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Jawbone: Get ticketed, get a discount
Who says crime doesn't pay?Aliph, makers of the ultra-cool noise-reducing Jawbone Bluetooth headset, have come up with a great marketing scheme. If you live in California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, or Washington -- all states with laws requiring hands-free use of mobile phones -- and receive a ticket for yapping with your iPhone plastered to your ear, Jawbone will deduct $20 off the purchase price of one of their headsets.You can't get a discount on the Silver Tongue model, but the prices for the Goldy Lips and Blah Blah Black versions end up at $129.99 and $109.99 respectively. All you need to do is go to the Jawbone website, look for the Hands Free Ticket Processor, and enter your state and ticket number. $20 is taken off the original purchase price, and you're ready to go.This is one case where I wish I did live in a nanny state that was forcing me to use a hands-free kit!
Aliph's new Jawbone (the sequel) hands-on and unboxing
We got to spend a little bit of time with Aliph's new Jawbone headset, and we'll confess we're a tad smitten. The headset is considerably smaller than its predecessor, and the improved earbud design gave us a comfortable fit right out of the box -- with other options waiting in the wings. That old overly-complicated ear hook is gone in favor of a simple, slightly flexible one, clad in leather with the intention of an eventual worn-in feel, but thanks to the new light design we're actually planning on going hook-less -- we haven't managed to shake it off yet, and have already probably caused considerable brain damage in the attempts. The interface is the same invisible one of its predecessor, but the first time you turn it on it's in pairing mode so we had no trouble there. We'd be hard pressed to notice a sound difference either way, but that was never the original's problem. The smaller design does mean a reduction in battery life, which could be a deal breaker for some, but if you're not going to be yapping away constantly the new Jawbone is a useful bit of "earwear," as Aliph would like to call it.%Gallery-22887%
New Jawbone headset from Aliph now official
Don't call it Jawbone 2, Aliph's Jawbone sequel is the company's new flagship product, with the old Bluetooth headset being put out to pasture to make way for the new hotness. The new Jawbone is 50% smaller than the original, and includes "NoiseAssassin" technology, a followup on the noise canceling tech of the original. There's a faster processor on board to handle heavier signal processing duties for canceling out ambient noises better and faster, along with that Voice Activity Sensor which lets the Jawbone know when you're talking so the rest of the time can be noise free. A new fast charge battery can suck up 80% of its capacity in 30 minutes, but the overall battery life is lower than the original, with 4 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby. The whole unit weighs in at 10 grams, and is available now for $130 at AT&T retail stores and online at Jawbone's site. Initially it's being offered in black only, but silver and rose gold (pictured after the break) versions are coming soon.
Jawbone 2 in the wild!
A friendly tipster sent us over some shots of a demo unit of the Jawbone 2 -- which the FCC so kindly leaked for us last month -- that he says his store is getting in stock tomorrow. He also says the headset will sell for $129, that it "looks pretty sweet" and provided some shots that pit it quite favorably against the now clunky original. Enjoy!%Gallery-22872%
Aliph Jawbone 2 exposed
So there are a couple of big complaints about Aliph's otherwise-lauded Jawbone noise canceling Bluetooth headset: one, it's rather porky, and two, the charge connector is about as reliable as a Comcast installation appointment. Hang tight, though, because help is on the way -- help in the form of the Jawbone 2. The new model just broke through the FCC's surly bonds in full visual glory, showing a headset that maintains the distinctive industrial design of the original while getting just a bit smaller and adopting a new connector that looks moderately less sketchy. The last thing we all want to do is blow another hundred on the next best headset, but if this means we can run a teleconference standing next to a freight train traveling 40 miles per hour and do it in style, count us in.
Love To Talk Jawbone headsets make your other ear jealous
Quite frankly, the traditional Jawbone headset is pretty stylish as is. Nevertheless, Yves Behar has somehow managed to make it even sexier with the creation of the Love To Talk family. This trio, which will reportedly be made available "in a very limited quantity," consists of a gold Sweet Talk version, black Dirty Talk edition and white Trash Talk model. No word on a price nor where to actually find one outside of the totally shady black market, but feel free to take a closer look at each in the read link below.
