New wireless accessories
Wires are out and wireless is in. It's obvious by the hundreds of new wireless devices introduced each month.
Wires get tangled, limit movement and can be a nuisance. But wireless products also have their own problems. They need to be powered and charged (meaning more wires), and sometimes their performance suffers.
Here's a roundup of some of the newest wireless gadgets that I've been trying out. There's a new cell phone headset that does the near-impossible, a cordless speaker for your audio device, a new cordless speakerphone for the car that listens, and an office headset that frees your hands and lets you roam while talking.
Plantronics Discovery 975 is the second generation of a unique design that solves the seemingly unsolvable problem of building a small and lightweight cell phone headset with a long battery life. Rather than building a large battery into the headset, it's built into its storage case. Return the headset to the case and the battery inside replenishes it, tripling the usage time. This successor to the popular 925 model adds a battery gauge and larger battery to the case and a lever to pop out the headset. The headset has a newly designed microphone to reduce wind noise, a slimmer profile -- almost as thin as a toothpick -- and improved noise-reducing circuit, similar to what's used in the Voyager Pro model, which has been my headset of choice.
In use tests it worked well, but not as well as the Pro. But it's much more discrete and less dorky, the least noticeable of any other headset I've tried. ($129, plantronics.com)
The Aura BluNote from Spracht is a slim, sleek looking stereo speaker that connects wirelessly to any Bluetooth audio device that supports A2DP, a type of Bluetooth protocol for music. It lets you play audio through the speaker instead of the device itself. I tried it with a MacBook Pro and iPhone; each was easy to pair. Music played from my iTunes library on the notebook didn't sound any better than the computer's own built-in speakers, but it worked well with the iPhone, allowing me to listen to music, podcasts and Internet radio broadcasts using the app called Tuner. The BluNote is powered by four AA batteries with a stated 10-hour life, or an included AC adapter. One minor issue is it loses its Bluetooth connection when switching from AC to batteries. ($95, spracht.com)
BlueAnt S1 Car Speakerphone is the company's latest in-the-car Bluetooth speakerphone that clips to the sun visor. It employs the voice technology used in the highly regarded Q1 cell phone headset. Just say "Answer" to accept an incoming call; no buttons need be touched. I tried it with my Palm Pre phone from Sprint with its free navigation guidance system and it worked perfectly. It also has an array of other commands to dial, check power, and more. While it has a standby time of 800 hours, you need to remember to recharge it once a week. The BlueAnt S1 will also play music through the speakerphone from cell phones that have A2DP Bluetooth capability, although the sound is less than high fidelity. The S1 has multipoint technology that lets you pair with two phones and answer the one that rings. ($75, myblueant.com)
Plantronics Savi Office is an office wireless headset that works both with your wired phone and PC. To use with the phone after a simple installation, lift the handset off the phone, put on the headset and push the "on" button. I was able to carry on crystal clear communications while roaming from room to room, at times more than 150 feet from the phone. Rather than using Bluetooth for communicating with its much shorter range, the Savi uses Dect 6.0 technology that the company says works up to 350 feet away. Compared to an earlier Bluetooth model the Savi had much better clarity.
There are two wearing options: over the ear or over the head. The base unit stores and charges the headset and is much more stable than previous models. The only difficulty I experienced was adjusting the volume levels correctly for my desk phone when first installing it. What's confusing is that there are multiple volume controls on the device, phone and computer, and until they're properly set, I got distorted sound. But after a month of use, I've come to depend on this product for clear, interference-free handless and cordless calls. About $240 and well worth it if you're on the phone for hours a day. (plantronics.com)
Baker is the author of "From Concept to Consumer" published by Financial Times Press and available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other booksellers. He has developed and marketed consumer and computer products for Polaroid, Apple, Seiko and others, holds 30 patents and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Phil can be heard on KOGO AM the first Sunday of each month. Send comments to phil.baker@sddt.com. Comments may be published as Letters to the Editor. Phil's blog is http://blog.philipgbaker.com and his Web site is philipgbaker.com
