speakerphone

BlueAnt does it again with the BlueAnt S1

BlueAnt is no stranger to Bluetooth speakerphones. The BlueAnt Supertooth 3 and the Supertooth Light from years past were favorably reviewed, and for good reason. The Supertooth 3 especially impressed us due to its ability to translate text to speech, which meant it could read out incoming caller IDs to us.

The latest BlueAnt S1 is not quite so advanced (it is meant to be a lower-end and more affordable model), but it does add a couple of cool new features the others lacked. The S1 has multipoint technology, which means it can connect up to two devices simultaneously, and … Read more

BlueAnt announces the BlueAnt S1

BlueAnt introduced a new visor-mount speakerphone at CTIA 2009, called the BlueAnt S1. Designed to work in the car, it has pretty much the same features as the Supertooth 3, except it has support for A2DP. That means you can stream music wirelessly to it from a device that has stereo Bluetooth. It's not really meant as a stereo speaker system though, so don't expect it to replace your expensive car stereo.

Like the other BlueAnt devices, the S1 lets you use your voice to make and answer calls. It also has multipoint, which means it can connect … Read more

Scosche releases SolChat solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone

Hot on the heels of announcing that it would be making accessories for the third-generation Shuffle, Scosche has "gone green" with a $100 solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone for cars.

If you haven't seen one before, these types of speakerphones represent one of the better applications of solar-charging in a consumer device. The device adheres to your windshield and collects sunlight to charge the internal lithium ion rechargeable battery. A USB charging cable and car adapter ships with the device so you can charge at night and on days with insufficient sunlight. A windshield suction-cup mount and sun visor … 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

Speakerphone Not Working for Some iPhone OS 2.2 Users

Some users have reported an issue in which the speakerphone function does not work under iPhone OS 2.2. A sampling of reports from this Apple Discussions thread:

"After updating to 2.2, when I press the Speaker button while making a call, the audio vanishes. Yes, I have turned the volume all the way up. I have rebooted the phone. I have plugged in earbuds and removed them. Everything works as expected except the speaker-phone function." "I have the same problem. My speaker phone was fine, more than loud enough. Then, I installed 2.2 and … Read more

Getting chatty with the Parrot Minikit Slim

With its simple interface and slim profile, the Parrot Minikit Slim is a very attractive looking Bluetooth speakerphone.

Dig a little deeper and you'll find an intuitive feature set that makes placing calls from the device simple. However, use the Minikit Slim for an extended period of time and you'll begin to notice a shoddier build quality than you'd expect from an otherwise great device.

Read the full Parrot Minikit Slim review.

Sony Ericsson claims 25-hour talk time on HCB-108 speakerphone

On Tuesday morning in London, Sony Ericsson unveiled its new HCB-108 Bluetooth speakerphone. The most interesting feature can't be seen by looking at the photos. Rather, it requires a peak at the specs, specifically the claimed battery life.

Sony Ericsson claims that a fully charged HCB-108 can remain in standby for a month, which is the longest claimed standby time in its segment. For those who'd rather use their hands-free device than watch it sit idle, the HCB-108 will let users talk for a claimed 25 hours before needing a recharge. Of course, these are claimed times and … Read more

Review: Ego Cup

With many states recently passing laws requiring the use of hands-free cell phone devices while driving, we're seeing a flood of new Bluetooth gadgets into what is already a pretty crowded market.

The Funkwerk Ego Cup is one such device, promising clear calls without fear of a citation. It stands apart from similar devices by mounting in a cup holder, which can be a blessing or a curse.

Read the Funkwerk Ego Cup Review.

Wireless speakerphone for chaotic households

Introducing the latest appliance for today's digital household: the wireless speakerphone.

No longer associated only with office conferences, the speakerphone is finding its way into kitchens and family rooms as well. Granted, there are many other variations built into answer machines or the handsets themselves, but they're often afterthought functions that don't emphasize quality. So GE's newest land-line system that uses DECT technology has added a cordless speakerphone that features "True Digital Sound" for "enhanced voice reception."

We're still not sure who would need something like this, unless you're a … Read more

Bluetooth cushion for lazy callers

At first glance this might seem like ridiculous proposition, and for $531 it probably is. But if you talk a lot and don't have a decent speakerphone or other way to have a comfortable hands-free conversation on your mobile phone, the "purCushion" might not seem as silly as it looks.

Except for taking photos, this Bluetooth cushion includes several basic phone functions, according to GeekAlerts, including volume control, muting, redialing, and other features, with 8 hours of talk time and 300 hours on standby per charge. And unlike most handsets, it's washable.