B.R.O. Ball is both a football and a super durable Bluetooth speaker

While at least some of our readers probably own a Bluetooth speaker and a football, odds are none of you have one product that acts as both. Strangely enough, that’s exactly what you get with the B.R.O. Ball (Bring Rhythm Outdoors ball). The creators behind the B.R.O. Ball claim this is the “world’s first Bluetooth speaker in a football”, and as far as we know, their claim is legit.

Taking to Kickstarter, the B.R.O. Ball has attracted 118 backers so far, obtaining $26,441 of its 75k goal with 25 days left to go. At the moment, you can get the ball for as cheap as $59, though there are only a limited number of B.R.O. Balls being offered at this low price. After that, it will then go up to $69, and $79 after that. All tiers are expected to ship in July of next year. The eventual expected retail price will be around $118.

Okay, but what exactly does the B.R.O. Ball do? The unique football design isn’t just about aesthetics. It can actually be thrown around, dropped, chucked, tossed in the sand, and still continue without skipping a beat. The B.R.O. Ball is water-resistant and can float for up to thirty minutes without worry. The ball has even been tested with a drop from a several-story-up balcony (seen below), which it survived and continued playing tunes without a problem. Of course, there is a max range that the ball can travel before the music disconnects, set at around 50 yards.

The idea here is actually pretty cool. After all, the design is much more durable than your typical outdoor Bluetooth speaker. It also doubles as a fun toy to toss around with your friends, family, etc. There are even some cool ‘extras’ such as glow in the dark piping that makes the ball easy to see at night, and the ability to use the ball to top off your phone’s battery. While using it to charge your phone will obviously reduce the ball’s battery life, the ball is rated for around 6 hours of playback.

As for sound quality? The B.R.O. Ball creators say they went through several revisions working to create a design that doesn’t just produce sound, high-quality at that. We can’t really confirm this claim at this stage, though the video indicates that the sound is at least of reasonable quality.

At the Kickstarter price, the B.R.O. Ball is certainly worthy of consideration for those that spend a lot of time at the beach, tailgate parties, and other scenarios where a highly-durable Bluetooth speaker that doubles as a ball might come in handy. Personally, I have a feeling that the final retail pricing might limit its appeal however. To learn more, be sure to check out the official Kickstarter page.

Thief returns stolen phone to owner, but does that really make things right?

NJ.com

Earlier this month we wrote about a phone thief that ending up incurring the wrath of an MMA fighter during an attempted robbery. Unfortunately, phone robberies are a pretty common occurrence, so it’s no surprise to hear that another phone theft incident has made the news. This time, it wasn’t an MMA fighter that stepped in to save the day – it was (technicaly) the phone thief.

Last thursday, a man stole a phone from the owner of a Trenton, NJ welding shop. From the sounds of it, the man saw it lying on a desk or counter, and simply took it. A police report was filed, and footage of the incident was actually released to the web. Shortly after this, the phone was found on the other side of the shop’s fence, alongside an apology letter from the thief.

“I’m the one who took your phone,” the note said, “I’m in a desperate situation.” The letter went on to explain the man was out of work and had thoughtlessly nabbed the phone only thinking about the money he would have got from selling it. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” the note continues, “I’m not that type but a situation can lead some to do dumb things. I beg you with all my hear not to take this further, please. I am getting right with God again.”

On one hand, it’s great the thief returned the phone and formally apologized through the note. On the other hand, the cynic in me says he probably wouldn’t have returned it if not for the incriminating footage that was released to the public.

The owner of the shop has since said that they are no longer interested in seeing the robber punished for the crime. “We’re just glad that maybe this did change him,” said the owner and his daughter. “We’re hoping it’s a lesson learned.” Too bad for the thief, the police don’t see things the same way. “If he really would like to do the right thing, he should turn himself in to police,” said Police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn. The search for the thief is still on, though it’s unclear what will happen to the man, as the owner appears to be dropping charges.

On one hand, it’s great the thief returned the phone and formally apologized through the note. On the other hand, the cynic in me says he probably wouldn’t have returned it if not for the incriminating footage that was released to the public. Especially, since the owner’s daughter received an anonymous call saying the thief had seen the footage and was embarrassed by it. We understand life can be difficult sometimes, but stealing another one’s property is never the answer.

What do you think? Does the thief deserve full prosecution in this situation? Had he returned it without potentially being coerced by the video footage’s existence, would he deserve more leniency? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.