Remember that crazy small, RF receiver used with Logitech's VX Nano? Meet the Bluetooth 2.0+EDR equiv, the Princeton's PTM-UBT3S which measures just 19-mm (0.75-inches) long. So yeah, it's small, in fact, it's claimed to be the smallest available in Japan when it ships in September. Whether or not it's the world's smallest is irrelevant as it's surely suitable for full-time laptop or handheld bunging without concern for sheering it off. Yours for ¥2,480 or $21 beans.

[Via Impress]

Gear Live got the chance to check the new Bluetooth 2.1+EDR specification live with Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group). Most definitely, the coolest new feature is delivered via an optional part of the spec dubbed "near-field communications." Using a prototype Nokia cellphone and Parrot picture frame, Foley was able to snap a photo on the handset and then pair and transfer it to the frame by simply holding the phone a few inches away from the display. Other notable enhancements are 5x reduction in battery drain (hoozah!) for Bluetooth mice and keyboards as well as enhanced security. The spec is "just being finalized now" with first product expected to hit around the 2007 holiday season. Fingers crossed eh, as these things tend to drag out a bit longer than expected. In the mean time, check the full video demonstration after the break.

Although Sindan Electrical Trading (SET) prefers to draw similarities between its forthcoming RoadBOX Driving Recorder and the infamous black box contraptions that are finding their way into vehicles everywhere, this accident recorder actually relates more closely to the DREC1000 and TS-1L. Slated to hit the Dubai market in mid-March, this in-car recording device is mounted atop and inside the vehicle's windshield where it continuously captures video of whatever's happening in front of the car. If an impact is detected, or if the driver slams on brakes, the machine stores the video, as well as acceleration data, 14 seconds before the incident and 6 seconds after. As expected, the video file and speed data can be transferred to a computer via USB (if the box isn't too mangled, that is), and specialized software creates charts to match the acceleration / braking data and get closer to the "truth" behind an accident. Interestingly, it seems the company is actually marketing these to corporations who rely on employee-driven vehicles as a way to accurately place (or remove) blame on peon screw-ups while behind the wheel of a company car. Nevertheless, those of you interested in making any future traffic cases a bit easier on a lawyer (be it yours or the other guy's) can snap this up in about six weeks for Dh1,500, or around $176.

[Thanks, Paul S.]

Since the National Transportation Safety Board "recommended" that all new vehicles be equipped with some form of black box -- more appropriately known as an Event Data Recorder (EDR) -- manufacturers have slowly but surely been sneaking them in. Deliberately or otherwise, a vast majority of automakers have neglected to inform customers that their vehicle has such a device installed in it, and as you'd probably expect, it's driving privacy advocates up the wall. As these EDR boxes become more popular, some form of control and notification system apparently needed to be devised, thus the NTSB stepped in and threw down some uniform regulations. Beginning in 2011, all automakers must include "information in the owner's manual" about the specific data that the EDR collects. Fortunately for car companies, the mandate goes a step further by standardizing the data collected by each box, so everyone's privacy is invaded equally. We'll just have to wait and see if those newly disclosed deets include a step by step guide to de-activating the incriminating evidence data collection, but we don't have a good feeling about all that.

[Via Slashdot]

Today Logitech got a clue: why sell one device to the burgeoning Internet calling community when you can sell an entire suite of peripherals. Introducing the EasyCall Desktop which Logitech claims is the world's first mouse, keyboard, headset and speakerphone combo. In essence, EasyCall Desktop does for desktop clutter what Adobe, Microsoft, and Apple did for software -- take a bunch of disparate tools, give 'em the same look and feel and enhance each for relatively seamless interaction across the suite. In addition to a cordless keyboard and laser mouse (which, while not stated, will likely both feature Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR like other Logitech Desktops) the package includes a tethered stereo headset which can be attached to the full-duplex speakerphone. The speakerphone, apparently also wired, acts as the Internet calling control center and features Logitech's RightSound echo cancelation technology to get the most from VoIP apps like Yahoo Messenger with Voice, AOL's AIM, and of course Skype. What's odd is that a Skype specific keyboard will also be launched as part of the Desktop but only in Europe -- go figure. Expect the kit to ship in the US and Europe by mid-September with an expected retail price pegged at $130/€130.

[Via CrowdedBrain]