Ringed

CEBU, Philippines - The thing about many bluetooth headsets in the recent years is that they make the most of us look as if we jumped off from an episode of Star Trek. It’s not that we shun the look with a loathing. It’s just that not all of us are exactly avid fans of taking on the geek trend. Although I have my share of friends who wouldn’t care if they walked around the city in 3D glasses and Bluetooth jackets while wielding pseudo-light sabers, I also have a couple handful of pals who’d rather go on the more discreet path to geekdom.

Many of my friends have expressed their apprehension at having Bluetooth headsets stuck to their ears while they traipsed around the mall or spent down time in town. Really, the entire concept of the Bluetooth headset is a gem but function is never really enough. Form also has to come along with it.

Thank the high heavens that several techie companies are hearing the fashionistas out by making gadgets more fashionable and not just functional. Hybra Advance Technology Inc. and AbsolutelyNew Inc have joined forces to make Bluetooth headsets more chic with the Orb Wireless Earpiece.

The Orb can switch from wireless ear piece capable of hands-free calling to a ring in a jiff all with a simple twist. So if you aren’t looping the S-shaped ear piece to your ear while making a call, you can easily slip it on your finger as a fashion piece that’s sleek, slim, and discreet.

Strapping up bone conducting technology which blocks background noise ala the Jawbone, the Orb also makes use of NXT technology which also ditches much of the discomfort wrought by placing a device into the ear. The Orb’s deluxe edition amps it us even more considering that it makes use of a Flexible Organic Light Emitting Device (FOLED) screen to display calendar reminders, caller IDs, voice-to-text infos without the need to slip off the ring from your finger. The Orb comes in a class 2 Bluetooth range of 30 feet.

Limited edition rings also pile up on the extra bling with embellished orbs worthy of rocking the town in. The Orb is slotted to be on your fashionable fingers by early 2010. Gizmag.com and digitaltrends.com quote the standard Orb design to be at $129 and the deluxe version at $175.

Seriously, the future of fashion hasn’t looked this good since. Viva technologia.