A major issue with home theater PCs (HTPCs) has been the wireless (or worse, wired) keyboard and mouse that invariably clutter the coffee table. Solutions like iTablet's Bluetooth Thumb Keyboard aim to make the living room less cluttered by demoting the keyboard and mouse to relic status... at least in the living room.

PureBeats, not to be confused with Beats by Dr. Dre, are relatively inexpensive in-ear phones that offer excellent sound quality at a relative bargain price. At about $50, these PureBeats feature the flat cable that is currently en vogue. They're capable phones and the addition of the in-line mic with single remote button is welcome. As is the subtraction of $100 from the Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Tour In-Ear Headphones. While not as fashion-forward as Monster's phones, they're stylish and more importantly, do their job well.

With the iPad 2's new smaller form factor,

accessories for the original iPad

may not fit the newer model. In this episode, we'll show you some of the new

accessories available for the iPad 2

and explain what they do and how they can help to

protect your iPad 2

or

improve your iPad experience

.

Tunebug is a resonance speaker whose primary claim to fame comes in strapping itself to your bike helmet to pipe music straight to your (protected) dome. Now it's come of age as the Tunebug Rumble. While it still clips into a holster attached to your bike helmet, now it can act as a Bluetooth desktop speakerphone too when dropped on the desktop dock.

A relative unknown in the world of audiophile headphones until recently, the Phonak Audeo PFE 012 and 022 come on the heels of the acclaimed PFE 1XX series. Tuned for bass audience the PFE 012 and 022 took end user and audiophile reviews to heart in an attempt to create the perfect earbuds at an impressive (given the category and the competition) price point.

TV Hat is one of those products that make you say "why didn't I think of that?" and then immediately answers the question for you: "because I can't see myself (or indeed anyone else) wearing it." However, if you're the socks and sandals sort, the I don't care what anyone else thinks sort, the resigned to a lifetime spent alone sort, well, TV Hat is for you.

Charging your iPhone or iPod / iPod Touch and your iPad in one fell swoop, the XtremeMac InCharge Duo cuts some of the clutter and lets you charge both devices in one cradle. Not a bad looking cradle at that... especially when your shiny iDevices are plugged in and getting juiced up.

Harness the sun's rays for important things like charging your iPhone or iPod and, of course, for rocking out. The Soulra is a rugged iPod and fully iPhone compatible dock. A flip-up door hides the 30-pin connector and a large solar panel used to charge the lithium ion battery, which is then used to keep the tunes going through the night while still charging your iDevice.

It doesn't take long for accessory makers to jump on the latest iDevice. Usually upon launch, you'll see a wealth of cases, dongles and doohickeys for Apple's latest. However, it does take some time to perfect cases. It seems manufacturers need to really use a device for a while to see which problems they can solve. Imagine that. The Scosche foldIO is late to the iPad party, but it simply and elegantly solves two of the iPad's biggest problems.

Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology. It lets us chat on our cell phones hands-free, but it does much more than that too. Bluetooth can be used with wireless keyboards and mice and even with some printers. In this episode, Sean Carruthers details

what Bluetooth is

and

how to use Bluetooth

with our computers and mobile devices.

We've looked at cooling bases for laptops before. Granted, they're not to sexiest devices going. Just because they're more practical than pretty though doesn't mean you should turn a blind eye. This notebook cooling base can be used on your lap or on a desk and features on centrally mounted fan and a big air channel to keep your lap and your laptop cool.

Keyboards are utilitarian devices. As such, they tend not to be the most attractive things going. Microsoft's Arc Keyboard looks equally at home on the coffee table as it does on the desktop or in your carry-on luggage. With an ergonomic rake to the keys, a wireless "Nano Transceiver" and dedicated media keys, it's the ultimate home theatre PC keyboard.

While they're best known as a near monopolistic software company, Microsoft actually makes some great hardware too. The company's latest is the Mobile Mouse 3500 which features BlueTrack technology. BlueTrack is a new optical tracking technology that means the mouse can track on just about any surface; surfaces where traditional optical mice would fear to tred like glass, granite counter tops or even your knee.

Wired and wireless home networking has traditionally been the domain of the geeky. With our smartphones, game consoles, netbooks, iPads and all sorts of other devices connecting to the 'net via wireless, that's no longer the case. However, home network routers, for all their attempts, have never been easy to use. The Cisco Valet Plus breaks with tradition and makes it super easy to get your devices online.

The oft forgotten router is the backbone of your home network. It acts as a traffic cop for all the data packets whizzing around the house, acts as a bouncer to keep unwanted weirdos off your wireless network. In some cases, it shares files across the network and more. Do you thank it? Nooooo. The Linksys E3000 from Cisco is the latest in a long line of under appreciated network workhorses. Perhaps its spiffy design will make you pay a little attention?

