The Mysterious ZAGGbox in Pre-Order

By: Jenna Gonzalez (Editor-In-Chief)

During their presentations at CES 2010, gadget accessory manufacturer ZAGG unveiled their latest and most ambitious project yet: The ZAGGbox! (now imagine fireworks and applause in different languages) What the heck is a ZAGGbox? Well, a supposed culmination worth six years and $35+ million USD to develop, this buzzworthy high-tech box allows you to tie all of your home entertainment devices (HD TV, Blu-ray player, DVR, gaming console, etc.) into one compact box through a broad spectrum of connective options. That box then acts as a universal control for all of the devices; letting you operate your entire setup from one box and one remote control (an iPhone app from ZAGG will reportedly let you use your iPhone as a remote as well, with more apps for Android, Blackberry & Winmo coming soon).  

As if the thought of not ever having get up out of your couch wasn’t satisfying enough (except for important stuff like, say, scratching your butt)…there’s more! The ZAGGbox also has a fairly robust internal hard drive (1TB – with USB ports for more external memory) so you can store lots and lots of media on it. Gee, suddenly I feel worthless with my 500GB external hard drive that’s nowhere near half full. From music to pictures to movies, it’s compatible with all types of media, according to the manufacturer. You can also reportedly tie your home computer system into the same network, so whatever is on your desktop or laptop can be imported to the ZAGGbox, as well. 

As if that weren’t enough, the ZAGGbox then supposedly sets up a secure website for each box where an internet-enabled device (smartphone or laptop) can access the media. Stored home movies, pictures, music, television shows; whatever you have on the ZAGGbox is accessible streaming through the device. There are even rumors (well, “rumors” from previous information released by ZAGG) about home automation access and streaming camera feeds, but there is nothing about that currently on their website. Also missing from the website are further rumors of total home security, automated personal assistant, instant coffee-making and worry-free home cleaning capabilities. Bummer. 

ZAGG began a pre-sale of the ZAGGbox on their website today for an introductory price of $799 (MSRP $999).  The pre-sale also includes free streaming service and what they are calling “friends and family sharing” service, which is listed at an additional $200 value. A little pricey compared to the old Slingbox, but if everything that ZAGG says is true, then Hallelujah! One thing’s for sure, we’ll let you know as soon as we get a few in the house. Until then, you’ll just have to get your comfy butt off the couch and turn on the TV, surround speakers, and DVD player. Unless of course…there’s an app for that too?