StereoBluetooth
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Nokia Essence promises 99.8 percent noise cancellation, lets you listen to Ke$ha in peace
In-ear headphones that cancel out almost all of the background noise? Yes, please. The Nokia Essence is the latest stereo Bluetooth to hit the market, and it's poised to eliminate as much of the world around you as possible -- 99.8 percent of it, at least. As many earbuds impel the user to turn up the volume level just to hear more bass, the idea with the Essence is to zap out low-frequency background noises (such as traffic) to provide a deeper bass sound without having to crank up the knob to 11. The Essence is also equipped with NFC for easy tap-to-pair functionality. Scroll down below to see a video showing a guy who's getting the most out of his new headphones.
Apple buys Wi-Gear, getting into the stereo Bluetooth headset game?
Apple hasn't always exactly been on the forefront when it comes to Bluetooth support, over the years creating quite an opportunity for third-party companies to make A2DP adapters for iPods and the like. One of those companies was Wi-Gear, which also made a stereo headset called the iMuffs and invited you to "Cut the cord and truly be free!" Sadly the use of such a device does not free you from the various responsibilities of modern day-to-day life, but an apparent acquisition appears to have helped the company's founders shed some of theirs. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has purchased Wi-Gear and brought the company's tech, and at least one of its co-founders, in-house. Michael Kim lists himself as an "iOS Bluetooth Engineer" at Apple now, while Wi-Gear itself has ceased operations according to its site. What's coming next remains to be seen, but if an Apple-branded stereo Bluetooth headset isn't the fruit of this partnership we'll eat our old A2DP dongles.
Philips Fidelio DS8550 iPad speaker dock hands-on
As absurd as it might seem to dock a 9.7-inch tablet atop what amounts to a glorified boom box, let's be real: the iPad's meek speakers are easily outclassed by its ability to swallow gigabytes worth of music and high-quality video content. Sure enough, iPad-compatible docks are quickly becoming a thing now, and Philips is jumping head-first into the market with its Fidelio DS8550. Oh, but there's more than meets the eye here -- it's not just a speaker with a giant slot in front for a 30-pin connection, you see. You can either connect the iPad to let it charge and get a direct audio connection or roam with it and let it talk back to the dock over stereo Bluetooth, which was demoed to us as an awesome option for gaming -- as long as the Fidelio is within a few yards of you, games really become a more immersive experience when you've got thick, booming bass and virtually limitless volume nearby, and we found that you really don't notice that the sound is coming from "somewhere else." The DS8550 also packs a handle on back and an internal battery, allegedly good for up to five hours of use off the grid so you'll be able to kick it old-school with the Fidelio slung over your shoulder in the subway station. The unit makes use of a unique spring-loaded pivot on its 30-pin connector, which Philips says allows you to connect any iPod, iPhone, or iPad without needing the typical adapters -- the device just sort of rests on the connector and the surrounding concave section of the speaker mesh. Check out a few more shots in the gallery!
Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver adds BT functionality to your 70s era home stereo
Just now dusting off those vinyl-wrapped cabinets from the glory days of disco? Good, 'cause Belkin's about to breathe new life into 'em. The outfit's newly unveiled Bluetooth Music Receiver presents itself as the device to stream your iPhone and iPod touch jams to your home stereo, but in realty, this thing will work with any BT 2.0-enabled music streaming device. Phones, PMPs, genetically modified children -- you name it. Simply plug the base station (shown after the break) into your home stereo, pair up to six Bluetooth devices with it, and watch as your favorite tunes are transmitted from device to driver sans cabling. It's almost magical, but we're not quite sure if it's $49.99 magical.
Sony Ericsson Elm, Hazel, and VH700 stereo Bluetooth buds beef up vegan GreenHeart line
Who says tree-hugging has to be boring? Actually, Sony Ericsson's latest sets to join the eco-friendly GreenHeart line aren't anything special, but at least they don't slouch in the specs department -- both the Hazel slider and Elm candybar announced today feature 5 megapixel cams, GPS with geotagging, LED flashes, and dual-band HSPA on top of quadband EDGE. The real news, though, might be the introduction of SE's very first GreenHeart accessory -- the VH700 stereo Bluetooth headset -- which ponies up dual mics for improved call quality and micro-USB recharging. It'll hit in the first quarter of the year along with the Elm; the Hazel follows on in the second quarter.
