Items tagged with Bluetooth
Bluetooth devices have been playing an increasingly important role in our lives, and with BT 3.0 and BT 4.0, low-energy devices are getting in on the fun as well. Now, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is announcing the creation of the Sports and Fitness Working Group, and members are being accepted as we speak. This group will work together to enhance interoperability between Bluetooth enabled sports and fitness sensor products and training computers (Bluetooth Smart devices) and hub devices such as smartphones, PCs, TVs (Bluetooth Smart Ready devices), gym equipment, watches and more to allow a new generation of functionality. Fitness devices have exploded in recent years, with even...
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The lack of a physical keyboard on tablets is both inconvenient and can take a toll on our hands and wrists. To alleviate these issues, Microsoft announced a new mobile wireless keyboard, the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000. As the name suggests, this keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect with a mobile device instead of using a dongle or cable, which is a most welcome feature. The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 features a Comfort Curve design that should make typing a more comfortable and healthy experience when on the go, and it supports Windows, iOS, and Android devices. This is a full-size keyboard, so it won’t exactly fit in your pocket, but at 13.9 x 6.54 inches (and just 0.62...
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Typing on the go? There's a keyboard for that. Verbatim has just launched a new Bluetooth keyboard aimed at those who need something portable. Mostly for use with tablets -- like the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc. It's called the Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard, and it pretty much does what it says. Users can play, pause and control iTunes music directly from the keyboard’s media console, and the Enhanced Smart Keys offer a simpler way to cut, copy, paste and undo. It maintains a low profile, and there's a built-in rechargeable power source and a USB charging port to boot. Verbatim’s Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard is available now at NewEgg for $49.99. Verbatim Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard...
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Verbatim is sick and tired of you being sick and tired when it comes to inputting text on your tablet or smartphone. To fix that, the company's introducing a new Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard, which will now be available in white and works with iPhone, iPad and Android tablets with Bluetooth connectivity and HID keyboard support. Like the original model, the new keyboard also features an ultra-compact design that folds for maximum portability. It also comes with a high-quality carrying case for convenient storage in your briefcase or purse. Plus, enhanced Bluetooth capability allows you to pair the wireless keyboard with up to six devices at one time. The Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard...
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In this latest episode of HotHardware's Two and Half Geeks, Iyaz, Marco and Dave discuss Logitech's Wireless Bluetooth Boombox and the state of wireless connectivity, AMD's new FX-8150 8-Core Bulldozer CPU, id Software's Rage game, NVIDIA's 3D Vision 2 and the Asus VG278H 3D LCD, along with hints of our next contest where you could win a high fidelity PC! Show Notes: 1:05 - Logitech's Wireless Bluetooth Boombox 7:45 - NVIDIA's 3D Vision 2 and the Asus VG278H 3D LCD 11:45 - id Software's Rage 16:45 - AMD's new FX-8150 8-Core Bulldozer CPU 22:23 - Contest Details!...
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So why on earth didn't more of the major players think of this one a long time ago? With all these people walking around with Bluetooth-ready music to stream, why not design speaker systems with Bluetooth connectivity as well? Perhaps I've been living under a rock. I mean sure, there are a few Bluetooth ready speakers out there from the likes of Bose and Creative but there really aren't that many worth considering, when you think about it. And who the heck wants to "dock" mechanically? Uggh... dude, that's so 90s. Then, out of nowhere, Logitech pops into my inbox offering up their Wireless Boombox for evaluation here at HH. I'm thinking, okay, who was...
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Bluetooth has become in some ways an afterthought, as it seems like it’s baked into everything even remotely mobile, rivalling the ubiquity of WiFi. Thus, it’s no surprise that, according to In-Stat’s predictions, more than two billion Bluetooth-enabled devices will ship in 2013. What’s more intriguing is where and how Bluetooth is evolving. “Classic” Bluetooth is still going strong, but Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed (HS), Bluetooth 4.0, and Bluetooth 4.0 + HS are emerging. As the press release points out, the various iterations of the Bluetooth standard are present in product categories that include (take a deep breath): “...mobile phones, mono headsets,...
