Writing about patents really ought to be banned, since so many companies file so many patents every year that it’s silly to cherry pick this one or that one, drawing attention to something that may never exist. Be that as it may, today an Apple patent was discovered that shows a wireless headset that includes a media player. Think of it as “a Bluetooth” with a built-in MP3 player.

The patent was originally filed in April, 2008, but the filing wasn’t published until today. As the illustration shows, the device would have simple, on-board controls—play, pause, etc.— for your convenience.

Now, we could be irresponsible and concoct a rumor along the lines of, “APPLE TO RELEASE THIS THING AT MACWORLD,” or just be honest: the odds of this thing coming out aren’t great. I mean, it could come out, but just because someone found a patent filing doesn’t mean it’ll ever come out. Did we see any fully descriptive iPhone patents before its first reveal in January, 2007? Nope. Have we seen any definitive iTablet patents? Nope.

You know what I mean. Carry on, and go eat some candy.

via Electronista

Previously available to law enforcement officials and government agents, you can now get in on the fun as well with the $200 Invisible Bluetooth Earpiece from BrickHouse Security.

It consists of an unbelievably tiny in-ear Bluetooth receiver (like so tiny it has to be removed from your ear with a special magnet) connected to a microphone system that’s worn under your clothing. There’s also a special “beeper button” that can be pressed once or twice to silently communicate “yes” or “no” to whoever’s on the other end without blowing your cover.

In order to make the earpiece so small, it uses no batteries. Instead, it uses a passive magnet to receive audio vibrations from a special loop worn around your neck. Unreal.

Although this type of system has been used by detectives and government agents, BrickHouse Security recommends some consumer uses as well, such as:

• Board meetings
• Journalists
• First dates
• Feeding lines to actors and actresses

But not for!

• Use while gambling
• During poker games
• Tests or school assignments
• Illegal activities

Invisible Bluetooth Spy Earpiece Lets You Hear Audio and Send Covert Messages Without Detection [BrickHouseSecurity.com]

How about a wireless headset for your DS? Or maybe streaming homebrew ROMs from your computer? The implications of this device are staggering. Well, that’s a bit of an overstatement. It might be handy for some, let’s just leave it at that.

[via Hack a Day]

CrunchGear: Tell me about yourself.

Johan: I started out studying industrial design at Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden, but later found out I wanted deeper understanding of engineering and construction for designing, so I enrolled at Malmo University, where I pursued a modern engineering degree that blended product design with traditional mechanical engineering. My greatest design schooling came from my first job at Curve ID, an industrial design consultancy in NYC that has collaborated with international clients and brands such as Nike, Colgate, Altec Lansing, and Kenneth Cole, where I learned many of the basic design skills. I have also worked as a designed in France and in Sweden before moving across the water to Copenhagen, Denmark.
As a product designer at GN Mobile, I work on investigating and developing future design concepts for Jabra Bluetooth headsets.


I posit that Bluetooth headsets are the most boring technology on Earth. Convince me otherwise.
We believe otherwise — and the Jabra STONE is evidence of how design is reinvigorating the Bluetooth headset category.

The product category is still in sort of its cradle, but as the mobile phone continues to play a larger role in the way we consume music and media, we can expect great enhancements in features and styles. With the right design, headsets can live up to their potential as a practical wireless solution that increases the ability to multi-task.

The engineering that goes into each headset is also rather complex – for the Jabra STONE, in particular, we were faced with fitting square components inside the headset without sacrificing the design. There’s a lot of technology – some of the smallest components in the market — packed into a device that’s so small and lightweight. This includes a touch volume panel that saves space inside the headset without jeopardizing the design and a chipset with built-in flash to save space inside the headset.

Where was the Stone designed? Does it have European genetics?

The Jabra STONE was designed in Copenhagen by the Jabra design team. It certainly bears a Scandinavian modern design heritage, though is also ergonomic in design. While many concepts that would evolve the Bluetooth category were presented in the planning stages, we ultimately selected an iconic shape with a sweeping design and minimalistic style. There is no wasted or extraneous material — every detail, part, and feature on the headset is necessary. The microphone boom arm in particular was a major focus for us on this headset, and the new, intelligent, proprietary Jabra-engineered technology within the headset allowed us to remove the boom arm from the face entirely without compromising audio quality. This was a major accomplishment from a design perspective – it’s a completely new, discreet look.

