The inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry is being manufactured by Allerta and will rely on Bluetooth in order to send incoming emails, text messages and other alerts from the handset to the watch by installing a companion BlackBerry application in order to pass along information to the watch.

Specifications consist of a 1.3-inch OLED display, glass lens, full metal body, vibrating motor, microUSB port and a rechargeable battery rated for around four days of use. The watch is up for pre-order at $149 with shipping bringing the total cost to $164.

Since the BCM2074x series is also developed on a new 65nm manufacturing process, power management is expected to be improved, with Broadcom claiming double the talk time compared to its previous chipsets along with support for Bluetooth versions 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0.  The three chipsets in the BCM2074x series are all currently undergoing manufacturer sampling with the first headsets to be released sometime next year.

A little over two months ago, BlueAnt updated their formerly-flagship Z9 headset. The update makes improvements to Bluetooth communications, improves audio quality in windy conditions, and fixes a problem with the Verizon XV6800 where connections would drop. It does not appear that this issue affects other HTC Titan (Mogul) variants.

However, for the prior two reasons… all Z9 owners are encouraged to update.

Firmware 4.0 – BlueAnt Z9

The implementation of 802.11n access in the BCM4329 chipset is notable for being fully compatible with current Wi-Fi a/b/g/n versions (single band version supports b/g/n while dual-band version supports a/b/g/n) without needing expensive multiple antennae layouts that can negatively impact battery life significantly, with Broadcom implementing a single-stream radio solution that conserves battery life while also featuring Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support and an FM transmitter/receiver for tuning and wireless transmission over FM frequencies.

The chipset is available in single-band 2.4 GHz or dual-band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi frequency versions in order to take advantage of the claimed 50Mbps throughput for the Wi-Fi radio in n mode.  It is now undergoing sampling by selected manufacturers with significant production beginning next year.

The new Bluetooth standard is expected to be a generational leap in terms of power usage and transmission capability, with the emphasis placed on further development of a high speed data transfer standard and improved connection speed for telephony before final ratification next year.

The current schedule also consists of low-power transmission integration into the roadmap, with a series of meetings starting this month into 2009 during the months of January, February, June, and October.

The patch fixes an issue where a user is on an active call using a Bluetooth car kit or Bluetooth headset and a second incoming call is received where the user lets it ring or ignores the incoming call.

The second call will be then diverted to voicemail and the first call will remain active, but incoming audio is lost on the first call. In this situation users will no longer be able to hear the first call, but the first caller will still hear the Treo Pro user.

It should be noted that if the user answers the call and swaps between calls or rejects the call, this issue is not seen otherwise, but the patch is still recommended.

The Motorola Q11 features a quadband GSM/EDGE radio, Wi-Fi radio with WPA encryption support, Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, QVGA landscape display, QWERTY keyboard, microSDHC expansion slot, A-GPS support with Google Maps for Mobile, 3.0 megapixel camera with video recorder, and is one of the few devices with Bluetooth v2.1 and stereo audio support.

No pricing information is available at this time.

The update enables Microsoft Voice Command over Bluetooth and fixes other related issues related to voice dialing.

Encyclopedia: Palm Treo 800w

While local municipalities in California have seen this as a potential ticket/revenue generating exercise, the California Highway Patrol does not. The CHP has said that they will not (at least initially) be pulling drivers over for lack of hands-free. However, the CHP has also said that they will ticket you if you aren’t using hands-free, and violating some other driving law.

California’s hands-free law requires an hands-free system that does not involve touching the device to operate it. This includes Bluetooth, in-car systems, and wired headsets. In addition, you can also use the speakerphone function of the device, when combined with voice-activated dialing.

The packaging is in bulk (a white box), but includes the same warranty and all included items as the standard retail version.

Buy a Motorola S9 from Amazon.com