Often times, when searching for a device that fits a specific need it's hard to find a piece of tech that doesn't fall into one of two categories: functional or gimmick. Typically something like a speaker is either designed for delivering high-quality audio, or it's meant to do something wholly unique like light up or transform.

Boost from iFrogz, surprisingly, is a device that is based around a gimmick (wireless audio), but is also completely functional. It's a piece of tech that some will say runs on magic, and you might agree after you see it in action, but is also sleekly designed and delivers great audio. Essentially, Boost is a portable speaker system that requires no syncing or wires to work, but instead uses near field communication to amplify the sound of any device with an external speaker.

It's actually quite bewildering how the Boost seems to work so effortlessly, taking practically any portable device and amplifying its sound through two recessed speakers, but there's no denying it does. All one needs to do to get music playing is lay a device like a mobile phone on top of it (with the phone's speakers facing a particular direction) and instantly Boost goes to work. Volume and music selection are controlled via the device resting on top of the Boost, but aside from turning it on that's all the fussing you'll need to do.

While it might seem like the usefulness of a device like the Boost would be lost on anybody but tech nerds, the convenience of having a wireless speaker is hard to beat. Taking my iPhone on and off the device never hindered anyone's enjoyment of the music, it only reverted to the phone's default speakers for a moment while I answered a text or selected a new playlist, and once it returned to its designated spot the music begin to roar again.

Even Boost's design is pretty unassuming — you'd never even notice what a powerful little piece of hardware it is without receiving a demonstration. And that's where Boost is going to reach its largest audience: through live demonstrations.

While the Boost does accommodate audio-in for devices that might not meet its requirements, the magic of seeing it instantly blast out music will make anyone a believer. There's a correct way to get Boost to work, and it does require a device (like the iPhone 4S) that is already built with speakers, but aside from that it's an effortless piece of tech that impresses in every way. Not every device works as easily with Boost — it was clearly designed with the iPhone in mind, and some of the bulkier Android phones out there have a hard time sitting flush with Boost and still delivering that superb audio -- but it's hard to deny a device that works without frustrating set-up or ancillary cables.

A super sleek design, a no-hassle set-up, and impressive audio quality all make Boost an easy recommendation. At $40, Boost is not going to be an easy sell, especially since it requires a mobile phone or player that already has a built-in speakers to work, but for those looking for a little extra oomph while listening to their iPod Touch, this is the way to go.

Would you be interested in buying a device like iFrogz's Boost or is it too much of a gimmick? Is there enough of a market for portable iPhone speakers?

Boost from iFrogz can be purchased on the company's official site.