Posted 10/22/08 at 07:35:35 AM by Pulkit Chandna

A Los Angeles-based manufacturer IMOVIO has announced an avant garde mobile messaging device called iKIT. The diminutive iKIT runs Linux and is as small as a Nintendo DS. IMOVIO is touting the iKIT as an affordable alternative to both smart phones and netbooks.

The device includes a 312MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, Linux 2.4.19, full QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard, an 8GB SD card slot ,Opera Mini 4.1 internet browser and 2.8 inch screen. The iKIT has inbuilt WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, and supports HSDPA over USB. It has a standby time of 250 hours and power-up time of up to 3 hours.

The suggested retail price of roughly $170 makes it far more affordable than an Apple iPhone – a fact specifically called to attention by IMOVIO. However, practicality of such a product is just as important as the price, if not more, and will play a vital role in iKIT’s case as well.

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Internet, WiFi, Bluetooth, linux, hardware, netbook, smart phone, nintendo ds, imovio, ikit, mobile messenger, hsdpa, mobile internet, opera mini

Posted 07/08/08 at 06:11:34 PM by Norman Chan

If you happen to live in California, Connecticut, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, or Washington, we hope you’re aware of a recently enacted law making it illegal to make cell phone calls while driving unless you’re using a hands-free headset. Fines in California start at $20 and rise with repeat violations. But if you happen to be a daring super commuter who’s already been caught using a cell phone while driving, you may be in luck. Bluetooth headset maker Jawbone just announced a new promotion to give ticket holders $20 off their new headset (which we really liked in our Bluetooth headset roundup) when you place an order from the official Jawbone website. The offer ends on August 31st, and will require you to give Jawbone your ticket number. You’re not really saving any money (since the minimum ticket fine is $20), so we don’t recommend breaking the law and getting caught just to make yourself eligible for the discount.

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Bluetooth, law, headset, promotion, jawbone, hands free, ticket

Posted 06/26/08 at 05:21:28 PM by Steve Klett

Do yourself a favor: make sure your car is up to code by this July—no broken headlamps or taillights, up-to-date registration, etc. – and, oh yeah, make sure you pick up a hands-free Bluetooth device for your cell phone. On July 1st a new law will go into effect in California making it illegal to talk on a wireless phone while operating a motor vehicle. If you are 18 or older, and you want to use your phone while driving, you will need to use a hands-free device – no “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts” about it—and there will be no grace period either.

We put a dozen of the newest Bluetooth devices through the wringer to help you find the right one for your car-talking habits. All of the devices were tested with one phone along the same stretch of highway at the same time of day, and call clarity was compared via voicemail recordings.

Read on to find out which ones made the grade.

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cell phone, Bluetooth, car, roundup, consumer electronics, feature, reviews, headsets, speakerphone

Posted 01/25/08 at 08:14:41 PM by Tom Edwards & Will Smith

This week, Tom, Dave, Will, Gordon, and Jeremy explain how you can play TF2 and other games with the Maximum PC staff, delve into the future of digital media distribution, tell you how you can win some gear from the Maximum PC prize vault, and take a trip to the Lab. Also this week, the never-ending rain has made Gordon particularly cantankerous, so brace yourselves for an especially surly rant.

Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337

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games, media, Hard Drive, Podcast, Bluetooth, No BS, doctor, Steam

Posted 01/08/08 at 02:51:43 PM by Michael Brown

Creative goes B2B, Sennheiser goes gaming, and Whirlpool goes digital. Whirlpool?

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Earbuds, Bluetooth, Etymotic, ipod dock

Posted 02/28/07 at 01:38:44 PM by Michael Brown

Thanks to Apple’s ubiquitous advertising, you can walk around town with wires hanging out of your ears without getting strange looks from passersby. Etymotic Research’s ety8 Bluetooth earphones shorten the wires, but these anything-but-discreet earbuds are guaranteed to draw a few sets of eyeballs your way.

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audio, wireless, headphones, earphones, apple, itunes, iPod, MP3 Player, Earbuds, Etymotic Research, ety8, Bluetooth, replacement, noise-blocking, acoustic, electric, popular, nerdy, cool, remote control

Posted 03/17/06 at 03:42:40 PM by Michael Brown

Talking on a cellphone while you’re driving or sitting in a restaurant doesn’t exactly display mastery of the social graces, but needs sometimes trump manners. If you must yak in public, do the rest of us a favor and use good equipment.

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earpiece, phone, hands-free, Bluetooth