Christmas is over and the Philippines is starting to feel the warmth of Summer. In a couple of months, people will be flocking to various places all over the country. From the white beaches of Boracay, to the hot pools in Los Banos, each and every single one of us is sure to go somewhere to chill, relax, and unwind.

Of course, it is a given that during these trips, we will be bringing something to set the mood. I clearly remember last year when my family rented a house in Los Banos: my sister created a songlist in her iTunes named "Poolside," syncronized it (to her iPod), and played it while we were swimming. Of course, she had no choice but to bring her 2.1 speaker system along... It was big, bulky, and a little heavy, making this kind of speakers unsuitable for travel.

Hardwarezone Philippines recently obtained an MP3 portable USB Speakers that you guys will probably bring in your next outing. It's from Genius and is called SP-i202U....

Each speaker has a dimension of 55 x 175 x 32 and promises to redefine portability. This is because of the fact that besides being able to power the speakers via any USB port, one can also power the speakers up with 4 x AAA batteries. We have tested the unit and here are some of our observations:

1) While the sound output is not stellar, we can say that it is good enough considering its size.

2) Adjusting the volume and powering it up is a snap as all the buttons are conveniently found in one location (left speakers)

3) LED light changes according to the battery status: Blue when it is on and Red when there is a need to replace batteries.

4) Users cannot plug it in any electrical socket as it is only powered by either a USB port or AAA batteries.

5) The package comes with a carrying pouch, allowing users to bring this set of speakers wherever he/she goes.

6) The stereo cable is too short. This is probably because this speaker system caters more to laptops, MP3 players, and CD players than desktops.

Overall, if you do not want to lug your speaker system at home during your clan outings but want to share your chill out music to everybody else, then the Genius SP-i202U maybe the one you are looking for.

Genius products are exclusively distributed by MSI-ECS Philippines. If you want to know more, please contact James Ong at (02) 688-3724. Better yet, drop him a line at jong@msi-ecs.com.ph.

Now, where's the nearest beach?? :)