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Posts with tag Headset

Samsung trots out new Bluetooth headsets and speakerphones

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 17th 2008 @ 4:45AM

Samsung Mobile's got a fever, and the only cure is more... Bluetooth? Yeah, that's it, Bluetooth. Aside from launching the hilariously named Planet Bluetooth -- an "online guide to Bluetooth technology and Samsung Mobile's Bluetooth accessories" -- the outfit has also rolled out two new BT headsets and a pair of BT speakerphones. The WEP460 headset (pictured) specializes in being ultra-small and utilizing a clear ear hook to make you look even more extraterrestrial; the SBH700 stereo headset obviously caters to music lovers and those with slightly deeper pockets. The HKT450 and HKT400 portable BT speakerphones both do exactly what they say, with neither being particularly noteworthy. The bitter details are fleshed out in the read link below, and so far as we can tell, the whole crew is available now.

Bluetooth headsets to feel the pinch this holiday season

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 7th 2008 @ 9:50AM


Analysts are abuzz with predictions of which sectors / divisions will be hit hardest this holiday season, but this is one forecast we can definitely agree with. A recent report has found that the "least desirable holiday gift" belongs to the polarizing Bluetooth headset. With people suddenly more mindful of their spending, it's looking altogether unlikely that BT headsets will be selling like gangbusters given how unnecessary (and potentially alienating) they truly are. We'd ask if you disagree, but we're almost certainly sure there's no need.

[Image courtesy of eHow]

Compact-esque LG Reveal and Shimmer Kit primping for Bell launch

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 25th 2008 @ 7:41PM


The shock! The horror! We're beginning to see signs of an absolutely impossible trend, one that just cannot be coming to fruition. Merely hours after spotting the compact-like Samsung CLEO comes an obvious rival: the LG Reveal. The chic flip phone is said to boast a full QWERTY keypad (for realz?), a black or purple motif, a 2.0-megapixel camera, built-in Bluetooth and a 2.4-inch display. Also of note, the handset will be offered with an exclusive Swarovski Crystal Bluetooth headset as part of the LG Shimmer Kit, and each one of these packages will lead to a $5 donation to Fashion Cares. Mum's the word on pricing / exact availability, but we'd bet dollars to donuts that yet another makeup compact-turned-flip phone appears before too long. Even if it's just in our nightmares.

[Via mobilesyrup]

Motorola rolls out two for the ears: H780 and MOTOPURE H15

by Chris Ziegler, posted Sep 23rd 2008 @ 9:38PM


Motorola's never been one to shy away from a Bluetooth headset design that's just a little out of the ordinary, and its new top of the line model -- the MOTOPURE H15 -- surely fits the bill. The pill-shaped ear candy features a flip-out silver piece for no particularly good reason, but technically, it's at the top of its game with CrystalTalk noise cancellation, RapidConnect for easy pairing, and a quick-charging stand that can turn 15 minutes of charge time into an hour of talk time. Moving down the price rung a notch, the H780 tries to make a name for itself with faux carbon fiber trim and an earpiece tested to be comfortable for "over 90 percent" of users.

Shure introduces $99 SE102MPA stereo headset

by Donald Melanson, posted Sep 2nd 2008 @ 1:51PM


Shure slipped under the $100 mark with its regular earphones some time ago, and it's now brought its stereo headsets into the more budget-friendly territory as well, with its new SE102MPA sound isolating headset boasting the magic price tag of $99.99. This set is actually a bundle of Shure's new SE102 earphones and its standard Music Phone Adapter (or MPA), which used to cost a hefty $40 on its own, making the set quite the bargain as far as Shure products go. As you'd expect, the phones also come with three interchangeable sleeves to ensure a proper fit, and a handy carrying pouch to keep everything neat and tidy. If the low-end's not your thing, you'll also be glad to know that Shure has a slew of other earphone / MPA bundles available as well, with them ranging in price from $130 to $470 for the top-end SE530MPA set.

Cigarette pack handsfree headset is bizarre, remarkably addictive

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 26th 2008 @ 11:09PM


Maybe it's just because we had a rough weekend, but we've yet to piece together what the purpose of this device is. Officially, it's a novelty cigarette pack-shaped earphone headset for Nokia / Samsung / Sony Ericsson mobiles. That's to say it enables you to just talk into the pack rather than into your phone. At just $6.79, we'd love to say this would at least make a good gag gift, but honestly, we can't figure out what's to "get." Hmmph.

[Via Gearfuse]

Nokia to early N96 buyers: no phone yet, so here's a headset

by Chris Ziegler, posted Aug 21st 2008 @ 3:43PM


Here's a little Espoo humor for you: offer a crazy-expensive limited edition of the N96, make buyers think they'll be getting it early, and when they don't, ship them stereo Bluetooth headphones as a consolation prize which -- wait for it -- you need a phone (like that unshipped N96, for example) to use. Whatever, we suppose it's better than getting a cold shoulder, but the silver BH-503s getting shipped to at least some of the Face The Task buyers sure aren't a substitute for the real deal.

Motorola "Jay-Z" Bluetooth headphones hit the FCC, branches on the ugly tree

by Nilay Patel, posted Aug 18th 2008 @ 11:52PM


Hmm, Hov, you may want to check the fine print on whatever deal you've got with Moto, because these Jay-Z-branded MOTOROKR S7-HD Bluetooth headset aren't exactly big pimpin' -- and compared to Dre's big ol' cans, they look downright sad. Of course, the FCC's legendarily nasty product photography isnt helping here, but even A2DP stereo support and the integrated mic can't salvage this mess -- was this really worth unretiring for?

