Stream music files from your A2DP-supported phone over Bluetooth, and the receiver will pick it up, and play through the speakers you've connected via the supplied RCA or 3.5mm cables. It'll detect a Bluetooth-enabled phone from 33-feet away, and as it's only $50 it could solve some of your audio problems fairly quickly. No, sadly it won't label your iTunes collection properly. [iPodnn]

The otherwise normal surge protector automatically cuts the power to connected devices after precisely 11 hours of use. (Some engineer at Belkin was clearly tired of working 12-hour days.) But just to make sure you don't lose work before you save, the Conserve Surge features two always-on outlets alongside its six timer outlets, plus there's an LED warning light when the electricity is about to be cut.

Priced at $35, the Conserve Surge isn't much more than your standard premium surge protector. Then again, if you work long hours, the thing would drive you mad. [Belkin via Slashgear]

Just plug an Ethernet cord into the Home Base and when you plug any USB device, including gaming consoles, into those nicely aligned ports on the back it will automatically become wireless. You can access an external hard drive over the air and even make a non-wireless printer wireless. It will also work the opposite way: you can back up files from your computer wirelessly to a hard drive that is plugged into the Home Base.

If you think your peripherals need a wireless home you can pick up the Home Base today for $130. [Belkin]

There are three flavors, one wireless, one Bluetooth and one with a retractable cable. The wireless is $30, Bluetooth is $50 and Retractable is $20. We're big fans of mice, but would rather go with a trackpad than give ourselves permanent damage with usual travel mice. Hopefully Belkin's bridges the gap between usability and portability. [Belkin]

Reaching data rates of 1000Mbps (over the former speed of 200Mbps), Belkin's new $150 Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit includes two Powerline adapters, allowing you to stream multiple uncompressed HD data feeds through your home with little issue.

Of course, these are best case scenario numbers. If your old home has lousy electrical, that theoretical spec speed could drop a lot lower. Then again, at the overkill bandwidth of 1000Mbps, it can afford to. [Belkin]

Combining the TuneCast Auto Live transmitter and the ClearScan app for the iPhone users with OS 3.0 can tap into the GPS functionality to locate the best radio frequency to play music in the car (along with the recommendations of other users). In addition, both iPhone and iPod Touch users can use their devices to manually change frequencies and set favorite channels as presets. The device will be available in the early fall for $80, but I'm waiting for streaming Bluetooth. [Belkin]

Both the TuneBase FM and TuneBase direct offer push-button call pickup and a speaker phone, but the former also includes Belkin's ClearScan technology which automatically finds the best frequency at the push of a button. The FM and Direct will run $90 and $70 when they are released in early July and June respectively. [Belkin]

The updated platform is available now for people like Belkin to use in their Flywire wireless HD products (Flywire uses the first-gen Amimon chip). Amimon's main benefit is a stated range of 100 feet, through walls, which is more than most other wireless HD specs.

AMIMON's Second Generation Wireless 1080p Chipset Now Available

Chips to Enable HDTVs to Support the WHDI Standard

SANTA CLARA, CA—(Marketwire - April 29, 2009) - AMIMON Inc., the market leader in wireless HD semiconductor solutions, announced today the immediate availability of its second generation baseband chipset. The second generation transmitter and receiver chips (AMN 2120/2220) are designed for the WHDI™ (Wireless Home Digital Interface™) standard and are the first chipset capable of wirelessly delivering full uncompressed 1080p/60Hz HD content throughout the entire home.

The second generation chipset is based on the revolutionary video modem technology operating in the 5GHz unlicensed band, pioneered by AMIMON and the backbone of WHDI. The robustness of AMIMON's video modem technology has been proven in consumers' homes with AMIMON's first generation chipset which was integrated into wireless HDTV products from leading TV manufacturers. The second generation chipset offers significant enhancements both in quality and in feature-set.

