from
www.wired.comCell-Phone Accessories
Add-ons for your mobile — like these whiz-bang headsets,
speaker-phones and chargers can be both functional and fun.
| Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset Finally, a Bluetooth headset that doesn't look like a Borg implant.
The Jawbone combines Prada styling with killer noise canceling. You
can call your boss from the bowling alley and he'll never guess.
Getting a comfy fit can be tricky, though, and the invisible,
barely tactile controls take time to master. $120, jawbone.com |
| BQ Wireless BlueQ How many booty calls have you missed because you couldn't hear your
phone ring or feel it vibrate? This rubbery band straps on your
wrist and shimmies when a call comes in. Not the hippest look, but
you can print a custom skin and fly your geek flag high. Only
problem: It's too small for burly retrosexual wrists. $40, bqwireless.com |
| Callpod Chargepod One ring to charge them all. That's the idea behind the Chargepod,
which can juice up to six phones, headsets, and other gadgets from
a single outlet. One adapter (your choice) is included; additional
ones cost $10 a pop. But they aren't labeled — an annoying
oversight — and the pod doesn't indicate when devices are done
charging. $60, callpod.com |
| Jabra BT8010 Plug in a second earpiece to make this headset stereo (provided
your phone supports stereo A2DP Bluetooth). Both earpieces fit
comfortably and sound spectacular. A jog wheel and bright OLED make
it easy to surf music and contacts, though they're obviously
useless when the Jabra's strapped to the side of your head. $149, jabra.com |
| Motorola Mini H9 Bluetooth Headset The H9 calls to mind those impossible uber-gadgets Jack Bauer wears
in 24. The tiny 0.3-ounce headset nestles right inside your ear
canal. Noise reduction was decent, though callers complained about
excessive ambient sound from our end. A charging station takes some
of the sting out of the steep price. $150, motorola.com |
| PhonePhlash Weekend stalkerazzi will love this LED that attaches to your cell
phone's back or hangs from a strap and compensates for its anemic
(or nonexistent) flash. Just press the button to light up the club
and improve close-quarters photos. (It's great for finding keys,
too.) Be careful not to blind your subjects — it's that bright. $30, phonephlash.com |
| Spark SwizzleStik Stick the SwizzleStik in your phone and it quickly backs up
contacts, photos, and music. Plug it into your PC to sync with
Outlook or offload snapshots. Pop it back in your cell to upload
new ring tones. And so on. Basically, it's a flash drive for your
phone, and a handy one at that. Additional tips for different
phones are $10 apiece. $50, swizzlestik.com |
| Tekkeon ezSpeak Tired of jamming a headset in your ear? Try the other hands-free
alternative: a Bluetooth speakerphone. The ezSpeak has a backlit
LCD, voice-dialing capability, and nine-number recall. Sadly,
though, the included charger works only in the car, and the speaker
lacks noise- canceling wizardry. Even so, conversations sounded
loud and clear. $80, tekkeon.com |