News

CSRmesh™ Soon to Be Found in Retail Stores for GE Branded Smart Lighting and Home

2015-05-05

CSR and Avi-on Labs Add Simple, Seamless Whole-Home Control to GE Branded Lighting

CSRmesh™ IoT Protocol Soon to be Found in Retail Stores for Smart Lighting and Home Automation

Light Fair International 2015 kicked off today. As part of the proceedings, CSR announced that it has worked with Avi-on Labs to provide Bluetooth® Smart mesh connectivity in a new GE branded line of smart lighting from Jasco Products. These lighting and home control products, which are expected to appear in major retail stores this year, use CSR’s Bluetooth® Smart solution – CSRmesh™. The CSRmesh™ protocol allows an almost unlimited number of Bluetooth Smart enabled devices to be easily networked together and controlled directly from a “smart” switch or dimmer, smartphone or tablet.

This might indicate a bit of a change in direction for both GE and Jasco Products, both who have previously relied mostly on the Z-Wave wireless protocol. Certainly, CSRmesh™ offers a much simpler setup that will control a greater number of devices across multiple, “nested” networks. And because more devices already have Bluetooth built into them, a Bluetooth mesh network won’t necessarily require a centralized hub to control it all.

Gateway = Single Point of Failure

Delayed, disjointed dimming
Dumb devices fail when gateway/router fails
Gateway or panel required to operate a single light bulb or device

Avi-on Distributed Architecture

Eliminates single point of failure
Mesh smart devices operate with/without phone
Virtually unlimited programming distances
Optional Wi-Fi bridge enables remote access
Secures & expands CSRmesh™
Real-time dimming performance equal to wires

Jasco Products chose Avi-on Labs’ Powered by Avi-on turnkey lighting and home control platform, which uses CSRmesh combined with CSR’s Bluetooth Smart silicon. Avi-on’s complete residential and commercial lighting solution includes plug and play firmware, iOS and Android mobile applications, a secure cloud service, and a pre-certified module based on the CSR1010™ chipset, which together allows manufacturers to get to market quickly. The platform enables a number of features including real-time dimming, one-touch setup, grouping, schedules, timers and multi-user controls all from an easy to use mobile app.

“CSRmesh has the potential to disrupt the smart lighting market by eliminating the complex setup, pairing, and use of an access device, such as a router, needed with other connectivity solutions available today,” said Cameron Trice, CEO of Jasco Products. “By combining CSRmesh with Avi-on Labs’ software and support we are able to offer a lighting product line that offers an unrivalled user experience and secure connectivity to customers through our major retail partners. Working with CSR and Avi-on allowed us to get to market fast to meet growing consumer demand for these types of smart devices.”

The GE branded Jasco Products range will include “smart” switches, dimmers, an outdoor timer and a smart plug which will give consumers on/off control of virtually any standard home device or appliance.

“CSRmesh is transforming the smart lighting and home automation markets by offering the blend of security, performance and ease of use that is needed to drive broad consumer adoption,” says Anthony Murray, Senior Vice President, Business Group at CSR. “We are seeing interest from a wide variety of lighting and home control device manufacturers and it is exciting to see some of the first CSRmesh home automation enabled products making their way to the shelves. Avi-on’s platform supports multiple lighting products as well as home and commercial automation devices. We are pleased to be working with them to further expand the CSRmesh ecosystem.”

“The ability to replace wires with software will transform the lighting and construction industries worldwide,” said Eric Miller, CEO of Avi-on. “Avi-on has delivered a cost-effective, simple, scalable and proven controls platform based on CSRmesh, and we are excited to move forward in partnership with CSR to provide Jasco Products and other manufacturers with a complete package for wireless lighting.”

Both CSR and Avi-on Labs will be exhibiting at LightFair International in New York City from May 5 – 7. Visitors can see CSRmesh at CSR’s booth #4079 and Avi-on will feature Powered by Avi-on in booth #3126. At the same time, Jasco Products will present its line of GE branded lighting controls powered by Avi-on and CSRmesh at the National Hardware Show in booth #4515 in Las Vegas.

