Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The New Parrot Advanced Bluetooth Hands Free Car Kits

Parrot Launches New Premium Line of Hands-Free Bluetooth "Music Kits" With iPod/iPhone Integration

Now drive and talk hands-free while listening to your MP3s through the car's sound system

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Parrot Minikit Slim Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit

We can't wait to test the new Parrot Minikit. The Parrot's famous Bluetooth hands-free car kit's baby brother features a Text-to-Speech function and a vibrating panel technology in a slimmer body: 83g instead of 104g . Already released in Europe, the Parrot Minikit Slim should soon hit the American market. We will keep you posted. Expected price: $99.99

Description from the Parrot website:

Sleek and lightweight

The Parrot MINIKIT SLIM is a portable Bluetooth hands-free kit sporting a profiled, sleek design. Thanks to its space-saving design, it offers countless uses: in the car, in the office and at home. Its highly intuitive interface will automatically connect to your Bluetooth phone when it is nearby. Fixed to the sun visor or laid on a table, it adapts to every environment and can easily be carried around in your pocket.

All your contacts whenever you want

Once paired, the Parrot MINIKIT SLIM automatically synchronizes* its phone book with the contacts on your mobile phone.The phone book on the MINIKIT SLIM is updated seamlessly whenever it connects*.The entire phone book is available at all times thanks to the voice synthesis of the names (Text-To-Speech function). Practical and indispensable.

* Function available on most Bluetooth mobile phones.

It recognizes every voice

Fancy calling one of the contacts in the phone book? Say the name and the MINIKIT SLIM recognizes it without any prior training and dials the number. If several numbers are associated with the same person, tell the kit which one you want to dial by saying mobile, work, home, and so on. You can also record a voice print (shortcut) for one of your contacts, so that you can call them even more quickly.

Uncompromising audio quality

Parrot has combined its audio expertise with the vibrating panel technology. No more speakers. The top panel is connected to the audio circuit and vibrates to reproduce natural, open sound. The results are spectacular - stunning sound quality, crystal-clear conversations and power always ready to go. The especially discreet high sensitivity microphone is fully built into the design.

Wireless USB: is this the end?


Wireless USB startup WiQuest folds
by
Rick Merritt, EE Times, 10/31/2008


WiQuest Communications Inc. officially closed its doors today, the first of perhaps several casualties to fall among ultrawideband chip designers. The Allen, Texas, company employed about 120 people focused on the wireless USB protocol.