Jabra's HALO now ready to make stereo Bluetooth look a little less ridiculous
By its very nature, stereo Bluetooth gear is never going to look quite as cool as its wired equivalent -- but if we look back on the early days, we're making progress. Jabra's new over-the-ear HALO should appeal to some with its relatively convenient folding design, and as an added bonus, it kinda looks like you're wearing a futuristic hair beret when you slip it on. How can you argue with that? Following an announcement earlier this year, the HALO's now available at Best Buy locations for $130 promising 8 hours of music playback, 13 days of standby, seamless transition between calls and tunes, and an innovative corded mode with a 3.5mm jack. It's tough to say whether you'll get odd stares wearing these day in and day out -- but if you're not willing to find out the answer to that the hard way, we certainly are. Selfless, we know.
Sony Ericsson Aino's wireless headphones get FCC approval, Aino gets a user manual
It isn't every day that a phone includes wireless stereo headphones in the box -- yes, that's right, we said wireless -- so when we saw the Sony Ericsson MH100 earn its FCC wings, we stood up and took notice. The MH100 is a color-coordinated A2DP clip-on with a 3.5mm jack and remote controls, making it the perfect complement to the Aino's advanced multimedia capabilities (including PlayStation Remote Play support, if you recall), and it's nice to know that you won't have to shell out for one of these suckers on top of the untold hundreds of euro you're dropping on the phone itself. Speaking of the Aino, though, maybe the more interesting find in the FCC filing is the inclusion of the phone's user manual, where you can get the lowdown on Remote Play, the built-in Facebook client, and details on the interface for that glorious 8.1 megapixel cam. Actually, large portions of the draft manual seem missing or half-assed, so we're guessing we'll see this get a lot more interesting by the time they pack the phones for retail.
Sony rolls out new Bluetooth headphones for in-ear or out
They're not exactly breaking down any barriers of style or function, but those looking for some straightforward Bluetooth headphones may want to consider one of Sony's latest offerings, which come in both in-ear and over-the-ear varieties. On the in-ear front, Sony has the DR-BT100CX (pictured after the break), which includes some USB charging capabilities, a promised eight hours of playback time, and three different silicon ear buds to ensure a snug fit. Those looking for something a little less discreet can opt for the DR-BT101CX, which offers the same USB charging, a slightly better 12 hours of playback time and, most notably, a 30mm neodymium driver for a bit more oomph. No word on pricing just yet, but it looks like both should be available any day now -- in Europe, at least.[Via Pocket-lint]
Jabra HALO hands-on
Finding awesome stereo Bluetooth hardware is challenging. There are a few good reasons for that: one, you've got to somehow pack a battery inside the headset itself, two, you've got radio circuitry in there, and three, it's all got to last a bunch of hours between charges. We're not saying that Jabra's just-announced HALO is for everyone, but it's an awfully interesting product -- probably one of the best A2DP sets we've seen -- and unlike most on-ear sets, it folds small enough to carry with you pretty much everywhere you go. The jury's out on audio quality and fit until we get our hands on an actual review unit (they're showing some pretty loose pre-production prototypes at CTIA) but considering how the HALO looks and works, we're cautiously stoked that this is going to end up being one of the better multimedia accessories of the year.
Ask Engadget: Best solution for Bluetooth stereo audio?
Look out! You've just stumbled upon this week's episode of Ask Engadget, and we've got a real brain burner on our hands this evening. Before you dig in, though, feel free to blast your own question in to ask at engadget dawt com. I recently got a new music-oriented phone (Nokia 5800 XpressMusic) with Bluetooth stereo audio (A2DP) and am trying to get some opinions on what might be the best solution out there for me. It seems to me like I have 3 options as far as general solution types: self contained Bluetooth headphones, such as the Motorola S9; Bluetooth receivers with headphone jacks, such as the SonyEricsson HBH-DS220; or transmitter / receiver pairs. My specific needs are that it supports remote control (AVRCP), has good sound, is under $100, and if the unit can bind to multiple devices that would be great. The ultimate item would somehow work with my phone as well as my PSP, but that's probably a pipe dream. Thanks! So, wireless audio partakers -- what say you? Got any great tips? Got any horror stories? Either way, spill it below.
