speaker is that it looks like a
lot of things, but none of those
things is a speaker.
It could be a seatbelt protector or the
padding you put on the bars of your bike.
The speaker, for that is exactly what it is,
came about after a Kickstarter appeal in
March 2012.
The bar has two 30mm speakers that are
located on either end of the 23cm-long metal
bar. The device is silicon coated and
available in black, blue, orange, pink or red.
It has a slot running along the side, so you
can pop your iPad or iPhone in it.
Take the pin out from one end, where it
pokes out like the top of an antenna, and
screw it into the back of the tube, turning the
speaker bar into an iPhone/iPad stand.
The Zooka has a rechargeable battery that
promises eight hours of play time.
You charge it by connecting it through a
short cable to the USB of your computer.
Connecting it to your iPhone, iPod or iPad
is simple. Turn on the speaker, hit the
Bluetooth connection button for three
seconds, and link it to your device.
The speakers in this are small, so this is a
long way from your ultimate hifi system.
But it certainly gives sound that is a step
up from the tiny speakers in your iPad or
iPhone and that is what you’re looking for
with this sort of device.
Your satisfaction with technology will be
defined by your expectation. If you’re
looking for a portable, rechargeable, sturdy
and attractive speaker to boost the sound
coming out of your i-device, this could be
just the odd-looking tube you are after.
This new gadget provides
sound that is a cut above,
writes Rod Chester
AIR SPEAKER
Loewe, $1199
www.loewe-au.com
★★★★"
Magic box: Its
speakers are
hidden from
sight, but
they emit a
mighty
sound.
I
F you’re after a reasonably priced iPod dock
that does a reasonably
good job with sound then
read no further, because
this is something different.
Loewe is a German company with a long history in TV
and audio, producing quality
products aimed at the highend of the market.
The new Loewe Air Speaker is targeted at those with
ROD CHESTER
deep pockets and a passion
for sound. For the price, the
Air Speaker appears surprisingly simple. It’s a box, 24cm
square and 13cm high.
The sides are black or silver
and the top is chrome, unless
you want to order one of the
custom colours that add an
extra $149 to $249 to the cost.
Inside the box are two subwoofers, two tweeters and two
mid-range speakers that combine to give 80W of power.
You can’t see any of that,
but you can hear their impact.
For a little square box this
produces a powerful sound.
As the name suggests, the
Air Speaker plays music from
your iDevice — iPhone, iPad,
iPod or iTunes — through
the AirPlay standard.
Although getting it to do
that is not quite as simple as
it sounds.
The instructions recommend you connect your speaker box to your home network via an Ethernet cable to
eliminate the dropouts you
might experience over your
home wi-fi network.
If you’re digging this deep
for speakers, you probably
want the best chance of the
best sound. We followed the
advice and hooked it up with
an Ethernet cable.
If you don’t want your
stereo next to your router,
The bass was
rich but the
small noises
still delicate
your easiest option would be
to get a product such as the
Netcomm Powerline Adaptor, which gives you an Ethernet connection near any
power point in your home.
Alternatively, you can go the
wi-fi option but you’ll need to
hook up the box with an
Ethernet cable during setup.
Once it’s on your home
network, it’s a simple matter of
using the AirPlay feature of
your iDevice to play to the
speakers. If you haven’t used
AirPlay, you click on the
‘‘triangle floating over a rectangle’’ icon you see when
playing your music.
It will give you the option
to connect to the speaker.
You can also plug your
device into the speaker, either through the USB port in
the box or using the 3.5mm
jack. Once it’s connected,
using the speaker is simple,
given the four buttons control power, network status
and volume.
The true test comes when
you have the speaker box and
your iDevice talking to each
other. The sound is what you’re
paying for and it’s terrific.
The bass was rich but the
small noises still delicate.
Not everyone is going to be
in the market for something
that has such a hefty price tag.
But for those who are, it’s a
great market to be in because
the Air Speaker really delivers.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
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38 The Courier-Mail Wednesday, January 2, 2013
ABC series: — Martin.
James Caan show. (3,5)
SeaChange actor who played Phrani Gupta:
Georgina —.
First name of the actor who was Dossa in
Dossa And Joe.
Actor Susie — was Brodie Hanson in Home
And Away.
Paris Hilton show: The — Life.
— Colantoni was Sergeant Gregory Parker in
Flashpoint.
Reba McEntire’s character in the series Reba.
(4,4)
In The Good Wife, actor Matt Czuchry plays
Cary —.
Actor Tim Daly is Dr — Wilder in Private
Practice.
He was Hope’s husband Charley in Hope &
Faith. His first name is Ted.
Series set in a downtown bar. Starred Ted
Danson and Shelley Long.
Comedy pair: — and Costello.
Who does Barrett Foa play in NCIS: Los
Angeles? His last name is Beale.
In House MD,— Epps played Dr Eric Foreman.
Story about a family being torn apart: —
People.
He was the voice of Bender the robot in the
show Futurama: John —.
25.
He played the airline supervisor, Tony, on
LAX: Paul —.
DOWN
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5.
6.
12.
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This was Rob Morrow’s character in
Numb3rs. (3,5)
Humphrey Bogart classic: The — Mutiny.
Actor who played Jack Gallo’s daughter in
Just Shoot Me! (5,3,7)
All Saints character Jessica — was played by
Natalie Saleeba.
Actor in Big Girl’s Blouse. (4,5)
This was Martin Kemp’s character in
EastEnders. (5,4)
Detective Nick Vera in Cold Case: Jeremy —.
Surname of the actor who played Lex Luthor
in Smallville.
Pictured actor.
(Last name)
Katey Sagal’s
character in
Married ... With
Children. (3,5)
She was one of
the American Idol
judges. Her first
name is Paula.
How many sisters
were there in
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