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T-Mobile G1s now shipping with 3.5mm headphone adapters included

It's not going to somehow magically conjure a jack where there's currently nothing more than a sad-looking ExtUSB port, but new G1 buyers can take some solace in the knowledge that they'll be able to plug in, turn it up, and tune out right out of the box. We've received official word from HTC that 3.5mm headphone adapters for the ExtUSB port are now being bundled with the phone, meaning you won't be stuck with that janky (no, seriously, it's insanely terrible) headset with the special connector that you get free of charge; after all, when we're blasting the Jonas Brothers at full tilt, we need the kind of fidelity that only high-end earbuds can provide. What, you got a problem with that?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Top five handset manufacturers get together for treehuggin' chargers

Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Sony Ericsson probably don't see eye-to-eye on very many topics, but thankfully, they can all agree that Planet Earth is worth saving (or, at the very least, they can all agree that getting hated on by Greenpeace sucks). The five handset juggernauts have announced a common five-star rating system for phone chargers, making it easier for buyers to figure out which chargers consume the least energy; adapters that have features like automatic standby when the phone is finished charging will be awarded higher ratings. Nokia's been saying for some time that a ridiculous amount of energy is wasted every year by chargers that are idling their watts away plugged into fully-charged phones, so this could be a major step toward getting charger manufacturers to produce more advanced models en masse.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Seidio goes chunky in the name of Bold battery life


If you've got to choose between endurance and beauty, we can think of plenty of good folks who'd gladly take the endurance card without a moment's hesitation, and for those people Seidio offers this... thing. Discreet, it's not, but what the Seidio Innocell lacks in fashion it should make up for in sheet capability, stuffing 3500mAh of lithium ion juice into a soft-touch shell that extends 5 to 6mm beyond the Bold's standard back -- some 2000mAh beyond what the standard pack is going to give you. Seidio claims it'll ship the week of November 28, and pricing is currently set at $65; we're still waiting for our promised fuel cell revolution, but we guess this'll have to do in the meanwhile.

[Via BlackBerryNews]

Incase Power Slider for iPhone 3G doubles the juice, lets you sync


Been cursing your iPhone 3G's disappointing battery life? Don't have the heart to saddle the thing with that big ol' Juice Pack? The Power Slider by Incase promises to double your phone's power for up to 5 hours talk time on the 3G network (10 hours on 2G), increase your audio playback time to 26 hours, and increase your video playback time to 7 hours. If that wasn't enough, the iPhone can be left in the case while you sync it -- saving wear and tear on the case and on your phone. While the Slider isn't as svelte as your raw, naked iPhone, at the very least it manages to keep roughly the same shape (even if it does fatten it up quite a bit). No pricing yet, should be available starting November 28.

iPhone gains battery life, camera flash, loses sex appeal with FastMac's iV

Why yes, FastMac -- we want 24 hours of talk time, 72 of audio, 20 of video, and 31 hours of standby on our iPhones and iPhone 3Gs. Throw in a camera flash that doubles as a flashlight, and the ability to charge a USB device like a Bluetooth headset right off the phone, and you've got a deal on this iV charging kit of yours! Oh, there's a catch? It's a wee bit bulky, with an aesthetic similar to that of mophie's Juice Pack? Hey, it could be worse. This largification -- along with $79.50 -- is apparently the price you pay for digital endurance.

[Via Macworld]

Japanese iPhone gets official 1-Seg WiFi tuner and battery charger from SoftBank


Japan does love 'em some mobile TV. Now that 1-Seg digital goodness has been announced for iPhone users. The 80-gram tuner provides a TV fix over WiFi and doubles as a battery extender when plugged into the iPhone 3G's dock connector. Trendy sidewalk zombies, the streets are yours. We'll update you with prices and dates when known. One more pic for size comparison after the break.

Update: Official PR with specs (no price) is now out: 3 hours continuous 1-Seg viewing, 2-/4-hours charge via AC/USB, and available mid December along side a free 1-Seg application from the AppStore.

[Via Ringo-Sanco, thanks RS]

Crapgadget: this BlackBerry Bold dock is just for effect


Let's be straight: nothing says "I'm a successful businessperson" quite like a dock for your smartphone. You know, smack in the middle of that solid oak desk of yours -- the one in the corner office. What, you say your fancy new BlackBerry Bold doesn't have connections for a proper dock? Well, hell, you've got hair plugs, spray-on tan, and a house in the Hamptons you can't afford, so why not take the charade to the next level? USB Fever's fabulously generic $20 cradle for the Bold will at least charge the thing, but if you want to get all crazy and sync up with your PC, you've got to suffer the indignance of a USB cable (coiled for your convenience) flopping off the side. Should look real professional next to the red Swingline and that stupid "Teamwork" perpetual motion rowing thing of yours, sport. You know what we're talking about.

