You Want That!

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I’ve looked long and hard for something like this and finally found a FREE solution that works.

This add-in is hard to find and might not be in development as the developer has pulled it from his website.  There are a couple of versions floating around the Internet but only one worked for me.

I’m using Outlook 2007 and I haven’t tested it on 2000 nor 2003 but since the add-in was developed for 2000 and 2003 and works on 2007, I’m assuming it’s okay for all three versions hence the title of the post.

What will this add-in do for me you ask?  Well, when you close Outlook if you have open messages that you still haven’t responded to or need for reference but didn’t want to flag, task them, etc…those messages will automatically open back up the next time you open Outlook!!!  I love this and YOU WANT THAT!!!  Don’t you? 

Right about now you’re probably asking yourself or me, how do I get it???  Well, click here Windows Manager for Outlook 1.0.0.2 and you’re welcome! 

To make this work you’ll have to read the file named “WinMan.txt” in the archive.

Although I’m not the developer, I would like to get feedback and hear how it’s working or not working for you.

Jawbone Prime

Ok, I know i’m a little behind and that the Jawbone Prime has been out for some time now but there were other priorities in my life and it put me behind.  Things are finally getting back to semi-normal and I’m happy to write a review on another great product…the Jawbone Prime!

The Jawbone Prime is the third version of Bluetooth headsets manufactured by Aliph.  Aliph released the Jawbone a few years ago and it took the industry by storm.  The first generation Jawbone was great.  A little bulky but did the job advertised.  It effectively cancelled most background noise and allowed you to hear the person in the background in dynamic environments by automatically adjusting volume for you.  It was great.  Aliph then released the Jawbone 2.  I wasn’t a big fan of the second generation Jawbone.  The fit was a bit ackward for me and the noise cancellation technology, in my opinion and based on my testing, wasn’t as good as the first generation.  Why?  I have no idea, I didn’t try to go into the specifics.  It just didn’t perform as well as the first Jawbone.  To make sure I didn’t have a faulty headset, I grabbed another Jawbone 2 and did more testing, same results.  I asked around and others who purchased the headset felt the same way.  So first generation was great and second was bad.

Now we have the third generation Jawbone Prime.  Looks almost identical to the Jawbone 2, comes with a standard charger, and three options for ear mounting.  The Jawbone Prime introduces a third option for mounting it to your ear and I like it better than the others, Earloop and Earbuds (pictured below), that shipped with this unit as well as the Jawbone 2.  The other two ways of mounting the unit didn’t stabalize the headset onto your ear.  The fit was too loose and that, in my experience, reduced the effectiveness of the noise cancelling technology.  The reason is because the Jawbone has a sensor that touches your face/jaw when mounted to your ear.  This sensor is positioned to pick up vibrations from your jaw so it can better process sound and induce the noise cancellation technology.  If this sensor is not touching your jaw firmly it reduces the effectiveness.  Another factor that reduces the effectiveness of the noise cancelling technology is facial hair.  I noticed that when I’m “scruffy” and don’t shave for a couple of days, the noise cancelling technology is less effective.  One thing of note is that this affected the first and second generation headsets more than the Jawbone Prime.  Ok back to the options provided…the third mounting option Aliph provided is called a New Fit Earbud (pictures below).  I really like this option and it works best for my taste.  It keeps the headset in your ear and you simply can’t knock it loose.  I’ve tried.  I gave one of the included New Fit Earbuds to my mother to try with her Jawbone 2 and she loved it as well.  The only complaint from both my mother and myself is that the New Fit Earbud made the inside of our ears a little sore but that was easily fixed by moving the headset to the opposite ear and with this mounting option that’s a quick and an easy move.  Great job Aliph on providing another option.

Let’s talk a little about style.  The Jawbone Prime is small and stylish.  It comes in black (picture above), green/”lime” (picture below), a type of pink/”Frankly Scarlet”, yellow, purple/”lilac”, “coffee” brown and a gray “platinum”.  In my opinion, more than enough colors to accommodate all tastes and personal styles.  The shape is both aesthetic and functional.  It looks great and is curved so the sensor (mentioned above) is positioned just right on your jaw.  It’s a beautiful headset, both for masculine and feminine tastes.

Weight for this headset is not even a factor.  It’s so light you forget you’re wearing it at times.

The Jawbone Prime’s size is perfect.  Not too small that it falls from your grasp and not too large where it sticks out from your ear looking ridiculous.  I do admit, the original Jawbone was too large but I continued to use it because of the superb technology.

Talking about technology, let’s focus on that a bit.  The advances in the noise cancellation technology on the third generation Jawbone Prime works great.  I tested the headset in the car with windows closed and radio blaring, in the car with windows open and radio blaring, in a crowded restaurant standing by a speaker, in a server room with fans humming and several other environments and it always performed as advertised.  The one time it didn’t perform too well was when I tested it by exposing the headset to 40mph winds while driving.  The headset did well but the person on the other end reported that my voice became a bit choppy and it was an effort to try and understand what I was saying.  Well, unless you’re going to use the headset consistently in Tropical Storm conditions, it’s not a problem.  Bottom line, it effectively cancels out the background noise and allows your voice to get through!  :)

One thing people forget is that bluetooth headsets can be used with cell phones, laptops and workstations alike.  As long as you have a Bluetooth enabled device or laptop or workstation you can pair them together.  That said, this device is more than just a mobile accessory.  You can use it, of course, in conjunction with your mobile phone but you can also use it to talk on Skype with your laptop or desktop.  Because of this I’m putting this review into both “The Mobile” and “The Desktop/Server” categories on this blog.  It’s useful to more than the mobile warrior.

I hope this review has been informative.  If you’re looking for an indepth technical information for the device, feel free to visit Aliph’s Jawbone website.  The Jawbone website goes into more detail regarding the noise cancellation technology and provides a cool illustration to help you better understand how the technology works.

In conclusion, I feel that the Jawbone Prime is the perfect balance of comfort, style, weight, size, and technology offered and…You Want That!!!

Jawbone Prime - Green

Jawbone Wall Charger

Jawbone Earloop

Jawbone Earbud

Jawbone Prime New Fit Earbud

This week facebook.com implemented username pages for members.  If you’re a member point your browser to http://www.facebook.com/username and activate it.  For example, if your username on facebook.com is 123, once you register your username you will be able to have friends find your profile by visiting http://www.facebook.com/123.  Go get your username registered for a page before it’s taken because…YouWantThat!

The Desktop/Server articles coming soon…, to cover Windows desktops & servers, Linux desktops & servers, and Apple desktops & servers.