Jabra intros HALO stereo Bluetooth headset, SP200 speakerphone
Jabra's making the wireless music game just a little bit more interesting today with the announcement of its stereo Bluetooth HALO headphones, featuring six hours of playback time on a single charge, AVRCP support, Jabra's Noise Blackout circuitry for improved clarity when making calls, and micro-USB charging. Conveniently, the HALO folds for storage, which also toggles the set's power. Staying in the Bluetooth theme, the company is also showing off its SP200 speakerphone -- a great way to avoid the fuzz, we figure -- with 10 hours of talk time, 23 days of standby, and active noise reduction. The HALO hits in May for $129.99; the SP200, meanwhile, gets real in April for $59.99.
Philips Tapster stereo Bluetooth headset loves your voice, needs your touch
While they may not have an particularly desirable impact on your image, wireless Bluetooth headsets are convenient, and their continually dwindling size gives us the hope that some day you could wear one without anyone noticing. But, smaller size equals smaller buttons, an issue Philips is looking to dodge entirely with its latest stereo Bluetooth headset, the Tapster. It relies on touch inputs, not moving ones (other than a wee power button), meaning you'll be able to administer a gentle stroke to adjust volume or a light tap to answer a call. It all sounds quite intuitive and convenient -- providing of course the thing doesn't start dialing when someone bumps into you on the subway. No word on price, but if all goes well you could be pairing these over Bluetooth 2.1+EDR A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, and HFP by the end of the year. [Via Shiny Shiny]%Gallery-45443%
Motorola's S9-HD looks white as a sheet
The follow-on to Motorola's sporty and moderately popular (for a stereo bluetooth headset, anyway) S9 may not have launched yet -- a disappointment, considering the original plan for a Q2 release when it was announced at CES -- but perhaps a little last-minute paint job was the reason for the delay. We've now spotted the S9-HD in a bright white getup with blue accents, a far cry from the black of the model shown at CES (and presumably still slated for launch) or the red of the original, but let's not kid ourselves: this one has a way better chance of finding its way into an ear canal or two. Hopefully we'll see it within a few weeks -- just in time for a successor to be launched at CES 2009, no doubt.
Venturi Mini uses lots of RF to get music from phone to car stereo
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]
The Etymotic etyBlu: a less ridiculous looking successor to the ety8?
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?
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]
Sony goes ape with A2DP stereo Bluetooth accessories
In addition to their new S-series Walkmans announced earlier, Sony also unleashed a whole suite of Bluetooth 2.0 accessories all supporting the A2DP profile for untethered stereo audio. Starting top-left and moving clockwise, we find the WLA-NWB1 Bluetooth adapter exclusively for the new NW-S700/S600 series players and on sale in Japan November 18th for ¥7,000/$59. With that installed, you can listen in from either the DR-BT20NX (¥20,000/$167) neck strap system or DR-NT30Q (¥13,000/$109) mini-cans each with microphone and support for a wide range of profiles for use with cellphones, handsfree kit, or any portable audio player. What's more, you can control any of those devices supporting Bluetooth's AVRCP profile. Also announced are the HWS-BTA2W (¥8,000/$67) transmitter/receiver and TMR-BT10 (¥8,000/$67) transmitter for enabling just about any device with Bluetooth stereo audio. Rounding things out is the big ol' 6-watt, SRS-BTM30 Bluetooth speaker (¥14,000/$117) which includes a stereo mini-jack with up to 15 hours of continuous playback off battery. These will all hit Japan October 21st. And when they land in the US, we might even proclaim that A2DP has indeed, arrived. See all the accessories in their biggie pic glory after the break.[Via Impress]
Motorola Q to have A2DP support?
It seems we didn't quite pore over the Motorola Q FCC draft user's manual as well as we'd initially thought. In fact, it looks rather like Motorola may have actually added Bluetooth A2DP support to the Q, like, totally without telling us. Then again, this could just be dummy copy or text pulled from another manual as a placeholder -- we just don't know. Still, with all the delays plaguing this thing's launch, it'd be nice to know that there's a little nugget awaiting us at the end of the wait, even if it's something as simple as additional Bluetooth profiles (on a Verizon handset, no less).[Via MS Mobiles]
