TheBolt

Back in the 1980s, there were two things about the music that were big: the hair, and the boomboxes. Thankfully, both style and technology evolved, and the D-Battery-powered, shoulder-mounted cassette stereo went the way of the teased, crimped, bleach-blonde mane. Those looking for a portable, all-in-one music system were presented with numerous options of stereo mini systems. These classy, compact stereo systems were designed to fit in with either the boardroom or dorm room crowd, saving space yet still putting out respectable sounds. And for a while, the boombox languished in obscurity, a relic of times past. A few quick stops at CES 2014, though, and it looks like these sonic beasts have not yet given up fighting.

At the LG exhibit, our man on the ground demoed the new LG X Boom CM9730 boom box, which features a face-melting 25,000 watts of power. I don’t know how much power that is, but I’m pretty sure you can jump start a dump truck with this thing. The X Boom is not for the weak of heart, or those short on space for that matter. Each of the two speaker units is roughly the size of a shetland pony, and LG’s specs show that the entire package tips the scales at over 350 lbs! LG bills the X Boom as sort of party-in-a-box, putting out the kind of power needed to replicate the dance club atmosphere in your home, backyard or hopefully-neighborless apartment. Further bolstering its party cred are an auto equalizer that adapts to musical genre; the Smart DJ system, which gives users the ability to add samples and other sound effects to music; and integrated LED lighting that changes to the beat of the music.

Inputs include standard CD tray and dual USB inputs. The USB inputs give the X Boom a couple neat tricks, including the Jukebox function, letting users create custom folders and playlists from a flash drive, while USB-to-USB recording lets users swap music with their friends. Twin jog-dials make navigating external files a breeze, and act as DJ mixers when the music’s bumping. And one feature we always love: the LG X Boom supports wireless streaming from any Bluetooth device, so you can go deaf to any song available via streaming services.

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Since the debut of the smartphone, countless brands have popped up offering every kind of imaginable accessory, from the indispensable waterproof iPhone case to the, well, the toilet paper dispenser iPod dock. One of the brands of iPhone accessories that we really love is Mophie. Their Juice Pack and Juice Pack Air battery cases protect your smartphone and give you up to an extra 80-100% of battery power. So not only is your precious iPhone or Galaxy S4 protected from dents and dings that daily life delivers, you can go nearly twice as long as normal between recharges. We like Mophie products so much, in fact, that every one of the smartphones that our over 200 delivery and service teams use is outfitted with a Juice Pack. Which is why we extra excited to get a look at the new Mophie Space Pack at CES.

Mophie Juice Packs on delivery fleet SGS4 phones.

The Mophie Space Pack builds on the genius of the Juice Pack by adding additional storage space—either 16GB or 32GB—to create a product unlike anything currently available.  However, due to iOS restraints, adding storage is not a simple plug-and-play affair. To use the additional storage, users will need to download Mophie’s Space app, which includes an integrated file manager, camera app and media player. Users will have to access the app anytime they want to access or share any media stored in the Space Pack. So, not a totally seamless system, but it’s the only one of its kind and it’s a clever workaround to a problem that plagues many smartphone users. And for potential iPhone 5s buyers, it can be cheaper than the price difference between new iPhone models.

A look at the Mophie Space app.

Like the Juice Pack Air, the Space Pack is slim and ergonomic. It adds some length and depth to the iPhone body, but still slides in and out of pockets with ease and is comfortable to hold. You’ll also find the same 1,700 mAh battery pack, giving you double the power of the iPhone 5’s built-in power pack. Doubling both storage and run-time means a lot less recharges and memory dumps, which is great when you’re away from a power outlet or access to The Cloud. For road warriors and other prolific iPhone users, and especially for the Instagrammers and other voracious consumers and producers of media, the Mophie Space Pack looks to be the best single accessory available.

Just as slim and ergo as the Juice Pack

According to Mophie, the Space Pack will start shipping in March, but pre-ordering is open now. For more info, call us at 888-228-5800 and ask for one of our Apple sales specialists.

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show is currently underway in sunny Las Vegas, so we let a few Abt team members escape the arctic Chicago weather to get the scoop on the industry’s best upcoming products. As info from our guys on the ground filters over, we’ll be bringing you photos, videos and specs on the hottest new  TVs, cameras, computer products, home theater equipment and much, much more. Keep your eyes on the Abt Blog for in-depth articles, follow our Instagram feed for behind-the-scenes pics and of course check out the Abt Youtube channel for videos of our CES coverage.