GadgetReview

If you or someone you love has chronic heart problems, like the kind that took my grandfather, then you might well be interested to hear about the results of the three month test that’s currently in its second month for a kind of portable heart monitor that can send data back to medical professionals automatically on a regular basis.

In a partnership with Gen-i and Alcatel-Lucent, the gear in question uses a Bluetooth system (ah, Bluetooth–what can’t you do?) to, with the press of a button on the control unit, take blood pressure and weight readings from an electronic scale at the patients’ houses and sends them to hospital staff.

The technology in question is easily portable, allowing patients to continue living fairly normal lives while getting treatment, and allows medical professionals to free up hospital rooms and also keep themselves from getting tied down to their own offices.  In fact, the guy you see above is one of the current test subjects, and he’s reporting a whole lot of positives from the new technology.

The trial is expected to finish up in December and results released early 2010.

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Once again, Apple has blown us all away with its relentless flood of gadgetry, as a new patent has emerged.

It’s about what you’d get if you managed to combine an iPod Shuffle with a Bluetooth headset, and what it’s being called right now is a headset MP3 player.

You can see one of the patent design figures at left, but where this is amazing is that it can function on its own.  Yes, it functions as a wireless headset to a device it’s linked to, like a Bluetooth, but it also has the capability of storing its own MP3s within the headset itself.  And, as if that weren’t enough, your headset could also become a recording device at the touch of a button, allowing you to make your own MP3s of conversations you’re having.

These are all still somewhat speculative points, being as it’s still in the patent stages, but it’ll likely be another market-buster when it comes out.

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In a land where product names have nothing to do with anything, Yubz reigns supreme.  Put the word Magnum next to Yubz and now you’re onto something.

The Yubz Magnum is a wireless speaker that will connect to any BlueTooth device.  The Magnum is capable of playing music as well as acting as a hands-free loudspeaker for your cell phone.

Resembling a “pleather” meat log of sorts, the Yubz Magnum is a cylindrical device with speakers on both ends.  It feels really nice actually, and is soft and lightweight. …Continue reading: Yubz Magnum BlueTooth Speaker Review

Just in time for Halloween comes this funny BananaPhone BlueTooth Headset that will allow people around you to view you as you’ve always wanted to be viewed.  Absolutely crazy.  With an undisclosed amount of awesome scenarios you could use this in, it’s actually cheap enough ($18) to warrant a purchase.  Now all you need is a headband to keep it stuck to your head.  Just imagine the possibilities.

[via NerdApproved]

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Jabra’s newest headset, the Stone, is set to release on November 8th and it’s shaping up to be one of the most desirable headsets on the market.  It draws its name from the included carrying case that also doubles as a portable charger.  An external LED indicator light lets you know if you need to recharge the Stone while a small battery indicator on the inside of the ear hooks lets you know if you need to charge the headset.  …Continue reading: Jabra Stone Release Date And Price Announced

Just when you thought your Blackberry couldn’t get more addictive, along comes the crew out at Research In Motion to give you one MORE toy–the RIM Blackberry HS-500 Wireless Headset.

Targeted toward Blackberry purists who absolutely must own everything Research In Motion can put out, as well as anybody needing a headset for any device that runs Bluetooth (iPhone users take note–your Blackberry headset can also be your iPhone headset if you have both devices!)

Early remarks say that the HS-500 is an item of understated grace that does the job solidly well, but anyone who wants a really flashy headset should look elsewhere. There are some problems with it, apparently, like a lack of dedicated volume keys, but that’s not too much trouble alongside the benefits it offers.  The device costs a whopping $80 or less, so anyone out for a great utilitarian headset should look here.

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The day when the iPhone, or an iPhone app, can record my nefarious conversations has yet to arrive.  Until that time comes I’ll have to depend on my transposing skills, or perhaps I’ll just drop $109 on the VR1 Recordable Bluetooth Headset.  It’s like any other Bluetooth headset, except this one can record up to 8 minutes of voice calls, or voice memos, at the push of a button. Too bad the recording time is limited – a microSD card slot would’ve been nice.

[via Ohgizmo]

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve got an old cell phone or two laying around the house and you’re about dying to get rid of it.  But you’ve got no idea where or how to dump it.  We all know there are loads of hazardous material laws to grapple with, and those collection drives expect you to pay to dump your hardware.

Enter the EcoATM, a device the size of an actual ATM that’ll let you dump your hardware quick, easy, and sometimes, profitably.  Simply drop your old phone or other device into the EcoATM’s slot, and the machine will determine if it has any value.  The machine will then make you an offer for the device, which it will pay off from a separate slot, usually in the form of a gift card.

What if your device is worthless, you say?  Not a problem–there’s no such thing as a worthless device to the EcoATM.  Even if it has no residual value, you’ll still be able to leave the device with the EcoATM, but you’ll also get a “freebie item”, plus EcoATM will arrange for a tree to be planted in your honor somewhere, which still beats having to pay off the collection people all hollow.

EcoATM is actually doing pretty well so far–its first day in operation netted 23 phones and passed out a full hundred bucks in gift cards.  Word is it got a BlackBerry Curve in prime condition.  So chances are, this prototype will likely be coming to an electronics store near you.

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Cell phone buffs, listen up, because the long awaited arrival of the Samsung Behold II in the United States is coming on the order of soon.

The Behold II, which uses Google’s Android operating system along with Samsung’s own Touchwiz interface offers a 3.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen, a five megapixel camera, GPS and Bluetooth, plus a host of built-in Google services and a 3-D cube menu interface which is reportedly cooler than the other side of the pillow.

A lot more cell phones are working Android these days, and Google’s becoming almost ubiquitous in the cell phone arena.  It’s a wonder not every cell phone includes this by now, and leaves me wondering just how long until the Justice Department wants a crack at Google.

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Now here’s an interesting idea for you, folks–you’ve heard of the universal remote before, but now it’s gone to a whole new level with the BluLink remote, a Bluetooth universal remote.

The BluLink can control up to six devices, including the Playstation 3, and even offers onboard memory so that no special PS3 settings are lost, even if you take out the two AA batteries that run it.

So for now, it’ll handle your PS3 remote switching needs, along with tackling the rest of your home theater control needs, without caring a whit what all’s in the way.  I say “for now”, of course, because there’s one fatal flaw to the BluLink remote…it only has the Bluetooth profile to control the PS3.

This means, of course, when the rest of the Bluetooth-ready TVs and DVD players and Blu-ray players and DVRs and whatnot come out, your new $49.95 BluLink will still be controlling the PS3…and only the PS3.

But for now, you can’t do much better.

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