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Is iPhone OS 3.0 a boon for the accessory market?

At Tuesday's iPhone OS 3.0 preview event, Apple unveiled several new features of the iPhone operating system, including the capability to create applications specifically for interfacing with third-party hardware. Examples given included a five-band EQ interface for speaker docks, or an FM transmitter control that allows you to select broadcast frequencies based on signal strength.

This may sound like a benign little announcement to most people, but as someone who closely monitors trends in iPod accessories, I expect that this will be huge for the industry. What company isn't going to want to differentiate its products with a slick app?

I expect that everything from battery chargers to stereo Bluetooth headsets will (for better or worse) be given the app treatment. The products won't necessarily be any better for it, but the gee-whiz appeal alone will probably carry manufacturers and consumers through to the end of the year.

The nightmare for me is going to be all the apps I'll need to download for each iPod and iPhone accessory I review. Every speaker and every dock will likely require an app download to get the full picture of the product. Version updates for apps will also be a pain. If Altec Lansing hypothetically updates the EQ control on the app for its latest line of speakers, suddenly, I'll need to add a note to all its product pages.

But there are some potentially cool things to come out of hardware-specific applications. Here's what I'm looking forward to seeing:

Buttonless products. Call it the "Shuffle Effect," but if you can migrate all of a product's controls to the iPhone's touch-screen interface, then why have buttons? I'm not saying it's a good idea, necessarily, but the potential makes it inevitable that we'll see a product like this sooner or later.… Read more

Buy an iPod Touch, get a $50 gift card

Apple's price on the second-generation iPod Touch (8GB): $229. Best Buy's price on the same model: $229.99, plus sales tax in most states.

However, the latter is currently offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of the 8GB Touch. That's a pretty solid deal if you're planning to do more shopping at Best Buy anyway.

Because I continue to encounter folks who, shockingly, don't know what the iPod Touch is, here's the scoop: it's an iPhone without the phone. It plays music, movies, games, photo slideshows, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. It surfs … Read more

Logitech Bluetooth headphones, $30 shipped

When you hit the gym, the treadmill, the bike trail, or whatever, the last thing you want is a headphone cord flopping around and getting tangled in stuff. Alas, iPods and most other MP3 players lack Bluetooth, so cordless listening is out.

Or not: Logitech's FreePulse Wireless Headphones combine a universally compatible Bluetooth adapter with a lightweight, rugged set of headphones (or neckphones, if you want to get technical). ClubMac has the Logitech FreePulse for $29.87 shipped. Price just about everywhere else: $80 and up.

Happily, these are new 'phones, not refurbs, and you don't have to … Read more

Is new Bond movie antitech?

Among the many other problems with the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace, I was particularly struck with its seemingly careless stance on technology.

While I know they're just movies, the Bond franchise films--like Ian Fleming's novels--have always been geopolitical snapshots of the time in which they were made.

According to this movie, the British are pinning their hopes on skillful driving and fisticuffs to get the job done, while those dabbling in high-tech solutions to solve world problems are off-the-mark.

As in Casino Royale, there is no Q. Apparently, in this Bond's world, MI6 does not arm its agents with insight and tools from teams of high-tech experts. The few gadgets used are pitifully unimaginative. (CNET News readers wrote in better gadget ideas.)

In Quantum of Solace, Bond has a cell phone he can use to call MI6 and give the name of a potential villain he's met. MI6 can look up the name and send a photo of the guy to Bond's cell phone to confirm it's the same guy. Guess what? I, too, can call a friend, have them look up a name, background, and photo; and have the info sent to my cell phone. So can millions of teenagers.… Read more

Get a Logitech Harmony 550 for $49.97 shipped

Tired of juggling remotes? Replace them all with the Logitech Harmony 550, which sold for $150 when it debuted a couple years ago, lists for $129.99 now, and is available from P.C. Richard & Son for just $49.97 shipped. No rebates, no refurbs: These are new units.

In case you're not familiar with them, the Harmony remotes are renowned for offering (relatively) easy programming via desktop software, which is available for both Windows and Mac systems. Just choose your home-theater hardware from an extensive (and frequently updated) database, then set up your desired activities ("Watch … Read more

Get a Logitech Harmony 880 remote for $69.99 shipped

Among home-theater enthusiasts, Logitech Harmony remotes have always rated fairly high. They're easier to program than most (thanks to browser-based software), they're packed with features (most notably built-in help), and they're quite comfortable to use. However, the higher-end models tend to be pretty pricey: witness the Harmony 880, which originally sold for $249. If you don't mind a refurbished remote, you can pick up a Harmony 880 for just $69.99 shipped.

Although this model is a couple years old, it's still one of the top options in the Harmony line. It features a color … Read more

Cut the cord with $19.99 stereo Bluetooth headset

Grumble, grumble. I was going to post about the Asus Eee PC 900a that Best Buy is selling for $299, but fellow CNET blogger Michael Horowitz beat me to it. (Still waiting to learn what Netbooks have to do with "defensive computing," Michael. Ahem.)

Instead, let's revisit the Jabra BT8010, a stereo Bluetooth headset that TigerDirect has on sale for $19.99. I've covered it before: CNET rated it four stars out of five for its convertible design, OLED display, and music-playback features.

During business hours, the BT8010 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one … Read more

How to get a Sony Reader for $149.99 shipped

My two cents on e-book readers like the Sony Reader: awesome technology, overpriced hardware. I just can't see paying $299 for one. But $149? Now we're in the ballpark.

If you don't mind applying for a Sony Visa card, that's exactly the deal you can get. Here's how:

First, apply online for the credit card, which promises instant approval (assuming you have decent credit, natch). Sony's offering a $150 credit when you purchase something priced at $299 or higher--like, oh, the Sony Reader. Add one to your shopping cart at SonyStyle (in your choice … Read more

Talk hands-free with $20 Samsung Bluetooth headset

Still holding your cell phone to your ear? How 20th century. With a Bluetooth headset, you can leave your phone in your pocket--and walk around looking as if you're talking to yourself. Car Toys has the Samsung WEP200 Bluetooth headset for just $19.99, plus a ridiculously reasonable $1.95 for UPS shipping.

The WEP200 is a couple of years old, but even by today's standards, it's impressively compact. As noted in CNET's review (and the First Look video up above), it fits comfortably in the ear and has good controls, good sound quality, and a … Read more

Get an iPod/iPhone FM transmitter for free (after rebate)

If you want to listen to your iPod or iPhone in your car, you have precious few options. You can spring for a pricey stereo dock that requires pricey installation. You can use one of those tape-deck adapters, assuming your car is old enough to have a tape deck. Or, you can try an FM transmitter, which broadcasts audio from your player to an unused band on your stereo. Buy.com has such a product, the aptly named Av Lab iPod/iPhone FM Transmitter, for free after a mail-in rebate [PDF].

Compatible with most iPod and iPhone models, the transmitter … Read more