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Bluetooth posts

Cartel's CT-2000 in-car Bluetooth handset adds music control, can't shake the retro

by Darren Murph posted Nov 2nd 2009 @ 9:16AM

Cartel's CT-1000 brought about lots of laughs here at Engadget HQ, and frankly, we're shocked and amazed (and glad) these guys are still hanging tough two years later. The newest in-car handset system is the predictably titled CT-2000, which includes a Bluetooth-enabled handset that's meant to be permanently installed within your vehicle and wired to your audio system. Once installed, all of your mobile calls can be routed to this -- because, you know, chatting on a corded phone circa 1992 is entirely more safe than chatting on your mobile or using a handsfree solution. The only difference we can spot between the new guy and the aged sibling is the addition of music control, a "slimmer" (albeit wider) design, room for your phone contacts and one-touch speed dialing. There's no mention of a price, but trust us, you're better off in the dark.

[Thanks, Martin]

i.Tech's SolarVoice Bluetooth headset could save the environment, not your look

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 28th 2009 @ 8:41AM

Those looking for another excuse to wear a Bluetooth headset all the time just got it: iTech's $75 Dynamic SolarVoice 908. That awfully long title is applied to a conceptually simple device, a headset with a tiny solar panel on the side rated at five hours of talk time when fully charged. Sadly, though, there's no mention of how long you'll need to bask in the sun to get it there. (AC and USB charging are also naturally on offer.) Unlike earlier examples it's A2DP compliant, so it'll stream your tunes, and boasts integrated noise cancellation, so it's perfect for making your drunken barroom conversations a little more garbled.

inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry up for pre-order, ships in February 2010

by Darren Murph posted Oct 26th 2009 @ 10:51AM

Just as we'd heard, RIM decided to outsource the production of the planet's first BlackBerry watch, but that doesn't mean that devoted BB Messenger users won't be hankerin' for one. The inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry is being produced by Allerta, and now that it's official, we can safely say that it'll rely on Bluetooth in order to bring incoming emails, text messages and other alerts from your handset to your wrist (or your ankle, if you roll like that). As for specs, you're looking at a 1.3-inch OLED display, glass lens, full metal body, vibrating motor, microUSB port and a rechargeable battery that's good for around four days of "normal use." inPulse users will have to install a special BlackBerry application in order to pass along information, but those hoping to use their watch to actually send messages will be sorely disappointed. It's up for pre-order now at $149, and if all goes well, the first ones will ship out in February.

Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset review

by Engadget staff posted Oct 23rd 2009 @ 11:36AM

Finally, the teaser's over. The latest delivery to Engadget's UK penthouse is the Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset due out in the US on 8th November, and we took no time to extract the pebble from the transparent cylinder. In front of us are the two parts of the STONE: an earpiece of a breakthrough form factor that instantly makes you pity its rivals, and behind it is the accompanying portable charging base which serves as an external battery. The latter is equipped with a micro-USB port and an LED indicator -- simply green or red -- to show whether there's enough battery juice for one full charge. It's a pretty neat idea as this is the only feasible way to fit eight hours of talk time (or twelve days of standby time) into such tiny package: two on the earpiece and an extra six from the surprisingly light battery base -- our scale reckons it is just under one ounce. We also dig the auto-off function when you dock the earpiece and vice versa. Docking and undocking are pretty straight forward too: just snap in for the former, and poke your thumb through the bottom hole of the base to push the earpiece out. The generic click button hidden under the Jabra badge is easy to access and responds well. Above that is the invisible vertical touch strip for volume control and similarly it responded nicely to our strokes. What's left on the earpiece are the two LED indicators on the underside for Bluetooth connectivity and battery. So far so good, but what really matters is the ear-on experience and the audio quality -- listen for yourself after the break.

