sounds good

In a world of add-on accessories for the accessories we all feel we need, ipod extras are everywhere ... so many variations on docks and speakers and electronic amplification out there.

A canadian company called Science&Sons have made about the coolest - and it doesn't need a power source.  They are on to their third incarnation of the 'Phonophone' - a ceramic horn which increases your pod/phone's volume to a pretty respectable 60dB, using old-school gramophone technology.

Surely as elegant and clever a solution as anyone has come up with ... below are pics of the 'Phonophone I' and 'Phonophone II' - both also amazing looking pieces.

So clever.

We have admit, though, we are pretty satsified with the results we get from sitting the ipod in a glass vase or fishbowl (no fish or water) - it can pretty much fill a room off it's own steam ...

new brood

In other news, this great rainy spring has really motivated Mr and Mrs Swallow up at the farm ... 5 new chicks - just as ugly as the last clutch!

refreshment

After a couple of years of talking about how the shop needed a freshen up, we took the plunge last week and did it.  Took us a few days (and many van-loads shifted into temporary storage), but we emptied it out and gave the store a re-paint. 

Walls, floors, ceilings, all white ...

So nice and clean we were tempted to just keep it that way ... maybe just pop the mac on a desk hooked up to our website so visitors could pick what they liked and we could deliver direct from storage.

We spent the weekend re-stocking, though.  Pretty pleased with the outcome.

Now we just need to keep it tidy.  Love a challenge!