Posted: 6/17/2008 10:08:12 AM EDT
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So I've been asked by the head oompa loompa to wear a bluetooth gizmo in my ear when driving in my truck. I'm a sitework construction manager, so I'm always in and out of the truck and knee deep in several one-sided conversations with the hopelessly ignorant. Being on the phone is part of the gig. Apparantly it's policy to not drive & talk at the same time. Since I don't want to pull over everytime the phone sounds off - I'm stuck shoving this piece of plastic into my ear canal. Anyone use these? Do you actually get USED to them? Everytime I connect one I feel like I'm Agent Smith or an extra on the Starship Enterprise. |
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I don't like them either, I feel self-concious as hell wearing one of the darned things. The only good thing about them is that you can f**k with people you don't want to talk to by waiving your hand at them, and walk away while carrying on a fake conversation with yourself. 
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Once you get used to using a headset you'll wonder how you ever got by without it. Save yourself the trouble and just get a good one right off the bat. I recommend the Plantronics Voyager 510. Available online for about $45 or you might find it locally for $55-$80. It's comfortable, has great battery life, range between headset and phone, and most importantly, sound quality (both directions) and receive volume. |
I don't know what the TX power of bluetooth is but it's not much... less than a milliwatt I'm sure in the 2.4GHz range. Versus .5 watts at 1.9GHz or .6 watts at 850MHz of a phone. Radio frequency energy doesn't cause cancer anyway, if there is any risk from non-thermal exposure it's probably in nerve disruption or damage. |
I do that now without a bluetooth
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Yep, that's right, it's been proven that the RF energy from cell phones WILL NOT cause cancer. I'll never use a non-Bluetooth phone ever again. I HATE having to hold the phone to my ear now. Having the headset frees both hands, the audio is better, and once you get used to it, you'll never notice you're wearing it. It's much much safer driving as well. |
 THAT is EXACTLY what I feel like...only with a bit more sun! I have a Plantronics 520... |
I feel really important when wearing mine. I really enjoy wearing it while shopping and talking on it while others are around me in the store. I enjoy the strange looks I get and comments I receive. My family approves of it too. They've said that they hope that I get buried with it, or something like that.
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Now THAT is a good idea. |
Go to Circuit City and ask about a "PARROT"  My company is buying these for all the field supervisors. Uses the bluetooth from your phone and sends it through your car stereo. When a call comes in (or when you dial out), it mutes the music, and transmits over the car speakers. One of the handiest things I've seen in a while. They have different models/prices. Gene |
They really said that they were going to shove the damned thing down your throat until you choked to death on it, didn't they?
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It works like a charm.
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Except when you forget and try that with no headset... |
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10/15 years ago if you had a cell phone you were and asshole. Now everybody has one. I love bluetooth headsets. In time all the people calling asshole will be wearing them to. By the way sometimes mine does not sound to good to the person I am talking to anything I can do to fix that? |
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I have one. Don't use it. Looks goofy. I hate when people walk around the store carrying on a conversation with themself. Wait until alone and away from others then put your phone to your ear and talk. They look goofy. Can't hear the other person as well as your phone. Looks goofy. |
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do yourself a favor and get the Aliph Jawbone II from an AT&T store. The Jawbone II is very light and small compared to the first one. after you get the jawbone II, go to a verizon dealer and buy a pack of Jabra Ear Gels for a verizon bluetooth. The replace the earpiece of the Jawbone which isn't that great. Here's why the jawbone: it has noise cancelling technology so you can talk on the phone and people on the other end can't tell you're in a noise environment. I sent myself a series of voice mails while I was driving down the road at 80 MPH with all the windows down and you could barely tell. it was just a little clipped. I have had con-calls with large groups of people who had no idea I was sitting in a crowd or at a baseball game. The jawbone has a little nub that sits against your jawbone and unless you are actively talking, it mutes the earpiece. So if it's not feeling the vibration from your jaw, no sound goes through. I just got mine two weeks ago and LOVED it but the fit wasn't really great. it's got an ear loop but still didn't fit snug. I read about the jabra ear gels and got them and they fit PERFECt. They actually go down your ear canal a little and hold it snug so you don't even need the ear loop. And cause it fits tight, you can turn the sound down on your phone. They are a little expensive, my last earpiece was 30 bucks and this one was 130 but I will never buy another kind again. And they are so light you really do forget you're wearing them. The other thing is, the jabra doesn't have one of those huge gay flashing blue lights. it's a very small discreet white diamond that you can actually just turn off so it's this little black sliver in your ear. very cool and user friendly and I hate most other bluetooth devices. You'll never go back. |
see my post above |
Get a bluetooth radio adapter (and mic) instead (Best Buy) and you can just use your cars stereo speakers for a conversation while your going down the road. |
I have this model. Great sound quality, and with the battery in the part that goes behind the ear, the weight helps keep the unit in place. Once you put it on, it isn't going anywhere. |
You younguns are so uninformed. Who do you think invented the damned thing?  Al Gore — Age: 60 years (born 31 March 1948) |
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I need to replace my last one...it's now paired to my playstation. With a BT headset I can still do laundry, wash dishes, brush my teeth, read a magazine or play video games all while pretending to give a fuck about what the moron on the other end is babbling about. I'm hard pressed to think of a better device that I've purchased in the last 5 years. |