Large Bluetooth headsets that look like a laptop plugged into your head

[Andrew Amerk]

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Who even has close anymore?

This was my internal reaction. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wearing one in quite a few years. 

[TheAud]

When these things first came out several years ago and my father and I both watched some dude blithely stroll by with one in his ear while having a loud and annoying conversation. Very uncharacteristically, he turned to me and calmly said "If you ever see me wearing one of those, kill me."

Likewise, I will have the same conversation with my daughters one day. 

[inkman]

3 minutes ago, Sakman said:

When these things first came out several years ago and my father and I both watched some dude blithely stroll by with one in his ear while having a loud and annoying conversation. Very uncharacteristically, he turned to me and calmly said "If you ever see me wearing one of those, kill me."

Likewise, I will have the same conversation with my daughters one day. 

Fairly certain they will be in the same conversation with 8-tracks and tube TV's.

[TheAud]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

Fairly certain they will be in the same conversation with 8-tracks and tube TV's.

Yeah but they don't even know what those are. 

Today I explained what a fax was to my 19 year old. She heard about it but the whole technology aspect was a mystery. 

Because apparently the US healthcare system thinks fax's are still the way to go. 

[shrader]

34 minutes ago, inkman said:

Fairly certain they will be in the same conversation with 8-tracks and tube TV's.

I'd still rather see them instead of the person holding their iphone about a foot in front of their face while it's set to speakerphone. 

[Samson's Flow]

Inky - you always start the best topics. Nicely done

[carpandean]

I remember when these first came out, back when I was in grad school.  One time, I was walking from the parking lot to my building and this beautiful coed walking towards smiles and says "hi, how's it going?" (or something like that.)  I, of course, smiled back and responded "Great!  You?"  She looked startled, turned, put her hand on her ear piece and continued her conversation with whomever she was actually talking to.  I've hated them since. ?

 

[SDS]

33 minutes ago, carpandean said:

I remember when these first came out, back when I was in grad school.  One time, I was walking from the parking lot to my building and this beautiful coed walking towards smiles and says "hi, how's it going?" (or something like that.)  I, of course, smiled back and responded "Great!  You?"  She looked startled, turned, put her hand on her ear piece and continued her conversation with whomever she was actually talking to.  I've hated them since. ?

 

I’m not sure what this story has to do with the missing charts... ? 

[spndnchz]

Butthole Surfers. Good band name. 

[Sabel79]

4 hours ago, Sakman said:

Yeah but they don't even know what those are. 

Today I explained what a fax was to my 19 year old. She heard about it but the whole technology aspect was a mystery. 

Because apparently the US healthcare system thinks fax's are still the way to go. 

and also  the judicial system.

[pi2000]

I wear one of these 90% of the day.    Not because of work, it just makes me look important with it's pulsating cool blue light.    I often pretend I'm talking to someone if I'm at a coffee shop, it makes me feel better about myself and I highly recommend trying it if you also suffer from low self-esteem.

[Samson's Flow]

I'm wearing one right now. Come fight me.

 

Mine is about 1/4 the size of the one in @pi2000 post above though.

[josie]

*looks around office*

While I prefer my headphones to be big ol' pillowy affairs gently piping music into my brain, a lot of the people I work with (all ages, mind you) are using those apple airpod things. I guess I don't care, honestly.

But having a giant headphone apparatus is office speak for "don't bug me" vs the fact I can never see the stupid little ones until the person I'm trying to talk to turns to me in exasperation and I see the little space age buggers. 

 

Seems mostly older folk use the abomination bluetooth headset things, doing their darndest to recall their younger days as an intrepid Brookstone employee. 

[MattPie]

Initially thought this was about large headphones (as for music, just like your dad had in the 70s but not brown), and voted normal. Then I realized it we were talking about the passed-trend of single ear units, only for work. If I'm on the phone with someone, odds are I'm also typing something to break whatever it is they're talking about. Some sort of single-side headphone is nearly a requirement. I have a USB wired for my computer, a similar thing for my desk phone in the office (that I almost never use; voice calling through the computer 95% of the time). I have a boom BT unit at home for work when I got sick of moving the USB one back and forth. That was a mistake, the BT connection to the laptop doesn't work as well as my phone; should have gone with USB. The BT unit does work with an 1/8" cable though, so I use that far more than the actual BT.

Thanks for joining me in headset chat! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or on the web!

16 hours ago, Sakman said:

Yeah but they don't even know what those are. 

Today I explained what a fax was to my 19 year old. She heard about it but the whole technology aspect was a mystery. 

Because apparently the US healthcare system thinks fax's are still the way to go. 

I'm working on a telecomm system at work right now where 70% of *homes* in the target country have fax machines. At least once a week I hear the dulcid tones of a fax machine sync.

[Eleven]

10 hours ago, pi2000 said:

I wear one of these 90% of the day.    Not because of work, it just makes me look important with it's pulsating cool blue light.    I often pretend I'm talking to someone if I'm at a coffee shop, it makes me feel better about myself and I highly recommend trying it if you also suffer from low self-esteem.

About four offices down, we have a guy who wears one of those--paired to his DESK phone.  I don't know why he doesn't just use speakerphone like everyone else.

[MattPie]

17 minutes ago, Eleven said:

About four offices down, we have a guy who wears one of those--paired to his DESK phone.  I don't know why he doesn't just use speakerphone like everyone else.

Speakerphone? Maybe because he's not a psychopath.

[Eleven]

10 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Speakerphone? Maybe because he's not a psychopath.

We can't hear what's being said in another office.  It's not an open floor plan or anything like that.

[MattPie]

8 minutes ago, Eleven said:

We can't hear what's being said in another office.  It's not an open floor plan or anything like that.

Oh right, lawyers. That makes sense.

[Samson's Flow]

40 minutes ago, Eleven said:

About four offices down, we have a guy who wears one of those--paired to his DESK phone.  I don't know why he doesn't just use speakerphone like everyone else.

What kind of monster are you that you use speakerphone in an office setting?!?

[Eleven]

Just now, Samson's Flow said:

What kind of monster are you that you use speakerphone in an office setting?!?

 

11 minutes ago, Eleven said:

We can't hear what's being said in another office.  It's not an open floor plan or anything like that.

 

[Samson's Flow]

11 minutes ago, Eleven said:

We can't hear what's being said in another office.  It's not an open floor plan or anything like that.

Fiiine. That's acceptable I guess.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Samson's Flow said:

Fiiine. That's acceptable I guess.

I mean, how else do you expect me to conduct business and fool around on SabreSpace at the same time?

[Samson's Flow]

Just now, Eleven said:

 

 

In an open floor plan office setting the bluetooth/wireless headset is near mandatory, unless you want your whole floor to wish death upon you.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Samson's Flow said:

In an open floor plan office setting the bluetooth/wireless headset is near mandatory, unless you want your whole floor to wish death upon you.

Oh, I would imagine.

[Samson's Flow]

Just now, Eleven said:

I mean, how else do you expect me to conduct business and fool around on SabreSpace at the same time?

My SabreSpacing is nearly entirely the product of having a headset and having both hands free to type away during boring conference calls. Some of us aren't fancy lawyers with leather bound books and their own sound proof office.