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Benchmark Helmets intros Bluetooth headsets for bikers
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]
Plantronics Voyager 855 switches from headset to headphones with ease
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.
Pioneer intros well-spec'd AVIC-N4 in-dash navigation system
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]
GPS, music, power: Nokia busts out slew of accessories
Ear candy aside, Nokia showed a bunch of other goodies today to adorn that special handset in your life, too. First up, the LD-4W GPS Module adds a little style -- "Nseries style," sez Nokia -- to the previously released LD-3W, offering 10 hours of operation on a single charge; it'll be available for about €125 ($170) and promises compatibility with a "wide range" of Nokia hardware. Next, the MD-7W stereo Bluetooth speakers let you share the tuneage with those around you, willingly or not; they're also designed with the Nseries in mind but should work with any device supporting A2DP when they hit for €130 (about $177). Last but certainly not least, the DC-1 Power Pack acknowledges that media-centric phones aren't always the easiest on the battery, offering juice to one or two phones with 2mm Nokia power ports simultaneously. Look for this one to run about €105 ($143). All of 'em should be available "globally" in the fourth quarter of the year.
Nokia's BH-903 and BH-902 Bluetooth headsets with OLED displays
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.
iPhone kinda supports playing any audio through a bluetooth headset
As I understand it, there are a lot of new DAPs and music-enabled mobile phones that support A2DP - a technology that allows devices to transmit stereo audio to Bluetooth headphones. It's all the rage with the kids these days, and many fans of cutting cables wherever possible were a bit disappointed when the A2DP acronym didn't make the iPhone's feature list. Thanks to a tip from TUAW reader Earle Davies though, the iPhone apparently does seem to support sending any audio - including music and the audio tracks from your videos - to a Bluetooth headset that isn't even enabled with A2DP - but it aint pretty. To tinker with this, you of course need to have a Bluetooth headset paired with your iPhone. I personally have an older HS-850, one of the first Motorola models with a microphone that flipped open to toggle the headset on and off. After you've switched your headset on and it's shaken hands with your iPhone, go into the Visual Voicemail screen and tap the Audio button in the upper right (which is otherwise a Speaker button when your headset isn't on and communicating with your phone). You'll receive an audio selection dialog much like the in-call dialog that allows you to chose where to send the iPhone's audio. As you might guess, select the Headset option, then switch over to the iPod and begin playing music or a video. This, unfortunately, is why I had to include 'kinda' in this post's headline - while the iPhone sends audio to both Earle's Motorola H700 headset and my HS-850, it still plays audio though the iPhone's speakers as well. It's a bizarre quirk I can't seem to figure out how to stop, which makes me think this is either an unfinished feature or, perhaps more likely, simply a side effect of some of the iPhone's functionality.Whether you can use this trick to get the iPhone to send stereo audio to a true set of Bluetooth headphones I couldn't tell you, because I own no such headphones. If you readers tinker with this more and help uncover more of what's going on here, please sound off in the comments.
Samsung's SGH-P520 gets photographed
Shortly after learning that Samsung's touchscreen-based SGH-P520 was slightly more than a figment of our imagination, a foreign site has seemingly sat down with oodles of time and snapped more images than you're likely to look at. Still, this oh-so-thin mobile has the sex appeal nailed down solid, so be sure and take a closer look at all the curves awaiting you after the break.[Via Slashphone]
Jabra's BT8040 Bluetooth headset syncs to multiple devices
Hot on the heels of BlueAnt's Z9 comes a new one from Jabra, and while this Bluetooth earpiece doesn't strike us as revolutionary in the design department, it does add a bit of flexibility not often found on similar alternatives. Beyond the obligatory voice dialing, handsfree profile support, A2DP compatibility, USB connectivity, DSP noise reduction, and automatic volume adjustment, the BT8040 sports Multi-point technology that enables it to sync to two devices simultaneously. Yes, this does mean that you can pretend to be listening to your kvetching sibling whilst actually taking in your favorite jam from your BT-enabled audio source. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we can imagine multitaskers everywhere lining up for this one.
GEAR4's HouseParty Blu system handles iPods and A2DP streaming
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.
iSymphony V1BLUEe Bluetooth stereo system
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.
