If you live in a busy urban area and spend your time engulfed in crowds of people on the street, or bumping into the masses on the subway, it’s probably not a terrible idea to be a little extra cautious with your wallet. You never know when your pockets might get picked. But there’s cautious, and then there’s downright paranoid, which I think can be said of anyone who drops $825 on this biometrically protected wallet from Dunhill.
The wallet can only be opened by swiping your fingerprint, so while would-be thieves might be able to get their hands on it, they won’t be able to open it. And attempts to crack it open will be mostly thwarted by its sleek carbon fiber outer shell. I mean it’s not completely indestructible, but it should be frustrating enough to deter most people. The Biometric Wallet can even let you know if it’s been taken or forgotten thanks to a Bluetooth link to your phone which sounds an alarm if the two are more than 5 meters apart. On the inside you’ll find a real leather finish with a stainless steel money clip, but I’d expect nothing less when they’re asking almost $1,000 for it.
It’s hard to find fault with Apple’s own wireless Bluetooth keyboard, but if you’d prefer to punch away at something designed by Nintendo instead, this is the first pic of the keyboard accessory that will be included with the upcoming Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS. The game is basically the same idea as those Mavis Beacon programs you might have used in school to learn how to properly type, but with more entertaining challenges, and a sure-fire way to keep kids interested; Pokemon!
Since the DS is lacking in Bluetooth connectivity the actual Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS game cart will include the necessary Bluetooth hardware (at least that’s how I interpret Google’s translation of Nintendo’s Press Release) which means the keyboard can’t be used with other titles that require typing. However, while Nintendo won’t guarantee everything is smooth sailing, the keyboard apparently also works just fine with the iPhone and Android based smartphones. The game and keyboard are slated to hit store shelves in Japan in April, though pricing info, and availability outside Japan, is still unknown.
A new firmware update for the Sony Ericsson LiveView promises to address the Bluetooth connection errors that soured our review of the companion display. Confirmed incoming back in December, the update tweaks the “most identified reasons” for the LiveView’s random disconnects, something that users told us was more than problem than simply our review unit.
It also boosts the number of supported simultaneous plugins to 30 – handy, since Sony Ericsson says there are now more than 30 on offer in the Android Market – and causes of random reboots and crashes have also been addressed. More information on the update here; let us know how you get on in the comments.
Improved stability in the phone application (update available on Android Market since some weeks ago)
Improved plug-in handling and limit of number of installed plug-ins raised to 30.
Connection stability improved – most identified reasons for random disconnects should be fixed now.
There were some cases of random reboots reported, and all those reported crashes have now been resolved.
Compatibility with competitor phones is greatly improved, both in regards to stability and to battery life time.
Automatic reconnect when coming back in range improved.
Today is Plantronics 50th anniversary as a company. I was at their corporate headquarters to join in the celebration, which included American hero Buzz Aldrin as a guest speaker. As a part of the celebration they launched two new products and then took a few of us to see their industrial design labs which included the infamous wall of ears. This wall is not just famous it is IN-famous (kudos to the commenter who ID’s this movie quote.)
This wall contains rubber molds of ears of every size, shape and form they could possibly throw together in order to cover as wide a range of ear shapes possible. Plantronics tests all new headset designs rigorously in order to put on the market the most comfortable headset for all shape and sized ears. Ears are notoriously difficult to create a mass market product for due to the level of inconsistency in human ear shapes. This wall is the “database” Plantronics has created in order to hit as many variables in headset design possible.
Each row of ears has been given a name to represent a shape and the other which percentile of the human race that particular shape and size fit into. It is fascinating how much goes into designing a headset that is comfortable for every member of the human race. For what its worth Plantronics demonstrated to me how much effort and research they put into designing the most comfortable headset one can wear.
The folks at Plantronics are celebrating their 50th anniversary by announcing some brand new communication devices, software, and services. Amongst them, two items stand out: the Voyager PRO UC Bluetooth headset and the Calisto 825 speakerphone set. In addition to these two, a Plantronics Unified Communications Toolkit has been announced, “the industry’s first” totally complete set of tools, training, and documentation “for expanding the growth of unified communications solutions. Ken Kannappan, president and chief executive officer at Plantronics, notes the following: “We want to end the pain-points that people experience when trying to stay connected at work or home. We think everyone – from consumers to mobile professionals to the business world- should be able to simply communicate regardless of device or location. We want to deliver innovative products with uncompromising quality, an ideal experience and extraordinary service so everyone can simply communicate.”
