SuperTooth was assteemed the Car Accessory of the Year award by iLounge for it’s SuperTooth HD Bluetooth hands-free device. As reported here on SvenOnTech, the HD unit has superb sound and amazing staying power with its 20 hours of talk-time and up to 1,000 hours of standby. The visor mounted HD stays out of your way and points the speaker toward your ears. All around, good stuff and iLounge agrees.

View Press Release »

SuperTooth is a French maker of Bluetooth accessories and SvenOnTech already has a couple of its products in the labs for testing. Reviews are coming real soon. But today, we learn that SuperTooth pulled an HD and now has a speakerphone that goes beyond the phone! It will let you send SMS, E-mail, Facebook, and Twitter messages all from your voice. Dude, hands on the wheel the whole time. “No officer, I was not texting and driving. Seriously.” The gadget works with Blackberry and Android for the extra cool features and the iPhone and Windows Mobile for speakerphone only. (I thought there would be an App for that. Mmmm.) Deets below in the press release.

Press Release
SuperTooth, creator of the concept of a Bluetooth speakerphone that could be clipped onto a car’s sun visor, is launching the SuperTooth HD this year – the most advanced Bluetooth speakerphone on the market, with three times more power than other models and the ability to communicate on social networks all via voice commands.

“Using wireless devices in the car has been identified as the leading source of driver’s not paying attention on the road, with cell phone use increasing the likelihood of crashes fourfold,” said Yves Le Reun, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The SuperTooth HD gives consumers a hands-free solution to talk and text on their phones so they can abide by the law and focus on driving.”

Boasting Twin Speaker V Array Technology, the SuperTooth HD features two speakers with a 5 watt audio output and a 5.4 watt amplifier, making it three times more powerful than any other speakerphone. The built-in dual microphones pick up voices more clearly. Together, these advanced audio features produce unrivaled audio quality in both emission and reception.

State-of-the-art voice commands are designed to provide a hands-free solution for phone use to make the driving experience safer. Using just voice commands, drivers can answer incoming calls, select pre-dialed phone numbers, check battery level or retrieve voicemail. The SuperTooth Handsfree Assistant feature allows drivers to compose and send Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and SMS messages all via voice. The SuperTooth HD can also read incoming SMS and e-mail messages on Android and Blackberry phones via the specific application. The SuperTooth Handsfree Assistant is powered by Dial2Do.

The SuperTooth HD is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled phones, including iPhones, Blackberrys and other smartphones with an Android OS or Windows Mobile operating system.

No installation is required – just clip the SuperTooth HD onto a sun visor, pair it with the phone and enjoy comfortable and safe phone calls while driving. A USB cable and in-car charger is also included.

The SuperTooth HD will be available in April 2011 for MSRP $129 at department, specialty and mobile phone stores nationwide.

Readers of SvenOnTech will know my love for anything AKG and Harman continues to bring more of the audiophile love to the States with two new wireless headphones. The K830BT is a Bluetooth headphone that gives you simple play, pause, forward, back, volume, and call answer and hangup remote capabilities. Like the K840KL, it belts out sweet music to your ears via its over the ear headphones. While the K830BT uses compression to get the music to your dome, the K840KL uses, “Kleer wireless technology features CD-quality sound with uncompressed 16-bit, 44.1kHz audio reproduction”. Read the release below for more on the goodness.

Press Release
HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR), today announced the availability of two new wireless headphones, the AKG K 830 BT and AKG K 840 KL. Running through the airport, catching the next conference call or listening to the latest tunes on the plane will be a much more pleasant and stress-free experience with the new AKG® wireless headphones.

Perfect for the constant jetsetter who takes calls on the run yet enjoys listening to tunes on the train, the K 830 BT features Bluetooth® technology and is compatible with iPod and iPhone models, and other Bluetooth portable players. For the audiophile who wants to lose himself in music without being bound by a cord, the K 840 KL features Kleer® wireless technology and streams lossless CD-quality audio over the air from iPod and iPhone models, or other portable music players. Both pairs of headphones feature a proprietary 3D-Axis2 folding headband for a comfortable fit without pinching or ear fatigue.

