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2007-03-31 - 7:20 p.m. - hi, i am derrick, and im a techaholic...

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This is not my usual type of blog entry, so if you are afraid of things technical or even remotely geek, turn away now because I'm opening the flood gates. For those brave souls who are left reading, I�m about to bless you with some �bergeek technical wisdom.

When you take a look at most modern cellphones, there seems to be several different design trends, it�s either super small and/or thin device like the RAZR or KRZR, or it�s a fairly huge smart phone or PDA type device like the Palm Treos, Blackberrys, Sidekicks and HTCs, but even your basic run-of-the-mill �free with contract� phones are designed to be portable more than anything else. As a result, you see people contorted in awkward neck positions all the time with their cell either glued between their neck and shoulder or they have to tie up a free hand with their cell phone glued between their hand and ear.

The super small/thin phones although lightweight and easy to hold up for longer periods in the hand, by virtue of being small and thin, most models simply lack the substance to be held between the listening ear and the shoulder easily and comfortably. Try pressing your ear up against your shoulder and hold that position for about 10 minutes or more and you (and possibly your chiropractor) will know what it�s like talking on a thin RAZR-like phone, �handsfree� without an external device.

As for the smart phone type devices, it seems they were designed more with their �mini computer� type functionality in mind, with their larger screen sizes and full �QWERTY� keypads. The actual phone talking functions however, seem to be more of an afterthought. Essentially you are trying to carry a phone conversation on one of those Palm Pilot PDAs or a Windows Mobile type PC. Since they tend to be heavier than your average cell phones, holding them up to your ear for an extended phone conversation can be impractical and with the tendency of some of these devices to get thinner and smaller, like the Motorola Q, the Samsung Blackjack, the Blackberry Pearl, etc, you get right back to the neck contortion problem of the smaller phones.

These practical design issues are some of the reasons Bluetooth headset devices are gaining popularity. Another reason is that illegal in many cities and/or states to operate a cellphone without using a �hands-free� device and even if it is not illegal, cell phone users who are driving have an ethical responsibility to drive safely and not allow their cell impair their driving ability.

With that said, even if you are unethical jerkwad who likes to drive while eating, talking on the phone, shaving, watching DVDs, etc. Using a headset at the very least gives you a free hand to do your other multi-tasking activities, like the much-controversial driving while pleasuring yourself. It kind of gives new meaning to �auto-eroticism� doesn�t it? ;) Not that I�d engage in such sick and deviant behavior. *ahem* Hey get that UV lamp away from my car! *frantically sprays Windex and wipes down steering wheel, dashboard, front window...*

But seriously folks, practical issues aside, Bluetooth technology is damn cool. One can argue that a wired handset can accomplish the same functionality as a wireless Bluetooth one and I�m sure for most normal mortals it is indeed good enough. Wired headsets do serve as an adequate backup however and there are a few wired headset standouts with really good designs, such as the Shure Quiet Spot Boom, Jabra Earwave Boom or the Plantronics MX505 Mobile Headset.

For tech gods like me however, wired headsets are just way too constricting, hence the coolness of Bluetooth wireless technology, no wires or cords the get tangled in, just the ability to talk (or listen to music) with the phone still in your pocket. The problem is there are hundreds of Bluetooth headsets out there, enough to confuse most any tech using mortals.

Not to worry because I came up with this top 10 list of standout Bluetooth products. Although I could probably come up with a top 20 list with all the cool products out there, I think this is good enough for now.

i am derrick's top ten bluetooth devices...

10) Motorola H5 MiniBlue

This tiny Bluetooth headset has an interesting concept. Aside from being one of the smallest Bluetooth headsets around, it has an in-ear speaker which is not uncommon in these types of devices. What is interesting is that the device also picks up your voice from the vibrations that your cranium makes when you talk, also from your inner ear, and since your inner ear is shielded both by the device itself and the rest of your head from outside noise, theoretically you are able to carry clearer than normal conversations.

Although I have not personally used this device, some reviews have claimed that it has a short battery life between charges, the incoming volume is low and the outgoing sound from your voice tends to sound �muffled� from the receiver�s standpoint. It does look tiny and cool, however and that alone says a lot, hence it being on my list.

