My final example of LaCie's fun designs for accessories (see previous posts) are the LaCie Bus Powered USB Speakers, recently reduced to $29.99.
These are stylish speakers for PC or Mac that conveniently plug in to your computer's USB port and just work. They're plug and play, with no additional drivers needed. And they're powered over the USB connection, so no additional AC adapter or batteries are required.
The LaCie Speakers each roughly the scale of a softball (5.3 x 3.9 x 3.5 inches) and pack up nicely in the included carrying case, with storage under each speaker to wrap up the cables. They also include an audio input cable for use with a portable device like an iPod, and have a power connector to use an external AC adapter instead of USB power (bundled for $49.99).
The LaCie USB Speakers are 1 W per channel (loud enough for a desktop, but not a concert hall), with 16-bit / 48 kHz processing. LaCie also offers FireWire speakers in the same design for $79.99, with 4 W per channel and 24-bit / 96 kHz processing.
These are a simple and easy and classy way to listen to videos and music and games on your desktop or laptop computer, without extra cables and power bricks.
See my Audio Accessories Gallery for more on portable speakers
Find the LaCie USB Speakers on Amazon.com