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Google's $10 Stadia Pro plan includes one free game per month
During a Reddit "Ask me Anything" session, Director of Product Andrey Doronichev dished some more details about Google's Stadia online gaming service coming in November. Questions covered number of subjects, from social features to technical details to Google's commitment to the platform. Perhaps the most pertinent thing that Google revealed, however, is how the Stadia Pro subscription will work and what you'll get.
This USB-C dongle adds Bluetooth audio to the Nintendo Switch
Want another option for using wireless headphones with your Nintendo Switch? Maybe take a look at the Kickstarter for Genki, then. It's a $39 USB-C Bluetooth dongle for Nintendo's hybrid console. You can pair two headsets to it, if you'd like, and apparently the whole setup shouldn't add much too lag (40ms) between what you see on screen and what you hear like a traditional Bluetooth audio signal would. One downside, however, is that the Genki draws power from the Switch itself, which means if your battery goes low on a flight, you can't recharge the system and use the dongle simultaneously.
Google Home's Bluetooth audio feature is available to all
Google has opened up its Home smart speaker in a big way. Today the search giant has added Bluetooth audio to the device for everyone, after teasing it back at I/O in May and slowly rolling out to select users after that. This is perfect if your app of choice doesn't support Google Cast. You know, like Apple Music, or maybe a legacy piece of audio gear. And here you probably thought that the recent music-related Google Home news would stop with Spotify.
Soundmatters' $250 Dash 7 portable Bluetooth speaker to debut at CES 2013
Shortly after revealing the foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth speaker, Soundmatters is adding another member to its foxL range with the Dash 7. This pocket-friendly soundbar doubles up as a speakerphone and carries a $250 sticker, boasting pristine omnidirectional sound and also bundling an angled stand for direct on-axis listening. Tipping the scales at 200g, the Dash 7 stands just about 18mm tall and is designed to be nestled below your slate without restricting the view. The speaker plays well with the diminutive foxLo subwoofer too -- a pairing that promises to add some punch to impromptu parties. The Dash 7 will come in red, white, black and silver when it lands later this month, but the core specs are currently MIA -- a problem we expect to resolve as early as next week when we encounter the accessory at CES.
Turtle Shell speakers bring Bluetooth-enabled weather-resistant music to bikes, strollers and more
The speakers in the image above are Outdoor Technology's Turtle Shell. Expected to retail for $150, the product is currently in Kickstarter at an early-backer price of $99. To date, it's over a third of the way towards funding, with just under two weeks left to go. The idea is this: the speakers mount using standard camera threading. They fit on any tripod or on the mounting accessory, which you see just under the speaker itself. Pricing on the mount is still unclear. It does not appear to be bundled with the $99 pledge, but it is with higher pledges. The product is Bluetooth-enabled and weather-resistant, making it an appropriate accompaniment for bikes, camping, strollers, etc. Just recognize it is a boom box and you'll be entertaining the neighborhood as well as yourself, depending on how much you boost the volume. TUAW received an early review unit, allowing me to test it out in real-world conditions. I had a bit of trouble mounting it in the recommended position until I wrapped my handlebar with some padding. I have an especially small handlebar tube, so this is something I've had to do for my other accessories as well. As you can see, I've normally got quite a bit of stuff on my handlebars -- lights, computer, front pack -- and the Turtle Shell dwarfs them all. (The red bit you see is a velcro extender, allowing my pack to stay attached during testing. The Turtle Shell goes where the bar bag normally attaches.) The first thing I noticed is how heavy an accessory it is, officially weighing in at 11.5 oz. The mount adds another 3.5 oz, for a total of just under a pound, which is a lot to stick on your handlebar. Outdoor Technology recommends placing the speaker on the side with your dominant hand, somewhere near the stem to reduce any weight issues and make riding easier. The unit measures slightly under four inches by six inches along the plane. Once the speaker charged (see the USB cable coming out of its bottom), I took it out for a spin. It synced easily to my iPhone 4S after I switched it on and pressed-and-held a button. And to be clear, I never noticed the weight while biking, and my bike's handling remained completely unaffected. Once mounted, it totally was a non-issue. I put it through the audio-books-along-a-busy-road test I normally use to test output quality. I found that at maximum volume, that music remained audible (perhaps not their lyrics, but at least the lower frequency beats) but that audio books suffered significantly in terms of intelligibility. This is much the same as I've found with any bike-mounted speaker system. The speakers worked far better indoors and at the park -- although they did earn me a hairy eyeball or two at the latter location. The system is non-directional, so audio goes out in all directions. This is, perhaps, not the unit to buy for trail riding if you're shy. Upon returning home, I disconnected the unit to charge it, a task which probably isn't as easy as it could be. It would probably have been easier to wheel my bike to an outlet, and plug in the charger between trips. The provided cord isn't huge but it is plenty long enough for leaning a bike against a wall for charging. All in all, it's a pretty decent system and I liked it. I couldn't help but compare it to the much lighter and friendlier FreeWheelin unit I tested last week, which retails at the same $150 the Turtle Shell will sell for. The Turtle Shell felt much hardier and robust, however. You won't want to have your FreeWheelin on your helmet during rain. (I wouldn't want to be out biking at all during downpours.) If you have multiple people in your audience, i.e. at a camp site or when you're using a stroller, the Turtle Shell will also better meet your needs. For biking, I lean towards the FreeWheelin solution. For me, the Turtle Shell worked best as a portable speaker. I tested it in the kitchen and it provided completely acceptable sound within Bluetooth distances. For outdoors use, I could easily see this at a campground. It feels really durable and probably would stand up to a lot of knocking around -- plus there's that advertised moisture guard. Mostly though, I think this would be a great product for parents with strollers, offering a hard-to-knock-away speaker system for a small family group. In summary, it's a durable, mountable, hardy Bluetooth speaker system with reasonable quality audio. There's a lot going for it and I think many of our readers could find it a useful solution for their outdoor music needs. Turtle Shell is in its last weeks of Kickstarter and is a product of Outdoor Technology.
