jawbone jambox
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The DuMont: A 50's retro TV enclosure for iPad mini and Jambox
There's nothing Apple fans love more than dressing up their devices with some sort of accessory, especially when that accessory mimics something retro. In this case, Jeffrey Stephenson -- a computer modder and designer who has a list of awards a mile long for his ingenuity -- decided to turn an iPad mini and Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker into a tiny version of a 1950's-era DuMont console television. Regretfully, you can't buy one this unique enclosure, but if you're into woodworking or furniture-making, this should be a piece of cake for you to whip one up! Stephenson provided a gallery of images showing just how the DuMont was built. And now for something completely different -- a video of the DuMont in action:
Jawbone takes a cue from Colorware, will let customers order the Jambox speaker in custom colors
Want a blue-and-black Bluetooth speaker to match your Engadget t-shirt, messenger bag and whatever other paraphernalia you have lying around? You're in luck: Jawbone is about to start accepting orders for the Jambox speaker in custom colors. All told, you'll be able to choose from 13 shades for the grill, and nine for the end caps. Jawbone says it can see customers choosing school and team colors, not that you need an excuse to want an orange piece of kit. The personalization is free of charge, meaning the price of the speaker is still $200. The only downside, so far as we can tell, is that the Big Jambox isn't included. For now, the site is only open to select users (i.e., loyal customers who have participated in company forums, surveys and such), but starting August 28th it'll be open to everybody. In the meantime, which of you has the cojones to order it in purple and yellow?%Gallery-162979%
Jawbone Jambox gets Android app support, semi-ironic silent mode
Those who bought the regular Jawbone Jambox have had to look on at Big Jambox owners with envy over the past several weeks for more than just the obvious: the larger model was the only one to support the Android version of the Jawbone Companion app and give audible reminders of distinctly non-audio tidbits, such as Google Calendar appointments. The software side of the gap is now closing through a version 2.2 update to the original Bluetooth audio brick. Along with adding in that missing Companion support, there's now a slightly misleading silent mode -- it's just turning off audible control cues and voice prompts, not turning the speaker into a paperweight. If these and minor tweaks like subtler volume tones strike your fancy, the Jambox update is ready and waiting.
Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2... fight!
Two portable speakers clamber into the ring, each boasting big, beautiful sound for their diminutive size. Both cost $200. Both have the same technology inside. The Jawbone Jambox and the Soundmatters foxL v2 with Bluetooth each want to be your wireless audio wunderkind, blasting music and taking Bluetooth calls. At best, you're only going to buy one. Which speaker should you choose? Following our Jambox review, we got our hands on a foxL and put the two head to head, and after the break you'll see which one came out on top -- both literally and figuratively. %Gallery-111933%
Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker now available for $200
It's hardly the most affordable Bluetooth speaker around, but Jawbone's new Jambox did manage to impress us when we got our hands on it earlier this month, and you can now finally pick one up yourself directly from Jawbone, or at your local Apple store and "select" Best Buy stores. As expected, it'll set you back $200, and it's available in your choice of four different colors / designs, each of which pack the same 800mAh lithium-ion battery that promises ten hours of continuous use, a built-in mic that will let you use it as a speakerphone, and an output capacity of 85 decibels that Jawbone says "fills even the largest rooms with stellar hi-fi sound." If you're looking to judge that for yourself, you can apparently do so at an Apple store, where Jawbone says the Jambox will be "featured alongside the iPad."
Jawbone intros Jambox portable bluetooth speaker, we go hands-on (update)
Since 2006, Jawbone's been making noise-canceling bluetooth headsets boasting modern design and military-grade sound. This is not one of those. This is the Jawbone Jambox -- a wireless bluetooth speaker -- and it's what happened when the company decided to let the music out. Functionally it's almost exactly the same as a Jawbone Icon, down to the pairing process, and MyTALK upgradable software platform, but instead of a tiny mono earpiece you're getting a stylish portable speakerphone with a 3.5mm input jack and some serious stereo potential. We've had it playing for several hours now, and while it's not going to be the life of a large party even at maximum volume, it pumps out a terribly impressive amount of clear, room-filling sound for its size. If you pick it up or set it down on a table, you'll feel the vibrations nearby. You can't quite tell from this angle, but that stainless steel grill wraps around an airtight enclosure made of polycarbonate infused with glass, which houses a pair of full-range drivers and a microphone up front and a "moving-wall passive bass radiator" around back for some extra low-end goodness. We're told this last was quite the innovation, which didn't impress us much until we were told what Jawbone put inside the radiator to ensure mass and rigidity: the unit's 800mAh lithium-ion battery. Speaking of juice, Jawbone tells us the unit's good for about eight hours of continuous playback at 75 percent volume. You'll be paying a good bit to get this designer toy pumping out your jams, as any of the black, red, blue or silver units will run $200 at Best Buy and the Apple Store when they hit November 16th, but if you've been aching for a modern, handheld ghetto blaster, this is definitely one way to go. PR after the break. Update: As some have pointed out in comments, a number of the ideas here aren't actually new -- you can find a very similar portable Bluetooth speaker (down to a patent-pending "BassBattery" and a $200 price) in the Soundmatters foxL v2 with Bluetooth. Update 2: As it turns out, the foxL v2 isn't exactly a competitor, it's an ally of sorts, because the Jambox is a collaboration with the same Dr. Godehard Guenther who invented the original device. "JAMBOX leverages the core analog acoustics that made FoxL great," says a representative, but with numerous improvements: Jawbone's noise cancellation and Bluetooth know-how, a thicker, stiffer speaker enclosure and a Yves Behar design. %Gallery-106618% %Gallery-106677%
