OTHER TECH

There are lots of products that play iPods through speakers, but I haven't seen anything quite like GEORGE, from the folks at Chestnut Hill Sound ($499; chillsound.com). It's a tabletop system that not only plays your iPod but also sports an AM/FM radio and an alarm clock. The base comes in white but can be upgraded to cherry or walnut, and grille options include royal blue and pure red. Custom, baby!

The coolest feature is the removable remote control. Attached to the docking station (as shown here), it looks like a standard clock and controller. But detached, it looks and feels like a bigger, wider iPod. The designers have gone out of their way to simulate iPod navigation, so the remote is immediately comfortable to use. Plus it has an operating radius of 30 feet and its own charging stand. Mobile, baby!

I cued up AC/DC's "Back in Black" (the first song on my iPod), some tracks from Bruce Springsteen's The Rising, and Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" because I wanted to hear how different music styles sounded on George's five biamplified speakers. And I gotta say that, in my bedroom, they all sounded pretty damn good.

Ultimately, I think my favorite thing was that I could wake up to any song from my iPod. One morning, I was rousted by Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." That pretty much set the tone for the day! Thanks, George.

Gary Dell'Abate is the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. He named his favorite summertime playlist "Mets Songs."