Gadling Gear Review – Callpod Drone Bluetooth adapter

by Scott Carmichael on

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).

Skype-Modeled Technology Lets Travelers Mobile-Phone Home for Cheap

by Catherine Bodry on

A Vancouver, Canada-based company, Eqo (“echo”), has developed a new technology that may ease the financial pain of international phone calls. Their model is similar to Skype, the free software that allows users to make calls over the Internet from their computers. When downloaded to a cellphone, Eqo’s software uses the Internet to make cheap calls locally or abroad.

Here’s how it works: First, a user downloads Eqo’s software to the phone. Next, the software automatically organizes existing contacts into the Eqo application.Then, the phone owner can call any Eqo users for free, no matter where they live. But callers won’t only save by calling other Eqo users. The best part about the technology is that calling someone who doesn’t have Eqo is super cheap — around 2 cents per minute. Not a bad deal.

Unfortunately, it takes time to download and figure out how to use the software, so callers might continue to rely on phone cards. Nevertheless, Eqo is available through Europe and the Middle East, with plans to be available in 60 countries by the end of 2008.

Check out the whole article at the Discovery Channel’s website.

Making Call From the Sky

by Erik Olsen on

So
here I was writing about cell phones and all the questions about whether it’s safe to make calls from the air (and
whether being able to hear marketing guy Bob blab during the whole flight is a good thing), a lo! I’m sent a great article
from a buddy of mine Farhad Heydari about how you can make Skype calls from
the sky (really adds punch to the Skype name, don’t you think?) where internet access is available on planes. A fine
idea, I think.

I was on a Lufthansa flight to Armenia awhile back and loved having Net access from up
there. And now. thanks to the recent boom in onboard broadband wireless Internet access, you can use Skype or Gizmo or
which ever VOIP service you have, to make calls. Internet service in the air is currently offered by 10 carriers
including SAS, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. And while it’s not exactly free (Lufthansa, for example, charges $9.95
per hour or $26.95 per flight), it’s still not a bad deal, especially since you can read Gadling while you’re up there
as well. ;-)