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If you spend much time in the water, you’ll need a “SwiMP3”—a waterproof set of headphones with an MP3 player that straps to the back of your head. The Finis Duo is fully submersible down to nine feet, has four gigabytes of storage (enough for 1,000 songs), and uses bone-conduction…
This waterproof speaker was made for shower singers—it’s got a suction cup that sticks to the wall for hands-free listening. The Barnacle syncs to your phone via Bluetooth so you can jam to your Spotify playlists, but it also has enough storage for 1,000 songs if you want to leave…
The Charge 3 is a favorite of ours for several reasons: it has great battery life (up to 20 hours of play time), it can charge your phone (via the USB output), and it’s IPX7 waterproof (read: it’s fully submersible). Oh, and there’s that ample bass. Lash this speaker to…
You don’t have to drop serious cash for serious sound. Anker specializes in budget-friendly speakers, and the SoundCore Sport is no exception. It’s shockproof and waterproof, so you can take it on the trail, river, or out in a rainstorm without worry. Its eight-ounce frame belies its rich sound and…
This little dynamo’s best feature is its 360-degree sound—you don’t have to worry about where the thing is pointed for unobstructed listening. Other perks: it’s completely waterproof and floats, plus you can pair two devices at once for friendly DJ battles.
True wireless headphones, these fit snugly inside your ears. And they can handle spray from a shower or the sweatiest workout of your life with no problem. The sound quality is great, there’s a built-in microphone for calls, and 4.5 hours of play time on a single charge isn’t shabby.
All Your Music Will Sound Better On This Reclaimed Wood Speaker
Equipping yourself to be a one-person A/V Club should be a point of pride
The future has arrived, and because it’s built to fit you perfectly, it’s not going anywhere
Tech to ensure you thrive on the sand and in the water this summer.
When it comes to holiday giving, you should never have to choose. This year, our editors have pulled together 68 perfect ideas—priced from $4 to $50,000—guaranteed to make anyone on your list feel like a million bucks.
These six gadgets, from the AT&T Pantech Element, a waterproof, Android-based 8.3-inch tablet, to the Mophie Juice Pack Outdoor Edition, which doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S, to the Steripen Freedom, a tiny water purifier, won't revolutionize your life on the road. But we promise they'll make it a lot easier.
Outside reviews the iSimple TranZit IS77 an iPod or iPhone car stereo system adapter for your next road trip.
I like to backpack with my iPod when I alone in the wilderness. After setting cp it would be ideal to have speakers instead of headphones to enjoy my music. Are there any lightweight, portable speakers good for backpacking? David Vancouver, Washington
Whether you need to capture, connect, or just sit back and relax, the newest portable gadgets are ready to serve.
FLYWEIGHTCountless ambles down to the local java joint validated the TrailAudio’s always-at-hand design. I stocked this two-ouncer with 11 Led Zeppelin albums and clipped it to my belt loop. With a water-resistant casing, this 256MB memory-card-based player is ready for the rain and the rough. Plug it into a USB…
We love the Zen’s 2.5-inch screen and crisp sound. Music, photos, video, FM, and voice recording are standard, and a card slot lets you boost storage. PC only; creative.com…
Music, photos, and video, sure—but FM, dual-orientation display, line-in recording, and a mike, too? This diminutive dude does it all. And talk about cute. PC only; creative.com…
Designed to play and charge iPods but also sporting an auxiliary jack, this sleek system will really rock a hotel room, but you’ll probably set it up back home, too. Lightweight but unflimsy, it thumps ten hours on a charge. logitech.com…
A serious pair of shades plus temple controls and articulating earbuds equals ultimate on-the-go audio. www.oakley.com…
Wait, you’re not using those earbuds that came attached like a crummy little toady to another device, right? Good. But you should still upgrade to the deep, rich sound of these noise-isolating, dual-driver numbers. ultimateears.com…
This turbocharged iPod is our favorite multimedia device ever. It’s all here: music, video, Wi-Fi, maps, and the option of 15,000-plus games and apps. Plus the interface is still unmatched. Mac or PC; 8–32GB; apple.com…
Love that color display—and what else can you cram your weight in albums into and then skip across a lake? www.apple.com…
Whether you’re playing preloaded tunes or the radio, that built-in speaker sounds a helluva lot better than you might expect. And when you’re ready to plug in earbuds, just slide the speaker back behind and watch the display shift from horizontal to vertical. PC only; samsung.com…
The X-Fi lets you wirelessly stream tunes and photos from your computer, listen to FM, record voice memos, and expand the memory with an SD card. Plus, it restores the quality of digitally compressed music. Yes, you really can tell. PC only; 16–32GB; creative.com…
Built for iPod (with a flip-down universal dock) but compatible with other devices, this retro unit features a 2.5-inch satellite speaker. Position it up to six feet away, for true stereo, or detach when space is tight. www.tivoliaudio.com…
This Henry Kloss–inspired beauty, which takes auxiliary input from any player, features a high-precision AM/FM tuning dial, water resistance, rechargeable batteries, and a surprisingly beefy 2.5-inch speaker. tivoliaudio.com…
Whether it’s Black Eyed Peas or ABBA that gets you pumped to run, this iPod Nano–size armband (made for the Generation 4 version) won’t slip down your arm while running. It will also pull your whole look together—it’s constructed from nylon, just like high-end running shoes.
