The Giz Wiz, Week of April 9, 2013, Netcast 1411

It sounds like a joke, but it's for real!

I really thought this gadget was a Think Geek April Fool’s joke. It’s the Glove Handset. So I called Think Geek to check. They said, “Are you kidding? It’s for real and it works great. We’ll send you one to try.” I’ll report my experience with the gloves, but first here’s some (shortened) info from their website:

Call me!  There are a few fairly universal pantomimes that everybody in the civilized world understands, regardless of culture. Shake your head for 'no,' scribbling in mid-air for 'check-please,' thumb-and-pinky held up to the ear for 'call-me.' Now that universally recognized gesture has been turned into an actual working way to talk on the phone. Behold the telephone of the future, built right into your gloves! Warm knit gloves woven with conductive fibers let you operate those touch-screen phones like Androids, iPhones, Windowsphone, and Blackberries - but with extra-added Bluetooth capabilities! In the left glove's thumb is a tiny speaker, and in the pinky is a wee microphone. By extending them both in the usual hand-gesture, you can chat with your friends for up to 20 hours on a charge! Gone are the days where talking into mid-air will brand you a crazy-person! Now you can show the world that you can actually talk to the hand, and with excellent sound-quality! Features and Specifications. Bluetooth handset built into the left glove / Conductive-fiber allows smartphone operation / Operating range: 12 meters / Battery life: standby 10 days - conversation 20 hours / Sizes:Men's and Women's sizes / Colors: Black and Grey /    Composition: 95% polyacrylonitrile, 3% cotton, 2% polyester / Charges over micro-usb / Tested and works with iOS, Android, Windowsphone, Blackberry. Dry-clean only, read all instructions before use. 

And now back to me. Unbelievably, the Glove Handset really does work. Set up is easy. Charge the glove, (only the left glove has electronics in it, but you get the matching right glove) and pair it with your Bluetooth enabled phone. I paired it easily with the Samsung Galaxy 3. Then when the phone rings, just push the multi-purpose button once, and you’re connected. Pushing the button twice disconnects you. Voice quality is good, but not as good as when you’re talking directly on the phone. But if you like offbeat gadgets, this is one of the most unique. $70. And yes, you will look strange using it on the street. Right now – and I don’t know for how long – it’s half price at Think Geek. (As of 4/5/13) Normally $70, right now $34.99, plus S&H.  

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2c9/?pfm=Search&t=glove%20handset

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