More like it's the size of a matchstick head and I can definitely picture it hammering an eardrum the moment someone drops it into the ear canal. And, I shit you not, this "headset" comes with a super strong magnet for easy retrieval! What could go wrong?!

But wait, there's more! Since this was originally designed for Secret Service types in mind, there's also a Morse code communication feature that allows for silent communication with another party. Perfect for tapping out SOS to your doctor when you go deaf and need a consult.

Just $200 and this guaranteed trip to an emergency room is yours for the taking. [Skymall via OhGizmo]

About a month ago, Jabra sent a little bag out to its regular reviewers. Inside was a stone—a literal, polished stone—and that was it. It was a cheesy PR stunt, the kind we see all the time, but when I got the headset itself, it made sense. The Jabra Stone, when docked, is a near-seamless pebble, broken only underneath, at the headset's hollowed-out ejection point. It's a stunning headset, actually, which sounds weird coming out of my mouth. (Or fingers! Who's counting.)

The Stone's specs are appropriate to its pricepoint: it'll pair in regular and A2DP modes for voice or music listening, respectively, has a minimalist status display, a noise-cancelling mic, volume controls—though here they're managed with a touch-sensitive shell rather than buttons—and a charging dock. The claimed talk time is two hours per charge, and the dock is good for three extra charges. Standby time is a respectable 12 hours 12 days.

And to be honest, aside from eking out a little extra battery life over competitors' products, there's not a whole lot a company can do to make a Bluetooth headset technologically interesting. What they can do, and what Jabra has done with the Stone, is focus on style and feel. Bluetooth headsets look dumb, and they're awkward to wear. The Stone is a headset designed with these thoughts in mind—it looks as not-dumb as a headset can; it feels as not-awkward as a piece of plastic in your ear conceivably could. It's self-conscious, almost embarrassed for what it is.

Long-term testing might bear out some initial concerns about battery life and the practical convenience of carrying around a slippery little battery rock, but my first impressions were uniformly positive. The Stone paired almost instantly with an iPhone, a Pre and a Hero right out of the box, sound quality was clear, and three ears of varying shapes and sizes found the angled earpiece plenty comfortable.

The Stone will be available at AT&T stores from November 8th, priced at $130 right alongside the Platronics Voyager. From the looks of it the Voyager edges out a win on battery life, but the fact that Jabra's put even the tiniest bit of sex into their newest piece goes a long, long way. [Jabra]

Yes, Kopin has decided the best place to put its latest .44-inch SVGA resolution LCD microdisplay (or CyberDisplay as they call it) is in front of your face. No really, you will see the 15-inch virtual display right in front of you with it positioned on the headset's arm.

The headset, or more like wearable computer, runs Windows CE and has a speedy ARM Cortex-A8 processor. You control the interface with the microphone and speech recognition from Nuance that has advanced speech-to-text capabilities. Now the headset has Motorola branding on it, but there is no mention of a real partnership as far as we can see.

Beyond it having its own interface based on Windows CE, it could pair with your Bluetooth smartphone. Ideally it would display your phone's operating system in front of your face. Take that Redfly!

And if all that wasn't futuristic enough for you it will have a head tracking and body gesture sensor that will adjust the device to body movements. Its high end Lithium Ion batter promises eight hours of juice. I don't see why they couldn't just fit in wireless charging while they are at it.

Now this is clearly a render, but the company will be showing prototypes this week at the Embedded Systems Conference. Kopin plans to begin shipping a Gen 3 Golden-i Eval SDK in December and actually expects to ship the product in 2010. The future of wearable computing is upon us and I'm totally fine looking like a douchebag. [Kopin]

Crunchgear got their hands on it in June, but this version, closer to release, seems like it's been refined and cleaned up for a Christmas-time launch.

The docking mechanism works by first latching another iPhone back onto your 3G or 3GS. There's a hole in the back for the Bluetooth unit, as is the thought process for other Mogo units. To remove the headset, push down on the left side and it pops out. To charge, pop up the charging port on the bottom and plug in a microUSB charger.

This is one thing we'd like to see changed so that the headset can charge directly from the iPhone's power supply so that it's always juiced up. It would reduce battery life, but if you're always on your Bluetooth headset anyway, it'd be super useful. And, if they could build a battery pack into the unit, that would solve two problems at once.

As for the performance, it's actually surprisingly good. The wife said I sounded as good on this tiny sliver of a headset as I did on larger ones, and I could hear her just fine as well, even though she was at a gas station. One tricky part was to make sure the ear padding is oriented the correct direction. If you flip it around, the headset falls off easily.

