Next time someone tells you to talk to the hand, bust out a pair of these: Swany’s g.cell ski gloves.
At last month’s SIA Snow Show in Denver, the Gloversville, N.Y.-based company showed off the g.cell, which look like typical ski gloves but feature built-in Bluetooth technology that allows them to double as a phone.
Though I didn’t try them out on the slopes, the calling features worked as advertised during tests in the office and on the streets. I also used them while shoveling snow and found them to be warm enough.
Sound quality is similar to having the phone on speaker, with no noticeable interference.
The gloves paired easily with my iPhone 4. They vibrate near the wrist area of the right-hand glove to notify you of an incoming call.
Tapping on a black button on the right glove for a couple of seconds will answer the call. The speaker and microphone are embedded onto the outside of the glove’s thumb, and the best way to talk while wearing the gloves would be to hold your right hand up to your left ear.
An important feature of the g.cell is that it can activate voice controls, allowing users to make calls without removing the phone from their pockets.
Pressing the black button will activate voice commands.
During an active call, the two buttons on the glove turn into volume controls. Because of this, it wasn’t immediately evident how to end a call. After struggling for a while, I finally figured out that you have to hold the black button for a few seconds.
As for style and comfort, Swany didn’t skimp on either.
Swany senior vice president Bill Dzierson said the g.cell, which launched in Europe in January, will be released in the U.S. in the fall. The price tag will be a cool $500.
While there are helmets that feature Bluetooth compatibility, Dzierson believes the g.cell’s are the world’s first ski-glove phone.
But until the price on the gloves drop, a Bluetooth-enabled helmet at roughly half the cost might be the better option for skiers and riders.
Andy Vuong : 303-954-1209 or facebook.com/byandyvuong
