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Jawbone says 'limited' number of MyTALK accounts hacked
If you have a Jawbone headset and MyTALK account, you may have received an email from the outfit warning that you'll need to reset your password due to a security compromise in a "limited" number of accounts. The company said it halted the hack after "several hours," however, and that thieves only stole names, email addresses and encrypted passwords -- but no other user information, so far as it can tell. If affected, you'll need to reset your password by following the instructions (in the PR after the break), and Jawbone also advised you to change it on other sites too, if used elsewhere -- never a good practice, incidentally. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Jawbone Big Jambox review
It was back in February when we first caught wind a beefier version of Jawbone's Jambox, thanks to some less-than-stealthy ninjas at the FCC. Today it's officially here. Dubbed Big Jambox, this $300 Bluetooth speakerphone and "smartspeaker" is unsurprisingly a supersized -- yet still portable -- version of the new-age micro-boombox that the won us over back in 2010. Naturally, there have been some tweaks to go along with the bigger footprint, but all the core features including Jawbone's MyTalk apps and noise-cancelling know-how are in tow. Now that we've used it extensively for a few days, we're ready to answer some questions you might have. Does it follow the old adage that bigger is better? How will it fit into your lifestyle compared to the Jambox? And most importantly, is it worth the asking price?
Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth 'smartspeaker' lineup
We've had a shimmer in our eye for Jawbone's $200 Jambox, the itty bitty Bluetooth 'smartspeaker,' ever since it was released back in late 2010. So, imagine our delight now that the company has just stepped things up to a larger level with its new $300 Big Jambox. Measuring in at well over double the size of the original, the 2.7-pound speaker is still very similar in design and features the familiar perforated metal grill designs by Yves Behar -- starting May 15th, you can pick one up in your choice of Red Dot, Graphite Hex and White Wave. The larger footprint helps it to be more functionally capable than its sibling, yet it's still small enough to carry in one hand. On top, the unit sports playback controls in addition to the requisite volume and talk buttons, while on the side you'll find a USB connection (for software updates), power input 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth-pairing button and a power button. To pump out the jams, the Big Jambox features an airtight enclosure loaded with a duo of active neodymium drivers and opposing dual-passive bass radiators to handle all the wub wub you can throw at it. A 2,600mAh rechargeable battery will get you roughly 15 hours of totally wireless listening time (500 on standby), but -- as is the case with the original -- you still can't share that juice with your gadgets. Positively, Android users can take advantage of the Big Jambox's exclusive Companion app, which allows the unit to do tricks such like sync up with your G-cal to inform you about your appointments. Lastly, like the Jambox, the Big Jambox features MyTalk voice prompts / app compatibility, along with Live Audio DSP to give your sounds an immersive "3D" feel. Curious to find out more? We spent a full weekend with the new gizmo, and you can catch our full review by clicking here. Full press release after the break.
Jawbone Era sticks an accelerometer in your noise-canceling headset, we go hands-on
With a fantastic Bluetooth headset on the market and a pumpin' portable speaker to blast out jams, how could Jawbone improve their product lineup? Well, we still think a stereo headset might be swell... but that's not what the company delivered today. No, this is the Jawbone Era, the world's first Bluetooth earpiece with a built-in accelerometer for motion-sensing apps, and plenty more improvements where that came from. There's a new version of the company's NoiseAssassin noise-canceling algorithms that adjusts inbound volume and equalization to let you hear better, an extra-large 10mm cone speaker with a larger range of frequencies, two processors, more memory, and an hour of extra battery life compared to the Jawbone Icon, to be specific. With only two motions currently recognized -- a double-tap to begin / end / switch calls and a rapid shake to pair -- the accelerometer's a bit of a gimmick for now, but Jawbone suggests more gestures are probably on the way. In the meanwhile, the other advancements might make the Era worth the price of entry -- which is $130, by the by. We've spent about five hours with the headset already, listening to music and taking calls, and while the accelerometer seems almost wasted at present, there's no discounting that new 10mm driver and the audio it can pump out. While no substitute for a set of quality dedicated earbuds, it sounded worlds better than the Jawbone Icon's tiny, tinny drum, and playing Pandora tracks we no longer felt an overpowering desire to take it out of our ear -- making a cyborg existence all the more bearable, we suppose. We'll bring you a full review soon, but if you're already sold, you'll find four different Era designs on sale at Jawbone's online store... oh, right about now. PR after the break. %Gallery-114734%
Aliph Jawbone Icon 'The Ace' Bluetooth headset review
While Aliph was announcing its luxurious Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headsets earlier today, we've been playing with one of its six designs -- The Ace -- at our cozy London pad. Being the smallest and lightest Jawbone ever, the Icon's obviously challenging the likes of Jabra Stone with attempts to outperform in noise elimination, battery life, ergonomics and ease of operation. On paper, the Icon already wins on battery life and price, although the Stone has a charging dock good for six extra hours. What really matters, though, is the usability -- something the Stone had little of in a noisy environment. Read on to find out if Aliph has done it right. %Gallery-83293%
Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset launched in six lush flavors (Update: video!)
Turns out that leak we saw of the Jawbone Icon was for real after all, but it was only one of the six designs straight out of Aliph's oven: (clockwise from top left) The Thinker, The Rogue, The Hero, The Ace, The Catch and -- our favorite -- The Bombshell. While these are the smallest and lightest Jawbones ever, Aliph has managed to cram in an allegedly improved NoiseAssassin and simultaneous dual-phone linkage, along with an onboard 'AudioApp' which vocally broadcasts battery level and caller ID. If you prefer a visual indication, the Icon also does a battery gauge on the iPhone -- a first on a non-Apple Bluetooth headset -- and apparently "Apple's aware of this" so a firmware update shouldn't kill this Palm Pre-style. We're digging the MyTALK website -- currently in beta -- where you can pick and install other AudioApps and DialApps (for the multifunction button; e.g. voice dialing, free directory assistance and voice-to-SMS) onto the Icon, and both will be free except for some DialApps which require subscription. Oh, and there are seven earbud sizes plus an earloop to keep everyone happy too. When you're done with picking, hit the Verizon stores for the initial launch today and pony up $99.99. Press release and video walkthrough of the MyTALK website after the break. %Gallery-83294%
