• The Nikon D300s is slowly starting to trickle into stores. Amazon lists the ship date as August 30th, but reports are coming in that Best Buy is already starting to put Nikon's latest out on display. The D300s is a slightly tweaked version of the D300. Even though the camera features some minor improvements, it showcases some of the same problems users experienced with Nikon's other video capable DSLRs. Early hands-on treatments indicate that the "jelly effect" is still present when recording video, where when the camera pans or shifts solid objects appear to wobble like, as the name would suggest, jelly. If you were hoping the D300s would correct the issue, it looks like you'll just have to wait until Nikon updates their DSLR line again. But if you know you'll never take video, and you're chomping at the bit to get your hands on one of these, you can start hunting for the D300s this weekend. You might have some luck finding it today, but expect wider availability by Sunday. Costs $1,799. [Nikon Rumors via Crunchgear]

• Scoshe's solCHAT is one of those gadgets that falls squarely into the "that makes sense" category. It's a speakerphone that connects to your phone via Bluetooth, but the thing I love about it is the solar panel. Your car sits around outside in sunny parking lots all day. Just leave the solCHAT on your dashboard, and come back to find a fully charged battery for your ride home. The solCHAT also has a voice-enabled caller ID and mounts for either your windshield or visor. And don't worry, if you park in a garage, or you're trying to use the solCHAT in Norway during January, there's also an option to charge the unit via it's included USB cable and car adapter. Ships today for $99.99 [PC Mag]

Though the $100 MSRP seems steep, it's on par with other bluetooth devices at launch. The SurfaceSound Compact has a rechargeable battery rated for 15 hours of talk time or 22 days of standby, and features Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity. We just hope Bluetrek and Contour Design have paid equal attention to sound quality, as now we need devices like this to stay legal. [Product Page via iLounge]

Check it out:

The kit comes with little headset, and interestingly, a speakerphone dock that connects to it by mini-USB jack (the really, really small kind). The connection automatically transfers whatever calls you're taking by headset to the speaker, and begins charging the headset from the dock's battery. Rad.

The dock and headset can be charged alone or together by mini-USB cable, and the kit comes with a cigarette adapter and wall socket that both put out 5 volts of USB-age, and the setup can be charged by PC, too. (The AC and ciggy adapter's output with a standard USB plug, so the logic seems to be that you could charge all your USB 5v gadgets with those two adapters. The ony issue? the mini USB to standard USB cable is the same you have to use at home (PC or wall) or in the car, so you're out of luck if you lose it somewhere. They should have packed another. But between the pair, you've got six hours of talk, so all but the chattiest should be fine for a day. Confused? Hit the gallery because the photos go a long way toward explaining how it all works together.

The company claims to have DSP inside of the pieces to help enhance sound. What doesn't have digital signal processing these days? The quality was actually less than great, to be honest, from the speakerphone and headset. Bassy and unclear in the middle and top ranges. The microphone, according to my caller, was better on the speakerphone, too. I'm surprised, as I'd figured that SWAT and firefighters would need even more clarity than the average Joe.

The speakerphone, when left on and paired to my phone, emitted a high pitched whine.

Their motto is strange, practically bragging about plain design: "Because you don't hear with your eyes." They could have just added rubber trim and called them headsets for men, but then again, Bluetooth headsets always make men look like weenies.

Would I recommend it? I'm on the fence about the sound quality and that whine. But I'm pretty stoked about the idea of a speakerphone/headset combo that actually dock into one.

Based on what I've said, would you guys buy this thing?– Brian Lam

Home Page [Hear Otto]

The volume dial could be bigger, and as prominent as the nice dial and hang up buttons, and I wish the device charged by USB, not the proprietary plug that all Sony Ericsson devices have. And, it has a monster 24 hours of talk, and 300 hour standby (rated).

The design is mighty fine, and unlike lots of setups, there isn't any installation that'll butcher up your car's interior for later regret (*carphones*).

It's nice, but I'm betting we can find cheapo low end models that do the same. More when I find em.–Brian Lam

It also has echo and noise cancellation, so you can use it in a loud environment such as that hot rod convertible of yours. It's just the right size to clip onto your car's sun visor, giving you hands-free talking for 15 hours, working in the same way as many GPS receivers that also have Bluetooth speakerphones on board. It's now available for pre-order in black or white. – Charlie White

Product Page [Mobilecity, via CrunchGear]

We'd get one for our cars if our phones didn't already have speakerphone already. And if it were a bit less than $149. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Mobile Burn via uber gizmo]

Product Page [Kensington]

Press Release [Kensington]

Parrot's Latest Bluetooth Hands-Free Device [BlueTomorrow]

Even without the fancy dual-array mics and stylish design, this little disc-shaped peripheral will try its hardest with the built-in echo cancellation and noise suppression to make your calls sound good. You can use even use it as a speaker for your music—mono only—that pauses the song whenever a call comes in. Not bad for just $29.95. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Kinyo via Chip Chick via Sci Fi Tech]

Product Page [VoipSupply]

Logitech says the speakerphone is full duplex and includes what it calls "RightSound Technology," promising a echo-free phone call and the ability to tell when someone's interrupting you. Good luck with that—we haven't seen a speakerphone that does a perfect job of that yet. That speakerphone also acts as the control center, giving you control of volume, pick-up and hang-up. Available in about a month, the set will retail for $130. – Charlie White

Press Release [Logitech]

Your small business looking for a good portable speakerphone to use with Skype? Jim Courtney over at Skype Journal got the US Robotics Speakerphone we told you about a while back. He says the setup's a breeze (plugs into USB port, no power adapter or software drivers) and audio quality is high:

I called Bill Campbell on Skype; certainly at my end his voice was of sufficient volume and clear. Noting the full duplex nature of the device, Bill reports that at his end there was no "barrel effect." Convenient volume and mute buttons allow you to manage your conversation without accessing the computer application. As the final measure we were able to carry on a normal conversation with no impediment caused by the technology.

The USR Speakerphone's currently available online from anywhere between $40 to $65, a nice low price that makes it a good affordable option for business travelers, or even families that use Skype to call Grampa so the kids make it into the will.

US Robotics Speakerphone: a Wish Answered [Skype Journal]

The Bluetooth Speakerphone is a portable device that could be good for the car or maybe an office (but that's a bit of a stretch I think). There is no speaker grill on the thing, and it was light as a feather in that way that makes you wonder: what's inside?

LG also had their new UTMS "Sassy Slider" CU320 phone on display. It's got a beautiful 262K color screen, 1.3 MP camera, TransFlash memory port, and it slides vertically to reveal the keypad. Expect to see more photos of this one later today after LG's press conference. And it will go on sale later this month from Cingular.

This device is able to provide a higher quality of sound using Bluetooth technologies. It also features full-duplex audio technology and has integrated echo and noise reduction filters. The device has a range of up to 30 feet and uses a rechargeable battery that provides up to five hours of talk time. For a small one-hundo everyone around you will finally know how drunk you got last weekend and also what disease you subsequently received.

Cordless Portable speakerphone [PhoneyWorld]

a USB sound device is much more efficient than using a soundcard for VoIP applications... With a USB audio device, the device converts the audio into digital signals before sending it to the computer. This results in much better sound quality and compression which can have a dramatic efect on VoIP conversations.

Phoenix Audio Duet PCS Review [VoIPSpeak via UberGizmo]