'Unique' Bluetooth banana has truly limited applications

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 23rd 2009 @ 12:02AM

Some products require no explanation. Take this "Unique Banana Shaped Bluetooth Handset," for example -- either you get it or you don't, but no amount of marketing, advertising, or sweet-talking is going to get a skeptic to appreciate its brilliance. If you're still reading this, maybe -- just maybe -- you fall into the "I need this, particularly at just $17.70" camp, and for you, take heart in the knowledge that you can be just 2 to 5 business days away from talking on a simulated piece of fruit that's connected to your phone via Class 2 Bluetooth 2.0. When's the last time you heard "standby time" quoted for a banana, anyway?

[Thanks, Larry]

Dell Streak is a 5-inch Android 2.0 MID, packs 3G and WiFi (video)

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 21st 2009 @ 6:08AM

Well, hello there! Those Dell MID rumors we've been hearing have finally received vindication in the form of a nice, picture-heavy leak courtesy of some industrious folks in Vietnam. What we know as of now is that there's an 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen display (with multitouch zooming), WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G WWAN connectivity, all riding atop an Android 2.0 (aka, ~~Donut~~ Eclair) install. A dual-LED flash 5 megapixel camera adorns the back, and there's a 1,300mAh battery to power all that goodness. See pics below and a video awaits after the break, where an old friend of ours plays with the jumbo smartphone.

[Via SlashGear; Thanks, Nicky N.]

Gallery: Dell Streak is a 5-inch Android 2.0 MID, packs 3G and WiFi

Continue reading Dell Streak is a 5-inch Android 2.0 MID, packs 3G and WiFi (video)

Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset brings extreme noise blocking, $130 price tag

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2009 @ 9:44AM

Okay, so this thing is way more "traditional Bluetooth headset" than "a round object that looks nothing like a Bluetooth headset," but we'll give the marketing team credit -- STONE sure got us looking. Jabra's newest Bluetooth headset has just become official, bringing with it a behind-the-ear design, a wireless portable charger (which doubles as a carrying case) and Noise Blackout Extreme technology to keep things quiet when your yammering. There's also a "nearly invisible touch-controlled volume pad" on the outside of the headset, a battery good for 8 hours of talk time (or 12 days in standby), dual BT pairing support and A2DP compatibility. Unfortunately, you'll have to waltz into an AT&T retail store starting on November 8th to get one, and worse still, you'll walk out $129.99 poorer. But hey, you'll leave Stoned. (Sorry.)

Sensaris debuts six-axis MoveIt Bluetooth motion sensor

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 20th 2009 @ 3:08AM

Sensaris isn't exactly doing itself any favors with its FCC-style photography, but the company's new MoveIt Bluetooth motion sensor does look to be a fairly interesting little device, even if it's not quite as convenient as an accelerometer built into your phone. Of course, you do also get quite a few more features for that added bulk, including a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, GPS, and dedicated microSD card slot -- not to mention some built-in Bluetooth to let you use it with a variety of phones and other devices. What's more, while the device isn't commercially available just yet, Sensaris does seem to see plenty of potential for different applications, and it's even touting some "Lego-like modularity" that promises to let it be tailored for specific uses -- including everything from exercise to augmented reality.

RIM's BlackBerry watch pictured, possibly called 'inPulse?'

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 19th 2009 @ 2:14PM

You might recall that RIM was rumored to be following down Sony Ericsson's path of branded Bluetooth watches to accompany its phones, and now, it looks like we might have the first real renderings of the final product before our eyes. This here wrist candy is possibly called the "inPulse" (not to be confused with Verizon's similarly-named prepaid offering), featuring an OLED display, real-time message preview, and presumably some sort of glanceable caller ID to make needlessly pulling your Tour out of its holster a thing of the past. Interestingly, it seems like the watch isn't being developed in-house -- instead, work has been farmed out to some company dedicated to the BlackBerry aftermarket with an official announcement expected "soon." As far as we know, Sony Ericsson's watches -- which arguably look nicer on account of their analog / digital hybrid design -- haven't been hot sellers, but who knows, maybe RIM's got some neat tricks up its sleeve with this one.