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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) just got a little more special this morning, mostly due to the addition of one particular newcomer: Apple. In fact, the Bluetooth SIG was so proud of the addition, that they went the extra mile and crafted a press release to inform the world about it. Joining Apple will be Nordic Semiconductor, both of which are joining the likes of Intel, Motorola, Lenovo, Nokia, Microsoft, Ericsson AB, and Toshiba on the Bluetooth SIG board. It's actually pretty shocking to think that for this long, Apple has managed to hold out. But now, one has to wonder what encouraged them to go all-in. Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, had this to...
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Typically, Bluetooth earpieces aren't all that exciting. If you've seen one, you've seen them all, as the saying goes. JayBird has a habit of producing some pretty unique looking headphones, and that tradition has now been passed off to the world of Bluetooth headphones. The company originally announced the JF3 Freedom Bluetooth Headphones at CES, but now, they're ready to start shipping 'em to those in need of new ones. They're specifically designed with secure-fit ear cushions, perfect for fitness freaks who can't stand their current 'buds falling out of their ears. The company is relying on a custom-made honeycomb design to keep them in place, and they're also sweat-proof and carry a lifetime...
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More new gear from Creative? Yep! The company has gone quite some time without really introducing any new equipment in the consumer universe, but that all changed over the past week. Perhaps the most interesting of the new additions is the ZEN Style M300, which is a music, photo and video player with Bluetooth wireless audio playback. It measures 55x44x12mm in size, has an open microSD card slot and a 1.45" TFT screen with Touch Buttons. It looks somewhat similar to an iPod nano, but unlike Apple's unit, the M300 starts at just $49.99. For that price, you can probably spring for one just for gym-use. The Bluetooth 2.1 inclusion means that you can sync it up with wireless headphones, and while...
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Wireless speakers are a dime a dozen these days, and even Bluetooth versions have grown increasingly popular of late. Creative, which has made a name for themselves in audio, is joining the fray this week with the introduction of the D80 Bluetooth one-piece speaker. The company calls this their most affordable Bluetooth speaker ever in this form factor, and the $50 price tag is indeed very inticing. Creative is hoping that the rampant adoption of Bluetooth enabled devices such as phones, PMPs and tablets will product a huge market for something like this, and given the portable nature of the D80, we wouldn't doubt if it proves successful. The device streams Bluetooth audio from just about any...
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Keyboards have been around a long, long time. And come to think of it, so have Bluetooth keyboards and flexible keyboards. But that said, we haven't seen a good option combining both of those in quite some time, and that's where Scosche comes in. The accessory maker has just revealed their new freeKEY, a flexible / wireless keyboard that's designed specifically to travel well and use with the iPad 2 or any other BT-enabled tablet. It's a flexible membrane of a keyboard, complete with a waterproof exterior and support for Windows, Mac OS X, Android and iOS. There's an expected range of 30 feet, and once paired with a device the freeKEY will automatically re-pair with that device the next time...
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Having trouble keeping track of your keys? It's a problem that most everyone has had at some point, and with all of our lives getting busier by the minute, it's a problem that deserves a solution. Cobra Electronics, a company usually linked to in-car radar detectors, is branching out this week at CTIA with an all new tracking/location service for the keys that are so easily misplaced. The Cobra Tag is the company's Bluetooth tagging system that is designed to help users avoid losing car keys, smartphones, or other valuables. It's a two-part system. There's a Bluetooth/GPS dongle key fob that you link your keys and valuables on, and then there's a smartphone app that keeps track of the key fob....
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Bluetooth headsets aren't nearly as huge as they once were, but they aren't dead yet. Samsung Mobile has been pretty reliably releasing new ones over the past few years, and this week they're introducing three more. The HM1610, HM3600 and the dual mono/stereo Modus 6450 are available today at www.samsung.com/accessories for $39.99, $59.99 and $99.99, respectively, but let's dive in a bit to see what each offers. The next-gen Modus 6450 is a noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset with the capability to stream stereo audio, and it can be worn as a mono-style headset for placing and receiving calls and readily transforms into a stereo Bluetooth headset when connected to the included stereo ear bud headset...
