Archive for September 22nd, 2009

Most Bluetooth headsets opt for the minimalist look.  That’s great for some…but what if you want everyone to know you’re rocking BT?

Enter BlueRider’s DT-BSH-02 Bluetooth headset.  This device eschews the single ear design for stereo earmuff headphones and a long boom mic.  With the DT-BSH-02, you won’t look like you’re just talking to yourself, you’ll look like you’re landing the space shuttle.  Retro.

Green is good, and Samsung is jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon with their GT-S7550.  The device is made from recycled plastics, and features a solar-powered touchscreen that can actually charge the phone.

Now, I don’t know if I like the idea of my phone being made from tossed water bottles, but the solar recharging screen makes a lot of sense.  I’m curious to see how long it actually takes for the phone to be fully recharged with solar, although even in a worst case scenario this technology should give you at least a few extra minutes of talk time.

Samsung only released label pics today, but the pic below from cogadget.com shows the face of the GT-S7550.

Biker hand signals seem dangerous to me.  You have to take one of your hands off the handle bar, and at night there’s really a good chance that you’ll miss the hand signal all together.

Enter Linearity Electronics’ WIP-1200.  This wireless device consists of turn signal lights and a control unit.  You attach the lights to the back of your bike, and place the control unit near your hands.  These two devices communicate wirelessly, so all you need to do is press a button to turn on your turn signal.

The only problem here is that unlike a car turn signal, this one doesn’t cancel automatically after you complete your turn.  However, the signal does have a 15 second timer for an automatic turn off.

Oddly, the WIP-1200 also hides another feature – it will charge your iPhone.  The light unit has a USB port, so you can plug in your electronics into the unit if you need a charge.  Not intuitive, but you can never have too many device chargers.

Here’s a good idea for kids scared of the dark.  This rug has a motion sensor, and it lights up when you step on it.  I image that this would be good for bio breaks in the middle of the night.  I just wonder about the Cars branding – I hope Disney comes out with a more current model soon.

To be honest, I’m not completely sure what products need FCC approval.  But I was surprised when the fluorescent light tube above showed up on the FCC approval list today.

My guess is that even light bulbs operate at a certain frequency, and the FCC must ensure that this doesn’t interfere with other devices.  But who knows, really?

By my count, that’s two induction stove tops in the span of a few hours.  Ternal’s model, the CJ-512D, also passed through the FCC today.  It seems like the induction cooking market is really starting to heat up.  Heyoooo!

Induction heating is the next big thing in the cooking industry.  Instead of using a hot element to head a pan, induction systems create a magnetic field between the stove and the pan, which generates heat only on the cookware.  Induction heating allows you to control temperature more precisely, and it’s also safer, since only the pan gets hot.  The only downside is you need to use magnetic cookware such as stainless steel – ceramics or aluminum won’t work.

An induction heating hotplate by Fissler passed through the FCC today.  I imagine these things need to be certified to ensure they don’t create interference.  This portable model seems like a good alternative to those that don’t have an actual induction stovetop, but want to try the technology.

There have been rumors that Motorola wants to spin off it’s mobile phone unit, and that kind of makes you wonder what the non-mobile phone Moto will do.  Well, if the MBP30 is any indication, Motorola is looking to get into a broad range of new markets, including baby monitoring.

This device, which looks like it came straight from Star Trek, actually looks like one of the better baby monitors I’ve seen.  Instead of just listening to your kid, the MBP30 brings you live video that’s displayed on the handheld unit pictured above.  If you’re afraid of waking your child, this thing can operate in night vision mode, using infrared LEDs to view your kid in the dark.

The MBP30 operates on the 2.4 GHz channel, so you’ll still need to remain relatively close to your kid.  But with the NFL season starting up, this device will help you to maximize your time on the sofa.