FreshAngles <![CDATA[FreshAngles]]> http://my.hsj.org/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_jjv02x45zj0t0t45diva4t45_2784d2f9-6ef8-42c6-b70b-9b4e28707312_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:52:32 GMT 15 <![CDATA[Speakers That Won't Blow Your Eardrums, But Might Blow Your Mind]]> By Pratik Mahbubani

www.brookstone.com

Product: Brookstone USB Speakers Buy it?: $30 each at Brookstone or www.brookstone.com Best Uses: On the road, portable entertainment center, speakers in general Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars For the first time in all my reviewing days, I have to put an item into a surprising category: amazing but somewhat unnecessary – for me and anyone else that has a Dell Inspiron Entertainment laptop equipped with some of the best internal computer speakers available. If you don’t though, this is quite a good, utility-based product. What is so special about this? The absolute best feature these speakers have is their power source. By not requiring power from an electric outlet, these speakers are made absolutely portable, and by not requiring batteries, it’s not bulky to carry around either. Instead, the speakers run off of your laptop battery through a USB port, an idea which I personally applaud. The speakers are also very well designed, as 2 compact cubes which split apart by their cable so that they can be placed at opposite ends of each other. The wire is long enough that you can put it by your sides instead of the computers, which simulates surround sound superbly, and is especially useful when watching videos. What’s so not special… Besides the fact that people with loud laptops wouldn’t have any extra use for this besides surround sound, there is another drawback from using these speakers, which is lower than normal battery power, obviously caused by the speakers needing some power to function. With a 6-cell battery, this didn’t affect me really, but you might notice a difference in your battery life if you have a small battery. My advice: The price is average, if not low, for portable computer speakers, and it doesn’t break easily either (I would know). If you’re looking for speakers, this is an option you should definitely look into, depending on your specific needs. ***A special thanks to the very helpful people at Brookstone who made testing this product possible. ]]> Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:47:46 GMT