Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun just posted some great information about the upcoming Bluetooth 2.1 protocol.  According to Kevin’s post (and congratulations on the engagement, Kevin), in addition to increased transmission speed, the new Bluetooth protocol will also feature improved pairing and lower power consumption.  Anyone who uses Bluetooth regularly knows what a welcome improvement this will be.  Of course, now all of these features are available, you will need to upgrade your collection of Bluetooth gadgets to best utilize the new protocol.  Let me give you some suggestions after the break.

First up is the latest news from CTIA.  Earlier today, Plantronics introduced an extremely cool looking Bluetooth stereo headset.  According to the CTIA 2007 blog,  the Pulsar 260 Stereo Bluetooth Headset offers a unique Bluetooth pendant-style headset.  The headset is designed to support high quality, wireless stereo sound and manage mobile phone calls with the touch of a button. The Pulsar 260 enables users with Bluetooth mobile phones featuring the (A2DP) Advanced Audio Distribution Profile to wirelessly listen to stereo music and answer/end calls without the need for an adapter or picking up the phone.  Jason Dunn seemed to love Plantronics latest offering, stating, "As much as I like my Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 headphones, the fact that the cable kinks up on me and never flattens out is a source of constant irritation – so a set of Pulsar 260′s may be in my future."

I hope this headset sounds as good as it looks, because, as Gizmodo points out, Plantronics is going to have some serious competition from Panasonic and Motorola. 

It would seem that Panasonic is not going to be content to release just one new set of headphones.  Instead, they are pretty much updating their entire line of headsets, as reported earlier this week on Gizmodo.  Panasonic will have a total of 16 new headphones of all types and sizes (some of which are shown above), including:

• Noise Canceling Headphones: RP-HC500, RP-HC150, RP-HTX9 and RP-HC30
• High-End Earphones: RP-HJE500, RP-HJE300 and RP-HJE200
• High-End Earphones with Straps: RP-HNJ300 RP-HNJ200 and RP-HNJ35
• Low-End Earphones: RP-HV365, RP-HV245 RP-HJ240, RP-HV240, RP-HJ220 and RP-HV220.

Motorola is also introducing a new contender with the petite, new H680 Bluetooth headset.   According to the Motorola press release, this new headset offers an air of elegance to Motorola’s suite of Bluetooth enabled headsets.  [Was elegance something that has been missing from the headset market until now??]  "The sophisticated appearance of the H680 is complemented by lengthy talk times for its micro size. Compared to other headsets in its category, the H680 provides up to approximately eight hours of talk time and approximately eight days of standby time."   The H680 features a lustrous metallic finish on the sides and a glass-like finish top, as well as an ergonomically designed speaker and ear bud/ear hook innovation.  The ear bud helps provide stronger audio quality with closer placement to the ear, while interchangeable ear cushions help to offer unrivaled wearing comfort. The ultra-light, ultra-comfortable ear hook helps supply additional stability and rotates, allowing users to point the microphone directly towards their mouth so conversations can be heard clearly.  The headset is complemented by a stylish and functional portable case that charges and helps protect the headset. Simply place the headset in the case and plug in a wall charger or car charger (sold separately) to recharge the headset.

Of course, this doesn’t even include the V-Moda Vibe, one of the best earphones I have used in quite some time.  For my money, however, I need a headset which offers the ability to easily switch between stereo music and cell phone calls.  I also rely heavily on Bluetooth, a reliance which will only increase once the new Bluetooth 2.1 protocol begins entering the market.  That is why only the Plantronics Pulsar 260 stands a chance of knocking the Jabra 8010 off the top of my wishlist.

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