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The FREETALK Everyman is a foldable super wideband audio "Skype certified" USB headset designed by Skype themselves. Why this isn't called the Skype Everyman headset is beyond me. I guess perhaps why want to market this headset as doing much more than Skype calls. They sent me one for review today so I thought I'd write up my impressions.

When I opened it out of the box I noticed the large speakers and the flexible rotation for additional comfort when wearing it. The foam on the speakers is pretty soft but not overly soft that it breaks down or tears in a year. Like most headsets you can adjust the length of the headset piece. I liked the thickness of the plastic which gave a sturdy feel to it. I've encountered too many headsets that try and über thin but break after extended usage. I think this headset will hold up to wear and tear, especially since it is designed to fold down and stick in your laptop bag. I don't know about you, but I stuff my laptop bag with 10lbs of gadget accessories, batteries, etc., so I need a headset than can hold up if the laptop bag is resting on its side.

Here's a snapshot of the headset folded down:


The FREETALK Everyman supports Skype's super wideband SILK audio codec. What's unique about this headset is that it supports a 3.5mm jack, which you can connect to an MP3 player, iPhone?, etc. Though I wouldn't go sporting this large headset with a boom mic while going for a jog or working out at the gym. Course, I lost my iPod ear buds and had to resort to using a bulky headset with mic at the gym for a whole week until my replacement arrived in the mail. Only got a few stares, but it's all good.

The flexible boom mic is very adjustable as you can bend it at any point on the boom. It's pretty stiff, which is good, since some mic booms too easily move and have to be readjusted, especially if you took it off, put on your desk and then put it back on. This headset's mic boom is stiff enough so I didn't have to re-adjust everytime I put it back on.

I made some test Skype calls and the audio quality was excellent. I also connected my iPhone using the 3.5mm jack and was able to play music using the iPod application on the iPhone. Slightly better bass response than my iPhone ear buds due to the larger speakers. All in all, a pretty good Skype headset.


Notice the Y-cable (USB + 3.5mm jack) with the 3.5mm jack connected to iPhone

Features
• Developed in direct association with Skype for optimal performance
• Up to 60 minutes call time to phones and mobiles included
• Super wideband audio
• Unidirectional microphone helps eliminate background noise
• Neodymium speakers for rich full range stereo sound 20Hz-20KHz
• Innovative, light fold-flat design.
• Plug & Play instant use with excellent USB sound quality
• Handy optional 3.5mm jack allows MP3 connection when travelling
• Adjustable headband and microphone
• PC and Mac compatible
• Weighs only 124 g

Requirements
• Windows 2000® / XP® / Vista™ Operating System
• MAC OS X 10.22 or newer
• Available USB port
• 256 MB RAM

Also it's supposed to come with 60 minutes SkypeOut calling, I didn't see a Skype credit voucher in the sealed box. Probably because it's a review unit, so I can't complain. You can buy it here for just $22.88.

WildCharge, makers of wire-free charging skins for various mobile phone models today has announced a wire-free skin for the iPhone and iPod touch, which enable the popular Apple devices to be charged instantly simply placing them on the WildCharger Pad™ or on other surfaces that are embedded with the WildCharge technology.

"The market is demanding a move towards wire-free charging, and WildCharge is thrilled to answer that call in adding Apple devices to our lineup of commercially available products," said WildCharge chairman and CEO Dennis Grant. "With the addition of these two designs to our reference design library, both of which are Apple "Made for iPod" and "Works with iPhone" approved, WildCharge is solidifying our position as the leading, wire-free charging developer in the industry."

The WildCharge Skins are durable, protective, form-fitting cases that when placed on the WildCharger Pad, transfer wire-free power from the Pad to the device inside the skin. The soft cases provide the same protection consumers already enjoy from traditional skins, but have the added value and convenience of enabling a wire-free charge. The WildCharger Pad, used in conjunction with the skins, delivers full power to multiple devices, allowing them to simultaneously charge together on the Pad while eliminating the clutter caused by multiple chargers and power strips. The iPod touch skin is available today and the iPhone skin will be available in early July. WildCharge Skins are also available for the Blackberry Pearl and Curve, and all are sold for $34.99 at WildCharge.com. I have a review unit headed my way to test on my brand spankin' new iPhone 3GS, so I'll do a review once I get it.

In addition to the WilCharge Skins, WildCharge recently announced a Universal Adapter for mobile devices that works with the WildCharger Pad. The Universal Adapter is able to charge over 150 different cell phone models from major brands such as Motorola, RIM, and Nokia through the use of interchangeable tips, with the list of compatible devices constantly expanding.