The Voyager PRO UC Bluetooth headset will ring in at $199.95, and features a revolution in mobile phone and PC communications via some excellent smart sensor technology. Using advanced technology to make your whole entire experience completely simple this headset appears to be one that you just slide in and use.
The Calisto 800 Series, in particular the 825 (ringing up at $259.95) enables you to use multi-device hands-free connectivity with visual call management with a user interface they say is totally intuitive. Made specifically well for working with Microsoft Office Communicator and Lync, this device and it’s 800 family were made for private and home office workers who’ve just gotta have multiple communication devices (me! us!) to work and collaborate effectively. The Calisto 825 also manages calls between a PC and a mobile phone, and features a unique wireless mic that’s got unparalleled speakerphone audio quality and freedom of movement.
Check out the full press release below:
Plantronics Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation and Unveils New Unified Communications Products and Services
The Award Winning Voyager PRO UC, the New Calisto 825 and New UC Toolkit Accelerate Unified Communications Adoption and Deployments
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced new additions to its Unified Communications portfolio that span communication devices, software, and services. Plantronics is delivering a vision of smarter, more intuitive communications and pioneering the next generation of mobile communications devices and technologies to help people stay connected regardless of location or device. Plantronics celebrates its 50 year milestone with a look to the future by offering the new Plantronics UC Toolkit, the industry’s first complete set of tools, training and documentation for expanding the growth of unified communications solutions and two new flagship products for the UC market, VoyagerTM PRO UC and Calisto® 825, also announced today.
The company’s celebration will be held at an event filled with customers, partners, industry influencers and employees at company headquarters in Santa Cruz, Calif. The guest of honor is world famous astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin who was wearing a Plantronics headset when he managed the Apollo mission that heralded the first moonwalk nearly 42 years ago. Aldrin will be joined on stage with Plantronics CEO Ken Kannappan to honor the heritage of the industry pioneer and celebrate continued innovation. The event will be streamed live online and replays can be seen here:http://www.plantronics.com/launch/
“This is a pivotal time in Plantronics history as we celebrate the half century mark and embark upon an exciting time of innovation and industry leadership. It’s an ideal time to introduce the world to our vision of Simply Smarter CommunicationsTM,” said Ken Kannappan, president and chief executive officer at Plantronics. “We want to end the pain-points that people experience when trying to stay connected at work or home. We think everyone – from consumers to mobile professionals to the business world- should be able to simply communicate regardless of device or location. We want to deliver innovative products with uncompromising quality, an ideal experience and extraordinary service so everyone can simply communicate.”
Simply Smarter CommunicationsTM
Behind the Vision
The “office” has transformed from four walls, a desk and a computer, to something much more fluid, mobile and familiar. No matter the location – home, airport, coffee shop or café – today’s distributed workforce requires instant access to information and people. People want solutions that save time, so they can conduct their business with more productivity and efficiency. Plantronics is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of this new world and create the “hub” for communications, whether users want to communicate via PC or mobile phones, deskphones or softphones.
Industry Supports the Vision
Today’s event will be filled with Plantronics executives, customers, partners, industry influencers and employees. Industry leaders Avaya®, Cisco® and Microsoft® will be speaking on the importance of unified communications in the enterprise and how Plantronics and they are working together to offer customers solution to simply communicate.
Plantronics UC Toolkit
Available today, the new Plantronics UC Toolkit is a portfolio of IT best practices, guidelines, recommendations, and training tools that encompass the entire lifecycle of a unified communications implementation. The Plantronics UC Toolkit empowers IT organizations so they can have the best UC audio device experience and adoption rates – and ultimately optimize their companies UC investment.
“Now, more than ever, enterprises are embracing the move to unified communications, said Bill Loewenthal, vice president of unified communications at Plantronics. “We created the Plantronics UC Toolkit by leveraging best practices learned through helping our customers deploy UC solutions. The only resource of its kind, the UC Toolkit is designed to arm and empower IT professionals with the best information to meet the demands of today’s business world. With the introduction of the Plantronics UC Toolkit, we are extending our legacy of 50 years of innovation to help our customers embrace our vision of Simply Smarter Communications.”
