Master Dilettante

Over a year ago I endorsed the Jawbone Bluetooth headset with unbridled enthusiasm. At the time, it was clearly superior to any other Bluetooth noise reduction headset. Not too soon after I bought it, my enthusiasm subsided and I reluctantly acknowledged a few concerns. Yet I remained satisfied.

Now, over a year later, events since then and the emergence of competing products prompt this reassessment.

Last year, I articulated my evaluative criteria: (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) comfort/fit/usability and (3) durability. I rated the Jawbone as outstanding in sound quality, I was noncommital with regard to fit, and I questioned its durability.

I stand by my assessment of transmitting sound quality, and reports are that the new Jawbone NoiseAssassin has much improved receiving sound quality.

However, I grew more and more dissatisfied with the fit the longer I used the original Jawbone. No matter which ear bud or ear loop I tried, I could never get a reasonably comfortable, snug fit in my ear; the Jawbone always felt as if it might fall.

On top of this, the usability and/or durability of the Jawbone wasn’t up to snuff. I’d originally broken my first one by a single short drop to the floor. Next, I found difficulty getting the Jawbone to charge. The awkward fit between the charger and the Jawbone port was a difficult marriage to make. Even using different chargers, sometimes I simply couldn’t get the Jawbone to fit and charge. Finally, the last straw for me was when the Jawbone would appear to charge but simply wouldn’t power on or function anymore.

Now, the NoiseAssassin is sexier in its sleekness, but I’m reading even more criticisms of its hit or miss fit. (I think this is the downside of relying on a heralded designer — the wrong designer will emphasize aesthetics over function). Apparently, Jawbone recognized the charger issues and has addressed them. But at this point, I’m once bitten and twice shy about trying the Jawbone again.

Oddly, I remain a promoter of the Jawbone. I’ve found that no headset is perfect. But I’ve since parted company with Aliph and its products and moved on to other alternatives. More on my quest for the perfect headset very soon.

Apparently, I am on a geek gadget spending spree. Enter Research in Motion’s Blackberry 8100c Pearl. The Pearl has been reviewed by others ad nauseam, so I will provide only brief (for me) impressions here.

• The size and form factor finally bring a Blackberry device on par with other mobile phones. The marketing collateral refers to the Pearl as the “Smallest, Smartest, Most Stylish Blackberry Ever,” and I have to agree. Specifically, its dimensions are 4.0″ x 2.0″ x 0.6″. Yummy. I am determined to carry only one handheld communications device, and the Pearl makes this easier than ever.
• The Pearl uses the SureType word recognition feature employed by other Blackberry candy-bar-shaped devices, so if you hated SureType on those, you’ll hate it on the Pearl, too. I’ve become adept at it and more than willingly to trade off small size over a full keyboard.
• Yes, it takes time to get accustomed to using the trackball. As with any mouse or trackball or other pointing device, precision usage is difficult. I’m now used to it. The one permanent drawback: With the trackwheel on the 7100c or the 7130g, I could select text or multiple emails with one hand (by depressing the <alt> key and then turning the trackwheel); with the trackball, I now need to use two.
• The camera is of mediocre quality. The primary deficiency I find is that it takes effort to stabilize the camera for a non-blurry image. Also, on the few occasions I don’t lock the phone, I’ve taken pictures inadvertently due to the placement of the camera button on the side. I have some great shots of the inside of my pocket. Despite these drawbacks, I’m just happy it has a working camera.
• Last, I love that I can now assign pictures and ringtones to each of my family members and friends. My friends thought this was ridiculous to want at first but now are titillated when their songs play when they call.

Overall, despite any drawbacks, I love the Pearl and hope you don’t get one, so I’ll feel that more special.

Headset nirvana. The best, period. It’s pricey, but you get what you pay for. Go out and buy it today.

When it comes to technology gadgets, I’m highly susceptible to the power of suggestion. Having heard about the Jawbone on and off for the past year and then recently hearing a friend rave about his, I finally picked one up from Cingular yesterday.

I’ve struggled for years (yes, struggled, for years) to find the perfect mobile phone headset. This one, I could hear but others couldn’t hear me and vice versa. That one’s sound quality seemed to degrade over time. This one was flimsy and broke easily. Another wouldn’t nest in my ear canal snugly.

