Chestnut launches iPod speakers with remote...

Chestnut Hill Sound today previewed its first device which it calls the George, offering a front control panel that detaches and becomes an advanced remote. The remote combines the Zigbee wireless data format with an LCD alongside a scroll knob to replicate virtually every navigation function of the iPod. An integrated radio tuner can also serve as the controller from the remote through a "bandless" interface, according to the company. AM and FM appear on the same interface, negating the need to manually switch radio bands. Users can set two separate alarms with volume that is independent of the sleep timer, according to Crave.

Escient dock links with home theaters

Escient has begun shipping its Fireball FP-1 Media Manager, a device that connects to automated home theater systems via Ethernet and RS-232 to pipe music as well as video anywhere that an entertainment system extends. The Fireball is one of the few media hubs that can share Apple's FairPlay content across a network, according to Escient, and users can connect multiple Fireballs simultaneously while allowing users to control iPods remotely using a TV-based interface. The option also exists to stream audio from a networked Mac or PC, so long as it's in unprotected AAC, FLAC, MP3, PCM or WMA formats. Users can sync iPods through the USB port, and Crutchfield is selling the the FP-1 for $600 as well as the dockless ZP-1 for $500.

JCPenney offers Shower iPod player

JCPenney today added the Shower iPod/MP3 Player to its catalog, offering the portable stereo based on a splashproof container that cradles an iPod or other MP3 player while routing music from the device's headphone jack to the speakers below. The device provides a safe environment for the iPod inside a shower or the bathroom as a whole with a built-in AM/FM clock radio, and serves as a stand for holding the speakers upright on a counter. The speakers come bundled with a rope to hang from a shower fixture or towel rack. JCPenney says the stereo is powered solely by the combination of a button cell battery for the clock as well as four AA batteries, though playback time is currently unrated, according to Chip Chick. The retailer currently sells the Shower Player for $20 through its online store.