A couple of eagle-eyed readers drew our attention to the accessory’s Apple Store product page that has listed the device as “Discontinued” since Saturday. Oddly, however, shoppers could still add the product to their shopping carts as of press time.

The single-button headset was first introduced in June 2007 alongside the original iPhone. It sold for $129 and was bundled with a Bluetooth Travel Cable and a Dual Dock that could charge both the iPhone and headset.

A year later, Apple dropped the price of the headset to $99 to coincide with the release of the iPhone 3G.

[via Apple Insider]

As you can see in the video, the team behind iBluetooth is working with an iMac and a Sony Ericsson handset.

You’ll need a jailbroken iPhone for this.

Not yet released, but once it is finished and available through Cydia.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4sNfJuGWl0&eurl=http://64.233.189.101/translate_c?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://iphone.generationmp3.com/2009/01/26/le-bluetoot&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[Generation MP3 via SlashGear]

The App Store was in the spotlight once again this week as several new apps were announced. iVerse Comics will be coming to the App Store soon, which allows users to access comic books via individual icons on their iPhone home screens. An LED football game, that is very reminiscent of the old handheld games is on the way, too. BeeJive, which was formerly called JiveTalk, offers a more functional IM experience and is even outfitted with background notification should Apple activate it.

We got our hands on a leaked video that showed Last.fm v2.0 in action and Sharpcast’s SugarSync was revealed to be a MobileMe alternative for those who are fed up with the Apple cloud. Most interesting of all, however, is a possible Steve Jobs email that revealed an official tethering function might be coming to the iPhone soon.

The reception issues that dominated last week’s news carried over into this week when a series of independent surveys revealed iPhone 3G performance varies over regions and the networks themselves are what need fixing, not the phone’s internal antenna. Over the course of these tests, Orange France admitted to capping their 3G speeds, but now promised to raise them. We also got a good look at just why the 3G is so slow. It seems all iPhone users need to update to the latest firmware version–otherwise the users with the old version will continue to bog down the network.

Two new international data plans from AT&T were made available to iPhone users on Wednesday and though its intent was to lower prices, it’s still rather steep. A security flaw was revealed this week as well that made it so even password protected phones could be hacked by a few taps of the home button. But not to worry, Apple has admitted to the flaw and will include a fix in the next update.

If you’re keeping up with the Dev Team, you already known Pwnage Tool 2.0.3 is already out. Plus, a brand new iPhone magazine will be released on September 9th called iPhone Life that gives readers the scoop on the latest news, reviews and more.

Finally, this week we featured a review of the BlueAnt V1 Voice Control Bluetooth Headset, which features voice activation functions. And though the audio wasn’t quite as good as it could be, this headset offers functionality like to other.

Equipped with a new technology called BlueGenie, this headset can be activated via voice commands. And keywords aren’t even necessary. you can just speak normally and get the device to do what you want. One example of such a command is “check battery” which will cause the V1 to tell you how much charge is left.

And to get down to the specs, this BlueAnt model measures in at 41 x 17.5 x 11.2mm, has a Li-Ion battery that can last for 5hrs of talk time or up to 200 hrs in standby mode, a multifunction button that also acts as the voice command trigger, a MicroUSB socket and Bluetooth v2.1 support.

All in all, the BlueAnt V1 is a good buy and is rather accurate in its receptiveness to voice commands. However, it doesn’t fit quite as well as the Jawbone 2 and its audio isn’t as good as some other headsets on the market. Even so, for $129.99, the BlueAnt V1 wins out for its top-notch voice command abilities.

[via SlashGear]

In terms of Bluetooth, A2DP has been included in the code as well as “HeadphonesBT” that indicates wireless stereo capabilities, long requested for the handset.  Bluetooth remote control is also mentioned.  The new beta also references “RoleGPS”, which many have assumed will mean either in-built navigation capabilities or at least compatibility with an external GPS device (likely connected via Bluetooth).

