Contour, known best for its iPhone and iPod cases, has taken a dive into the Bluetooth headset market. It calls its super cool looking hands-free accessory Metal. One look at it and it’s easy to guess why.
We took the slim gum-sized headset for a test to let you know if Contour put the pedal to the Metal. It sure stuffs the box with lots of accessories and when you see how you charge this unit, you’ll smile. We did.
Read the review and see if this Metal is your style.
Callpod, Inc., an emerging leader in the mobile electronics industry, creators of the Chargepod and on the heels of its successful launch of the Dragon V2 headset for Bluetooth mobile phones, PDAs VoIP products and computers, today announced the Phoenix ® Mobile Communication System (MCS).
The versatile Phoenix Mobile Communication System was designed to provide a much needed solution to a variety of different industries that are in need of seamless and simultaneous hands-free communication. The Phoenix Mobile Communication System allows five users wearing headsets to communicate with each other in full duplex over a more than a 300,000 sq ft area.
“The Phoenix MCS can be used in many different situations from a FEMA disaster recovery situation, everyday retail and restaurant worker to worker communications and even surgeons communicating in an operating room who are completely covered by protective gear,” said Darren Guccione, Callpod’s CEO and Co-founder. “The Phoenix is designed to be highly versatile in that it does not rely on landlines, wall outlets, wires or speakerphones.”
In addition, the system is an ideal solution in an office, warehouse, outdoor area or tactical operations. The MCS is completely mobile and is powered with an internal lithium ion battery providing up to 8 hours of talk time and 120 hours standby. The Phoenix can join five headsets and a cell phone or Skype®, provides push-to-talk communications among headset participants, eliminates background noise on each channel, delivers a full duplex audio path and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled headsets, phones and computers.
When users optionally pair the Phoenix base unit to a mobile phone or PC (i.e. VoIP) and make a call, all five participants will be speaking with the party on the other end, creating true mobile conferencing. Noise gates and noise suppression algorithms greatly reduce chatter in noisy environments.
The Phoenix MCS comes pre-paired and certified with the included Dragon V2 headsets and Drone, a Bluetooth PC/Mac USB adapter with 100m range. Simply turn on the unit and users will automatically establish an audio link with the other five headsets allowing instant communication without requiring any further setup.
The Phoenix MCS comes equipped with Callpod’s revolutionary and patented Bluetooth ® mobile conferencing 6-channel base unit, five Callpod Dragon V2 headsets, a Callpod Drone USB adapter; a Chargepod with six mini-USB adapters to charge all five Dragons at once, an AC/DC adapter with interchangeable prongs for international use, a car charger and high impact carrying case and molded insert foam.
The Dragon V2 Class-1 Bluetooth Headset – 100 Meter Range
Leave the phone 100 meters or 328 ft (100m) range behind and freely roam around with the Dragon V2. The Dragon V2 can connect with a PC for Skype® calls simultaneously, allowing users to switch between a PC and mobile phone with a press of a button. With advanced dual-mic noise suppression™, the callers on the other end will enjoy crystal clear voice quality in almost any noisy environment. The Dragon V2 works with all Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, computers and PDAs. http://callpod.com/products/dragon
The Chargepod is a versatile 6-in-1 Charger that simultaneously charges popular portable devices including iPhones, iPods, Blackberrys, Palm Treos, in addition to hundreds of other cell phones, PDA, GPS devices, cameras and portable gaming devices. Devices can be charged at home, in the car or while traveling. The Chargepod is a convenient yet simple and smart technology that saves space and frees up electrical outlets. www.callpod.com/products/chargepod
For more information about the Phoenix Mobile Communication System please visit www.callpod.com.
If that’s not nuts enough for you, then check this out. While California legislators agreed with a Harvard study (full report in PDF) that claimed 2,600 people are killed each year from talking on a cell phone while driving, those same legislators felt it was fine to allow drivers to do a little text messaging while navigating fossil fuel burners! In addition to that, you can take pictures with your phone, download games, surf the Internet, and be a good citizen and report accidents on Twitter. All without any fear of being pulled over and cited. Phew! I don’t know what I would have done if I couldn’t tweet while driving!
California is getting the word out and displaying warnings on its electronic signs through out the scene, as seen here on Interstate 80 Business in states capitol, Sacramento. (Note the reddish haze in the picture from the smoke coming from the nearly 900 fires currently a blaze in Northern California.) Surely many will ignore this sign because they are too busy talking on their phone but come July 1st, they’ll fine out quick enough. 
Now, I wonder if all the cops I see talking on their cell phones while driving will go hands-free as well. Wonder if I can slap ‘em with a $20 fine if they don’t.
Now that the U.S. is catching onto this thing called Bluetooth that all the kiddies in the EU have enjoyed with an emense appetite for the last five years, we’re starting to get more and more fun and useful accessories. One such gadget is hands-free kits with built-in speakers and mics. Parrot has received a lot of attention here in the States for its devices, but I think Roadmaster has the right idea with the VR3.
The Roadmaster VR3 LCD Wireless Hands-Free Car Kit slips onto your cars sun visor instead of plugging into your cigerette lighter outlet like so many other hands-free kits do. To me, this seems a better spot for such a device as it allows the mic to be right in front of you as well as having the speaker closer to your ear. Further, it keeps your eyes looking up instead of down when making or receiving calls.
The VR3 comes packed. Along with the speaker phone and mic, this baby syncs with your Bluetooth phones phone book with a touch of a button. You’ll be able to view caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding and last number dialed all from its cool blue lit display. No worries on chucking out batteries when it dies as you simply plug in the charger to your cigarette lighter to juice up the lithium ion battery. All this for about $69. Oh ya, it also supports ringtones.
We’re told you can pretty much find this anywhere from superstores to car stores to retailers. We’ll see about getting a review unit and let you know our thoughts on it if we do.