It is illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving in California. A similar cell phone ban recently kicked in over in the province of Ontario. While you could certainly partake in a regular Bluetooth headset or even a wired headset, it may be more comfortable in the long run to consider a Bluetooth speakerphone instead.

One of the troubles that you’ll encounter, however, is how to keep this speakerphone charged up when you are constantly on the road. The car charger cable can be cumbersome and you don’t want to uninstall it every time you want to bring it home for charging. Overcoming this very concern is the Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone. Harnessing the power of the sun, you may never need to plug it into a power outlet.

Features and Box Contents

In terms of raw functionality, the solCHAT doesn’t really break the mold. It’s there to accept your phone calls, letting you chat without having to hold anything up to your head. There’s a powerful speaker and a built-in microphone.

Easily the biggest selling point here, of course, is the integrated solar panel. Using the provided mounting equipment, you can attach the solCHAT to your windshield with suction cups. This way, the solar panel is constantly facing the world around you and it’s getting power all day long.

Aside from the suction cup mount, there is also a metal clip that can be used to attach the Scosche solCHAT to your car visor. This isn’t quite as good for solar power, but it may be more convenient for some. There’s also a USB cable and car adapter if the solar panel isn’t keeping up with your power needs.

Easy to Use with Voice Guidance Too

To get your way through the functions of the Scosche solCHAT solar-powered handsfree speakerphone, you are only using three buttons on the face.

The biggest button does just about everything. You hold it to turn it on, turn it off, and start the pairing process. Shorter presses are there to answer and hang up on calls. For the purposes of handsfree utility, it may have been better to include a larger button, but this one works just fine. The other two face buttons are to adjust the volume. You probably won’t be using these nearly as much, since you’ll find your desired volume level and stick with it.

To further add to the ease of use, the solCHAT offers all sorts of voice responses. When you enter pairing mode, a somewhat robotic female voice will tell you that you are doing so. When you turn it off, the voice will tell you that it is disconnecting and shutting off.

These voiced directions are incredibly pervasive. Instead of having to stare down at the smaller display of your cell phone when you get an incoming call, the solCHAT will announce the caller ID with the incoming call’s digits. Pretty handy, but it would have been even better if it could use text-to-speech to announce the caller’s name instead.

Voice Quality During Calls

As mentioned, the speaker on this device is very strong and I was able to hear everything loud and clear whenever I had a call.

Asking the person on the other side of the line, it seems that the microphone on the solCHAT is about on par with other handsfree speakerphones. The voice quality on that end is reasonably clear, but you may sound a little “distant” compared to when you are using a regular headset or the phone’s microphone itself.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for something positively revolutionary in its approach to handsfree phone calls, you may want to look somewhere else. However, the Scosche solCHAT does offer two important features that make it a better option that most other Bluetooth speakerphones.

First, the integrated solar panel is a definite plus, since you will never need to worry about charging this device. The suction cup-based mount is perfect for this purpose. Second, the voiced announcement for caller ID and other functions aid in the user-friendliness, but I would have preferred a text-to-speech solution for caller ID.

The Scosche solCHAT is a great Bluetooth speakerphone. It’s compact, easy to use, and offers good voice quality. Just make sure that you don’t park in shadier neighborhoods with this attached to your windshield.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Most importantly, we know about the effective date for Bill 118, also known as the “Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act.” There are some other stipulations in there, but the most important part for our purposes is the restriction on handheld phones while driving.

The Ontario cell phone ban kicks in on Monday, October 26, 2009. That’s less than a month away, so you may want to go shopping for some sort of handsfree device. I’m sure all the Bluetooth accessory retailers in Ontario are more than happy with the passing of Bill 118.

The new law goes into effect on October 26, but ticketing doesn’t start until February 1st of next year. That gives you some buffer time to adjust to the change, but if you do get caught, you can be hit with a ticket as high as $500. You won’t get any “points” though.

Source: MobileSyrup

In effect, you’re getting a portable MP3 player that’s even smaller than the iPod shuffle, since the headphones and the player are one and the same. It’s like getting the Oakley Thump but without the sunglass part.

The Thanko MP3 Micro Sport looks like a really small Bluetooth headset, fitting snugly into your ear for all your Green Day and David Bowie-listening needs. To get the stereo sound effect, you attach the other earbud cord using the included mini-USB connection.

The net result is something that’s about the same size and configuration as a stereo Bluetooth headset, except it’ll come packed with your choice of music and podcast content. Just don’t ask me about the controls, since there don’t appear to be any very obvious ones on there.

Choose between the 2GB version for $55 or the 4GB model for $77. Find it for sale on GeekStuff4U.com.

Source: Crunchgear

You may know Verbatim better for its memory products, but the company also produces a range of computer accessories as well. Joining the lineup is the Verbatim Easy Rise Notebook Mouse family. There are three members to this family and they all take on the same unique feature.

When it’s time to stow them away in your bag, then can drop down into a relatively flat and slim profile. When it’s time to take them to use, you can actually adjust the height of the rear portion to make for a more comfortable mousing experience. That’s certainly original.

There are three versions of this notebook mouse. There’s the Easy Riser Notebook Optical Mouse with a retractable wired USB connection ($19.99), the Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse ($39.99), and the Easy Riser Wireless Laser Mouse with Nano Receiver ($34.99).

Look for all three Easy Riser Mice to launch this October through the usual channels.

Source: Verbatim

Instead of latching a traditional Bluetooth headset onto your ear, you wear a pair of rings on your hands. One ring goes on your pinky finger and this acts as the microphone. The other ring goes on your thumb and it acts as the earpiece. Yes, this is the same universal hand signal among surfers for being gnarly.

