Blueye merges Bluetooth phones with audio players

Unless you use your cellphone to listen to music (and we know you don't, even if you're flashing the SLVR), or use a hydra-headed contraption like the Plantronics MX-100 headphones, you've probably missed a few calls when you've been cranking the tunes. At the very least, you've had to deal with the dreaded headset shuffle, as you frantically swap earbuds or cram your phone over your ear. UK company Mavizen has come up with what may be a better solution, in the form of the Blueye, a Bluetooth device that you connect to the earphone jack of an audio player and then pair with any Bluetooth phone. You then connect a headset to the Blueye, and listen to your music. When a call comes in, Blueye mutes the music and routes the call directly to the headset. Of course, there are some tradeoffs: the music is just muted, not paused, and you're stuck using a wired headset with your Bluetooth phone. But unless you really do use a musicphone as your main source of sounds (and we're not saying there's anything wrong with that), this could be reasonable solution. Or you can just keep missing calls. That's what voicemail's for, right?

[Kuhndog @ Feb 7th 2006 11:28AM]

these things are neat/good ideas but where is the microphone for this one? i assume it's in this device which makes me wonder how i'm going to get it in talking range and not look like a total reject..

[riley @ Feb 7th 2006 11:30AM]

good thing it's not called browntooth. otherwise this would have a pretty unfortunate name.

[Alan Strangis @ Feb 7th 2006 11:34AM]

Sorry, but I DO use a Treo for my music playback. And to think I used to carry around a phone, a CD Player and a PDA. blech.

Now if only they'd start supporting BTooth stereo headsets, I'd be right squared away.

[r0fl @ Feb 7th 2006 11:46AM]

Sprint Powervision Phones already do this while listening to the songs in the musicstore mode plus all the pv phones come with stereo headsets w/ mics.. am I missing something

[pmac @ Feb 7th 2006 12:00PM]

Whatever happened to the vibrate feature?

[Richard @ Feb 7th 2006 12:01PM]

So when you go to their site you learn a couple of things:

1. it comes in 3 colors (black, red (looks brown to me too) and white)
2. it has a built-in mic AND an attachable external mic
3. you can clip it or wear it around your neck on a lanyard
(OK! that's 3 things)

I'm sold. I'll STOP using my phone to play music (P910 with ogg files) and buy a Zen and this thing.

[Nick @ Feb 7th 2006 12:17PM]

It amuses me greatly how much you americans love the SLVR and RAZR.
This is a geek blog for crying out loud, can you not see the wood for the trees?

[joe @ Feb 7th 2006 12:19PM]

Why the heck didn't they build this device into some behind-the-ear headphones with a rotating mic? That's what would actually be useful...

[rayray @ Feb 7th 2006 12:21PM]

Music phones are the wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future. Wave of the future.

[ben @ Feb 7th 2006 12:22PM]

treo 650 does this already as well, you can use an inexpensive seido adaptor with a mic that takes any high end headsets you want to use. beeps when you get a call, push the button on the mic and you pause the music and take the call. when you hang up the tunes restart.

[Miguel Pereira @ Feb 7th 2006 12:29PM]

i DO use a phone, a Motorola V980 to listen to music and podcasts! It sounds great, the stereo headphones from Motorola are great and it pauses the music when I receive or make a call.. The software player is not very good, though, and they should just quit using strange mini-jacks for connecting headphones!!

[Aaron @ Feb 7th 2006 12:50PM]

There is another company (skullcandy) that makes a wired version. I almost bought one when Media Play went chapt.11. All they had were the ones with buds built in. I want the jacked version so I can use my own headphones. Here is a link.
http://www.skullcandy.com/linkChooser.php?urlLocation=link

[diem @ Feb 7th 2006 12:51PM]

ok...



I think many of the comments thuss far have pointed out that its not really that usefull, and just adds abother gadget to probably an already full pocket... however if you dig a little deeper there are some very specific activities I think this could be great for.

ie... snowboarding.
this should be looked at seriously by anyone who skis or snowboards + likes to listen to music when they ride...


