Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player Provides Great Features

The Sansa Clip Zip from SanDisk is another in their line of tiny MP3 players. This one has a little bit larger LCD display than you might expect so it gives you a bit better navigation than previous models. It is a direct competitor with the iPod Shuffle, although we think it actually provides better features.

The Clip Zip goes from about $60 to $80 depending on whether you want the 4 GB model or the 8 GB. You can also upgrade the amount of storage with a micro SD card. The slot on the side is one thing lacking in the iPod Shuffle.

The controls are very basic and consist of up and down, right and left arrow keys along with a select button. There is also a back button which is convenient for skipping back through the menus where you have already been. As you might expect, there is a volume rocker switch on the side and a USB port for connectivity and recharging. The Clip Zip also actually does come with a convenient clip so that you can easily attach it to your clothing or a belt.

An FM radio is included with some cool station presets. It uses the headphones as an antenna and we found the reception to generally be pretty strong.

Kicker Marine Speakers Are For More Than Just Boats

Kicker is already well known for their car audio line of products and they incorporate that same quality into their marine products. The first thing you notice when you pull a kicker marine speaker out of the box is how heavy it is for the size. They don’t skimp on the size of the magnet and that is where most of the weight is. It lets you know that you are holding a quality marine audio product in your hand!

That having been said, Kicker encases their magnets in plastic for waterproof protection and also shields them so that they won’t interfere with compasses or other sensitive equipment. The entire speaker is waterproof and can be exposed to splashing, rain or mud. That makes them great for ATVs, snow mobiles and the like as well as boats.

The UV resistant grills won’t break down under long exposure to sunlight and they are permanently attached. That may not seem like a good thing, but you never have to worry about the grills flying off when you are bouncing over waves in your boat or climbing up a rocky hill in your ATV.

They also have plenty of power to produce the sound you want.

Check Out The HDMX Jam Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The first thing that grabs your attention when you look at the HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker is that it comes in an actual jam jar! Cute! Not only that, but it comes in various colors and all of them are fruit flavors such as grape, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, apple and apricot. That’s great, but does the Jam actually jam? Or is it more jelly?

We think it’s pretty sweet! The Jam plays much louder and clearer than you might expect from such a small speaker. In addition the Bluetooth connectivity is quick and painless without a lot of fidgeting to get it to work. My connection was almost instantaneous.

HDMX says that the Jam wireless connection will work up to 30 feet away and we found that to be true in our tests. We experienced no loss of sound quality at that distance. In addition the battery will typically last up to 4 hours depending on the volume at which you play it. If you really crank it up, don’t expect it to last that long. It comes with a USB cable for recharging.

The Jam sells for about $40 and is available at most large retailers.

Duracell Instant USB Charger Is Great For Emergencies

The Battery dying in your phone is everyone’s nightmare and it always seems to happen right when you need it the most! USB charging ports are becoming more plentiful these days, but sometimes you are just not anywhere near one. This little gadget from Duracell promises to help fix that.

It is a very simple device. It is basically just a battery with a standard USB port on one end. When you need some extra juice for your phone, iPod or MP3 player, just plug it in using the USB cable that came with your device and turn the on/off switch to the on position. Juice will start flowing into your device immediately. A typical phone with a dead battery will be charged up to about 80%.

But what happens when you exhaust the battery inside the Instant USB charger? Well, fortunately, there is a mini USB port on the other end and it comes with a USB cable that will allow you to plug into a computer or anything else that has a USB port so that you can recharge. Recharging the Instant USB Charger takes about 3 hours to take it from completely dead to full charge.