iPhone Price in France cemented

According to the company’s Orange mobile subsidiary, Apple’s exclusive provider partner in France, it will be selling unlocked iPhones at that astronomically high price whenever customers turn down the 12- or 24-month service contract. I suppose there is always a silver lining in every cloud - after all, France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard did mention that Orange will be selling unlocked iPhones at a “significantly lower” price compared to the $1,471 quoted by rival T-Mobile in Germany.

According to the company’s Orange mobile subsidiary, Apple’s exclusive provider partner in France, it will be selling unlocked iPhones at that astronomically high price whenever customers turn down the 12- or 24-month service contract. I suppose there is always a silver lining in every cloud - after all, France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard did mention that Orange will be selling unlocked iPhones at a “significantly lower” price compared to the $1,471 quoted by rival T-Mobile in Germany.

Should you feel that that is too high a price to pay, then why not go ahead with the service plan? It will still cost significantly more compared to the iPhone in the US (which incidentally has the cheapest iPhones around the globe), retailing for $589 with numerous plans to choose from. These plans will cost you anywhere from $72 to $176, which include between 120 and 480 minutes of talktime. If you decide to throw in another $148, Orange will unlock any locked iPhone, including those previously purchased with a 12- or 24-month contract. For current Orange customers who want to pick up an iPhone without the hassle of extending their existing contract can do so, but they will still have to pay through their nose by forking out $811. All I can say is, prestige and hype come at a price – if you really think that the iPhone is that indispensable in your life, go for it.

Bluetrek ST1 headset

SRS Labs and ModeLabs Technologies have come to an agreement to include the former’s patented audio and bass enhancement technology for use in the new Bluetrek ST1 Bluetooth headset. What can we find in the Bluetrek ST1 anyways? First off, it is a Bluetooth v1.2 enabled stereo headset, which makes it just about compatible with virtually any Bluetooth enabled product that provides music playback, including cellphones, MP3 players, and computers that support Bluetooth
the neck.

The moment either mono or stereo content is received by the Bluetrek ST via Bluetooth, the SRS WOW HD will automatically process it for a superior audio entertainment experience with crisp highs, deep lows and immersive realism. According to Henri-Nicolas Olivier, Chief Executive Officer for ModeLabs Technologies, “Bluetrek specializes in blending innovative designs with cutting edge technologies for the mobile lifestyle. We chose to partner with SRS because they have a proven track record as one of the leading audio solutions providers and our products cater to the tastes of style-conscious consumers and tech-savvy enthusiasts who want the best audio experience possible.”

Just in case you might be skeptical about the type of improvement SRS WOW HD provides, SRS Labs assures you that audio performance will reach levels that you never really experienced before with a humble Bluetooth headset, particularly when you’re listening to highly compressed music files. SRS WOW HD will expand the size of the perceived audio image, creating a 3D wall of sound. It will also incorporate psychoacoustic bass enhancement techniques which enhance low
frequencies and their harmonics creating a deeper and richer bass experience. When dealing with high frequencies, SRS WOW is no slouch, as it improves definition and clarity. In addition, a truly unique aspect of SRS WOW HD is its ability to restore information that is lost by traditional recording and playback techniques, creating a more natural and realistic audio experience.

Credit Card size Video Player

These look cool, the Credit Card Digital Video Player that’s small enough to slot in your pocket or wallet.
These mini video players are small on size but are big on features with full-size bright high-res screens and 8 hour battery life. They’re perfect for playing your favorite movies and music. Choose from the Neon M3 with heat sensitive glowing buttons and a 2.4 inch LCD screen or the Ice with a brushed aluminum finish and a slightly larger 2.8 inch display. Both have 2GB of storage built-in and can be expanded via memory card.

Hitch Vault

Some things happen in life that you could really do without. Say locking your keys in the car or losing them at some sketchy carnival. Now replace keys with driver’s license/credit card in that sentence, it still doesn’t sound like much fun, eh? Most people tend to agree, but what are we to do about it? Clearly we’re not actually going to remember to not lost those two essential items, nah, we need something to do the work for us. Hello Hitch Vault! You’ll never be sitting by your car in 100 degree heat waiting for a locksmith again. Well. . . you will have to remember the combination, but if you forgot that, you need some help.