What is the lab like where you work? How much science goes into the design? How much art?

For the Jabra STONE, art and style were the starting point, whereas ‘science’ followed the shape. We believe style has to be the driver of headset design, now that many headset features are becoming standard, such as the dual-mic. The biggest challenge when style dictates the overall shape is finding a location for all the necessary technology that’s expected with a high end headset. It’s like trying to fit a square peg, or battery in this case, into a round hole. Once you understand the basic building blocks of headsets though, you can really create something different, and let design change a rectangular box into something really quite elegant.

What were the major difficulties in building this headset?

It was certainly one of the most difficult projects in terms of the engineering. The sweeping, rounded shape doesn’t lend itself to large, square batteries, so it was a process to find the right balance of talk time and the design of the headset itself. Another challenge was balancing the three key factors that drive the design: first, the sweeping shape in itself, which needs to be smooth; second, the STONE charger, which has to integrate perfectly with the headset to create a smooth shape; and last, the overall design needs to fit the gamut of ear sizes. All three have to be in perfect balance for the shape to work. Of course with the innovative headset shape alone, there were an array of mechanical engineering and production challenges with the materials used to achieve a twisting, sweeping, elegant design.

Why a stone? Where did you get the idea?

The Jabra STONE concept was developed based on feedback from our consumer research and our design heritage, with previous models like the JX10 and JX20. The idea behind the stone shape was to create something very natural, yet tactile and palm-sized. The stone-shaped portable charger was initially brainstormed as a simple carrying case solution for the headset, without a battery in it, but we’ve added an element of functionality to it. The smooth, round case complements the sweeping shape and rounded edges of the headset and unifies a number of shapes and lines into one simple elegant stone.

What’s next in industrial design? Have we hit a wall in terms of miniaturization?

We continue to push the boundaries of Bluetooth headsets with innovative design — and as with the Jabra STONE, we’ve creatively placed the battery and components in strategic places in relation to the ear. As the technical components become smaller and smaller over time, headsets will continue to evolve in both in terms of wearing-style and size. As the demand for Bluetooth devices increases – whether it be for hands-free driving solutions, increased productivity at work, etc. – we’re actually seeing our partners and manufacturers dedicate more energies to the miniaturization of importance, because we all recognize how important design is in terms of adoption.

Bluetooth audio really seems to be coming into it’s own lately, and these items are no exception. TENQA has announced three new items today, a portable stereo speaker, a larger, non-portable bluetooth speaker set, and a set of bluetooth headphones.

From the press release:

Phoenix, AZ – (September 29, 2009) – TENQA’s ® proud to announce its line of stereo Bluetooth speakers and Bluetooth headphones. TENQA’s Bluetooth wireless technology equipped products receive continuous streaming audio with digital sound quality from various music sources such as your cell phone, Blackberry®, iPod® touch, iPhone™, computer, and any other device equipped with stereo Bluetooth A2DP capabilities for streaming wireless stereo audio.

The line includes the portable SP-99 stereo Bluetooth speaker system with music and volume controls right on the wireless speaker and a range of 33 feet. The TENQA HP-109 is a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones with a behind the head design that will stay in place during activity like running or exercise. The wireless headphones also have a mic for answering calls hands-free style. The SP-109 is a stylish, slim wireless speaker that is designed to sit on a shelf or desk and play music from up to 33 feet from the wireless phone.

TENQA: HP-109 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones
Remove the wires between you and your music at home or on the go.

• Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player
• Hands free calling, music stops when receiving a call, you talk through internal mic, music
resumes upon call completion
• Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device
• Internal rechargeable Li-ion Battery. Up to 15 hours listening, 160 hours standby time.
• Bluetooth Support Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, and HFP

Price: $59.99

TENQA: SP-99 Portable Stereo Bluetooth Speaker
Portable Stereo Bluetooth speaker that allows you to listen to your music without wires at home or on the go.

• Lightweight, compact portable stereo Bluetooth speaker you can take anywhere.
• Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player
• Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device
• Integrated music controls allow you to change music track and volume directly from your headphones without wires
• Pair with any device using stereo Bluetooth A2DP technology. “Line-in” jack to connect directly to any music source

Price: $79.99

TENQA: SP-109 Stereo Bluetooth Speaker
Sleek stereo Bluetooth speaker that allows you to listen to your music without wires.