Key features of AMIMON's AMN 2120/2220 include:

— Designed for the WHDI standard

— HD video: 1080p/60Hz & high quality computer graphics; equivalent video rates up to 3Gbps

— Range: multi-room - beyond 100 feet (30 meters) through walls

— Latency: less than 1 millisecond

— Hollywood approved HDCP 2.0 copy protection

— Low power consumption modes for portable devices

— Low cost - mass adoption price points

— 5GHz unlicensed band with support for Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)

The second generation chipset provides CE manufacturers with a low cost HD wireless connectivity solution. The chipset is built on a programmable platform that can be tuned for conformance with the WHDI standard specification. The chipset interfaces directly with the video I/O's, saving the cost of any additional components such as CODEC chips, memory buffers and controls.

The AMN 2120/2220 chipset can be embedded into CE devices such as LCD and plasma HDTVs, multimedia projectors, A/V receivers, Blu-ray DVD players, set-top boxes (STBs), game consoles, computers, DVRs, PCs and HD video accessories/dongles, allowing wireless streaming of uncompressed HD video and audio.

The WHDI standard, promoted by the top CE manufacturers is the only standard to enable whole home, wireless uncompressed HDTV connectivity.

"The first generation chipsets received considerable interest, as AMIMON sold over 100,000 chipsets in 2008 and we expect increased demand for the second generation chipsets," said Noam Geri, vice president of marketing and business development for AMIMON. "AMIMON's first generation chipset made wireless HDTV in the home a reality; the second generation WHDI chipset will make mass-market, interoperable standard-based wireless connectivity in every home a reality."

"Among home entertainment enthusiasts 1080p HDTVs are in high demand and ease of use technologies, such as a wireless interface alternative, are expected to see increasing demand from consumers," said Randy Lawson, Senior Analyst, Digital TV Semiconductor and Display Drivers for iSuppli. "AMIMON's technology provides an effective solution to meet the growing consumer, as well as OEM, desire for ease of use features while maintaining the high quality 1080p."

AMIMON's second generation chipsets and reference designs are available now. AMN2120 and AMN2220 interface directly to AMIMON RF transceivers AMN3110 and AMN3210 respectively. Pricing for production quantities of the WHDI transmitter chipset AMN 2120/3110 is $20 and of the WHDI receiver chipset AMN 2220/3210 is $25. Companies, engineers and developers interested in additional information should contact AMIMON at info@amimon.com.

For further technical details please visit: www.amimon.com/technology.shtml.

About AMIMON

AMIMON is a fabless semiconductor company pioneering wireless uncompressed high-definition video for universal connectivity among CE video devices. AMIMON is a founding member of the WHDI™ (Wireless Home Digital Interface) SIG formed by leading CE companies to define a new industry standard for multi-room wireless HDTV connectivity.

AMIMON is headquartered in Herzlia, Israel, with offices in Santa Clara, Calif., USA; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, Korea. More information is available at www.amimon.com and www.whdi.org.

WHDI is a trademark of AMIMON, Ltd. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are those of their respective holders.

The Micro Auto Charger has a 1-amp USB port that promises to charge gadgets super quick. Other than that, there's not much else to say about the thing, except that it charges pretty much anything you can shake a USB cable at. Belkin also released the dual-port Dual Auto Charger, which adds an extra 500 mA USB port, but it's fat and ugly and has one port too many.

You can get the Micro Auto Charger for $15 alone, or if you want an iPod/iPhone cable packaged in, it's $20. The Dual Auto Charger comes complete with iPod/iPhone cable for $30.

Charge Your iPod and iPhone in Your Car with Belkin's New Micro Auto Charger and Dual Auto Charger

* Keep your iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry®, or other USB charging device, charged while in the car
* Micro Auto Charger's design adds no extra bulk as it sits nearly flush with your dashboard

(Compton, CA) – April 20, 2009 – Belkin's new Micro Auto Charger and Dual Auto Charger charge your iPod or iPhone battery in your car, making it convenient to power up a dead phone or iPod.

