Database Info

Telephone Call Recording Survey

Guys,
I'm sure we're all reading numerous posts by members who have managed to record two way conversations on varieties of hardware using various apps and by rubbing garlic on their dog's testicles during a full moon.
If you have successfully recorded a two way conversation (ie your voice, and the other person's voice), please indicate on the poll, or more importantly, indicate which phone you were using, with which software.
I would say that being able to record because you have a particularly loud speaker is NOT a positive result. But if you think it works very well, it would help to know what tricks you pulled to achieve this.
So having both participants on speakerphone, or just talking particularly loudly and the microphone is picking up overflow sound is NOT a positive result. But if you think it counts and is very clear, please indicate.
I hope this is for everyone's benefit :wink:
EDIT: please read this article from PocketPCMag for info on the various software available.
V

So haveing the other side over a BT handsfree (Supertooth) and thus recording both me and my partner in conversation does count

jpiek: Aaah, you got through the small print. You win the prize! Drinks on you
No: But I'd be interested to know if anyone's successfully recorded both sides on a non speakerphone headset. If you're using any bluetooth option, please specify any special stack and hardware.
V

Sorry, can't help you here...
Some brainspatters overhere:
Why is audio allways such a problem ? If an option works for the PPC part, it doesn't for the Phone and vice versa (Tomtom over BT IE)...
I'm getting the impression we really bought a Phone + PPC in one.... In One case that is, NOT in one design , let alone integrated...

Exactly. The implementation of the phone part is not particularly well integrated into the PDA OS AFAIK. But this is both a hardware and software limitation I think. But since some people seem to suggest that it certainly does work, I'd like a definitive idea of who it does work for, and if so, how... Frankly it's not something that I'm interested in, but I'd just like an answer!
V

You may also want to read http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=513&more=1 on this subject - it gives a nice overview of what you can expect from PPC PE devices and what applications there're to (even automatically) record phone calls.

THANKS FROM ACHILLE
I have to thank you all for this explanation. Very usefull. Thanx again.
Regards from Achille2005

Don't really know which is the problem here, at least for me. I have downloaded PMRecorder - free -, installed, recorded a conversarion and works perfectly. try:
http://1800message.com/default.aspx
Well, I'd like to add something. Maybe it works because I used speaker ON. I don't know.
I'll try again.

works for me
I have a O2 xda mini s and i am using a software called vito audio notes...it records both my voice and the other persons clearly...

PMRecorder works pretty well on a Qtek8500 (startrek).

vbi: that's interesting, I wonder if the Smartphones have a different audio path implementation. You can hear both sides clearly, not just because loudspeaker/receiver speaker can be picked up by the microphone?
V

O2 XDA smartphone (a Tornado w/o WiFi) with i-mate sp5m firmware. Conversations are perfectly recorded with PMRecorder; both my and opponent's voices are loud and clear.
I have attached a sample - russian-speaking people - me and colleague

I try PMrecorder with a Motorola Q and the program record,
I view the size of the file .rcwv but when I play the file, via PMrecorder, I ear nothing.
Some one have a solution ?
And how I can transfert the file via Activesync and change the file to .wav ?

[edit: Menneisyys's great article, posted above - http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=513&more=1
V]
PMRECORDER IS AVAILABLE HERE ::
:arrow: http://1800message.com/default.aspx

CREDITS of the ABOME MESSAGE - www.pocketpcmag.com
jeasbe said:
How can I record phone conversations on my Pocket PC Phone Edition device?
If you would like to record your telephone conversations on your Pocket PC Phone Edition .....
PMRECORDER IS AVAILABLE HERE ::
:arrow: http://1800message.com/default.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OOOPS !!
SORRY (FORGOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT ABOVE) BUT THE ABOVE MESSAGE WAS A COPY PASTE FROM THIS SITE :!:
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=513&more=1

