Altec Lansing has unveiled a portable speaker unit for Apple's IPod, to help you turn your portable digital music player into a miniature bookshelf stereo.
The portable speaker set, InMotion, is priced at $149. It is designed for use with the full-size IPod.
However, Altec Lansing is offering buyers a free adaptor so inMotion can also be used with the newer IPod Mini devices.
The unit is about the size of a paperback book when folded shut--it measures 8.0 by 5.4 by 1.2 inches. This device is easy to tote around, and it weighs just less than a pound. If you're traveling, you can set it on a nightstand and use the IPod's Alarm Clock feature to turn it into a musical alarm clock.
Plusses and Extras
InMotion's four 1-inch speakers deliver surprisingly good sound, in a MacWorld evaluation. But while the InMotion's MaxxBass technology delivers excellent bass, Apple Computer Inc.'s bundled IPod headphones offer crisper, more-balanced audio overall. For example, when the InMotion blasts out rock tunes, a snare drum or tambourine occasionally sounds too loud.
The InMotion sports a built-in docking connector, so it works best with docking IPods. When connected to AC power and your Mac, it can serve as a complete dock replacement, automatically charging your IPod and syncing it with your Mac's ITunes library, ICal calendar, and Address Book.
The InMotion can get power from the supplied AC adapter--a clunky-looking unit--or from four AA batteries. It also works with earlier IPods via its auxiliary input, but the recharging and synchronizing features work only with docking IPods.
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