bluetooth

Fitbit debuts Flex, first Bluetooth 4.0 tracker

LAS VEGAS--Personal fitness company Fitbit has just jumped further into the wearable tech market. The company unveiled its $99.95 Fitbit Flex device, an activity tracker designed to be worn all day and monitor movement, sleep, and calories burned.

Design The Flex is similar to other competing products in the growing personal fitness category such as the Nike FuelBand, and Jawbone Up. Built to be worn all day long, the appropriately named Flex is a soft bracelet encased in a rubbery skin. The idea is that it's malleable enough to stay firmly wrapped around your wrist but be comfortable … Read more

Get a Westinghouse Digital Bluetooth speaker for $79.99

Today I'm winging my way to CES, otherwise known as Geek Mecca. Deal posts will be a bit sporadic for the next few days while I check out the tech of tomorrow (and try to avoid getting trampled in the process -- the show is a madhouse, seriously).

One product category I expect to see a lot of: Bluetooth speakers. They're coming in all shapes and sizes these days, and prices are creeping ever lower.

For example: Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has the Westinghouse Digital Unplug Bluetooth speaker for $79.99, plus $4.99 for … Read more

Polk Audio's Woodbourne is a Bluetooth speaker with high-end refinement

LAS VEGAS--Bluetooth speakers are taking over CES 2013, but the vast majority of them are cheap, small, and seemingly indistinguishable.

Polk Audio's new Woodbourne is on the other end of the spectrum, with a stylish retro-looking design that's made to be the centerpiece of a room. The Woodbourne's mahogany wood veneer top gives it a furniture-like feel, not to mention its sizable footprint: 24 inches wide, 7 inches tall, 6.88 inches deep, and 17.5 pounds. Most Bluetooth speakers focus on portability, but the Woodbourne is meant to be placed in a room and never moved.… Read more

Ghost Bee moves music between headphones and speakers seamlessly

LAS VEGAS--With its innovative hi-fi docking station, the upcoming Ghost Bee headphones by BeeWi add a new level of versatility to a typically straightforward headphone experience.

According to BeeWi, Ghost Bee headphones can connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device to support stereo music playback or hands-free communication. Along the edge of one of the earcups are buttons that enable you to control your music or calls. These buttons lie flush with the molded plastic, giving the product an overall sleek look.

But the most intriguing thing about Ghost Bee is its unique hi-fi dock, which can be plugged into a home … Read more

Dexim's Music Talking Stylus marries talk with touch

LAS VEGAS--For years now, people who rely on capacitive styluses to get their work done have had one major complaint: they can't use them to take phone calls.

At least, that's what Dexim says. The Chinese manufacturer hit CES Unveiled today with a funky hybrid device that turns a regular capacitive stylus into a Bluetooth speaker, allowing people to take phone calls through their stylus because ... reasons.

"People don't want to carry around a bunch of different sticks," asserts Lucia Lu, the company's vice president of sales and marketing. Until now, she said, a … Read more

LG's compact speakers support everything: AirPlay, Bluetooth, NFC, DLNA, and dual dock

LAS VEGAS--Portable speakers are one of the simplest ways to amplify your tunes, but there are a surprising number of different standards for a simple product type, among Bluetooth, DLNA, NFC, and AirPlay. There's one easy way around the problem: support them all.

LG is debuting six portable and docking speakers at CES 2013, offering a wide range of compatibility with different wireless audio standards. The high-end ND8630 dock supports nearly everything: AirPlay, DLNA, NFC, Blueooth, dual dock (for Lightning-equipped iOS devices and some Android devices), and a minijack input. The battery-powered NP6630 is nearly as well-equipped, except it … Read more

Samsung's first portable Bluetooth speaker does NFC

Samsung embraced Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers in a big way last year with the gorgeous DA-E750 and its sister products, but surprisingly the company hasn't rolled out a portable Bluetooth speaker -- until today.

The Samsung DA-F60 is the company's first entrant to the booming portable Bluetooth speaker market. It features the apt-X codec, which offers better sound quality if your tablet or smartphone supports it. It also supports NFC (near-field communication), which makes it slightly easier to pair with compatible phones.

The DA-F60 is compatible with Samsung's SoundShare platform, which means it can be used as … Read more

Bem Wireless Outlet Speaker: Bluetooth audio that's truly plug and play (hands-on)

CES is always a coming-out party for new brands looking to get noticed. For 2013, you can add Bem Wireless (pronounced "beam") to that list. Among the upstart audio company's first products is the Outlet Speaker, a small Bluetooth model that brings a sensible design approach to the increasingly saturated wireless speaker market.

LAS VEGAS--As the name suggests, the Outlet Speaker plugs directly into any standard two-prong power outlet. It's not the first-ever plug-and-play wireless speaker -- the Klipsch light bulb speakers come to mind -- but the $100 Outlet Speaker does get props for being … Read more

SuperTooth readies two budget portable Bluetooth speakers for CES

I gave high marks to the original SuperTooth Disco bookshelf speaker when it dropped into stores last year, but I took issue with its inability to travel and of course, the lack of true stereo sound.

This year, the company will take to CES again to announce a portable listening solution called the Disco Twin that includes two separate speakers, giving you option to perch them wherever you like.

Wireless Bluetooth channels stream music to each device powered by 16 watts of audio juice, and the company's legacy "bass reflex system" in the back keeps the low … Read more