We had a visit from French company Parrot today, who brought a whole host of goodies for our delectation. Bluetooth technology is its forte, with brand new speaker systems, in-car FM transmitters and even photo frames set for release this summer.
First allow us to fill you in the Parrot kit already on the market. Though they're yet to grace our pages - that will change soon - already released is the Parrot Sound System. This substantial beast comprises two 30cm tall speakers, complete with Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity integrated into each speaker.
Pair the speakers with your phone, MP3 player or computer, and you can enjoy your tunes streamed wirelessly. A digital two-channel amplifier provides 60w of power per channel, while the speakers are capable of dealing with MP3s of a bitrate up to 192kbps. The Parrot Sound System will cost you £240.
Next came the Parrot Boombox. Looking not unlike the Apple iPod Hi-Fi, the Boombox was a one-box, bluetooth 2.1 system complete with two midrange drivers and a bass woofer. In order to make pairing this system with your Bluetooth source even easier, this now comes bundled with a Bluetooth USB dongle.
Simply slot the dongle into your PC and you can instantly stream your tunes from your computer to your Boombox. This unit retails at £149 - look out for a review soon.
Following in these two systems' footsteps is the latest addition to the family, the Parrot Party. As it's name suggests, this is the cheeky upstart of the family. Small and perfectly portable, the Party works from a battery pack which can be charged to last for over 4 hours (it can also run off the mains).
It's another Bluetooth product, though again there is a line-in – as with all these Parrot products – meaning you can run any MP3 player in to it. The Party will set you back £80 and is due out in August.
Just to show we weren't asleep during the rest of Parrot's presentation, there are also three new Bluetooth in-car products, one of which, the MK6000 is capable of streaming music wirelessly from a Bluetooth advice through your car stereo.
Last but not least... photo frames! These clever devices can take your mobile phone or other Bluetooth device pictures and without the need for cables, treat you to a slideshow of your handy work. There are 7in and 3.5in versions available for £120 and £70 respectively.