[Via Gear Diary]

Sony Ericsson's MBW-200 Bluetooth watches for sporty she-geeks


When a press release is laced with words like "handbag," "sophisticated," and "vibrates," it's clearly targeting the fairer sex. Sony Ericsson's new MBW-200 watches display caller ID and rumble on the wrist when a call comes in to your Bluetooth connected cellphone. You can then reject or mute the call directly from the watch. The Fossil designed, glare- and scratch-resistant time keepers come in three versions -- Sparkling Allure, Contemporary Elegance and Evening Classic. Each is modeled above by three tennis players for not so obvious reasons. Available in Q4 for an undisclosed price. A few more pics after the break.

[Via SEMC Blog]

Motorola rolls out two for the ears: H780 and MOTOPURE H15


Motorola's never been one to shy away from a Bluetooth headset design that's just a little out of the ordinary, and its new top of the line model -- the MOTOPURE H15 -- surely fits the bill. The pill-shaped ear candy features a flip-out silver piece for no particularly good reason, but technically, it's at the top of its game with CrystalTalk noise cancellation, RapidConnect for easy pairing, and a quick-charging stand that can turn 15 minutes of charge time into an hour of talk time. Moving down the price rung a notch, the H780 tries to make a name for itself with faux carbon fiber trim and an earpiece tested to be comfortable for "over 90 percent" of users.

Palm Treo 800w and Treo Pro accessories revealed, boredom hard to fend off

Regardless of brand or model, one of the very first accessories many smartphone owners start rifling through the parts bin for is an extended battery of some sort. Unfortunately, Palm either doesn't know that or doesn't care, because a glance through its fresh round of accessories for the 800w and Pro doesn't reveal any. What we do see is a leather sleeve case for the 800w -- fancy! -- along with a "micro" charger that comes bundled with a spare battery. Depending on just how "micro" we're talking about, that could be a decent investment. It's not the most exciting group of SKUs, but for Treo fans, excitement is pretty hard to come by anyway.

Brando unites external iPhone battery with speaker at long last


Nothing says "I'm mad as hell about my iPhone 3G's battery life and I'm not going to take it anymore" better than blasting it out of a loudspeaker. Bonus points for that loudspeaker being integrated with a battery pack, which in turn connects to your -- you guess it -- iPhone 3G (or original iPhone, if that's how you roll). Well, $44 to the folks at Brando will buy you that very opportunity, it turns out. Who knew?

Motorola "Jay-Z" Bluetooth headphones hit the FCC, branches on the ugly tree


Hmm, Hov, you may want to check the fine print on whatever deal you've got with Moto, because these Jay-Z-branded MOTOROKR S7-HD Bluetooth headset aren't exactly big pimpin' -- and compared to Dre's big ol' cans, they look downright sad. Of course, the FCC's legendarily nasty product photography isnt helping here, but even A2DP stereo support and the integrated mic can't salvage this mess -- was this really worth unretiring for?

[Via Crave]

Researchers create solar tie that charges, carries cellphone


There's certainly no shortage of folks working to incorporate solar cells into clothing and accessories, but a team of researchers from Iowa State University now look to have devised a way to make the wearable technology slightly more discreet, with them using digital textile printing to print fabric that matches the pattern of the solar cells. The solar cells themselves are then attached using a "liquid stitch" method, although that apparently presented its own set of problems, as the application of the cells made it difficult to tie a knot. As the researchers helpfully point out in thier paper, however, a clip-on tie would solve that problem. Combine that with the special pouch for carrying your cellphone, and you've got a combo that can't be beat.

[Via textually.org]

Zivio Boom offers 10-hours of talk... before it breaks


Announced at the turn of the year, Joby's 13-gram Zivio Boom Bluetooth 2.1+EDR headset with 10-hours of talk time (300 hours standby) is now shipping. The obvious feature here is that extending boom, which grows from a base of 53.5-mm to a delicate 137-mm. That little trick puts the mic directly in front of your hot, steaming chat box which supposedly results in better audio pickup (no yelling!) to the benefit of those on the receiving side of the call (and around you). $130, that's how much.

mophie tries to make up for iPhone 3G's shortcomings with new Juice Pack


Perhaps the only part of iPhone 3G ownership more maddening than the non-removable battery is the fact that there's no hope of an internal extended pack ever materializing (at least, nothing even remotely official). That's where accessory maker mophie comes into play, announcing a new version of its Juice Pack that slides on back and alleges an additional 6 hours of data usage attached to a 3G network. It features an on-board charge indicator in the form of four LEDs and can pass a USB connection through to the iPhone 3G within, simultaneously charging both the Juice Pack and the handset. Like the headphone jack extenders for the first-gen phones, this product seems like a necessary evil (albeit a well-designed one) for a good number of owners -- particularly considering how difficult it can be to get through an average day without the 3G model passing out from malnutrition. It'll be available this fall for a hundred bucks.




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