AFTER THE CALL HAS ENDED !!
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THE MORE INFO LINK IS HERE !! :arrow: http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=513&more=1
ATTACHED CALL RECORDER

I have posted the File.
Installed on My O2 Mini S without any hassle.
But the same Problem (hardware wont support)
Records My voice but Not the voice of the Called/calling party.
In speakerphone mode though It might record But Faintly.

jeasbe: as much as I would like to be greatful for you contribution, Menneisyys, the author of the article that you liberally cut and pasted, already points to his article above (and I link to it in the first post I wrote), in a great, definitive article.
It seems that PMRecorder didn't work for you anyway. Anyone got any new, positive news on this issue?
V

I don't understand something. I could understand the point about the incoming sound stream not being routed through the pc part of the phone if it was only being output through the speaker or the headset.
However it's also capable of being output through a bluetooth connection. Doesn't this make it possible in some way to create software that can get hold of it (in the same way as the bluetooth software can) and stick it in a file alongside the outgoing sound stream?
Please excuse me if I'm being a simpleton.

BaldBoy: there are many threads on this issue, and this is one of the ideas that has been discussed. However, Mamaich has indicated that the audio path for the bluetooth path is again separate from the PDA path; thus it may be possible to catch the audio stream by simulating a bluetooth transmitter and receiver in the same device. However, I don't think any of us has tried it to date.
V

REVIEW: Bluetooth chatter / Bluejacking app Sniper

Ever wanted to use the Bluetooth capabilities of your Pocket PC for local (text) messaging and file transfer, including local broadcasting? Take a look at Sniper, which is a comparatively new, constantly updated native Bluetooth messenger utility.
Unfortunately, there are very few local Bluetooth-based applications on the Pocket PC platform. As has pointed out in my article on Microsoft (MS) Portrait, the only really usable, Bluetooth-capable, internet-less text messaging / file transfer application, Portrait isn’t able to work over the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, only over real TCP/IP networks (including BT PAN and Wi-Fi P2P), which the Microsoft Bluetooth stack doesn't support because it lacks support for the Bluetooth Personal Area Network (PAN).
The same stands for the very similar but already abandoned Gphone . Finally, the other two, similar applications, ProximityMail and Bluetooth Chat, are no longer supported and have never really worked. (Note that I elaborate on the latter two apps and, particularly, the current, similar project of the developer of the former in the Appendix at the end of this article.)
At last: native Microsoft Bluetooth stack messaging solution; on the other hand, some compatibility problems
The new application is definitely good in that it supports the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, as opposed to Microsoft Portrait. If you have a device with the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, you’ll certainly welcome the new application – at last, a local native Bluetooth messaging solution that doesn’t require Wi-Fi peer-to-peer networks or an active Internet connection.
