headset

Alarm clock. Metronome. Guitar tuner. TV remote. The list of real-world items the iPhone can replace just keeps getting longer. The latest entry: wireless headset.

Shape Services' Mobiola Headset app turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a wireless headset, suitable for use with Skype, MagicJack, or any other VoIP-powered applications. (I'm assuming it would work with games as well, though I haven't tried this myself.)

The 99-cent app works with all iPhone models and second-gen Touches (though the latter will need a plug-in headset, as it would for any kind of telephony).

On the PC side (Windows only, I'm afraid), you'll need to install the free Mobiola Headset utility, which connects your device to your PC over your home Wi-Fi network.

I tested Headset on an iPhone 3GS and a PC running Windows 7. The two apps recognized each other immediately (following a couple of firewall approvals), and from there it was smooth sailing.

The idea here, of course, is to avoid having to buy a wired headset for use with, say, Skype or Google Talk. And Headset gives you the freedom to mosey around the house while on a call--no need to stay tethered to your PC.… Read more

At last, Jabra saw fit to come up with an upgrade to the Jabra BT3030 stereo Bluetooth headset with the Jabra Clipper. Like its predecessor, the Clipper is in the style of a pendant with all the controls on the unit itself. It also has a 3.5mm headset jack so you can use your own headphones (yay!).

Jabra includes its own pair of headphones, of course, but it's nice to have that option. As the name implies, the Jabra Clipper can be clipped on to your clothing easily. It has a rated battery life of six hours talk … Read more

For our first giveaway of 2010 we're serving up Plantronics' Skype-friendly Bluetooth headset, the Voyager Pro UC. This model is for both cell and PC calls and it adds a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter that Plantronics says "delivers richer wideband audio on softphones along with Voyager Pro's superior noise and wind cancellation on both mobile phones and softphones."

On the consumer front, the Voyager Pro UC (the UC stands for "unified communications") is geared toward Skype users and has some firmware in the dongle that lets you answer Skype calls or swap between a … Read more

Aliph has just unveiled the Jawbone Icon, which promises to be the company's most sophisticated Bluetooth headset yet. We had a chance to really put the headset through its paces for the past week, and we have to say it absolutely delivers. Not only does it look and sound great, it offers more flexibility than any other Bluetooth headset due to an industry-first software platform.

It's called MyTalk, and the Jawbone Icon has what Aliph says is an operating system on a chip. This lets Aliph do some really interesting things with this headset. For example, when you pair the Jawbone Icon with the Apple iPhone, you'll see a visual battery meter of the Icon right next to the iPhone's own battery meter on the upper-right corner. This way you can easily check on the Jawbone Icon's battery status. While this may strike some people as a small thing, we think it's pretty cool.

The big news with MyTalk, however, is that you can plug the Jawbone Icon into your computer and customize it with a variety of Audio and Dial "apps." Simply log on to the mytalk.jawbone.com Web site (which will be live shortly), plug in the headset via a USB cable, and the Web site will automatically detect it. You can then customize it with a variety of Audio apps, which are essentially voice profiles of different personalities.

There are six voice personalities--The Ace, the Hero, the Thinker, the Bombshell, the Rogue, and the Catch--plus a default that comes with the headset. The voices range from a deep male baritone to that of a sultry female. You can also have it in French, German, or Spanish. The different voice profiles are used for spoken alerts on the headset that announce things like incoming caller ID and the headset's battery status.

As for the Dial apps, they are essentially speed dial numbers you can map to the Talk button on the headset. Some of the Dial apps include Voice Dial; Directory Assistance; 1800Free411; Jott (a service that lets you dictate notes, reminders, and more); and Dial2Do; which is similar to Jott. Though calling these personalization options "apps" is a bit of a stretch, we really have to commend Aliph on the intuitive interface of the MyTalk Web site. Perhaps the best thing about the MyTalk software platform is that Aliph can easily send out firmware updates this way.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--CES 2010 didn't produce quite a showstopper like last year's Palm Pre, but there's certainly one theme that dominated the show in the cell phone and smartphone categories and that's Android, Android, and Android. After a false start at CES 2009--last year's show defied expectations to produce no Android announcements--Google's OS finally emerged from its shell this year.

Of course, there was plenty of buzz about it even before CES started, after the official announcement of the Nexus One. Though neither Google nor HTC were officially showing the Nexus One in Las Vegas (… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Nyko is taking an interesting approach at voice chat for the Xbox 360. Ditching the conventional headset and microphone, the Speaker Com 360 offers two different ways to chat on Xbox Live.

Using a design that incorporates magnetic earbuds, the accessory can be worn like a necklace with a hanging speakerbox that works like a speakerphone. It should really come in handy when playing on Xbox Live with someone else in the room who wouldn't be able to hear chat otherwise. Of course you can also choose to wear the buds in-ear for a more traditional headset experience. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Jabra announced a brand-new Bluetooth headset at CES 2010, dubbed the Jabra Extreme. It's named after Jabra's new noise-canceling technology called Noise Blackout Extreme, and it has dual microphone noise cancellation, automatic volume control, background noise reduction, acoustic shock protection, and an overall improvement in call quality.

The Extreme also features multipoint technology, A2DP music streaming, and new "ultimate-fit" ear gels that promise long-lasting comfort. It has a talk time of 5.5 hours. The Extreme will launch this month at Best Buy and BestBuy.com for $79.

Technocel just announced the T360, a Bluetooth headset that blends in with all the rest. Yep, the T360 is your basic cheap headset, with a design and feature set that won't win it any awards. Still, there's something to be said for a headset that retails for under $40--the T360 is available starting January 30 for $39.99 MSRP. It has 5 hours of talk time and 150 hours of standby time and includes multiple ear gel sizes for a better fit. We haven't had a chance to test its call quality, obviously, so you're on … Read more

We last heard of Spracht with the Spracht Aura BluNote Bluetooth speaker a few months ago, but it looks like the company has ventured into the headset category with the Spracht Aura EQ.

The Aura EQ has a distinct design with angles and lines that remind us of the Egyptian pyramids. It has quite a number of features as well--dual microphones that can be switched and focused, the ability to pair with up to eight devices, a built-in six-band equalizer, and an array of ways to cancel out pesky background noise.

It also has a capacitive touch volume control (you … Read more