• Connects wirelessly to cell phone, iPhone, iPod Touch, Computer, or Bluetooth mp3 player
• Ultras slim and compact desktop design you can put anywhere
• Stereo Bluetooth Class 2 technology transmits audio up to 33 feet away from your audio device
• Pair with any device using stereo Bluetooth A2DP technology. “Line-in” jack to connect directly to any music source

Price: $89.99

All of the TENQA products are currently available at Amazon.com

The Basics
Basically the MAGNUM is a battery-powered cylindrical Bluetooth speaker. You pair it with a Bluetooth device, and it makes the pretty sounds. I easily paired the MAGNUM with my iPhone and enjoyed streaming music to it. Without a doubt, this thing is perfect for cookouts, picnics, and other outdoor activities: it’s small, lightweight, and provides great output. The fact that it can operate on 4 AA batteries makes it a terrific on-the-go gadget.

Initial Impressions
The MAGNUM is all black, with a rubbery leather skin. The speakers are at either end of the tube. The whole thing rolls quite nicely, and this is something to keep in mind when you place it on a flat surface. More than once it almost rolled away from me. The control buttons are just below the YUBZ logo, and they’re extremely hard to see: they’re flush with the unit, covered in the same skin, and also black. You really need to read the manual and memorize the button locations. Thankfully, only three buttons are regularly needed: power (far right), volume down (second from the left) and volume up (third from the left). The other buttons provide stop, forward, and back functionality so you can control your Bluetooth audio source from the MAGNUM itself.

I was a bit skeptical of the claim of 10-hour battery life, so I put the MAGNUM to the test: I paired it with my Mac Mini and started streaming my impressive MP3 collection to it. Then I went to bed. I woke up nine hours later, and the MAGNUM was going strong. It continued to play my music while I showered, ate breakfast, and reviewed the fine CrunchGear comments.

But wait! There’s more!
If that were all the MAGNUM did, I’d have no problem giving it a hearty thumbs-up. But it has a few more features which are worth mentioning. First, it has a line-in jack, so you can connect any audio device to it without the need for Bluetooth. I connected the audio cable to my aforementioned Mac Mini and watched a number of movies, pumping the audio out through the MAGNUM. It did an admirable job. It’s no surround sound system, but in my tiny living room it was more than adequate.

Incidentally, I also listened to a movie or two via Bluetooth to the MAGNUM, and this worked out just fine, too. I was able to place the MAGNUM on my coffee table, closer to my couch, which allowed me to listen to the films at a lower volume. I did notice a very slight audio sync issue, though: the dialog would be heard just a fraction of a second after you’d see the characters’ lips move. It was a little jarring when I first noticed it, but it wasn’t so substantial as to ruin the movie for me.

The other nice feature of the MAGNUM Is that it has a power outlet, allowing you to run the device from AC rather than batteries. Moreover, the included power cable is nothing more than a special USB cable connected to one of those USB-to-AC blocks. Unfortunately, the end you plug into the MAGNUM is a special connector, so you can’t use any old USB cable. Still, I liked being able to connect the MAGNUM to either a power outlet or a USB port for those situations when my rechargeable batteries are all depleted.

Finally, the MAGNUM also packs a microphone, so you can use it as a hands-free speakerphone. If you’re rocking out to a playlist on your iPhone while you’re at a family picnic, you can let your whole family participate when that Important Client interrupts your weekend with their Important Call. Or, I suppose, you could use this on holidays to talk with relatives, rather than pass the phone around to each person like we did when I was a kid.

In the box
In addition to the MAGNUM itself, you get an audio cable, a power cable, and a fancy little carrying pouch with shoulder strap. The carrying pouch includes a couple little straps that you could use to fasten to your bike’s handlebars, perhaps, if you want to be That Guy riding around your neighborhood. The MAGNUM, with the included accessories, shouts “portable!”

The Bottom Line
The MAGNUM came in extremely handy last night, in fact. I hung a sheet from the carport in the back yard and projected The Dark Crystal onto it for a few friends. My laptop’s speakers were too wimpy to fill the backyard with sound, so I connected the MAGNUM to my laptop via the audio cable, and plugged the power into my laptop’s USB port (all my rechargeable batteries were depleted!). Everyone was able to hear the whimpering Chamberlain, and Jen’s androgynous voice, and the wise Mystic’s final words.

