When it’s my time to go, I’m going to plug in these Kenwood SP0001 glass speakers into a badass receiver. Then I’m going to crank the volume and disintegrate in the resulting shrapnel.
This upcoming bookshelf or nightstand CD player from Kenwood looks simple enough, but inside the company is promising surround sound quality output from just two speakers.
Kenwood’s Hibachi is a strange creature: half-lighting system, half-wireless audio system, and designed to sit in your home and provide ambient lighting and to match your mood. Inside its bowl-like form sits a three-speaker system, wireless receiver, lighting and battery: the lights also indicates the charge status of the battery, which should let the device run for a whole day. The wireless audio works 30m from the source, so presumably you could sit this baby in your garden on a sunny day as well as pop it somewhere inside. It’s weird, but since it’s a blend of sort-of traditional and vaguely-modern thinking, I like it. No word on whether it’ll make it into a real product, but probably not too hard to do a DIY. [Kenwood Design via Newlaunches]
JVC, the group behind the scenes of popular projectors and thin LCDs, and Kenwood, known for their car stereo equipment, will merge in October. The new company, JVC Kenwood Holdings, has been discussed for almost a year, when the two first collaborated on car electronics. So what happens when you merge TVs and car equipment? Lots of ugly rides. And, hopefully new, great gadgets. [Forbes]
It may look like a stealth bomber, but Kenwood’s new AS-IP300 iPod dock just connects to your iPod and fires your music out at 2W per channel. It’s also got a 3D sound option, remote control, and can take mains power or AA batteries for portability for about eight hours of playback. Measuring 381 x 221 x 157mm, it’s available in Japan late February in black or white. Cost is around $150. [AV Watch]
It sounds obvious, but for the first time, over-the-air HD Radio can carry talk radio with closed-captioned metadata, so that the hearing impaired can enjoy the same talk radio programming that others can.
From what I can tell, the signal will be compatible with many recent HD Radio receivers, so you don’t need a special box. The Kenwood in the picture is a proof-of-concept; the actual first-ever closed-captioned broadcast will take place on Wednesday. Leave it to the progressives at NPR to come up with it, teaming with Harris Corporation and Towson University to develop the delivery mechanism and user interface. Of course, if it takes off, deaf right-wingers will finally get their fix of conservative hate talk, too. More »
Kenwood has brought out three slimline iPod-compatible audio players that can connect to your computer via USB. There’s a CD player that plays CDs and CD-R/RW also an AM/FM radio and it supports WMA as well as MP3s. Full specs of the CLK – 5i-S / W and CLK-7i-S are below. More »
Being as into tea as the British folks this Kenwood Response Kettle was made for, we’re definitely looking forward to marveling at its colour-changing capabilities. Not only is it a container to keep water from spilling all over the place while you heat it, the exterior actually shifts from blue (cool) to red (hot) while it’s being heated. Plus, it also has the option for shutting down when it gets to 80 degrees, which is supposedly the perfect temperature for coffee and herbal tea. Only available in the UK for now. [KenwoodWorld via ChipChick via Apartment Therapy via PopGadget] More »
