At this point,
Bluetooth headsets are pretty played, but it's some kind of thrilling to see at least one company keeping things interesting. Newton Peripherals is that very outfit, today introducing a pair of new devices that are definitely unique in a sea of me-too ear pieces. First up is the MoGo Talk for iPhone, which adheres to the back of your handset and keeps the headset nearby at all times -- think LG's
Decoy, but a tad less elegant. Next up is the MoGo Talk for VoIP & Skype (our personal favorite), which slides inconspicuously into one's
ExpressCard slot in order to a) stay out of harm's way and b) charge when not in use. Too bad Apple decided that these slots were practically unwanted in its
newest 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, huh? Both devices can be pre-ordered right now for $99 apiece, with shipments expected to begin next month.
[Via
HotHardware]
Read - MoGo Talk for iPhone
Read - MoGo Talk for VoIP and Skype
posted Jul 16th 2009 9:03AM
Ironically, this project predates the LG Decoy by a long, long time. Originally they were going to get into talks with mobile phone manufacturers about having a bay for the Mogo Headset inside certain smartphones, but clearly that didn't work out. I had assumed it was cancelled when the Decoy wasn't a particular success.
and it comes with a bottler opener! sweeet
The expresscard option is a nice feature
Umm...how does it fit in your ear? I assume that something folds or unfolds, like their mice, but without a shot of what actually sits on or in your ear, I would hesitate to order one of these. Neat concept, though.
It's hard to make out in the pictures, but there's a sort of flat, oblong, rubber earpiece that flips out of the back of the headset and goes into your ear. It reviewed well for comfort, surprisingly.
Are you sure they're for $99 a piece? Sounds like unreal prices for apple :)
Newton Peripherals - how about sending a pair of these new products to engadget for a recession antidote?
MoGo mouse would also be appreciated ;)
ear wax/oil leaking inside your laptop....nice!
The photos of the iPhone version in the Mogo Store looks like the dock for the headset is actually a case/sleeve for the iPhone. From the back, it reminds me of the mophie juice pack air battery case. Any chance that Mogo can also add a battery to their headset docking case, as that would be perfect?
Bluetooth headsets are in need of innovation, but this isn't the type of innovation they need. Wireless headsets are a thing that is popular because of a perception of convenience, but based on all the phones and headsets I have tried, they are anything but.
The headset I am using now uses a single button on the side to perform all functions by holding it down for different lengths of time under different situations. That sounds fine at first, until you consider that I'm trying to set it up and connect it while I'm driving. To turn the thing on, you have to hold down the button for five seconds. To put it into pairing mode, which effectively renders it useless until you have a chance to wade through 20 menus on your phone to repair it, you hold down the same button for ten seconds. I've got a five second window to release that button in order to end up with a usable headset.
If I do manage to turn it on successfully without destroying its pairing memory, it's never exactly clear how to convince it to connect to the phone. The first problem stems from the need to enable Bluetooth on the phone. I have a single click icon to do that, so it's not too bad, but it still involves leaving the call screen and returning to the desktop to find the icon. After that, the headset sometimes connects instantly and sometimes waits until I click the omnibutton on the headset once or twice before kicking in.
What I really need before I consider Bluetooth Headsets to be convenient isn't some kind of attachment to hold it to my phone, but a headset with a physical On/Off switch that will just start working when I flip it on. As it is, there are way too many steps involved in the connection and I find it to be easier to just turn the speakerphone on than to try to connect the headset while driving.