The Palm Pre takes Best of CES.
(Credit: Palm)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 Bluetooth Headset and Cradle
(Credit: LG)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 LG's e-Clip ergonomic earbud on the back. Once you dock the headset into the speakerphone however, the audio automatically transfers to the speakerphone, and you can now use it like you would a Bluetooth speaker. This also works in reverse; when you take the headset out, the audio will transfer to the headset. The speakerphone has a clip on the back so you can easily clip it to your car's visor. This is a great option if you want both a Bluetooth speakerphone and a Bluetooth headset in one compact package.
The headset's talk time is up to 4 hours while the speakerphone/cradle talk time is up to 7 hours. No word on price or availability.
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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.
LG HBM-530 is studded with Swarovski crystals.
(Credit: LG)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 of costume jewelry. Both price and availability are to be determined, so you'll have to wait a while if you want it.
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 assures us that video game console versions will be coming soon.
For more on how the Psyko 5.1 works, check out Tom Merritt's first look from the CNET stage.
The Nokia BH-804 is quite possibly the world's smallest headset.
(Credit: Nokia)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 a desktop stand and a neck strap. Though it's small, the BH-804 will set you back a pretty penny: it costs around $144 retail.
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 of 8 hours and up to 160 hours in standby. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but we suspect it'll be some time this year.
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BlueAnt Q1 to be available in Q2 2009.
(Credit: BlueAnt)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 phone, automatic volume control, dynamic receive signal frequency equalization, and multipoint technology, which lets you connect to two phones simultaneously. And, of course, it has that BlueGenie voice interface that the V1 has.
The device is quite the looker; slim with a metallic sheen. It measures 2.17 inches by 0.63 inch by 0.27 inch, has up to 4 hours of talk time, and 120 hours of standby time. It will retail for $129.95 and won't be available until the second quarter of 2009.
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iVoice Diamond-X Bluetooth headset
(Credit: iVoice)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.
View complete CES 2008 coverage from CNET.
Griffin SmartTalk Bluetooth headset
(Credit: Griffin Technology)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 in the car.
