Okay, so this adapter doesn't directly convert a FireWire 400 socket into a USB port, but for all intents and purposes here, it does as much. You see, Scosche's Passport was designed to channel the energy from older FireWire-based iPod charging gear into the USB prongs that the newer iPhone / iPods only accept. Macworld was able to get ahold of one for review, and in testing, it found that everything worked well when toying with new iPods, and while it was designed specifically for in-car applications, critics found that it even worked (albeit inelegantly) with dock-cradle accessories. Was it worth $30? Absolutely, so long as you'd rather burn $30 than replace that mess of wires you've got behind the dashboard (and you would).

We already knew how much the world's first digital picture frame tied to a wireless carrier network would cost, but no one bothered to mention a specific release date. Regardless, the T-Mobile Cameo is finally available in T-Mob retail stores, and it'll cost you $99.99 up front plus $9.99 per month for the connected services. It's the gift that keeps on giving taking.

We just got the official announcement of Celio's REDFLY C8N a few hours ago, and Laptop magazine's already had a chance to touch it and make a video! Their initial impressions? That $20 REDFLY Media Cable you have to buy to hook the C8N up to your phone is a tangled mess! This is exciting stuff, folks -- that is if you are just dying to shell out $299 for a buddy for your Windows Mobile device. Check out the terrifically brief video of the terminal after the break.

What if you took the REDFLY -- you know, that Foleo-like thing for Windows Mobile phones -- and cheapened it up a bit? Maybe knock the luxurious 8.3-inch display down to a more reasonable 7 inches, lose three hours of battery life, and add $30 to the asking price, for starters? That's the indecent proposal Celio has put together with its new C7 model, trading endurance and screen size for an eight-ounce drop in the original's two-pound frame. Not what you had in mind, you say? Okay, okay, try this, then: the C8N carries over the 8.3-inch display and adds a "REDFLY Media Port" for connecting an iPod, iPhone, Zune, digicam, or pretty much anything else with a composite TV-out for viewing on the 800 x 480 screen -- but the catch is that you'll also need the $20 "REDFLY Media Cable" (sorry, but that really does belong in quotes) to complete the package on top of the cost of the C8N itself. Either way, the new models are still dumb terminals that need juice from a WinMo-based device to function -- so yeah, if your Treo 750's looking a little lonely over there in the corner, the C7 and C8N should fill the bill nicely when they hit in the first week of December for $229 and $299, respectively.

After a flurry of leaks and announcements caught our attention last year, we've heard nary a peep from Toshiba about its multi-faceted device since. Suffice to say that's it's out in parts of Europe and countries with a penchant for the backward "R" and "N." Great, but what is it and how well does it do what it does; that's the convoluted question. Fortunately, IntoMobile went hands on with the USB memory stick / alarm clock with snooze / MP3 player / 7.2Mbps HSDPA USB modem / tri-band GSM cellphone and came away with the opinion that "the device is excellent." It pulled a respectable 2.7Mbps off O2's UK network and performed reasonably well as a "backup phone." The 160MB of storage for MP3 / AAC music playback was disappointing but it served its purpose in a pinch. Still, that's a lot of device for £140.

[Via IntoMobile]

Samsung Mobile's got a fever, and the only cure is more... Bluetooth? Yeah, that's it, Bluetooth. Aside from launching the hilariously named Planet Bluetooth -- an "online guide to Bluetooth technology and Samsung Mobile's Bluetooth accessories" -- the outfit has also rolled out two new BT headsets and a pair of BT speakerphones. The WEP460 headset (pictured) specializes in being ultra-small and utilizing a clear ear hook to make you look even more extraterrestrial; the SBH700 stereo headset obviously caters to music lovers and those with slightly deeper pockets. The HKT450 and HKT400 portable BT speakerphones both do exactly what they say, with neither being particularly noteworthy. The bitter details are fleshed out in the read link below, and so far as we can tell, the whole crew is available now.

Analysts are abuzz with predictions of which sectors / divisions will be hit hardest this holiday season, but this is one forecast we can definitely agree with. A recent report has found that the "least desirable holiday gift" belongs to the polarizing Bluetooth headset. With people suddenly more mindful of their spending, it's looking altogether unlikely that BT headsets will be selling like gangbusters given how unnecessary (and potentially alienating) they truly are. We'd ask if you disagree, but we're almost certainly sure there's no need.

[Image courtesy of eHow]

Hey, hey, just as expected out pops Sony Ericsson's latest Walkman from the rumor mill. The quad-band W705 (aka RIKA, the G705 clone) with UMTS/HSPA 900/2100 support shares the same Clear Bass / Clear Stereo audio quality found in the W980 Walkman while packing DLNA-certified WiFi, shake control and SensMe music manipulation, a "large" (uh, hardly by today's standards) 2.4-inch display, 4GB of bundled memory card storage, an FM radio, 3.2 megapixel camera, Google Maps, and an accelerometer for what's quickly becoming a ubiquitous auto-rotating display feature on cellphones. It also packs Bluetooth, allowing it to stream audio out to the newly announced MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker. You know, if you're a fan of compressed audio and short battery life. Just sayin's all. Both will be available in select markets as of Q1 of the new year.

