Logitech Adds AFH To Bluetooth Headset

Logitech is adding Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) to its popular Logitech Mobile Bluetooth headsets.

AFH, a technology now available for Bluetooth devices, which will be incorporated into Bluetooth 1.2, enables Logitech Mobile Bluetooth headsets to select open frequency bands when transmitting datawithin congested 2.4GHz areas, such as WiFi (802.11) hot spots. AFH takes advantage of available frequencies without limiting the Bluetooth transmission to a set of frequencies occupied by otherwireless standards, ensuring continuous clear connections for Bluetooth headset users. The Logitech Mobile Bluetooth headsets containing AFH technology will be available next month in the U.S. andEurope.

As one of the first headsets to include AFH technology, the Logitech Mobile Bluetooth headset eliminates the pips and pops sometimes heard when trying to conduct a conversation within a congested 2.4 GHz area – for example, at an airport or coffee shop with an 802.11 hot spot. AFH enables all devices that operate within the 2.4 GHz band to work together simultaneously, without reducing the data transmission quality.

“As Logitech continues to expand its presence in the mobile phone headset market, we are focused on providing top-of-the-line products that incorporate the latest technologies, such as AFH,” said Ray Weikel, director of product marketing for Logitech’s Audio Business Unit. “This new feature will provide a superior experience when using the Logitech Mobile Bluetooth Headset. We believe this ability to experience a clear, uninterrupted conversation in a wireless setting will be increasingly important as the adoption rate of Bluetooth increases around the world.”

Analysts agree that the market for Bluetooth mobile devices is growing. Massachusetts-based research firm IDC forecasts a 70-percent compound annual growth rate in worldwide shipments of Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones from 2004 through 2007.

The Logitech Mobile Bluetooth Headset, with a suggested retail price of $99.95 in the U.S., lets people conduct calls up to 30 feet away from their mobile phone – providing much-needed freedom from tangled cords. The headset offers up to eight hours of continuous talk time and more than three weeks of standby time. It includes a premium noise-canceling microphone, which ensures clear sounding calls even in environments with high background noise. With its flexible soft touch wrap-around design, the Mobile Bluetooth Headset fits comfortably on either ear and weighs less than one ounce. It comes with a portable charging station, which also serves as a protective case.

The Logitech Mobile Bluetooth Headset interconnects with a broad range of Bluetooth devices, such as PDAs or Logitech’s Bluetooth desktops, including the popular Logitech® diNovo