Plantronics sticks Bluetooth stereo in your ear

Throw away those lousy, hanging-off-your-ear buds that come with most MP3-playing cordless phones. The Plantronics Pulsar 260 gives you soft in-ear buds that jack into a stereo Bluetooth dongle with an in-line mic that clips to your shirt or lapel. The advantage of Bluetooth stereo earphones is that you don't have to swap headphones when a call comes in. But unlike bulky stereo Bluetooth headphones, you can pull one earbud out so that you're not listening to your significant other, friend or co-worker in stereo. The disadvantage is that the Pulsar dongle jack is 2.5mm, so you can't use your own headphones.

The dongle has the AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile), so you can pause and skip without having to fish for your phone. This convenience will only work, of course, if your phone also has the AVRCP profile.

Already on sale in Europe, the Pulsar 260 is due in the United States next month. Its suggested price is $109.95, but expect to see it for around $89.