You Want That!

I’ve used tons of headsets before but never a Jawbone.  I found out that my work had a discount with Verizon and since Verizon sold the headset I figured what the hell and bought it.  To summarize – I LOVE IT!  It’s tiny and light weight.  This sucker makes ANY other Jawbone look HUGE.  Also, better than any other Jawbone – this model didnt seem to “care” at all about the fact that I shave once a week.  As many have probably noticed, previous models lost their effectiveness with the presence of stubble on the chin.  This is because the facial hair separated the sensor in the Jawbone from the jaw bone thus hindering its ability to pick up on vibrations.  Called LTxda and we definately agreed it did very well even though I didn’t shave.  The jaw sensor is greatly upgraded on this model as it’s a more pronounced nub instead of the tiny stick in the old models.  To boot they upgraded the power charger – no more proprietary cable needed.  Now its a standard micro-USB cable and its ACTUALLY USEFUL!!! There is software on the Jawbone site that you can configure the built in voices.  Specifically the way the software works and reacts.  You can change the voice dial settings and all.  As for those that are fashion sensed and focus on aethetics, the new Jawbone comes in many different designs/colors.  ~ You Want That!!!

The Orb is an attempt at bone conductive technology by Absolutely New.  No speaker and nothing goes into your ear.  The sound is transferred into your ear drum through the bones in your skull.  The device is both a ring and a headset, pretty cool idea.  I’m not sure how this device is going to fit and not fall out of your ear but we’ll soon see.  Three “versions” of the device are scheduled to hit the retail channels starting with the first in January 2010.

Orb Bluetooth Headset Ring!

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