Wednesday, May 21, 2008

7 Cool Bluetooth Gadgets

Bluetooth revolutionized electronics 10 years ago with its wireless technology that enables devices to communicate with each other. Here's a look at some of the latest Bluetooth-enabled devices

By Michal Lev-Ram

1. PARTY speakers from Parrot (Black Edition)

Price: Available this summer for $150

This portable, wireless speaker system lets you listen to music - beamed - from your phone or PC. It's also got a built-in technology called Near Field Communications (NFC), which allows users to pair it with a mobile device by simply tapping the two together. Unfortunately, there's just one NFC phone currently on the market, and it's only available overseas.

2. Calisto Pro Series from Plantronics

Price: $280

You know the cellular industry has made it when home phones start looking like mobile handsets. This sleek landline telephone from Plantronics is made for home use but comes with a Bluetooth headset that can also work with a cell or VoIP phone.

3. S-Frame digital photo frames from Sony

Price: $190 - $250, depending on size

You'll need a Bluetooth adapter to transfer images from your cell phone to this new picture frame. The frame's LCD screen can display images up to 48 megapixels, and offers 10 slide show variations on top of clock and calendar views. Two index modes let you preview several photos at once.

4. SUN headset by Iqua

Price: $80

This solar-powered Bluetooth headset converts light into power, which means you won't have to worry about recharging the battery every night. While it's a bit large (due to the built-in mini solar panel), the eco-friendly SUN claims to get nine hours of talk time.

5. MBW-150 watch from Sony Ericsson (Music Edition)

Price: $400

This James Bond-like, water-resistant gadget works in conjunction with your handset by vibrating each time you receive a new call or text message and letting you control your
mobile music. The one downside: The watch only works with select Bluetooth-enabled phones made by Sony Ericsson.

6. Virtual laser keyboard from Golan Technology

Price: $160

This futuristic-looking portable device uses infrared and laser technology to project a full-size, working virtual keyboard on any surface. It uses Bluetooth technology to pair with both laptops and compatible cell phones for typing messages on the go.

7. V610 EasyShare camera from Kodak

Price: $350

Using embedded Bluetooth wireless technology, the V610 allows users to take pictures and beam them straight to their PC or a compatible printer. This small, 6-megapixel camera also comes with dual-lens technology and a 2.8-inch high-resolution color display.


Saturday, April 26, 2008

US biotech company offers to clone man's best friend

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US biotech company on Wednesday announced it will auction off the right for five dog owners to have their furry best friend cloned, with bidding starting at 100,000 dollars.

"BioArts International ... will sell five dog cloning service slots to the general public via a worldwide online auction," the California-based biotech start-up said in a statement.

Registration for the auctions opens Wednesday. Bidding in that first auction begins on June 18 at 1300 GMT and runs for 24 hours, BioArts says on its bestfriendsagain.com website.

BioArts is the only company in the world licensed to clone dogs, cats and endangered species, the company statement says.

It uses the same cloning method that gave the world Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned in July 1996 from an adult cell.

Dogs are arguably the most difficult mammal to clone, according to BioArts.

"We may or may not perform any additional commercial dog cloning services after this auction," the company says on its website.