i.Tech Offers SolarVoice 908 Bluetooth Headset

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i.Tech has announced a new solar powered Bluetooth headset called the SolarVoice 908. The headset can recharge its batteries using the power of the Sun. the headset also features background noise reduction for clear calls and an advanced suite of digital signal processing software to reduce background noise and distortion.

The headset also supports A2DP Bluetooth profile for streaming multimedia audio. The headset can also be used to hear audio from multimedia content like YouTube and more. The earbuds are designed to allow air into the ear canal to prevent that stopped up feeling users get from some headsets. Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Shipments of Bluetooth Headsets Shrink 28% in 2009

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With many state and local governments adding new hands free laws to their books it might seem like 2009 would be a banner year for makers of Bluetooth headsets. Apparently, it is not such a great year for the industry according to Strategy Analytics.

The analytics firm reports that shipments of Bluetooth headsets are down 28% for the year so far. Shipments reached 19.2 million units in 2008 but will decline to 13.9 million by the end of 2009. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:37:30 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Texas Instruments Creates Low Energy Bluetooth Standard

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Bluetooth headsets have two Achilles Heels. The first is a design problem; a lot of them look really silly, which is why people who wear their headsets all the time get made fun of. The second, and more serious issue is one of battery life. The kind of person who wears a Bluetooth headset does so because they need to be on the phone a lot. Most headsets only get a couple of hours on a charge though, which causes a great deal of hassle for the user.

That problem might have just been nipped. Texas Instruments, designers of microchips and architects of countless engineering breakthroughs over the last twenty years, have just fixed Bluetooth. They sent out a press release today announcing their demonstration of the Bluetooth low energy standard at a conference in Munich.

Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:31:58 CDT | by Robert Evans

Texas Instruments Demos World's First Coin Cell for Bluetooth Low Energy Apps

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Texas Instruments has announced that it has demonstrated the world's first coin cell demo for the new Bluetooth low energy open standard based on its upcoming CC2540 single-mode, system-on-chip. Bluetooth low energy applications like sports and fitness equipment, mobile accessories, and home and office devices use coin cell and energy harvesting solutions to run for more than a year on a single tiny button cell battery.

The TI application supports both dual-mode and single-mode solutions and are optimized for low-power and low-cost applications. TI says that its device is packaged on a 6mm x 6mm unit including the controller, host, and application. Read more

Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Samsung Blue Earth Phone Launches

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Samsung announced the Blue Earth Eco Phone in February at the MWC 2009. Today Samsung informed that the Blue Earth phone is now launching in Sweden in October and will soon launch in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and other European and Asian countries.

Samsung says that the Blue Earth is the first solar powered full-touch screen phone. By charging with the solar panel located on the back of the phone, users can generate enough electronic power to call anytime anywhere. Read more

Posted on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Tenqa SP-99 Bluetooth Speaker Review

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Today I am checking out the Tenqa SP-99 Bluetooth speaker. The speaker is designed for streaming audio from Bluetooth phones and computers.

The small speaker can be powered by an AC adapter or AAA batteries. The SP-99 has two drivers and no subwoofer so bass is weak. Read more

Posted on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:18:16 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Zeemote V3 Bluetooth Game Controller Unveiled For Mobile Phones

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Zeemote unveiled the new Zeemote V3 Bluetooth Controller for Sony Ericsson mobile phones.
The Zeemote V3 is compatible with virtually all Sony Ericsson Handsets including the new Entertainment Unlimited Series of Yari, Aino and Satio and eco-friendly Naite.

With the Zeemote V3 controller you can play all mobile games, navigating Phone Menus, control Camera, remote control of Music & Video Player, and Playstation 3 Remote Play (Aino™ Only). Read more

Posted on Tue, 6 Oct 2009 06:55:07 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Nectar Bluetooth Accessories Launch

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Nectar has announced a new line of accessories that aims to keep your Bluetooth headset nearby. The problem for many who use Bluetooth headsets isn't keeping eyes on the road while talking as much as it is keeping eyes on the road while trying to find the headset in the car when a call is coming in.

The Nectar accessories are designed to keep the headset close to the user so it can be found without taking eyes off the road. Nectar has two different accessories including the BlueClip Retractable and the BlueClip Necklace. Read more

Posted on Fri, 2 Oct 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Speakerphone Launches

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Jabra makes a full line of Bluetooth hands free gear from Bluetooth speakerphones to Bluetooth headsets. I have reviewed a few of their devices and found them to be pretty good. Jabra has announced its latest hands free speakerphone, the Cruiser.

The Cruiser supports Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and eSCO. The device also supports A2DP and AVCRP music streaming from your MP3 player to the speaker inside the Cruiser. Other features include DSP sound and voice technology, a visor clip, and auto-pairing. Read more

Posted on Fri, 2 Oct 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Nectar Introduces Accessories for Bluetooth Headsets

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In many states driver have to use either a Bluetooth headset or a hands free device to be able to make or receive calls while driving. Actually talking is only part of the call though, getting the Bluetooth headset into your ear if that is what you are using can be challenging and often requires you to take your eyes off the road.