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Unfortunately, it has some severe problems. First, while the homepage of the application advertises the app as PPC2k2+-compliant, it doesn’t seem to work with pre-WM5 Windows Mobile operating systems. I’ve tested all the available versions with both Pocket PC 2002, WM2003 and WM2003SE. I've made some example screenshots (see this and this) to show you it doesn't work: as can be seen, the installer can’t even install the WM5-only CAB files.
Furthermore, it’s incompatible with Widcomm/Broadcom Bluetooth stack-based devices like all HP iPAQ Pocket PC's (an example screenshot of it refusing running on the hx4700 is here), the Fujitsu-Siemens T800 series, the Acer n series and, of course, the Widcomm-hacked, WM5-based Dell Axim x50(v)/x51(v)'s. This is a very bad problem: developers of Bluetooth applications should at last notice that, as has already been pointed out in my articles (example here), Broadcom has in the meantime made its WinCE SDK freely available.
Available versions and differences between them; Bluejacking support in the trial version
There are two versions worth mentioning; first, of course, the latest one, 1.2.368, available here.
Bluejacking (see this article for a complete description), one of the most important and innovative (no other Pocket PC application is capable of this) feature of the application, is completely disabled in the latest, above-linked version. Older versions (for example, version 1.1.237 available here at ClickApps), however, still support this functionality in the demo, except mass-sending more than one file at a time. That is, if you want to give this functionality a try in the demo version (I certainly recommend it), get the older version.
Some examples of it in action
A Pocket PC device discovering two other Pocket PC’s.
Compared to MS Portrait or any other TCP/IP-based chatter application (including IRC clients), its chat feature is a bit more complicated to use. This is how it happens in practice: Sending a message: step 1, step 2. On the receiving end, you get it (note that if you see it this way, it means you’ve forgotten to disable the auto-receive of incoming beam) and save it. If you answer Yes, you’ll be taken to the messages; it's only then that you'll be able to read it. There, you can, for example, reply to the sender.
Examples of file transfer (sending files) 1, 2 3 (sending multiple files like this doesn’t work in the demo). At the receiving end, they’re saved in the pre-set save directory.
An example of bluejacking.
Verdict
If you want local chatting with other Microsoft BT stack-based Pocket PC's or non-Windows Mobile Bluetooth phones, give it a try. If you can’t use a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection (or full Internet connectivity) between your WM5 Microsoft BT stack-based devices, give it a try. If you want to do some bluejacking, give it a try. Otherwise, particularly if you have a pre-WM5 or Widcomm/Broadcom-based device, stick with the free MS Portrait.
Appendix: What about ProximityMail and Bluetooth Chat?
Unfortunately, the other two native (non TCP/IP-based, unlike MS Portrait and Gphone) Bluetooth messaging applications, ProximityMail and Bluetooth Chat (latest, tested, still available versions 1.44 and 0.5b, respectively) are both useless and no longer developed.
The former, ProximityMail, will never be updated; the developer, Inventop Corp, has removed all references to the product, including even the old download link (also see this). Its successor, BUZZeeBee (see the homepage for more info), still only has a desktop PC version. (They have been promising the Pocket PC version for months; there is still no sign of it).
The latter, Bluetooth Chat by Andrey Demidov, hasn’t been updated for three years and also seems to be completely abandoned. Needless to say, it has never really worked either.

