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iPodNN: Bose will soon release new in-ear headphones made specifically to work with multimedia-capable smartphones. The three will include the IE2 headphones and MIE2 and MIE2i mobile headsets. The last two have built-in microphones and call control buttons, with the MIE2i made to work with the iPhone, iPad, iPods and recent Macs, granting access to some of the devices’ voice-capable apps and navigate music. Each will include proprietary Bose technology to boost sound quality and three sizes of StayHear tips more comfortable than with previous Bose in-ears.

The IE2 headphones will replace the currently available in-ear headphones and will cost $100 when they ship on August 23. The same day will see the release of the $130 MIE2 headset, while the Apple-oriented MIE2i arrives in October for the same $130.

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iPodNN: iHome has introduced what is the first fully functional iPad dock with the iHome iA100ZE. It can also accommodate iPhones and iPods, and gets a Bluetooth connection in addition to an FM radio. The dock includes a free download of the iHome+Sleep app (currently not iPad-optimized, App Store) that offers custom alarms, sleep stats, social media alerts, weather, and overnight news.

The alarm settings from the dock are automatically synced to the iPad. Another button syncs the proper time from an iPhone to the dock. The dock has Bongiovi Digital Power Station circuitry that purportedly optimizes the sound for digital audio formats as well as iHome’s newer Reson8 speaker chambers.

iHome has not revealed prices or a release date for the iA100ZE dock.

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Techradar: Sonos is soon to launch an iPad application for its wireless home entertainment system. The app – to be released in late August – will be available alongside the company’s iPhone app for free. (more…)

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Gizmag: iLuv, one of a number of manufacturers of Apple accessories, has added three small and portable speaker options that provide high quality sound while eliminating cable clutter. The three speaker options include a mini clip speaker, a portable speaker bar and a pair of newly designed cube speakers, all powered by USB to reduce cable clutter on the desktop. All three speaker designs work with Mac or PC.

The iSP130 Mini Clip Speaker has a built-in hanging clip for mounting on just about any monitor, putting your music at ear level.

The iSP150 Portable Speaker Bar complements any device with a 3.5mm jack, such as an iPad, iPhone, iPod, laptops and other portable audio devices. It can be operated on four AAA batteries or via USB, and is great for portability and travel.

The iSP170 Cube Speakers measure only 2.8 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches in size, making them ideal for laptops. They feature loud and clear sound and built-in volume control.

“We feel that computer-users now want solutions that feature USB power options, minimal cables and are small in size,” said Howard Kim, iLuv marketing manager. “To meet the everyday speaker and space needs of Mac, PC and laptop users, we designed these three peripheral solutions in an effort to meet that growing demand.”

The iSP130, iSP150 and iSP170 are available online for US$19.99, $34.99 and $39.99 MSRP.

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Übergizmo: CoPilot hopes to stumble upon a goldmine with a dedicated version of their satellite navigation software on the Apple iPad, where it will be known as the CoPilot Live HD. This version is a high resolution edition of the company’s iPhone CoPilot Live app, where it was specially designed to work on the iPad 3G.

All street maps will be stored on the device, where the app will make full use of the iPad 3G’s integrated GPS receiver. There is also an exclusive iPad function – a new split screen driving view that merges uncluttered 3D or 2D map displays with clear, non-distracting turn instructions. You will be able to switch between portrait and landscape automatically, while retaining the pinch-zoom functionality and access to iPod music controls from within the app just like on the iPhone. If you want to use the app with the iPad Wi-Fi version, then you will need to fork out more dough for a separate GPS dongle such as the Posimotion G-Fi.

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BBC News: Apple is to delay the international release of its touchscreen tablet computer, the iPad, by one month. It will now launch the device around the world, including the UK, at the end of May, and will begin accepting pre-orders on 10 May.

In a statement the company blamed demand for the device in the US, which it said had been “surprisingly strong”. When the iPad launched in the US, 300,000 units were sold on its first day. Apple claims it delivered 500,000 in the first week of its release. “Demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks,” said Apple.

