Plantronics

Plantronics headset and speaker add PC support

LAS VEGAS--Plantronics has long had Bluetooth-compatible headsets and speakers, but people with PCs have largely been left out of the party.

Until now. At CES this week, Plantronics is showing a wide array of its headphones and speakers, many of which focus exclusively on Bluetooth compatibility. But with the Voyager Legend UC and the Calisto 620, PC users wanting to listen to their favorite music on their mobile devices or wanting to make VoIP calls from their PCs can play along.

With its Voyager Legend UC headphones, Plantronics is now offering the ability to listen in on audio from mobile … Read more

Which of these Bluetooth speakerphones sounds the best? (comparison)

Most phones sold these days have a speakerphone mode. This setting is usually good enough for an impromptu hands-free call in a quiet office. However, when you get on the road in a noisy car, the phone's flaws are made apparent. For example, the built-in microphone can be less than ideal for canceling the levels of road and wind noise present in a car at highway speed, which leads to poor quality on the receiving end of your calls. I'm sure that you dislike repeating yourself to callers as much as I do, so let's look at how to improve call quality.

Visor-mounted Bluetooth speakerphones feature more sophisticated microphones with noise and echo-cancellation technology located closer to your head, which can dramatically improve sound quality. How much of an improvement should you expect? I've recorded outbound calls from five speakerphones (and my test phone's internal microphone) to demonstrate. … Read more

Plantronics makes small bet with new BackBeat Go Bluetooth stereo headset

It's hard to design really small wireless Bluetooth earphones because you have to cram a battery and some extra electronics into a compact housing the size of something that's not much bigger than, well, an earbud.

That's a challenge Plantronics has managed to overcome with its new $99.99 BackBeat Go wireless stereo headset, which the company has just started shipping to stores. It's one of the smallest and lightest stereo Bluetooth headsets out there, with two slightly oversize earbuds joined by a flat, fettuccine wire that's designed to cut down on tangles. … Read more

Best Bluetooth accessories right now (roundup)

Do you like wires? Neither do we. And thankfully, you don't really need them anymore when you're using a smartphone.

No matter your preference -- iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry -- any decent modern smartphone is equipped with wireless Bluetooth capability. In addition to hands-free calling with headsets and stereo headphones, phones can also be used as wireless music sources for an increasingly large array of Bluetooth speakers -- perfect for listening to MP3s on the phone, or Web-based audio services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Cloud Player, iTunes Match, or anything else.

As someone who uses Bluetooth gadgets daily, I'd frankly feel lost without my handy assortment of hands-free mobile toys. And I've collected a list of some of CNET's favorites. … Read more

New work spaces create culture change at Plantronics (video)

Plantronics, makers of wireless headsets, is giving its aging Santa Cruz, Calif., facilities a design overhaul. The redesign includes things like letting in natural light, going from closed-in cubicles to airy work spaces, and enabling employees to easily connect with one another via videoconferencing.

And the changes are already having an impact on the company culture, says Pat Wadors, head of human resources. She shows SmartPlanet how the new office spaces are changing the way people work and collaborate.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "The office of tomorrow: How design impacts culture."

Related SmartPlanet … Read more

Plantronics Voyager Pro HD

SAN DIEGO--Plantronics has just announced its latest flagship headset, the Plantronics Voyager Pro HD. It's essentially a more consumer-friendly version of its Voyager Pro UC product, which is currently for sale in certain business channels.

Like the Pro UC, the Voyager Pro HD has a Smart Sensor technology that knows to automatically transfer calls to your headset once you place it on your ear. Other features also include A2DP audio streaming, noise cancellation, wind noise reduction, and more. The HD in the name points to improved high-definition audio for both streaming music and phone calls.… Read more

E3 after hours: Gadgets you won't see on expo floor

LOS ANGELES--At the ShowStoppers expo last night, some E3 presenters got the chance to show off their wares in a more peaceful, intimate environment than the bustling show floor. Reporters were invited to the LA Icon Ultra Lounge after the opening day of the expo wrapped for a gathering of game hardware and peripherals designers offering new products this summer.

About 100 reporters enjoyed food and drink while sampling new gadgets and high-end tech offerings from Alternativa, G5 Entertainment, Gioteck, Jakks Pacific, Mad Catz, Plantronics, Plextor, PNY Technologies, Reverb, Rude Gameware/Cyber Snipa, Samsung Consumer Memory and Storage and Samsung Mobile.

Some of the more popular items on display included the new, mobile-game-friendly Samsung Galaxy Tab and Samsung's 470 SSD internal drive to power more advanced PC gaming systems. Also, the sexy line of Gioteck peripherals offered gamers headsets and control pads with sleek stylings and swappable color and design schemes.

See images of other products from the under-the-radar event in the gallery above.… Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 27: The best Android Tablet yet (podcast)

We try to answer the question, should you buy the Nexus S, take a detailed look at Gingerbread, and the best Android Tablet yet. All that and more on this week's edition of Android Atlas Weekly for Thursday, December 9th, 2010. Join Justin Eckhouse along side guest host, CNET Associate Editor, Antuan Goodwin.

News Stories

Nexus S first impressions http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20025101-251.html Six things not to love about the Nexus S http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20024930-251.html… Read more

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC now with sensors

Aliph wasn't the only headset manufacturer to make an announcement at the D: Dive Into Mobile event. Plantronics introduced a new Bluetooth headset, the Voyager Pro UC. Essentially a rejiggering of its popular Voyager Pro Plus, the new headset now has an intelligent sensor technology which allows it a new set of features.

These features include smart call routing, which will route the call to the headset if it senses you're wearing it, or to the phone if you're not. Another feature is "mobility presence" which will change the status of your Skype to "… Read more

Plantronics announces the M100

Plantronics released its latest Bluetooth headset Tuesday, dubbed the Plantronics M100. It's billed as a mid-tier headset, but that doesn't mean it won't do its job. Indeed, the M100 has what you would want out of a quality headset--dual microphones, DSP cancellation of background noise, wind noise reduction, echo cancellation, multipoint connectivity, and automatic volume adjustment.

It also has a voice alert system that'll let you know when you're on mute, your battery life, and more. Interestingly, like the Jawbone Icon, the M100 will also display a headset battery meter on your iPhone.

The Plantronics … Read more