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Tangled up in Bluetooth
Listen up LL Cool Stevie J.: would it be really so hard to get your engineering posse on building Bluetooth into the iPod? Seriously, we'd settle for even a Bluetooth dongle at this point, just so we wouldn't have to get scrambled up in our headphones anymore. Because if you guys don't come out with something soon, then we're going to have to settle for these really mediocre things like this BluPod here -- all it does is display caller ID info on your iPod and turn down your music accordingly (oh, and it adds an FM transmitter, too). Ok, nevermind this BluPod (no word on its price, either) -- just get going on that iPhone, m'kay?
USRobotics releases two Skype-certified handsets
USRobotics has just released two new Nokia-esque Skype-certified handsets for the Internet telephony lover on a budget, with the USR9601 USB Internet Phone retailing for just $50, and the USR9602 USB Internet Mini Phone (pictured) going for a mere $25. Both models feature a numeric keypad (duh) for speed dialing your Skype contacts or utilizing the SkypeOut feature if that's your thing, with the 9601 also sporting a back-lit LCD for call status and the all-important Skype caller ID. Also part of the package is some whiz-bang technology that promises to cancel out the echoing and tunnel effect that apparently plague lower-quality handsets; we're not quite sure what they're referring to, though, as every VoIP call we've ever made has been crystal clear and of the highest possible sound quality.
Citizen readies VIRT Bluetooth watch for release
Ever since we saw Seiko's CPC TR-006 prototype watch with built-in Bluetooth, we've been anxiously waiting for a piece of stylish wristwear that also makes a fuss when we get a phone call, and displays Caller ID info so our smartphone never has to leave its belt holster. Well our long wait will finally be over on July 7th, but in a cruel twist of fate, instead of that not-unfashionable Seiko, the first Bluetooth watch to market will be a rather hideous looking model from Citizen with a tiny screen and gaudy blue buttons marring the face. Besides sporting that disaster of a design, though, the W700 VIRT Bluetooth watch doesn't sound like it's all that uncomfortable to wear, with its sub-two-ounce weight paling in comparison to the those G-Shock shackles some people weigh down their arms with. Plus, you get a pretty decent five-day battery life, SPOT-like charging dock, and best of all-- at least for cellphone addicts -- an optional alert for notifying you if your phone ever travels a potentially-traumatizing distance from your person. Only 5,000 of these pieces will be sold during the initial rollout, but even if they're offered at a very reasonable price (which we highly doubt), sales will probably be limited to only the geekiest most hardcore early-adopters.[Via Wrist Dreams]
"Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance" to allow seamless roaming over seven countries
About one hundred million Asian mobile subscribers are about to experience a better roaming experience around the continent thanks to a new multi-carrier initiative to create a so-called "Virtual Home Environment." Seven wireless providers covering eight countries and regions -- NTT DoCoMo (Japan), FET (Taiwan), Hutchison Essar (India), Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong and Macau), KTF (South Korea), Indostat (Indonesia), and StarHub (Singapore) -- have formed the "Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance," as it's tentatively known, to eventually enable seamless voice, video, and data roaming across their networks. According to the joint press release, when the initiative goes live in the latter half of the year, GSM/GPRS and W-CDMA customers will also enjoy access to the basic services they've become accustomed to, such as caller ID and quick access to voicemail and home carrier tech support via short-code service.