Prices for the first iPad models start at $499 (£328) in the US. They have wi-fi but not 3G connectivity. (more…)

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Cnet: I’m not saying that this is a good idea, but I am saying that I saw this coming. The freshly minted Apple iPad has found its way into the dashboard. Installers at Sound Man Car Audio have modified the dashboard of a Toyota Tacoma to accommodate Apple’s tablet, which will serve as the brains for a much more extensive installation.

It appears that the iPad will still be removable, which is good for security. Also, because until the Apple iPad 3G goes on sale, there isn’t any GPS functionality for nav and Pandora Radio streaming will only work when they’re near an open Wi-Fi hotspot, so the option to upgrade is nice. (more…)

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Dvice: Reviews from the folks who Apple sent an iPad to early are starting to come out. What did they think?

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Automated Home: Russian developers, iRidium Mobile, have just released the new version of their home automation control application.  Available on a range of platforms, – most notably now the iPad too – the system can be used to control AMX, EIB/KNX, ABB, Berker, GIRA, Jung and Modbus with DALI , X10 and Domintell protocols in the works too.  iRidium can also control XBMC, with support coming in the near future for Boxee, Windows Media Center and Apple TV. Read more

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Engadget: LG isn’t dishing out many details about this one just yet, but company exec KW Kim (head of LG’s Middle East and Africa Operations) has told Emirates Business that LG will soon be launching a product — “maybe by April” — that “will compete with Apple and Amazon.”

And, well, that’s about it. As you may recall, however, LG has been showing off various bits of technology for e-book readers over the past little while, including a solar-powered system designed specifically for e-readers and, of course, some flexible e-paper displays that have already turned up in the Skiff Reader. In other LG news, Kim also dropped word that the company is talking with Etisalat about a new line of “notebooks” (possibly netbooks) that would use “Google’s operating system,” although it’s not clear if he was referring to Chrome or Android.

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CNet: Steve Jobs apparently laid into Google recently for entering the phone market with the Nexus One and attempting to steal the iPhone’s thunder.

As we write, the Jobsinator is setting his spleen to its maximum vent setting, because Google may be planning to release a Chrome OS-based tablet PC to take on the newly birthed iPad.

Glen Murphy, one of Google’s Chrome OS designers, has posted a concept video (below) of what a Chrome OS interface might look like on a tablet, while documents on the Chromium Projects Web site suggest such a tablet would be between 5 and 10 inches in size, support multi-touch (like the iPad), and use a tabs-based system, rather than windows.

Rumours have also been circulating for a goodly while that Google has been in talks with HTC to build a tablet PC. Check out the video below, and click ‘Continue’ to see more mock-ups of what the Gpad may look like.

Could Google’s efforts put the willies up Jobs? Will Google prove too tardy if it does decide to crash the latest tablet party? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Electronista: Amazon on Thursday released its fourth-quarter earnings report, indicating a net income increase of 75 percent to reach $9.5 billion.

CEO Jeff Bezos claims that “millions of people now own Kindles,” although the company has yet to release specific distribution numbers for the e-book reader.

The US Kindle Store now offers over 410,000 e-books, covering 100 of 112 New York Times bestsellers.

Customers can also choose from over 8,000 blogs and more than 130 domestic and international newspapers.

“When we have both editions, we sell 6 Kindle books for every 10 physical books,” said Bezos. “This is year-to-date and includes only paid books — free Kindle books would make the number even higher. It’s been an exciting 27 months.”

Amazon has reported a 28 percent increase in net sales for the full year of 2009, reaching approximately $24.5 billion. Net income rose to $902 million for the year, a 40 percent increase compared to 2008 profits.

The company recently changed its Kindle payouts to compete with Apple, now giving 70 percent of the purchase price back to the publishers. Apple has maintained its 30 percent cut, however publishers are not restricted to Amazon’s $10 price cap for e-books.

The iPad maker recommends that publishers charge $14 or $15 for hardcover bestsellers.

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