Bluetooth and wireless

When Apple was set to unveil its second-generation iPod Touch back in September, stereo Bluetooth was among the features rumored to be included. Hopefully, no one was holding their breath.

Apple may have dropped the ball on including stereo Bluetooth in its latest crop of iPods, but there are a few ways you can add Bluetooth streaming with accessories. One such accessory is the TuneStream from Scosche. It's one of the smallest Bluetooth adapters we've seen for the iPod.

The tuneStream doesn't work with every iPod, however, and when it does work it throws you a few … Read more

This morning saw the release of several new Sony audio products aimed at frequent fliers and other on-the-go users. The company announced a pair of ultracompact, travel-friendly speakers and three sets of headphones: one with noise-canceling, one with Bluetooth, and one with inline volume controls. You can find out all the details about the SRS-M50, MDR-NC7, DR-BT160AS, and MDR-EX36V in our photo gallery.

Sony on Thursday announced the S-Airplay AIR-SA20PK, a multi-room wireless audio system for listening to iPod (including iPhone, Touch, Nano, Mini, and all versions of Classic).

Once you have your iPod connected to the system's main docking station, you can listen to audio from your iPod up to 164 feet away. This is accomplished through S-Air's wireless speakers that plug into power outlets.

According to Sony, the S-Air technology delivers audio wirelessly to the two included speakers without interfering with other household devices. However, the company did not make it clear how exactly it would achieve this. The … Read more

Wireless music sharing isn't a new concept--just take a look at the Microsoft Zune, which lets you beam songs to other Zune owners with the press of a button. The problem with the Zune is that everyone you want to share with must have that specific brand of MP3 player.

Aerielle is offering a different take on music sharing with the i2i Stream, a device that connects to any MP3 player and headphones. Each i2i Stream acts as a transmitter and receiver, allowing the user to either broadcast music or tune in to others' "stations"--and either … Read more

Soundcast Systems focuses its efforts on a very limited line of wireless audio products and it shows: the company consistently earns praise for its top-notch wireless sound quality. Competitive pricing, however, is not Soundcast's strong suit, and the OutCast is no exception.

This $700 weatherproof, wireless speaker setup is definitely not your average iPod speaker, but that's a good thing. It's innovative, extremely easy to use, and offers great sound quality. It could use some help in the looks department, though. Read the full review.

Just as the mobile phone and media player continue to evolve into one device, so too are their respective accessories. Many electronics makers, for example, are trying to find the right formula for Bluetooth headsets that will work equally well for phone calls and music.

Sony is launching its latest effort in this category with a new pair of Bluetooth 2.0 headphones for the Japanese market. The DR-BT140Q has a built-in microphone, comes in various colors, and claims 12 hours of playing time with its lithium battery, according to Newlaunches. We're a little curious about those cords hanging … Read more

When Yamaha shipped me its itsy-bitsy NX-A01 speaker cube last August, I had only two complaints: It needed to include Bluetooth; and it needed the option of being battery powered. Lo and behold, Yamaha got its act together and created the NX-B02, a taller, less tofu-looking, completely wireless speaker based on the NX-A01 design.

The Yamaha NX-B02 includes a stereo pair of 1.75-inch titanium cone drivers, along with the coolest little fluttering bass port I've ever seen (watch the NX-A01 First Look to see what I mean). You also get a standard 3.5mm line-input, Bluetooth 2.0+… Read more

Aerielle Inc., the company responsible for engineering FM transmitters for Kensington, iRiver, and SanDisk, is launching its own wireless music-sharing device called the i2i Stream Digital Music Broadcaster. The i2i Stream allows you to take any music source (MP3 player, home stereo, computer) and broadcast it between two or more i2i Stream devices. The technology takes advantage of the wireless 2.4 GHz frequency range, circumventing the need for Bluetooth compatibility, and offering a range of 30 feet. Each i2i Stream also comes with its own independent volume control and and a USB-rechargeable battery capable of 7 hours of playback. … Read more

The category of stereo Bluetooth earbuds is still growing, so it's nice to see a newcomer to the market focusing on just that. JayBird debuted in 2007 with the JB-100 headset, a compact stereo earbud set, as well as complementing adapters for the iPod and other audio devices (sold separately). At $129.99, the JB-100 falls comfortably between two close competitors: the Etymotic Ety8 and the Plantronics Voyager 855. This headset has its pitfalls, but if you can get a comfortable fit, it's a worthwhile consideration. Read the JB-100 review.