The library also includes a mention of “Printers”, a new addition, while reference to Nike+ sports monitoring equipment have been deleted.  The suspected integration of the currently standalone YouTube app into mobile Safari is also present, via a “YouTubePlugIn.webplugin” component, and “Google411″ – the search company’s directory enquiry service – is now associated with Google Maps on the iPhone.

Finally, there are suspicions that Apple will require official activation of an iPhone via iTunes before Firmware 2.0 is permitted to install.

[via Digg]

CeBIT awards presenters chose the iPhone, due to being void of resounding defects, and for being “simply sensational”, while the Bluetooth headset exemplified simplicity and aesthetics, coupled with functionality.

Out of 2771 products shown at the conference, 821 of them were considered for the awards, according to SetteB.IT. Apple’s iPod nano, Classic, and Touch were among the winners, as well as the iPhone and Bluetooth headset. The standard USB and Bluetooth keyboards, and Apple’s aluminum iMac also won accolades.

[Via MacNN]

All you have to do is change the audio source for the visual voicemail to Bluetooth while listening to a message and then access the iPod software and start playing music. The downside is that the audio also plays out your iPhone’s speaker, unless you plug in some headphones.

However, plugging in headphones brings the audio through Bluetooth fun to an abrupt halt. So its almost there, if Apple would just do a quick update and add A2DP to both the iPhone and the iPod Touch, I am sure there are a lot of people that would love them for it, especially Bluetooth headphone manufacturers.

iPhone 1.1.1 “bug” unleashes music over Bluetooth [via Engadget Mobile]

Another method has been discovered that doesn’t require an active call. You can go to the voicemail screen, touch the audio source button and select your Bluetooth device then open up the iPod app and start playing something, works the same way, but doesn’t require a phone call. Certainly someone is going to use this info and create a hack that either provides something closer to an A2DP profile, or at least makes the current hack easier, maybe both, but one thing is for sure, its nice to know the ability to transmit audio over Bluetooth is possible with the iPhone.

Listen to iPhone music through a Bluetooth headset [via iPhone Atlas]

Related iPod Touch links:

iPod Touch Cases Store
iPod Touch Cases Discussions
iPod Touch Accessories
iPod Touch Screen Protector
iPod Touch Hacks and Applications

The headset supports the A2DP Bluetooth profile and has an attachment that adds a second earbud. There are several buttons on the headset to control both phone functions as well as music player functions, but the best part comes in the form of the slider that serves two purposes, the first is to obviously bring the microphone closer to your mouth, but it also acts as the answer/end call function.

This tiny headset weighs in at a mere 15 grams and fits right in your ear with no hook or clip or other attachment until you add the second earbud, then you are granted an ear hook that is also the wire for the second earbud. Plantronics is claiming a 7 hour battery life with non-stop use and 200 hours on standby alone.

They were also kind enough to integrate some audio processing technology that should improve the quality of both your calls and your audio listening. This particular work of art will be launched in October for about $150 with the stereo earbud setup (still removable though), without, aka mono will be about $20 cheaper and will be called the 815.

Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth hands-free has stereo as an option [via SlashGear]

It’s rare that you can make such a sweeping statement as this, but the BlueAnt z9 Bluetooth Headset is the new gold standard for all future Bluetooth headsets – hands down. It earns a 4.9 out of 5. I’m not the only one that thinks the z9 deserves the highest award possible, because it was the winner of a CES 2007 Innovations Design and Engineering Award! Combining superior sound quality for both sides of the call, ease of use, high levels of comfort for all-day wear and a sleek design, the z9 might very well be the last Bluetooth headset you’ll need to buy (until, that is, BlueAnt releases a new version).

