Nope, that's not an '80s boombox accessory for your iPod (although such a thing would be way cool). That thing to the right of this block of text, the one that looks like a cassette deck, is the HouseParty 24/7, Gear4's new speaker system for apple's iPod. Now, we've covered a lot of iPod speaker systems here on QJ since we first started, and we guess you guys have seen quite a lot of these newfangled iPod accessories yourselves. So maybe you're asking yourself, "What's so special about this thing, then?"

Well, for one, it's a 2.1 stereo speaker system featuring two two-inch six-watt magnetic shielded speakers and an ActiveBass 2.1T twelve-watt sub-woofer. This thing'll keep you and your neighbors up til the morning. So, okay, maybe now you're saying, "So? A lot of speaker systems have more output than that." Yeah, but although those speakers may be able to keep you up longer than the HouseParty 24/7 can, can they wake you up after you collapse from exhaustion?

Yes folks, the HouseParty 24/7 has a built-in alarm clock. Set your alarm and when it kicks in, the HouseParty 24/7 bursts into radio life. Yep, it's also got AM/FM radio with 5 preset stations and a snooze mode between 5 and 20 minutes. Aside from the alarm clock and the radio, the speakers also come with a three-stage dimmer LCD screen and a 16-function remote control allowing direct access to your iPod's menus.

Getting interested? Luckily, the HouseParty 24/7 is available now. It's available in sexy black or cool white and will set you back £99.99 (around $190 US).