Best Bluetooth accessories right now (roundup)
Do you like wires? Neither do we. And thankfully, you don't really need them anymore when you're using a smartphone.No matter your preference -- iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry -- any decent modern smartphone is equipped with wireless Bluetooth capability. In addition to hands-free calling with headsets and stereo headphones, phones can also be used as wireless music sources for an increasingly large array of Bluetooth speakers -- perfect for listening to MP3s on the phone, or Web-based audio services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Cloud Player, iTunes Match, or anything else.As someone who uses Bluetooth gadgets daily, I'd frankly feel lost without my handy assortment of hands-free mobile toys. And I've collected a list of some of CNET's favorites. Headphones and headsetsSarah Tew/CNETBest Bluetooth sports headphones: Denon AH-W150 Exercise FreakThe Denon Exercise Freak headphones are built to back you up with wireless audio during workouts. Not only are they comfortable, they provide a secure fit plus are sweat- and splashproof. Read the full review of the Denon AH-W150 Exercise Freak.Sarah Tew/CNETBest Bluetooth headphones at any price: Parrot ZikNeed the Porsche of Bluetooth stereo headphones? Look no further than the Parrot Zik. It offers a luxurious design, comfortable fit, and plenty of slick features, including wireless audio streaming, noise cancellation, and touch-sensitive controls on the right earpiece. Read the full review of the Parrot Zik.Sarah Tew/CNETBest audiophile Bluetooth headphones under $200: Harman Kardon BT The Harman Kardon BT headphones stand out from the pack not just because they're wireless. This pair of cans possess a distinctive retro design, memory foam around the earpieces, noise-canceling, and excellent audio quality.Read the full review of the Harman Kardon BT.Sarah Tew/CNETBest monaural Bluetooth headset: Plantronics Voyager LegendSettling on a serious workhorse of a Bluetooth headset isn't easy. For a hands-free device to be truly worthy, it should offer superb audio quality and noise cancellation, plus be light and comfortable to wear all day. The Plantronics Voyager Legend handles that with ease and is extremely compact despite its boom mic design.Read the full review of the Plantronics Voyager Legend.SpeakersSarah Tew/CNETBest-sounding Bluetooth speaker: Sony SRS-BTX500Sporting a sleek and sophisticated design, impressive sound for its size, and a rechargeable battery, the Sony SRS-BTX500 is one seriously advanced Bluetooth speaker system. Add to this its superb audio quality plus NFC pairing, and there's no reason it shouldn't be on your short list.Read the full review of the Sony SRS-BTX500.Sarah Tew/CNETBest overall travel Bluetooth speaker:JBL Charge portable Bluetooth speakerNeed a great portable speaker to take around town or on holiday trips? The JBL Charge packs a real audio punch that belies its compact size, comes with a nice travel case, and can charge other devices through its USB port. Read the full review of the JBL Charge portable Bluetooth speaker.Sarah Tew/CNETBest Bluetooth speaker under $100: JBL FlipIf you have only $100 to splurge on a wireless speaker system, we strongly suggest you give the JBL Flip some consideration. Similar to its cousin the JBL Charge, the Flip is compact, sounds great, and ships with its own carry case. Read the full review of the JBL Flip.Sarah Tew/CNETBest Bluetooth speaker under $50: Philips SoundShooter WirelessWith looks bound to stop you in your tracks, the Philips SoundShooter Wireless boasts explosive sound that's much bigger than its pint-size dimensions. The handy gadget also doubles as a speakerphone and lasts for 8 hours on a single charge. Read the full review of the Philips SoundShooter Wireless. Other Bluetooth accessoriesSarah Tew/CNETBest Bluetooth audio accessory: Belkin Bluetooth Music ReceiverDon't toss your powerful home audio system just to get wireless sound in the living room. Belkin's Bluetooth Music Receiver offers a cheap and easy method to give cordless audio capabilities to stereo systems. It even works with a basic set of powered speakers, essentially anything with a 3.5mm headphone jack or RCA inputs. Read the full review of the Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver.Editors' note: This story was originally published on March 20, 2012, and has been updated periodically with new products (most recently, April 30, 2013).