A $7 Trillion Opportunity: Introducing the Next Generation of IoT Disrupters in Boston

2015-04-27

IDC (International Data Corporation) have predicted the Internet of Things (IoT) market will reach $7 trillion in just five years. However, despite this, a recent study found that 73% of companies have yet to make any “concrete investments” in the IoT. Are you ready for a smart, connected world? How will it impact your workplace, job and even your home?

The RE.WORK Internet of Things Summit is a unique opportunity to meet influential technologists, data scientists, engineers, leading industry players and entrepreneurs all in the same room. Discover the latest IoT advancements from a global line-up of experts and maybe even become an IOT disrupter yourself!

The summit will take place in Boston on 28-29 May, with over 40 IoT experts discussing the Industrial Internet, the Connected Home, Wearables, Embedded Devices, Smart Cities, Next Generation Wireless Infrastructure, Personalized Medicine, and the Connected Car. Speakers will include exciting new startups, leading technologists and engineers, and world-class researchers from notable companies and institutions including: Google, MIT, INRIX, BigBelly, City of Boston, AliveCor, Misfit Wearables, Zubie and SafeLogic.

Boston is at the heart of a thriving technology ecosystem, centered around world-leading academic institutions of MIT, Harvard and many more schools, as well as some of the leading Fortune 500 companies in the world including Staples, EMC2 and Boston Scientific. Not to mention unprecedented venture capital investments helping to create the perfect entrepreneurial hub in the city.

This May, top Boston based companies will share their insights into IoT technological trends, applications and insights at the global summit. Sessions from Boston innovators not to be missed include:

Smart Waste Management at the Heart of a Smarter Boston

BigBelly was founded in with the goal of transforming one of the least efficient and resource- intensive industries on the planet — waste collection. Their aim was to stop cities collecting refuse and waste too often and thereby wasting fuel and labor, and creating unnecessary CO2 emissions; or too little and creating problems with overflowing trash cans which causes health and safety issues. The BigBelly solution is smart bins that go far beyond their solar powered motors, equipped with a wireless monitoring system that tracks its trash intake and status, communicating the information over a cloud.

These smart bins are spreading through Boston’s streets and university campuses, revolutionizing the city’s waste management and adding to a growing network of smart devices. Brian Phillips, Executive VP of Strategic Planning at BigBelly, is spearheading the company’s strategic partnerships and next generation product development and capabilities, and will present at the IOT Summit.

City of Boston – Connecting the Citizens of Boston

Boston’s New Urban Mechanics serves as the Mayor’s civic innovation group, piloting experiments that offer the potential to significantly improve the quality of City services. New technology – from smart phones to GPS – and a resurgent spirit of civic engagement have created increased opportunities for closer connection and communication between City government and its citizens.

Nigel Jacob, co-founder of New Urban Mechanics, and the team are exploring ways to deepen this connection by creating new programs for community empowerment. Of the dozens of
projects piloted in Boston, many incorporate IoT technologies to increase community engagement and involvement. Interesting projects include Soofa, a solar-powered seat with the capability to charge two smart phones and collect air quality or other environmental data, and Citizens Connect, a mobile application that empowers residents to be the City’s eyes and ears, engaging them in the process of maintaining their own city neighborhoods.

OnKöl – Elderly Technology Adoption for Connected Caregiving

“Aging in place” elderly people are the fastest growing demographic in the US, and have so far been relatively ignored by the IoT revolution. OnKöl however saw the opportunity to create a better life for the elderly who choose to not live in a care home, and have created an IoT device that simultaneously notifies selected family members and other caregivers of everything from vital signs to incoming and outgoing calls to emergency or panic situations. That way, the caregivers and interested parties can get out in front of specific events or anomalies, before they become full-blown emergencies.

At the Internet of Things Summit, Erich Jacobs, CEO of OnKöl, will discuss the reasons why the elderly are downplayed in the current revolution, the benefits of the getting the elderly to adopt IoT, and how historical hurdles to elderly technology adoption can be overcome through both innovation and design.

Involution Studios – Revolutionizing Human Healthcare with Non-Invasive Sensors

Juhan Sonin is the Creative Director at Boston-based design firm Involution Studios, who focus on harnessing digital, materials and networking technologies to create new user experiences. Design has a huge role to play in translating emerging technologies for everyday users and user experience is integral to IoT being integrated seamlessly. Involution Studios are at the forefront of revolutionising design in human health by tracking real-time health data using non-invasive tools, whilst ensuring a user-friendly and enjoyable experience. Their vision to create a world of automatic health sensing where data about our wellbeing is collected and measured invisibly illustrates the changing role of design in emerging technologies and the convergence of engineering and design disciplines in the IoT.

Make Your Plan

The time to act is now. As said by John Ansbach, General Counsel, General Datatech,
“Collaboration (or lack thereof) will define the success of IoT in the next few years, and the players who find their way here with the vision to see what others do not will be the definitive winners in the new IoT-defined landscape.”

Within the next few years, connectivity in devices, products and infrastructure we use will become a mainstream service, so it’s now that we need to understand where the opportunities lie for consumers and industry players, as well as identifying where the competitive threats from a more connected world will leave you behind.

The Internet of Things Summit is taking place in Boston on 28-29 May. For more information and to register, please visit the event website: re-work.co/events/iot-boston

Don’t forget: Use the QTOOTH20 code at checkout for an additional 20% off!

IoT Industry Leaders to Keynote at Bluetooth World 2015

2015-03-26

Fitbit, Google, Under Armour and Lowe’s Anchor Two Days of Can’t Miss Panels, Sessions and Developer Training

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is set to welcome Fitbit, Google , Under Armour and Lowe’s Home Improvement as keynote speakers at the second annual Bluetooth World event in Santa Clara, April 14-15, 2015. Bluetooth World, the global flagship conference hosted by the Bluetooth SIG, focuses on how Bluetooth® technology and Bluetooth Smart technology are enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). The event will bring together over 700 attendees, 90 speakers and 40 exhibitors for an in-depth exploration of how Bluetooth technology is transforming the connected world.

Bluetooth World is a unique opportunity for industry leaders, developers, engineers, analysts and media to gather and explore the growing IoT landscape enabled by Bluetooth technology. The release of Bluetooth Smart has enabled a new wave of innovation and is considered by many to be the premier wireless technology for the IoT due to its reliability, ubiquity and flexibility. This event enables participants to share and learn best practices, explore various growth opportunities, evaluate business models and network with colleagues across the wireless and IoT ecosystem.

“Bluetooth has become much more than what many people realize. It’s the wireless technology that is going to make the IoT a reality,” said Errett Kroeter, Senior Director of Brand and Developer Marketing at Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth World is an opportunity to learn about the key role Bluetooth plays in IoT implementations and how companies large and small can benefit. We are excited to hear how companies like Fitbit, Google, Under Armour and Lowe’s are using Bluetooth Smart in innovative ways. These companies are at the forefront of a new age of connectivity and will provide unique insight and knowledge to conference attendees.”

Bluetooth World features a two-day, two-track (Developers’ Summit and Technical Strategy) conference format that consists of keynotes and panel discussions exploring the biggest trends around Bluetooth technology and the IoT market. Content tracks will encompass multiple industries including smart home, wearables, automotive, sports and fitness, medical, beacons, start-ups and wireless audio. The event will offer developers and OEMs opportunities to gain the business and technical knowledge to bring their innovations to life and will introduce new developer tools that will make developing with Bluetooth even easier than before.

Attendees have the opportunity to participate in panel discussions, including case studies of successful technology and market implementations, as well as Analyst Breakfast Briefings and the Bluetooth World Hackathon. The Analyst Breakfast Briefings, led by analysts from Gartner, IHS Technology and ABI Research, will forecast the IoT market potential. The Bluetooth World Hackathon will challenge developers, designers and entrepreneurs to build connected devices that shape the next generation of the connected world.

