Today I’ve got something REALLY strange to tell you about, everybody–see, the folks out at Chinavasion sent me one of the strangest things they’ve ever sent me, and these are the guys who’ve sent me two different cell phone watches. Today I’m talking about the i-Jerry Surface Vibration Speaker, a strange little unit that does some interesting stuff.

The i-Jerry (named, most likely, for the fact that it looks like a mouse, to the point where the ears control some functions and there’s an add-on tail available) offers a built-in FM radio, two gigs of storage with an MP3 player function, a resonance speaker (put it on a flat surface and it plays better by vibrating the surface it’s on) and a full ten watts of sound output.

The best part about the i-Jerry is the sheer amount of utility it has. You can use this thing with anything with a USB port OR a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, which opens up a huge variety of devices from the iPhone to a DVD player to your laptop and beyond. And, not only can you use it as a speaker, it’s also got onboard storage to let it function as a player as well. However, there’s one significant downside here–there’s no onboard battery with the i-Jerry. You must use this plugged into a wall socket, and that limits its portability.

I’m amazed, frankly. This strange little mouse-shaped thing has so many different functions that it will likely cover several of your needs all at once. And since Chinavasion wants $43.70 for an i-Jerry, you’ll get a terrific value besides. And that’s one of the greatest things you can get in electronics.

The Good

Incredible variety of options

Good quality

The Bad

Bizarre design

Must be plugged in to use

Score 8 / 10