Peel pivots, updates free iPhone app with interactive TV show polling
Peel pivots, updates free iPhone app with interactive TV show polling
Last year Peel set out to redefine the remote-control space with a $99 fruit-shaped device that allowed you use your iPhone as a remote for changing channels and discovering TV shows. The Silicon-Valley based company got a lot of attention but the device didn't exactly set the market on fire. So Peel's shifting gears, adding a new interactive polling feature to its free app that will debut with this week's "American Idol."The idea is pretty simple. As contestants perform, users will be able "cheer" or "boo" during performances by clicking on corresponding virtual buttons on their iPhones. You can also react to judges' comments.The app will tally "results" in real time and provide a leaderboard for the evening's performances. Whether the app will be able to predict who gets voted off the show is anybody's guess, but Peel hopes to have thousands--or even hundreds of thousands--of users "voting" before the show's season finale. For now, anyway, the hardware will stick around but the company is clearly moving away from being defined as just another iPhone remote with a fruity twist. According to Peel's VP of marketing, Scott Ellis, who met with us in New York and gave us a demo of the updated app, American Idol is just a start for a more ambitious plan to add interactive polling to different types of TV shows.Now you can judge the judges (click to enlarge).PeelPeel isn't the first company to do this (Miso, social TV startup, has had voting in its app for a while), but by tying its launch to "American Idol" in a big way, Peel hopes to get a jump on competitors and become a leader in what's known as the second-screen engagement market."The new feature obviously lends itself well to a contest format like 'American Idol'," said Ellis. "But it has plenty of other applications, including sports and political events."While interactive polling is an important new feature, Ellis said discovery and recently added social media features will remain a big part of the Peel equation. How the producers of "American Idol" (and Fox) will respond to this is unclear, but Peel didn't ask anybody's permission and Ellis told us he's confident the company is on firm legal ground.As you can see from the screenshots, the company is also linking to "Idol" performers' songs in iTunes. Peel gets a tiny cut on songs purchased through its app but it currently isn't making a concerted effort to monetize its audience; it's just trying to build it."For the time being we're focused on getting people to use the app and making sure it's a smooth experience for the user," said Ellis. Alas, Peel currently doesn't have an iPad app (it's been promising one for a while) and only has version 1.0 Android app app that's missing the social features, as well as the interactive polling option (the Peel remote was integrated into the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet, which has an IR blaster). The company hasn't given a date for an iPad or updated Android app but it's working on both.
Last year Peel set out to redefine the remote-control space with a $99 fruit-shaped device that allowed you use your iPhone as a remote for changing channels and discovering TV shows. The Silicon-Valley based company got a lot of attention but the device didn't exactly set the market on fire. So Peel's shifting gears, adding a new interactive polling feature to its free app that will debut with this week's "American Idol."The idea is pretty simple. As contestants perform, users will be able "cheer" or "boo" during performances by clicking on corresponding virtual buttons on their iPhones. You can also react to judges' comments.The app will tally "results" in real time and provide a leaderboard for the evening's performances. Whether the app will be able to predict who gets voted off the show is anybody's guess, but Peel hopes to have thousands--or even hundreds of thousands--of users "voting" before the show's season finale. For now, anyway, the hardware will stick around but the company is clearly moving away from being defined as just another iPhone remote with a fruity twist. According to Peel's VP of marketing, Scott Ellis, who met with us in New York and gave us a demo of the updated app, American Idol is just a start for a more ambitious plan to add interactive polling to different types of TV shows.Now you can judge the judges (click to enlarge).PeelPeel isn't the first company to do this (Miso, social TV startup, has had voting in its app for a while), but by tying its launch to "American Idol" in a big way, Peel hopes to get a jump on competitors and become a leader in what's known as the second-screen engagement market."The new feature obviously lends itself well to a contest format like 'American Idol'," said Ellis. "But it has plenty of other applications, including sports and political events."While interactive polling is an important new feature, Ellis said discovery and recently added social media features will remain a big part of the Peel equation. How the producers of "American Idol" (and Fox) will respond to this is unclear, but Peel didn't ask anybody's permission and Ellis told us he's confident the company is on firm legal ground.As you can see from the screenshots, the company is also linking to "Idol" performers' songs in iTunes. Peel gets a tiny cut on songs purchased through its app but it currently isn't making a concerted effort to monetize its audience; it's just trying to build it."For the time being we're focused on getting people to use the app and making sure it's a smooth experience for the user," said Ellis. Alas, Peel currently doesn't have an iPad app (it's been promising one for a while) and only has version 1.0 Android app app that's missing the social features, as well as the interactive polling option (the Peel remote was integrated into the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet, which has an IR blaster). The company hasn't given a date for an iPad or updated Android app but it's working on both.
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