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Jawbone unveiled the Jawbone ERA headset, a Bluetooth headset that features a built-in accelerometer, HD Audio, and a connected app platform. In addition to a 25% larger wideband speaker for HD Audio, the Jawbone ERA comes with the latest version of military-grade NoiseAssassin 3.0 technology for noise cancellation. Thanks to the Jawbone ERA's integrated motion technology, you can "ShakeShake" the headset to enter pairing mode, "TapTap" to answer a phone call, and more. Finally, the new Jawbone ERA features various apps, such as Caller ID that will identify callers by name in a non-robotic voice. JAWBONE LAUNCHES THE WORLD’S FIRST MOTION-CONTROLLED BLUETOOTH® HEADSET WITH HD AUDIO:...
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There's a saying in the computing world that your new computer is usually already outdated before you can fully get it out of the box and setup. It's only funny because it's partly true. Technological innovations move rapidly these days, and anything "new" doesn't stay too "new" for long. Looxcie's lifecasting camera is a good example. The company launched their original version just a few months ago, and now there's a new version hitting the market. The Looxcie LX1 for iPhone is a slightly modified version of the original, which launched in September, but it's important to understand that this new version does something that the first will cannot: support iOS functions. That's likely to be very...
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Just when we thought every device capable of a touch interface already had one, Jabra came out with its newest wireless headsets. Jabra proclaims them to be the first to have touchscreens and we don't doubt it. There is a catch, however. These headsets don't work with any old phone. They are designed for use with business class IP PBX systems, specific SIP-based desktop handsets (like those made by Cisco, Siemens or those certified to work with Microsoft's new IP PBX, Lync), as well as specific softphones (from said IP PBX vendors). They also only work with selected mobile phones. But those that are using these highly popular voice-over-IP systems, can use the touchscreens to easily switch...
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Quick, what company has a Bluetooth headset named after a boulder? Jabra, of course! The accessory company has just revealed the second many rock-like headset today, with the Stone being called an improvement over the original. It's also offering a glossy finish, a voice command system that allows users to answer and place calls with their voice and an optimized voice system when interacting with voice-enabled applications. With talking-while-driving tickets spreading like wildfire, Jabra is assuming that more and more people will be looking for a way around that. And with a Bluetooth headset, it's truly only as good as the speech recognition behind it. This particular device is taking home an...
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With the introduction of the PlayStation Move, people are cutting even more cords on their PlayStation 3 console. So why not cut another? If you're an avid multiplayer gamer, and you like to chat with your team members while in the heat of the battle, it's somewhat of a hassle to have wired headsets following you as you dodge missiles and nearby family members. But there's a solution: the new Bluetooth headset for PS3. The original version was introduced in 2008, and now a new version is coming to market. The 2010 model, which will be called 'Bluetooth Headset' plain and simple, will be available later in the month for $49.99. Just like a normal Bluetooth headset, this unit is designed to reside...
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Well, it looks like another major company is branching out to become even more major. Jawbone is a company most closely linked to Bluetooth headsets. Their "Icon" line of headsets have generally set the standard for fashion and style for BT headsets, but now that's now all that they're interested in. The company has just introduced an entirely new product in an entirely new product category: the Jambox Bluetooth speaker. Of course, there's a distinct Bluetooth link between this speaker and the company's headsets, but that's about the extent of it. It's a wireless speaker and speakerphone, as Bluetooth phones can connect to it for music streaming or to channel audio from a caller into it for the...
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We've heard of eyewear. Fancy glasses and sunglasses have made a market for themselves. But EarWear? That's a new one! Jawbone has been producing stylish headsets for years now, some of the most stylish on the market. And now they have coined a new term: EarWear. The new ICON headset is a part of the EarWear collection, with four meticulously-crafted designer editions expected to go on sale next month. Cashmere, Denim, Mesh, and Suede are the colors, and they are all new takes on the existing ICON headset build. The EarWear Collection, along with all Jawbone ICON headsets, can be updated with new apps via the web ensuring that users have the very latest technologies. Just sync ICON directly to...
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Bluetooth has been the main protocol for exchanging information in short-range scenarios for years. As long as we can remember, actually. It's hard to remember a cellphone made in recent years that lacked Bluetooth, and it hasn't had too much competition along the way. If you needed to transfer files with another device in the general area, you used Bluetooth: it was pretty simple. But now, a protocol that was actually introduced last year is finally coming around, and it's a rival in every sense of the word. The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct program has officially started, enabling chipsets and products to get on their way to retail shelves. So, what is Wi-Fi...
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