Win a Plantronics Bluetooth headset from Gadling!

As the number of states introducing hands-free laws slowly grows, it is becoming more important than ever to practice safe talking when you are in your car.

Since we care about your safety (and want to prevent you from facing a steep fine), we have teamed up with Plantronics to help you get your hands on a top-of-the-line Bluetooth headset. We’ve got six headsets to give away, and all you need to do in order to win one of these is leave a comment telling us the weirdest place you have ever made a phone call.

Once you have entered the contest, you’ll have a chance at winning either a Plantronics Discovery 975 (retail price $129.99) or a Plantronics Voyager Pro (retail price $99.99).

The Discovery 975 is one of the coolest looking headsets on the market, and comes in a stylish leather case that doubles as a portable charger.

The Voyager Pro is the perfect headset for busy professionals who demand the best sound quality on both ends of their call.

  • To enter, simply leave a comment answering the question posted above.
  • The comment must be left before Tuesday February 9th 2010 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Six Prize Winners will be randomly selected to receive one Plantronics Bluetooth headset (sorry, we’ll pick the headset for you, but winners will receive either one of the three Voyager units, or one of the three Discovery units).
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • The total value of each prize is either approximately $99.99 (for the Voyager) or approximately $129.99 (for the Discovery).
  • Click here for the complete official rules of this giveaway.

Heading to the Winter Olympics? Talking and driving could cost you $160!

If you are heading to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, be sure to bring a hands-free headset.

Starting today, British Columbia police will be on the lookout for anyone using their phone without a headset of hands-free car kit. Their new hands-free law went into effect on January 1st, and the grace period for offenders ends today, just in time for thousands of visitors to visit their area.

Penalties are pricey – $167 CAD (about $160 USD). In addition to phone calls, British Columbia also bans text messaging, sending email or anything else that involves looking at the screen of your device.

Bottom line is put your phone down and pay attention to the road (good advice anywhere in the world).

Similar laws are already in place in the United States and a good overview of current states with hands-free laws can be found here.

Mobile headset maker Plantronics has put together some tips on safe driving with your phone, and later this week they’ll join Gadling in giving away some of the hottest Bluetooth headsets on the market.
Safety Tips for Hands-free Devices

Plantronics offers the following tips for keeping both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road when using your cell phone and hands-free device while driving:

  • Trial Run: Practice using your phone and headset together before you drive. Familiarize yourself with the headset controls. Adjust the fit and the microphone on your headset, check the headset settings on your cell phone and stow the phone so it’s out of your way but still accessible.
  • Be Prepared: Program all your frequently called numbers into your phone. This includes your boss, your kids’ babysitter and your favorite neighborhood pizza place. And don’t forget about speed and voice dialing; most phones have those options, so use them as much as possible.
  • Set Up for Success: Just as you check your rearview mirror and secure your seatbelt before driving, be sure to put your headset on and ensure its connected properly to your phone.
  • Driving Comes First: Remember: your first priority is driving. You should only place and receive calls when it’s absolutely necessary.


Plantronics giving away Bluetooth headsets in Twitter contest

As the end of the year approaches, some new states will be on the list of places where it is against the law to use your mobile phone without a hands-free device.

On January 1st, Hawaii joins the states and cities banning the use of mobile devices when driving. You are still allowed to use a hands-free headset, but you can not hold your phone, read your email or send text messages.

Violations will cost $150, or $500 if you caused an accident when using your phone.

A new Oregon state law also goes into effect on January 1st prohibiting the use of mobile devices for text messaging. Only adult drivers will be allowed to make phone calls when driving, and only when using a hands-free device.

To raise awareness of these new laws, Plantronics is offering free headsets to Twitter users. If you fancy a chance at winning one of their Voyager Pro or Discovery 975 headsets, head on over to Twitter and follow @plantronics, then send a tweet including @plantronics, #behandsfree and a link to www.plantronics.com/handsfree during the Sweepstakes Period (December 1-29, 2009). One winner will even receive a headset and a $1000 gas card!

Plantronics also has a great overview of the laws by state, and as these laws all seem to vary from state to state, it really does pay to play it safe and invest in a good headset.

Product review – The Gadling Big Bluetooth Bonanza

Got Bluetooth? In this review, I’m going to take a quick look at 5 different Bluetooth headsets – but I need to point out that this is not a “best of”, I won’t be announcing a “winner”.

Instead, I’ve picked 5 different headsets that all do something special. It could be a great noise canceling feature, or an innovative way to charge the device.

Here are the 5 headsets that grabbed my attention:

  • Plantronics Voyager 835
  • Plantronics Voyager 855
  • Lubix UBHS-NC1
  • MobileEdge M100 PowerSmart
  • Jabra BT3030


Plantronics Voyager 835

The Voyager 835 is the newest allrounder from headset maker Plantronics. On the outside, the headset looks like any other unit out there, but 2 things make it worth a position in this review.

The Voyager 835 has 2 microphones, and a the Plantronics AudioIQ noise canceling system. These technologies means you’ll be able to make a phone call without the other end thinking you are calling from the moon.

