Jabra, purveyor of absurd and dorky ear-jewelry to corporate stooges the world over, has invented the Solemate, a portable, battery-powered Bluetooth speaker with a sneaker sole glued to the bottom.
Jabra, purveyor of absurd and dorky ear-jewelry to corporate stooges the world over, has invented the Solemate, a portable, battery-powered Bluetooth speaker with a sneaker sole glued to the bottom.
This is the original Parrot Asteroid Classic car stereo head-unit ($349), and it made quite a splash when it launched last year. The single-DIN, 4×55 watt receiver boasts a formidable array of features: Bluetooth connectivity, powerfully accurate voice recognition for both calls and music, a GPS receiver, a bright, 3.2-inch LED screen and a quiver of apps that run off its customized, upgradeable, early-vintage Android 1.5 OS (all of which require a data connection via a dongle).
Though this model was originally called the the Asteroid (no Classic), the Classic nomen was added to lessen confusion as three new models were announced a few months ago. However, the Asteroid Classic still very much in play; in fact, as this review goes live, the Classic is the only member of the Asteroid family currently available, as its new siblings haven’t shipped yet.
With its Android-based OS, you’d be forgiven if you thought the Asteroid Classic was more friendly to Android phones than the iPhone. In fact, the opposite is true, as I’ll explain later. And while it suffers from something that can probably be described as teething trouble, it’s still a lust-worthy system.
For us gamers, the great thing about having a smartphone in your pocket all day every day is that you’re never too far away from your next fix of Angry Birds or Grand Theft Auto 3. The thing is, some games — first-person shooters, in particular — work better with physical controllers.
The creators of GameKlip have recognized that, and they’ve put together this mount that connects your Android smartphone to your PlayStation 3 controller. It’s terrific — if you don’t mind rooting.
Plantronics has a long and storied past making headsets, with their devices even gracing the heads of Apollo astronauts. Here on Earth, it seems impossible to avoid noticing one of their iconic Voyager line of Bluetooth headsets protruding out of someone’s ear while walking down, say, New York City’s Broadway or Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The latest incarnation of their legendary line, the aptly named Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset ($100), gets some high-tech upgrades, a slimmer profile and improved sound.
We’re always on the lookout for a good peripheral and if there’s one company that does peripherals, it’s Logitech. Their latest creation looks like something of interest for all us multi-device power users. Logitech’s new Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 is as the name applies — an illuminated Bluetooth keyboard. What makes it so special? Its ability to quickly and easily switch between your Bluetooth devices.