GIZMO
Wireless headsets have a lot going for them, except for the rather fundamental problem that you often can’t hear a word that’s being said, particularly if you’re on the street at the time.
Two new products show the trend towards noise reduction technology. One is the Motopure H15 Universal Bluetooth Headset, recently rated the best in its field by the Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg column (which tested rivals by making phone calls next to a Washington DC construction crew and with a hairdryer switched on).
A local competitor is the BlueAnt Z9i, from Melbourne Bluetooth specialist BlueAnt. Its approach includes using two microphones for clearer speech.
Both devices can pair with more than one phone, so if perhaps you have a work and a personal phone you can answer either one through the same headset. Both aim to reduce background noise and improve the volume of your own voice.
The Motorola set, selling for US$100 in the US, is expected in Australian stores by the end of the year; the BlueAnt set is already on sale in Australia, and Mrgadget.com.au is selling it for A$99.