New from Ixos is the £25 Oyster, a pair of USB-powered speakers designed for use with laptops and personal players.
Why Oyster? Well, the two speakers clam up when not in use, clipping together magnetically to protect each other. They use twin 5cm driver units with Neodymium magnets, can be powered via the USB cable or an external pack supplied with the unit, and taking four AAA-size batteries.
There's a 3.5mm stereo input for use with laptops, netbooks, iPods, iPhones and other portable devices, and the speakers – which are finished in gunmetal black – are supplied with connecting cables.