Hidden Radio Bluetooth Speaker (Almost) Finally Revealed

Hidden Radio, a Bluetooth speaker and radio so minimalist it makes a sheet of blank paper look like something from a Jules Verne story, has finally emerged from a lengthy Kickstarter pupation to go on sale in a web store near you.

It?s stylish, it?s loud and it lasts longer than most other Bluetooth speakers around. What?s not to like?

The simple cylinder looks like the cap of an oversized can of shaving cream. Screw it open (clockwise) and the whole outer layer lifts up to reveal the 360-degree speaker grille beneath. Crank it up to reach 90dB (enough to ?annoy the neighbors,? say the designers), and use it with any Bluetooth device (it works great with your iPhone?s AirPlay) or via 3.5mm jack.

Battery life is a maximum of 15 hours, and charging is done ? how else? ? via microUSB.

But the twist (sorry ? I couldn?t help myself) is the radio, which is indeed hidden. Lift up the speaker and you?ll see a tuning dial in the base, although since John Peel died I can?t see any reason to actually listen to the radio any more. Should the reception be poor, the speaker ships with a plug-in antenna.

Want one? Then you can pre-order now for September shipping (you?ll get yours after the Kickstarter backers receive theirs). The price right now is a very reasonable $150, rising to an only slightly less reasonable $180 after shipping begins in full.

• Source HIDDEN
• Thanks Marie!

Charlie Sorrel sits in his gadget nerve-center in Barcelona, Spain, and spits out words about  various weird plastic widgets while the sun shines outside his iCave. Previously found at Wired.com’s Gadget Lab covering cameras, power cables and sneaking in as much Apple-centric coverage as he could, Charlie spends his rare moments outside perched atop a bicycle and snapping photos. You can follow him on Twitter via @mistercharlie

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