A NEW SET-TOP BOX
FOR INTERNET TV
Netgear Roku Player, around $99, www.netgear.com
The battle for the living room? Oh, it's on, all right.
Roku, which makes Internet TV set-top boxes, announced recently that it would license its technology to other manufacturers. The first company to sign on was Netgear, the home router company, which has relabeled the Roku XD box the Netgear Roku Player and is selling it at Best Buy and other stores for around $99.
The device can connect to your display via HDMI or composite connections. It has onboard Wi-Fi so it can wirelessly join a home network and, therefore, the Internet. At 6 1/2 inches square, it is roughly the size of a small book.
While new TV sets and Blu-ray players are beginning to offer similar video and music services (Amazon, Netflix, Pandora), the aftermarket box available from Roku and, now, Netgear means that consumers can enjoy a variety of online-video options without having to upgrade their entire video system. One wish: that Roku would license its technology to a company with a better design sense -- the Netgear box is better used than seen.
A TINY SPEAKER DOCK
WITH A DEEP VOICE
JBL On Stage Micro III, $120, www.jbl.com
For its 6 1/2-inch circumference, the JBL On Stage Micro III pumps out a surprising amount of bass.
That is not to say this iPhone and iPod speaker dock will rattle your fillings loose, but for its small size it packs a respectable punch.
The dock has a few other tricks, like a hatch for four AAA batteries that can power the unit without a wall plug. A warning light turns orange when the batteries are running low. Or you can plug it into the wall and the dock will charge your device as it plays.
You can also connect the base to a computer with a USB cable to synchronize a phone from the dock. When connected to a computer through the cable, the phone's battery will charge, even if you are using AAA batteries to run the dock.
