You know what it's like when you want a truly block rockin' beat but the only beat available is from one's desktop iPod docking station. And that warbly, measly beat simply won't do. It's in situations like these - for a children's party, busking jaunt or sensory warfare against an unruly gang of spotty youths - that the Block Rocker is truly called for.

It's just like a conventional iPod docking station, except it's possessed of a monstrous amp and speaker combination in a heavy-duty, wheeled aluminium box, rendering it lethal in the wrong hands. Put it in the right hands, however, and it will happily dish-up high fidelity audio at a range of up to 150 feet. It's portable, too, needing no mains power. An internal rechargeable does the business, complete with a battery level indicator to indicate precisely how many blocks you may rock in its 12 hours of music pow-pow-power.

With separate inputs and level controls for iPod, microphone, musical instruments and CD players (or other audio devices) there's almost no limit to its scope. And, with enhanced bassiness for a bigger, richer sound, there's no limit to how good it'll make one sound.

But don't let it go to your head. The Block Rocker device comes complete with a pro-quality microphone that will give you a commanding presence in front of a crowd. Just remember that it's unlikely to be a crowd appreciative of your karaoke version of 'Wind Beneath My Wings'. You have been warned.

The Block Rocker iPod Speaker from Ion. Hot rockin' block rockin'. Not arf.