How magic can a trackpad really be? We set about finding out in our

video review of the Magic Trackpad

. We're fans of the one-button trackpad surfaces on the current generation MacBook Pro laptops. Sure, it takes a little getting used to but once the initial learning (or perhaps it's an un-learning curve) is overcome, it's an ideal way to navigate and interact. Now, the same trackpad technology is available to Mac tower users, with 80 per cent more surface area than the MacBook Pro's pad.

If you've ever been away from the office and realized you're missing a USB cable to connect your iPod, your camera, an external hard drive, a cell phone or whatever other USB driven gadgets you own, Scosche has the answer. The Scosche flipSYNC looks like an automobile key fob but nestled in its innards are either a Mini B and Micro B USB connector or an iPod / iPhone 30-pin connector. It's a solid idea and demonstrates forethought and some neat engineering.

Bake it, boil it, put it in a stew... or at least drop it, freeze it, drop it in the drink. Ben and Heather take a look at the rugged Casio Exilim EX-H15 camera. Likewise, they look at the STM Jacket Laptop Sleeve. You'd be ill advised to dunk this one, but it does protect your trusty laptop against dings, dents and scratches.


Casio Exilim EX-H15
$299

STM Jacket Laptop Sleeve
Prices vary

We've looked at the Mophie Juice Pack Air on Gadget TV previously. We love the idea of an iPhone battery booster that you never forget to bring along. Turns out, Mophie aren't the only ones playing in the space. MiLi wants to play in the space too and its MiLi Power Skin in many ways improves upon the Juice Pack model. We take a look.

We've looked at several V-Moda earbuds on Gadget TV and have been consistently impressed with the frequency response, the build quality and the attention to detail.

Don't count film out yet. OK, you can... count it out; it doesn't stand a chance against digital for consumers. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S is a instant film camera, like the polaroid camera of old. Interesting for its novelty factor if nothing else. Heather and Ben also take a look a a great iPad case to protect your trusty tablet.


Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S
$65
Film refills: ~$17 (~$0.80/picture)

Contour iSee iPad Case
$30

If you're waiting for USB 3.0 to reach ubiquity, you've got a while to go yet. Seagate has come up with an excellent idea to bridge the gap though. Interchangeable "personality cables" let you swap out your connection method. Choose between eSATA, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 by buying after market cables that interface directly with the drive. It's a smart idea that future-proofs this drive... as much as one can future-proof any piece of consumer electronics or computer gear.

Voice prompts on Bluetooth handsfree car speakers isn't anything new. However, being able to talk back to said speakers is. We've looked at the Moshi alarm clock on Gadget TV previously and with a few catches, were impressed with the voice recognition of the Moshi BTHF205T Bluetooth in car speaker right out of the box.

RichardSolo.com rose from the ashes of a post-bankruptcy The Sharper Image and offers similar products to the one-time geeky gadget king. The RichardSolo 1800 is a backup battery for iPhone and iPod that packs a 1800 mAh battery and a couple of neat extras like a single LED light and a laser pointer.

Heavy on style but missing a little in substance, Urbanears are a fashion statement, but not the best headphones for audiophiles. If you're used to listening to MP3s with the top and bottom cut out, you may not notice the difference. If you're a true audiophile though, they're not the ideal cans. That said, there's some great ideas at work like an earphone jack you can use to share your music with a friend and a design that'll do your iGadgets proud.

Ben and Heather take a peek at a high-end Bluetooth headset, the Seinheiser EZX-60. It's so simple to set up that they put "EZ right in the product title. The duo also takes a look at a portable speaker that is not designed to fill the room but is good for an impromptu listen sans headphones.

Ben and Heather take a look at some slick new cases for iPhone and iPad from Marware and ZooGue

As soon as Apple releases a new device, the accessories makers, salivating at the thought of another iPod accessory explosion, get their design teams on the job to start churning out cases, docks, protectors and what have you. Some do better than others. Belkin is generally one of the good guys, using good materials and solid design strategy to make gear that works and works well. Gear like the

Leather Folio Case for iPad

.

A look at a slick digital camera from Casio and a way to keep your laptop cool

A great way to protect your camera and lenses from the elements and a super slick backpack from Slappa

A2DP streaming is fantastic. You can play your music wirelessly anywhere... assuming you have an iPhone and the Bluetooth antenna therein and assuming you have an A2DP compatible speaker in range. iSkin's Cerulean turns just about any iPod dock into a Bluetooth speaker and just about any audio device into an A2DP streaming gadget.

