Sure, it might just look like a normal boombox, and maybe even sound like one, but the Roots Rock is endorsed by the Marley family. And it has canvas straps! Perfect for listening to… hmm… Daft Punk? The Flaming Lips? More »
Boomboxes. Synonymous with hip-hop. Synonymous with loud. Its standing in the cultural zeitgeist has faded over the years, but its past glory and appetite for D batteries will always be loved and adored by me.
The only way this stunning AT-AT walker boombox could produce a more forceful nerdOMFGasm is if it was being straddled by Scarlett Johansson in a Princess Leia bikini.
I was all amped up for this little boombox watch until I got to the last sentence over at technabob. “I only wish the tiny little speakers actually worked,” they wrote, at which I wept a little because part of me wanted to relive the smashing acid wash 80s in whatever way I could. I can’t lift massive boomboxes onto my shoulder like I used to, but this little guy would have been the next best thing. That and if Kid n’ Play spontaneously appeared on my shoulder to serve as blogging muse for the evening. Silver or gunmetal for $US90. The awesome memories are free. [Flud via technabob]
Why make MP3 players more compact when you can look like a tool pushing one around like a lawnmower? That is the question Israeli designer Inbal Tyagi must have asked himself when he came up with this rollable boom box concept. According to the project page, the device can be recharged by walking it around. It also notes that the design was inspired by the simplicity of the hula hoop. I don’t know about a hula hoop, but I can think of another annoying product that it reminds me of…
newVideoPlayer("lasonic_ipod_boombox.flv", 494, 295,""); We’ve covered a handful of new and modded Lasonic gear here at Giz, but I finally got up close with their fabled i931 iPod Ghetto Blaster. If you’re unfamiliar, Lasonic made some classic boomboxes during the 80s, and now they’ve updated their TRC-931 boombox with a built-in iPod dock, SD card reader and USB port. The picture and description pretty much sum up what makes this US$170 retro wonder so amazing, but I have a laundry list of reasons why the i931 boombox is one of my favourite gadgets I’ve ever laid hands on.
Remember we laughed at the concept Reppo2 boombox backpack, and its ability to aurally assault those you walk past with your choice of tunes? Well, yes: something similar is now real, courtesy of these Fi-Hi novelty bags with built-in speakers and amp. What’s there to say? Well, we don’t know how powerful the audio system is, we don’t know if they’re weatherproof (though we’d hope so.) But we do know you can connect up your MP3 player, that they’re in a wide range of different sizes and styles, some looking very much like the Reppo2, and that they’re fascinatingly nasty. No word on pricing or availability, but expect to hear one soon. [Aving]
iPods are all very nice, except for when you want to piss-off amuse passers-by with your music, and even then your standard boombox is awkward to carry. I mean, what if you need both hands for your shopping? Enter Joonas Saaranen’s Reppo 2, a backpack boombox design, and simplicity in itself. Easy to carry, and with a built-in powered amp and loudspeakers, loud enough to make an impact. Shame its hardshell doesn’t extend down to cover your arse, as protection from all the kicking you’d earn, but never mind. Just a protoype for now, but we suspect someone’ll make it happen for real. [Squaremag via Technabob]