WildCharge claim that provide the only commercially available technology that enables licensing partners to deliver wire-free charging to a variety of devices that require varying amounts of power. From cell phones that require only a few watts of power to laptops that need over a hundred watts, virtually any device that has a rechargeable battery can be powered from a single, contiguous, and non-discriminating charging surface. WildCharge technology has met the industry's most stringent regulatory and safety standards, including UL, CE, FCC, RoHS, and has been certified across all of the GSM bands.

The Plantronics Voyager Pro is the successor to the much-loved Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset, which goes on sale today, although, Best Buy started selling its stock a bit early. I have a review unit which I plan on testing and giving my thoughts/opinion on in the new few days. I reviewed its predecessor, the Plantronics Voyage 510, which had a cult following. I was a big fan of the Voyager 510 and have one on my desk. It is an excellent headset and one of the first to feature PC audio support via a Bluetooth dongle allowing you to use the headset on your mobile phone or your PC, supporting all your PC sound applications, including VoIP apps such as Skype.

The new $99 $84 Voyager Pro is pretty similar to the 510, though it is clearly targetting the Jawbone 2, with their AudioIQ² technology which Plantronics claims results in superior sound quality which combines noise cancellation and wind reduction. I heard a few people that had early units say it's sound is even better than the Aliph Jawbone 2. Can't wait to test and see if that is indeed the case. [Note: the Jawbone Prime is newer, so will have to compare with that as well]

Plantronics stated, "Today's headset users expect great noise cancellation and Plantronics Voyager PRO delivers it with AudioIQ² and a unique adjustable dual-microphone boom. While other headsets deliver noise cancellation at the expense of overall audio quality, the boom provides the advantage of capturing your voice close to your mouth so the AudioIQ² technology can more effectively remove ambient noise, while still maintaining the natural sound of your voice."

Plantronics Voyager PRO features three layers of WindSmart technology. Dual external stainless steel microphone screens and acoustic fabrics that surround the microphones together help to eliminate wind noise. The AudioIQ² DSP algorithms also intelligently decipher your voice from the wind to enhance the sound quality.

The Voyager PRO also features a custom speaker that delivers full-spectrum audio so conversations are richer and more vibrant. It sports an adaptive 20-band equalizer that helps eliminate distortio in the audio and automatically adjusts sound levels based on the noise level around you. It sports a talk time of 6 hours and a standby time of 5 days.

Specifications

• Bluetooth technology: Version 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• Bluetooth profiles: Hands-free v1.5 (HFP), Headset v1.1 (HSP)
• Range: Up to 33 feet (10 meters)
• QuickPair technology: Supports initial pairing with Bluetooth phones
• Multipoint technology: Supports an active connection with two Bluetooth devices
• Headset controls: Power on/off; volume up/down; call answer/end; mute function; quick battery check; call reject; last number redial*; voice-activated dialing* (*if supported by phone and phone provider)
• Voice prompts: Mute status on/off; battery status for low/recharge battery
• Battery type: 3.5V Li-ion polymer rechargeable
• Charge connectors: Micro USB connector and AC/DC 100â€"240V
• Charge time: 1.5 hours for full charge
• Weight: 17.5 grams (0.62 ounces)
• Talk time: Up to 6 hours
• Standby time: Up to 120 hours (5 days)
• Warranty: 1 year limited warranty

Price:
The Plantronics Voyager PRO is available at Best Buy for $99.99 and at www.plantronics.com, but will be available in other retail and wireless carrier stores in late May. You can also now purchase it on Amazon.com

Finally a software tool called AudioRoute that can be used to route Windows Mobile audio from the earpiece speaker to the backspeaker and vice-versa. This is especially needed for VoIP applications on Windows Mobile phones.

I've tested several VoIP apps (SIP clients, Skype, etc.) on my Windows Mobile XV6700 phone and other Windows Mobiles and from what I understand the carrier forced the hardware manufacturers to block VoIP applications from using the earpiece for listening to the remote caller. You couldn't even use speakerphone. Instead, you were forced to use the backspeaker, a tiny low-quality speaker located on the back of the phone, which made phone quality horrendous when making VoIP calls. I'd have to flip the phone over when the person was talking due to low volume & quality, and then flip it back over to talk into the microphone. It was all but unusable.

Well glory glory hallelujah! I never thought the day would come when someone would come up with a solution. According to Teksoft, "After several years of tests and many questions in the development forum, we've finally did it: a tool to route the audio to the earpiece speaker is available, and we've released it as freeware." Woohoo! Now I can register my SIP client on my Windows Mobile to my Asterisk-based IP-PBX and make/receive VoIP calls.