[Via Crave]

Zivio Boom offers 10-hours of talk... before it breaks

by Thomas Ricker, posted Aug 12th 2008 @ 8:11AM


Announced at the turn of the year, Joby's 13-gram Zivio Boom Bluetooth 2.1+EDR headset with 10-hours of talk time (300 hours standby) is now shipping. The obvious feature here is that extending boom, which grows from a base of 53.5-mm to a delicate 137-mm. That little trick puts the mic directly in front of your hot, steaming chat box which supposedly results in better audio pickup (no yelling!) to the benefit of those on the receiving side of the call (and around you). $130, that's how much.

Sony Ericsson births HBH-PV715, 720 and 740 Bluetooth headsets

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 @ 9:47AM


Sony Ericsson's finishing off the onslaught today from Singapore with a trio of colorful Bluetooth headsets, perfect for anyone who doesn't mind talking straight ahead and receiving all sorts of weird glances from other patrons in the local mall. The HBH-PV715, HBH-PV720 and HBH-PV740 arrive in a variety of colors / patterns, boast at least 10-hours of talk time (and 700-hours in standby), and DSP / automatic volume adjustment. The units are aimed at value-driven, fashion-conscience and business-oriented consumers in order of mention, and while specifics (you know, like price) aren't stated, the trifecta will show up in "select markets" in Q4.

Motorola gets into biometrics, touch control with new patents

by Sean Cooper, posted Jun 13th 2008 @ 9:28PM

What do you do as a handset maker when your design team can't get past one product design? You turn to new and strange patents and hope nobody notices your flagging product line, of course. Motorola has decided that monitoring vital signs via a Bluetooth headset and watch-like device combo and a new iteration of its S9 headset is where it's at. The headset -- and watch? -- will apparently gather data like heart rate, body temperature, and such, zap it to your headset and on to a server for further processing. The S9 seems to be mostly unchanged save for some touch control panels for adjusting volume, answering calls, and wandering through your tunes. Not sure if we'll ever see the first of these in any real world application, but we expect the new MOTOACTV S9 headset will appear at some point.

Motorola intros H560 and H620 Bluetooth headsets

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 12th 2008 @ 1:50AM


Moto's rolled out a pair of new Bluetooth headsets for delivery in the third quarter, one ho-hum and one with a fairly unique distinction. Starting off with the boring stuff, the H560 (pictured left) features a three-color light to indicate battery level, echo cancelation, noise reduction, automatic volume adjustment based on ambient noise, and a selection of earpieces. Here's where it gets a little more interesting, though: Motorola is calling out its H620 as its first headset optimized for in-car use. None of the features of the headset itself seem specific to the model -- it just features the same auto volume adjustment and noise reduction as the H560 -- but it includes a dashboard headset holder and rapid car charger, which is kinda cool if a dedicated car kit isn't your cup of tea. Personally, though, we're still holding out for that bone conduction set we've been promised.

ModeLabs launches Bluetrek Metal: thinnest BT headset on Earth

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 3rd 2008 @ 9:28AM


Every so often, we hear of yet another headset manufacturer claiming that their latest piece is in fact the smallest / lightest / most incredulous the world has ever seen. With the introduction of ModeLabs' Bluetrek Metal, you can rest assured that everything is still running par for the course. This Bluetooth headset checks in at just 4-millimeters thick and 5.5-grams, and we're told that the internal battery should last through 5-hours of yappin' or a week in sleep mode. Interestingly, we haven't a clue if this one's headed Stateside, but those in Europe can pop one in their ear canal soon for €39 ($61) / €49 ($76) depending on hue.

[Via MobileBurn]

Motorola releasing first bone conduction headset this summer

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 14th 2008 @ 6:27PM


We've learned from a source close to the project that Motorola is planning on rolling out a bone conduction headset "this summer" based on Nextlink's technology. This totally jibes with recent news that Moto and Nextlink had partnered up -- and furthermore, that the long-overdue Invisio Q7 would be straight up Moto branded by the time it actually hit store shelves -- and sure enough, the photo we've been provided certainly looks like a Q7 in Moto clothing. We don't have anything else solid at this point, but we're told that the headset performs brilliantly in windy conditions, a common complaint for Jawbone owners. Motorola, Nextlink, whomever, we don't really care what this thing is called, we're just happy to hear we'll finally have it out in the next few months.

Aliph Jawbone 2 exposed

by Chris Ziegler, posted Apr 10th 2008 @ 12:13PM


So there are a couple of big complaints about Aliph's otherwise-lauded Jawbone noise canceling Bluetooth headset: one, it's rather porky, and two, the charge connector is about as reliable as a Comcast installation appointment. Hang tight, though, because help is on the way -- help in the form of the Jawbone 2. The new model just broke through the FCC's surly bonds in full visual glory, showing a headset that maintains the distinctive industrial design of the original while getting just a bit smaller and adopting a new connector that looks moderately less sketchy. The last thing we all want to do is blow another hundred on the next best headset, but if this means we can run a teleconference standing next to a freight train traveling 40 miles per hour and do it in style, count us in.




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