Terror-free talk time
This afternoon, I attempted to navigate six chat windows, two email applications, and three word documents while participating in several back-to-back conference calls. The phone to my ear all that time, I likely have all sorts of fun radiation flowing through me, and my adorable little pink phone found itself exhausted and wilted from multiple hours of gripping use.
Obviously, I (and my adorable newborn phone) would have been better off if I had utilized one of my favorite new accessories.
I’ve tried a lot of Bluetooth headsets in the past year - but my newest one is quite possibly the sexiest one yet.
The Aliph Jawbone Noise Shield Bluetooth Headset is an advanced, military-grade noise cancelling system that can adapt to your environment continuously as you use it. It’s user-friendly: It can be worn on either ear and includes four ear loops and five ear buds for your ideal custom fit, and you can charge it simply and easily via a USB cable.
All this mumbo-jumbo may sound great, but here’s something I couldn’t ignore: CNET said it was the best-looking headset they’d *ever* seen and it’s pretty much the highest rated headset of all time. Now that it’s sitting in front of me, I can’t help but agree. Aside from being sexy and comfortable, it has awesome audio quality and even more impressive technology behind it. The Jawbone has three different microphones built into the voice-activity sensor plus Aliph’s proprietary Noise Shield.
Ever try to cope with maintaining a phone conversation while on a busy highway or windy intersection? It’s hardly worth bothering. Try it with this though - it won’t only block out outside noises, but amplify your own voice. In fact, your caller may not even realize you are on the road at all. (Perfect for your stealthy getaways.)
What is your worst story of cell-phone chatting gone bad? Did you get caught driving on the phone, and get a monster ticket? Did you have too much noise interruption or drop a call and misunderstand an important message? It can lead to terrible mixed signals and tremendous misunderstandings…or just a little bit of a giggle. Tell your tale! 10 best responses by Friday win a Jawbone of their own in their choice of red, black, or silver!
Fun fact! Aly Walansky wrote this story just for you on March 24th, 2008 |
March 24th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
This, indeed, is a sexy little device. My cell phone chatting history is bad, bad, bad. Most recently, my chatting has become incomprehensible. Why? Well, I believe my cell may have dropped one too many times. As a result, the charger port is falling out, preventing the microphone piece to catch the first syllable of every word I speak. Imagine trying to leave voicemails for prospective employers? “__llo, __is _s _my __rl. _’m _eturning __or _all _egarding __e _osition _e _iscussed __e _ther _ay.” (Translation: “Hello, this is Amy Earl. I’m returning your call regarding the position we discussed the other day.”) Now, I am completely and totally dependent upon a headset for clarity and comprehension. True story.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:56 am
well the cell phone and I have been dear friends for many years..
Wired headsets I have destroyed by the thousands..
Nothing like having it accidently end up dangling from the car door and arriving to only find bare wires where once an ear bud lived.
Being a professional that is always on call 24/7 (and not I am not a call girl, but rather an IT guy) there are certain times where a noise canceling headset would be perfect (Bars, concerts, hanging out with rowdy friends) and the wonderful thing would be that my caller would be none the wiser where I was at
unlike the time I called out of work to attend a “training meeting” (concert) and had to explain what all the noise was in the background..
if I were to win I know I would be seen as a sexy beast of an “IT Guy” sporting the sleek sexy lines of a black Jawbone..
March 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Goodness, I still feel my cheeks flush when I think of it. I did not have my own cell phone yet and I had borrowed my mother’s as I was going to be out driving really late by myself. I called my new boyfriend in the car while driving on the highway. After a quick conversation I said goodbye. I turned up the radio and started to sing - very loud! Turns out I hit the wrong button on the cell and had not disconnected the call - HE WAS LISTENING!!!
March 25th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I called my husband to touch base with him, and all he did was pick up the phone to acknowledge my call and oops - he got caught by a cop in need a filling a ticket quota. $75 later and I felt soooooo guilty. If I could win the black Jawbone I could definately alleviate some future guilt.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Caller ID is usually a great feature on the phone. I use it all the time to help me decide if I’m going to pick up the phone or let it go to voicemail, it even helps determine the tone I use when I answer the phone.