Nectar has announced a new line of accessories for Bluetooth headsets called the BlueClip Retractable and the BlueClip Necklace. The Retractable versions is just like those little key or badge clips that have a cord that is spring loaded. You just grab the Bluetooth headset attached to the clip and pull it to your ear. Read more

Posted on Thu, 1 Oct 2009 05:41:06 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 Review

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Today I am checking out the latest mobile keyboard from Microsoft called the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000. The keyboard has a separate keypad for entering numerical data and has a carry bag.

The keyboard is very thin making it comfortable to type on and easy to fit into your laptop bag. No Bluetooth dongle ships with the keyboard, so your notebook will need integrated Bluetooth. Read more

Posted on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:11:17 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Bluetooth Handset+SD Reader = Hot Gadget

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The best things are two things in one. Take the "Ultimate Bluetooth Handset" (via Gizmodo) from Brando. This gadget is just a normal Bluetooth headset with a hidden microSD card reader inside its body. You just pull out the end cap to insert an SD card, or reveal the USB plug.

Posted on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:18:31 CDT | by Robert Evans

Solar Powered Bluetooth Headset Gives You A Green Ear

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The adoption of Bluetooth headsets is according to a recent study plummeting. This has not stopped manufacturers from coming up with new Bluetooth headsets yet. Hong Kong based gadget shop Brando is now offering a rather stylish Solar powered Bluetooth headset.
Read more

Posted on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:27:23 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset Review

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Today I am checking out the Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth headset. This is hands down one of the best looking headsets on the market with a minimalist design that is very appealing.

The 975 also has a carry case with a battery inside that provides longer run time for the device. Sound quality is also top notch. Read more

Posted on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:58:48 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Novero TheFirstOne Bluetooth Headset Review

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Today I am looking at the Novero TheFirstOne Bluetooth headset. The headset is designed to be a fashion accessory as well as a wireless headset.

The device ships with a car charger, charge cradle, and an AC charger for the home. The device has noise reduction and all sorts of other features. Read more

Posted on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:20:16 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Sound ID Unveils Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset

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Sound ID has unveiled its latest Bluetooth headset for mobile phone users called the Sound ID 400. The handset promises new functionality for the headset category. The device has a feature called PersonalSound that offers three listening modes tuned to common hearing preferences to enhance speech without having to turn up the volume.

Environmental Mode allows the user to hear out of both ears without having to remove the 400 from their ear. Sound ID says that the mode enhances soft sounds while in this mode, which presumably will use some battery power to operate. Read more

Posted on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Tenqa Bluetooth Speakers Debut on Amazon

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A new line of Tenqa Bluetooth wireless speakers has debuted on Amazon.com. The line of speakers allow users to stream music from their smartphones including the iPhone, Blackberry and others supporting Bluetooth A2DP wireless stereo to the speaker from up to 30 feet away.

The line of speakers includes the SP-99 that has integrated music controls that allow the user to change track and volume from the speaker. The SP-99 sells for $79.99. the SP-109 desktop speaker is a compact wireless, speaker that is designed to sit on a desk or shelf and can play music up to 33 feet from the source and sells at $89.99. Read more

Posted on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Volkswagen EcoBlue Home Power Plants Unveiled

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Last Sunday we reported about a rumor that Volkswagen would build small power plants for homes. Now the Volkswagen EcoBlue Home Power Plants are official. Together with Eco energy supplier LichtBlick, Volkswagen wants to build a massive cluster of small natural gas powered VW EcoBlue powerplants.
The EcoBlue systems are supposed to be networked via cellular and get activated when the most power is needed in the network - earning the most money for the kWh. 100,000 Volkswagen home powerplants would generate 2,000 Megawatt which would be equal to the capacity of 2 Nuclear Power Plants. Read more

Posted on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:42:58 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Guidepoint Bluetooth Features Roadside Assist and Emergency Service

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Guidepoint has unveiled an interesting new hands free Bluetooth device for drivers that offers a couple of features we haven't seen before. The device offers hands free connectivity with your Bluetooth phone along with integrated music control.

The new features include access to emergency services and roadside assistance at the touch of a button. The device is designed to sit on the steering column for easy access. Guidepoint has 24/7 call centers that can respond to the needs of users. A white cross button accesses emergency medical assistance when paired with the GPS tracking device provides location services too. Read more

Posted on Thu, 3 Sep 2009 12:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Use of Bluetooth Headsets Plummets According to Research Firm

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With new states coming on board with hands free driving requirements over the summer, I expected to find that Bluetooth headset usage was up in the U.S. but it seems that is wrong. According to a new report issued by Strategy Analytics the daily usage of Bluetooth headsets in America is declining.

The report found that only 26% of Bluetooth headset owners use the devices daily. That number is down from 43% in 2008. Europeans are more apt to use their Bluetooth headsets though with usage climbing a bit daily to 36%. Read more

Posted on Thu, 3 Sep 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Sennheiser Offers MM 400 Bluetooth Headset

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Sennheiser has unveils a couple of new Bluetooth stereo solutions including the MM 400 and the MM 450 Travel. Both of the devices are designed to allow calls to be placed and received with mobile phones and to allow music to be streamed wirelessly.

The headsets both utilize Bluetooth 2.1 and A2DP technology and have a wired connection option with included adapters and cable. The MM 400 uses a closed design to help block noise as well and both devices are designed to fold flat for storage. Read more

Posted on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun