Plantronics Voyager Pro UC Headset Knows When You’re Using It

If you’re a headset devotee, you’ll know that they don’t always stay put on your ear. The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC packs capacitive sensors so it knows when you’re wearing it – and when to direct calls to itself.

Think of the Voyager Pro UC, which will get its full announcement at CES in January, as a smart Bluetooth headset. Thanks to capacitive sensors, it knows when you’re wearing it – if it happens to be buried in your bag across the room, calls will just go to your handset as usual. If you pop it on your ear mid-call, it’ll reroute the audio there immediately. An included USB dongle lets you use it with a PC, and the sensors will automatically switch, say, your Skype status to “In a Call” when you’re actually in a call.

And for those looking to get even more intimate with their earpiece, the Voyager Pro’s “Whisper Alerts” will quietly intone the subject lines of emails from a set group of Outlook VIPs in your ear without anyone being the wiser. Clever! Pricing and availability will be announced early next year. [Plantronics]