Word: headset
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There's a learning curve, however. Because the headsets are little radios with their own power supply, you have to remember to keep them charged up. Average talk time is about three hours before they peter out. With Bluetooth models you must also endure an awkward process called "pairing," which involves entering a four-digit code and pressing buttons on both the headset and the phone in precisely the right sequence to persuade the two devices to talk to each other...
...setup took so long that I never made it to either Grand Central or Times Square. But I did manage to pick a favorite: the $150 HBH-30 from Sony Ericsson. The sound was loud and clear, and the headset fit comfortably around my ear. Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to use this headset with your cell phone because it works only with phones like Sony Ericsson's T68i and T300 and Nokia's 6310i, which come equipped with Bluetooth. More Bluetooth phones and headsets are due out in early 2003, from Nokia, Motorola and others...
Meantime, any phone with a standard headset jack can use a cordless headset if you plug a small adapter into the jack. The audio signal is then transmitted wirelessly from the adapter to the headset. Although the adapters are clunky--about the size of a matchbox--I found the sound quality to be decent. I liked the $179 Jabra Freespeak BT200 best, although there was some slight static in the background, and I had to turn the volume up high to hear well. The $200 Plantronics M1500, on the other hand, had good volume but was user-unfriendly and staticky...
...cell phones are wireless, why aren't the headsets that go with them? More and more of them are, thanks to the new Bluetooth technology developed by a consortium of electronics manufacturers to connect various digital components over short distances. This year brought a slew of Bluetooth earpieces from Jabra, Motorola, Nokia Plantronics and Sony Ericsson. Now you can walk around town with your cell phone tucked away in your pocket or briefcase and a tiny headset tucked into your ear. The biggest drawback (besides looking like a Secret Service agent): the headsets need to be charged regularly, just like...
...effortless, thanks to the handwriting recognition software that allows you to jot a missive on the touchscreen and send it off to someone in your address book with just a couple of taps?no more thumb typing. Even cooler: if you're listening to music through the included headset?the xda can play MP3 files?and a call comes in, the system automatically turns down the volume so you can answer the phone...