Info-tech

Ultimate Cell Phone
Headsets

Cell phone headsets aren't just a convenience. If you happen to live in an area that bans the use of mobile phones without a headset while driving, they're a necessity. Whether you're behind the wheel or walking down the street, a headset frees up your hands, and you can even plug it into a wireless phone-recording controller for capturing conversations or interviews.

To help you find the best fit, we tested some models on the market today representing three different styles: ear-buds with in-line or integrated microphones, headsets with boom microphones, and units with retractable cords. Most of them work with any phone that has a standard 2.5mm headset jack and are reasonably affordable.

Earbuds

The stealthiest of the headsets, with the mike resting on either the wire or the ear-piece itself, these ear-bud models can fool others into thinking you're talking to yourself.

Fellowes Body Glove Earglove Flex
A cross between a ear-bud and a boom headset, the Earglove Flex has an appealing design, but the Body Glove name doesn't add much to its overall style. The ear-piece dangles on a short cord away from the ear loop, which fits comfortably over either ear. We also liked the small microphone that comes out from underneath your ear, but callers reported difficulty hearing us. On the upside, it features a call-answer/end button, as well as a Mute switch.

Logitech Mobile Over Ear
Logitech's ear clip, designed to fit over your right ear, is flexible but not removable, so forget about putting it in your left ear. But even worn on the right, we had a difficult time getting a good fit. On the plus side, a multifunction button on the mike lets you answer and end calls; if you have a flip phone, you don't have to open the cover to accept a call. And if red isn't your colour, it also comes in blue. We tested a headset with a 2.5mm plug, but Logitech makes models for Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets as well.

Booms

Earbuds provide more comfort when you're on the go, but some users may fret they won't be heard unless the microphone is positioned near their mouths. Boom headsets provide you with the feeling you're actually speaking into an object.

Jabra EarWave Boom
Resembling a blue shrimp, this headset wraps around the ear instead of pressing against it, and it's secure and comfortable to wear. Pivoting action also makes it wearable in either ear, while the little gel earpiece (you get two sizes) funnels sound for good clarity and volume. We tested a model with a Nokia plug, but you can buy it for other phones.

Plantronics M220
The M220 provides decent sound quality, but we had a hard time getting a secure fit. The ear cuff, which you can switch to fit over either ear, is tough to remove. Also, while it sports an eye-catching blue and silver colour, its long boom means it's definitely not on the small side.

Retractable

Tired of digging your headset out of a briefcase, only to find a tangled web of wires? These retractable headsets store the wire in a small case, and you can adjust the length during conversations.

Logitech Mobile Earbud Miniboom 6
The earpiece on the Miniboom doesn't offer the most comfortable fit, and the case is a bit large and cumbersome for walking around outdoors, but the audio quality is good. A multifunction button (call answer/end, mute, redial) on the earpiece is a nice touch, and a handy switch rewinds the cord back into its casing. Just be careful not to touch it in the middle of a conversation.

Logitech Mobile Earbud Retractable
This Logitech offers the same features as the Earbud Miniboom, only the microphone is integrated into the earpiece. Callers frequently noted that we sounded muffled, a complaint we didn't get when using the Miniboom version.

A wallpaper that blocks your cell-phone's beeping noise!

Well if you are a peace-loving soul but your cell phone doesn't let you have it, help is at hand as scientists have developed a high tech "wallpaper" that blocks the signals of a mobile phone.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, the wallpaper is made of a metallic grid and could also help foil terrorists if scientists who have managed to mass-produce large sheets of it are to be believed.

According to Michael Burns, director of aviation at British company QinetiQ, a former part of the British Department of Defence, "Phones can not only be disruptive or annoying but on occasions pose a real security threat as they could be used to set off a device."

One possibility was to use the company's wallpaper, or frequency-selective surface, to protect areas at airports where suspicious packages were kept, so any bombs could not be triggered from a phone.

QinetiQ's low-cost manufacturing process involves printing a grid pattern onto material. The metal is then "grown" where required by immersing the material in a chemical bath.

The wallpaper could also prevent electronic eavesdropping on WiFi networks - wireless local area networks installed in buildings so people can move around with their laptops still connected to the Internet.

Source: Webindia123.com

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