Falling somewhere before the BT8010 and BT8040, the BT3030 most definitely takes the crown for clever design. Jabra's latest Bluetooth headset, as you can glean from the image above, was crafted to mimic the traditional dog tag, and specifications wise, you'll find Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP support. Additionally, you'll find six buttons useful for sending / ending calls and controlling music playback, and yes, it will lower the volume when detecting an incoming call from your livid mother-in-law. Ditch that ear critter and pick up something slightly less appalling late next month in Japan (or right now in the US) for ¥8,980 ($90).

BlackBerry owners looking to wirelessly connect to a home stereo or portable speakers can finally pick up that Remote Stereo Gateway we first saw sneaking through the FCC at the end of last month, for $80 from Tessco. The matchbook-size dongle receives a Bluetooth signal from your compatible 'Berry, and then pushes the audio out a standard 1/8-inch jack. According to the retail description, the device is also capable of streaming tunes from your stereo to a pair of Bluetooth headphones, which would mean that we are in fact looking at an A2DP profile here and thus likely compatibility with non-BlackBerry devices. Anyone wanna do us a solid and test this out with a WinMo phone?

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

We've seen more efficient ways of piping tunes from phones to stereos, but admittedly, they usually involve a wire or two. The Venturi Mini, now being offered by Verizon Wireless, performs the wondrous feat of receiving music streamed to it via stereo Bluetooth and relaying it on to your car's head unit by way of FM transmitter, making the whole process completely wire-free. "But wait," as they say in the industry, "that's not all." The cigarette lighter socket-powered device doubles as a handsfree that cleverly pauses your music when the time comes to take a call. Grab the multitalented wonder now for $129.99 -- and if you live in Washington or Oregon, the sooner, the better.

[Via MobileBurn]

It's been a good while since the BlueStreamer was hit up with a well deserved update, but those who've been waiting in tense anticipation can finally kick their shoes off and relax. Yep, Jays is indeed announcing the aptly-named BlueStreamer 2 Bluetooth stereo adapter, which not only features BT v2.0 and supports A2DP, AVRCP, HSP and HFP, but it's available in a trio of glossy motifs (black, white and pink to be precise). Weighing in at just 12-grams, this bugger allows users to "listen to music and receive calls simultaneously," and just in case that whole "stopping the jams 'til your convo is done" thing wasn't enough for you, it's also very compatible with Skype. Sure, there's nothing out of the ordinary here, but those captivated for whatever reason can grab one now for $62 (or €42.40 elsewhere). [Warning: PDF read link]

If you want a pair of true, in-ear buds without the muss and fuss of wires, your options are limited and you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices. One such sacrifice that needs to be heavily weighed into the equation, for example, is your desire to appear as though there is a pair of black Duplo blocks hanging out of your ears. That's exactly the curse of Etymotic's ety8, a decent set of stereo Bluetooth 'phones (we've tried them, they're comfortable and sound great) that were irreparably damaged by the ugly stick somewhere during the course of their development. The high-end headphone outfit has another Bluetooth product in the works, though -- the ER-89 "etyBlu" just hit the FCC's wires, giving us hope that they heard our complaints loud and clear and have worked to make their kit just a little less embarrassing to wear in public. We couldn't find conclusive evidence in the documentation that we're looking at a stereo headset here; theoretically, it could just be a mono product for calls, but we're encouraged by a brief mention of listening to music (who wants to blast tunes into one ear?) and the fact that the ety8's model number is ER-88. Can anyone make out what's going on in this FCC label diagram here?

Speaking of Korea, Samsung's P2 made its way into the States today, and you know what that means: it's time to start shopping for stereo Bluetooth headphones. At least that's what Bala's up to, who wrote in to Ask Engadget for advice as follows:

OK, I give up. I have been searching exhaustively for a Bluetooth stereo headset that's both lightweight, preferably the over-the-ear type and easily portable. I'd like to use it to listen music wirelessly from my iPhone (with an A2DP adapter) and my laptop which has Bluetooth. I'd also like to use it for voice calls (both with my iPhone and my PC), and that means it needs to have an integrated microphone. So far I have found only the BlueAnt X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset to be meeting my requirements. Are there other headsets out there that would meet my requirements for under $125?

What say you guys, any favorites in the A2DP game? And don't say Kleer, that's cheating. Oh, and if you'd like your own question answered, be sure to send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.

Just in case two recently announced Sony Ericsson mobiles weren't enough for one day, along comes the K630 to quell your grumbling. This handset sports a slightly less impressive feature set than the other two newcomers, but it ought to put a noticeably smaller dent in your wallet to compensate. Nevertheless, the K630 will be available in Havana Gold and Quick Black and will feature HSDPA, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync preloaded, a two-megapixel camera, 256MB M2 card, built-in Media Browser, an FM tuner, support for MP3 / AAC / WMA formats, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, video recording at 15fps and USB connectivity. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but look for it to land in "select markets" during Q4. Check out a video of the device right over here.

