Altec Lansing inMotion Air Universal Wireless Speakers
Filed under: Gadgets
Spring is here and with it backyard barbecues and weekends spent lounging on the patio. The audio experts at Altec Lansing would hate for you to miss out on hearing any of your favorite tunes while you're out and about, so the inMotion Air was created to be an ultra portable and easy-to-use mobile audio solution. It uses Bluetooth technology to stream music wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, smartphone, or other stereo Bluetooth device and if you use the included USB transmitter the range is more than 300ft.
I was able to try one out personally and found it to be a sleek and lightweight compact speaker system. After charging it for a couple hours pairing it to my cell phone via Bluetooth took just a few seconds and music playback started as soon as I hit the play button. Pairing it with my laptop via the USB transmitter was also quick and simple -- just plugged the transmitter into a USB slot and adjusted the computer audio output settings to USB.
In terms of sound the speaker puts out crisp, full audio with deeper bass than I expected considering its small size. Battery life is excellent -- once fully charged it played for an entire evening without missing a beat. I was also surprised at how loud it could get when I cranked up the volume (or more accurately when I accidentally turned it with the volume all the way up!).
Other features include a handy and comfortable carrying handle on the back, options for wired access to non-Bluetooth/non-USB devices, and a remote control (accesses basic functions in most music players, iTunes included) that tucks neatly into a slot onto the back of the speaker so it won't get lost. It's also small and light, which means it's easy to tote around (it almost fits in my handbag) and can fit into tight spaces like a bathroom.
The Altec Lansing inMotion Air is an excellent option for portable audio when earbuds and headphones just won't do. Available online for $199.95.

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