Infotainment

BRAVEN is looking to stand-out from the Bluetooth speaker crowd with a new line that offers the versatility of integrated phone charging plus speakerphone and daisy chaining functionality. The BRAVEN SIX Series comes in three flavors - two aluminum models and a ruggedized unit - which boast between 12 and 20 hours charging time. The sleek 6.25 in. x 2.5 in. x 1.75 in. (15.9cm x 6.4cm x 4.5cm) enclosures contain two HD audio drivers, left and right channel passive sub woofers and a duplex microphone for hands-free calls. The speaker output is 3 watts and there's an option to connect via an audio cable if your want to bypass the Bluetooth link. The cheapest of the three models - the US$150 BRAVEN 600 - is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and promises up to 14 hours of playtime. At the other end of the scale is the $190 BRAVEN 650 which looks just like the 600 but gets aptX and AAC audio encoding, more playback time - rated at 20 hours - and comes in a red or "Mountain Ash"

While it can be nice to listen to motivating music while riding your bike, riding on the streets while wearing earbuds is ... well, crazy. In many places, it’s also illegal. One option is to wear non-sealing earHero earphones, which are claimed to allow both outside noise and music into the user’s ear canal. Another, however, is to attach some Otus Mini-Speakers to your helmet. Although they do look like earbuds, the 15-watt output devices are not designed to go in the ears. Instead, they are applied to the “underhang” of the user’s cycling helmet via adhesive-backed Velcro pads, directly above the ears. Their wires are then tucked behind the helmet’s sizing pads and fed back through one of its rear ventilation holes, where they plug into the user’s Velcro-attached portable music player. Needless to say, a smaller player would work best. If users want to play music from their smartphone, however, they can do so via an optional Bluetooth receiver. It attaches to the back of the helmet,