On July 1, California drivers will be breaking the new hands-free mobile law if they drive and talk on their cell phones without a headset. Not that any of you would do that, of course.
To be sure I'm in compliance, I decided to adopt a strategy of always having a charged Bluetooth headset at hand, and that means I've been switching among several brands: an older Plantronics model (a gift to DEMO attendees in 2007), the new noise-cancelling Jawbone headset from DEMOmobile 04 alumni Aliph, and a sleek ear-bud noise-isolating headset from Etymotic Research, a company that has never participated at DEMO, but whose innovative technologies certainly earn them an open invitation.
The Plantronics Voyager is an old standby and highly reliable. In fact, I have two that are charged and at the ready whenever I need them. This headset is lightweight and reasonably comfortable, although it doesn't fit into the ear with quite the same snugness as some other headsets. That loose fit may be why I don't sense enough volume from some calls, even with the headset turned to its loudest setting. Where other headsets can be fickle or delicate, the Bluetooth-supporting Voyager has held up to the tough environment that is my briefcase. (I can't say the same for the original Aliph Bluetooth Jawbone, which didn't take kindly to having a laptop tossed in on top of it.) At $99.95 online at www.plantronics.com, the latest model Voyager 520 is well-priced vs. headsets of comparable capabilities. If you want to step up the features chart, the $149.95 Discovery 925 uses Plantronics "AudioiQ" technology to eliminate wind noise and improve overall audio quality.
Aliph made noise with its dramatic demonstration of its noise canceling head set at DEMOmobile 04 -- literally. In their on-stage demo, we heard a clear conversation between two Aliph execs, even as a leaf blower and chainsaws threatened the peace in the background. Just a few weeks ago, Aliph introduced a much sleeker and much more comfortable design, aptly called "The New Jawbone." This design is smaller and fits in and around the ear more comfortably than the first Bluetooth version. The snug fit is great for the wearer, but at least one friend reported a "tinny" sound quality at her end of the connection. Still, the "noise assassin" technology lets you use this headset in some incredibly difficult environments where other headsets just don't work well. The New Jawbone is sold online at www.jawbone.com for $129.99.
The Etymotic etyBLU fits snuggly and comfortably into my ear and provides excellent sound quality at both end of the call. Mostly out of vanity, I tend to use the headset without its "BLUmaxx Mic" a tiny boom that brings the microphone closer to your mouth. The company claims 20+ dB greater noise cancellation with the boom, yet even without it, the people I call have few complaints about wind noise and other extraneous sound that can interfere with the call. In practice, the etyBLU is the most battery efficient. The company claims up to seven hours of talk time and 100 hours on standby. I've not done specific measures, but have been generally very pleased with battery performance. My favorite feature: a compact USB charging cable, that means one less power transformer to carry around. Given the comfort, styling, noise-reduction and -isolation, and battery life, the $129 price tag is very reasonable.
As the new hands-free law takes effect in California on July 1, we'll hear a ton of debate about the effectiveness of the law. After all, many argue, just talking is distraction enough. And I've been known to mutter "hang up and drive" to those cell-phone junkies with whom I share the roadways. But the fact is, we don't hang up. We dial and talk and - help me, please - text at 65MPH in increasing numbers.
So let's just be as safe as we can, shall we? And any of these three headsets is a good place to start.