I tested the z9 with the iPhone on AT&T’s network and the Blackberry 8830 World Edition from Sprint. Pairing is simple and painless, with the z9 maintaining up to 3 connections with Bluetooth compatible devices ranging from mobile phones to your laptop or PC. You’ll need to jot down or remember the first, second and third device that was paired with the z9. Why? Because when you need to switch devices on the fly, you simply disconnect the headset with the current device and then click the multi-function button once, twice or three times to pair with the first, second or third device respectively. Wow, isn’t that amazing?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJqgob9euXY[/youtube]

The multi-function button is centrally located on the front of the headset. The volume buttons are located on one side and the dual microphones are situated on the other side. The translucent over-the-ear hook is comfortable and keeps the headset firmly in place, and it doesn’t interfere if you wear glasses. I love the fact that it doesn’t seem prone to breaking off as I’ve found with the nX6000 or the Plantronics 665. That was the biggest problem I experienced with the nX6000: the ear hook and ear piece always fell off if I put it inside my pants pocket or even a shirt pocket. It’s annoying and you run the risk of losing them completely. The z9 also has an innovative tie clip that’s integral to the headset’s design, allowing you to attach it to your shirt or cuff when not in use. That’s neat!

The earpiece is comfortable – in fact the whole Headset weighs just 0.35oz – and, for those of you who don’t enjoy exploring the inner-mysteries of your ear, you’ll be pleased to note it’s not an in-ear-canal design. That means you won’t suffer the deaf-ear affect of only being able to hear what’s going on in the headset with one side of your head; you’re still able to clearly hear and enjoy your conversation almost anywhere. And when I say anywhere, I really mean it. For my first test, I took a drive with all my windows down, including the sliding window located in the back of my 4Runner. Speeding up from 0 to 70 mph, the person on the other end couldn’t even hear or sense a hint of wind noise at all. Wow! I’ve tested over 20 Bluetooth headsets over the past year in this way, and the closest to achieve this kind of wind noise reduction was the nX6000. Even with the nX6000, though, I was only able to speed up to 45 mph before background noise became unbearable. Below that speed, the receiving end could still hear slight wind noise even though it was bearable and didn’t disrupt the conversation.

I worked an entire day inside a Starbucks, making and receiving numerous calls using the z9. Guess what? Not a single person knew where I was. The z9 features two digital sound processing modes: ‘Voice Isolation Standard’ intended for everyday environments, for a more natural sounding voice while removing mild background noise, and ‘Voice Isolation Max’ to provide even better voice quality when in extreme noise environments such as a busy Starbucks or the streets of Manhattan. Perhaps surprisingly, both modes use the same amount of battery power. Oh, and the best add-on feature is the voice tag. When you click on the multi-function button while on a call, to switch between the two modes, a voice prompt lets you know that you’re in Voice Isolation Standard or Max. Rival headsets, such as the Jawbone, rely on a system of beeps to tell you the mode you’re in. Problem is, I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast, let alone how many beeps means what. Nice touch BlueAnt.

As I said at the start, I love this headset; perhaps you can tell from its score of 4.9 out of 5! So how could it eke that final 0.1 out of me? Well, the proprietary charging plug is a minor frustration; I’d prefer to see the more standardized miniUSB. A thinner design, in keeping with Apple’s highly attractive Bluetooth Headset for iPhone, would be handy too, and maybe eliminate the need for the over-the-ear hook altogether. Saying that, though, they’d perhaps need to bulk up the ear plug if that were the case, so maybe the ear-hook should stay.

I’d also – greedily – like more battery life. At the moment the z9 can manage 5.5hrs of talk-time and 200hrs standby, and seeing as this is my wishlist and I don’t have to think through the practicalities I’d love to see that extend up to 7 or 8hrs while maintaining the slim and lightweight form-factor. Lastly (and this really is splitting hairs), a way to turn off the blinking blue light would be nice; the headset is so compact that it’s hardly obvious, but the miniature light-show catches unnecessary attention. All that being said, if BlueAnt manage to incorporate my wish-list while maintaining the same superior voice quality, well, version 2 will deserve 5/5!

Update: There is a way to turn off the blinking blue light! ….press the + and – buttons for 3 seconds while the headset is in idle or standby mode and the lights will be turned to off.

Unboxing the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhg4UtOjTNk[/youtube]

Credit for the tweak goes to Earle Davies, a reader from TUAW, who fathomed the following sequence:

• Pair a Bluetooth headset with your iPhone, switch on your headset so that it can perform the handshake with the iPhone.
• Go into the Visual Voicemail screen and tap the Audio button in the upper right (which is otherwise a Speaker button when your headset isn’t on and communicating with your phone)
• You’ll receive an audio selection dialog much like the in-call dialog box that allows you to choose where to send the iPhone’s audio.
• Select the Headset option, then switch over to the iPod and begin playing music or a video.

