An Australian design team decided to embark on the journey of creating Tembo Trunks while they were traveling in Africa with no way to amplify the music from their iPods without a modern speaker dock. After creating a series of makeshift amplifiers themselves, they went in search of a durable, portable way to play music without the fuss and electronics of a fancy speaker dock. If you’re in any situation where a heavy, fragile, electronic speaker dock for your iPod is more trouble than its worth, Tembo Trunks ($39) might be worth checking out.
Made only of silicone rubber, Tembo Trunks use old-fashioned horn technology to amplify your tunes up to 80 decibels. Simply pop open the collapsible trunks, put your Apple white earbuds into position, and press play on your iPod or iPhone. As expected, the volume from these won’t be earth-shaking, but it’s enough to please your ears at the beach, in the office, camping, or in a hotel room. With no moving or electrical parts, Tembo Trunks are completely waterproof and virtually indestructible. The ‘speakers’ are also collapse and stackable, making them the perfect thing to throw in your backpack without worrying if they will be damaged or have enough battery power to last the day. The Tembo Trucks won’t be available for a few months, but back the project on Kickstarter (it’s already funded) to get your hands on one of the first sets, which will be available in four bright colors.