I do have to state however that Bluetooth devices in general, no matter how cool the technology, are hardly fashion statements. I suppose the execution of the MiniBlue in terms of voice quality leaves a bit to be desired. Still, I�m all for new ideas and the H5 MiniBlue is definitely a different concept from the norm and as such it has landed a place on my top-ten Bluetooth device list. Personally I�m hoping Motorola goes back to the drawing board with this idea and perfects the �inner-ear� technology.

9) ThinkGeek Bluetooth Retro Handset

At first glance, this device may seem more like a novelty than a practical device, especially considering that you would be hard pressed to find this kind of �old school� handset on even on the most basic wired analog phone except in maybe an antique phone or a novelty replica phone. Still, how cool is it to talk on your modern Bluetooth phone using this �old school� looking headset?

Personally, I�d use it either as a receiver while my phone is charging in its base or at the local Starbucks, to make the latte-sipping yuppies think I�m crazy, crazier than those people who have more conspicuous Bluetooth headsets and look like they are taking to themselves, because I�ll actually be yapping into an old school handset w/ no cord. Yes, people will indeed think I'm crazy, but in actuality, I�m a tech god and they are mere mortals who have no clue about such superior forms of technology.

The handset also looks hefty enough for me to smite people with, for doing foolish mortal things like interrupting my all-important cell phone conversations. I should start making cell phone commandments and chisel them onto a stone tablet with the lightning bolts that shoot out of my ass. I am the lord thy tech god, thou shalt not have false, inferior technologies before me. Thou shalt not fuck with derrick's cell phone calls. Thou shalt back away from me slowly in both awe and fear. Thou shalt covet my goods, but thou shalt not try to touch them lest I smite down upon thee with great vengance and furious anger with my almighty handset...

8) Plantronics Voyager� 510 Bluetooth� Headset

This is the model I�m currently using. One of the reasons I picked this model is the contoured, behind-the-ear design, which for the most part makes it quite comfortable to wear over extended periods of time. Plus the boom microphone is closer to the mouth than most Bluetooth headsets, which helps with the sound quality in all but the noisiest environments. It comes with a foam cover to help diffuse wind noise, which can be a problem if you are outdoors in a windy environment or have a steady fan breeze blowing at you.

Compared to the Jabra BT series, however the fit is not quite as comfortable for a couple of reasons. First, the earpiece does not fit in the ear quite as smoothly as Jabra�s ear gels and second, the rubber they use around the ear tends to feel a bit sticky and tacky when it comes into contact with your perspiration unlike Jabra which is all plastic and thus not as �sticky� feeling so it ranks just below Jabra BT series.

7) Jabra BT500v Headset

The Jabra BT500v is one of the latest incarnations of their �behind the ear� design. I actually have a sibling of this model the GN6210, which connects to a base so that I can use it with my office phone. As far as office accessories go, it is quite comfortable with Jabra�s behind the ear design, but I had a hard time pairing the GN6210 with my regular non-office cell phone for some reason. It would drop the Bluetooth connection and I would have to manually reconnect it from the phone instead of auto-reconnecting like it is supposed to do.

Fortunately the Jabra headset models pair better and much more reliably to mobile phones. The BT500v and the older BT250v aside from their superior fit, thanks to the behind the ear design and Jabra�s ear gels, also have a vibration function, so you can keep your phone on silent or vibe and the headset itself will vibrate when you get a call. I tried it out once and I do admit something vibrating behind your ear takes some getting used to, but one thing is for sure, you won�t miss any calls because of it. Like most other Bluetooth headsets, an audible tone comes through the earpiece when you get an incoming call.

6) Oakley � Motorola RAZRWIRE Sunglasses

I may have mentioned this previously, but if I didn�t, let me state it again. Bluetooth headsets, no matter how cool the technology or design may be are not fashion statements. If you are going into a nightclub, or a bar, do yourself a favor and just take it off.

Even at full blast with you hopelessly pressing it against your ear, there�s no way you are going to hear anyone nor is anyone going to be able to hear you on it with all that loud music thumping in the background. I know this firsthand because I forgot I had mine on when I walked into a nightclub myself. Hey, the model I had was really comfortable and I practice safe driving. On top of all that, the flashing light on most models makes you look like a wayward airplane or some raver wannabe. The bottom line is, use them when you want to go handsfree, but not as a fashion accessory.