Croon Audio's Original Bluetooth speakers promise not to creak while they're cranked
Odds are that we've all had a speaker system which can't take the heat: turn up the volume and there's an unintentional dubstep remix as the waaahs and wubwubs of distortion and vibration overtake whatever we actually meant to hear. Croon Audio is only just getting into speakers, but its Original system makes clean sound the order of the day: along with the retro, anti-distortion fiberboard design, the Bluetooth audio box has isolation cones at the corners that Croon hopes will leave any shake, rattle and rolling to Big Joe Turner and Bill Haley. That's good news for a small enclosure with two 15W drivers and a Class D amp inside. A 3.5mm jack still exists if wireless audio compression gets on the nerves as well. The speakers are already selling now in a classic black for $200, although $230 will net a slightly livelier gray or white, and $235 lands an attention-getting (if limited edition) red.
Rocketfish's Sound Prism is triangu-lovely
Cunning design is a wonderful thing, and this triangular bundle of smarts is almost meta! Rocketfish's Sound Prism is exactly what it says it is, a three-sided speaker bar with a twist (metaphorically speaking.) Inventors, CRE8 Design studio, cooked up the clever idea of using the empty space created by a folded Apple Smart Cover. This fella neatly slips into the cubby-hole of the folded case, and attaches itself magnetically. It's Bluetooth, so can pair up with any compatible device, but won't look quite so snug as when used as nature -- or rather its creators -- intended. How much for a slice of the Pythagorean action? That'll be 80 rectangular dollars, sir.
Soundmatters foxLo subwoofer adds umph to your FoxL v2 Bluetooth speaker, 'fits in your palm'
Soundmatters may not be the first company to ever introduce a subwoofer with a small footprint, but at this year's CES, its new foxLo is taking the claim of being the "world's first palm-sized" on. The 25-watt unit can hook into the subwoofer output of a foxL V2 Bluetooth speakers or any other devices with 3.5mm outputs, thanks to its "full pass audio out" jack. Aside from injecting low-end into your mini-rig with its "Magnetic Drive woofer," the 'Lo can also recharge your gadgets with its built-in USB port. Sadly, however, the gizmo itself only operates on wall-power, putting a damper on any mobility offered by its Bluetooth brethren. Operation limited to a volume control for dialing in an optimal amount of bass, and an LED to indicate power. If you're already hungering to add on a thumpy fidelity boost to your smaller speakers (and refuse to be swoon by a solid set of headphones), the foxLo's set to go on sale this spring for about $149. Full press release after the break.
Soundfreaq's Sound Stack Bluetooth speaker sports dual subwoofers, $400 pricetag
Soundfreaq doesn't release speaker systems often, but it's safe to expect something spectacularly sexy when it does. Such is exactly the case with its latest audiophile-aimed creation, the Sound Stack wireless speaker. The company is toting this $400 Bluetooth-enabled HiFi rig as a "2.2" speaker system, thanks to its DubSub design -- a duo of active subwoofers pump out lowend in an effort to complement its two other "full-range" drivers. Soundfreaq's also packed this puppy with its UQ3 processing to keep the soundstage wide despite the unit's size. Better yet, downloading a free Remote App (available on Android and iOS) unlocks the system's FM radio -- perfect for when you're feeling nostalgic. If that wasn't enough, the Sound Stack's also loaded with an iThing dock and a USB input, both of which can be used to re-juice your devices while streaming. If your Gadget Acquisition Syndrome is already kicking in, fret not, the Sound Stack is available for purchase now. You'll find more details past the break.
XtremeMac InCharge Auto & Home BT chargers stream music, phone calls over bluetooth
There are many ways to get your phone's tunes to your system's speakers, and now thanks to XtremeMac, you have two more. At $80, the InCharge Home BT is just $20 cheaper than an Apple TV, and it only lets you stream audio over bluetooth (vs. video, and WiFi for the Apple TV). Its on-the-go counterpart, however -- the InCharge Auto BT (also $80) -- is a much easier sell, beaming music and phone calls to a car stereo without a need to tether your handset to your receiver. Despite the company name and ubiquitous "Made for iPhone" branding, XtremeMac has confirmed that both devices offer identical functionality with non-Apple handsets as well, along with iPods, iPads, and other bluetooth-enabled gadgets. Available now, both devices support A2DP, connect to your speakers using a bundled 3.5mm cable, and include a 10-watt USB port for charging your devices -- assuming you don't mind cording up, on occasion.
Logitech intros $30 Wireless Speaker Adapter for WiDi-enabled laptops
A WiDi adapter, but only for music? It's true. Up until now, Intel's Wireless Display technology has been marketed as a means for transmitting video wirelessly from a PC to an HDTV, but apparently it's good for audio, too. Logitech has chosen CES 2011 to launch the box you see above, the Wireless Speaker Adapter for Intel WiDi-enabled laptops. The idea is fairly simple: place the box near your sound system, and connect it up via a 3.5mm auxiliary jack or using standard analog RCA jacks. From there, you can launch the WiDi software on your laptop, nail the 'Connect' button and watch as your PC pairs up with your speakers. If you aren't equipped to handle WiDi, there's a similar box, but for Bluetooth. Both are expected to ship in the US and Europe this May for $29.99 apiece.