The ear-cup-mounded control on the K 830 BT headphones allows users to raise and lower volume, and answer and end phone calls, and can play, pause or skip music tracks. Users can leave their source device safely in a pocket, backpack or briefcase while on the go with up to eight hours of playback time between charges. A directional microphone, also on the ear cup, eliminates the need for a boom mic.

The K 840 KL headphones deliver pure, uncompressed 16-bit stereo audio over a robust 2.4 GHz radio link, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the music with virtually no interference. With these mini on-ear headphones, users can freely move as far as 65 feet from the audio source and still enjoy high-quality sound. For added convenience, users can adjust the volume on the actual ear cup, as with the K 830 BTs. The K 840 KLs also feature an extended battery life of up to two weeks in normal use.

“Phone charger, laptop AC adapter, iPod headphones – we have too many cords in our lives,” said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. “AKG is proud to introduce innovative products that continue to bring studio-quality sound to every ear for a portable and more seamless experience in our everyday lives.”

Availability

The AKG K 830 BT mini on-ear headphones featuring Bluetooth technology are available now for $249 at www.harmanaudio.com/AKG830BT. The AKG K 840 KL mini headphones featuring Kleer wireless technology are available now for $299 at www.harmanaudio.com/AKG840KL.

AKG K 830 BT Features

· Bluetooth wireless technology streams music and phone calls from any Bluetooth device
· Volume, music and phone controls on-ear cup limit the need to interact with source device
· Directional microphone on-ear cup offers compact design while eliminating the need for a boom mic
· Comfortable fit enables hours of continuous listening with no pinching or ear fatigue
· 3D-Axis2 folding headband folds compactly for easy portability
· Long battery life includes up to eight hours of playback time between charges

AKG K 840 KL Features

· Kleer wireless technology features CD-quality sound with uncompressed 16-bit, 44.1kHz audio reproduction
· Extended battery life gives listeners more playback time and less downtime with up to two weeks between charges with normal use
· Extended operating range offers more freedom of movement, working more than 65 feet from the audio source
· Comfortable fit allows for hours of continuous use with no pinching or ear fatigue
· Passive noise reduction effectively seals out most ambient sounds for undisturbed listening
· 3D-Axis2 headband folds to fit into a compact hard carrying case for easy portability

About HARMAN

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the 12 months ended December 31, 2010. The company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

There are a lot of nifty docks out there for your iPhone but little in the way of making your iPhone a, well, phone. AltiGen Communication is today revealing the iFusion SmartStation at MacWorld in shiny white or Darth Vader black. It accepts your iPhone on the specially made dock and connects to the phone through Bluetooth. You can now make calls on your iPhone and speak to the caller either by the handset or built-in speakerphone. When not taking calls, the SmartStation allows you to play music on your device through the its internal speakers. All this while your iPhone is being charged and gets a quick sync.

Press Release
AltiGen Communications, Inc. (Pinksheets:ATGN) (OTCQX:ATGN), the leading provider of software-based Unified Communications solutions, today introduced the iFusion SmartStation, a revolutionary new docking station for the iPhone, at Macworld 2011 in San Francisco, CA.

Using Bluetooth technology, the iFusion extends a traditional telephone handset and hands-free speakerphone with amazing voice clarity to the iPhone. With the iFusion, you have easy access to a dock connector port for syncing or charging, and an audio line out port for connecting to powered speakers via an optional audio cable, eliminating the need for a separate dock. With support for A2DP Bluetooth streaming, users are able to enjoy their favorite iPhone music over the internal speakerphone.

“This breakthrough device provides the ultimate desktop experience,” said Niel Levonius, AltiGen’s Director of Corporate Strategy. “Offering optimal comfort, convenience and style, the iFusion has been designed to complement the look and feel of Apple products, while meeting the demanding requirements of today’s iPhone users.”

The iFusion offers numerous benefits to home and business users:

- An ergonomic handset and speakerphone provides a traditional desk phone experience
- iPhone dock connector for syncing and charging
- Bluetooth A2DP streaming allows users to enjoy their favorite iPhone music over the internal speakerphone
- Audio line out port for connecting to powered speakers via an optional audio cable
- Clean industrial engineering designed to compliment Apple products.

