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From ChipChick and Engadget comes information on a solar-powered Bluetooth headset. Bluetooth headsets need a battery to power the radio, but it’s usually a low-wattage affair. The Iqua Sun 603 uses a small solar panel that on the exterior side of the headset to trickle charge the battery. It looks like an ideal headset for the sunny tropics, but it’s not available yet in the USA. Price is £40 in the UK.

My current headset is the Jawbone. It’s not solar-powered – the charger uses a proprietary cable that has a USB jack on one end and the headset plug on the other. The Jawbone’s best feature is sound quality. It does a very nice job of eliminating background noise in the user’s vicinity. It looks good, too. I’ve seen some really ugly headsets in the last couple of years.

Forbes recently published an article by Jack Trout on something I call “feature creep”. There are many examples of products that are feature-packed but difficult to use.

Trout spends a good chunk of his article discussing smartphones, including the BlackBerry. Smartphones tend to excel in one area, while sacrificing performance in others. Without mentioning the term “key success factor”, Trout does point out that smartphones must be excellent, reliable mobile phones – otherwise, what’s the point of having a smartphone?

Of course, it is possible to cobble together a smartphone from existing hardware and software. The Bluetooth protocol was created for just that purpose, after all. There’s a growing number of web-based services that will add features to data-capable mobile phones, too.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/15/chronotechs-bluevoice-combines-wristwatch-headset/

Bluetooth Watches is offering a combination headset wristwatch that is the ugliest electronic device I’ve seen this week.

Bluetooth is the trade name for a radio-frequency standard that enables low-speed, short-range wireless network connections.

The short version: it’s a replacement for audio cables.

WiFi is much faster and has a longer range than Bluetooth, but Bluetooth requires less electrical power. Thus, Bluetooth is a good choice for small devices like mobile phones and headsets. Manufacturers can include Bluetooth features in their devices without adding a large battery and antenna.

Bluetooth is somewhat limited. While there are stereo Bluetooth headsets available that connect to PDAs, phones and iPods, these headsets don’t work with some computers.

Another major limitation of Bluetooth is its security features. Encryption is weak or non-existent in some implementations, and many users simply leave the Bluetooth settings wide open. This can allow a nearby hacker to gain access to a device.

Then again, because of the limited range and power used, a hacker would have to be within 20 meters of his victim in most circumstances.

Tech: FrogPad - One-handed keyboards and gear for mobile professionals. A one-handed Bluetooth portable keyboard. I may have to look at this closely.

Tech: Yahoo! News - Train Like an Olympic Athlete with Hi-Tech Gadgets: Too cool for words running gadgets. Bluetooth. MP3, Mileage. Pulse. Now if it fits into sunglasses and uses solar power, we’re good!