[Thanks, Evan]

LG BL40 New Chocolate review

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 19th 2009 @ 11:44AM

You know the deal by now: we grab a slab of fresh new hardware, fiddle, play, and tinker with it until exhaustion or boredom is reached, then wax poetic about the whole experience, with a side serving of pictures and videos thrown in. Today's candidate for a grilling is LG's BL40, which is now available in Europe. You'll be familiar with it already from our hands-on look last month, but do join us past the break where we explore what's under the glossy hood in more detail, and give you a definitive answer on just how useful that elongated screen really is.

Continue reading LG BL40 New Chocolate review

Jabra Stone to bring 'new shape' to Bluetooth headset field

by Darren Murph posted Sep 23rd 2009 @ 4:52PM

C'mon, cut us some slack here. We're suckers for teasers, and our intuition says that you are too. Jabra, who has definitely done a thing or two for the Bluetooth headset realm, is apparently looking to reveal a "new shape" on October 20th, though it'll only be sold through AT&T (at least initially). Heck, there's even a countdown timer over on the outfit's teaser page for those who'd like to watch every second from now till then tick away, not to mention a brief video that tersely details the forthcoming excellence. So, got any bright ideas about what this thing could be? The second coming of the BT headset? Just another tchotchke?

[Via Electricpig]

Motorola Endeavor HX1 on sale in Sprint stores for $129.99

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 23rd 2009 @ 9:14AM

This one slipped right under our radar, but some Sprint stores have already started taking delivery of the awesome Motorola Endeavor HX1 headset -- so at least one part of the rumor calling it out as a $159.99 Sprint exclusive was true. Fortunately, the pricing part of the rumor was false, because the sticker price you'll find on the shelf is a slightly more palatable $129.99. That's still pricey, yes, but at least it falls in line with the upper echelon of Bluetooth headsets on sale these days. We called around and found that some locations don't have it, some don't expect it until next week, and some already have a few socked away under the counter, so call around before you head out to pick it up.

Motorola H17 latest in company's line of flip headsets

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 21st 2009 @ 10:17PM

Motorola's developed an unusual reputation for "flip" Bluetooth headsets, most recently with the MOTOPURE H15 -- and if you're into that sort of thing, pay attention, because they've got another one coming down the pike. The H17 becomes Moto's smallest flip headset (we doubt anyone else is even competing for that title), measuring 54 x 17 x 10mm when open with CrystalTalk, voice prompts, multiple ear bud options, micro USB charging, and a power toggle controlled by the action of the flip. We'd still take an HX1 before this, but if you're game, it should be available by the end of the month.

Video: BudsGoBlue teaser hints at iPhone 3GS-controlling BT headphones

by Darren Murph posted Sep 20th 2009 @ 3:02PM

Itching to command your iPhone 3GS via voice control, yet aren't willing to wrap one more cable around your precious dome? Your wildest dreams could possibly come true next month, when BudsGoBlue launches an iPhone-friendly set of Bluetooth earbuds that should act as headphones and a BT headset. We're hearing that the loops on each earpiece are "completely flexible," and judging by the teaser video hosted up just after the break, they look fairly seductive, too. Hop on down and have a peek for yourself, won't you?

[Via mobilitysite, thanks Toni]

Continue reading Video: BudsGoBlue teaser hints at iPhone 3GS-controlling BT headphones

Sound ID 400 Bluetooth headset packs long list of unusual features

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 14th 2009 @ 8:14PM

Generally speaking, you're trying to keep the jackhammers, trains, horns, and loudmouths that pollute the world's airspace out of your head while you're holding that conference call and walking back to the office from lunch at the same time -- but Sound ID's new 400 model takes a different approach. The upcoming Bluetooth headset has a couple unique features that set it apart from the crowd, the first being its so-called "Environmental Mode" -- shared with other Sound ID models -- which allows for two-ear hearing between phone calls without going to the trouble of taking the set out of your ear (the people around you might fancy you a dork, but they just don't get it, and they never will). The other biggie is compatibility with the company's not-yet-released Companion Link remote mic, which allows a second person to join into the conversation or simply repeats audio back to the 400. Look for the set to hit shelves in the fourth quarter for $129.99, with the Companion Link tagging along for $79.99. [Warning: PDF link]