B-Tube Bluetooth audio system streams music, phone calls
Looking to take some of that sweet, sweet Bluetooth handsfree action out of the car and into your home? Chinese manufacturer Linx is betting that for some reason you do with the release of the B-Tube, a wireless stereo speaker system shoehorned into a shiny silver tube. The unit is primarily meant for rocking tunes, letting you stream music from all those A2DP devices you have lying around, but the built-in microphone lets you shut the party down and take that check-in call from your parents. No word on size other than "compact," but battery life is estimated at 6 hours, and pricing is set at £49.99 ($99).[Via Crave]
Nokia's 6120 Classic: thin HSDPA is (finally) in
Great googlie mooglie, what's this? Can it really be a 15-millimeter thin candybar from Nokia, the makers of those chunky multimedia computers? Ok, it's not as thin as their N76 but let's give 'em some credit here for trying. Having fermented in the rumor mill for a few weeks, we now have ourselves a fully mature Nokia 6120 Classic running S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 over quad-band GSM and WCDMA/HSDPA 850/2100. The handset packs a 2-inch QVGA display, A2DP stereo Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 2 megapixel camera with flash, and MicroSD slot to store your media. A pre-tax, pre-contract price of €260/$352 will get you up close and personal when these hit sometime before June lets out. Check all the pics in the gallery below. Sorry, only a tiny backside pic for now; Nokia's being a bit shy 'bout their junk. Nokia's 6120 Classic: thin HSDPA is (finally) in [Via Ring Nokia]
Kyocera Bluetooth Music Gateway streams jams from your mobile
Kyocera's Bluetooth Music Gateway most definitely isn't the first of its kind, but the dashing musical liaison is indeed adding a hint of differentiation to the streaming Bluetooth middleman category. Encased in a sleek black / metallic gray enclosure "about the size of a deck of playing cards," the three-ounce BT-enabled device receives streaming tunes via your A2DP-capable cellphone, DAP, or PMP, and then channels the audio to your home stereo via a pair of stereo RCA cables. Furthermore, users with an AVRCP device can enjoy volume / track control right from their mobile, removing the need for a separate remote control and furthering its overall appeal -- and before the non-Bluetooth users go crying foul, Kyocera's also offering up an optional $34.99 adapter that converts any 3.5-millimeter stereo jack into a Bluetooth transmitter. The Bluetooth Music Gateway should be landing sometime in the April timeframe, and you'll be looking at $99.99 with the Wireless Audio Adapter thrown in, or $79.99 without. [Via Slashphone]
Nokia's 5700 XpressMusic: another audio twister
Hey, hey, just three weeks after we got word, out pops the Nokia XpressMusic 5700. Just like the XpressMusic 3250, the 5700 gets its multi-media on via a quick flick of the base. This UMTS S60 twister brings a 2 megapixel shooter with up to 2GB of MicroSD storage. The focus here, though, is music so it packs WM DRM support with a "dedicated audio chip" to keep the music flowing, integrated stereo speakers, Bluetooth A2DP, and 3.5-mm adapter to fit your favorite headphones. Hitting Europe in Q2 for a pre-VAT price of €350.%Gallery-2349%
iubi's WiFi-enabled PMP-1480 does GPS / DMB on video
It's not everyday that you can sneak a peek at the latest and greatest Korea has to offer on video, but PMPToday snagged a lengthy video of the iubi's forthcoming PMP-1480 on camera, and we're duly impressed. The "mock-up" on display looked mighty fine, and although it was a tad on the large side, it's hard to cram a 4.3-inch WVGA (yeah, that's 800 x 480) touchscreen into anything much smaller. The innards consist of a TMS320 DM6441 processor, 64MB of Flash ROM, 128MB of RAM, a 1.8-inch hard drive in the 30/40/60GB varieties, rechargeable battery pack, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi, GPS, USB, and composite / S-Video / component video outputs to boot. Aside from the impressive hardware list, this Windows CE-powered device will also play nice with just about every format imaginable, including XviD, DivX, MPEG1/2/4, AVI, WMV, JPEG, BMP, and MP3, and the optional HSDPA dongle should keep users connected when hotspots are too far away . Sadly, we Americans aren't likely to see this beauty (click on through for the vid) without going through the appropriate import channels, but Korean dwellers can look forward to throwing down a currently undisclosed amount in the May timeframe.[Thanks, Voland]
Parrot intros A2DP-enabled MK6100 handsfree Bluetooth car kit
Our favorite Bluetooth gurus are readying yet another in-car handsfree kit, but unlike the run-of-the-mill offerings already crowding store shelves, the Parrot MK6100 adds a bit of musical delight as well. Aside from giving users the opportunity to hear conversations through their stereo system, this two-piece system boasts a built-in microphone in the horizontal display (which just so happens to be a svelte OLED), and also plays on the emotions of audio lovers everywhere. The A2DP-enabled kit features a separate wireless remote that can be used to cycle through the tracks on your handset, play and pause the tunes, and easily fit into your glovebox when you exit the vehicle. Additionally, users will be graced with DPS, automatic phonebook synchronization, text-to-speech capabilities, and voice dialing, and while we're not quite sure of the pricing deets just yet, you can probably expect to find out for yourself in Q2 of this year.