The headset is also one of the most comfortable of the ones I tested. Its clear ear clip and molded earpiece made it a real pleasure to wear, and even after a 40 minute phone call it felt just fine. One notable item missing from the package is a set of spare earpieces. For some reason, Plantronics decided not to include them with the Voyager 835. Of course, if you take good care of the headset you’ll never need them, but I can’t help feel that a spare set of parts would make more sense.

The Voyager 835 charges using MicroUSB, the newest format plug popping up on phones from Nokia, Motorola and RIM (Blackberry). Included in the box is a pretty slick car charging adapter that functions as a charger and dock for the headset when you are not using it. This $20 charger is currently included for free with the headset.

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Price: $119.95 (MSRP)
Manufacturer: Plantronics

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Plantronics Voyager 855

The Plantronics Voyager 855 can be converted from a normal “mono” headset into a stereo Bluetooth headset. The Voyager 855 also features a sliding boom microphone for getting closer to your mouth, and for picking up the call. The buttons on the headset can control compatible stereo Bluetooth devices, allowing you to skip tracks, play and pause your music. And, just so you know; stereo Bluetooth does not work on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Apparently Apple does not believe in the wonders of listening to cordless music.

The Voyager 855 also features the Plantronics AudioIQ system, which greatly improves the quality of your call.

The headset also supports Multipoint connections, which is a slick way of saying it can be connected to more than one device at the same time. This feature means you can be connected to your phone and a Bluetooth music player, and still be able to listen to music while you wait for that important phone call from your broker.

Just like the Voyager 855, this headset charges using MicroUSB, and the package includes a USB charging cable and wall adapter as well as several replacement earpieces and a spare ear clip for converting the stereo headset to mono.

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Price: $149.95
Manufacturer: Plantronics

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Lubix UBHS-NC1

This wacky looking headset combines a bold fashion statement with a pretty ingenious design – the 2 halves of the headset connect using a strong magnet, allowing you to wear the it as a pendant. When you want to listen to music, you simply split the unit in half and wear it like any other headset.

Like the Plantronics Voyager 855, this headset supports Bluetooth stereo. On the back of the headset are 2 rocker switches which are used to change tracks, control play/pause, adjust the volume and pick up/hang up a phone call. Unlike most other headsets – the Lubix uses a normal on/off slider switch, which is a heck of a lot easier than having to hold down a button for 3 seconds to turn it on.

The Lubix may lack some of the noise canceling features found on the other headsets, but it really makes up for that with some astounding sound quality when used with stereo Bluetooth. The NC1 also supports 3D audio, which provides a really interesting effect to your music.

The Lubix UBHS-NC1 charges using a proprietary charging plug, but a USB cable and wall adapter are included, as well as several different earpieces. Also, like most headsets in this lineup, the NC1 has support for multipoint connections.

Later this week I’ll give you a second look at the Lubix UBHS-NC1 with the new Lubix iPod Bluetooth adapter.

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Price: $54 (promotional price from Lubix)
Manufacturer: Lubix Mobile

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Mobile Edge M100 PowerSmart

We’ve mentioned Mobile Edge here on Gadling before, but mainly for their excellent checkpoint friendly bags. In addition to these bags, the company also offers a lineup of travel gadgets. One of those gadgets is the new M100 PowerSmart Bluetooth headset.

The M100 is special thanks to an ingenious folding design. When you are not using the headset, you simply fold it flat and attach it to the included lanyard clip. When in the “off” position, you get a whopping 60 days standby time out of the headset. The headset comes with an AC adapter and a very clever L shaped USB plug.

The M100 is also pocket friendly – when in the standby position, the headset locks the call button, preventing one of those embarrassing phone calls made to friends by mistake.

Audio quality is quite outstanding, mainly thanks to the flanged earpiece, which keeps the headset nice and snug in your ears, blocking outside noise.

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Price: $79.95
Manufacturer: Mobile Edge

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Jabra BT3030

The Jabra BT3030 looks more like an ID tag than a Bluetooth headset. Complete with a chain for around your neck, the BT3030 is the only headset in this lineup that connects to a pair of regular headphones. On the front of the BT3030 are buttons for volume, music control and call control. On the bottom of the unit is a miniUSB charging plug and on the top is a microphone.

The combination of a built in microphone and a headphone jack means you can use this Bluetooth device to listen to music using the included headphones, or any other (noise canceling) headphones you want, and use it to make phone calls.

The headset comes complete with an AC charger, chain and plastic clip, in case you don’t want to wear it around your neck.

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Price: $79.99
Manufacturer: Jabra


Like travel gadgets? Check out these other cool gadgets we recently reviewed!


Daily deal – Plantronics Discovery 640E Bluetooth headset for $15

My daily deal for today is for a (refurbished) Plantronics Discovery 640E Bluetooth headset.

This tiny Bluetooth headset comes complete with a “pen style” charger, and allows you to charge the device off AC power or with a single AAA battery cell.

The package also includes various other ear clips and gels, which should help you get the most comfortable fit for.

The Plantronics 640E has been refurbished, which means it was once returned to the manufacturer, and has been returned to its “as new” condition. Don’t worry about the ear pieces; those are all brand new and unused. Because the product is refurbished, it only comes with a 90 day warranty.

This headset used to retail for well over $100, but buy.com currently has it on clearance for just $14.99 with free shipping.