I have thoroughly enjoyed using the YUBZ MAGNUM. If you’re looking for a decent speaker for your home entertainment rig, the MAGNUM is one to consider: it works great wired or wireless, and you can take it with you when you’re out and about. At $110, the price isn’t too bad, either.

It’s also available in “cerise,” which is a fancy way of saying pinkish-purple. That oughta be a nice color for fancy ladies. From a technical aspect, you get five hours of talk time, background noise reduction, and the ability to connect to two Bluetooth phones at once. Because, you know, fancy people have at least two phones.

Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Earpiece [Amazon]

If you watched in agony as the very-cool MoGo Talk Bluetooth iPhone headset was announced and given away here on CrunchGear while your BlackBerry sat idly on your desk, take heart. The BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Javelin versions are coming and we’re giving 50 of the Curve models away.

Newton Peripherals has developed a flat-folding Bluetooth headset that’s just five millimeters thick and rests in a tiny charging slot integrated into an included replacement BlackBerry battery cover. So your headset’s with you at all times and you can split off your phone’s charging cord to power the micro-USB port that charges the headset.

The MoGo Talk will also be available for the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Tour in the future, and Newton is toying around with the idea of integrating the actual headset charging directly into the handsets so that your phone itself could recharge the headset while it’s docked.

According to Stuart Nixdorff, President of Newton Peripherals:

“We designed these MoGo Talk models specifically for BlackBerry users who value the integration of phone, email and a Bluetooth headset on a single device. Our ultimate goal is to integrate MoGo Talk units with all mobile phones; in the case of RIM, these new MoGO Talk models charge and store on the back of BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Javelin models, with Bold and Tour models to follow. We are exploring further integrations with RIM devices that would enable MoGo Talk to charge directly with a BlackBerry unit from a single power cord.”

Giveaway: To register to win the one of 50 MoGo Talk headsets for the BlackBerry Curve just hit this link, enter your name and e-mail address, and 50 winners will be selected at random on Friday, August 14th at 4:00 Eastern.

Both the $99 Curve and $129 Javelin models cost $129 and are available for pre-order and should begin shipping in about a month or so. And lucky you! CrunchGear readers get 30% off of anything in the MoGo Store over $24.99 by using promo code crunchgear at checkout. Enjoy!

Links: MoGo Talk for BlackBerry Curve | MoGo Talk for BlackBerry Javelin

If there is one gadget that really caught my attention this year, besides the Palm Pre, was the BT-1 Bluetooth Webcam from Ecamm Network. The BT-1, which won Macworld Best of Show, has received much praise since its announcement at Macworld and I was quite excited to open it up and give it a try.

The BT-1 is the worlds first Bluetooth webcam that only comes with one cable — a USB cable for charging the device. The BT-1 connects wirelessly to your Mac for video chatting, recording, and broadcasting with no wires to slow you down.

The BT-1 records 640×480 H.264 video and 48 kHz AAC audio, with a range of 10-30 feet. Now keep in mind — the BT-1 connects to your computer via Bluetooth. In order to setup the BT-1, you’ll need to head over to their website, and download a System Preferences panel item to connect the device to your computer. The BT-1 comes preset with the Bluetooth code “0000″ to make it easier to connect.

The BT-1 has an impressive four hours of recording time and records audio using a stereo microphone. The BT-1 is compatible with most programs, and Ecamm has posted a full list here. The BT-1 comes with a standard folding tripod for easy to use stable video, that you could take on the road with you.

Ecamm mentions that if you’d like longer range, there is a Class 1 Range Extender coming soon, that could go all the way up to 200 feet! The BT-1 from Ecamm Network is available and and is shipping now.

Bottom Line

The BT-1 is on sale for $149.00 and I think the price point is a little high, but the actual device is well worth it. With more and more Bluetooth technologies coming out, it’ll be exciting to watch what happens!

The era of stereo Bluetooth is upon us. While A2DP – essentially the part of Bluetooth that enables stereo transmission of audio – has been around for years, it’s taken Apple two years to get off its duff and add it to the iPhone Bluetooth stack and, me being an iPhone LUVR, it took me that long to actually pay attention to A2DP. I’ve tested wireless Bluetooth headsets before but most of them made me look like Lobot from Cloud City.

The BackBeats are the first pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones that are actually worth looking at. They weigh almost nothing – one ounce – and pair with almost any A2DP compatible phone. The 906 model comes with a Bluetooth adaptor and costs $129.95 while this pair costs $99.95.