Features:

• Routes the audio output to earpiece or backspeaker
• VoIP compatible
• Easy to use User Interface
• Command line support
• Uses Teksoft's DynRIL library

It's compatible with Pocket PC and Smartphone Windows Mobile 5.0 / WM6.0 and above

Usage (via forums)
Install the CAB and use the titlebar icon to open the user interface.


The first icon routes the audio to the earpiece speaker.
The second blue icon, can be used to route the audio to the backspeaker.
The orange icon, routes the audio to the speakerphone, while in a phone call.
You can also use the bottom slider to move the taskbar icon, or the about button to show this page.
The top-right square hides the user interface.

Command line
This tool can be executed by command line with parameters.
You can execute /program files/teksoft/audioRoute/audioRoute.exe with the following:
-earpiece , routes the audio to the earpiece
-backspeaker , routes the audio to the backspeaker
-speakerphone , while in a phone call, activates the speakerphone
-switch , toggles between earpiece and backspeaker

Code:

audioroute.exe -earpiece  audioroute.exe -backspeaker  etc.

Download
The CAB file is available in the freeware section of www.teksoftco.com, direct link here.

What happens when you string together 24 256GB Samsung MLC SSDs - you get 6TB of storage and 2GB/sec throughput. Sweet mother of ---!

Discovered the news on Lucas Mearian's Computer World blog who writes:

When you've got millions of dollars at your disposal, and access to some of the industry's best hardware engineers, what do you do? Well, if you're Samsung you make a YouTube video showing the speed, capacity and reliability you can get by stringing together 24 solid state disk drives behind a RAID controller to create "the world's most powerful consumer computer". The result: 6TB of storage and 2GB/sec throughput that is able to load 53 programs 18 seconds. Whoa.

The video below shows the 24 SSDs setup along with some interesting benchmarks. For instance, in the video they rip a 700MB DVD in 0.8s, open all of Microsoft Office apps in 0.5s, and launch 53 programs in 18.09s! At $500 a pop per SSD, it'll cost you $12,000 for ludicrously fast hard drive speeds! Of course, I remember writing about Samsung's Super Fast SATA hard drive in 2004, which featured 3Gb/s speed using traditional HDD technology, which is cheaper than SSDs. Of course, it's 3Gb/s (3 Gigabits per second) not 3GB/s (3 Gigabytes per second), so you'd have to divide that by 8 bits per byte or 0.375 GB/s or 375MB/s. That's odd - that's faster than the 220MB/s random access speed of each individual SSD (aggregate is 24 x 220MB/s). I thought SSDs were generally faster than hard drives? Something must be off in my math. Actually, just read that the 3GB/s is the speed of the I/O channel. The read speed is 1.5GB/s or 0.156 GB/s, which is 156MB/s . Now that sounds more accurate!

And then of course, there's perpendicular hard drive technology, which is a new way of "squeezing" more bits onto a hard drive by changing the orientation of the way the bits are recorded. Normally magnetic bits are written parallel to the drive's surface, but not with perpendicularity - its 90 degrees perpendicular to the normal parallel orientation. Because the bits are recorded upright and "into" the surface of the drive platter, you can squeeze a lot more bits together without the bits polarity causing the bits to flip their magnetic orientation. Check out my blog post where a classic School House Rock video makes an appearance along with a hilarious Hitachi video on perpendicular HDD technology.

Anyway, here's the 24 SSD RAID video:

Rich met with ooma recently to see their latest wares and hear about their current business model. Recently, ooma ditched the 'P2P voice network' idea where users actually "share" their home landline with others and instead became a traditional VoIP broadband provider. Apparently, the privacy issues were too much to overcome, since users were concerns about fraudulent activity happening on their home landline by outside ooma users. I had my own reservations about the business model as well, since they claimed it would take 2,000 strategicly placed ooma boxes in all the various local exchanges to get good local call coverage for free P2P calls.

Besides becoming a traditional VoIP broadband provider, ooma is now going to start offering high-end media phones, that according to Rich Tehrani will in the future feature a picture frame, in-house sensors and cameras. As for what they offer today, in early January, ooma launched Telo, which offers unlimited, free VoIP-to-PSTN (U.S.) calls over the Internet along with a DECT 6.0 cordless phone that supports call screening, MP3 ringtones, 12-hour talk time, HD voice, speakerphone, two-line support, mobile transfer, and intercom. It supports up to eight phone numbers and six phones


                   ooma's Telo phone system with DECT 6.0 handset.