“Macworld 2011 is the one place that showcases the creativity, enthusiasm and genius of the Apple developers, as well as the wide variety of new accessories available for Apple users,” said Paul Kent, Vice President and General Manager of Macworld 2011. “We are excited to be a key launch partner for AltiGen’s iFusion docking station, a groundbreaking iPhone accessory for home and business users.”

Pricing & Availability
iFusion will be available in the US in April 2011. Two models, in glossy white and glossy black finishes will be priced at $169.

Preorders will be accepted, beginning January 27th, 2011 at www.thefusionphone.com

Technical Product Information
iFusion includes support for the Apple iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4. Bluetooth 2.1 EDR wireless technologies, Apple Dock Connector, USB 2.0 pass through port for device synching to your Mac/PC, and 3.5mm stereo output for Bluetooth A2DP wireless music streaming.

So what will Nic be up to all next week at CES? Well, for one, he will be jumping out of a plane to make a big landing into Vegas for the big show. You know he’ll be at all the clubs schmoozing it up. You can be sure to find him at the Convention Center floor all week long. Oh, he might sleep, too. To track Nic’s calorie intake as well as output, BodyMedia is inviting you to Follow Nic’s Band. Not Nic’s favorite rock band, no, his BodyMediaFIT Armband BW. It’s the thing that you see in the image here that will be hidden under his shirt sleeve…or maybe it won’t because he’ll be going crazy running shirtless through the Hilton lobby. It’s hard to say for sure what Nic will really do but what ever it will be, we’ll know how it’s effecting his body.

The “band” is a wearable body monitor system from BodyMedia that, “Uses four unique sensors to track thousands and thousands of data readings, outputting them to show you your calories burned, steps taken, physical activity and sleep duration and efficiency.” The armband contains a Bluetooth radio allowing it to connect to your iPhone or Android-based phone to update the monitor application. With the application and a portal website to gather all your food and activity, you will be able to fine tune your daily intake and workout to insure you are on the right track to losing weight.

The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW, available at www.bodymedia.com, retails for $249.00, while subscriptions for the BodyMedia FIT Activity Manager vary by length; a one-month subscription costs $12.95, a six-month subscription costs $9.95 a month, and a 12-month subscription costs $6.95 a month.

iGrill is doing much more than simply redefining how we cook and grill, it’s changing the way we socialize. iGrill is taking the labor-intensity out of meal preparation and offering back the most valuable commodity of all: Time! Its secure, long-range Bluetooth connection lets you enjoy time with family and friends without compromising the quality of your cuisine!

Finalist for the Bluetooth.org’s 6th Annual Best of CES 2011 Awards – Innovator of the Year (winner to be announced at CES), iGrill’s Bluetooth-enabled grilling thermometer has garnered the attention of Apple, who choose the product to participate in Apple’s Made For iPod, iPhone, iPad Developers’ Program. Apple saw the potential of a device that is so perfectly paired with their product line and features a seamlessly integrated, feature-rich App. Because of Apple’s open architecture, iDevices was able to develop a free App designed to not only enhance the iGrill experience, but also the cooking experience itself.

iGrill Thermometer Features:
•Bluetooth®-enabled with 200 foot+ range.
•Compatible with iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.
• Features touch interface and projection display.
•Stand-alone thermometer.
•Multi-probe capacity.
•Integrated probe storage.
•Alarm settings.
•Multiple positions for extra flexibility and easy storage: standing, laying and hanging.
•Capable of tracking temperatures up to 400°F (204°C).

iGrill App Features:
•iGrill connectability.
•Food temperature option.
•Multiple-probe support.
•Shows remaining cooking-time.
•Multiple view options.
•Recipe browsing/sharing.
•Kitchen timer.

“We are extremely excited by the launch of iDevices’ first product, iGrill, which is already up for a ‘Best of CES’ Innovator of the Year award,” said Christopher Allen, CEO, iDevices Inc. “iGrill is the first of an entire suite of home and lifestyle oriented products that iDevices will be developing in 2011 to enhance Apple products’ user experience.”

