We’re used to portable speakers that hold our devices in a little nook or docking station, but we had yet to see one that attached itself to mobile devices until today. Instead of going the usual route of either housing a tablet or smartphone in the speaker unit or leaving things completely separate, the Zooka Wireless Speaker ($89) design allows users to attach the soft speaker bar to a tablet or laptop for the ultimate in convenience. The Kickstarter project is from a design firm called NEW from Portland, Oregon and is close to reaching full funding with 34 days to go.
The speaker bar, which comes in a bevy of bright and neutral colors, is made entirely of soft silicone and has a simple design that is meant to easily slide on to any tablet or laptop. The Zooka uses Bluetooth technology and can be used with any device that has Bluetooth capability. If you have a device without Bluetooth, don’t worry, the Zooka has a 3.5mm jack for a line-in if you really need it. The soft design features two speakers on either end and because it is made of silicone, the Zooka is rugged, durable, and there’s no danger of scratching your device. A cutout groove in the center of the bar makes sure that your onboard tablet or laptop camera is still usable.
If the project reaches full funding, the Zooka will go into production starting March 1 and will be available in the summer. The full retail price for non-Kickstarter backers will be $99.