personal i find it odd whne somebody who have that many posts
deside to make something i can only describe as a commercial

Rudegar said:
personal i find it odd whne somebody who have that many posts
deside to make something i can only describe as a commercial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there were a REAL alternative to this app, it wouldn't sound a commercial (check out my other, comparative reviews - I "trash" many apps I test). Unfortunately, when there is only one program for a given purpose, it's hard to write an article that doesn't sound like "musch as it has its share of problems, go get it".
As soon as there will be another, directly comparable alternate to this app, I promise to write a decent comparison

not working on omnia T_T

is there anything similar for android?

REVIEW: CorePlayer, the successor to TCPMP, is finally out!

CorePlayer, the long-awaited, commercial successor to the well-known multimedia player TCPMP, has just been released.
TCPMP has (rightfully!) won the Multimedia / Video category of the Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine's Best Software Awards last and this year.
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Thanks to BetaBoy, I’ve received a test version so I had the chance to thoroughly test it.
Availability
It’s available here (direct link) and is compatible with WM2003 devices and above. It, officially, costs $24.99, but it’s supposed to have a $5 rebate for AximSite (and, probably, Pocket PC Thoughts) forum members too (go register yourself ASAP ).
Compared to TCPMP,
Changes on the interface level
The GUI, currently, is very similar to that of TCPMP (but, later, will be completely changed - the old GUI is still present because of a bug in the new, which the Core folks are just fixing). This means (at least for a while) you won't need to re-learn everything as can be seen for example here (Settings in main menu), here (file selector) and here (video settings screen - compare this to the screenshots here).
Changes on the underlying engine level
The good
A plethora (and I really mean this! Not even I have had, up to now, the chance to test all of them - will later elaborate on them more thoroughly) of new codecs, which means a lot of new formats to play.
Note that, unfortunately, “exotic” formats like RealOne are (still?) not supported. This isn’t a major problem, however, given that the format of RealOne files are kept in secret very strictly.
Midi support (please see the Midi Bible for more information), as has been promised, has indeed been added. I’ve thoroughly tested the midi module, the quality of instruments and found them to be of very good quality. Of course, for example the piano in ultimate.mid (please DO see the just-linked article if you don’t know what I’m referring to) doesn’t sound so excellent as the custom patch set published here - it definitely exhibits some compression / downsampling effects. However, this is pretty understandable, given that the application only takes some 1.3 Mbytes storage memory, of which, at most, some hundred kilobytes may be taken by the (compressed) Midi instruments themselves.
Other than that, I have no complaints with the Midi quality at all - it sounds MUCH better than HTC's own midi library coming with all PPC Phone Edition devices and I haven't run into a single problem with any of my test Midi files.
The bad
Currently, it has no AVRCP support at all. This applies to both WM5 (which was also the case with TCPMP) and WM2003SE. TCPMP supports the latter OS – CorePlayer, it seems, doesn’t. Hope this will be fixed really soon (along with, preferably, adding AVRCP support for WM5 too). (Note that you’ll see remarks stating CorePlayer supports AVRCP if you install additional, operating system-level software. This is not really the case - currently, it's not possible to make it work. You'll need to wait for the bugfix version.)
Also, it seems it’s not possible to use “old” TCPMP codecs. For example, CorePlayer doesn’t support Speex files (see the Sound Recording Bible for more info on this format) by default. By installing the “old”, TCPMP-specific Speex codec, this problem hasn’t gone away (unlike with TCPMP, of course).
Verdict
Go for this app if you’re serious multimedia user. This application (and its author) certainly deserves paying for and I don’t think the above-mentioned problems (which will only affect few people – for example, only those with Bluetooth stereo headphones) will be only fixed in the distant future.
I really hope, however, that some advanced sound functionality will be also added - gapping, industry-strength reverb DSP's (see the case of 40iPlay), in addition to, of course, AVRCP.
Recommended links
Just Another Mobile Monday’s great review
The AximSite thread
UPDATE (later the same day): PPCT frontpage. I recommend this thread too for some additional info.[/b]

I like it, its works smoothly. I use it when I'm feeling simple and don't want to bother with pocket music.
It was said to have a fully customizable interface, but I look in the menus, and there isn't anything for skin selection? So I look in the folder and it had only two files in it. So I guess skinning isn't possible for this version.

weezy said:
I like it, its works smoothly. I use it when I'm feeling simple and don't want to bother with pocket music.
It was said to have a fully customizable interface, but I look in the menus, and there isn't anything for skin selection? So I look in the folder and it had only two files in it. So I guess skinning isn't possible for this version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They promise a generic update for tomorrow.

Gasp, there are no trial version sadly :'(. As I am experiencing some issues with TCPMP, i would be interested in testing it, but I don't want to pay 25$ for having the same issues.
Does anyone know if the imageon gpu of the tytn is correctly used for MPEG4 acceleration with this soft?

Menneisyys said:
They promise a generic update for tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The update will only be released on Tuesday.

fun_key said:
Gasp, there are no trial version sadly :'(. As I am experiencing some issues with TCPMP, i would be interested in testing it, but I don't want to pay 25$ for having the same issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to test subsequent releases and report on them so that the lack of trial version isn't a problem.
Unfortunately, as has also been pointed out in my review, the current, 1.0 version is a "bit" on the buggy side.

Enigmo-alike Gloop Zero ported from the Palm/Zodiac to the Pocket PC!