Micro Auto Charger is packaged in a compact design and adds no extra bulk to your dashboard. Sitting nearly flush with your dashboard, the Micro Auto Charger still allows room on its lip for you to easily detach it from your dashboard. It also charges at 1 amp-ideal for iPhone devices and certain GPS systems in that it will charge at the device's fullest power.

With its two USB ports, the Dual Auto Charger lets you charge your iPod through one port while charging your cell phone in the other, simultaneously. One quick-charge port powers at 1 amp for your iPhone, and the second port charges at 500 milliamps, which will support iPod devices and cell phones such as BlackBerry phones.

AVAILABILITY

* Dual Auto Charger – Currently available
* Micro Auto Charger – Available in early May 2009

Micro Auto Charger with Charge Sync Cable for iPod and iPhone (F8Z446) - $19.99

* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge
* Sits nearly flush with car dashboard
* Charge Sync Cable for iPhone and iPod, 3 ft.

Micro Auto Charger (F8Z445) - $14.99

* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge
* Sits nearly flush with car dashboard

Dual Auto Charger (F8Z280) - $29.99

* Charge-and-sync cable for iPhone and iPod, 3 ft.
* Works with Motorola®, BlackBerry, and any mobile phone using a mini-USB connection
* Features 2 USB ports (one port at 1A and one port at 500mA)
* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge

To summarize the note, Belkin's supposedly paid for positive reviews, gave products with custom firmware to reviewers in order to hide bugs, faked certification logos, wrote poor reviews of competitor's products and backed out of CES for lack of funding. The company's supposedly in such bad shape that it's "commonly accepted that current CEO Mark Reynoso is running everything into the ground, while increasing his salary year after year."

The worst bit, for consumers, is that "the majority of Belkin employees purchased competitors products for home use, even with ours being offered free, as they are of such poor quality." On the other hand, we've had fairly decent experiences with Belkin products, so it's not as if EVERYTHING they release is bad (assuming this is true). And of course, the majority of Belkin employees aren't a part of this scheme, and this isn't an official written policy, but it's more of a thing that's forced upon them by management and their particular corporate culture.

Full text follows. Thanks tipster!

While never mentioned in an "official" policy, for years it has been pressed upon ALL Belkin employees to do whatever is needed to get good product reviews and good press. Everything from sending blog writers a device with custom firmware that hides known bugs yet claiming it to be official release firmware, faking hardware logo certifications (specifically Apple and MSFT), releasing blatantly inaccurate data from test results making our devices look superior to others, to placing "tailored" reviews of our products into places visible to consumers (as reported Amazon, etc), as well as writing poor reviews of competitors products. In the past there have even monthly awards given to Business Units who achieved the most positive reviews, regardless as to the products rate of customer returns. The concept being that even if a consumer has been mislead by a review or data on the box, the chance that they will return the product is very little. Infact, our products are such junk, when an internal survey was done, it was found that the majority of Belkin employees purchased competitors products for home use, even with ours being offered free, as they are of such poor quality.

We have paid magazines for positive reviews, made custom devices or fixtures for use at trade shows to ensure quality demos. One such example would be a fixture that runs hidden cable to a TV or audio receiver, yet claiming the broadcast is coming from a wireless transmitter, or through a USB hub.

This has been going on for years. Over the past several years office moral has been dwindling, as it seems to be a common feeling that the company is clearly in a death spiral. In the past month over 10% of the workforce has been laid off (including all QC) as profits have dropped significantly. Further more, the company has been trying to activly back out of paying for the brand new HQ being built in L.A., however they are unable to do so, stretching the companies limited cash even further. Recently, the purchasing of pens, paper clips and post it notes was halted in order to save money. In fact, the company has lost so much money, it was announced in November that a booth at CES 09 would be economically impossible.

Two of the three co-founders of the company quit over the poor direction Belkin as taken, over 70% of the employees in certain business units have quit. It is commonly accepted that current CEO Mark Reynoso is running everything into the ground, while increasing his salary year after year.

