FreeSpeak: Talking into midair is trendy again
By Shoshana Berger
Business 2.0
Editor's note: Gizmos Weekly is produced by Business 2.0 and features gadget reviews and gift ideas
(Business 2.0) -- Everyone remembers her first time. Mine took place four years ago in Stockholm. I was at a cafe favored by young, severely blond Swedes who looked as if they were conceived by the art director at Wallpaper. A woman at the table next to me was talking to herself -- loudly -- leading me at first to believe that psychosis was some sort of late-millennial Euro fad. It took a good amount of forensic staring to discover the earpiece with its cord dangling down into her purse.
The new trove of wireless headsets could make talking into midair trendy again. Since most people -- or, more to the point, I -- don't yet have a Bluetooth-enabled unit, I decide to try the old-school-friendly FreeSpeak from Jabra. My reasoning: It's cheaper than the Plantronics headset (which I reviewed in the December/January issue of Business 2.0), it weighs less than an ounce, and it's ready to be gift-wrapped at my local electronics store.
The sales rep actually tells me that he owns two of them and they both suck. (Never mind that he's supposed to be selling me on this thing. Why would you buy two of something that doesn't work, I ask you?) After a few hours of charging and some quality time with the manual (which is downright epic for such a simple device), I fumble with the plastic headset and push in the rubbery EarGel. Though the soft bud is supposed to block out background noise and makes for a comfy fit, the sales rep's carping is still ringing in my ears.
Phone home in a snap
The answer/hang-up button on the earpiece is easy to find blindly, but it's hard to hear the ring tones confirming that the device is powered up. Locating the volume control involves a little more Helen Keller-style achievement. No matter: I've dialed, and it's ringing! My guinea pig picks up. How do I sound? A little cell-phoney, but clear as day, he says. I throw the phone in the front seat. Hear me? Roger that. I hang up and put it to the ultimate test -- voice-activated calling. "Phone home," I command. Sure enough, it dials my mobile's programmed number -- now I'm impressed.
The FreeSpeak comes with a small circular adapter that acts as the charging station when you plug it into the wall and as a belt-based holster for the earpiece when used with a clip. It's an ideal gift for hands-free reindeer steering, from Sweden to San Fran direct.
FreeSpeak from Jabra: $99 for a Bluetooth version, or (who knows why?) $179 for non-Bluetooth phones; www.jabra.com.
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