Available through Apple Stores & iGrill Site

Priced at $99.99, iGrill is available immediately through www.igrillinc.com and Apple Stores across North America. It comes with one iGrill probe and display equipped with long-range Bluetooth®, useful Apps, and 4 AA batteries. iGrill is the first in a line of products created by iDevices geared towards the Apple lifestyle
For more information, visit www.igrillinc.com phone: 1-888-WE-iGRILL(1-888-934-4745).

The revolutionary new AcuTouch 9500/HT-Connect™ from Human Touch® works with the popular iPhone®, iPad® or iPod® touch to provide a fully personalized massage and wellness experience via Bluetooth. MSRP: $5,999.

By easily downloading the FREE HT-Connect app on Apple iTunes, users can instantly connect to the AcuTouch™ 9500 to enjoy the ultimate massage and wellness experience at their fingertips, with such features as:
· Sixteen+ expertly designed massage programs that are constantly being added to HT-Connect, designed to fit each individual’s specific needs. This includes prescribed massage programs from Human Touch’s Wellness Council experts, including PGA Golfer Tim Clark, former NBA legend Bill Walton, fitness trainers, doctors of Chiropractic, massage therapists, and more.

· Limitless customization options allowing users to tailor their AcuTouch 9500 massage chair wirelessly, based on their own personal wellness needs.

· Instant access to wellness tips and expertise from the Human Touch® Wellness Council, who offer their expertise and advice on how to live better through regular massage, proper relaxation and other wellness practices.

· Quick and easy Espresso Shots that allow the user to point to specific pain points on their body using their wireless device to create a completely customized five-minute massage when in a hurry.

· Much more: built-in foot & calf massager, adjustable massage intensity, preset posture positions that remembers the individual’s settings for future use, dual-lumbar heat, and that’s only the beginning of what AcuTouch 9500/HT-Connect can do.

Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and ZTE USA, Inc., introduce the Verizon Wireless Salute™. Available today, the lightweight, slim slider phone offers up to 240 minutes of talk time and up to 220 hours of standby time on a single charge. It is a reliable handset with the most important features customers need in a single device, including a 1.3-megapixel camera, speakerphone and Bluetooth® headset support.

Key features:
· Stylish slider design
· Large 2.4-inch screen
· 1.3-megapixel camera
· Mobile Web capable
· Messaging options include: text, picture and voice messaging; Mobile Email; Mobile Web Email; and Chat capable
· Bilingual interface: English/Español
· Micro USB 2.0 compatible

Lifestyle features:
· Bluetooth® technology with support for the following Bluetooth profiles: headset, hands-free, phonebook access, and object push for vCard and vCalendar
· Media Center provides access to downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more
· Social Beat application – offers a single point for accessing social networking sites, allowing customers to stay connected to Facebook®, Twitter™ and MySpace®, plus more than 50 news, sports and entertainment feeds
· Backup AssistantSM application – saves and updates a copy of the phone’s address book to a secure website
· VZ Navigator® capabilities for customers to receive audible turn-by-turn directions to millions of points of interest and share the directions with others
· Preloaded with Bing Search

Price and availability:
· The Salute is available today at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
· For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

APTX today announces that Chord Electronics Ltd., the renowned British manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, has included apt-X in every Stereo Bluetooth enabled module in the company’s recently launched Chordette range of compact Hi-Fi components. Available under license agreement to consumer electronics OEMs and mobile computer OS developers, apt-X audio coding ensures that the performance of wireless audio systems, such as Bluetooth, truly facilitates the precision reproduction of the full spectrum of audio frequencies (20Hz – 22kHz) required for a genuine Hi-Fi sound experience.

apt-X makes Hi-Fi systems Bluetooth-friendly

Chord implements apt-X in four of nine new Chordette modules – PEACH, GEM, MAXX and TOUCAN BLUE – to guarantee both the stereo quality and signal integrity of wireless audio content streaming from diverse types of Bluetooth A2DP enabled media players such as Apple iPod, iPhone and Mac, as well as PCs, mobile phones and gaming consoles. Hi-Fi users typically prefer listening to music archived in high-definition uncompressed and “lossless” formats (eg, FLAC) rather than highly-compressed “lossy” formats (MP3, AAC).