Additional speakers from LG Electronics, Samsung, Indiegogo, Siemens and Nokia Growth Partners, as well as media, analysts and developers will further the conversation on Bluetooth Smart and the future of wireless connectivity.

Featured Sessions

The Long Tail of Smart Devices

Scott Jenson, Google

The Smart Home in Retail

Jason Rogers, Lowe’s Home Improvement

Connected Fitness Applications and Partnerships

Chris Glode, Under Armour Connected Fitness

Innovative IoT Solutions for ‘Emotional Home’ and Bluetooth

Kanwar Chadha, Binatone Global/SiRF Technologies

Featured Panels

Innovations Around the Newest Bluetooth Releases

(Moderator: Bill Morelli, IHS; Panelists: Minsoo Lee, LG Electronics; Sonny Vu, Misfit Wearables; Arun Mahasenan, Honeywell Global Labs; Clint McClellan, Indie Health/Continua Health Alliance; Svein-Egil Nielsen, Nordic Semiconductor ASA; David Bean, Frontline Test Equipment, Inc.)

Managing the Successful Start-Up: Funding and Development

(Moderator: Stephen Statler, Statler Consulting LLC; Panelists: Ben Bateman, Indiegogo; Paul Asel, Nokia Growth Partners; Nathan Smith, Wink)

Featured Workshops

Competing Standards for the Internet of Things – What Bluetooth Smart Needs to Win

Jeff Hagins, SmartThings – part of Samsung

Thinking Like a Customer and Testing Like an Engineer

Roland Labana, Motorola Mobility

Making the Bluetooth Developer Studio Your Own

Mark Kirby, Matchbox Mobile

Real World Beacon Architecture and Deployment

Aaron Emigh, shopkick

Developing Cloud Connected Sensors using IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart

Pål Kastnes, Nordic Semiconductor

You can find the full conference program at http://bluetoothworldevent.com/event-program/. Registration is open at http://bluetoothworldevent.com/register/ with special rates for SIG Promoters and Associate Members, startup companies, developers and students.

And if you don’t qualify for either of those discounts, use the following code during checkout. It allows QTOOTH readers to register for 15% off the standard Bluetooth World 2015 pass: I8PBJ/QTSTANDARDCONF

The Bluetooth SIG, along with event partner Informa, will also host Bluetooth Asia in Shanghai, China, August 18 – 19, 2015 and Bluetooth Europe in London, UK, September 15 – 16, 2015.

About Bluetooth^® Wireless Technology

Bluetooth wireless technology is the global wireless standard enabling simple, secure connectivity for an expanding range of devices and serves as the backbone of the connected world. Bluetooth Smart technology, through an updatable platform and low power consumption, creates new application opportunities for the mobile phone, consumer electronics, PC, automotive, health & fitness and smart home industries. With nearly three billion devices shipping annually, Bluetooth is the wireless technology of choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide. Backed by industry leading companies, the Bluetooth SIG empowers over 25,000 member companies to collaborate, innovate and guide Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information, please visit www.bluetooth.com.

For more information about the event make sure to follow the hashtag #BluetoothWorld.

For more information about Bluetooth follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

See the Latest Innovations at Bluetooth World 2015, April 14-15 in Silicon Valley

2015-02-24

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in partnership with Informa Telecoms & Media is excited to announce Bluetooth World 2015. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, this unique conference will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center on April 14-15, 2015. As the only global conference that focuses on Bluetooth® technology and its increasing role in the Internet of Things (IoT), experience first-hand how Bluetooth is the most commonly used wireless connectivity technology in a world that is rapidly adopting new ways to connect devices to a potential $1.3 trillion ecosystem of “things” and the internet.