Whether or not the Mogo Talk for iPhone is worth $130 is up to how much you talk on your phone. I, for one, love the fact that I can now always have a Bluetooth headset with me, but the problem of always keeping it charged (especially with the need for separate microUSB charging) still remains. As much as having to use a Bluetooth headset is a hassle, I don't want to get ticketed for talking on the phone while driving, so using the Mogo Talk would make the whole thing less of a pain. [Newton Peripherals]

As you can see, the headset is more earring than funky robotic ear leech, and it actually looks kind of nice in a futuristic fashionista kind of way.

Like a traditional headset, you tap the sensor to answer an incoming call, and talk into the air like a idiot as normal. But you look good, especially if you happen to be a model. [Fandi Meng via Design Blog]

The 975 is a replacement for the white, sparkly 925, which was technologically impressive, but might've gone a little far with the "HOT FASHION" shtick. The 925's main features—including noise cancellation, loopless ear fitting and wind protection—are still present in the 975, though the internal hardware has been moved from the mic stem to the main earpiece, giving the 975 its slimmer profile, and the headset's got a newer dual-mic setup—one for voice pickup, and one for noise canceling.

A Bluetooth headset is a Bluetooth headset, and there aren't a whole lot of ways to improve on the basic concept or performance. The 975, though, trounces the 925 in one of the only ways that really matters: its battery pack/carrying case, which looks the same as before, will now charge the headset twice over, at five hours of talk time per go. If you leave the house with the headset and carrying case juiced, that's a claimed 15 hours of talk time with the standard kit, which'll pretty much get anyone who doesn't run a one-(wo)man adult hotline through even their phoniest workdays.

The Discovery 975 lands today, at a premium-but-not-too-premium pricepoint of $130, with carrying case. [Plantronics]

"I just want our product to sound better," Iovine said. "The record business committed many, many mistakes in the last 10 years, and I'm right in there. One of them was letting its product get degraded. It's one thing to let it get stolen, it's another to allow it to be degraded because then you really don't have a chance...video games and TV quality are getting better and the quality of our work is getting lower. If that happens, then music will become disposable. That's something we can fix."

Their goal, it seems, is to educate the iPod-owning masses about what music should sound like so that we may rise up and demand this sort of quality in the future. Details on the product line have not been released, but we do know that they will feature a premium price tag—a major barrier for adoption beyond the hardcore audiophile. While I agree that the public puts up with sub-standard sound quality in many cases, the best way to make a technology mainstream is to make it affordable. [CNET via BusinessWeek]

The Price: $100

The Verdict: At just $20 more than Apple's In-Ear headset, the Klipsch Image S4i is a no-brainer, assuming Voice Control and VoiceOver are priorities to you. If they don't matter, or if you've got an older iPhone or non-Apple handset, the choice is less clear.

Klipsch's headset is one of the only ones on the market with Apple's VoiceOver-compatible chip—a feature we raised a stink about when it first came out, but which turned out to be alright. As far as 3G Shuffle headphones go, this is about as nice as you're going to get. The sound will suit most tastes, but not all: it's extremely clear, and bass is smooth and deep, but never overpowering. Overall the sound reminds me of the V-Moda Vibe Duos—always a reliable standby for better-than-stock iPhone headsets—except slightly more resolved, and less muddy. What this headset doesn't have, though, is the kind of razor-sharp presence that you'd find in headphones like the Shure SE115, or headsets like the (markedly more expensive) Etymotics hf2, or the powerful percussiveness of some of Altec Lansing's UE rebrands. (More on those here.) Isolation and cable movement noise are better than I expected from tips made from rubbery material like this, as is fit: both are excellent, though fans of foam or foam-rubber tips will have to go aftermarket.

Mic quality is fine, too. The Image S4i's mic sits below your chin, nestled inside the inline controls. It's a natural location, and the headset's buttons, which include volume controls, were easy to find and press, though the whole unit is a little slippery for sweaty exercise fingers. The mic, or its location, probably, gave my voice a boomier sound than I got from the Vibes or the Etymotics, though I remained completely intelligible, and background noises, like the mic bouncing off my shirt, or even a rickety old air conditioner, were very hard to notice on the other end of the line. As a bonus, these headsets work in the headphone jack on Unibody MacBooks, for VoIP use.