Sometimes though, call display can be deceiving. One morning a few years back the girl I was dating left in such a way as to get my imagination going. All day my mind wandered, meandered and elaborated on the little glimpse of what awaited me that night, so you can imagine that Iwas eagerly awaiting her call that evening. It was coming near the time that she usually got home from work at the University pub when my hone rang – glimpsing that it was her calling I answered the phone instantly and moved right into a description of the state her little spat of exhibitionism had left me in, and some of my more ardent hopes for the evening. Unfotunately, as I’m sure everyone has guessed, it was indeed NOT my lovely girlfriend calling, but rather her burly boss the pub manager calling the tell me that she had gashed her hand on a broken glass and was en route to the hospital.
I did not feel like the coolest kid in school that day, but thankfully in the hullabullo of her injury the story of my less-than-sexy misidentification never managed to surface. Admitedly a new Jawbone wouldn’t do a thing to prevent that sort of mix-up, but I couldn’t feel to terribly stupid if my mistake was made with one of these wrapped around my ear.
March 25th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Thursday morning I woke up in horrible pain, felt like I’d broke my back while sleeping lol. Went to the Dr and that is exactly what I’d done, had a compression fracture in my mid spine, lol must of had one heck of a dream! After xrays and bone tests I left the office hurting and just wanting my hubby to come rescue me but he wasn’t answering his cellphone even with three back to back calls. Normally I won’t answer my cellphone unless I pull over first but as soon as I got out into traffic of course he called me back and I broke my rule. Told him that I’d broke my back and then stupidly burst in to tears lol and if that wasn’t enough I then dropped the phone. So here I am driving down the road yelling at the phone which happened to land near my feet, telling my husband to hold on. lol must of been quite a sight driving down the road yelling at my feet! My husband in the meantime is yelling back at me not understanding what happened, just having been told I broke my back, not that I’d even been to the Dr then my blubbering and then nothing but funny sounds (me yelling). By the time I got the car pulled over and the phone he was frantic. He came and rescued me, took me to the pharmacy for some heavy duty pain meds (thank heaven for those) and to get a brace for my back, which with wearing the brace for 6 weeks will be fine. Win or lose I will be getting a bluetooth lol, the roads will be much safer without me trying to multitask without having the skills to do so.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I travel a lot without my husband. He’s a great guy, but he hates travelling, as he has the attitude that everywhere is exactly the same. Well, that and he’s extremely anti-social. So, when I go, I do so with cellphone attached so that I can call him when I want on the fly because I don’t usually know where I’m going to be at any given moment.
So a year and a half ago I was at a fabulous and fun festival with friends both new and old. At some point during the 3rd or 4th day I checked my phone for messages and found out that my time was expiring. I thought this odd because I very rarely run out of time, so I checked my phone log and saw that there was a phone call to my husband for 35 minutes earlier that day — during a time that I had definitely not called him.
At first, I was puzzled, and then I became increasingly anxious as I realized that I must have somehow called him without knowing it. See, this festival tends to be rather free-spirited and after camping out for 3-4 days in a row we’re all rather casual with each other and things sometimes get a bit flirtatious. Completely hands-off, but definitely words that could be taken out of context when heard through a cell phone call that was essentially unknown. As I’m telling my friends what has happened we all start trying to figure out what was going on at that time and what could have been said and what he could have heard that could have been upsetting… and then he calls, and says “Just what are you telling people about me?”. I gulp and say “What, honey?” and he proceeds to tell me the conversation I was having with my friends, all about him, that must have been activated by voice call recognition.
Thankfully, the conversation was all good and I said many nice things about him. Suffice to say, however, that I completely deleted all the voice recognition from my phonebook within minutes of hanging up from that call.
