Those using Spotify on an iOS device may want to fire up the App Store and grab the latest update as it looks like it is bringing a welcomed improvement — high-quality streaming and syncing. More specifically, Spotify for iOS version 0.4.23 comes available with the ability to “stream or sync music at very hog quality (320kbps).” In addition, this latest update also adds a one-tap log in with Facebook. That being said, those with Spotify installed on their iOS device can launch the app and then head into the settings where they will see the new (third) option under for quality — Extreme. Select and enjoy better quality music. Of course, for those on limited data plans, you may want to cache that higher quality over Wi-Fi as streaming under the Extreme setting will use a bit more data as compared to low or high.

Via [Spotify (iOS App Store link)]

House of Marley’s portable boombox is finally coming to market after months of teasing.

The House of Marley Bag of Rhythm is a giant portable boombox for your iOS device or any portable device with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The boombox’s giant 4-inch speakers will give you a ton of sound. I was able to see it working at CES this year, and the sound will definitely fill a small room, or a large outdoor radius. Plus you’ll be able to carry it around by the handles, hanging from the shoulder strap, or you can hold it on your shoulder as you would an old-school boombox.

At $349.99 the Bag of Rhythm isn’t exactly inexpensive, but it seems to be worth the price. You get the huge portable sound with an internal battery or just plain batteries. Plus, it’s made of entirely recycled materials, so you get not just a great portable speaker, but one that’s environmentally friendly as well. Current orders will ship between February 15-18, so it misses the cutoff for an expensive, Valentine’s Day gift, but you’ll get it in time before and Spring adventures you might be planning.

Read [House of Marley]

Scosche has just released a new speaker dock that works with all iPad models. Dubbed the bassDock, this adjustable speaker dock that supports the iPad 1 and iPad 2 rotates to allow both horizontal and vertical viewing angles. It also charges your iPad as you listen to music, watch movies and more.  The speaker dock features a 2.1 sound system with dual 1.6″ stereo speakers which according to Scosche produces the right mids and highs and a subwoofer that produces rich and powerful bass. In short, this speaker dock transforms your iPad into a powerful entertainment system. Other features of the Scosche bassDock include adjustable stand that tilts for convenient viewing, 10 Watts (2.1 Amps) for fast charging, and adapters for securely holding your iPad. This speaker dock retails for $149.99. To learn more about its features, a video demo is attached below after the product link.

Product [Scosche bassDock]

Those using the gMusic app on iOS may want to grab their device (whether it be an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad) and fire up the App Store — an update has come available for download. This latest update for gMusic arrives as version 1.5 and it brings more than a handful of changes and enhancements including a brand new offline mode and portrait view on the iPad. Additionally, the remainder of the “what’s new” list breaks down as follows;

• Full playlist editing!
• Thumbs up Feature! (Loves for last.fm as well)
• Swipe to show the menu.
• New album View!
• Progress bar now shows the buffer progress.
• Previous button now works like the standard music app.

And what app update would be complete without the bug fixes? In this instance, this update promises that offline music will no longer disappear and scrolling with be smoother as well as how various “minor” bugs have been taken care of.

With that, gMusic is a really wonderful Google Music app for iOS. And even nicer, the app is priced (reasonably) at $1.99. The gMusic app is universal with support for the iPhone and iPad and comes with the requirement of iOS 4.1 or later for use.

And just as a side note, I was having some trouble with the app yesterday afternoon and sent off a tweet to complain. Nothing really, just venting my frustration and well, the folks over at Interactive Innovation reached out within minutes and had my problems solved. Always nice to get solid support — especially when you were not necessarily looking for it.

Via [gMusic (iOS App Store)]

Mobile music discovery Android app, Rdio has just updated their app bringing in newly redesigned interface as well as some other nice features that will make you like the app even more. The updated Rdio Android app now offers more intuitive navigation using one-click access to its features. The updated also introduced enhancements to its key features such as collection, playlists, new releases, top charts, recommendations, and support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich’s new remote control client. The app also now gives you more social features and options for discovering new music. The new features of the Rdio Android app include – streamlined top-level navigation, convenient control, new releases, top charts, recommendations, enhanced search, synched collection and playlist views, user profiles, and the other features of the previous versions including activity, collection, heavy rotation, playlists, listening history, synching for offline access and other control settings for synching and streaming on Wi-Fi or 3G.

The updated Rdio app is available now as a free download from the Android Market for the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia and New Zealand markets. You need to have an unlimited subscription though to access Rdio on your Android devices though. The good news is that Rdio offers several subscription options depending on your music streaming needs. Pricing starts from as low as $4.99 monthly.

