Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Wireless

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Sony_s_SOCOM_PS3_Bluetooth_headset_get_official’; Sony Computer Entertainment Japan just got official with its PlayStation-branded SOCOM Bluetooth headset (model CEJH-15002) we’ve seen bouncing around since June. Set for a ¥5,000 (about $46 tax inclusive) release on October 30th in Japan along side SOCOM:CONFRONTATION, the Bluetooth 2.1+EDR headset with noise cancellation will automatically pair with your PS3, making it ready for games supporting on-line chat like SOCOM and Resistance 2 coming November 13th. The bundled USB cradle will charge the headset for up to 8-hours of voice. As a bonus, when used with the PS3 you’ll be treated to on-screen indicators showing your connection status, battery charge and speaker levels and microphone mute status all at the push of a button. And for those of you wondering, yes, it should pair just fine with your cellphone since it supports both the HSP and HFP Bluetooth profiles.

[Via I4U]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio

A lovely picture like this can mean only one thing — the fine feds over at the FCC are leaking another unannounced product. You’re looking at the new Slacker G2 WiFi radio which appears to have slimmed down from the original Slacker Portable while moving the skip and play/pause buttons to the front of a the device. A peek at the guts reveals a Broadcom BCM4325GKFBG chip which means 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, and FM receiver. We also spotted 4GB of flash storage and a 730mAH battery for what it’s worth. Check the User Quickstart Guide and a few more pics in the gallery below.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Announced at the turn of the year, Joby’s 13-gram Zivio Boom Bluetooth 2.1+EDR headset with 10-hours of talk time (300 hours standby) is now shipping. The obvious feature here is that extending boom, which grows from a base of 53.5-mm to a delicate 137-mm. That little trick puts the mic directly in front of your hot, steaming chat box which supposedly results in better audio pickup (no yelling!) to the benefit of those on the receiving side of the call (and around you). $130, that’s how much.

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We know what you’re thinking: Jeebus, not another Bluetooth adapter Engadget, slow news day? But if you check that snark for a moment, you’ll notice that this ¥2,280 (about $22) Logitec adapter is a Bluetooth 2.1+EDR + Class 1 device. That means an operating range up to 300 feet and all the goodies that come from 2.1. In other words, easier pairing and up to 5x longer battery life for like-speced Bluetooth keyboards and mice. It also supports 15 different Bluetooth profiles (9 on Macs) including your favorites for stereo audio and handsfree devices. Now that Bluetooth 2.1 is beginning to trickle out into retail, you won’t be buying 2.0 gear anymore will you?

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: GPS, Laptops

Our week o’ Dell scoops continues with what Dell calls its “mainstream” and “essential” series of Latitude E-series laptops. While the enterprise-ready, mainstream series packs just about everything (and more) that you could hope for in a balanced spec-for-size lappie, the essential series is only essential if you’re on a tight budget and just can’t live without the comparatively low-end chub. The 15.4-inch E6500 and 14.1-inch E6400 models will replace Dell’s D830 and D630 whereas the “essential” 15.4-inch E5500 and and 14.1-inch E5400 carry on the low-end tradition of Dell’s D531 and D530. With any luck, these will be Dell’s first Montevina / Centrino 2 class machines if they all hit the targeted June release date as planned. AMD fans will see the E5500a and E5400a configurations at about the same time. So what can you expect under the hood? Well, just look at the 5.1-pound E6500 which reads like a suit’s, geek fantasy:

• UWB, Bluetooth 2.1, mobile broadband
• Integrated GPS, yes GPS
• New 84WHr slice batteries for “all day” computing
• LED backlighting, 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, discrete nVIDIA graphics and DisplayPort out
• Hard, Hybrid, and Solid State disk drive options with eSATA jack for more
• Optional camera and mic
• Plenty of security options including contact-less smart cards and encrypted hard disks

Time to pad those budgets a bit, eh CIOs? Full low-down in the gallery below.

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