Bluetooth World 2015 Event Program

QTOOTH attended this last year and the quality of the talks and the sheer volume of useful information was incredible. If you are in the industry or aspire to be in the industry, this should be considered a must-attend event. Two event-packed days filled with keynote presentations, panel discussion, Q&A sessions, a well-run networking area, a hackathon, and more… In fact so much is scheduled that parts of each day are split into two tracks: Track A for Technical Strategies and Track B which is a Developers’ Summit. It can be very hard to decide where you want to be at any given time. Luckily, they do permit you to bounce back and forth.

Thought Leadership Series

One of the extras of this years conference is the Thought Leadership Series. This consists of interviews of some of the leading luminaries of the Bluetooth world. It is accessible by anyone and is part of the lead up to the event itself. So far it has been:

Maxine Bingham (IoT Perspectives) discusses the future of Bluetooth, Mesh technology and iBeacons

Andrew Xue (ActvContent) discusses the needs and applications of iBeacons

Anthony Gonzales (Force Impact Technologies) on the development of Sports IoT

Mark Kirby (Matchbox Mobile) on the role of Bluetooth Smart within the IoT ecosystem

Simon Slupik (SeedLabs) discusses where the future of Bluetooth/IoT is headed and Mesh technology within the smarthome (Video)

Check out the complete series here: http://bluetoothworldevent.com/thought-leadership-series/

Want to go to Bluetooth World 2015… but on a budget?

QTOOTH might be able to help you with that! Use the following code during checkout. It allows QTOOTH readers to register for 15% off the standard Bluetooth World 2015 pass: I8PBJ/QTSTANDARDCONF

You can find the registration page here: www.bluetoothworldevent.com/register

Bluetooth Developer? Why Reinvent the Wireless Radio… Use the CORDIO BT4 Radio IP

2015-02-20

Many developers feel they need to go it alone when inventing a new wireless device, designing every aspect of the device from the ground up. What many forget is that it is often the best approach to buy or license certain parts of the design from other developers who may specialize in just one facet of their overall product. Case in point? Well if you are a Bluetooth developer, and need to have a best-in-class wireless radio, the Sunrise Micro Devices CORDIO BT4 may be just the shortcut to getting to market you are looking for.

What is CORDIO BT4?

So, what is the CORDIO BT4 exactly? It is a patented IP (Intellectual Property) Bluetooth Smart wireless radio design that can be licensed from Sunrise Micro Devices. And why would you want to choose their design over your own or another competitors? Sunrise Micro Devices is in the standards-based radio core IP business and has been for quite a while. They are experts in sub-volt radios which greatly extend battery life and are friendly to energy harvesters.

Two important things to know before we get into more details about the CORDIO BT4.

Sunrise Micro Devices will be giving two demonstrations of it in use at the Embedded World Event February 24-26 in Nuremberg, Germany.
They are excited to announce support for Bluetooth 4.2 enhancements.

What are it’s benefits?

The CORDIO BT4 wireless radio is a sub-volt radio that is not only extremely power efficient but also has an incredible small form factor. In comparison tests against other best-in-class radios, the CORDIO BT4 has been shown to extend battery life by 26% in its 3V mode (while transmitting) and as much as 103% in 1V mode (while in sleep mode).

As you can see in the images above, the form factor is so small that it can easily be integrated into a system that is smaller than the battery that runs it. And, because of its extraordinarily low power consumption, it can even be run with no batteries at all using two .5V solar cells.

Examples of the CORDIO BT4 in Use

As mentioned previously, Sunrise Micro Devices (SMD) will be doing demos of their product at in Nuremberg Germany next week as part of the Embedded World convention. Here is a sneak peek at what they have in store:

First, SMD will be part of the ARM ‘Sensors to Servers’ demo, where the booth will be outfitted with sensors that provide temperature and position information. The data that is collected will be processed on an mbedTM device server and aggregated to create compelling visualizations. Meanwhile, the SMD customer evaluation boards will serve as sensor nodes. These customer evaluation boards willwill send periodic temperature and position data and consist of a CORDIO BT4 Bluetooth Smart 4.1 radio, an ARM Cortex-M0+ processor based MCU, and an ARM mbed–enabled platform with Wicentric Bluetooth Stack and Profiles.

