bluetooth

Bluetooth speaker made from 50,000-year-old wood

Bluetooth speakers are everywhere, so it's hard to come up with a way to distinguish a new design. An Indiegogo project called Petite Square is looking to stand out by building its enclosures out of ancient history. The speakers are crafted from 50,000-year-old wood excavated from bogs in New Zealand.

Ancient Kauri has been called the the oldest workable wood in the world. It's certainly easier to work with than petrified wood. The giant logs have to be raised out of prehistoric bogs, adding to the expense and rarity of the material. Still, there seems to be plenty available on the market for craftspeople to make musical instruments, carvings, and the Petite Square speakers.… Read more

Get an XtremeMac Bluetooth speaker with 30-pin dock for $39.99

When it comes to choosing a bookshelf speaker, you're often forced to decide between one with a dock and one that supports Bluetooth.

Thankfully, you can have the best of both worlds. Today only, and while supplies last, Tech.woot has the refurbished XtremeMac Tango TRX Bluetooth speaker with 30-pin dock for $39.99, plus $5 for shipping. It originally sold for $179.99, and the best price I've seen elsewhere (for a new unit) is $99.

As you can see in the photo, the Tango TRX sports a dock that can accommodate nearly any iPhone, iPod, or … Read more

ReelSonar Bluetooth bobber finds fish, maybe sea monsters

It seems to me the point of going fishing is to get away from the hustle and bustle and have some quiet time with yourself, a fishing rod, and an implacable expanse of water. There's never a smartphone involved in my imaginary ideal fishing experience. I'm going to have to revise my idea of a good day fishing if ReelSonar reaches its Indiegogo goal.

ReelSonar is a combination of hardware and an Android and iOS app. A Bluetooth Low Energy-equipped bobber sends sonar signals down into the water. The information, including the depth of each fish, is relayed to your smartphone.

The app also lets you map the waterbed and share the location of your fishing hot spot with your buddies, if you're the type who doesn't hoard your secret fishing areas. There's even a bite alarm, which should wake you up if you snooze off with the bobber out on the water.… Read more

'Beam Brush' lets you share hygiene data with dentists

Without the aid of a timer, how likely are you to brush your teeth for the recommended two minutes?

Not very, according to the folks behind a new smart toothbrush, the Beam Brush. They say the average person spends only 46 seconds brushing their teeth, but that a simple timer makes them 50 percent more likely to reach the two-minute mark.

So their Bluetooth-enabled brush, which debuted a year ago at CES, got FDA approval in June, and became available as of last week for $49.99, includes not only a sensor to track frequency and duration of brushing but also a timer that can play the user's music of choice for two minutes.… Read more

AfterShokz Bluez cut cord on bone conduction headphones

LAS VEGAS--You can't really call AfterShokz products earphones, because they don't go into your ears. The term "headphones" works, though. Last year at CES, the company unveiled its original design, corded headphones that send the music into your mind via your bone structure. The new Bluetooth Bluez takes the same approach, but it's all done in wireless style.

The controls and battery are integrated into the part of the headphones that wraps around the back of your head. A rubbery strip helps customize the fit and keep them in place for active users.

The big selling point is how AfterShokz keeps your hearing available for more important issues than music, like your boss yelling at you, or a car coming up from behind while you're jogging. The $100 Bluez is a couple of steps up from the originals, ditching the hassle of cords and other dangly bits that can get in the way while you're exercising.… Read more

At what point does lousy sound interfere with enjoying music?

I've always been obsessed with sound, and I've always wanted to hear my music with the best possible sound. It enhances the experience for me, because I can more clearly hear what the musicians are playing, and the subtleties in the mix, so I get more out of the music. That's true at home and for on-the-go listening, and even when I didn't have much money I still managed to put together a pretty good hi-fi. Then again, good sound is in the ear of the beholder, and that beholder may not be so sure about … Read more

SuperTooth touts in-car call quality with HD Voice

LAS VEGAS--Almost every new car comes with a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, but SuperTooth believes there is still room for a Bluetooth speakerphone car kit, as evidenced by its launch of the HD Voice at CES 2013. And with the HD Voice's advanced features, SuperTooth may be right.

A spokesperson for SuperTooth suggested the call quality was so good, the HD Voice would be preferable to use in cars over the native hands-free phone system. A bold claim, but the HD Voice does come with two microphones and two speakers, hardware that will not only enhance call quality, but … Read more

Parrot jazzes up sleek Philippe Starck speaker

LAS VEGAS--Wireless peripheral maker Parrot is showing off an update to its Philippe Starck-designed Zikmu Solo wireless speaker system. Due sometime this year, the system doesn't differ much aesthetically from the original model introduced back in 2009. The latest version, does, however, offer improved innards, powerful sound, and a lower price point.

The $999 Zikmu Solo has 2x100-watt output and a built-in 1GHz ARM A8 processor that the company says "controls the path of the coil of the bass loudspeaker in real time" to greatly reduce distortion during playback.

The 2.1 stereo audio speaker system features built-in Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC (for quick pairing). Aside from the array of connectivity features, the Zikmu also jives with DLNA for networked streaming and can even connect with another Zikmu (over Wi-Fi) for even more output. A built-in speaker dock at the top of the device works with older iPhones and iPods with a 30-pin power port.… Read more

Plantronics headset and speaker add PC support

LAS VEGAS--Plantronics has long had Bluetooth-compatible headsets and speakers, but people with PCs have largely been left out of the party.

Until now. At CES this week, Plantronics is showing a wide array of its headphones and speakers, many of which focus exclusively on Bluetooth compatibility. But with the Voyager Legend UC and the Calisto 620, PC users wanting to listen to their favorite music on their mobile devices or wanting to make VoIP calls from their PCs can play along.

With its Voyager Legend UC headphones, Plantronics is now offering the ability to listen in on audio from mobile … Read more

Looxcie heads to Europe through Apple

LAS VEGAS -- Looxcie, the company that sells a Bluetooth camera that livestreams events, has landed a deal to sell its cameras in Apple stores in Europe.

The company announced the news tonight at CES 2013. Looxcie's recently released HD camera will go on sale in Apple stores beginning January 23.

Looxcie also unveiled its new enterprise product tonight. The Vidcie, a more rugged Bluetooth camera model that has 8 hours of battery life -- the Loocxie model has about 4 hours of battery life -- and is aimed at those in work that could use recorded surveillance. Think … Read more