Sony intros bevy of Bluetooth / A2DP-enabled stereo systems
Apparently Sony has hopped on the "more the merrier" bandwagon, as its steady stream of new kit continues to roll out. The latest set of releases sees a few new wireless boomboxes, presumably crafted for those who aren't keen on wrapping a set of Bluetooth-enabled cans around their dome in order to hear their tunes. The low-end CMT-BX5BT mini system touts wooden stereo speaker cabinets, an AM / FM tuner, built-in CD / MP3 disc player, ID3 tag support, external LCD, 15-watts of amplification, bass reflex system, 30 station presets, and a musical alarm clock to boot. The CMT-HX7BT ups the ante by adding satellite radio readiness and a 50-watt S-Master digital amplifier, while the flagship CMT-DH7BT packs all of the aforementioned niceties plus an integrated DVD player. Closing out the pack is the ZS-BT1 wireless boombox, which seems to be tailored more for portable / outdoor use considering its A2DP support, shuffle feature for CDs / MP3s, ten-key remote control, and Mega Bass technology. The CMT trio will all be available in April from $150 to $300, while the $150 ZS-BT1 won't land until August.[Via Pocket-Lint] %Gallery-1831%
Sony's high-end DR-BT50 Bluetooth cans love your cellphone
Just in case Sony's compact DR-BT21G headset didn't exactly float your boat, or you just like having the best of the best when given the option, the high-end DR-BT50s should fit the bill. Rather than taking the wraparound approach, these cans feature the typical over the head styling, an adjustable headband, 17-hour battery life (200 in standby), and a sleek black / silver motif. As with its little brother, you can answer and end calls with the press of button, and while not conversing via its handsfree profile, you can tune in to your mobile's music as it supports A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP. As expected, you'll find all the playback controls right on the earcup, and those interested can snag this Bluetooth headset / headphone hybrid for $230 when it lands in April.[Via AkiharabaNews]
Sony's Bluetooth DR-BT21G wraparound headset does A2DP, AVRCP
While Sony's DR-BT21G was given limited facetime during CES, the wraparound stereo Bluetooth 2.0 headset is getting all official on us, and will now join the long list of other A2DP-friendly devices that Sony's known for kicking out. Sporting a behind-the-neck, foldable design, the 63-gram headphones come in black or white motifs, support A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP protocols, and boast a built-in microphone and control button in the earcup to pull double duty as a handsfree communicator. Aside from the receive / end call button, users can expect to control audio playback functions from the side of their dome, and considering the respectable 11-hour battery life, finding an AC outlet shouldn't become too much of an issue. No concrete information in regard to price or availability just yet, but we're hearing to expect these in April for around the $130 mark.[Via Akiharaba News]
Treo 700w, 700wx get their A2DP on
Depending on the model and the manufacturer, getting A2DP enabled on your Windows Mobile 5 device has been tricky at best, nigh impossible at worst -- despite the fact that the platform itself fully supports it. Thankfully, dedicated hacker communities have rallied around most of the devices out there, and the Treo 700w and 700wx are the latest devices to have their iron curtains of stereo Bluetooth discrimination fall. A simple install, a few lines of instructions, and bam, that old Treo's taken on a whole new (and very musical) life. Let us know how it goes, folks![Thanks, Travis]
