Topics: Digital Life

CES: CallPod Shows Off A 100-Meter Capable 'Class 1' Bluetooth Headset

Posted by , Jan 9, 2008 09:36 PM

Today, we finally made it over to the Consumer Electronics Show's New to Market Pavilion where a bunch of startups are showing some innovative products. Three of those products are the Chargepod, the Bluetooth-based Dragon, and the Bluetooth-based Phoenix. The Dragon (a headset) and the Phoenix (a voice conferencing solution) are rated as Class 1 Bluetooth products, which means that their range is 100 meters instead of 30 feet or so.

One thing Callpod spokesperson Nathan Mount told me regarding Class 1 Bluetooth products is that for something like a Class 1 headset to work over a range of 100 meters, the device it is paired with also must have a Class 1 rating. Most phones today are Class 2 rated. But some of the newer ones are Class 1.

In addition to being Class 1 rated, the $130 Dragon can be paired simultaneously with two different devices (e.g., your cell phone for taking calls and your computer for doing Skype). Another neat feature is how two Dragon headsets can be linked together for walkie-talkie style communication.

Mount also showed me the Callpod Phoenix. Said Mount:

It's our mobile conferencing solution. You can take 5 Bluetooth headsets and link up to it, pair up [the Phoenix] to your cell phone or computer (for VoIP), and everybody is on the conference call mobilely if they're wearing a headset.

Mount said that when used in conjuction with Class 1 rated headsets like the Dragon, the Phoenix creates an operating area of 250,000 square feet (that almost sounds like a micro cell ... as in cell phone).

Finally, Callpod is showing off its Chargepod -- a single solution that can charge up to six devices (cell phones, PDAs, iPods, headsets, etc.) simultaneously. It comes with a car charger and Callpod has different adapters for more than 1,000 rechargeable devices that are on the market today.

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