To make the functionality even more whimsical (and possibly very usable), the way that you answer an incoming call is to make that characteristic “phone” sign with your hand. The two rings detect the increased distance between them and then they pick up the call. To hang up, close your hand back into a fist.

If we were to continue with this line of thinking, wouldn’t it make more sense to have accelerometers placed in the rings that would detect when you were hanging up your make-believe phone on a make-believe base station? You know, like pointing your hand downward with the phone-hand configuration intact?

Either way, this is very weird and still just a design concept. I wonder if anyone at Nokia, Motorola, or Apple is paying attention.

Source: TheDesignBlog

Now that the iPhone can do the stereo Bluetooth thing, I have a burning suspicion that the market for stereo Bluetooth products could be on the rise in the months to follow. You could certainly invest in a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones to enjoy your music, but what if you want to share those tunes with the people around you? The new Yubz Magnum could be just the ticket.

The barrel-shaped device is meant to be an easy way to get “music blasts” without having to mess with ugly wires and cables. It also functions as a Bluetooth speakerphone, handling incoming (and outgoing) calls with the best of them. It also has a handy carrying pouch for the traveling techie.

Features and Contents

The Yubz Magnum Bluetooth Speaker measures 210mm across and has a diameter of 65mm. It’s certainly small enough to toss into a backpack, but it’s probably a little too big to shove into your pants pocket.

Looking at the feature list, it is not at all surprising to find the A2DP Bluetooth profile supported, since that’s how you do the stereo Bluetooth thing. Unfortunately, it’s only doing this with Bluetooth 1.2, so the speed and range may leave a little to be desired. It would have better if Yubz invested in Bluetooth 2.0 instead.

The two 3W speakers shoot out of either end of the cylinder, offering a frequency response of 150 Hz – 20kHz. Power comes by way of either four AA batteries (not included) or the USB/AC adapter cable.

Inside the fashionably designed box, there is the Yubz Magnum itself, a carrying bag, instruction manual, 3.5mm stereo mini cable, USB cable, shoulder strap for the carrying bag, and a USB-to-AC adapter.

The “Hidden” Buttons, Jacks, and Lights

The faux leather surface gives the Yubz Magnum Bluetooth speaker a certain air of style and prestige, but more importantly, it adds some grip. The textured surface also hides the buttons very well, which can be perceived as a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your preferences.

Personally, I don’t mind the idea of buttons that blend into the surface, but they should light up when in use. Otherwise, you really have to stare at the device to tell what you are pressing. Further still, the button for going to the previous track points to the right and the button for going to the next track points to the left. That’s backwards, Yubz.

Similarly, the indicator light can be quite difficult to see. There are two LEDs (one red and one blue) hidden behind the YUBZ logo and these light up, ever so faintly, to indicate power, connection, incoming calls, and so forth.

To make matters even more confusing, you’ll find two small jacks in the Magnum as well. One of these is for the 3.5mm stereo mini cable and the other is for the power cable, but they look very similar.

I understand that the Yubz Magnum is largely meant to be trendy and fashionable, but I need it to also be user-friendly. Everything could be laid out more clearly and easier to see.

Sound Quality for Music Blaster

Using the stereo mini cable is simple enough, but the Bluetooth pairing process is relatively straightforward as well. You hold the power button until you see alternating red and blue lights, set up your Bluetooth-enabled music phone, enter the default passcode (0000), and then you’re good to go.

Considering that you only get a pair of three-watt speakers, you really shouldn’t expect all that much in terms of sound output. And your expectations would be accurate. I’d say that the Yubz Magnum sounds about as good as a conventional clock radio. Prepare to be underwhelmed.

The range, largely thanks to the BT 1.2 standard, is also disappointing. I got about 15 feet away and the sound started to break up. Any walls at all will also have very adverse effects.

Usability as Bluetooth Speakerphone

The Yubz Magnum can also be used as a Bluetooth speakerphone and incoming calls will automatically interrupt your music. Answering an incoming call is done by quickly pressing the power button. When the call is done, hit the power button again and you’ll hang up. The music will automatically resume.

The voice from the incoming call comes in loud and clear through the stereo speakers, but the built-in microphone on the Magnum isn’t up to snuff. My voice was filled with echoes and background noise on the other end of the line.

Conclusion

On paper, it seems that the Yubz Magnum Bluetooth Speakerphone and Music Blaster is a good idea. The barrel shape with faux leather surface certainly makes it look like a premium device. The “hidden” controls add to the svelte appearance and the ability to use this both as a speakerphone and Bluetooth music speaker is a definite plus.

However, the performance and usability isn’t quite up to par. The Bluetooth range is far from the best (you won’t get the claimed “up to 30 feet” range) and the sound quality is about as good as a $10 clock radio. Yes, I know it’s small, but I wanted more.

Listed at US$109.95, the Yubz Magnum isn’t the cheapest solution on the block either. I think it’s a good first effort, but Yubz needs to make some improvements to Magnum 2.0.

Overall, I give it a 6.5/10.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is currently working on a new standard for Bluetooth that would effectively piggy-back or work with a WLAN (Wi-Fi) based connection. As it stands, you can only get a maximum speed of about 3Mbps. The new standard can bump that up to 24Mbps.

Dubbed Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed (BT 3.0+HS), this is the next logical step beyond Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. The objective of this project is to improve interoperability between Bluetooth devices, but it’s the speed improvement that’ll capture your interest more than anything else.

In effect, WLAN will be added to the MAC layer, physical layer, and other layers of the existing model of Bluetooth. I still don’t think that it’ll be quite as speedy as a physically wired connection, but that’s a small price to pay for the convenience of wireless. 24Mbps sounds pretty good to me.

Source: Techon