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When it comes to getting the most battery life and performance out of ultraportable machines and netbooks the most energy efficient and best performing components are needed. Anytime those components can be converged, allowing one item to do the job of several it is a good thing. Ralink has announced that it has delivered the RT3090BC4 wireless solution for netbooks and ultramobile computers.
Gadgets leaked by text are far less exciting than blurry, hurriedly-snapped photos, but we won’t turn up our noses at a preview no matter the method. It now appears that Cowon have a touchscreen MID in the works, the Cowon W2, according to a test page at the Bluetooth SIG, though specifications are still scant.
Apple patent applications either meet with resounding “I want that, give that to me now!” or “meh, why?” and it seems the reception to these iPod Bluetooth Headset illustrations is leaning toward the latter. The patent application shows a device similar in shape to the existing Apple Bluetooth headset, but that would have a detachable second earbud, an integrated display and onboard storage.
That storage would turn the headset into a full-blown iPod, similar to the shuffle. You would also be able to record voice notes, since it would have an integrated microphone, and of course it could be used for hands-free calling in the regular way. Apple’s application also describe a form of basic automatic volume adjustment that would change earpiece volume depending on the ambient noise picked up by the microphone.
Tempt you with a difficult-to-pronounce acronym, sir? No? Well how about a wireless head-mounted embedded Linux wearable computer? The work of Pascal Brisset, the WXHMD takes a pair of Vuzix VR920 video eyewear and straps to them a Gumstix Overo Fire computer-on-module stick, making for – with some wireless networking, a battery and a few other gizmos – a self-contained heads-up display ideal for telepresence work and augmented reality guidance.
The leaked inPulse Bluetooth watch for BlackBerry smartphones spotted earlier this month has been officially launched, with manufacturer Allerta offering the wireless timepiece for preorder. $149 gets you a 1.3-inch OLED display that can show previews of emails, SMS and other messages, together with incoming call details and alarms, helping you to decide whether or not to whip your BlackBerry out of your pocket.
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One of the worst things about Bluetooth headsets to me is that the devices take too long to charge and don’t offer enough run time to go for days. Those two caveats may soon change with a new Broadcom solution for Bluetooth headsets that promises huge improvements in charging time and talk time.
The Archos 9 PCtablet has been somewhat overshadowed by its smaller, Android-based sibling, but the French company would like to remind you that, with the debut of Windows 7, the 9-inch touchscreen “future of netbooks” is now available to buy. £449.99 ($748) gets you a resistive touchscreen, Atom Z515 processor and integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, all in a device 800g and just 1.7cm thick.
Live Archos 9 hands-on gallery after the cut
Our experiences with bone conduction have been mixed; we didn’t have fantastic results with Motorola’s Endeavor HX1 Bluetooth headset but a brief play with music-centric headphones have been more impressive. So we’re holding judgement on the Sanwa 400-HS015 Bluetooth sunglasses until we read a review: they hook up to your cellphone, PMP or notebook and stream stereo audio via the Bluetooth A2DP profile, but use bone-conduction rather than traditional in-ear buds.
Apple’s Magic Mouse is impressing us on the desktop, but what sort of evil spirits might be lurking inside? iFixit bravely donned protective eyewear and grabbed the nearest set of screwdrivers in order to strip the multitouch mouse down to its bare boards, in their latest Apple teardown.
After Dell CEO Michael Dell confirmed that the company’s Android smartphone would, in fact, make it to the US – albeit with some changes from the original Chinese model – details of a second Android-based device have leaked. According to Tinhte.com and another image supplied to SlashGear, you’re looking at the Dell Streak, a 5-inch WVGA 800 x 480 touchscreen Android 2.0 Donut MID, with WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G WWAN connectivity. Front photos of the Dell Streak – together with size comparison shots – in the gallery, together with a hands-on video after the cut.
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