The Second demo will be part of the ARM ‘mbed ecosystem’ demo. In this scenario the ARM booth will be outfitted with Bluetooth Smart nodes functioning as UriBeacons. The transmitting UriBeacons will be received by mobile devices with the standard Physical Web app on Android. SMD micro-beacon and evaluation boards will be programmed as UriBeacons. The evaluation boards in this case will consist of CORDIO BT4 Bluetooth Smart 4.1 radio beacons running from 1V batteries, an ARM Cortex-M0+ processor based MCU, and an ARM mbed–enabled platform with Wicentric Bluetooth Stack and Profiles. They will be configured to send out the www.mbed.com web address.

Make vs. Buy When It Comes to the CORDIO BT4 Bluetooth Wireless Radio

Why might a company or developer decide that it is wiser to buy a design solution rather than coming up with their own? Well, in the case of the CORDIO BT4, it helps reduce the risk and cost of development while improving time to market. Buying the radio is an enabler that allows the developer to spend their most precious resources, time and money, in areas where they may have better expertise. There is also the fact that as part of the licensing they are guaranteed of keeping the radio current ot the most recent standards. It’s important to support the latest standards in order to stay competitive. Take the burden off of your team and let someone like Sunrise Micro Devices shoulder that load. Radios are very hard to build and development requires a highly specialized skillset. Relying on an experienced outside team allows the developers to innovate in other areas that might better differentiate their product from the competition.

Sunrise Micro Devices and the Future of Bluetooth

Sunrise Micro Devices is working hard to make sure their radio designs stay on the leading edge of all developments in the industry. So much so, that their CTO, Dr. Ed Callaway, is on the Bluetooth SIG team that developed the 4.2 specification that was just ratified in December of 2014. You can read more about it by clicking here, but the main enhancements to the Bluetooth Smart protocol are the increased levels of privacy and security and the extended packet length. “Extended what” you say?! Extended packets mean that the Bluetooth signal will be able to carry more data. This will make low-power internet connectivity available over IPv6/6LoWPAN, helping facilitate easier communication between Bluetooth and WiFi.

CORDIO BT4 Features & Specifications

2.4GHz standard-compliant Bluetooth Smart radio IP
BT4 power consumption (@ 1V):
- Active Rx: 6 mW
- Active Tx (0 dBm): 6.5 mW
- Sleep mode: 700 nW
Radio specifications:
- TX power:0 dBm @1V and 5 dBm @3V
- RX sensitivity: -94 dBm
Integrated Link Layer sub-system and HCI Interface for easy SW implementation
Link Layer firmware in the ROM  48KB ROM and 12KB RAM
Bluetooth qualified controller sub-system

Need It? Want It? Have to Have It?

There comes a time in every inventor or developer’s journey where they realize they are losing precious time and spending a lot of money on things that are not completely within their field of expertise. A decision will have to be made, do they soldier on and take the time to train themselves in this new discipline? Or do they do a cost/benefit analysis to see if it will be to their advantage to outsource it to someone who is already the best at what they do. The CORDIO BT4 from Sunrise Micro Devices is one of those solutions. If you want to know more, check them out next week at Embedded World or reach out to them via their website at sunrisemicro.com.

Plantronics Expands Line with Voyager Edge UC

2015-02-11

Some Background

Plantronics recently introduced four new UC (unified communications) audio devices designed to deliver exceptional audio quality and noise management technology to help people effectively communicate and collaborate, regardless of workplace or location. Of course the one QTOOTH is most interested in is the wireless Bluetooth headset Voyager Edge UC. The other three offerings are the [easyazon_link asin=”B00SLP52YK” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”uneomediacom-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”] Blackwire 725-M[/easyazon_link], the company’s first UC stereo headset with Active Noise Canceling (ANC) for those people who want to stay focused in noisy office environments; the [easyazon_link cloaking=”default” keywords=”Plantronics Calisto 610″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” tag=”uneomediacom-20″]Calisto 610[/easyazon_link], a portable speakerphone for instant anywhere conferencing, and the [easyazon_link cloaking=”default” keywords=”Plantronics Clarity 340″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” tag=”uneomediacom-20″]Clarity 340[/easyazon_link], designed for those who face vision, hearing, or dexterity challenges. Now, workers in the office and on the road have tools they can use to control outside noise that allow them to hear as well as be heard clearly.