The drawback is that audio continues to play through the iPhone’s speaker, frustrating if you were hoping to wirelessly enjoy some music on the bus, but less so I suppose if you’ve fashioned a Bluetooth adaptor attached to your car stereo.

[via iPhoneHacks]

Vincent spoke with BlueAnt Senior Vice President Peter George the other day and was told that the Z9 is as good as, or better than, the NX600 – now there’s a challenge! We should hopefully have our review model here by Friday, so we’ll be putting that claim to the test.

The Z9 won a Innovations, Design & Engineering award at CES 2007, for its patented Voice Isolation Technology; the software can differentiate between your voice and the ambient noise around you, suppressing what’s in the background while keeping your speech clear. There are two modes to choose from, “Standard” and “Max” depending on how loud your surroundings are. You can also flip between up to three paired handsets on-the-fly, making it handy for those of you carrying multiple devices, and it has different ringtones for known and unknown contacts.

BlueAnt are claiming up to 5.5hrs talktime or 200hrs standby for the Z9, with a MRSP of $99.95.

Vincent has been searching in every far-flung corner for the best Bluetooth Headset of 2007, and so far he’s got his shortlist down to four:

• Gennum NX6000
• SoundID SM100 EarModule
• Jawbone
• Plantronics Voyager 520

I know he’s excited to see if the BlueAnt Z9 makes that list!

Other features include One2One mode that allows you to use two SM100 EarModules as a Walkie-talkie. While this is a nifty Star Trek like feature, I’m just not sure how useful it is since the range of Bluetooth isn’t all that great. The switch between PhoneMode and Environmental mode is a nice touch. You can set specific sound volumes for each mode. VoiceCapture is suppose to do a better job at picking up your voice and make it much more clearer for the person on the other end, but that doesn’t always work out too well. The second to best feature is the wind protection. I tested the headset with my windows down driving on the highway at 65MPH with Chris on the other end. The result? While Chris was able to tell I was in my car with the windows down and the wind blowing by, he was able to clearly make my voice. Now that’s really damn impressive.

Click over to watch the video review.

The spec shows 8 hours of talk time and 70 hours of standby time; this sort of true if you use the headset without any of the environmental settings.

Overall, I rank the SM100 EarModule’s form factor and quality scores an above average ranking of 3 ¾ out 5. The sound quality is good but it’s just not equivalent to the nX6000. It’s more comfortable to wear for longer durations than most Bluetooth headsets on the market.

My recommendation: The SM100 EarModule is a good buy when you factor in the noise cancellation, wind guard and the environmental modes (doubling as a hearing aide). The retail price is $129, but our store is selling it for $99.95.

I didn’t have any problems pairing the headset to the iPhone because they simply paired up on their own. It was that simple.

Unboxing Video of the Apple Bluetooth Headset

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I’m often on the road so the included iPhone Travel Cable will come in handy to charge both the iPhone and the Bluetooth Headset – yah!

The instruction manual recommended at least an hour to charge when you initially plug the headset into the cradle, and that you should wait for the amber light to turn green. I was shocked to see the light turn green after just five minutes.

Finally, all I can hope for is decent to superior sound quality — why? Because nowhere does Apple state that this headset features noise cancellation and/or wind guard.

The Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset retails for $129 + tax. It seems like Apple is shipping out limited quantities. Check with your local Apple store for availability.

