Music is one of the most profound unifying influences and what joy is there in a carefully curated playlist if you cannot share it with someone? Belkin is probably best known for its routers and wireless solutions, but the company’s Rockstar accessory is a must for any music lover who enjoys sharing songs.
The little device is actually very simple in design, but has the potential create a lot of happiness. The five-port dongle allows up to five people to plug in a 3.5mm audio jack into one of the ports and listen to the same music as the owner.
A 3.5mm cable protrudes from the one end, which will be inserted into an audio device such as an iPod or smartphone, and simply by plugging another pair of headphones into an open slot, the user will enjoy an easy listening experience.
The packaging also includes a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable so that a second audio device can be plugged into the mix, giving users the opportunity to play and share their favourite tracks with each other across two audio devices.
The casing of the Rockstar is incredibly sturdy, so users will not have to worry when it gets dropped or bashed around in a bag.
Sharing music with other listeners is one thing, but transferring data is an entirely different matter altogether. While the Rockstar will not allow you to transfer data, Sandisk’s Cruzer Pop USB flash drive will transfer any data in a quick and funky fashion.
The Pop comes in a number of interesting and colourful designs, suited for almost any lifestyle or colour choice. From paint splatter, tribal or a carbon fibre design, the little devices are available in 32GB, 16GB, 8GB, and 4GB sizes and have a rather unique way of opening.
Instead of having a traditional lid, the Pop literally pops open in the middle of the device, exposing the business end which gets inserted into a USB port. The flat design also makes it easy to carry in a pocket or purse, and also has a hole in the top for attaching to a key ring.
While the POP only makes use of USB 2.0, each one comes pre-installed with 2GB of cloud storage offered by YuuWaa and SanDisk SecureAccess software.
If a funky design is something that attracts your attention, the Sandisk Cruzer Pop will make for the perfect accessory to transfer files on the go.
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