Once you see it, the Hitch Vault becomes one of those “why didn’t I think of that one” inventions. It’s simple and can really save you a lot of trouble. The Hitch Vault goes into your truck or SUV’s standard hitch receiver, essentially converting it into a mini safe. For security, the pins are only accessible when the vault door is open. And unless you pick the easiest of the 10,000 different combinations (0000 anyone?), you’ll be just fine. Storage wise, you can pack in some emergency cash, a spare car key, a driver’s license and any other important key/card/trinket that you really, really wouldn’t want to lose. Just think, whenever you’re out doing something adventurous or when at that sketchy carnival, you won’t need to worry about losing your keys or driver’s license; just carry the cash you need for the day and you’re set.

Amazon has the Hitch Vault for a respectable $70 along with plenty of up close and detailed images for you to check out.

Delphi SKYFi3

I don’t know if everyone is on the XM Satellite radio track yet, but if you want jump on this train, you may want to consider the SKYFi3 + Vehicle Kit from Delphi.

The SKYFi3 has a large, over 2 inch screen that prominently displays the channel and the song that is playing. The XM Radio syncs up with your own FM radio, without any Bluetooth or connectors older radios would not come with.

This is one XM player that really comes with many features. It is advertised as having unlimited MP3s, and the reason why is because it has a miniSD reader. In fact, it makes a claim that is the first satellite receiver to have this feature. Apparently, this SKYFi3 has the ability to record your favorite tunes and keep them for downloading.

As for the internal memory, it can time-shift up to 10 hours, which means that recordings can be started anytime during live listening mode. The SKYFi3 also boasts a 30-minute pause and replay feature, allowing you to stop your music for up to a half-hour.

The SKYFi3 + Vehicle Kit comes with lots connectors, including one that connects directly to your lighter. It also comes with a cradle that has the channel presets. The SKYFi3 + Vehicle Kit is available at retail stores for about $199.99, but there is a sale on it from the site for $119.99.

Battery free mouse

Wireless mice are great. They help get rid of one of the most annoying things in every computer setup: cables. It’s only a small dent in the amount of cords dangling behind your PC, but every little bit certainly helps. Of course, with the good comes the bad. In this case you have to worry about keeping fresh batteries on hand at all times. Sure, rechargeable batteries are great, but what if you could get rid of those too? That’s exactly what A4Tech promises with their new wireless mouse.

The new Battery Free Wireless Mouse and Magic Pad set eliminates the need for batteries in your cordless mouse by transferring power using “electromagnetic induction technology.” A wireless mouse that doesn’t need batteries? Surely it must be too good to be true! Don’t worry, it is.

The mouse itself may not be tethered to your computer, but the special mouse pad is. All of that power has to come from somewhere, so the special Magic Pad connects to an available USB port on your PC. In addition to having a cable, (which completely ruins the point of having a cordless mouse) it also has some sort of giant in-line control box. I’m not really sure what it does, other than obviously taking up more space than is actually necessary. If you’re interested in this strange mouse, you can get one for $22.99

Robot with Plush hands

Robots are supposed to be cold and calculating machines, but the folks in robot-crazy Japan are slowly making their bionic slaves more and more humanlike with each iteration. Case in point, this new robot known as Twendy-One features soft hands and the capability to respond to human touch. In addition to that level of interactivity, it also boasts enough strength to support the weight of someone who accidentally trips over and falls down - hence the inclusion of soft hands lest our fragile human physique gets crushed by a well-meaning robot.

X mini Capsule Speaker

Never ever judge a book by its cover, and likewise the same applies to speakers and their relative size. The X-mini Capsule Speaker turns the tables on the adage “small is weak” - you have to listen to it yourself to believe it!

The sound is incredible! Rich and loud and strong, this little speaker surprises everyone with how big it sounds. It’s portable and rechargeable via USB, so you can take it anywhere you might need a big boost of sound. Just pop open the capsule and extend the speaker - this opens the resonance chamber, increasing the bass response even higher. Plus, at a full-charge, it can run for nearly 8 hours! It’s electric awesome in the palm of your hand.

The X-mini Capsule Speaker is currently available from ThinkGeek for $24.99