“There’s been increasing emphasis on the importance of a reliable, high-quality, seamless user experience when communicating and collaborating today, and rightly so,” said Rich Costello, senior research analyst, unified communications, IDC. “The new Plantronics offerings not only address these important requirements, but also the surrounding noise factor on both sides of the call.”

“Everywhere is the new workplace. We know office noise is increasingly becoming a concern due to more open working environments that promote collaboration, but workplace noise isn’t just a problem for those in the office,” said Bill Loewenthal, vice president, enterprise product solutions, Plantronics. “You can’t always control your environment and you certainly can’t control your caller’s environment, so we help ensure workers have solutions they need to block out the noise, allowing them to have a high-quality communication experience wherever their workplace is.”

The shift to Smarter Working-style environments, though undoubtedly beneficial, creates new noise challenges for individuals and their colleagues which can often undermine productivity gains. The following are Plantronics’ new solutions that address the inherent ambient noise challenges and potential audio quality concerns associated with today’s Smarter Working scenarios and environments:

Voyager Edge UC

New wearing style for mobile UC users who need to be heard and want to use their Bluetooth® enabled communications devices (laptop, smartphone or tablet) together. The solution includes a small Bluetooth USB dongle that provides seamless wideband audio to your laptop. The latest addition to the Voyager line features a slim, sophisticated design that fits quickly and comfortably in your ear and comes with its own portable charging case. It boasts signature Plantronics audio technology that eliminates disruptive background noise and includes intuitive, responsive features that keep you moving by automatically answering calls as you place it on your ear.

Connectivity

The point of UC, or Unified Communication, is that one device can seamlessly work among several different communication sources, automatically switching from one to the next. This comes in handy especially in work situations, where you might be taking calls on your cell phone, your office phone system, and your computer using platforms like Skype or Microsoft Lync. In fact, there are actually two models available: the Voyager Edge UC and the Voyager Edge UC-M. If you haven’t guessed already, the “M” in the second model means it is compatible with Microsoft’s “soft phone”, over-the-pc, communication platforms. It’s a real treat to be listening to music one moment, taking a call on your phone, going back to your music, then joining an online conference call… all without having to reconfigure your system or re-pairing Bluetooth to the next device. Plantronics definitely has this experience down with the Voyager Edge UC.

Smart Sensor Technology

The Voyager Edge has built in Smart Sensor technology that senses when you have put the headset on and will automatically answer calls from either computer or mobile calls. When the headset is not worn, it automatically routes incoming mobile calls to your phone. Then, if you simply put the headset back on, your calls are automatically transferred back to the headset. If you want, any time you are wearing the headset and are on a mobile or computer call, your softphone service will automatically update your availability status.

One great feature of the Smart Sensors that we really appreciate is the call button is automatically locked when the headset is not worn. This eliminates any classic accidental “pocket dialing” that may occur, and certainly has for us, with other headsets.

We also really like the fact that our media pauses playback as soon as we take a call. It doesn’t work with all media players, but it certainly does with iTunes and other major media playback programs on the market. Pretty cool, though, to jump right back into the music, podcast, or ebook that we were listening to before we were so rudely interrupted… by work, no less!

