Hasta La Gadget!

And you thought those Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles from last fall were hot stuff. Truth be told, they still are, but Recon Instruments’ plans for the future make the present seem downright mundane. Here at CES, the company has just revealed its next-generation technology, which should be ingrained in its next line of specs. The big news here is that the revised platform will be based on Android, enabling developers to craft apps and in turn, owners to customize their GPS-enabled goggles in ways not previously possible. Moreover, the technology will be available separately from the company’s own eyewear, with a “snap fit” version ready made to work with Uvex, Alpina and Briko products. Wearers will then be able to navigate through the interactive LCD in real-time with the use of a wireless remote, and Recon hopes to eventually craft the first pair of goggles with a real-time navigational system. You’ll also get Bluetooth capabilities, allowing users to connect with their smartphones and see their music playlists, caller ID and text messages. Head on past the break for the full rundown, and do your best to not get those hopes too high. As if it’s not too late for that already.

Continue reading Recon details next-gen GPS goggle technology: Android, Bluetooth, endless fantasies

Recon details next-gen GPS goggle technology: Android, Bluetooth, endless fantasies originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s better than a Cruiser? Why, a Cruiser2! A year after unveiling the original, Jabra is using CES to launch its first revision of the aforementioned in-car speakerphone. This guy packs Bluetooth 2.1, dual microphones, an internal speaker and a built-in FM transmitter that beams tunes and talk to your car stereo. You’ll also be greeted with voice guidance in nine different languages, and the internal battery will last through a solid 14 hours of yapping (or 13 days in standby). Moving on, the Chill corded headset and USB-powered Speak410 PC speakerphone are also debuting here in Vegas, with prices on those set at $29.99 and who-knows, respectively. Get the whole skinny just after the break.

Continue reading Jabra debuts Cruiser2 in-car speakerphone, Chill / Speak410 VoIP calling accessories

Jabra debuts Cruiser2 in-car speakerphone, Chill / Speak410 VoIP calling accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — We’ve seen more than a few “wireless boomboxes” that can stream music from your computer to a set of remote speakers. Few promise as much as the inMotion Air from Altec-Lansing.

Announced here at CES Wednesday, this unit seemingly has all the bases covered. It can stream your music library from your computer up to 300 feet away via its own wireless adapter, and it can stream the songs stored on your phone or your iPad via Bluetooth. It’s smart enough to be able to navigate your existing shared iTunes or Windows Media libraries, and it comes with a remote control that works with both file systems, so you can call up songs, playlists or internet radio stations while the thing sits next to you on the back porch. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will be good for seven hours, the company promises.

The design of the inMotion Air is stark but monumental: It’s an austere, slim wedge with silvery buttons on top and a handle built into the back to carry it. It weighs a little more than a pound, and it comes in a matte black finish or in gunmetal gray. We haven’t had a change to hear it yet, so we can’t comment on the sound quality. It will cost $200.

Connecting wirelessly involves plugging a small adapter into the host computer. The adapter also has stereo outputs on it, you can just plug your desktop speakers into the adapter and leave the thing plugged in without having to swap any cables whenever you want to switch from one speaker system to another.

Anyone sitting nearby can sync their phone or iPad to the inMotion Air by connecting over Bluetooth and make it play the songs stored on their devices. Audio playback over Bluetooth is notoriously sub-par, but Altec-Lansing says it’s tried to keep the quality higher than average by using the Apt-X codec. The technology boosts the fidelity and clarity of the audio coming over the Bluetooth signal, Altec-Lansing claims.

See Also:

• TDK Resurrects the Boombox
• Ears-On With the SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth Boombox
• Sonos S5: All In One Wi-fi Boombox
• AirPlay Can Stream to Apple TV From Any iOS App – Not Just iTunes

Texting while driving is deadly, for serious. But, letting someone else read to you is rather less risky, and talking isn’t so bad either — in moderation, anyway. Bring those two together and you have OnStar‘s solution, an upcoming Bluetooth app that will read text messages and status updates to you and, somewhat more interestingly, lets you speak a custom message that will be transcribed to your recipient. Fascinating? Absolutely, but we can’t wait to hear what sort of fun and cheeky mistranslations come out of that feature. You can also post voice messages to Facebook and say things like “call back” to return a call. The app is, as of now, intended for Android devices only and is set to hit the Market sometime in the first half of the year, and at least initially it’ll only work on cars that have Bluetooth or those equipped with the company’s new aftermarket mirror, though you’ll have to be paid up on your OnStar dues if you want to use it. Full details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading OnStar announces Bluetooth voice app, reads your Facebook messages to you

OnStar announces Bluetooth voice app, reads your Facebook messages to you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Nook owners just aren’t ever satisfied, are you? First, reading wasn’t enough so you went ahead and rooted to get your Angry Birds on. That was all fine and well, until that Froyo hack came along and (maybe?) nuked your device. If your confidence hasn’t yet been shattered, strap on your seatbelt for the latest chapter in the life of the Nook Color after e-reading. Apparently user occip over at the always-hacking xda-developers found a way to enable the currently dormant Bluetooth radio tucked away in some undisclosed cranny of B&N’s colorful Nook. This one’s not for the faint of heart just yet — you have to be on Froyo already, and that’s a feat in and of itself. Still, it paves the way for things like Bluetooth GPS dongles as well as headsets for apps like Skype. We’ll see what happens when B&N releases 2.2 officially, which should be pretty much any day now…

Nook Color Bluetooth chip shows signs of life — if you’ve already hacked it, of course originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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