Jawbone whips CES into a nerd frenzy with free headsets
Jawbone's giving away free headsets to anyone willing to trade in their old one here at CES -- which means they've accumulated an impressive collection of busted old headgear from nerds around the world. Check a few more pics of dudes waiting around for free stuff at the read link.
iLounge reviews Apple Bluetooth Headset
Those unstoppable cats over at iLounge (whom I am convinced are using genetically modified oompa loompas) have gone and reviewed themselves an Apple Bluetooth Headset. For $129, you get a pretty darn sleek headset that one-ups the competition by including only a single button for control (or perhaps that's 'one-downing' the competition...), a Dual Dock for charging both the iPhone and headset and a travel charger that can handle the same job. iLounge's verdict? Well, it's a mixed bag. The headset doesn't blaze any trails in the places it matters, such as audio quality or battery life, nor is it as functional as many would expect from a typical bluetooth headset (it doesn't even have on-board volume buttons; that's controlled from the iPhone). However, the headset's performance does rank in at around average, and the included accessories are certainly a leap beyond the rest. The headset also features some unique integration with the iPhone in that charging both via the dock or cable will display the headset's battery level right alongside the iPhone's. Also, to some people's surprise, the headset (just like most bluetooth headsets) can be paired with a Mac for audio chats with the likes of iChat and Skype. All that said, it seems like Apple's Bluetooth Headset will be a good buy for the general customer who can make use of the rich set of extras that come with it. Personally, I'm counting my pennies for one of those Jawbone headsets with the crazy noise cancellation technology. In my opinion, every bluetooth headset on the market sucks. Period. I've tested a very hefty portion of them from the bottom of the barrel to the premium $100+ models (return policies are a beautiful thing), and they're all terrible because both the caller and myself sound horrible to each other, especially when there's anything louder than a pin dropping in the background. Given Apple's tendency to try and solve some of the major problems plaguing a particular technology or industry (i.e. - Visual Voicemail), I'm surprised they didn't at least try for something like the Jawbone with the Bluetooth Headset. But I digress - if you're on the Apple Bluetooth Headset fence, iLounge's review might be able to help you out with the decision. Check it out.
Get a Jawbone with your iPhone
One of our Weblogs, Inc. designers sent a Twitter the other day bragging that his new Aliph Jawbone had appeared on his doorstep. After a quick Google search, I realized he wasn't talking about a new part of his anatomy, but rather a hot little Bluetooth headset. They don't get slicker than this-- not only does it look like it taps right into your face, but apparently the science works, too, if the demo is any indication. At $120, it ain't the cheapest headset you'll find, but according to our designer, it's completely worth it.And so I wasn't that surprised to see, according to Macworld, that Apple is going to be selling these babies in their stores, right alongside the iPhone. Apparently a quality (and expensive) phone calls for a quality (and expensive) Bluetooth headset, and we're sure Aliph is thrilled to get shelf space next to what is already set to be one of the hottest products of the year. There's no word if the Jawbone is in Apple stores yet, but Aliph says if you want one, they'll be sitting right there in 157 Apple stores across the country next Friday.
