Trendnet ClearSky Bluetooth VoIP Conference Phone Kit: Cool looks but lukewarm sound

Introduction

As the popularity of Skype continues to grow, it is no surprise that the number of Skype-compatible or Skype-certified devices is also rapidly growing. Skype, which has been long popular in Europe, got a boost in the United States when eBay Inc. purchased it in 2006. Indeed, the number of subscribers has continued to grow. When I logged into Skype this morning, nearly nine million users were online.

While many of the Skype phones are "me too" products, meaning that they all appear to be manufactured by the same ODM (Original Design Manufacturer), TRENDnet's ClearSky Bluetooth VoIP Conference Phone Kit (TVP-SP4BK) is a breath of fresh air since it's actually unique.

The ClearSky kit consists of a Bluetooth V2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) USB Adapter (TBW-104UB), the Bluetooth-enabled conference phone (TBP-SP4B), a 3-foot mini-USB cable for charging the conference phone, the Quick Installation Guide, a CD-ROM containing software, drivers and the Users Guide.

The concept behind the ClearSky Conference Phone is simple. Install the Bluetooth USB adapter ("dongle") on the computer that hosts your Skype client. After pairing the Bluetooth adapter with the conference phone, your Skype calls are redirected from your computer to the conference phone using the Bluetooth connection.

Figure 1 shows the Bluetooth adapter (TWB-104UB) that installs on your computer.

Figure 1: TWB-104UB Bluetooth Adapter