Technology can be great, as long as it is tamed.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Back in high school (when I first had a cell phone), my dad happened to be a bit overprotective of me and checked up on me often by phone. One night, I went to a chick-flick movie with several friends, when suddenly my phone started vibrate. I quietly tried to answer my phone to talk to my dad, when (of course) one of the movie characters starts crying hysterically in an argument with her boyfriend, which overpowered my whispered voice. Thinking it was me, my dad started freaking out, asking me what could possibly going on and that he was coming to get me immedately (though he didn’t know where I was). With not-so-perfect timing, my phone decided to drop the call- worrying my dad even more. I didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t call back, and came home several hours later. When I got home that night, my dad was so worried about me that he said he was about to call 911 because he had no idea where I was and thought I was hurt or possibly dead. HA! I thought it was funny at the time, although I’m sure it was a bit nerve-wracking for him back then. From then on, I was sure to tell him anytime I was going to a movie or a noisy public place.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Oh, I’ve always though these jawbones look so sexy! I want it, and I have a true tale that just might amuse enough to deserve one:
A few weeks back I was in Houston, (business trip) and received a text message from a phone number not in my phone: “I’m in town, are you free tonight.”
I had no idea who this person was or what he/she was talking about. I texted back: “Forgive me, but who is this? My phone book got erased.”
When I received the reply, I knew that someone had the wrong number:”So, we sleep together, you say you love me, I text and you don’t know who I am? You’re a real ass Craig.”
So as near as my friends and i could figure, there had been a fling, involving Craig (who might not be an ass, if the calls were getting to him instead of to us!) and a girl or a gay man.
I texted back: “You know this is Julia, right? Or are you pulling my leg?”
I received no more texts. I just hope Craig isn’t an ass, and that those two lovebirds patched things up somehow.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:05 am
mine isn’t talking so much, but a ringtone going off at the worst time.
basically, i was in a meeting with my new boss, and my phone starts ringing.
my ringtone was ’scotty doesn’t know’ fron the ‘eurotrip’ soundtrack, which goes a little like this;
‘Scotty doesn’t know that Fiona and me,
Do it in my van every Sunday.
She tells him she’s in church but she doesn’t go,
Still she’s on her knees and Scotty doesn’t know!’
so unprofessional, i nearly died!
new job now, the headset would do nicely to make me look more fancy should another mishap occur. ^-^
-Liz
ps. i got the hip-t thingy yesterday, and it’s awesome. =) i usually wear singlets under shirts at work, but can never find one long enough. the hip-t is perfect. i got a black one with lace, so it goes with everything.
i’ll have to buy more though, coz this one is going to get too big now that i’ve started losing weight. =) (it’s a little big now, but still wearable)
March 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am
also, my partner (dale) and my dad are right next to each other in my phone book.
i’ve almost sent some pretty embarassing sms-es to my dad…but luckily i’ve stopped each one as the sending thing is in progress. =)
March 27th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
i also had an embarrasing car singing accidental voicemail incident involving a Bach minuet and a flip phone that didn’t hang up when closed, but i will go to my second choice.
my company used nextel for years before everyone switched to unlimited in network calling. the novelty of nextel phones was usually restricted to taking two phones and making them feedback with each other, or the tried and true echo imitation of lou gehrig’s farewell speech. there was also one other trick that was terribly embarrasing the day someone performed an unsolicited demonstration of it for me. three of us went into a store and i was the last to get to the register. the other two guys were already outside. as i was paying, i hear the direct connect alert beep followed by the voice of one of the other guys saying “hey rob, the girl at the counter has great *** (breasts), doesn’t she?” it came through on the speakerphone, so she completely heard every word. if i hadn’t paid with a $20, i would have left the change and walked out. revenge was exacted, but that’s a story for another contest.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
In the middle of a steamy cell phone sex session with my boyfriend (who was overseas), I received a call from my dear mother, who I was expecting a phone call from so I had to answer. After our hurried chat (I was flustered), I quickly switched over to the other line, eager to continue my sexy call with my boyfriend. To my horror, when I breathed huskily, “Missed me, baby?” my mother replied flatly, “Honey, you’re the one that missed.”I should be telling this story on the internet but I guess laughter should be shared.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
*shouldn’t, rather
March 28th, 2008 at 1:20 am
What exquisite timing! New Jersey is actively ticketing those who talk on cell phones while driving. I’ve been good about using hands-free devices, but I just happen to drive on the loudest highway in America (Rt. 287. It’s true)…and my current headset just isn’t cutting it. I love the noise canceling feature, and the choice of earloops/buds makes this the headset I’ve been looking for.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Okay, so you know those, what AT&T/Cingular commercials where the call is dropped at the most inconvenient time and the people don’t know it?
