Product: Eton Rukus Solar
Price: $150
What It's Good For: Sharing music with others anywhere by pairing wirelessly with your phone. If the sun's up, the party can keep going for hours.
Who It's Good For: Anyone who wants an easy way to add music to an outdoor gathering.
Limitations: There's no radio on board, so the Rukus is useless without a Bluetooth-enabled player.
Bottom Line: For the size, sound and price, nothing beats this sleek little number and creates an instant party wherever you are -- especially without needing an outlet or batteries.
A Closer Look at the Eton Rukus Solar
Have you ever tried to use your iPhone's speaker in a party situation? It's ridiculously inadequate, which is why scores of speaker docks exist. However, those are often tethered to a wall via a power socket, and even if they're portable, there's the battery issue: They either run out of power quickly or (if they can store a decent charge) make the speaker prohibitively heavy.
Eton, a company that's known more for emergency radio gear, has an iPhone speaker that aims solve both the power and portability issues: The Eton Rukus Solar (about $150 at Amazon) is extremely light, easy to use and -- best of all -- solar-powered.
It's not proper to call the Rukus Solar a dock, since you connect your music player via Bluetooth. Of course, that kind of assumes your music player is also your phone, but for most people that's probably true (iPod Touches are welcome as well). If you're rocking with an iPod Nano, Shuffle or Classic, there's an auxiliary jack for you to plug in (no cable included). You also get a three-month subscription to MOG's paid service when you buy.
Solar Party
Almost the entire topside of the Rukus is taken up by its solar panel, which measures 8.5 x 4.75 inches and charges the battery fully in about six hours (there's also an AC adapter for charging inside). However, the panel only charges the battery in bright sunlight -- when it's getting enough light to juice up, an icon appears on the small E Ink display. The panel is actually pretty easily scratched up, but that doesn't appear to affect its performance.
At about four pounds, the speaker is extremely portable -- even my two-year-old son had no problems toting it around. I also appreciated that the carrying handle is built into the design, so there's no chance of wearing it out. Pairing your phone is easy (as Bluetooth pairing goes), and there's a little sleeve in back of the Rukus where you can stow it to ensure the music won't stop.
I took the Rukus Solar out to one of New York City's many parks on a sunny afternoon to see how it held up in the urban outdoors. Its unusual shape turned a few heads, and when I turned up the volume, many more were curious.The Rukus never gets too loud, which can be a relief, although it also means it's not the best choice for your epic bush party. But it's perfect for small gatherings (think picnics, visits to the beach or weekend camping trips), and if you keep it in the sun, the music will go on and on.
Actually, check that. While the Rukus was lying in the sun on a rock and with my Pandora U2 station cranked to the max, it appeared it was using more energy than was being absorbed. That said, you'll still get hours of playback, even if you really want to rock out.
Going the Distance
The Rukus has a few extra features for convenience, too. There's a USB port in back for charging up your phone, and a button on the panel lets you cut off the charge anytime. A bass boost button will pump up the low end, and it does a good job of adding some extra oomph without noticeable distortion (at least in an outdoor environment).
I was impressed by the range of the Bluetooth connection. Paired with my iPhone 4S, the speaker kept playing even when I walked away about 70 feet. Stepping back into range, the iPhone re-acquired the connection quickly.
If there's one strike against the Rukus, it's that there's no AM/FM radio on board. It's not like those components add much complexity, and why not have the option? As it is, if your iPhone ever quits, the party's over.
Still, the Rukus Solar is easily the most practical outdoor iPhone speaker out there. Some may play louder, last longer or be lighter, but as a package that combines the best in portability and good sound, nothing beats something this sleek and creates an instant party wherever you are.
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Series presented by the Sprint Galaxy Nexus