I live in colorado + snowboard 3 or 4 days / week, I use a RED hi-fi helmet with built in speakers, coupled with my ipod for tunes while riding...

I've been looking for a device that would allow me to use my headset speakers for my phone, and also supplement it with a microphone.

I see this as having 1 primary advantage.

1 - it allows you to use ANY headphones for a source of audio for your phone. it does this by transmitting the audio signal via bluetooth to the receiver/headset, and also supplements your existing headphones by adding a mic.

2 - the large buttons make it usable while wearing gloves

(#8) I believe the point is to use your existing headphones by adding connectivity + a microphone. -(in my case a helmet) if it were a behind-the-ear unit with a speaker, it would be identical/redundant to any other bluetooth heatset.

[Maximus @ Feb 7th 2006 1:08PM]

Just get a sony ericsson walkman phone

[Richard @ Feb 7th 2006 1:27PM]

The problem with the Skullcandy stuff is that their stuff is all wired so you get: "Are you happy to see me or did you wire all your stuff together and jam it into your pocket."

[diem @ Feb 7th 2006 1:30PM]

#12 - hey aaron...

thanks for the link+info regarding skullcandy.

I ordered the JACKED version.

by the way... I called up the company (skullcandy) and they DO have the JACKED version in stock. I ordered one for use with my helmet. I talked with "ben" and he told me they are in stock but the web programmer has not yet updated their site. if you're in a hurry give them a call...

-diem

[Chench @ Feb 7th 2006 2:03PM]

http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/cat1150057/cat5420035/prod29780013

I just got a set of the Plantronics 590-A
They are awesome!
Ken

[SeaBee @ Feb 7th 2006 2:56PM]

I actually had thoughts of making something like this myself about a year ago. I figured if you could do it on a car audio systems with Bluetooth hands-free accessories, why not for a personal audio player. I should have patented it when I thought of it.

This is darn near perfect � if a little ugly. Now if it could just control my iPod beyond mute and volume controls it would be perfect.

[Mitch @ Feb 7th 2006 4:46PM]

With iPod earbuds!

[SeaBee @ Feb 7th 2006 4:58PM]

-> 19. With iPod earbuds!

Well I'll be using my UE 5C's!

[diem @ Feb 7th 2006 5:56PM]

burton is integrating controls into their shells + packs (shield + amp) with a control set called "SOFTswitch" (or something like that).

Its too bad you can get the exterior / weather proof controls as a stand alone remote system. integrate the controls with the phone bit, and now we're talking about some usefull integration.

the burton helmet has a mute button on the ear which is easy enough to turn off + on to talk while on a chair lift, but a pause button would be preferrable.

[Taha @ Feb 7th 2006 6:25PM]

I'll just keeping listening to music on my Sony Ericsson S700i..... well until I get the W900i, then i'll be able to put a 1 gig Mem Stick in there.

[sr @ Feb 8th 2006 2:24AM]

I've had a music phone for 2 years now and I don't use it because my music is Apple Lossless Encoded from an iPod line out. I've been waiting for a device like this for months!

[johnny @ Feb 8th 2006 3:33AM]

I'll just keeping listening to music on my Sony Ericsson S700i. check out http://www.gadioc.com/gadgets/sony-ericsson-p990/

[Horloge Parlante @ Feb 8th 2006 8:43AM]

I picked up an old nokia n-gage (the side-talking type), and use it as my protable AAC, MP3 and FM radio player. I've got a 128MB MMC card in it, which is good for about two albums, plus some images and other things I have there.
Furthermore, the phone shows up as a removable disc using USB in Windows and MacOS (haven't tried Unix yet).
Time and time again I've resisting upgrading to a newer phone when I've noticed that in fact they're not much better. If the n-gage had a built-in camera, I'd stick with it for life!

[Desmond @ Apr 4th 2006 12:04PM]

I also use the Pulsar 590a by Plantronics with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter. This switches between the cell phone and music and will beep in my ear when a call comes through. When the call is done, it automatically goes back to the music on my treo 650.