I got Judie of GearDiary.com to help me test out the new headset, and here’s what she has to say about it:

Vincent just called me to test the sound quality of the headset, and I must say that it was better than I expected – especially after reading that it had no noise cancellation and/or wind guard. His voice came through clearly, and other than a little bit of wavering which I could detect while he was talking to me outside in the wind, there was no real outside noise. There was a little bit of a lag (similar to a walkie-talkie effect), and some faint “white noise” that neither of us could identify. I’ll leave him to tell what things sounded like on his end…

But here is the weird thing – whether Vincent was wearing the headset or not, I kept hearing what I can best describe as a low “white noise” (very low level static, kind of hard to explain). It wasn’t a constant thing, and it wasn’t totally obnoxious, but I could definitely hear it. It was worse when he was wearing the headset, and it still existed when he wore his nX6000, but it wasn’t as severe. We tried calls between his iPhone with and without both headsets, while making calls to both my Mogul (showing 4 bars) and my land line; I could definitely hear it with each different pairing but it was worst with the iPhone headset. Is this something that anyone else has noticed?

On the receiving end, Judie gave the Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset a rating of 3 out of 5.

After Judie’s feedback on the mysterious “low level white noise” when we were first trying Apple’s Bluetooth Headset, I wanted a second person’s opinion of what it sounds like on their end. So I called up Ewdison Then and, without telling him my plan, waited to see if he mentioned anything about the audio. He immediately noticed the lower sound quality and asked if I was on speakerphone. Ewdi commented that my voice sounded as if I was inside a barrow. This is alarming news. I then switched over to the handset and all I could hear was a huge sigh of relief. In his opinion, “the sound quality between the Apple Bluetooth Headset and the iPhone is night and day!”

On a scale of 0 to 5, Ewdi gave the Apple Bluetooth Headset 2 ½, versus 4 out of 5 for the iPhone on its own. Then, just for fun, we tested the sound quality of Gennum’s nX6000 Bluetooth Headset; he said the quality was as good as, or better than, the iPhone, bordering 4 to 4 ½ out of 5.

So what do I think? Well it’s both simple and complex. I’ll break it down into three categories. First is style and design, second is comfort and lastly sound quality. Once again, I’m utterly amazed at the simplicity of the design. The headset looks good, is extremely lightweight and feels great. You can probably wear it for hours and forget it’s even there – how’s that for a new level of comfort? I give it 4 out of 5 for style and design, while for comfort it also earned 4 out of 5. That leaves us with sound quality. This rating is only for what I hear on my side of the conversation. There are occasional crackles here and there but other than that I don’t have a lot of issues hearing the other person in a normal environment. Due to the lack of wind guard, however, my voice can become muffled and garbled and making it extremely difficult to understand. With that in mind, I give the sound quality a rating of 3 out of 5. I’ll need to perform more tests under different conditions and update this review over the next few days.

If you must purchase a Bluetooth headset, I suggest you think hard about in which order you place style, comfort and sound quality. If comfort or style are your number one, while sound quality is number three – then the Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset is perfect for you. On the other hand, if you don’t mind a larger design and need something reasonably comfortable but with higher quality audio, might I suggest the Jawbone. Finally, if you won’t settle for anything but a sleek looking headset combined with superior quality sound and high levels of comfort, get the NX6000 by Gennum. It is the only Bluetooth headset I’m aware of that offers both noise cancellation and wind guard. Also, did you know we’re giving three away? Click for more info.

I’m not giving up hope on Apple’s offering just yet, though. I’ll be field testing over the next few days to check battery life and audio quality in different environments so, if you want to hear what the headset sounds like, feel free to email tipline@gmail.com with your phone number and I’ll do my best to give you a buzz.

The first set of unboxing images courtesy of nomad7674 appeared on flickr today!

I found one of the first released Apple Bluetooth Headsets today in the Apple Store in Marlton, NJ today. My quick search did not find anyone else who had posted pics of an unboxing, so I figured I might as well try to be first. The unit is tiny, but fits well in the ear and has good sound. It comes with both the duo dock (to charge the iPhone and headset simultaneously) as well as the travel cord (to do the same in a smaller package). The coolest two features so far have to be the built-in magsafe connector on the headset for securely connecting to the dock or cable, and the fact that the Apple iPhone screen shows the charging status of the headset when both the iPhone and the headset are seated in the dock.

Has anyone else bought or test out Apple’s iPhone Bluetooth Headset? Please comment below what you think of it.

Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset Unboxing – a photoset on Flickr [Via digg]