Today’s gear deal is for the highly rated Samsung WEP200 Bluetooth headset.
This headset is absolutely tiny – but has surprisingly good sound quality. In fact, it is currently one of the highest rated headsets on Amazon.
The WEP200 comes complete with a carrying case/charger and a variety of earpieces.
The headset is on sale for $19.99, but after a $10 mail in rebate (scroll down for the rebate PDF file), it drops to just $9.99. The rebate is valid on purchases made until May 31st.
In this product review I’m going to introduce you to another product from the clever people at Callpod. Previously, I reviewed their excellent Chargepod charger and the Dragon V2 Bluetooth headset.
The Drone is a USB Bluetooth adapter. At $49.95 it is quite a bit pricier than most other Bluetooth adapters on the market, but the Drone is an adapter with a twist.
In fact, the Drone has several twists that make it well worth the price in my opinion. For starters – the Callpod Drone actually works as an audio adapter when first installed. This may not mean much to you, but if you just need a Bluetooth adapter to use for a (stereo) headset, then why bother installing a large package of software when you only need a tiny portion of it?
Another advantage of not having to deal with software is quite simple – not all computers allow it. Many work laptops are locked down against installations, and most public Internet terminals may have open USB ports, but also have software installs blocked. In many cases, the Drone can simply bypass this.
When you plug the Drone into your computer, it installs in seconds, and shows up in your device manager as a standard USB audio device. USB audio support has been built into all Windows versions since XP, so no drivers or other settings are required.
To use a Bluetooth headset with the Drone, you simply place it in “pairing mode” by pressing its only button, and you instantly have a Bluetooth audio connection with your PC. This is of course ideal for Skype or any other voice application, but it also works very well if you pair it with a stereo headset.
The Drone also offers a much larger range than most other Bluetooth adapters. In my not-so-scientific trials, I was able to reach twice as far in my house using the Drone than I normally can with the built in Bluetooth on my computer. The manufacturer rated range for the Drone is 100 meters, which I can confirm is accurate.
When you pair the Drone with the Callpod Dragon Bluetooth headset, you get to take advantage of the extended range in both devices. This combination let me walk out to the end of my back yard without a single crackle or drop in the Bluetooth connection.
Users who still want to use the adapter as a regular Bluetooth device, can switch it to “software mode” by holding down the button on the device. Of course, this also means you’ll need to install the 60MB software package, offered for free by Callpod on their site. Vista and Windows 7 users won’t need the software – Bluetooth support is built into their operating system.
All in all a very nice little device that finally makes Bluetooth hassle free. At $49.95 it may seem overpriced when compared to other Bluetooth adapters, but its additional features make it well worth the price if you often find yourself in need of no-fuss Bluetooth audio or an extended range Bluetooth signal.
The Callpod Drone is available directly from Callpod ($49.95) or from Amazon ($33.07).
My daily deal for today is a fantastic 3-in-1 product.
The Kensington LiquidAUX Bluetooth carkit works as a Bluetooth handsfree carkit for your phone, plus it can stream Bluetooth music to your car stereo, and it also includes a USB charging port.
With a compatible phone (the iPhone will be Bluetooth Stereo compatible with its summer update), this device will be able to control your music, charge your phone and let you make hands free calls, all from the same device.
The unit even comes with a steering wheel mountable wireless remote control, which allows you to control the music as well as pick up/hang up a phone call.
One thing I do need to point out is that this device will require your car stereo to have a LINE IN jack.
This product normally retails for about $80, but buy.com currently has it on sale for just $30.99, which even includes free shipping!
My daily deal for today is for the Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset.
This particular headset is one of the highest rated Bluetooth products on the market, and while it may not be the sexiest, it does have stunning sound quality (for both people on the call).
The microphone boom also features a noise reducing microphone which can cancel out noise from wind and other sources of distraction. And just look how happy the man on that box is, this headset clearly makes you feel awesome!
The Voyager 510 has great battery life, the manufacturer rates it for up to 6 hours of talk time and 100 hours on standby. The headset also features “multipoint”, which allows you to connect to more than one device at the same time.
The Voyager 510 usually retails for around $60, but Amazon.com has it on sale for just $32.99. Since the item is over $25, Amazon will even ship it for free.
Looking for a really cheap Bluetooth headset? My daily deal for today is for the Samsung WEP210 headset, for a mere $8.60.
In order to get the low price, you’ll need to get yourself to the Amazon product page, then be sure to check out the “more buying choices” on the right.
In that box, you’ll notice that Amazon themselves are selling it for just $8.60, with free shipping for Prime members, or about $5 for others.
The headset itself has fairly mixed reviews, some people rave about it, others complain about poor volume. Still, for $9 you can’t really go wrong.
The headset comes complete with a travel charger, and you should be able to squeeze about 70 hours of standby usage out of it.