Plantronics on Thursday announced its .Audio 480 “Virtual Phone Booth” headset. The USB version of the headset is Mac compatible and costs $109.95. It will be released in August.
The .Audio 480 combines in-ear canal-style earbuds and a flexible boom microphone. The earbuds provide sound isolation and the mic is noise-canceling. The net result, claims Plantronics, is a “virtual phone booth” that provides a quiet environment both for user and the listener at the other end.
Plantronics expects the headset to appeal to business users who want to have VoIP-based conversations or use their laptop’s multimedia capabilities in potentially noisy surroundings. The device folds up and stows away when not in use, and features in-line volume and mute control.