These things are delightfully small. You can put them on and forget you’re wearing them. They have adjustable earpieces along with bulbous buds that fit right into your ear for maximum noise prevention. You can control playback, volume, and pick- and hang-up the phone with buttons on the side.

The frequency response is 80 Hz – 12 kHz and I found these headphones to be on par with better earbuds I’ve used. The over-the-ear form factor, however, meant that I did deal with a little separation between the bud and the ear at times, reducing the volume and clarity. A quick fix is all that’s needed to move things back into place.

These are the closest I’ve ever come to the ultimate pair of earbuds. Altec Lansing makes great audio gear and these are small enough – and cool enough – to wear on the subway or during a workout. Sadly, my ultimate earbuds would be as small as peas and simply slip into the ear permanently, directly controlling my auditory system through the use of magic and lasers. Seeing as how Altec Lansing has no patents on magic or lasers, these will have to do.

Bottom Line

If you’ve avoided A2DP wireless headphones thus far, stop. These are a great pair and well worth the $99, especially if you plan to use them for workouts or just strolling about town. These are the best Bluetooth headphones I’ve seen in a few years.

Oh, I get it. Because it’s shaped like a bone. I was thinking of something else. Here’s the GameBone Pro, a gamepad for the iPhone and iPod touch. It connects via Bluetooth or 30-pin dock connector and features a built-in battery to provide a little extra juice to your device while gaming, plus a built-in speaker and headphone jack.

All in all, I’m intrigued. I have an iPod touch, but I’d buy this thing more for use with my T-Mobile G1 — specifically for playing NES and Genesis games. The controller will come with an “iPod touch / iPhone stand supporting vertical and horizontal positions.”

So when will it be available and how much will it cost? The product’s website says it’ll be available in mid-September 2009. As for pricing — get this — the company is “currently open to pricing suggestions from the public.” Everyone suggest $5!

As for game compatibility, games made for the iPhone and iPod touch will need to be programmed to actually use the hardware so the company, 22moo, will be making a free SDK available shortly. Now as for using this thing with other devices, I’d hope that the buttons would be programmable to keyboard keys.

The gamepad itself features a D-pad, four main buttons, and two shoulder buttons. The company is located in Australia but it does ship internationally and is looking for distributors all over the place.

GameBone Pro : iPhone 3.0 Game Controller + Battery Pack [GameBone via Kotaku]

You might want to know that iRiver is making Bluetooth headsets now. Granted, the don’t look anything special; does any headset? Also, the first model, the A100, is currently only set for release in China.

There’s very little to address here. It supports Bluetooth 2.0, which means that most any phone purchased in the last five years should work with it just fine. Yes, including that fancy, new iPhone 3G S.

What I will address, briefly, is: why isn’t iRiver more popular in the U.S.? (I can’t speak to what happens, say, in Russia or the UK.) Look at the LPlayer. Looks pretty slick to me; it plays MP3s. What more do you want in a player? My guess is that, somehow, we’ve gotten used to the idea that iPod/iPhone = MP3 Player, and anything else is pure garbage. It’s unfortunate, I think. There’s plenty of cool stuff out there that doesn’t have an Apple logo on it.

Mice might not be the most stylish devices in the computer world. Most of the time ergonomics wins over style as your hand covers it anyway. But this Sony VAIO mouse forgoes the comfort for a drop dead gorgeous look.

Inside, the VGP-BMS10 rocks a 800dpi sensor and and a Bluetooth range of 30-feet. The $70 price puts it in the same price range as the Logitech M555b also announced today, but kicks its ass in the style department. However, I might still pick the slightly more comfortable Logitech mouse over this sexy Sony option. But that’s just me.

Expect this $59 mouse to be available in a couple of weeks from Logitech. But if you don’t mind having a Dell-branded unit, you can pick one up right now and get it tomorrow.

Ah, the Bluetooth headset. Often times, it’s the bane of any cell phone owner’s hands-free existence. You’re too cautious to stick it in your pocket because it’ll get caught up in your keys and covered in lint, so you forget to bring it with you. Or if you have it with you, it’s never charged because you always leave the proprietary cable at home.

