headsets

CES 2009 wrap-up: Cell phones and smartphones

Though cell phones are just a small part of CES, the category made a big splash at this year's show with the first cell phone to win CNET's Best of CES award. But the Palm Pre was not the only device in Las Vegas; new devices also debuted from Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and LG, to name a few.

In the smartphone category, the obvious star was the Palm Pre, which scored a hat trick by winning not only the aforementioned Best of CES award, but also the Best of CES award in the cell phone category and the People's Voice Award. The Pre restored a bit of faith in Palm and more importantly, pushed the capabilities of a smartphone. The Pre promises to offer true multi-tasking on a phone and dazzles with its unique user interface, design, and features.

In addition, the Palm Web OS and App Store will only expand the Pre's (as well as future Palm Web OS devices) uses and capabilities. By raising the bar, Palm has certainly sent a message to its competitors and we suspect they'll step up and respond, which is always good for us since it will bring more innovation.

While the Pre might have grabbed much of the CES spotlight, it wasn't the only smartphone to debut at the show. T-Mobile announced the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 and T-Mobile Shadow, while HTC introduced its HTC S743 smartphone. Nokia also announced that it will bring a U.S. version of the Nokia E63 to market in the coming weeks, and we finally got some hands-on time with the Nokia N97. Looks like 2009 is shaping up to be another action-packed year for the smartphone space.

Motorola earned a Best of CES nomination with its Surf A3100 smartphone. The touch-screen device offers multimedia features in an eye catching design. And better yet, it puts a nifty and user-friendly spin on the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating.

Moto also introduced the Renew W233, a phone made from recycled water bottles, and the rugged and tough Tundra A76r for AT&T. We got a close look at both models. And though it wasn't introduced in Las Vegas, CES gave us our first opportunity to handle the style-centric and posh Motorola Aura.… Read more

LG HBM-800 is a headset and speakerphone in one

LG seems to be leading the way in combining Bluetooth headsets with other things. The LG Decoy, for example, was one of the first cell phones to have a built-in Bluetooth headset in the back. Now at CES 2009, LG has introduced the LG HBM-800, a Bluetooth headset and speakerphone in one. This isn't new--we've seen this before in this Kyocera Portable Speaker--but we can't think of many others like this one.

On its own, the headset is like any other Bluetooth headset. It has dual microphones for echo cancellation and noise suppression, plus it has … Read more

Hands-on with Altec Lansing's BackBeat Bluetooth headset

I don't often get excited about Bluetooth headsets, but Altec Lansing's BackBeat series is definitely worth a look. CNET's David Carnoy already reported the details of these Bluetooth beauties earlier in the week, but I thought I'd add some of my first-hand impressions, as well as a few photos. Hit up the Altec Lansing BackBeat slide show for all the details.

The LG HBM-530 is one bling-tastic headset

Bluetooth headsets are a dime a dozen at CES, so it usually takes a certain something for me to take notice. For example, the BlueAnt Q1 is stylish plus it boasts better audio quality than the rest, and the Nokia BH-804 is a teeny little thing that stands out for being so small. But sometimes all it takes is a little cheesy bling, like this Swarovski crystal-clad LG HBM-530, which LG debuted at the show. It features an e-Clip ergonomic earbud and a carrying cradle, but really, the only reason to get this is because it looks like a piece … Read more

Psyko 5.1 headset puts speakers where they've never been before

We've seen our fair share of surround-sound headphones, but the Psyko 5.1 PC gaming headset goes about it in a unique way. Instead of loading separate audio channels in each ear cup, the Psyko 5.1 places them on the unit's headband and it's the ear cups that house the actual subwoofers.

With the speakers located on the top of your head, the Psyko 5.1 relies on the strategic positioning of the channels in the headband to create the surround sound effect. Currently the Psyko 5.1 is only available for PC, but the company … Read more

Nokia shows off the BH-804 Bluetooth headset

Aside from the BH-904 Bluetooth headset that debuted at the show, Nokia also showed off its star headset, the BH-804, on the CES show floor. It debuted a few months ago, but we haven't gotten a chance to take a closer look at it until today. The Nokia BH-804 is one of the world's smallest headsets at only 1.6 inches long by 0.5 inch wide by 0.2 inch thick, and weighing only 0.25 ounce. It promises enhanced audio quality, and it comes with a tricolor LED for status indication. Also with the BH-804 is … Read more

Nokia introduces the BH-904 Bluetooth headset

Nokia showed off its latest Bluetooth headset at a CES press event last night, and it's called the Nokia BH-904. The big talking point of the BH-904 is that it is able to separate a user's voice from ambient sound, which helps in improving voice quality in crowded environments. It also has multipoint technology, which lets it connect to two different devices simultaneously, and a sliding boom design, for enhanced audio quality. The headset measures 2 inches by 0.8 inch by 0.4 inch and weighs a scant 0.6 ounce. It has a rated talk time … Read more

BlueAnt introduces the Q1

One of our favorite Bluetooth headsets for 2008 was the BlueAnt V1, the world's first voice-controlled Bluetooth headset. Well, BlueAnt is certainly not resting on its laurels. It just announced the BlueAnt Q1, a brand-new headset that combines the voice interface technology from the V1 with a stylish gunmetal design.

The new design promises to "virtually eliminate" wind and road noise, handling wind speeds up to 10 miles per hour. It also boasts dual microphone wind noise reduction, echo cancellation, and digital signal processing software for clearer voices. Other features include automatic pairing and reconnection to the … Read more

iVoice introduces Diamond-X Bluetooth headset

iVoice has just announced the Diamond-X Bluetooth headset, which is purportedly the first Bluetooth headset with the capability to report name of the caller from a phonebook.

The device has a shiny metallic sheen, comes with three different size ear gels, and offers features such as noise-cancellation and automatic volume control. It has a promised talk time of 5.5 hours and a standby time of 8.3 days. It will be available later this month for about $100.

Griffin unveils SmartTalk Bluetooth

Griffin Technology released the SmartTalk Bluetooth headset yesterday in conjunction with Macworld Expo 2009, marking the first ever Bluetooth headset from the company known for its iPod and iPhone accessories. The SmartTalk Bluetooth headset has a dual microphone design that promises great noise cancellation, with the ability to tell the difference between your voice and background noise. It also offers human voice confirmations during setup and use (In English and French). It's available now for $99.99, or you can buy it a bundle for $119.99 with PowerJolt, so you can charge either the headset or your iPhone … Read more