bluetooth

Swarovski disease infects Bluetooth

The "Swarovski disease"--as former Crave master Mike Yamamoto dubbed the jewelry company's tendency to bedazzle every gadget the tech world holds dear--has struck us right in the ear.

But with several hands-free laws on the book, it was only a matter of time before more blinging Bluetooth headsets made it to market.

In a way, it makes more sense to have a Swarovski-crystal-covered Bluetooth headset than to have other gadgets dripping in Swarovski. Since the device is hung on the ear, it may be mistaken for a giant piece of jewelry.

The company says its Breeze Black Bluetooth 2.0 headset … Read more

Review: 2009 Jaguar XF

On first getting into the 2009 Jaguar XF, the car seems like the ultimate in automotive tech. A red backlight on the engine start button pulses with a heartbeat cadence. Push it, and panels over the air vents open up while the shift dial rises from the console. That's right, a shift dial. Recognizing that most automatic transmissions are electronically controlled, the XF does away with a big legacy shifter, opting for a big dial that you turn to the different drive modes. The touch-screen interface uses a nicely designed set of menus, reminiscent of the LCARS computer interface … Read more

Philips GoGear SA5245BT review and photos

It's not often we get excited about a Philips MP3 player, but the Bluetooth-wielding, Rhapsody-integrated GoGear SA5245BT is a notable exception.

The GoGear SA5245BT sports a video-worthy 2.8-inch screen, along with a photo viewer, FM radio, voice recorder, and music player, for about $130 (4GB) and $170 (8GB). This GoGear MP3 player also comes embedded with Rhapsody subscription music DNA and an A2DP Bluetooth audio feature that works with both music and video playback.

If you're in the market for a wireless MP3 player with an accommodating screen, then be sure to check out our full review … Read more

Wedding kiosk lets guests upload digital well wishes

If a U.K.-based kiosk company has its way, weddings of the future will ditch the guestbooks and videographers and turn to event-goers to produce multimedia content. The Memorytube wedding kiosk lets friends and family line up to upload their pictures and record videos and type well wishes to a single device.

Memorytube Kiosks' 5-foot-tall personalized device records guests' video messages with an in-unit camera, and allows attendees to type in a digital guestbook and have their pictures taken.

In addition, event-goers with a Bluetooth phone or a memory card-equipped camera can upload their pictures and videos to the … Read more

Crave: Look out for the Bluetools!

It's all the goods from the Crave blog. Bonnie "Boom-Cha" is back with Brian, and they talk about iPhone 3G, the new Dark Knight phone, and eco-clubbing. Plus, Brian goes off on all the Bluetools roaming the streets. You know who we're talking about. All this and more on this week's Crave vodcast.

Review: 2008 Audi A8 L W12

The 2008 Audi A8 L W12 rests in a premier echelon of cars that combines extreme luxury with exceptional driving performance; these cars make it difficult to decide whether you'd rather be reclining in the back seat while a chauffeur drives, or up there where the action is, with your hands on the wheel. The back seats tempt with a DVD-entertainment system, power adjustment, and a refrigerator. The driver's seat offers control over the 6-liter 12-cylinder engine and superb all-wheel-drive handling for such a large car. All seats get treated to stellar sound from the Bang & Olufsen … Read more

Pairing your cell with Bluetooth? Buyer beware

I admit it; I've been in denial about my cell phone habit.

I'm a multitasker on the phone and I tend to make calls when I'm in transit. Why not get some of those calls I have to make out of the way while I'm walking or driving? (I really do try to not use the phone while on the bus so as not to annoy other passengers, but sometimes it just can't be avoided.)

Of course, I've known for months that I was going to have to curb the habit while driving because … Read more

Review: Ego Cup

With many states recently passing laws requiring the use of hands-free cell phone devices while driving, we're seeing a flood of new Bluetooth gadgets into what is already a pretty crowded market.

The Funkwerk Ego Cup is one such device, promising clear calls without fear of a citation. It stands apart from similar devices by mounting in a cup holder, which can be a blessing or a curse.

Read the Funkwerk Ego Cup Review.

California hands-free law sparks Bluetooth boon

The numbers are in for Bluetooth headset sales in California, and the retail hype around the new hands-free-driving law seems to have paid off. The law boosted device sales to four times the national average, according to a report by retail market researcher The NPD Group.

NPD said California's four largest markets--San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego--saw a major Bluetooth boost in the months before the law went into effect effect July 1.

In March, San Francisco sold two times more Bluetooth headsets than the national average. By May that number had risen to four times the … Read more