With Shuffle and 3GS compatibility comes one pretty massive hitch:
That's Klipsch's official compatibility chart, and they're not kidding. If your device isn't on this list, don't expect much: older iPhones get basic play/pause functionality out of the inline remote, while the 1G Touch doesn't recognize it at all. Phones from other manufacturers, including HTC and Samsung, didn't recognize remote or mic input. The Image S4i isn't just 3GS and Shuffle compatible, it's exclusive. And one last minor quibble: I haven't been carrying these things around for very long, and the Klipsch logo—as you can see in the top image—is already flaking off of the otherwise well-styled and built earbuds. Far from a dealbreaker, but disconcerting, considering how new these things are. [Klipsch]

Excellent sound quality for the price, in both mic and earphones

Work with VoiceOver and Voice Control

Styling and build quality are nice, but the finish is delicate

Compatibility list is severely cropped by Apple's special inline remote chip

There will be three models of the class 2 Bluetooth Orb: A $130 basic model—coming in January—a $175 Deluxe edition with a minuscule FOLED display, and a limited edition with actual precious gems on it, both coming in April 2010. [Gizmag]

The Mogo Talk is more or less the same MoGo Bluetooth wafer that's been kicking around since 2007, except this time accompanied by purpose-built backplates for a sizable portion of the BlackBerry range. Burying the headset harness in the battery cover ostensibly helps keep a mounted headset from protruding too far, and enables a charging system to be built in without adding unnecessary bulk.

Looking at the suspiciously not-in-profile shots here, though, the deep integration and 5mm headset thickness still seem to leave a lump that would be at least noticeable, and at worst, irritating, especially in tighter pockets. Of course, something tells me that this might not matter too much, since the Bluetooth+BlackBerry combination guarantees a fair number of these will end up living in belt harnesses, strapped around the wastes of people named "Dad." The MoGo Talk will ship within a few weeks for $129.99. [MoGo]

The patent describes the sharing of device settings, preferences and even media between iPods and iPhones by means of a sort of smart headset, which stores personalizations in a small cache of flash memory. As described, it sounds a bit strange, and its purpose isn't entirely clear: most of the functions are things that fall under the purview of syncing, which is something that most iPod/iPhone users do regularly anyway, and which they have to do when buying a new device anyway, mooting the "it makes transitioning easier" angle.

But for certain settings, it makes some sense: volume and EQ settings, for example, could be kept the same between devices, ensuring a uniform listening experience. It'd be a teeny, tiny feature that most people wouldn't notice, but it's far from implausible. [Unwired View]

You've also got dual HDMI ports, four USB ports and what has to be the most straightforward design of anything Alienware's every shipped, which is in and of itself an accomplishment.

They're also selling what appears to be an Alienware-branded version of SteelSeries' nearly 2-year-old 5HV2 headset that they're calling TactX.

And really, we're still using X for Xtreme? Mountain Dew is gross guys.

ALIENWARE PUTS YOU IN THE GAME WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE ALIENWARE OPTX™AW2210 21.5" FULL HD MONITOR AND ALIENWARE TACTX™ HEADSET

· Eye-catching Alienware OptX Monitor boasts 1080p HD, ultra-fast response time and features low-input lag
· New Alienware TactX Headphones single out in-game sounds for a truly immersive experience
· Together, the Alienware OptX AW2210 Monitor and Alienware TactX Headset help to create the ultimate gaming experience

MIAMI – June 30, 2009 –Gamers looking for a completely immersive gaming experience can now arm themselves with two new weapons from Alienware – the 21.5-inch Alienware OptX™ AW2210 Full HD Monitor and the Alienware TactX™ Headset offering a unique custom-engineered audio experience.

The Alienware OptX AW2210 Monitor, which goes on sale today for $299, features a Full HD screen resolution ideal for the latest-generation games and high-definition movies in glorious 1080p. To give gamers that extra edge, the monitor features low-input lag and a 2ms response time for a more real time gaming experience. With sleek looks and a dramatic profile that catch every eye in the room, the display's key features include:

• 21.5-inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD
• 1920 x 1080 Full HD Resolution
• Ultra-Fast 2ms Response Time
• Low Input-Lag for Intense Gaming
• 16.7 Million Colors for Vibrant Images
• 80,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Tilt, Swivel and Height Adjustable Stand
• 2 x HDMI ports allow for you to plug in to your PC or your TV for either PC or console gaming sessions
• 4 x Universal Serial Bus ports for hassle free connection to flash drives, mouse, keyboard and other peripherals

Serious gamers know that every single component of their set-up is part of creating the best gaming experience possible. The same is true when it comes to their peripherals. Alienware TactX headphones are optimized to single out key in-game sounds, enabling you to detect gunfire, footsteps, reloads and more with precision clarity. The headset also features:

• Convenient Retractable Microphone for Headphone-Only Use
• Custom Audio Environment for Optimized In-Game Sounds
• Closed Circumaural Ear Cups for Long Term Comfort
• Gold-Plated Connectors for Increased Fidelity
• 3-Piece Design for Quick Break-Down and Easy Transport

"The ultimate gaming experience requires more than just a great PC," explained Frank Azor, Dell Gaming. "Alienware is building an ecosystem around our machines to give gamers the complete gaming experience. We're proud to offer peripherals like these that can make all the difference."

