By Tony Smith
2nd May 2006 15:06 GMT
Iqua's Snake has to be the oddest-looking in-car Bluetooth accessory we've seen, but there's a method to this particular madness. It may appear to be a hi-tech snorkel tube, but it's a microphone and speaker rig that clips onto your car seat for handsfree communications.
The device fits in place between the headrest and the main body of the seat. In place, the speaker's just behind your left ear with the microphone boom and controls around the right. We hope there's a backwards version for those of us who drive in the right-hand lane. The microphone end is apparently flexible, allowing it to be adjusted to the height of the driver.
The unit is 45cm long and contains its own 1500mAh battery - sufficient, Iqua claims, for up to 10 hours' talk time and 300 hours' operation on stand-by. It can be paired to up to eight devices, though only one can be connected at a time.
And now the Finnish Bluetooth specialist has an alternative, swankier version in the pipeline. Dubbed the Snake 2, it has a more business-like look and contains stereo speakers. It ships with a "privacy headset" for when you don't want passengers listening in - presumably it's an earpiece.
Iqua's spec sheets says the device has a 2200mAh battery, but its performance figures are less than the Snake's: up to eight hours' talk time and up to 240 hours on stand-by.
Iqua's website reckons the Snakes should have shipped in Q1, but we understand they'll go on sale this month, at least according to a number of UK online resellers. The Snake 2 will cost around £100. ®