An anti-glare screen protector for the iPad and a few totes for same.

Jawbone made a name for itself by offering effective and easy to use

Bluetooth headsets with noise cancellation

that didn't make you look like a cyborg. Let's be honest here.

Bluetooth headset

s are a dime a dozen. You have to do something truly innovative to stand out. Jawbone has done just that. More than simply attractive, well built and comfortable Bluetooth headsets, the Jawbone Icon line let you add new apps to your headset. Unlock things like voice dialling if your phone supports it, A2DP for music playback, Jott functionality and more.

If you travel and are an iPhone devotee, no doubt you've attempted to watch a movie or video podcast on your trusty mobile while in transit. No doubt, you also know that this is easier said than done, unless you want to hold your phone in landscape for the duration of the flight. Scosche has a simple and fairly elegant solution to this issue, the kickBACK kickstand iPhone case that props up your phone so you don't have to.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin discovers Wrapsol, a film for smartphones that apparently protects as well as or better than a dedicated case. We'll test that theory on Gadget TV soon.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin catches up with Zagg and gets the scoop on everything the company is showing off on the CTIA 2010 show floor. Zagg are makers of some pretty slick

mobile phone accessories

, including an

life extending battery for iPhone

users.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin discovers a unique product, the Phubby. This little wrist holder securely holds your cell phone or smartphone, and even lets you see and interact with the screen.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin discovers a few new products in the Scosche booth. One, the Scosche motorMOUTH, lets you take handsfree calls over your car stereo. Another, the FlipSync, ensures you'll never want for a USB cable.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin catches up with Bluetooth accessory maker BlueAnt and hears about the BlueAnt T1 and the BlueAnt Q1.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin chats with Josh Richardson of OtterBox about the company's line of rugged iPhone, HTC, BlackBerry and Palm smartphone cases.

If you listen to a lot of music on your iPod Touch or iPhone, you've probably given serious thought to replacing earbuds with something a little less, well, cheap. V-MODA Remix Remote in-ear sound isolating ear buds may fit the bill. They're comfortable, reproduce sound beautifully and they feature a three button remote that lets you skip iPod tracks, increase the volume, answer calls and more.

Hands at 10 and 2, we take the Scosche solCHAT for a test drive. This partly

solar powered Bluetooth in-car speakerphone

brings the standard features of an

in-car Bluetooth speaker

and adds in a slick solar panel. It can be windshield or visor mounted and comes with all the cables, cradles, clips and chargers required for hands-free chatting.

We fell in love with the original Mophie juice pack air. It's always on our iPhone, always ready to boost the battery life when needed. Now, Mophie has expanded the juice pack line to include this red, velvelty finish unit. Flip a switch on the juice pack and your iPhone gets charged up effectively doubling your iPhone's up time.

You love your digital camera because it's easy to travel with. It fits in a pocket or a purse, takes great quality pictures (assuming you're in the proper light conditions) and best of all, you no longer have to go visit the local photo lab to get your pics printed. However, in low-light and any shooting condition that's less than optimal, it starts to show its weaknesses. The Joby Gorillapod is a fantastic piece of digicam kit that will let you get the shot you want just about anywhere, just about any time.

Whether or not you subscribe to the school of thought that mobile phones bombard your head with harmful radiation, it can't hurt to be cautious. Before you don the tinfoil hat though, check out Pong and its line of mobile phone accessories that promise to

channel cell phone microwaves away

from your noggin.

Jay Goldman profiles the latest smartphone from Nokia, the E71 smartphone, along with a stylish Bluetooth headset that could be confused for the latest iPod Shuffle. Jay finds the build quality of the E71 excellent but laments the fact that the smartphone's software lacks the user interface polish of some other mobiles. Taking a look at Nokia's BH-804 headset, Jay says it's a stylish if a little pricey mobile accessory.

Jay Goldman, AKA Mr. Mobile, takes a look at the latest Jawbone Bluetooth headset in this episode. He's loving the Noise Assassin technology that uses "bone conduction" (which is nowhere near as uncomfortable as it may sound, we're assured) and ambient noise filtering to make sure people on the other end of the phone hear only what you're saying, and not the wind, traffic or other undesirable sound.

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that lets devices communicate with each other without the need for a physical connection. The benefits are obvious; no more cords or cables connecting our headsets to our phones, our keyboards and mice to our computers. In this series, Sean Carruthers takes a close look at Bluetooth technology and shows us

how to pair a Bluetooth headset with a phone

,

how to use Bluetooth

and some

uses for Bluetooth you may not have known existed

.