If it were socially acceptable to roll on the floor laughing while in public I’d be doing just that right now. Spain’s Real Madrid, el campeón actual español, has licensed an iPod dock-like device that’s shaped like the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Nearest I can tell, the device performs the same functions that similar devices has performed since time immemorial. But because it’s Real Madrid, which has won the European Cup more times than any other team, it’s automatically awesome. So says Marca, Spain’s biggest sports daily (and unofficial Real Madrid cheerleader).
You know the drill: you plug in your iPod (or equivalent) or iPhone (or equivalent) and then you control the tunes and volume and so forth with the little remote control. You can also listen to the radio on this thing, ensuring you’ll never missing Radio Marca’s annoying siren that plays every time Real Madrid scores a goal. Provided you live in the greater Madrid area, of course.
How much does this bleeding edge technology cost? Well, Marca’s giving them away for €9.95 a pop, but you also have to send in 25 coupons that you find in the paper itself. (Coupons will be included daily from February 23 to March 27.) Collect enough coupons, add an additional €9.95 and you’re golden. (So, €1 per issue of Marca, of which you’ll need to buy at least 25, plus €9.95 equals €34.95, which is just shy of $45.) Yes, it’s just like sending away for a prize on the back of a box of cereal.
And if more than three of you understood any of the above then I’d have done my job.