Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 12:50PM 
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 3:21PM 
Completely updated design, the Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset is on sale at Skype.com now.
If you were feeling lucky, perhaps you took a shot at one during Engadget's recession antidote yesterday:
Today we've got a FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset along with a Skype voucher that'll net you free calls for three whole months. The World Plan voucher will link you up anywhere in the world that Skype supports, and coming off of a trip to Central America, we can certainly say it comes in handy (and works well, to boot).
Unless you were the winner, you're gonna want to head to Skype.com to pick yours up.
Another in a long line of Avnera-enabled headsets, I think this one's travel-friendly folding design gives it a clear differentiator to my personal favorite, the Plantronics .Audio 995.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 11:40PM 
The Plantronics take on Avnera's first gen AudioMagic chips seems to capture the yellow jersey. Logitech, Creative, and Freetalk may very well still be selling at a strong clip, but the feature set and execution of the .Audio 995 seems to resonate with consumers more than the others – who admittedly are getting long in the tooth.
Just ran across these user reviews over at Amazon, and they made my day, and so I think they are worth reading...
From Chris Zee Shutterbug:
Let me start with something that amazed me. I plugged the USB dongle into the computer, started Itunes, hit play and music started coming from the headphones!!! I did not have to configure a single thing. [...] That level of ease of operation has to be commended.
From Jennifer:
I love these headphones. I got them for my teenage son, but when he told me to listen to the great sound they became mine! The sound quality is incredible. [...] My son used them for World of Warcraft and he said the sound was awesome. He wants them back...but I've found a great hiding place and I am keeping them!
From CR Swanson:
I've reviewed three different headphones for Amazon Vine, including the three-hundered dollar Monster Beats, and this is, by far, the best of the bunch. They're comfy, they have great sound quality and the wireless mode just can't be beat!
From P Colin McGraw (with a gripe for balance):
I usually use wired headsets, and it feels freeing to be able to walk around the room listening to music, not having to navigate to iTunes with my mouse to fast forward as I get tangled in a headphone's cord. In fact, I'd actually use this headset even if I didn't need a microphone for just the awesome wireless headphone capabilities!
If I had to dig deep for a negative, I guess it would be the comfort. [...] the pads on your ears are designed to go ON TOP of your ears instead of AROUND them. It basically smooshes your ears to the side of your head, which you don't mind at first with the soft pads, but it gets uncomfortable after awhile.
Overall, it's hard to find a flaw with these and I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a headset with or without a mic! It would be hard to design this headset any better and it's a great value!
There is another review, that gave 2 out of 5 stars (when 4/5 is the average over 8 reviews) – feel free to check it out – but from what I know of our technology, he is experiencing a busted antenna, probably a maunfacturing defect... No other reason why he'd be getting garbagey sound while he moves. Also, the output power of the headset compared to a 2.4GHz cordless telephone is not even close! So if he is looking for a source for his wireless-G woes.. he should direct his attention elsewhere. That's the spectrum monster. Also he should switch to Skype and junk the 20th century technology.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 2:16AM 
I failed to mention, the .Audio 995 is available for ordering now at:
Go get one. Please. Thanks.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 2:01AM Plantronics .Audio 995A little late to the show, but never more welcome. If Skype, Logitech, Creative, and Acoustic Research weren't enough for you, there is a new kid on the plug & play wireless USB headset block. Plantronics has recently launched their .Audio 995. From their site...
Trade up and experience the freedom of wireless. Enjoy up to 40 feet of roaming away from the PC, and full range performance of digital stereo sound for all your PC audio needs – music, Internet calls, podcasts, DVDs, games and more And with features like convenient on-ear music controls and Fast Mic Mute™ you can stay in control even when you’re away from your desk. The pillow-soft, swivel-mounted ear cushions and lightweight design enable all-day wearing comfort for an enjoyable wireless digital experience.
But, in a word. Awesome. At $109.95, the .Audio 995 is one of the nicest looking devices in the space.
Man, when almost every brand of headset maker in the PC accessory market has their horse, it's a damn sure sign of a product category that's here to stay. While to many this isn't a sexy product space, let me offer this... try to think about what other devices come to mind that let you enjoy so many of the things you love to do – music, movies, talking to friends and family, games – and do so while rendering zero-compromise in audio quality, resting squarely (and comfortably) on your skull and sensitive ears, and while picking up and relaying your every word. That's a serious chunk of human interaction! So we're fine with some geeky cynics who say "ho-hum" and cry "commodity!"... in the meantime we'll be blissfully enjoying what everyone will soon take for granted.
What's my point? Well, I'm proud to have been a part of making this product category a reality, and it's something all those at Avnera and these first OEMs should be similarly proud of. These are the small successes in consumer electronics that people rarely talk about. No it's not Apple and their iPhone, or Palm and their Pre, or Nintendo and their Wii... but it's born of countless innovations, creative thinking, worn-out roller-bags, and sleepless nights in every time-zone that make these things happen.
It's nice to think there are many more good ideas being crafted even as the economic news of the day would make you think otherwise.