[Thanks, tootie_boy]

We've certainly seen our fair share of nicely-equipped motorcycle helmets, but Benchmark Helmets is looking to spruce up your everyday noggin protector rather than forcing you to buy a whole new one. Marketed towards "scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts," the Camos lineup includes two new headsets that utilize Bluetooth 2.0 and support A2DP / handsfree profiles. Additionally, both tout waterproof housings and connectors, directional microphones with noise canceling technology, stereo speakers, and 10-hours of talk time (150-hours in standby). The BHS-500 is set to land for $149, while the $199 BHS-600 ups the ante by allowing users to pair up another BHS-600 for a "complete wireless intercom system."

[Thanks, Spencer]

Rarely does an accessory hit the market that really seems to fill a gap in the already overcrowded Bluetooth headset space, yet Plantronics may have managed to pull off just such a feat with its uber-low-profile, transforming Voyager 855 headset-cum-headphones. Besides the sliding boom, this model might look like a regular over the ear unit at first glance, but a detachable cord with an earbud at the end allows the 855 to perform double-duty as A2DP-compliant headphones -- great for those of us trying to downsize from the normally-bulky earpieces offered by iLuv, Bluetake, and friends. You're also getting the all-critical AVRCP profile here as well, so the only real downside seems to be the price: sounds like it'll be retailing for around $200 when it hits later this month, although we've already seen street prices ranging from $80 to $150.

Update: Plantronics let us know that pricing will be more in the $110 to $120 range, so bully for you if you can find that $80 deal.

Less than a month after Pioneer loosed details on its AVIC-X3, along comes word that we can also expect an AVIC-N4 in the not-too-distant future. This single-DIN unit boasts a motorized, flip-out seven-inch touchscreen, optional iPod / Bluetooth compatibility, CD or DVD playback, XM / XM NavTraffic-readiness, and a Tele Atlas database for routing you around. Regrettably, the lack of an internal HDD means that you'll be forced to insert the map DVDs in order to access guidance, but users can feel free to toss in discs with MP3, WMA, AAC, or DivX files when the drive is clear. Furthermore, the unit can even accept tunes streamed in wirelessly from a mobile handset when utilizing the CD-BTB200 adapter, as it understands both A2DP and AVRCP protocols. So, now that you've found a satisfactory replacement for that aging factory head-unit, you've only got to scrounge up $1,600 to make the swap.

[Via NaviGadget]

In addition to their new 500 GPS navigator, Nokia also announced a slew of new accessories this morning. On the headset front, they've loosed a Bluetooth pair: the new BH-903 (pictured above) and BH-902. The 23-gram BH-903 brings an OLED display and support for A2DP, AVRCP, PBAP, HFP and HSP Bluetooth profiles. It'll be good for 15 hours of talk/music when it hits globally in Q4 for €200/$274. The 8-hour BH-902 then, brings the same display without the dongle and stereo remote capabilities for an all-in-one, on-the-ear solution weighing 18.2-grams. Just be sure to take advantage of the neckstrap and clip to make that display useful ya hear? The BH-902 ships in Q4 as well for an estimated €115/$157 (pre-tax) -- pictured after the break.

There's iPod sound systems, and then there's Bluetooth streaming music stations, but GEAR4 is looking to meld both worlds together with its new HouseParty Blu. The multifaceted speaker station allows dock-connecting iPods to flank the top and recharge its battery while cranking out the jams, and moreover, it doesn't shun the elegant A2DP audio streaming capabilities of your BT-enabled music phone in the process. As with most portable sound systems, this one also includes a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input for every other music source in the world, and specs wise, you'll find a pair of stereo drivers, 30-watts of amplification, touch-sensitive backlit buttons, and a wireless remote. So if you've been keeping an eye for a noise maker that would natively play nice with your Pod and mobile, you can snap up GEAR4's latest for a reasonable £79.99 ($159) right now.

If you like the idea of plunking down $500 on a Bluetooth stereo system then by all means, check the iSymphony V1BLUEe. The unit delivers 2x 10W plus 25W (sub) audio when set on a tabletop or mounted to the wall. It packs a CD player, FM/AM clock radio, SD/MMC slot, and USB connectivity for tethered audio off your portable MP3 player. The V1BLUEe is of course A2DP capable and will double-up as a handsfree system for your Bluetooth enabled cellphone calls while puttering around the room. They even throw in a Bluetooth dock for your iPod. The battery draining, 10-foot compressed audio slingin' V1BLUEe is yours starting mid-June if you really must.