Origami-like portable speakers a hit with Time, others

CARDBOARD FOLDABLE ECO-FRIENDLY SPEAKERS BRINGS ART, MUSIC AND CONVENIENCE ON THE ROAD! 

Former Arlington Heights resident, Mike Szymczak, is co-inventor of the OrigAudio's Fold n' Play portable speakers for your iPod or other MP3 devices. The product was honored in the Top 50 Best Inventions of 2009 by Time Magazine.

When you listen to music a lot, ear buds can get old.

Ask former Arlington Heights resident Mike Szymczak or his business partner Jason Lucash, of San Francisco. As members of Major League Soccer's marketing team, the two travel a lot, and they decided they needed a new kind of speaker, something light and packable, but not something they had to plug into their ears.

Their solution? Origami.

Combining the ancient art of paper folding, going green and their love of mobile music, the two created a set of cube-shaped speakers that fold flat and go anywhere, and they've turned the invention into an Internet hit that Time magazine called one of the top 50 inventions of the past year.

In the article on the Top 50 inventions of 2009 (www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1934027 1934003 1933984,00.html), Time noted that some of the proceeds to toward the nonprofit Music National Service, which brings music to public schools and low-income communities.

"Origami has never sounded so good," Time said.

Loida Rosario, director of the Multicultural Marketing Program and an expert on product marketing and innovation at DePaul University in Chicago, says a major factor for success of new products is whether they relate or capture a trend in the targeted market. OrigAudio's speakers appear to do that, he said.

"This product captures the need for enhancing entertainment experiences and possible productivity related experiences (connecting the speakers to other devices such as PCs) in a nice, environmentally friendly package," said Rosario.

 The foldable, self-powered speakers (no batteries or external power required) come in designs with names like Cityscape, Lake, Daydream, and Surf Break. You can even create custom artwork on the Canvas version which is left blank for one's artisitc and creative expressions!

Perhaps best of all, the FOLD n PLAY speakers are recycled, made from old newspapers, phone books, and the like. The speakers, which are 3.15 inches on each side, are universally compatible with any device that has a headphone jack (MP3 players, laptops, cell phones, CD players, ipods, ipads, etc...)

As for sound quality, don't count on using the 1-watt device at your next big house party. However, they're best used for more modest auditory applications, such as travel, the beach, dorm rooms, kitchens, work-space, cubicles and art-pression venues! 

Check out or purchase the hot FOLD n PLAY speakers at http://www.75volts.com/fold-n-play-eco-light-portable-hip-and-unique-speakers.html