While the free-market works pretty well when, uh, left alone to be free, sometimes it needs a push from a visible hand. Case in point, phone chargers, at the moment some 30 different types of chargers are used on handsets throughout Europe. Today, the European Commission received industry backing of its phone charger standard that relies on a micro-USB socket. The standard is now backed by all the majors (representing 90% of the European mobile market) including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Apple, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung and Texas Instruments with compatible devices starting to appear in Europe next year. Or course, the micro-USB charger standard already has the blessings of CTIA, OMTP, and GSM Association which implies a broader adoption beyond Europe, someday. One charger for any mobile phone... where's the catch?

For that $700 price quoted above you were probably hoping for some sort of impossibly small and stylish pico projector, able to consume your iPhone, beam its contents onto the nearest flat surface, and make everyone nearby say "Ooh." Sadly the truth is not quite so charming, with Lancer Corporation's iJector looking to be smallish but not particularly svelte -- or stylish, for that matter. It sports the ubiquitous iPod dock on top that will accept a suite of Apple devices ranging from Gen 1 iPod nanos to iPhones running OS 3.0, and also has video input and output so that it can work with non-Apple devices, beaming a maximum 50-inch image at a disappointing 557 x 234 resolution. Did we mention that, at ¥64,800, it's nearly $700? It is, and it's shipping to Japan next month if for some reason you're still interested.

[Via CoolestGadgets]

We've been playing with Motorola's recently-announced Endeavor HX1 for the past few hours, and we're just going to come right out with it: this is the best Bluetooth headset we've ever used. Moto claims that the HX1 is the world's first consumer headset to use "true bone conduction technology," a veiled (but obvious) reference to the external cheek-resting sensor found on Jawbone's devices -- and indeed, the Jawbone Prime is the most obvious direct competitor to the HX1. Both devices offer decent styling, feature optional earloops and a selection of earbuds for a tighter fit, are being positioned as premium headsets, and -- most importantly -- pack a ton of innovative circuitry all in the name of cutting noise in harsh surroundings. Follow the break for our quick impressions!

So, the first time we watched this Macbreak video, we thought to ourselves, "now, this is downright silly" but the second time? Well... we probably won't be investing $300 in a pro Red Rocks Micro shoulder mount for any iPhone 3GSs anytime soon, but the video does demonstrate what we already knew: if you stabilize an even decent mobile phone cam, the results are way, way better than if you don't. Insane? Surely. Hit the second read link for the video.



[Via Wired]

Read - Video on the iPhone 3GS: How Far is Too Far?
Read - Video of iPhone 3GS with shoulder mount

If you're anything at all like us, you were just a tad disappointed by the color "options" of Apple's newest foray into the world of mobile phones, the iPhone 3GS. After all, who wants to be limited to just black and white these days? Not us, that's for sure -- and ColorWare's just announced a fix for all that. Pricing for these customs jobs runs $150 for the back of the handset, $20 a piece for the bezel frame and button, and $15 the SIM holder. They'll also do up your earbuds for an additional $15. A small price to pay for beauty, no? Another shot of a different color combo after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

RIM's been excitedly talking up the virtues of its car visor-mounted speakerphone at every trade show we've attended in recent months -- and considering how basic of an accessory it is, we can only assume they've put together a winner here. The aptly-named Visor Mount Speakerphone connects with to your phone via Bluetooth and offers up to 13 hours of talk time in an ultra-slim package that won't detract from the interior styling of that soberingly expensive S-Class that you've rightfully earned by staying productive on the road -- using your BlackBerry phone, of course. See how it all comes full circle? Get it now for $99.99.

If you've been desperately searching for a way to motion-control your brand new N97, look no further -- Zeemote's got your back. The company's JS1 controller has just added drivers for every S60 3rd and 5th Edition device on the market -- N97 and 5800 XpressMusic included -- plus a whole host of S60-based LGs and Samsungs like the INNOV8 and the KT770. Of course, that doesn't solve the whole issue of N-Gage incompatibility with many of these, but the JS1 can also be used for nifty parlor tricks like web browsing; combine that with the 5800's included desk stand and you've got the couch potato's ultimate mobile setup. [Warning: PDF link]

In 2004, it was all about iPodding your BMW, but in 2009, it's all about Palming it. No, not "palming" as in concealing your car in the palm of your hand -- "Palming," you know, as in the act of hardwiring a Touchstone into your center console so that you can charge a Pre on the road with the greatest of ease. Ironically, this modern marvel of technology is mounted right where the iDrive controller would normally go, which means you're stuck making the nearly impossible choice between this hack and BMW's.

[Thanks, Mike]

Motorola isn't shying away from a fight here with its Endeavor HX1 Bluetooth headset -- and if there's anything the Bluetooth headset industry needs, it's some manner of controversy. The company is calling its new HX1 the "only Bluetooth headset to use true bone conduction technology," with a user activated "Stealth Mode" that switches the set from regular mic to an in-ear sensor which picks vibrations right off the bone for talking in particularly noisy environments. Jawbone, on the other hand, picks up vibrations from the outside of the face, but primarily as an "Activity Sensor," though the latest version nabs some audio from those vibrations -- both manufacturers naturally claim a military heritage to their technology. It'll take some actual testing to see who wins out, but it sounds like some good tech from Moto all the same. We do know one thing, however: no amount of in-ear stylings can ever ease your transition into general society. No word on price of a US release date for the HX1, it hits Asia in July.

The Vertu Aerius never really did Nokia's luxury marque justice -- casual passers-by would stop, point, and laugh at the overpriced Jabra JX10 masquerading as a meticulously hand-built bauble, and as we all know, disgustingly wealthy people have egos far too fragile for that kind of mockery. We have renewed faith today, though, that Vertu's hard at work making its own Bluetooth headset more befitting a brand associated with gelded, bedazzled serpents thanks to an FCC approval for a model BH-1V. Yeah, that's right, that'd be "V" as in "Vertu," so you know this thing is gonna be awesome. Who knows -- it could even be a giant letter "V" encrusted in diamonds, in which case our life would be complete and we could stop writing about technology altogether.

Is that Coco Chanel cellphone applique you got at the mall starting to look a little... last season? Kent Displays Reflex LCD Electronic Skins may be the perfect partner to your fickle ways, changing colors on demand to suit your every mood and/or outfit. The company first started talking them up late last year and now is finally showing them off, flexible single-pixel displays with an eight-color range and the ability to be layered to form multiple color-changing regions, like logos for your next alternative advertising venture. Despite the demonstration videos below these still don't seem to be ready for consumer purchase, rather Kent appears to be looking for manufacturing partners. Hurry up and get those production lines working -- our corporate Blackberries aren't getting any more interesting by themselves.

[Via Engadget German]