14 DAY TRIAL // It's a pleasure to introduce to you a new gadget that promises to bring a neat sense of novelty to the world of media players: the Zune Bug. I really can’t say whether the “bug” name is the most fortunate choice, especially when associated with Microsoft’s product... yet this nifty wireless speaker / nightlight from designer Ashley Payne looks cool, and there’s not even the slightest doubt about it.
Now, it shouldn’t come as news that the iPod is the undisputed king for modding, while also being an all-time favorite for accessories manufacturers. Consequently, it has gone to places and has reached popularity levels never before attained by a similar piece of gadgetry.
Its direct opponent, the Microsoft creation going by the name of Zune, is trying really hard to tip the scales... yet with minimal success so far. However, Ashley Payne's Zune Bug brings a breath of fresh air to the Zune family with its “birth” alone, and despite the fact that mass production is uncertain.
We're dealing here with a small piece of tech that goes in your wall socket and looks like some sort of sophisticated nightlight, with colorful accents and the overall appearance of a scarab's back. The working principle is quite simple: plug it in, and the Bug will receive the tunes you play on your Zune, via wireless pairing.
Not only do you get to listen to your favorite tracks as you go to sleep, but the Zune Bug will also change the colors on the translucent plastic accents, and modify the light intensity according to the musical frequency, thus transforming your bedside into a small-scale disco. All in all, this is nowhere close to a breakthrough technology that would take down the iPod from its leading position in international market, but the theoretical (and practical) approach is more than interesting, I must say.
No word yet on the mass production of the Ashley Payne Zune Bug - therefore, any details regarding price or possible availability are out of the question. Nevertheless, the Zune Bug is by all means a very cool step towards developing a wider and more attractive range of accessories for Microsoft's Zune family. And maybe the Redmond guys should pay more attention to designers like Mrs. Payne: it looks like it takes people like her to give Zune some leverage in the confrontation with the iPod.
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