The Premium Panel Guarantee
Alienware monitors are designed and built to our highest standards, providing the quality and reliability you expect when you see the Alienware logo. Each has been exhaustively tested and comes backed by a Dell Limited Warranty1. Unyielding commitment to quality and the satisfaction of our customers has driven Dell to offer a Premium Panel Guarantee ensuring replacement of Alienware OptX series monitors with zero bright pixels. Even if only one bright pixel is found, a free panel exchange is guaranteed during the limited warranty period, so customers can rest assured their investment is protected.

[Alienware, Alienware]

They say this means you will get the clear sound without any background noise, not that anyone else is trying to do something similar... Jawbone anyone?

In "stealth" mode the HX1 uses an ear sensor to to convert your vocal vibrations into speech rather than using the external microphone. Moto claim that because their sensor is on the ear rather than the side of the skull you get a better quality sound.

No details of a US release yet but the HX1 will be available in Asia in July. [Motorola]

The flagellum squiggle is a clip that fastens the earpiece to your shirt collar when not in use.

We'd say that's incredibly handy, if not for all the lame "is that hair gel?" jokes you'll get from your friends. [Design Blog]

In any case, the Fatal1ty Headset has gold plated plugs, oxygen-free copper wire, sound isolating cups and a boom microphone that detatches. And when you use the headset with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card, you get active noise cancellation and voice morphing capabilities. The Fatil1ty Gaming Headset MKII will retail later this month for $100, and will be available for pre-order starting today on Amazon, Newegg and direct from Creative.

Creative Unleashes Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II at E3

Ups the Game with Silencer Technology for Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Cards

Los Angeles, CA June 2, 2009 – Creative today unleashed its new Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). World champion gamer Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel will compete with and demo his new Creative headset in the Fatal1ty booth #2922 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 2-4.

The Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II looks tough and sounds sweet. Jet black ear cups with mesh grill accents framed in red and the adjustable flexible boom microphone set it apart as pro-style gaming gear. Because it's backed by Creative audio technology, the Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II sounds as killer as it looks. Full spectrum (20Hz ~ 20 kHz) 40mm neodymium drivers along with Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) cable and gold-plated stereo mini plugs deliver crystal-clear sound in any game, from MMO to FPS.

The Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II is designed for comfort as much as performance. Plush ear cups are shaped for sound isolation so you can keep your head in the game, and the headband is lightweight, padded and adjustable for a custom, precise fit. The headset also makes a great set of headphones when you simply detach the boom microphone.

When paired with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card, the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II unlocks Creative's exclusive Silencer™ technology. Silencer blocks out the background noise around you, whether it's blaring music or a barking dog, so the people you're gaming with online can hear you clearly without annoying distractions.

"We're excited to return to E3 with Fatal1ty to break out the best gaming headset we've ever designed. The audio quality is awesome, and the Fatal1ty Professional Series MkII is amazingly comfortable and lightweight," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM of audio and video at Creative. "With this headset we're giving Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium users the first shot at Silencer, and we're confident that it will become an essential part of their audio arsenal."

Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium users can also transform into their game character by disguising their voices with VoiceFX™, which offers 18 selectable voice-morph personas that range from Aliens to Orc.

Pricing and Availability

Priced at US$99.99, the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II is slated for availability this month and is available now for pre-order at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BH3JDA. It will also be available at www.newegg.com and www.creative.com. For more information visit www.creative.com.

The light, 40g headset snaps in/out of what is essentially a combination flash drive/USB charger. Rather than just offering a charging cable or dock, this design allows you to carry all that stuff in one sleek pack that doesn't even use cords. (A bulky stick of gum comes to mind.) Then again, since the device is from luxury brand Tag Heuer, you'd better really, really hate cords...and really, really love gum...to ever justify buying it. [Le Journal du Geek via Newlaunches]

There's not much difference in thickness from the earphones to the headband and there's only one noticeable button (the volume uses a capacitive touch strip. They don't foldup in the most graceful manner, but they don't feel like they'll break either. As for sound quality, Jabra wasn't demoing the tech, but being as small as they are, I wouldn't expect Sennheiser quality here.