VoyagerProUc
Latest
Plantronics Calisto 800 speakerphone and Voyager Pro UC headset make concalls cool again
We'd all rather be flown to some exotic, Caribbean location for our next corporate get-together, but in these hard economic times sometimes a good 'ol audio bridge makes the most sense. Increasingly those concalls are happening via some sort of VOIP bridge, and Plantronics' latest are ready for it. First up is the Calisto 800 series "multi speakerphone" devices, which offer connectivity to an analog phone line, a mobile phone over Bluetooth, and even a PC over USB. This lets you easily dial in to just about anything and naturally offers a full duplex speakerphone with noise cancellation and an LCD with caller ID. There's even an optional wireless microphone that you can plunk down on the table so the lamentations of the entire QA team will be picked up loud and clear. Also new is a revised version of the Voyager Pro UC, a rather more traditional Bluetooth headset with an extended boom for better voice pickup and the ability to pair to a mobile phone and a PC (via a tiny USB adapter) simultaneously. It'll even do A2DP so you hold music won't be the only tunes you hear. Both appear to be available now, and both start at $199.95, putting them out of reach for most non-corporate attendees.
Plantronics Voyager PRO UC senses your Bluetooth wants and needs, softly whispers in your ear
We know, that headline makes it seem like the Plantronics Voyager Pro UC is going to seduce you, and well, after spending sometime with the headset yesterday at D: Dive Into Mobile we're thinking it may actually be pretty hard to resist. While it's not as snazzy as the Jawbone Icon or the Jabra Stone, its ear piece and ear hook contain capacitive sensors that know when you've got the device on your ear or in your hand. So, not only can the headset automatically switch a call or song from your phone to the headset when you put it on, but even if it's paired it won't ring the headset unless it's actually on your ear. That means if you've got it paired but have it in your pocket or across the room, you'll be able to pick it up on your phone without a problem. On top of that, the Pro will come with a USB dongle and Voice Alerts software, which integrates with Microsoft Outlook. When configured, the software will read the subject line of an email sent by certain specified contacts into your ear. We told you it was seductive! Sadly, the Voyager Pro UC won't actually be out until early next year and we don't know anything on pricing yet, but in the meantime check out some more pics of the device below. %Gallery-109572%
Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset does Bluetooth and VoIP
Considering that Bluetooth headset makers are now dealing with the harsh realization that consumers don't actually like these things any more, Plantronics -- a staple in the sector -- is hoping to snag some dollars from the unknowing corporate purchasing managers in attendance. The Voyager PRO UC is a dual-mode headset that packs integrated Bluetooth capabilities and ships with a USB dongle that allows softphone conversations (think Skype) to take place on your headset rather than through your laptop's built-in microphone / speaker. Users can even stream audio over it and hear alerts when a VoIP call rings in, and as expected, there's quite a bit of noise nixing technology baked in. The only problem? The $199.95 price tag that'll be affixed to it when it ships later this month.