With that said, the Oakley RAZRWIRE Sunglasses, look cool beyond the technology. I suppose the reason for this is the pair of Oakley Sunglasses, which come in 3 colors (black, silver and brown) that are used to hold the Bluetooth headset in place. Although you can use the glasses without the headset, you won�t be able to use the headset without the sunglasses, which makes them impractical in dark environments.

They are also quite expensive, which makes sense because Oakley makes some of the best sport sunglasses around with quality high definition optics. You will wind up paying close to that amount if you buy an equivalent pair of Oakley brand sunglasses. For me the draw is indeed the sunglasses glasses and the Bluetooth part of it is just extra candy for the technically inclined geek types like me. Oakley and Motorola also made a pair of wireless stereo (more on that technology later) sunglasses called the O ROKR. Although the functionality is cool without a doubt, the style does not look quite as sleek as the RAZRWIRE sunglasses so it did not make my top ten, but I thought it was worthy enough for the honorable mention.

Spiel on Wireless Stereo Headphones

Before I move onto the next few products, there are new, or I should say newer, Bluetooth technologies that are just starting to slip into the mainstream called the Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and the Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP).

In non-geek terms, A2DP is for streaming wireless stereo sound over Bluetooth and AVRCP is basically remote control over Bluetooth to control music and video devices for play/pause, fast forward, rewind, etc. These features are usually found bundled together on the same device such as wireless stereo headphones. Devices that are most compatible nowadays with these technologies are music phones and music capable PDA smart phones.

Mostly all of these wireless headsets will also typically have a Bluetooth �handsfree� and/or �headset� profile with microphone so you can use it with a Bluetooth phone to take calls. Please note however, that although most phones do indeed have Bluetooth for headsets, not all Bluetooth phones, even ones that are touted as �music phones� have the A2DP profile, so check with your carrier or phone manufacturer before you actually spring you disposable income on one of these babies. Also, the link below contains one of the most comprehensive lists of A2DP compatible devices I�ve seen:

http://www.robertwebbe.nl/A2DP.html

There are also adapters available for dedicated music devices like the iPod to listen and control it wirelessly, at least until the �next� generation when A2DP and AVRCP are eventually going to be built in to music MP3 players and portable media players. Now that I�ve gotten the intro out of the way, we can move on to the devices.

5) Jabra BT320s

There are quite a few �wireless� stereo headphones out there, but this is the first one, that I�ve heard of at least, that allows you to plug in your own set of standard 3.5 mm jack stereo headphones. This is a very good thing if you have an expensive pair of Shure or Etymotics headphones, because you can now use it as a stereo Bluetooth headset. Just plug them into this baby and you will have A2DP, AVRCP and will be able to take calls from your phone via Bluetooth with this setup. Granted you still have a wire between you headphones and the BT320s, but the unit is small and light enough to clip to a jacket collar and you are good to go. It also comes with a pair of earbuds, so you can start out with this and upgrade to a higher-quality pair of headphones as you and your money see fit.

4) Motorola Bluetooth� Active Headphones S9

Most Bluetooth stereo headphones are larger and bulkier than standard headphones, which will prevent most people from using them for active sports like jogging. As far as I know, the Motorola�s S9 is one of the first sports-oriented Bluetooth stereo headphones in the market, it is lightweight, loops over the ears and wraps around the back of the head almost like sunglasses.

Motorola made a similar �around the back� design with the Bluetooth Stereo Headphones HT820, one of the very first Bluetooth Stereo headsets in the market. It seemed like a very good design at first, until I actually saw someone using it on a train ride. The size of HT280 ear pads are pretty big, which does not match well with the around the back design because they are at an angle to your ears. Presumably that makes the fit more comfortable, but it also makes them look a bit more awkward compared to a standard set of headphones.

The S9s on the other hand, have an in-ear design in lieu of the large ear pads of the HT820 and most other Bluetooth stereo headset out there. Motorola managed to fit most of the hardware in the band itself, which although is larger than your typical band for wired headphones, it is thin-looking nonetheless and it looks stable enough that it will stay on your head while jogging. I�m also guessing that it is sweat proof and water resistant.

