Awesome Mp3s

Hot on the heels of their AirCurve speaker, Griffin’s Simplifi iPod Dock packs three functions in one: it triples as an iPod Dock, a media card reader, and two powered USB ports.

The BoomCooler is one of the stranger mashups we’ve seen, with Sony’s Xplod audio system (600-W amp!) built into its cover. Oh yeah, it’ll store food too, but it’s gotta be dry.

Old school/80s fanatics will love Lasonic’s iPod boombox, usurping the cassette player with an iPod dock. It also has an SD/MMC card reader, AV output and runs on 10 D-sized batteries.

Griffin’s AirCurve is essentially a transparent display stand with a coiled waveguide within that acts as an amplifier: in short, this polycarbonate speaker doesn’t need power to operate.

Now that the iPod Touch packs its own speaker, iLuv’s battery powered iSP100 loses a bit of utility; however, it’s relatively portable and at 4W RMS (8W peak), not bad for the size and price.

David Wiener Ventures’ Art.Suono acts as a bridge between your iPod and sound system; the race-inspired system features an Engine Start button and shifter-like input signal switch.

Jonas Damon’s 2B Radio is a retro minimalist’s dream come true, with a matte black case and three vacuum tubes in place of transistors. It’ll hook up to your iPod or MP3 player, too.

Awesomest. Keyboard. Ever. NeKo’s LUX Keyboard is dipped in 24kt gold, packs 4GB RAM, a 4 Terabyte hard drive, Blu-Ray burner, 10 audio ins/outs and 100,000 preset sounds.

Ion Audio’s iCue Mixer is a compact, entry level system for those wanting to mix MP3s from their computer. We do recommend a 3.5mm Y-splitter for your headphones, however.

Apple’s iPod Touch gets a mild makeover, with a thinner, more contoured design and an external volume control. It will also get a built-in speaker and come standard with Nike + iPod.

Apple’s new Ipod Nano returns to its candybar roots and is the thinnest iPod ever. Made with curved aluminum, you can shake it to shuffle; it will come in a rainbow of nine colors.

Microsoft’s Zune mp3 player now has a glossy, 120GB version out on Amazon — also, check out the new blue 8GB version, which comes with wireless buying and games.

Porsche Design’s stylish Eton P’9210 Clock Radio has three speakers, a subwoofer, iPod dock and satellite radio hookup. Other than the odd remote, the minimalist design works.

There are iPod docks, and there’s Alesis’ TransActive Mobile: despite packing only 22 watts, this speaker is ideal for outdoor parties. No outlet? It runs on a rechargeable battery.

Sony’s Walkman S-Series is like a Zune flash with brushed metal and the same price points. The 2″ screen and 7.5mm thickness are nice, but that may change with the new Nano.

Logitech’s Squeezebox Boom answers our wi-fi prayers: it streams music from your PC, internet radio and subscription services, and packs a pair of 3″ woofers and 3/4″ tweeters.

Check out these mockups by Miguel Suarez of the next-gen iPod Nano, based on Kevin Rose’s spy shot showing a return to the candybar form factor. Rumor: it’s coming September 9th.

Cowon’s super-sexy S9 media player has a 3.3″ active matrix OLED touch screen, bluetooth and a dual-core CPU. It can play up to 40 hours of music between charges.

Sony’s sexy S-Airplay is a wi-fi iPod dock that streams music to up to ten speakers. The dock also doubles as an AM/FM radio; it can simultaneously stream your iPod and radio to separate rooms.

Getting the most out of Pure Digital’s Evoke Flow Radio will require that you live somewhere with DAB+ access (i.e., Europe), but we like that it streams music from internet radio stations.

The Sooloos Media System is a music hub: use the 17″ touchscreen to to choose tailored music “recipes”. At $13k, you can also sync up with your numerous beach houses and penthouses.

Cerulean’s F1+TX takes your iPod wireless. The F1 is a pair of stereo bluetooth headphones with 10m range, while the TX can wirelessly connect either the headphones or a dock to your iPod.

Made by gamers, for gamers: Astro Gaming’s A40 Audio System includes a MixAmp (combines voice and game sounds; 5.1 Dolby Digital) and Headset with swappable tags.