A true featherweight—pictured in its runner-friendly configuration, sans earbud necklace—with the display on the bottom and minimalist controls. Multiformat USB; www.asono.com…
Svelte (a quarter-inch thin), featherweight (1.4 ounces), and tough (anodized aluminum), this unit will be surpassed only by its descendants—plus it has more custom accessories than Barbie. Mac or PC; apple.com…
This inch-square jobbie’s familiar interface and blue-on-black screen make navigation a cinch. Multiformat USB; www.mobiblu.com…
Big, clear sound, 24 hours of playback, universal iPod docking/charging, an auxiliary jack, and a shock- and splash-resistant body spell the best portable system out there for active types. alteclansing.com…
Four two-inch speakers—a pair of twist-off satellites, on three-foot tethers, and a subwooferlike bass unit—make this 40-watt aluminum system bump like a P-Funk track. www.thinkoutside.com…
Want rugged portability? Then this sound system in a suitcase is a no-brainer. The weather-resistant i-F3 features iPod charging and storage, auxiliary input, FM, and alarm and puts out respectable sound for 20 hours per charge. si5.com…
The killer app of the digital music revolution leapfrogs the pack by inviting your camera to the party. This 40-gig Gear of the Year champ easily organizes and pumps out 10,000 songs—or up to 25,000 photos, which you can spin through about as quickly as you can shuffle a deck…
Made for music phones—note the mike on the wire— these little hi-fi numbers snug comfortably and stay put. v-moda.com…
TRES HERMESSpice up your morning five-miler with 125 of your favorite songs. With its pack-of-gum-size wireless sensor clipped to your laces, the MP3 Run tracks your speed, distance, and pace. Hit a button and the unit will cut into “Eye of the Tiger” with a progress report (“Time, three minutes;…
Audio quality is still not as good as you’d expect, but it’s good enough, and the two-inch screen renders video surprisingly watchable. Buying the red unit helps fight AIDS in Africa. Mac or PC; apple.com…
BOLD STATEMENTIt felt good to be the only guy running the trails of Boulder, Colorado, sans flapping headphone wires. In a wild science project, Oakley pimped out a pair of its Half Jacket sunglasses by tucking a 256MB flash-memory-based player in the stems and adding flip-up lenses. Phones slide directly…
This unit bangs out some of the best sound we’ve heard from a digital audio player. Sixty hours of playback per charge, FM, and voice recording only sweeten the deal. Mac or PC; cowonamerica.com…
WHERE TO USE IT: Lake Winnipesaukee, near New Hampshire’s White Mountains, is 72 square miles of tree-lined coves and some 300 sprawling islandsnot to mentionwaterfront cabins with long wooden docks. Rent one on the quieter northor east side of the lake (from $1,000 per week; preferredrentals.com), then…
Your life needs a soundtrack. This go-anywhere gear lets you bring stereo-quality tunes wherever the adventure takes you.
What's to love in 2006? How about 100 of the most newsworthy athletes, products, gadgets, bold ideas, and badass feats? From Lance's remarkable retirement (you try raising $500,000 for charity in one night) to a cell phone that logs your training run (and tells you where to turn) to a 33-item gift guide (check out Oakley's Bluetooth shades), here ar
Boost performance and play in perfect comfort by investing in innovative made-to-order gear
The gear world's global Big Tent returns to Salt Lake, and things get dirty. The Gear Guy reports.
I getting back into backpacking and hiking after a 12-year hiatus, and I'm appalled at some people's apparent need for technology like cell phones and two-way radios out in the backcountry. Is this stuff necessary and desirable in the wilderness? Gary Denver, Colorado
What's a good, trail-worthy MP3 player? It's got to be light and needs lots of storage space since I'm out in the woods for days at a time. I've looked into the iPod mini, but if the battery dies, I can't swap it out for a fresh one. Any ideas? Matt Shasta Lake City, California
I thought I saw during the Tour de France that Lance Armstrong was wearing the latest Oakley glasses with an MP3 player built into them. I right, and did Lance actually wear them during the race? Susan New York City
What's the best audio device that I can clip onto a pair of shorts when running and doing other multisport activities? Ceron Christchurch, New Zealand