3) Motorola DJ Headphone S805

Although you probably won�t see any actual DJs using these headphones when spinning their tunes, these headphones are definitely DJ-style headphones, with the large ear cups and over the head band. The ear cups even swivel sideways, much like the DJ headphone equivalent, so they have one ear free to separate and blend the beats of the song playing on the external speakers with the next song playing on the headphones.

You probably won�t be doing this with the S805s in terms of mixing beats, but you may use this �feature� to talk to someone on the phone via Bluetooth and hear another person in front of you at the same time. I imagine that the ear cup swiveling makes it easier to put away as well.

Probably the most important feature is that this headset, although large, does not look goofy like the HT280s. They actually look pretty cool, thanks to the DJ headphone association that most brains will likely make, but minus the wires. If that isn�t cool I don�t know what is.

2) Sony Ericsson's MBW-100 Bluetooth watch

Of all the Bluetooth devices I�ve seen in the market thus far, this certainly qualifies as one of the most unique. As you may have noticed, it is not a Bluetooth headset nor is it a pair of Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones like the other devices on my list.

So what makes this watch so unique? Well I�m glad you asked. Aside from looking pretty damn sexy as far as watches go, it basically pairs with your phone so that when you get a call, the name on the caller ID flashes on the LED display of the watch. You can choose to take the call or send it on its merry way straight to voicemail. Although this is probably not a good idea if you are juggling 2 or more girlfriends and you are on a date with �Katie� and your other girlfriend �Kelly� flashes on your watch and goes into a fit of jealousy, hurling breakable glass objects at you all the while screaming �Who the hell is Kelly?�, �Are you fucking around on me with her?�.

As you know from my blog, this is something I, Derrick the �ber tech god, don�t have to worry about because A) I have no girlfriends, which is considerably less than aforementioned �2 or more� amount previously stated and B) If by some unforeseen miracle I do have more than one girlfriend, having the deviously overdeveloped brain that I have, I�d probably codename them �Uncle Bob�, �Cousin Ed�, etc. on my phone instead of their actual names, prompting the �Damn, Derrick you have lots of family members calling you� comment. Aside from the watch displaying the caller ID of the incoming calls on your cell phone and redirection to voicemail,(as if those things weren�t enough) you can also do the play/pause and forward thing on your phone�s music player.

There are a few caveats to this device however. First of all it�s a bit on the large side, so it will only look good on a man�s wrist and even so, it still looks larger than usual so if you are not into large style watches this probably is not for you. Also, it currently only supported by the Sony Ericsson W810, W850, Z710, W710, K790, and K800 phones. I presume future SE models will be support the MBW-100 as well and possibly some phones from other manufacturers. This is not a problem for me as I already have a K800i.

Another potentially vexing problem is the battery life. Since it is a Bluetooth device as well as a watch and both functions share the same battery, when the battery is drained, the watch will stop. Keeping the watch charged regularly should prevent you losing the time and having to reset it frequently, but still, unless you have an old-school (non auto winding) wind up watch that�s something you don�t have to really worry about with your more mundane, standard watches. Aside from all that though, I personally think it�s one of the coolest, most innovative gadgets on the market.

1) Aliph Jawbone Noise Shield Headset

I went through quite an impressive array of Bluetooth products this far, 3 headsets, 3 wireless stereo headphones, a retro-styled Bluetooth handset, a pair of sunglasses with a Bluetooth headset built in and finally a Bluetooth watch. You are probably wondering why I picked the Jawbone to be at the top of my list. The answer to that is fairly straightforward. Practically speaking, Jawbone�s noise cancelling technology simply blows everything else out of the water, so much so that I�m taking the list back full circle to the Bluetooth headset, the very thing that brought Bluetooth technology into the mainstream in the first place, thanks mostly to Bluetooth capable cell phones.

Granted I don�t have the Jawbone headset in my hands yet, but it is touted to meet DARPA military specifications for noise cancellation and the video that they put out in YouTube demonstrating their noise cancelling technology just blew my mind. It is about as close to �bergeek god-like as a piece of technology can get. Instead of talking about the video though, I�ll go ahead and post it in this entry. As for how well the headset fits and feels and how it actually performs in the wild, I�ll post a follow-up entry when I receive my package. I expect it sometime this work week.

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