If you're one of those people always complaining about the iPhone keyboard (the lack of one, that is), then this is probably a vital piece of news, even if it's not totally practical. Or practical in any way, actually. Some very enterprising citizen of the world seems to be running a chunk of Ruby code on his jailbroken iPhone 3G, which allows it to recognize what appears to be a Palm / Visor external keyboard connected via a custom cable. The results of this intense bit of modification? Well -- not much, honestly, but it's still kinda cool. "Hello Keyboard," indeed. Check out the video of it in action after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Looking for another way to get your laptop on Vodafone's mobile broadband highway, are you? Splendid news -- the aforesaid carrier has just introduced an all new USB model, the easy-to-remember USB Stick Pro. Boasting a simple black design, retractable USB connector and an inbuilt 4GB micro SD card, this here stick is capable of sucking down bits and bytes at up to 7.2Mbps (theoretical) with upload speeds at up to 2Mbps. Better still, the modem will be gratis on select price plans. Tough to beat free, huh?

Say it ain't so! We can only imagine that there are quite a few folks out there who will be absolutely elated to hear this news, so we'll get right to it: a femtocell is (likely) coming to AT&T. Nah, we haven't spied any in the wild shots of a rumored box or anything, but a carrier spokeswoman admitted to Unstrung that "as the nation's leading provider of both wireless and broadband, it makes sense that we would examine the potential benefits of femtocells for our customers." Better still, she continued by affirming that it was "currently doing testing in its labs and a trial [was] planned for later this year." Aside from that, we've no real details to pore over, but all we really needed to know has been said. Sprint and Verizon won't be the only providers offering up an in-home mini cell tower, and we'd say this can't possibly come soon enough for AT&Ters sitting squarely in a fringe coverage area.

[Via Brighthand, image courtesy of 3G]

The shock! The horror! We're beginning to see signs of an absolutely impossible trend, one that just cannot be coming to fruition. Merely hours after spotting the compact-like Samsung CLEO comes an obvious rival: the LG Reveal. The chic flip phone is said to boast a full QWERTY keypad (for realz?), a black or purple motif, a 2.0-megapixel camera, built-in Bluetooth and a 2.4-inch display. Also of note, the handset will be offered with an exclusive Swarovski Crystal Bluetooth headset as part of the LG Shimmer Kit, and each one of these packages will lead to a $5 donation to Fashion Cares. Mum's the word on pricing / exact availability, but we'd bet dollars to donuts that yet another makeup compact-turned-flip phone appears before too long. Even if it's just in our nightmares.

[Via mobilesyrup]

Callpod's Phoenix is edging dangerously close to the realm of vaporware, but even though the pricing is being kept tightly under wraps, the thing is supposedly available now. For those who've managed to think about more than this revolution in the all-too-exciting world of conference calling since January, let's recap. Essentially, the Phoenix MCS enables five BT headsets to communicate with each other in full duplex over a more than a 300,000-square foot area. Additionally, the base station is completely mobile and packs a rechargeable Li-ion battery good for around 8-hours of talk time (120-hours in standby). When we pinged Callpod to retrieve the highly secretive pricing information, we were told that we'd have to "speak to a sales representative to get a better idea." Hope you're up for a chat.

AT&T and Option jointly announced the launch of one of the world's smallest HSPA USB devices today, the USBConnect Quicksilver. The latest in the carrier's line of LaptopConnect devices, this mobile broadband unit weighs just 1.2-ounces and can roam (for a price, of course) in more than 150 countries, with 3G available in over 60. Best of all, this USB modem actually looks halfway decent for the fashionistas that care, boasting an "intelligent" protective cap and a mildly curvaceous flair. Oh, and did we mention that it's available today at no cost if you ink your name to a two-year DataConnect plan of $60 or more? 'Cause it is.

C'mon, what iPhone 3G user who actually takes full advantage of that 3G radio hasn't been disappointed with battery life at one point or another? And be honest, you're also disappointed with the downright naff battery extenders floating around out there. Granted, mophie's iPhone 3G Juice Pack isn't the most elegant thing in the entire world, but the "sled" design sure beats adding an unwanted appendage onto your handset. The device -- which is shipping today to those who pre-ordered early -- will reportedly provide up to 350 additional hours of standby, up to 6 hours of 3G talk time (or 12 hours on 2G), another 6 hours of web surfing and a 458% boost in overall happiness. Hell, you'd pay $99.95 just for the latter, now wouldn't you?