Momster

I’m away from home, staying in a hotel room for a couple of nights. At home, I have a great music system—though it is usually under the tyrannical control of one of my teens.

Here? There is just a TV and clock radio.

If I want tunes—or to hear the movie I plan to watch on my laptop—I have to wear earbuds or endure the tiny speakers of my ultra portable laptop. Rather, that was true the last time I traveled. This time, I tucked the HMDX Jam Wireless Speaker ($50) into my carry on suitcase. This Bluetooth speaker is an easy-to-pack size (about the size of an apple), has a rechargeable battery, and sounds great. I sit it down anywhere in the hotel room (or my kitchen at home) and it keeps the music coming—whether the songs are on my phone, tablet, or computer—making this impersonal room much cozier. Plus, I can take my phone 30 feet from the speaker without losing my music.

This speaker is so easy to pack that I forgot I had it until I got here. And since it uses the same charger plug as my cell phone (micro USB) I don’t have  to remember batteries or another charger for it. I just need a phone, laptop, or tablet with Bluetooth. Simple.

Even better? I’m trying out the music service Mog.com, (which lets me play any of its massive music collection—15 million songs, lots new releases—through whatever device I want (phone, tablet, computer, car) for a flat monthly fee of $12 a month.  So I’m not even limited to the music collection on my phone or laptop. This is the first time since my daughter discovered music that I’ve listened to exactly what I want for more than 15 minutes.

Christina Tynan-Wood writes the Family Tech column for Family Circle, and is the author of “How to Be a Geek Goddess.” You can find her at GeekGirlfriends.com, as well as here on Momster.com.

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