The Senta Ally from the C. Crane Company is an amazing speaker at a great priceA few weeks ago I recieved the Senta Ally Bluetooth Portable Stereo Speaker from C. Crane, and I have to tell you, this blows any other portable bluetooth speaker I have tried out of the water. I love music and audio books, and listen to both from my iPhone all the time. I have been looking for a way to listen wirelessly for some time, and have tried quite a few speakers, but none have the range of sound and richness of tone that this one has.

I use it via bluetooth only, but it has quite a few other features. Like others in this category it has a microphone which allows it to be used as a speaker phone, but also includes an FM tuner with 99 presets, the ability to listen to MP3 files from either an SD card or via USB, and an aux in jack to connect your MP3 player. All of these are great, but it is the sound quality that makes this the best on the market.

C. Crane Company has been in business for a lot of years, and are known throughout the amateur radio community as the go-to place for electronics gear. This speaker is no different. Room filling clean sound, loud enough to be heard over the shower, and yet enough battery life to last all night when falling asleep to your favorite music.

Trust me, if you are in the market for a bluetooth speaker avoid the Bose hype and Jawbone or Beats prices. For $69.95 this is the one to buy.

One of the great things about the internet and modern technology is the ability for quick-moving smaller companies to bring pop-culture icons to market quickly and well constructed. Along those lines, the Amazon Fairy delivered a couple of nice surprises Saturday, and I’m just getting a chance to post pictures.

First, an image that will be familiar to anyone who has visited New York City, or ever seen a TV show or movie set there: the iconic “Anthora” coffee cup. The New York City Coffee Cup is world-famous, and instantly recognizable to anyone who has watched american TV or movies in the last 40 years. Originally introduced in the Mid-1960’s this cup, called “The Anthora Cup” by it’s designer Leslie Buck, sells hundreds of millions every year. Now the fine folks at wearehappytoserveyou.com have brought a ceramic version to market, and it exceeds the original in every way. Better insulated, permanent, and a lasting reminder of NYC. My darling wife already claimed it, so I may need to order on for myself now.

Red “Solo” Cup - now made permanent!

Another iconic cup, this time for cold beverages, has risen in popularity with the arrival of Beer Pong to the global stage. I can’t think of a single party when I was in high school or college that did not feature this cup with prominence. Now the Red “Solo” Cup is available in melamine (a very durable plastic used in a variety of places), so you no longer need to waste money buying new cups for your parties (but it will increase the cleanup).

A ceramic “Red Solo Cup”? What would Toby Keith think?

For a little bit more, the same iconic “Red Solo Cup” can be had in an even more permanent ceramic version as well. While the weight may confuse some people, their joy at recieving this as a gift is sure to be great.