FmTransmitters
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Jabra's CES 2011 extravaganza: Extreme, Cruiser2, Speak 410, and more (hands-on)
With all the madness going on here at CES 2011, we somehow managed to find Jabra's booth and got a hands-on look at its new gear. As you recall from just yesterday, Jabra debuted its line of Skype-certified Bluetooth headsets and speakers. The Extreme (99.99), Easy Go ($59.99), Speak 410 ($159.99) and Chill for PC headphones all play nicely with Skype -- all that's standing between you and VoIP nirvana is a quick and easy install of software preloaded on the USB dongle. Be warned though, the devices only work with Windows PCs, and we didn't get the impression that said fact is apt to change in the near future. The Cruiser2, for $99.99, is a speakerphone system for your automobile that -- surprise, surprise! -- acts as a Bluetooth speakerphone, allows you to play tunes on your connected device via an FM transmitter and even talks to your smartphone's contacts and tells you who's calling. In addition to all the BT goodness, we got to see its new line of wired headphones; Chill, Rhythm, and Active will be priced at $24.99, $34.99 and $49.99, respectively. All of Jabra's gadgets are available now save for the Speak 410, which'll be here in Q1. Head past the fold for the pics! %Gallery-112886%
UK set to de-criminalize FM transmitters
Even though most FM transmitters barely have enough signal strength to reach the head unit of your car, a post-World War II-era English law that's still on the books has made these devices illegal for Brits to own and operate, as they could possibly interfere with other, legal broadcasts in some sort of Bizarro world. Well now it looks like the UK's Office of Communications, or Ofcom, has finally wised up and is poised to give the transmitters an exemption from 1949's Wireless Telegraphy Act (geez, even its name is antiquated), which currently threatens scofflaw music lovers with up to two years in prison. Ofcom is holding a "public consultation" on the matter until September, so if you're British and sick of being unable to share your Spice Girls and Gnarls Barkley tracks with pedestrians and other motorists, speak up and let your voice be heard.
