If you use your laptop to make phone calls, you’ll love the Plantronics Audio 480, which claims to turn your PC into a “virtual phone booth”.

Essentially, the Audio 480 is a compact headset and microphone. The included noise-cancelling technology makes it ideally suited for making VoIP phone calls, though it can also be used if you listen to music or movies on your PC and don’t want to be disturbed by background noise (although performance is somewhat better for phone calls than it is for multimedia applications. For noise cancelling multimedia headphones, you really can’t go past Sennheiser).

This is great news for any business users who make lots of phone calls while out and about in noisy areas, such as in airports and on public transport.

The Audio 480 is extremely compact and portable so you can store it easy while you’re travelling, and there’s even a carry case supplied.

It comes in two packages: one RRPs for $119 and connects to your PC via standard 3.5mm audio plugs, while the more expensive bundle (RRP $149) also comes with a USB adaptor.

By Caroline Warnes