iPhone Bluetooth Headset Available For Order

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,

If you’re like me, you’ve been holding out on purchasing a Bluetooth headset for your iPhone because you wanted the official model from Apple. Well, it may not have been available for purchase at the launch of the iPhone, but it’s now available for order on Apple’s online store. For a price of $129 USD, you walk away with the iPhone Bluetooth Headset, the iPhone Dual Dock, and the iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable which lets you charge the headset while on the go. The iPhone Bluetooth Headset give you 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 72 hours of standby time, and automatically pairs with the iPhone. Don’t get too excited, though, as the estimated shipping timeframe is 2-4 weeks according to Apple.

Read More | iPhone Bluetooth Headset Product Page

Strapyas for Cell Phones

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Misc. Tech,

We don’t generally pay much attention to phone straps but we discovered this site that has the most absurd as well as the most creative we have seen. Yakuza’s Strapya has characters that range from Kewpie Dolls to the inevitable My Little Kitty. From left to right, we found the Mean Guy, based on a Japanese cartoon character, for 980 Yen (~$8.00,) the Neon Ball for 350 Yen (~$2.86,) and the Drunk Guy for 400 Yen (~$3.26.)

Read More | justamp

Motorola To Release Two New Clamshells

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Music,

Motorola has unveiled two new cell phones in Taiwan. Their L72 SLVR features the same 11.5 mm thinness as its L7 forefather, and now also has a 2 mp cam with zoom and auto-focus, HSDPA, an FM tuner, a micro SD card slot, and CrystalTalk for improved tonal quality. The Maxx V1110 (shown here) updates the Vodaphone V1100 and works on mostly the same technology as the L7 but has a 1.3 megapixel camera. Contact Motorola for future availability and price.

Read More | engadget

The Gear Live iPhone Review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Internet, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews,

Now that we’ve spent two weeks with the iPhone, we are now ready to hit you back with our in-depth review and impressions. Needless to say, Apple generated a lot of hype with the iPhone, and many feared it would flop in the face of near impossible levels of pre-release fanaticism. Thankfully I am glad that after a full weeks usage I can attest: Apple actually pulled it off. They lived up to or exceeded every single promise they made about the iPhone.

As a preface, our impressions are quite favorable overall, but the iPhone does have a few flaws. Regardless of those flaws, we think this will be an industry-changing phone and will raise the bars for Microsoft, Symbian, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, and other competitors in the mobile marketplace. We expect them all to produce better phones featuring integration, ease of use, and stability all orders of magnitude ahead of what they now offer.

Click to continue reading The Gear Live iPhone Review

BetUS Places Odds on iPhone Reliability

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Internet,

Since the launch of the iPhone, there has been a ton of hype. So much so that the Website BetUS came up with odds on what the outcome of owning one would be. We wanted to show you what they felt would be issues so that down the road, should your new gadget decide not to perform up to expectations, they can say, “I told you so.”

• Consumers are reported camping out waiting for an iPhone—3/1
• Initial iPhones get recalled—30/1
• iPhone sells at least 12 Million units in 2008—5/6
• Apple’s stock jumps at least 10% in value in regards to the price on 6/30/07—1/2
• Consumers pay at least three times the original price ($1,500) on eBay—2/1
• The screen breaks/cracks like Apple’s first-generation iPod nano —150/1
• There are mass reports of the battery life being less than the promised 8 hours—10/1
• Someone is trampled while trying to get an iPhone—20/1
• iPhone spontaneously combusts—150/1

We haven’t heard of any tramplings or screen breakage as yet, but there appears to be plenty of time to decide if your iPhone made it 8 hours without a charge. Let us know.

Read More | Live Science

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Smartphones, Handhelds, Misc. Tech, PC / Laptop, Portable Audio / Video,

This is the slogan that Dr. Mary Ann Cooper of the American College of Emergency Physicians at Chicago has come up with to remind you that it’s not just trees that can make you a lightning target. Physicians are reporting that they are having to treat patients for burns who have been out in thunderstorms and get hit through their laptops, PMPs, beepers, and cell phones, and other metal enclosed devices. Although it does not work the way lightning rods do, Dr. Cooper says,  “It’s going to hit where it’s going to hit, but once it contacts metal, the metal conducts the electricity.”

Read More | ABC

Belkin to Release Wireless USB Hub

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, USB, Cameras, Smartphones, PC / Laptop, Wireless / WiFi,

Belkin has been very busy of late. Their latest offering is a Wireless 2.0 Hub that allows you a USB connection up to 30 feet away to devices such as scanners, printers, storage drives, and cameras. It will transfer at speeds of up to 480Mbps, and comes complete with hub, dock, and USB and power adapters. Available in North America in late August for $199.99, those of you in Asia, Europe, and Australia will just have to wait a bit longer. Contact Belkin for more information or to find a retailer near you. 

Read More | Belkin

Sprint Shafts its Subscribers

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Editorial,

Word has it that Sprint has a few lessons to learn when it comes to public service. June 29, it sent out letters to customers telling them it would shut off service effective July 30, claiming “the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs.”

After noting this again on one of our local stations, we understood this to mean that about 1000 subscribers calling the company too many times in one month were subject to this cessation of service. Now it appears that about 200 of these turn out to be U.S. Army soldiers, according to Sprintusers.com., where one soldier nicknamed “Shafted” has made plans to contact his senator and every other media outlet he can because cell phone service complained about roaming charges.

Our point here is this. If a company is going to be rude to an extent that more than a few stories are reported about them in a negative way, can they survive in a highly competitive cellular market? In this case, we really have to wonder.

Read More | BetaNews

InvisibleShield Protects Handheld Devices

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Handhelds, Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,

We understand that many iPhone users are already in love, so it is no surprise that there are companies jumping on the gadget’s bandwagon and offering accessories like this InvisibleShield by ShieldZone. Created for the military to protect helicopter blade edges, they not only provide protection for PMPs, PDAs, and cell phones, they will custom make one for anything you own that is handheld. The ShieldZone comes with a lifetime replacement for only $24.95 for your iPhone. After viewing the demo, we think we would buy one just to be able to have something to keep our pizza on, pepperoni-side down.

Read More | ShieldZone

Adapters Bloom When Devices Reach Full Charge

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Design, Handhelds, Smart Home, Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,

Because chargers still utilize energy on standby, these Energy Saving Adapters, designed by Gilles Belley, individually hook up in a strip to visually let you know when your cell phone, PMP, laptop, or camera is fully charged. Don’t respond within 3 minutes, and the power is automatically cut off for you. Although still only a prototype, this is definitely an improvement over the usual green and red lights. We were thinking that if you just pay attention, you won’t need a device, pretty as it is, to take up more energy while fulfilling its purpose.

Read More | Yanko