TEAC's bone conducting HP-F100 headphones
TEAC's latest headphones may not sport the sexiest of designs, but the HP-F100s do tout the always-fun bone conducting abilities. Aside from delivering frequencies from 25Hz to 25kHz, the phones also come with a "personal amplifier" (shown after the break) that cranks out .76-watts to each channel, and will reportedly last around 10-hours without needing another cell. Additionally, the foldable earphones weigh in at about 120-grams, and while the "aerial vibration" won't exactly rattle your skull, it could make your listening a bit more full nonetheless. Of course, we don't expect these to land on US shores without a little help from your favorite importer, but you can reportedly snag these later this month in Japan for a stiff ¥52,500 ($440).[Via Impress]
The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for Wearable Device of the Year
Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 Wearable Device of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset, HAL-5 robotic suit, Motorola / Oakley O ROKR, Nike + iPod, Shure E500PTH, and Sony Ericsson MBW-100 Bluetooth watch. %Poll-233%
Hands-on with Aliph's Jawbone Bluetooth headset
What makes a Bluetooth headset great? Does it need to be so small as to be virtually invisible? Does it need to be a brilliantly-designed fashion accessory? Perhaps easy to use, easy to hear, and easy to be understood? Ultimately, of course, no model is perfect; every headset on the market is a compromise, a reflection of the manufacturer's (and the buyer's) priorities. So we basically went into the review of the Bluetooth variant of Aliph's lauded Jawbone with that same mentality, hoping that it'd prevent us from getting distracted by any miscellaneous shortfalls in the product -- the Jawbone's draw, after all, is its noise reduction circuitry, and that's what we really wanted to report on here. Instead, we came away with a shockingly positive impression of the Jawbone not just as a technological overachiever, but as a legit headset that we could see ourselves using day in and day out. Read on to find out why.
Jawbone Bluetooth headset now on sale
The elusive Jawbone Bluetooth headset has been on just about every headset owner's radar since this month last year, but after time took its course and the well-spec'd (and mighty stylish) earpiece got official, we knew it wouldn't be long before these suckas hit the market. Sure enough, the dashing headset is now available for the world to indulge in, and you'll even get to make the painstaking decision between red, black, or silver motifs. So if you've been holding out on every other headset that tempted your wallet in order to grab this very piece of noise-cancelling kit, all that's required now is $119.99 and little patience.[Thanks, Mike C.]
Jawbone founder Hosain Rahman interviewed: "The market was crap"
Those design nuts over at PSFK recently talked with Hosain Rahman of Jawbone fame. The new headset is turning heads with its design chops and technical noise-canceling merit, so it's interesting to hear the impetus behind the upcoming product: "The market was crap and the offering sub-standard." Hosain's Jawbone headset, designed by Yves Behar (who also designed the original Slingbox), was built to be an alternative to the cheap Asian imports. The Jawbone includes frills like medical grade plastic, since a headset touches the skin for so many hours a day, and of course that vibration sensor (to activate the noise cancellation) and dual microphones are a nice step up from the average headset. Hosain views himself in the "audio gateway" biz, which sounds like a good place to be, with consumers increasingly tethered to iPods, cellphones and VoIP sessions, and Bluetooth convergence of all three imminent. Peep a Jawbone shakycam unboxing vid after the break, or hit up the read link for the full interview.
Aliph's Bluetooth Jawbone headset sports military-grade noise cancellation
We've seen our fair share of Bluetooth headsets (with and without DSP), and we hold a soft spot in our heart for the hardcore, rugged devices out there that can withstand next to anything, but Aliph's Jawbone earpiece blends the best of both worlds into one fashionable piece of kit. While the firm already has a wired version on the market, this Bluetooth-enabled set rocks a silver or red color scheme, dual microphones, lightweight design, and a noise cancelling sensor that is literally military-grade. Crafted after conducting research for DARPA, the goal was "to create a mobile phone headset capable of erasing background noise," even in less-than-amicable (or safe) situations. Although there's no pricing or availability information just yet, the unit has already made its way on the Award Honorees list for CES 2007, and if you want to see this bad boy in action, be sure to continue on after the jump for a YouTube demonstration.[Via BlueTomorrow]
Nextlink's new bone-conduction headset goes Bluetooth
It's hard not to love the concept of bone-conduction headsets: government-funded technology (much like the iPod), fairly positive reviews on sound quality in noisy environments, and most importantly, they represent the closest most of us will ever get to bionic implants. The tech is still fairly young, though, and previous entries from Nextlink and Aliph have come up short in the size and, uh, wire departments. Nextlink's at it again with their latest entry, the Invisio Q7, and both issues appear to be solved. The Q7 takes the shape of Nextlink's well-liked Bluespoon line, adding Bluetooth and a send/end button for good measure. At $200, the headset is a bit steep when it looks to drop toward the end of the year, but if it means we can hold a phone convo in the middle of a raucus Engadget reader meetup, we're all for it.[Via phoneArena]