The Telo phone system is expected to be available in the first half of 2009. The next question you're probably thinking is "If it's free unlimited U.S. VoIP-to-PSTN calls, how does ooma make any money?" The answer to that is ooma offers ooma Premier, with advanced features that they hope people will opt & pay for. (See: http://www.ooma.com/company/how_we_make_money.php)

Some of the Premiere features include:

• Instant Second Line allows you to make or take two simultaneous calls from a single phone number
• Blacklists helps you protect your privacy and block telemarketers
• Multiring lets you answer calls from your home phone or cell phone
• Message Screening allows you to listen in as the caller is leaving their message
• Send to Voicemail allows you to transfer a call to your voicemail
• Voicemail Forwarding lets you forward voicemail so that you can listen to it from your favorite email program
• Do Not Disturb allows you to roll your calls into voicemail without ringing your phone
• Personal Numbers allows you to select additional phone numbers in any calling area in the US

The "free" unlimited calling puts them on par with magicJack, but the magicJack is much less expensive (magicJack costs $39.99 1st year, and $19.99/yr in subsequent years). Pricing for Telo has not been announced, but I'm sure it will be much more expensive since the hardware costs so much more. One advantage for Telo is that magicjack requires your PC to be on all the time to make/receive calls over its USB-based dongle. The Telo phone system is a standalone phone that has no such restriction. It's also a multi-line and multi-handset phone platform, so it's more suitable to busy households that require multiple lines or phone handsets.

Check out Rich's post for more on Telo and how the FCC is actually an investor in ooma.

Dream Cheeky has created a USB-based VoIP Communicator that looks like a replica of the original Star Trek Communicator from the original TV series. Due out in in a couple months, it sports a speakerphone, mute and volume control functions, and even an assortment of Star Trek sound bites.

The only problem is that it's a USB-based device, which means it's wired - not wireless. Captain Kirk wouldn't be caught dead carrying one of these. Though maybe one of those redshirt security dudes might - they always get killed off anyway.

Via EverythingUSB

I met with Bill Allen, Director of Marketing for Para Systems, Inc. at ITEXPO and he was very high on the prospects for Minuteman UPS products for 2009. Although Minuteman isn't as large as APC, they make very good products. He mentioned that Minuteman UPS products have new extended run-time battery packs that are "battery packs on steroids." He pointed out that competitors offer extended run-time battery packs, but they didn't seem to focusing on them and he said Minuteman's extended battery packs have longer runtimes.

He also boasted that Minuteman battery packs and the UPS itself both some with a 3 year warranty. No other UPS manufacturer offers a 3 year warranty on their batteries and always had the longest warranty.

Cost is also an important consideration when choosing a UPS. Bill mentioned that Minuteman UPS products are 10, 20, or even 30% less expensive than APC, Tripp Lite or other competitors and they have better runtimes to boot.  He pointed me to a good comparison link here: http://minutemanups.com/products/exlcomp.php

Their ITEXPO Minuteman booth uses lights to demonstrate what happens when power is slowly reduced to similate a drop in power. As the power is reduced, the lights dim, until the UPS kicks in and gives a power boost causing the lights to brighten again.

AT&T sent me their new TL7610 DECT 6.0 headset for review last month and I finally got around to writing up the review. My first impressions were very positive. It sported a nice sleek and ergonomic headset base with well-labeled buttons and LEDs for figuring things out without need for the manual. Like the base, the headset piece was also sleek and ergonomic with a slight curve to the microphone piece. What's most interesting is that this headset marks AT&T's foray into the business headset market. When I think of business headsets I think of Plantronics or GN Netcom, which is now Jabra. The AT&T brand name recognition certainly will certainly cause many prospective buyers to give a closer look. Technically, the TL7610 is a Vtech product branded as AT&T. Vtech is pretty well known for their home cordless phone systems and even some home VoIP systems that work with popular VoIP providers such as Vonage.

I was curious how the TL7610 headset would stack up against the GN 9350 headset, which I reviewed. Both are DECT 6.0 headsets, however, the GN 9350 headset doesn't seem capable of "pairing" with home DECT 6.0 phone systems, which was a minor complaint for some. The AT&T TL7610 headset on the other hand does allow you to at least wireless pair with any 2008 AT&T DECT 6.0 cordless products . Curious if it supported the GAP standard and registration with 3rd party DECT phone systems, I asked an AT&T spokesperson who responded, "The headsets are not GAP compliant. GAP compliance does not really exist in North America. We are simply able to program our handset registration algorithm into the cordless headsets, so our cordless telephones see it as an accessory headset." Well, 3rd party DECT phone systems aren't supported, but at least it can pair with AT&T DECT products. 