Ever played Aspyr’s Enigmo (note that Aspyr has removed their Enigmo page in the meantime, this is why I’m giving you a Handango link. See for the 3D Accelerated Pocket PC Games and Demos Bible Part II for more info and the alternative review in German here)? Wanted something similar for the Pocket PC, running on all Pocket PC models, not only on Intel 2700G-enabled ones? (Unfortunately, you must have a 2700G-based Pocket PC – that is, currently, a Dell Axim x50v or x51v – to run Enigmo.) AeonFlame’s Gloop Zero may be of interest to you!
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Availability, compatibility
It’s available here. The full version costs $14.99; there is also a trial version.
The game is compatible with WM2003+ operating systems (this means it’s NOT compatible with PPC 2002 – I’ve tested this). I had no problems running it on my QVGA/VGA WM2003(SE) / WM5 test devices – it ran OK on all of them.
Visuals
Pretty good, albeit nothing extraordinary. There’s no Hi-Res VGA support. The game is Landscape-only.
Sounds / music
Absolutely nothing. This is a BIG problem – the Zodiac version has nice in-game music. The developer should implement music as soon as possible. However, with the hack I've found out, you'll be able to play the original music in the background - see the next section.
Do you still want the original music on the Pocket PC?
If you have a compatible (Palm OS 5 and HiRes(+)) Palm OS device too, download the original Palm OS demo, install it onto your Palm device (installing will ONLY work through HotSync; direct PRC install off a storage card doesn't work), go to \PALM\Programs\GloopZero-GLPZ\data\other\music\ on your storage card and copy the files to your Pocket PC. These are midi files; this means you'll need to have a midi-enabled local player on your Pocket PC if you want to listen to just these files while playing the game. Please read the Midi Bible for more information on all these questions. Fortunately, the game lets for playing anything in the background - so, this hack will work.
This will only work if you have a Palm OS device - the Pocket PC version doesn't have these files and, as far as I know, it's not possible (without some elaborate hacking) to extract the original files from the given installer file.
Compared to Enigmo...
There is, in my opinion, no comparison as far as graphics and sound / music are concerned. Enigmo has very nice music and sound effects and is, of course, high-resolution. Even after dumbing down (which unfortunately, I don’t think will ever happen as Aspyr doesn’t seem to support the game any more, let alone release a new, non-2700G-only version of it) not to require hardware OpenGLES support (2700G, GoForce), it would still remain, in my opinion, better than Gloop Zero.
Playability-wise, on the other hand, Gloop Zero is a bit easier / faster in my opinion – with Enigmo, you need to position the gadgets far more thoroughly than with this title. With Gloop Zero, after deciding for a strategy on a given level, sometimes you “only” need to do some drawing with the stylus and all is set. With Enigmo, this takes far more time. That is, if you find Enigmo requiring far too much time to solve a given puzzle and want something similar, you may find Gloop Zero very cool.
Compared to the Palm OS version...
Unfortunately, the regular Palm OS version (I've played it on my Palm Tungsten T3) also lacks both sounds / music and HiRes+ graphics (it uses 320*320 in Portrait - that is, HiRes, without the + - only).
Verdict
Well, if you’re lucky enough to have a Dell Axim x50v or x51v and have already given Enigmo a try (if you haven’t, do it now – it’s a masterpiece!), I think you’ll be disappointed with Gloop Zero at first – Enigmo is definitely better-looking and -sounding. It's only because of the much faster gameplay that you may want to prefer this title to Enigmo.
If you, on the other hand, don’t have any 3D accelerated Pocket PC devices and want to have an entertaining game that will keep you and your brain occupied, you definitely want to consider giving the trial of this game a try – it is pretty cool, despite the major flaws (no music / sound and, to a lesser degree, no high-resolution support). Remember, again, that you can "hack" the original midi music files out of the Palm OS version if you really want to listen to them while playing.
(News source: PocketGamer.org.)

MWC: (Quick) review: Altec (Plantronics) 903 / 906 A2DP Bluetooth headphones – wowz!

