I’d be willing to bet that you love technology if you read this site. I don’t blame you, there are some really cool gadgets out there that make consumption of media a medley of James Bond and Steve Jobs. There’s something really cool about the toys we can get.
Yet, with an over abundance of new tech comes a plethora of instruction manuals, code, and a language which some feel requires a Master’s degree to fully appreciate… or even operate for that matter.
A new school of thought and design has emerged which even the geekiest of us have come to warmly embrace, simplicity.
Sure, there was a time when it was really cool to learn terminal commands to do in a very complicated way something simple… but as life has become more complicated, consumers demand accessories and toys that are easy to use. We’re tired of convoluted ways to accomplish simple tasks.
That’s the sort of thinking that inspired two designers to come up with a speaker accessory so easy that it is both pleasurable to use and beautiful to look at. The age old battle of form versus function has found a mutually beneficial resolution; meet the Hidden Radio.
So well received for it’s beauty and function, the hidden radio was selected to be a part of the 2012 gift box celebrities will receive for the Academy Awards.
The Idea is Pretty Simple.
“Radios and speakers are often large and obtrusive, we created the HiddenRadio + BT Speaker using simple, unassuming, intuitive design so it can be loved in any home.” says Australian designer John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen now based out of San Francisco.
The idea was to make a product that was simple to use and elegant. There are no ugly cables tethering this device to it’s source (although there is a convenient 3.5mm line-in audio option for those with non-Bluetooth devices).
It’s a wireless Bluetooth speaker with FM radio that works with leading electronic devices like iPhones, iPods, iPads, Andriod and many other tablets, smartphones and computers.
The Difference is Quality
If that was it, this would be a cool product worth checking out by it’s own merit… but it wouldn’t really stand out against the other Bluetooth speakers much. What sets this product apart is quality.
The sound quality is fantastic. This unit is capable of producing over 80dB. That’s enough decibels to fill a large apartment and annoy your neighbors according to John, one of the two Hidden Radio designers. Compared with big box brands like the Jawbone Jambox, the Hidden Radio actually surpasses the competition in sound quality… which isn’t an easy feat for even a well known audio company, let alone a couple inventors who raised their capital asking for donations and individual partnerships.
One of the coolest features touted by Hidden Radio is the ability to seamlessly switch between devices throughout the home. You can keep one in the kitchen to play some tunes while you cook, one in the bedroom to listen to your favorite jams while you get ready in the morning, and one in the bathroom so that you have something to sing along to in the shower.
You can also connect multiple units for a booming sound that will make a ghetto blaster sound like a pea shooter.
Function
The Hidden Radio was designed to be intuitive. There are no knobs or buttons, no ugly back-lit displays. Steve Jobs would have been proud.
To adjust the volume, simply twist the cap of the hidden radio. The higher the cap, the louder the volume will be.
To connect your cell phone via Bluetooth, just lift the cap and select the “Hidden Radio” icon on your device.
The Hidden radio features a rechargeable battery is good for 30 hours of play time. No word yet on whether or not that will be user replaceable, so stay tuned for a future hands on review for more details.
Another cool function of the Hidden Radio is the diversity that it offers in functionality. You can use it as a speaker phone, and it works with Skype and Apple’s FaceTime.
Simple and unassuming, the Hidden Radio lets your music be the start of your interaction with this device. Like a good sound engineer, the accolade that the Hidden Radio strives for is to be so simplistic that it becomes a seamless background part of your life.
For a limited time you can find the Hidden Radio on Kickstarter for around $119. Mid January you’ll have to pay the full retail price of $175.