Charging Case

Throwing in a charging case is something that Plantronics has been doing for a while with all of their premium headsets. It’s a great idea and we wish more companies did it. Most headsets of this quality are in very similar price ranges. The amazing thing is that Plantronics is doing this without charging you any more than their closest rivals do. The benefit? The headset typically has a talk time of 6 hours on its own. But if you store it in the case, which is more like a quick-deploy holster than a case, it is easy to get 16 hours of talk time before needing to plug in the headset or the case. There is also a cool little storage space for the USB dongle (more about the dongle in a moment). A thoughtful detail is the addition of a on-demand visual battery status indicator for both the headset and the case. Since between the two of them there is quite abit of charge time it’s easy to forget that they do indeed need to be recharged. The display is helpful in anticipating when to recharge before it’s too late.

Audio Quality

The audio quality in our tests has been great. They rate the background noise cancellation to work in environments of up to 80 decibels. We’ve found that to be easily true, at least from the receiving caller’s end. Even when it was too loud, easily above 80 decibels, for us to hear our caller, they said that they still had good results in understanding us. Be advised, although listening to music on the Voyager Edge UC is better than acceptable, that is not the ultimate use target of this device. Everything about it is designed to provide the best speech quality available. It does just that quite well.

Bluetooth USB Mini-Adapter

Plantronics has started to call this a “mini-adapter” versus a dongle. We’re cool with that. Most people who are super-techy may not be familiar with what a dongle is anyway! Either way, this adapter provides a better connection to your computer and helps allow for the seamless transition between one device to the next. It’s small enough to keep plugged into your computer’s USB port all the time, but it also has a cool compartment to itself in the charging case (as mentioned above).

Music/Multimedia

The Voyager Edge has built in A2DP, which let’s you listen to streaming media from all of your Bluetooth devices, including songs, video, turn-by-turn navigation and more.

Voice Commands/Alert

As all wearable tech and the Internet of Things (IoT) is moving in the direction of more voice control than ever anyway, it is good to see more commands being integrated into these devices to control their own behavior and functionality. This includes using your voice to answer incoming calls, check battery level/talk time, redial, put the headset in pairing mode, and more. There are also very handy voice alerts that tell you important things, like an incoming caller’s name (mobile only), remaining talk time, connection status, battery level, maximum, minimum, and mute levels, and more.

Battery Life

As we mentioned above, the Voyager Edge UC battery allows for up to 6 hours of continuous talk time with an additional 10 hours of non-continuous when paired stored in the case between calls. The headset by itself also has an impressive 7 days of standby time.

Comfort/Design

The Voyager Edge UC is quite comfortable, especially considering its size. The Voyager does not have the smallest of form factors when it comes to its physical presence. Luckily, it comes in at a mere 9 grams. That’s very competitive to other headsets out there that are also of the “on ear” design. by on ear, we mean that it mounts by wedging itself between the folds of cartilage on either side of the ear passage.

There are pluses and minuses, of course, to its overall shape and design. The headset has a longer and larger mic boom than many “on-ear” mounted headsets, but overall it feels quite balanced and allows for faster mounting and removal of the headset, which can easily be done one-handed. Part of the reason why the audio quality is better on this design with a longer mic boom arm is because the microphone is that much closer to the mouth of the user. However, because the longer mic arm moves some of the weight further away from the ear mount, it acts as a bit of a lever and may add a bit more fatigue to the soft parts of the ear that bear the weight. Once again, this is a slight issue at most and probably only relevant for those who wear the headset for extended periods of time.

he Voyager Edge UC is also protected against moisture damage by its P2i technology. P2i is a nano-coating applied during manufacturing and results in invisible liquid repellent properties and is intended to make the headset more reliable.

Colors?!

Now here’s something we don’t usually see out of Plantronics. Most of their devices,as Henry Ford once famously said, come in “any color you want… as long as that color is black”. Plantronics actually offers the Voyager Edge UC in three colors: black, gray and white:

Conclusion

There is a lot to love about the Plantronics Voyager Edge UC. To find out more about the vast ecosystem of support and apps that can leverage all that this headset can offer you might want to check out the comprehensive article we did on the Voyager Legend UC. Otherwise, this is a great choice for anybody who is on the move and needs a no-fuss headset to get it done.

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