Commenting on the deployment of apt-X in Chordette modules, John Franks, CEO of Chord Electronics said: “The PEACH – the next-generation DAC module in the Chordette range – is designed to interface Hi-Fi systems to digital audio sources streaming high-quality stereo audio via Bluetooth A2DP. For true Hi-Fi sound, Stereo Bluetooth really needs apt-X.”

Noel McKenna, CEO of APTX, said: “These are extraordinary times for apt-X in several respects. First, there’s the healthy uptake of apt-X by more and more consumer audio brands, both the mass-market types and niche pro-audio high-ends like Chord. Second, there’s the up-lift in brand awareness of apt-X thanks the growing number of CE products carrying with the apt-X logo now selling via major electronics retailers like Amazon and Apple Store. Third, and not least, there’s the turnaround in industry respect for Stereo Bluetooth as the go-to wireless technology for streaming high-quality audio.” Back in January, APTX, together with Creative, won the “Best of CES” Bluetooth SIG award at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the Inspire S2, a wireless 2.1 speaker system featuring apt-X.

The Chordette range comprises the following modules: the Chordette TOUCAN BLUE is an apt-X enabled Stereo Bluetooth headphone amplifier; MAXX is an apt-X enabled Stereo Bluetooth high-power amplifier; PEACH is a 4-input high-performance DAC (apt-X enabled Bluetooth, USB, coaxial SPDIF, optical TOS-link); and GEM, a standalone DAC featuring inputs for apt-X enabled Bluetooth and USB. The remaining modules in the identically-styled, frame-mountable Chordette line-up includes two high-spec power amplifiers (SCAMP and DUAL), a low-noise cartridge pre-amp (PRIME), a dual headphones amp (TOUCAN), and a compact Windows 7 media PC (MOGUL).

For most of us, it’s a given that we sometimes drive off and forget our cell phone, leaving it at home, at the coffee shop, or at work. It is a frustrating fact of life and, when it happens, we have to turn around and get it or live without our phone for the day. With the launch of a new product called Bringrr, today the chances of forgetting or losing your cell phone have been greatly reduced.

Bringrr is an amazingly simple product that provides you with the reassurance that you have your cell phone with you or with a reminder that you left it behind. It works in any car and with any phone that has Bluetooth capabilities. All you have to do is plug it into your car’s power port or lighter outlet and pair it with your cell phone. Once the car has started, Bringrr searches for your cell phone to confirm that it is in the car. If the phone is found, Bringrr sends out a short, reassuring auditory confirmation and its light will turn blue. If your cell phone is not detected, Bringrr will send out an auditory warning and its light will turn red.

Cell phones are an increasingly integral part of our lives, used not only for calls but for everything from e-mail to social networking to GPS to photography. That’s not to mention the tens of thousand of applications available for smart phones. Surveys show that 80 percent of consumers admit that occasionally forgetting their phone is a problem. Thirty percent of consumers said they would pay $30 to solve that problem, ensuring that the “phone reminder” accessory category, represented by Bringrr, will be a growing one.

“In today’s fast-paced mobile lifestyle, leaving your cell phone behind is something that everyone can relate to, particularly me,” commented Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group. “Bringrr has developed a simple device that gives its users an added safety net, helping to assure their critical cell phone is with them when they drive away. This is one of the few technologies that actually provides me (and possibly a CEO who runs a company named after a fruit) with one less thing to worry about; a forgotten phone.”

Features

· Works with any Bluetooth-enabled phone
· Works with any vehicle that has a lighter outlet or car power port
· Includes auditory and visual functions that either confirm or deny the presence of your phone in the vehicle
· Doesn’t require additional software on your phone
· Has a one-time setup and easy pairing process
· Offers an optional power port that can charge your phone

Pricing and Availability

Bringrr will be available in mid-July 2010 at www.bringrr.com. MSRP is US$35. ]]> http://svenontech.com/2010/06/22/bringrr-makes-sure-you-never-forget-your-phone-again/feed/ 0