Another unique advantage of this headset over competitors' headsets is that the TL7610 is the first headset to support both analog lines and desktop corded phones in the same product. Other headset manufacturers use a different model for PSTN connections and corded business systems. I really liked how flexible it is - it can work with a home analog line or a corporate desktop phone (including VoIP phones) using the handset cord. In fact, I first tested the headset by connecting it to an Aastra 57i CT IP telephone and it worked perfectly.

Installing the headset was a breeze and the instructions include a Quick Start Guide as well as a detailed User's Manual. You can configure the headset to work using three options. Option 1 lets you connect the headset base to a corded or cordless phone - including multi-handset cordless systems. All you need to use is a line splitter which is included with the phone and then follow the diagram in the manual which directs you to color-coded dots on the headset base, making it very easy to make the connections. Option 2 lets you connect the headset base unit directly to your home/office analog wall jack. You'll be able to answer calls with this option, but you'll need a telephone plugged into the same telephone line somewhere else in the house/office or a dial pad - AT&T sells the TL7601 dial pad separately. Option 3 lets you connect the headset base with any corded telephone for multiple line systems and PBXs/IP-PBXs.

I tested option 1 and option 3 and it worked flawlessly. Option 2 is essentially the same as option 1 minus the splitter, so there was no point in testing it. I really liked the diagrams and the color-coded dots on the headset base which "dummy proofed" connecting the headset using any of the three available options.


                              AT&T TL7610 Side Profile View

The TL6610 supports a "lifter mode" for use when you are connecting the base unit to a telephone handset cord (option 3). I had to turn this mode on in order to answer/make calls. This does obviously require me to manually lift the handset receiver off of the Aastra 57i CT. However AT&T sell an optional automatic handset lifter called the TL7000.

The headset was already paired to the base but just for testing I followed the instructions and re-paired the device pretty easily. I then roamed to the furthers part of TMC offices and couldn't get the headset to lose connection. I headed outside into the parking lot and was able to get pretty far before losing connection. Definitely superb range on this headset. The headset itself sports 4 buttons: On/off, volume up, volume down, and mute/flash. The on/off button flashes blue, reminding me of most Bluetooth headsets that have a flashing blue light. When charging, the on/off button stays a solid blue. Adjusting the volume on some competing headsets I've tried was a nightmare due to tiny recessed buttons - not so on the TL7610. It was very easy to adjust the volume using the pronounced up & down volume arrow buttons.

Product Features:

• Excellent range - up to 500 feet using DECT 6.0 technology
• Extended battery life of up to 12 hours talk time [Update: I'm now told its 5 days standby and up to 8 hours talk time]
• DSP enhanced sound quality using SRS licensed technology
• Lightweight with multiple wearing styles
• Works with corded and cordless 1-line and 2-line phones
• Works with multi-line business systems
• Expandable to 2 headsets (Uses TL7600 - sold separately)
• Conference capability - up to 2 headsets
• Multiple connection options for home and office use, including IP and digital PBX telephones

Conclusion
Wireless phone capabilities in the office helps improve business productivity in this age of multitasking. Like all DECT headsets I've reviewed, they are a bit larger and heavier than Bluetooth headsets, but the TL7610 is still fairly small and light for a DECT headset. Business executives will surely like the aesthetics of the sleek looking headset base and headset piece, which will fashion their desk. I really like the AT&T TL7610 headset. It was pretty comfortable, had excellent range, and very good battery life. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Relatedly, I look forward to checking out AT&T's TL7650 which adds a USB connection to a PC so you can use it with VoIP applications such as Skype. It's not available yet, but will be soon and I promise to review it as soon as I can get my hands on one.

Pricing for the TL7610: MSRP: $199.95 though this headset can be purchased online for much less.

You can buy the TL7610 headset through www.telephones.att.com, select Best Buy locations, Office Max, and Amazon via this link where I see it available inexpensively for $129.99.

Toshiba announced that it will showcase a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month, with shipments of this large SSD in the second quarter of 2009. These NAND-flash-based solid state drives (SSD) will be the industry's first 2.5-inch 512-gigabyte SSD and features fast read/write times and reliable performance for laptops/notebooks, and other equipment.

In addition to the 2.5-inch, 512GB drive, the 43nm NAND SSD family also includes capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, offered in 1.8-inch or 2.5-inch drive enclosures or as SSD Flash Modules. The drives feature a maximum sequential read speed of 240MB per second (MBps) and maximum sequential write speed of 200MBps. This should definitely result in faster boot and application loading times. The drives also offer AES data encryption to prevent unauthorized data access.

512GB soon... next stop 1TB (1 terabyte)!

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