MWC: (Quick) review: Altec (Plantronics) 903 / 906 A2DP Bluetooth headphones – wowz!
Altec Lansing, a branch of Plantronics, revealed their brand new A2DP Bluetooth headphones, the Backbeat 903 (without a Bluetooth transmitter dongle) and the 906 (with a dongle) in early January (see THIS for the report). The new model has just hit the shelves for $100 and $130, respectively. That is, they aren't particularly cheap - but, it seems, they are worth every penny.
Just like the Gear4 BluPhones reviewed in my last, very thorough roundup (A REAL, MULTIPLATFORM Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) headphones roundup: FIVE headphones), this is an earbud model with a flexible, thin neck-band.
At MWC (more specifically, MobileFocus, which is an invitation-only [meant only for the best tech writers and the like, not for the Average Joes] party on, traditionally, the first day of MWC), I've been given such a set.
(Altec Lansing's / Plantronics' booth. The shots also show how the headphones look when worn.)
Frankly, given the low maximum volume and not the best frequency response of the Gear4 BluPhones (or, in general, anything earbud), I didn’t have high hopes of the new model before starting to test it. I was absolutely sure that, simply because of the design, it just won’t be able to match the audio quality of the alternatives (including Plantronics’ earlier models: I expected both the supra-aural Pulsar 590 and the canalphone (in-ear monitor) Voyager 855 deliver a much better audio quality simply because, physically, the technique they utilize is far superior to anything “simple” earbuds are able to deliver.)
How wrong I was! I simply couldn’t believe my eyes when listening to this set of headphones. It delivers very good bass – and the maximal volume is pretty nice too! Also, the headphones are really easy to wear. If you are into A2DP, you will want to give these headphones a try - they are, as it seems (don't forget I haven't run the very time-consuming battery life and call compatibility tests as yet) certainly worth it.
In the following, I provide a list of the pros and cons. Please consult my earlier A2DP-related articles (start with THIS) for more info on the testing methologies and the compatibility and other problems earlier Plantronics models had. I, for example, won’t explain here what for example the Symbian compatibility problems have been.
Nope that I surely post a more detailed follow-up to this article as soon as I make some real battery life and recharging time, handsfree mode compatibility and quality, in-street signal stability (something for example the Gear4 Bluphones severely fail at) etc. tests (the current article “only” discusses A2DP quality and compatibility, not that of “simple” calls).
Pros
- Unbelievably good sound quality; most importantly, great basses – and all this in a “plain” earbud model!
- Much higher maximal volume than with some? all? of the earbud alternatives (tested against the Gear4 Bluphones)
- Built-in, easily (de)activeable megabass – you don’t need to fish out your phone to change the equalizer settings
- Easy to wear, unlike, say, the HT820
- People who hate canalphones (in-ear monitors) like the Plantronics Voyager 855, will be delighted to see this pair of headphones is an earbud; that is, no problems associated with earbud will be present
- As it’s not a supra-aural (like the Pulsar 590) pair of headphones either, problems (in cases, too thick – see the “Leila Morgana” HT820 –; “teenager-like”, easy to spot, “non-professional looking”; ears getting too hot on warm days; in cases, hard to wear) associated with them aren’t present either
- At last, fully compatible with Symbian phones (this has been problematic with Plantronics’ all three earlier A2DP headphones). Of course, it’s 100% compatible with the BlackBerry 4.2+ and the two (Microsoft and Widcomm) Windows Mobile BT stacks – as has always been the case with all the previous Plantronics headphones.
- Seems to be more weatherproof than the Pulsar 590; the latter had the recharger shot at the top. A single drop of water was sufficient to render the entire pair of headphones useless. The new phone seems to be more weatherproof.
- Standard microUSB charger (as opposed to the 590 sporting a proprietary one)
- It doesn’t weigh much (34g; I’ve measured this myself too)
- No annoying LED blinking on either the headphones or the dongle; it is only lit when you press (some of) the button(s). In this respect, it’s way better than the Pulsar 590 and the Pulsar 260.
- Considerably lower processing lag (delay) when used together with the dongle compared to the previous models – now, you will be able to watch movies with the dongle without having to use a player that can introduce some kind of a lag between the video and audio tracks to countermeasure the processing lag introduced by the dongle + headphones combo
- The dongle is much smaller than that of the 590 (and doesn’t blink unnecessarily - unlike with the previous model)
Cons
- Some people (like me: I prefer over-the-head ones because the headband doesn’t stop me from fully tiling my neck when necessary) may dislike the behind-the-neck design.
- Because of the design, as with all similar headphones, it takes a bit of time to put on / remove the headphones, unlike with over-the-head ones
By the way, speaking of MWC, the Sennheiser folks have showcased their new A2DP designs (slated for release later this year). While there was no sign of the MM200 (see my last year's HERE), the new models (shot below) sounded pretty nice and the (passive) noise canceling worked pretty good (these headphones, unlike the MM200 last year, could be tested).