This only scratches the surface of the shady tactics and slimy methods Belkin uses. One thing I will say is that this is not the fault of the employees. The average employee makes a very honest attempt at releasing high quality products, however, upper management generally pushes employees so hard to release more products at a faster rate, with a lower production cost, that it is impossible to produce a quality product. It is very common upper management to force a product to be released even though major concerns about the product are well known.

The Daily Background found an ad on Amazon's Mechanical Turk service, which pays small fees for menial internet tasks like rewriting and converting media files, asking for users to write false positive reviews for a few Belkin products that have otherwise poor reviews, like this wireless USB hub. The request was filed by one Mike Bayard, and a quick Google search and perusal of his LinkedIn profile reveals him to be a Belkin representative in charge of sales to e-retailers. Apparently he's posted similar ads for fake reviews on Newegg and Buy.com in addition to Amazon.

This kind of fakery is probably far more common than we realize, but it's awful for the consumer. That wireless USB hub, for example, advertises Mac compatibility, but one of the real reviews suggests that this isn't true at all. Such user feedback is important to making an informed choice as a consumer, and Bayard's underhanded tactics screw up the entire system. For shame. [The Daily Background]

After plugging in their $50 cable, the bundled Migration Assistant automatically transfers music, movies, photos, "files," and Internet preferences from your PC to your Mac. The software then informs you of everything it's moved, in case it didn't discover your super secret collection of John Mayer semi-nudes or poetry exploring how it feels to love a handsome, passionate rock star who doesn't even know you exist.

While the Switch-to-Mac looks promising, also keep in mind that Apple stores will perform this service free of charge with new purchases. You just have to ask nicely. [Belkin]

UPDATE: Belkin has informed us that while the Flywire has been delayed, it should still be available "late January 2009." [Electronic House]

The Price: $39.99

The Verdict: Alright. It does what it says, which is giving you a small cushion between your laptop and your thighs. It's better than a normal pillow because it's flat, and gives adequate airflow for proper ventilation. The little hiding hole is enough for you to shove your iPod, wallet, or various computer accessories into, but it's really meant for you to put your laptop into for storage when you're not using it.

The only thing we have a problem with is the price. $40 seems to be too high for something like this (it was listed incorrectly as $64.99 on their press release) when you can get something like the Kangaroom Bamboo Laptop station for $45. Or, you can wait for Belkin's other laptop cooling devices like the Cooling Lounge, which cost the same but have a fan on board for extra ventilation. [Belkin]

Update: The version commenters are seeing at Costco for $19 is actually the previous design, not this current one which retails for $39.

Belkin BreakFree Protects Your Amps

¶ Easy-to-Use BreakFree Connectors Complement Your Existing Cables with a Magnetic Breakaway Connector
COMPTON, Calif. —(Business Wire)— Jul. 10, 2008 Belkin International, Inc., announces new BreakFree Connectors, which detach under extreme tension, protecting your amplifier or guitar from unexpected damage. BreakFree will provide noise-free dynamic sound without any degradation in audio quality.

Belkin's BreakFree Connectors are designed to eliminate the popping that occurs when cables are accidentally unplugged from a live amplifier. Additionally, for musicians with multiple guitars, the product makes guitar swapping seamless without the hassle of shutting down or putting your amplifier on standby.

AVAILABILITY

— September 2008 in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia

BreakFree (F8Z294) - US: $19.99

— Supports 1/4" TRS plug

— Strong magnet with quick detachment

— Consistent audio quality

— Reduces cable clutter

BreakFree Tips (F8Z293-2) - US: $9.99

— Use with BreakFree Connector

— Two in a pack

— Supports 1/4" TRS plug

[Belkin]

FlyWire is set for October, though those looking for the mildly cheaper in-room option will have to wait until early next year. Both of them are pricier than Monster's $600 wireless HDMI setup, which is also supposed to hit in October (though it cheats a bit by using UWB-over-Coax to nail whole-home streaming). Check out all the specs below to compare for yourself:
[Belkin]