Ooh…Cromatica Bluetooth speakers are music for the eyes, too

by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware, Life and Home

One look at the Italian Cromatica Bluetooth speakers and…whoa. Think of this lamp-speaker hybrid like a mood ring for your home. You choose the color illumination that suits you, choose your music, then lie back and chill. Or, clean your bathroom. Or, get some...

Why the new Beoplay P2 portable speakers just rose to the top of our tech gift wishlists.

by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware, Mother's Day Gifts

We love our portable Bluetooth speakers around here, especially as the warm weather creeps in and we aim to take our favorite music (and ahem, favorite podcasts) outside. That’s why we’re smitten with the brand new Beoplay P2 Speaker — and right in...

4 great speakers for outdoor entertaining this summer, from waterproof to washable. (Really!)

by Kate Etue | Gear + Hardware

The best part of hosting parties in the spring and summer is that everyone can be outside, so you don’t have to do a full clean-up of your house the next day. But if you tend to rely on a big indoor sound system, you may not just be able to turn those speakers...

Harman Kardon has 2 Bluetooth speakers that bring the party to your place

by Nicole Blades | Gear + Hardware

With its see-through dome, gentle glow-y light and curved corners, the new Harman Kardon Aura Bluetooth speaker system looks like something out of an art gallery or maybe even a space museum. To be honest, I wasn’t sure at first if the dome was more about...

What are the best wireless speakers for kids? Reader Q&A

by Nicole Blades | Gear + Hardware

I am looking for a compact Bluetooth speaker for my daughter for the holidays. I don’t want to spend a fortune, but I do want good quality. And she’s 6, so I’d like it to be something she can grow with. – Jennifer   It’s a definite...

Another artist making Bluetooth speakers extra cool

by Liz Gumbinner | Gear + Hardware

Remember the old days when a Bluetooth speaker was just some ugly but fascinating little thing that was cool simply because it used Bluetooth in the first place? No more. We’re starting to see designer audio collaborations like the Novogratz for Soundfreaq or...

Custom built speakers from luggage that may have traveled to Paris in the ’40s.

by Kate Etue | Gear + Hardware

We’ve covered a lot of audio speakers here over the years, but none have been quite like the exquisite custom built speakers made from vintage luggage by Case of Bass. (Not to be confused with Ace of Base which you may or may not want in your home.) I mean,...

6 cool waterproof Bluetooth speakers that make perfect gifts for sporty (or sweaty) dads

by Jeana | Gear + Hardware

Father’s Day is right around the corner and in addition to the adorable kids’ crafts I know my husband will get from elementary school art class, I’m thinking a waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a pretty cool Father’s Day gift for kicking off the...

Flips: Headphones that turn into speakers. Whoa.

by Pilar | Uncategorized

As a family of frequent travelers, we have a lot of headphones at the ready, just waiting to be thrown into our carry-on bags or in the car. But we’e never seen anything like this before. Billed as a hybrid headphone/speaker system, Flips headphones are designed...

Cool summer speakers for your backyard BBQs

by Jeana | Uncategorized

With summer here and July 4th right around the corner, that means pool parties, BBQs and lots of outdoor play. We have run through our fair share of options for piping music to our backyard – though none have been very successful. I’m hoping that these...