Newton Peripherals, makers of the popular MoGo Mouse, have come up with a technologically-impressive and, perhaps more importantly, dead simple answer to the above problems. It’s a flat-folding Bluetooth headset that’s just five millimeters thick and rests in a tiny charging slot on the back of a super slim iPhone case. So your headset’s with you at all times and its charger is integrated right into your phone’s case, enabling you to split off your phone’s charging cord to power the micro-USB port that charges the headset.

Here’s the skinny on the MoGo Talk iPhone headset case:

MoGo Talk for iPhone is the first Bluetooth headset that can charge with your mobile phone and is capable of delivering superior audio quality in an ultra-thin (5mm) design. Mogo Talk’s folding earpiece lays completely flat, enabling it to store and charge on the back of a mobile phone or inside a laptop. The MoGo Talk earpiece is specifically designed to comfortably fit inside your ear, not around a clunky speaker like other Bluetooth headsets.

Talk time is good for up to four hours and standby time is good for up to a week.

The case is about to hit the market in small batches at $99 $129 sometime in July with widespread rollouts to carrier stores (AT&T) and Apple stores later in the year. But — BUT! — exclusive for CrunchGear readers, Newton Peripherals will be giving out 50 free MoGo Talk iPhone cases.

Just hit this link, enter your name and e-mail address, and 50 winners will be selected at random on Friday, July 10th at 4:00 Eastern.

But wait, there’s more! If you’re interested in any other MoGo products, Newton Peripherals is also giving CrunchGear readers a 30% discount on any item in its online store priced at $24.99 or higher.

Just use promo code crunchgear at checkout. You can also pre-order a MoGo Talk iPhone case if you don’t want to take your chances with the random giveaway.

Check out the above video for more details about the MoGo Talk iPhone case, then hit up the following links:

Product Page: MoGo Talk iPhone

MoGo Mouse Store: 30% off with promo code “crunchgear” (no quotes)

MoGo Talk: 50 free Bluetooth iPhone cases exclusively for CrunchGear readers

And stay tuned; this 5mm Bluetooth headset isn’t going to stop just with the iPhone. I’ve seen several additional implementations of it firsthand — there’s some other really cool stuff coming out shortly. I’ll keep you posted.

Citizen in Japan announced the I VIRT M [JP], a new model in their series of Bluetooth watches that so far are available in Japan only. I am not sure if this is something many people anywhere would want, but the watches make it possible for users to interact with their cell phones.

For example, you can see incoming mails, SMS, news, and other information on the display. The watch can also be used to remotely make pictures with your cell phone, adjust its volume, set it to silent mode or check its battery level. Again, I am not really sure if all of this is necessary.

Unfortunately, the I VIRT M is only compatible to a number of cell phones offered by SoftBank in Japan. It goes on sale July 1 in black or silver with an open price model.

Chances are SACD fans in the US will have to import this player from Japan if they want to get a hold of the latest from Pioneer. It will go on sale there at the end of may for 150,000 Yen or $1,510 USD. But come on, don’t you want Bluetooth audio streaming, eh?

avoid like the plague
Written by BW from Keller
Jul 13, 2008
Yes, the plague.

The apple bluetooth headset is the biggest piece of junk I’ve ever purchased from apple.

and this:

Waste of Money, Super Disappointed
Written by AB from Gonzales
Jul 12, 2008
Too light, doesn’t fit the ear well at all, falls out really easily, and after a 3 foot fall, broke and gave constant heavy static…

Placed the final nail in the headset’s coffin. Or perhaps the accessory was ahead of its time. Let’s pour a little out for the departed, friends. Good-bye, little dongle.

A precarious lawsuit is currently in the news in Germany: According to various reports, a streetcar driver in the Southern city of Karlsruhe made pictures of his private parts with his phone camera (while being on duty). As if that alone isn’t stupid enough, the guy also sent the two pictures out to the world via Bluetooth.

The result: A random female passenger who was present in the same streetcar received the pictures on her phone and was so shocked that she went on and sued the man. In the trial, which took place Tuesday, the man’s defender said his client was just being stupid, while the district attorney referred to his behavior as “shitty”.

The man claimed he took the pictures for his girl friend and sent them out three times in a row just because he didn’t know how his phone worked. But the judge didn’t believe him, especially because he was reprimanded twice before for using his handset while on duty.

The city of Karlsruhe sacked the man without notice. He was found guilty of distributing pornographic material through his cell phone and sentenced to pay $2,500.

Via DER SPIEGEL [GER]