Bluetooth

Sometimes, you just need to have some music handy to set the mood — during your day in the park, your weekend away, or your camping trip with friends — but you don't always have room in your bag for a big 'ole ghetto-blaster like you did in the '80s. These days, if you have a Bluetooth-enabled device, a digital playlist, and these speakers, you're already set to go. The Tubular Wireless Speakers ($80) from Ipevo connect wirelessly over Bluetooth and will blast your tunes for up to eight hours on a full charge. Small enough to fit in your bag, but powerful enough so that you can actually hear your favorite songs, the Ipevo speakers come in stereo so you get a full sound out of the tiny package. Plus, they would look good on your desk if you decided to keep them all to yourself. I don't blame you — they're pretty cute!

I'm not a skier, but most of my friends are, and I'm consistently jealous of all of the awesome geeky ski and snowboard equipment they have. I got a chance to try out the Radiance jacket, which keeps you warm and charges your iPod, but when my friend sent me a snapshot of his latest purchase, I had a total geek-out at my desk. It's a ski helmet outfitted with Skullcandy headphones and Bluetooth.

Now he'll be able to listen to music and answer the phone while hitting the slopes. To be honest, I think this is only a good idea if you're a fairly capable and focused skier (after all, some of us can't even walk and talk on the phone without an accident), but it's a pretty cool way to stay connected and entertained.

If, like me, you're more of a lodge-dweller than a ski bunny, check out these adorable knit headphone earmuffs.

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Since most of the nation is hands-free, at some point you're going to need a Bluetooth headset in order to chat and drive. Although the bulky and tacky monstrosities are all over the place, you don't have to subject anyone to that tech fashion faux pas. Thankfully, Aliph has a long history of providing chic and stylish Bluetooth headsets, and didn't disappoint with the Jawbone ICON ($100), which hit stores yesterday. Not only are these babies nice to look at (and have some cute names), but they're also super smart — you can customize your headset settings online (or with an app) with the MyTalk platform, while the ICON delivers state-of-the-art noise cancellation in one of six beautiful packages. Plus, with the MyTalk app on your iPhone, you can see your ICON's battery life right next to your iPhone's battery life meter so you know when to cut the conversation short.

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This is one of those products that I'm surprised didn't exist sooner. I love carrying a ton of music on my phone, but when I'm at home I don't want to listen to my tunes on tiny computer speakers. And of course, the fewer wires, the better, right? The Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver is a Bluetooth device that plugs into your stereo speakers and plays MP3s wirelessly from your phone (or any Bluetooth-enabled device). It's priced at an affordable $50, and the receiver works with any Bluetooth-enabled phone. (Yay! A wireless way to play music that's not iPhone specific!)

The receiver will remember up to six different device pairings and works from up to 33 feet away. I'm definitely excited to snatch one of these gadgets up as soon as possible!

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• The Pure Sensia radio offers a touchscreen, social networking apps, WiFi, an on-screen keyboard, and it will cost around $406 — Slashgear
• Griffin's new kid-friendly headphones include volume-limiting settings to protect them from hearing loss — Popgadget
• President Barack Obama is worried about people getting their information from blogs and not newspapers — The Silicon Alley Insider
• Check out this solar-powered Bluetooth headset that is juiced up from the sun's rays — Gizmodo
• Tweet Scenes designs customized Twitter backgrounds for $129 — TechCrunch
• It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game ever bracket! — GeekSugar

• Available today for $130 is the Plantronics' Discover 975 Bluetooth headset — Boing Boing Gadgets
• Here are 10 things you may want to know about the PS3 Slim — Gizmodo
• Now with Picasa Web Albums you can collaborate on albums with your friends — Lifehacker
• Check out some trippy optical illusions from across the Internet — Switched
• The US gets its first Internet addiction treatment center near Seattle — CrunchGear
• A preview of the Nokia N900 tablet has been released before its official launch — CNET

Let me start off by saying that this is not a birdcage. Although I wouldn't mind the sound of a little bird tweeting to wake me up in the morning (instead of my annoying alarm clock), this is something way geekier.

Called the Music Cage, this speaker plays your tunes wirelessly over a computer or a Bluetooth connection via your mobile phone. You can prop it up on a nice side table, or let it hang from your ceiling like you would a real, very classy birdcage. Although Nendo, the Japanese company that brings this unique piece of gadget artistry doesn't say what the little switches are for on the front (I assume one of them is the power switch. Just guessing here.), I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one to find out.

After chatting with a friend on the weekend, who got nailed with a $130 after getting caught chatting on her cell phone (California law requires you to use a hands-free device while driving), I've decided to show some love to the Bluetooth devices. Just like Nadya Suleman, my friend is going to have to invest in a hands-free device. Since she's a bit of a fashionista and doesn't want to use the standard earpiece included with her BlackBerry, I feel like it's my duty to offer up some decent suggestions.

Although the first headset pictured here is a Dolce & Gabbana H700 Bluetooth Headset by Motorola ($73), I had to force my friend to ignore the D&G label. The headset is too big and the shiny gold is a little over the top — definitely not geek chic in my book. Instead, I recommended this sleek Jawbone Bluetooth Headset with Noise Assassin ($74) to her, which is still stylish, and offers amazing sound technology.

The trailer for Michael Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen shows Sam moving into a dorm and flirting with a Bluetooth-using Mikaela about the webcam he got so they can "chat like 24/7." It's a cute scene, but I can't help but think about how unnatural both technologies are to use. Many states have adopted hands free laws, which require cell users to use a Bluetooth or hands free device when driving (just ask Tinseltown celebs who stay connected via a headset), but there's no getting around the funny feeling of sticking a device on your ear when trying to connect with someone. And then there's video chat. Most of you admit you've used video chat before, but it's not exactly a natural experience. As soon as I receive a request to video chat I wonder if I have salad in my teeth or if my hair looks a mess. They are great technologies, but boy are they strange to use. Which communication tool do you think is more awkward?