Via [PR Newswire]

It looks like Jawbone is ready to expand the Jambox line by adding in a bigger brother to the Bluetooth speaker.

A recent FCC filing shows that Jawbone has a new Big Jambox on the way in the near future. There’s no photos of the new device, so all we know for now is that it’s also a Bluetooth speakers, and that it’s bigger than the original Jambox. We don’t even have measurements of the new device, we only know that it’s bigger because Jawbone filed is as “Big Jambox.”

The size could mean bigger drivers in the device, which could produce better sound. Or at least more sound. That’s really just speculation, though. We really don’t know much about this at all.

Read [Wireless Goodness]

JBL's OnBeat Xtreme dock

The latest entry into the high-end iOS device dock space is the OnBeat Xtreme, from Harman International’s JBL brand. The product, unveiled in late 2011 and capable of connecting with the iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad, is a powerful, high-performance device, sporting big sound and unique look.

The OnBeat Xtreme sports a black and silver-accented design, with speakers crossing over each other – the “weave design,” as JBL calls it- and the dock connecter in the middle. Any of the three iOS devices fit onto the dock, with adjustable connectors making it attachable in landscape or portrait mode. The icing on the cake is Bluetooth capability, which is not typically offered in this type of docking product.

The product is also easy to set up, and everything worked on the first try- even Bluetooth.

JBL had previously released a couple of OnBeat devices, including the original and the AirPlay-equipped OnBeat Air, although the OnBeat Xtreme is bigger and packs more features.

I tested the device with both an iPhone and iPad, and the dock performed exceptionally with both. What stands out particularly about the OnBeat Xtreme is three things: the sheer quality of the sound, the 360-degree reach of the speakers and the Bluetooth capability.

I set the device on a table in the center of a room, and the sound was big and bold on all sides, whether I was playing music from an iPod-based music playlist or hearing the pulsing soundtrack of an “X-Men” action scene from the iPad. The sound, thanks to what JBL calls Ridge tweeters and Atlas woofers, is as strong as I’ve heard on a dock of this kind.
The Bluetooth meanwhile, is an added bonus; being able to wirelessly beam any song from one’s iPhone or iPad to the dock across the room has the makings of a living room game changer.

The best high-end dock product I’d reviewed in the last year, Monitor Audio’s i-Deck iPod/iPhone Dock 200, did not feature either the circular speakers or Bluetooth connectivity.

Other features include composite output to attach the dock to a TV, a USB port, and even the ability to make hands-free speakerphone calls through the device. There’s a handle on top for portability, although the dock is a bit heavy for that.

JBL also offers a free, downloadable app for interfacing with the dock, although I found the standard iPhone and iPad music functions were more functional.

The product retails for $499.95. It’s a bit pricey, but it buys you one of the best dock experiences available.

JBL OnBeat Xtreme
Speaker dock for iPhone, iPod and iPad
$499.95
www.jbl.com

Monster's Diamond Tears headphones

In the latest installment of an exclusive interview with our sister publications Dealerscope and CustomRetailer, Noel Lee, the Monster chief executive known as the “Head Monster,” discusses new products for 2012.

In this interview, Lee tells Krissy Rushing about Monster’s new Diamond Tears headphones, as well as the company’s new partnership with the fashion brand Diesel.

Click here to watch the interview.

The folks at Boxee release version 1.5 for the Mac, PC and Linux back towards the end of December and at that time — they let everyone know that the support (and availability) of those apps would come to an end fairly soon. In fact, the message was simple;

“This 1.5 release will be the last version of Boxee for PC/Mac/Ubuntu. It will be available on Boxee.tv through the end of January.”

That being said, today is February 1st which means January has come to an end and with it — so has the life of Boxee for PC/Mac/Linux. With that, a quick check of the Boxee.tv website shows a new look — one that is promoting the Boxee Box as well as the Boxee Live TV dongle and the Boxee for iPad app.

Via [GigaOm]

Those who happen to be both fans of The Flaming Lips and Siri may want to check out this latest song. The song is called “Now I Understand” and is dubbed as being a “sound construction piece.” That being said, the track features vocals from Siri along with some slightly more well known singers including Erykah Badu and even Biz Markie who is “backwards.” Bottom line here, we are not all that certain this will become the next hottest song on the radio, however we suspect that more than a few of the GadgeTell readers will appreciate it for its geekiness. And just as an FYI, this song will only be available on SoundCloud for one week — in other words — hit the link below and listen now…

Via [SoundCloud] and [The Verge]