The iHome Kineta K1 - an inventive bluetooth speaker

I think were all pretty spoiled these days when it comes to bluetooth streaming technology. I can remember waiting in line for one of the first portable, wireless speakers and being disappointed when I finally got it. The syncing was painful, the music cut in and out and the sound quality was iffy.

Since then, Ive been on the lookout for a newer, more portable solution butI had to change my expectations. When the tech first came out, our hopes were far too great. We were all looking for a speaker that could fit in the palm of our hand and sound like a home theater system. TheiHomeKineta K1 is tinyand it sounds pretty good to boot. But, dont hold your breath thinking youre going to match the $2500.00 Kefs in your living room.

Ive been watching theK1and Ive seen them priced anywhere from $89.99 - 149.99. At the lower price points it's a perfect speaker for me because ofthe way I handle my free time around the house.

I have a veryshort attention span and constantly change locations like Billy from theFamily CircusSunday comics.

What I love most about the K1 is that when it's set up and my phone is within 10 meters of it, they auto-sync. My other wireless speakers have to be manually reconnected every day.

Another great thing about the K1 is that after using it for a few weeks, I haven't hadto charge it much - which is saying a lot because each aspect of my life is tied to charging my phone. The folks at iHome say it has up to 12 hours of playtime when you combine the internalbattery with the K-cell.

Whats a K-cell you ask? Good question!

Cleverly integrated into the speaker, is a rechargeable, removable power bank called the K-cell. This device within a device can be used to power your phone when its running out of juice.

Better yet, it can even extend the life of the speakers when theyre running low. Let me repeat that last part the speakers charge the K-cell and then the K-cell can charge the speakers later on!

Because the K-cellpops out at your command, its like a technological nesting doll. Imagine if they designed an even tinier portable speaker inside the K-cell and then a tinier battery inside that tiny speaker.

Sure external battery packs like the K-cell havebeen around for a while but they haven't been asconvenient. I constantly misplace my loose battery packs after I use them because they dont have a special housing like the K1provides.

Theinterface is simple but the truth is you don't need to touch it once it's on. The features are controlled by the device that streams the music and that's exactly what you want in a speaker system. Could you imagine having to interact with your home theater speakers every 15 minutes? It would drive you insane.

iHomeseems to be the front runner of wireless bluetooth technology and right now my favorite one from the bunch is the Kineta K1.