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Technology - Spy Gear: Earpieces are a cool toy
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Published: August 5, 2008
Updated: 08/04/2008 07:10 pm
You know all those movie scenes where the hero must infiltrate a highly secure enemy facility? A normal person thinks something like this: "Oh, my goodness, I sure hope he manages to get through all those lasers and motion detectors! He's the hero, and therefore I fear for his well-being!"
Geeks and gadget freaks, however, are more intrigued by the hero's high-tech spy gear. "Cool," we think. "He's in constant radio contact with his team in the unmarked van outside on the street, and yet I can't see any trace of a microphone, headset or cell phone. Wish I had technology like that!"
Well, now you do. At least two companies, Sound ID and CallPod, now make tiny, wireless earpieces that let you and an unseen buddy have a spoken, hands-free conversation. Invisible intercom, anyone?
One is called the SM100 (SoundID.com, $86). The other is the Dragon V2, just released (CallPod.com, $100).
There is actually a third contender, the Scala Rider from Cardo Systems, that is intended exclusively for motorcycle riders and must be screwed into your helmet. I couldn't test the Scala, though, because my editor refused to buy me a motorcycle.
The SM100 is minuscule: a gray oval that nearly hides behind a quarter, with a microphone boom that is so small, it's more of a microphone wart. The whole thing weighs four-tenths of an ounce; it wouldn't tip over a Barbie.
The Dragon V2 is slightly bigger; it's a half-inch-thick circle, the size of a half dollar, available in three finishes. It is also twice as heavy as the SM100, although at nine-tenths of an ounce, it's not as if it's going to result in a chiropractor visit.
All right, a confession: both of these gadgets are primarily intended to be standard Bluetooth cell-phone earpieces, the type that make white-collar executives on city streets look like the muttering deranged.
And they work fine that way. You start by "pairing" the earpiece with your cell phone. This is a one-time electronic marriage ceremony, so you don't wind up answering somebody else's incoming calls and vice versa. On the SM100, that involves the usual pressing of improbable button combinations on the earpiece while you fuss with your cell phone's Bluetooth pairing menu. The Dragon saves you some of the contortion; the minute you turn it on for the first time, it enters pairing mode automatically, so all you have to do is fiddle with the cell phone. It's a nice idea that should be mercilessly ripped off.
The SM100 is held in place by a black rubber, tubelike appendage that you are supposed to wedge in your ear canal. A black rubber loop (three sizes are included in the box) is supposed to assist by lodging under a cartilage fold above your ear opening. I must be deformed, however, because the thing kept falling out. Fortunately, an over-ear hook is provided as a backup; evidently the company must be aware that the cartilage loop doesn't work for everyone.
The Dragon has a more traditional, rubberized, over-ear hook that works comfortably and perfectly on everybody. Its height and orientation (right side, left side) are adjustable.
When you use the SM100, callers may comment on occasional breakups or wobbles in your voice, and some complain of background noise. That is surprising, because the company's marketing materials burst with pride over its sophisticated audio technologies: Adaptive Noise Compensation, Advanced Wind Protection, NoiseNavigation, VoiceCapture, and so on. One of them, EnvironmentalMode, is supposed to amplify the sound around you, to compensate for the fact that there is a rubber tube blocking your ear canal.
In practice, the trademark lawyers were more effective than the audio engineers. The three EnvironmentalMode settings, for example, boil down to "loud," "louder" and "loudest," and also create a tiresome rushing background hiss. And there was no less wind noise on this earpiece than any other modern model.
The Dragon V2 sounds terrific: loud, clear, static-free. It, too, can suffer from wind noise, but in other situations, your calling buddies aren't likely to guess that you're even using an earpiece.
But, hey, there are hundreds of Bluetooth earpieces out there. What makes these two so special? With the press of a button combination, they become secret-agent two-way radios.
It works exactly the way it works for Tom Cruise: As you climb, work, drive or bike, both your hands remain busy with what they are supposed to be doing. And yet you're also in constant two-way conversation with whoever is wearing the other earpiece. It feels natural and creepy at the same time, like you have one of those little angel, or devil, guys sitting on your shoulder feeding advice or wisecracks directly into your head.
And it's free forever. No airtime, no minutes, no monthly bill.
This setup would be great for warehouse workers, factory employees, waiters (dining room to kitchen, for example), electricians working together, store clerks, families at amusement parks, emergency workers and magicians.
It is especially great for cyclists. I tested the SM100 on a scenic shoreline bike ride with my daughter. We rode single file at the side of the road, which would ordinarily mean either riding in silence or turning my head back to yell, and hoping not to crash. Instead, we chatted as naturally as though we were on the phone, yet with both hands on the handlebars.
Unfortunately, the SM100 uses standard Bluetooth. Its maximum range is 30 feet. If we ever drifted more than a couple bike lengths apart, the signal broke up in static.
The Dragon was a different story. It is a so-called Bluetooth Class 1 device, meaning that it has a much more powerful radio, and therefore, much greater range. During a similar bike ride with my son, we could get about three house-lengths apart before garble began creeping in. That is probably 250 feet, and it makes a huge difference.
As a bonus, the Dragon can also pair with two sources at once, your cell phone and your computer, for example. You can listen to iTunes music, or make a Skype call on your Mac or PC, and then when a cell phone call comes in, the Dragon switches automatically. Or you can switch from walkie-talkie mode to a cell phone call in the same way. Sweet.
The Dragon also comes with a car charger, wall-outlet charger, USB-cable charger and a carrying case. (The SM100 charges only from a wall outlet.)
Both companies sell additional gadgets that make your clandestine listening power even more interesting. Callpod, for example, sells something called the Phoenix ($300), a tabletop junction box that expands that Tom Cruise ear-socket radio effect to up to five Dragon earpieces. Now a whole team or family can be chatting as they work, no charge -- or, if somebody has a cell phone, everyone can be on the same call.
Both of these Bluetooth earpieces represent exceptional engineering. Both are advertised to have eight hours of talk time for each charge and 300 hours of standby time, although the SM100's standby drops to 24 hours if you use EnvironmentalMode.
The Dragon V2, though, is the runaway winner. It's larger, of course, which may make you more detectable by the agents of evil. But it offers better sound than the SM100, and 10 times greater range. That is a hugely important factor. After all, as anyone in the secure-facility infiltration business can tell you, finding nearby parking for your counterspy van can be a real pain.
■ David Pogue writes this column for The New York Times and it appears Tuesdays in the Winston-Salem Journal. You can contact him from his blog, www.davidpogue.com.
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