Yeah, that happens to me ALL THE TIME. I seriously believe that AT&T has the “fewest dropped calls of any network” BECAUSE ALL OF THE DROPPED CALLS ARE MINE! Enough of that, though.
So, when I was going to Rutgers, I had a lot of trouble getting up in the morning. Okay, so I still do. Anyway, one day, I asked my friend Camille to call me to make sure I was awake. I woke up really late, and pissed off because she didn’t call me. I go look through my calls, and apparently she DID call me and I HAD answered! Yes, I talk in my sleep. Anyway, so I call her back and she said that I didn’t say anything weird, that I told her I was awake and whatever. I’m such a liar in my sleep, also. Anyway, so I’m going through my phone later on that evening, and I notice that ALSO in my received calls was a number I didn’t know. I’m out in the parking lot of like an Applebee’s or something with a friend, and call the number. It’s like, a doctor’s office or clinic or something. I’m TERRIFIED because I don’t know what they were calling me for OR WHAT ON EARTH I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY SAID TO THEM IN MY SLEEP!!!! I still don’t know, I never called during their business hours, or ever again. And I still answer my phone in my sleep sometimes.
Now, the earbud wouldn’t help me with that, but it WOULD let me return the one I’m currently borrowing from a friend so I don’t get slammed with a ticket for driving and talking on the phone. Which I do. All the time. The end.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:42 am
this is a late entry and i already entered once, but this literally just happened tonight. it ended up a great mistaken text identity incident that is worth sharing. all texts will be repeated as received, since they’re all still in my phone.
about 6:30 this evening i received this message from an unfamiliar number from an area code about an hour away.
“Hey babie”
5 minutes later
“Dont leave me in the cold. You vixen you”
i respond with, “i would respond if i had any idea who this is.”
response: “Its me u didnt save my number from the other night”
i reply: “this number has never called my phone”
response: “I was lookin 4 u on facebook and found u. Then i saw u were havin somthing 2 nite. So me and like 7 of my boys are gonna come. Then u will know who i am.”
up until that point, i figured it was someone i knew playing around, but that response was not something one of my friends would come up with. now i realize it’s really a wrong number or some girl gave this dope a made up number which happened to be mine. i decide to let him off the hook.
i respond: “you’re just not getting the whole wrong number thing here. you know i’m a guy, right?”
immediately realizing the squandering the potential fun to be had at this guy’s expense, i’m immediately disgusted with myself.
he replies: “Can you say that again. I Didn’t understand that”
holy cow, he’s right back on the hook.
i reply: “I was just kidding. I had you going though didn’t I? So maybe i’ll see you later then.”
i was setting up my eventual payoff, which was going to be a text reading “you know what would be hot? if you walked in, walked right up to me and kissed me without saying a word.” my diabolical plot was derailed by the next reply.
“Nice cant wait to see u. Wats the address again?”
angry at having been thwarted, i reply: “if you’re as bad with addresses as you are with phone numbers, you’ll end up at the wrong house.”
possibly confused by this, he sends the delayed response: “Well i cant forget ur pretty face”
realizing this could go on forever, i decide to reel him in and release him. “Ok seriously, it’s time to give up. You’re talking to a guy in central jersey. Good luck finding the party.”
thinking it’s over, i go about my business. 10 minutes later, my phone rings, and it’s him. he still can’t fathom having been played by both the girl and the real owner of the number she gave him. i decided to answer and deliver the final blow live. he asked who it was, and i told him it was the guy who told him he had the wrong number an hour ago. still reluctant to believe, he asked for the girl. i told him yet again that it was the wrong number and hung up. somewhere in south jersey, there’s a sad and lonely guy sitting with his seven
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 am
Regarding bluetooth headsets, I have 3 on my headboard I wouldn’t even touch with a 10 foot pole! One picks up way too much noise… another I sound so muffled can’t even make out what I was saying. The third was bought online by my wife, and it won’t even hold a charge. I’ve gotten frustrated with trying to find the best headset. Maybe I’ll someday own a jawbone.