My evaluative criteria are: (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) comfort/fit/usability and (3) durability. Among the half dozen or more headsets I’ve tried over the past few years are the Shure QuietSpot, various Jabra models, a Maxell, a Motorola Bluetooth model, Blackberry’s OEM ear bud and other mobile phone OEM ear buds. All have been inadequate for one reason or another. At long last, with the Jawbone, I’m closer to headset nirvana than ever.

Why is it awesome?

Quite simply, the sending and receiving sound quality is outstanding, better than anything else I’ve used. The Jawbone Web site has a video and several audio demonstrations of the difference between transmissions without the “Noise Shield” and transmissions with it. The difference is marked. I’ve called four friends so far; all four agree that I sound clearer and the background noise is lower using the Jawbone than any other headset I’ve used, in their recollection. In particular, the Jawbone appears so far to be effective in minimizing road noise. I experimented with using the Jawbone in my car with the windows down, and listeners could hear just a modicum of road noise in the background and regardless could hear my voice clearly. As for me, I’m happy with the clarity and quality of the sound I’m hearing.

As for other considerations, it took just a minute to “pair” it with my Blackberry Pearl (8100) using Bluetooth. The usability of the Jawbone — the acts of wearing it and using it — takes a small amount of experience but is perfectly acceptable. With regard to durability, only time will tell.

How does the technology work?

The User’s Guide explains that the noise reduction comes from “sensors, software, and ergonomic features.” “Directional” microphone sensors detect voice activity; my understanding is that the sensors collect sound/vibration. Algorithm-based software processes all of the signals into the microphone to remove background noise from the outgoing speech signal. The sensors and software also collect and adjust the volume and frequency content of incoming speech to “maximize intelligibility in any noisy environment.”

Other details & specifications

According to the User’s Guide:

• Talk time: 6 hours
• Standby time: 120 hours
• Range: <33 feet (10 meters)
• Compatibility: Bluetooth 1.1 or 1.2

Are there any drawbacks?

Yes, of course:

• Listeners tell me my voice sounds a bit “tinny.” I think this is a consequence of the digital processing, and I’m okay with the sacrifice given the tremendously good sound clarity.
• The price: ~U.S. $120 retail.
• The fit may not be universal. The package includes four around-the-ear loops (standard & long, left & right) and five ear buds. For me, for all of the ear loops, the distance between the loop and the ear bud is too small. The effect is that if I use the ear loop, it pulls the ear bud out of my ear canal so that it rests just outside of and partly behind it. I’ve dispensed with the ear loop and found one of the buds that will allow me to simply insert the device in my ear. I’ll see over time whether it will stay put without the ear loop.
• Putting the headset on is not easy at first. My friend taught me how to slide the bottom of the ear loop around the top of my ear flap. It works but takes some practice.
• It’s not particularly easy to switch back between the headset and the handset. I find this a common problem among all wireless headsets.

On balance, the sound fidelity is so good it dwarfs any negatives.

Where can you get it?

No sales channels are 100% reliable at the moment.

• eBay: Shamelessly, I’d recommend eBay. I just searched on eBay and saw over 70 listings for Jawbones.
• Jawbone Web site: Indicates Aliph’s (the manufacturer’s) direct sales channel inventory is sold out.
• Cingular: I heard that Cingular is marketing the product but that Aliph’s production is lagging a bit, so Cingular stores sell out within a day of stocking them. You can call different stores to ask when shipments are arriving and ask for units to be placed on hold for you once they arrive.

I knew nothing about the Jawbone’s relative scarcity when I walked into a random Cingular store yesterday and asked for two Jawbones. They were surprised I “knew” the store had them in stock, because they had been sold out for weeks and a new shipment had arrived just that afternoon! Lucky me. I bought two, one for me and one for a friend. A new shipment arrived today, so I’m picking up two more for friends in London who don’t otherwise have access.Jawbone is the product of Aliph, a San Francisco-based company. As a Bay Area resident, I like supporting the local economy, too. Check out http://www.jawbone.com/