GN Netcom GN9000 wireless headset

It may sound like an unpleasant disease, but Bluetooth is going to be the word on everyone's lips before the end of the year.

Or the year after. The problem is that while this wireless communication technology has been 'in the pipeline' for a number of years, Bluetooth products have been slow to materialise and, as a result, have been cruelly dubbed 'vapourware'.

All about Bluetooth

Bluetooth uses high-frequency radio waves, which means that devices can be up to 10m apart with a brick wall between them and still be able to communicate.

Data can be sent and received at high speed and multiple devices can automatically detect and communicate with each other as soon as they're in range. So in the future, your Bluetooth PDA will synchronise with your Bluetooth PC as soon as you sit at your desk, and there won't be a jungle of cables behind your Bluetooth TV.

Well, that's the theory. So far, manufacturers aren't exploiting its full potential.

The first product we saw was the Ericsson Bluetooth Headset, the second is the GN Netcom GN9000 Bluetooth, um, Headset. Quite why telephone headsets are the first devices to use Bluetooth is a bit of a mystery, and we can't think of a more mundane use for such an exciting new technology.

Free and easy

Still, the GN9000 works, and if you want to keep your hands free, it'll certainly let you.

It consists of a base unit that connects to your phone (both standard phones and ones with a dedicated headset socket are catered for) and the headset itself.

The base plugs into the mains; the headset sits on the base to recharge when it's not in use.

The headset can be worn comfortably on either side of the head, and while the microphone arm isn't flexible, it holds the microphone at a sufficient distance from your mouth.

Calls are clear, and the 10m range means you can wander freely mid-conversation.

Call answering - eventually

It's not all good news, though. The GN9000 can't answer a call, so if you're across the room when the phone rings, you'll need to run to your phone to pick it up.

Worse still is the price - a wallet-weakening £429.

Money talks

If you really need a first-rate headset and don't mind paying for it, then the GN9000 fits the bill perfectly. For everyone else, a sub-£100 DECT cordless phone is much more versatile.

Contact
GN Netcom: 01784 220172 www.gnnetcom.com