TURN UP THE
IPAD VOLUME
OCTIV STAGE MP450, $150, WWW.ALTECLANSING.COM
The iPad is no TV, but it can almost be one. Altec Lansing has produced a stand that enhances sound and charges your tablet as you watch videos or listen to music.
The Octiv Stage MP450 (below) is a stand with a cradle for the iPad. In its 8 1/2- by 6-inch base is an amp and two speakers that make TV loud enough for a small group, and play tunes powerful enough that you can DJ a dorm room-size party.
The dock is simple. Slide the iPad into the cradle and you're set. The cradle swivels so you can watch in landscape or portrait mode, and it tilts as well. The MP450 comes with a remote control so you can run it from the couch.
There is also a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack so you can use the base to play an iPod or other music player.
The dock, which sells for $150, is available directly from the manufacturer's website, at Apple's online store and at retailers.
A CLASSIC GAME GETS
A DIGITAL ARBITER
MONOPOLY LIVE, $50, WWW.HASBRO.COM
In Monopoly Live, which hits stores later this year, you still land on Boardwalk and collect $200 for passing Go. But the money flows electronically to your bank card, and a computer manages details like dice rolls and rent calculations.
More interestingly, the board watches your game piece, from a 10-inch tower that also announces turns and remembers how much money you have, down to the last dollar (no more slipping a $500 bill under the board).
How does it work? The tower, powered by four AA batteries, bathes the board in infrared light, and a camera can see reflectors placed on each game piece. To roll the dice, you hide your game piece from the camera by cupping your hand over it, and the computer rolls, complete with fake dice sounds. It then watches to make sure you land on the right property.
What's missing? "The disputes," said Leif Askeland of Hasbro, one of the game's designers. "The tower never makes a mistake."
For those questioning the need for such computer intervention, Askeland responds: "You can still buy the original version for around $15."
NEW YORK TIMES