UPDATE (22/02/2009 9:34AM CET): I’ve also very thoroughly tested the headphones under the current (build 7000) of Windows 7, using the default Bluetooth support (all this done on an IBM Thinkpad T42p with the factory Bluetooth module and automatically installed BT driver).
I’ve encountered no problems with AVRCP-capable programs (the built-in WMP and, after enabling AVRCP by checking in the Options / Preferences / Global Hotkeys / Enable default multimedia key support checkbox – note that, as of the current version of Videolan VLC doesn’t support AVRCP): everything worked. This is a great step from the Pulsar 590, which has the same problem with Windows 7 as with Symbian: resuming from the paused state simply doesn’t work. A big thumbs up to Plantronics for this – now, I can make use of my N95 (by far the best all-in-one multimedia handset right now in my opinion). (Note that, while the Voyager 855, Plantronics’ last-year model, is still incompatible with Symbian, it has no problems with resuming under Windows 7 – unlike its predecessor, the Pulsar 590.)
Two screenshots follow; the first shows the automatic driver installation for the BackBeat and the 590; the second shows the automatic, additional handsfree driver install after a reboot. Note that, after this, the Voyager 855’s drivers have also been automatically installed.
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Finally, don’t forget I’ll still post a lot on these headphones after doing some thorough singal interference durability, battery life and handsfree usage tests.

These look very promising indeed. I'm pretty sure they're far superior to the Motorola S9s, however do you have any insight/experience with the S9s to compare the two. I have the S9s and really like them in every aspect.

UPDATE (22/02/2009 10:35 CET): I’ve continued testing the headphones outdoors to find out whether
- it’s sensitive to interferences and quickly changing signal reflections (no, it isn’t)
- it’s capable of delivering sufficient volume in a very noisy street so that the podcasts I listen to still remain understandable (yes, it is; naturally, you might want to disable the built-in megabass when turning up the volume that high)
- wearing it for an extended length of time turns out to be tiring (no; it’s as easy to hold as for example the Gear4 BluPhones with the exception of they staying on the ears and your not having to be afraid of their dropping)
- the call quality is sufficient in handsfree mode (it is; tested this on my N95. Everything went just OK) and the switching between A2DP and handsfree mode is seamless (on the Nokia N95, it is).
Currently, I don’t see any point in NOT recommending this headphones. Sticking to its category (earbuds), again, it produces way better sound quality than even the Zune 8 GB earbuds. I consider the latter one of the best, but still cheap earbuds. Yes, I know they are considerably worse than even the Zune 80 GB ones, let alone for example some of the Sennheiser earbuds, but I won’t pay THAT much for any cabled headphones just to be able to compare its sound quality to the A2DP headphones I test now and then. (Nevertheless, they’re still considerably better than the factory earbuds coming with both the iPhone 3G and the Nokia N95.)