Montreal Gazette

Gadgets to calm the commute

Bluetooth-enabled products becoming popular additions

- LOWELL CONN

Revo brings serenity now A leading manufactur­er of Bluetooth communicat­ion products, it was just a matter of time before Jabra branched out into related markets, and its excellent new Revo Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are an entertainm­ent device that happen to also feature Bluetooth communicat­ion functional­ity and are perfect for keeping in-car passengers diverted during long treacherou­s commutes. The Revo features Dolby Digital Plus sound, which interacts with a free Jabra iPhone and Android app to provide all sorts of customizat­ion to enhance the audio experience, and though it has Bluetooth 3.0 capability to transmit audio wirelessly from a tablet, smartphone or any other Bluetooth-enabled player, the good people at Jabra were thoughtful enough to include wired capability for those of us so inclined. It features a rechargeab­le battery with a life of up to 12 hours, unique touch controls with a virtual rotating volume dial and a comfortabl­e and quality, durable constructi­on. Some might argue that this product is too expensive to be employed in pacifying loud children in the back seat, but we would counter that these critics do not have kids. Airwave bridges Bluetooth divide

The Bluetooth industry has exploded and so too will it soon fall. This is not because of lacking demand, but because the technology is so inexpensiv­e that every car manufactur­er will inevitably offer Bluetooth capability as a standard feature, thus dooming aftermarke­t options that don’t offer a unique propositio­n. Cobra’s new Airwave is a product intended to derive revenue from an industry gravitatin­g toward the inevitable as the Air- wave is a bridge between Bluetoothe­nabled smartphone­s/tablets and car stereos that do not feature Bluetooth capability. It plugs into the car stereo and is paired with the smartphone/tablet so that it can receive wirelessly transmitte­d music that it plays through the wired connection to the stereo. It has a rechargeab­le battery life of 10 to 12 hours and it’s priced well enough that if you want this type of product, you’ll have no reluctance to buy it. Cobra releasing a gadget like Airwave now may feel akin to rearrangin­g deck chairs on the Titanic, but there are plenty of profits to be derived before everybody migrates to cars with standard Bluetooth.

 ?? REVO ?? Revo Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones
REVO Revo Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

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