Plantronics Expands Product Portfolio for Unified Communications
The next generation award-winning Voyager PRO UC Bluetooth headset, announced today, revolutionizes mobile phone and PC communications through smart sensor technology. It uses advanced hardware and software that seamlessly eliminate communication complexity by detecting presence, integrating with your PC applications, and dramatically enhancing the headset experience.
The Calisto 800 Series, also announced today, are the first speakerphones in Plantronics’ unified communications product portfolio that combine multi-device hands-free connectivity with intuitive visual call management. Optimized for use with Microsoft® Office Communicator and LyncTM, these products were designed for private and home office workers who depend on multiple communication devices to collaborate effectively. The Calisto 800 Series also includes the Calisto 825, which manages calls between a PC and a mobile phone. The Calisto 825 features a unique wireless microphone that provides unparalleled speakerphone audio quality and freedom of movement.
Please visit www.plantronics.com/calisto to learn more.
Safe Harbor
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements relating to Unified Communications (”UC”) and our Voyager Pro UC and Calisto 800 series. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated are: (i) UC solutions may not be adopted with the breadth and speed in the marketplace that we currently anticipate and (ii) our plans are dependent upon adoption of our UC solution by major platform providers such as Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel, and IBM, and we have a limited ability to influence such providers with respect to the functionality of their platforms, their rate of deployment, and their willingness to integrate their platforms with our solutions. For more information concerning these and other possible risks, please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, 2010, quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, particularly the sections entitled “Risk Factors,” “Certain Forward-Looking Information” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as recent press releases. Plantronics undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they were made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
The iPhone 4 will hit Verizon before you know it and there will be a bunch of new users out shopping for cases and accessories for the devices. Accessory makers are probably giddy with anticipation since many of the cases on the market for the AT&T iPhone won’t fit the Verizon offering.
If you want a Bluetooth headset and a case the cool MoGo Talk XD2 (PDF) from ID8 Mobile might be perfect for you. This is a case that offers protection for both of the iPhone 4 smartphones on the market and has a hump on its back that hides a Bluetooth headset. The headset folds flat to only 5mm thick when not in use and it charges while docked on the back of the case.
Looking at the side of the case, the volume buttons are covered by what appears to be silicone. I wonder how the case works with both smartphones. The universal cases I have seen have a large opening that will work for either device. The XD2 will land on February 3 and will cost $99.99.
Pioneer has outed a pair of new in-car stereos, the MVH-8300BT and MVH-7300, which each prioritize external digital media sources like iPods and iPhones. Each has a 3-inch LCD TFT display and a 7-way rotary controller; the button backlighting and wallpaper can be customized to match your dashboard, too.
Inputs include USB, an SD card slot and an aux-in, and if you hook up your iPod or iPhone you can see album art, playlists, videos and other content on the Pioneer’s display. There’s also App Mode, which displays content from third-party iOS apps on the head-unit, as long as those apps have some sort of video output support.
There’s MP3, WMA and AAC support, and up to 32GB SDHC cards can be read; Pioneer also throws in an 8-band equalizer and various audio DSP tech to tweak the best out of compressed music. Finally, the MVH-8300BT gets Parrot Bluetooth hands-free. No word on pricing or availability at this stage.
I recently started using one of Jawbone’s ICON Bluetooth headsets after switching from a competitor’s product, and while I try and stay impartial when it comes to technology, let’s just say my eyes, or more appropriately my ears, have seen the light. But as is often the case, right after you upgrade one of your toys something newer immediately comes along, and in this case it’s Jawbone’s new ERA Bluetooth headset.
It’s got all of the features that have made Jawbone’s Bluetooth headsets popular so far including the latest version of their military-grade NoiseAssassin 3.0 technology which cancels out noise and wind so the person on the other end of a call can always hear you. And it will auto-adjust the sound of the incoming call as well so that you can always hear the person you’re talking to even in noisy situations. That’s further assisted by a new 10mm wideband speaker in the earpiece which Jawbone claims is 25% larger than the one used in previous models.
But what’s most interesting about the ERA is that Jawbone has given it the power of motion controls thanks to a built-in accelerometer, so it’s like having a little Wiimote sticking out of your ear. But instead of playing bowling, Jawbone’s MotionX technology lets you do things like answer calls by tapping the headset a couple of times, or shake it to automatically go into pairing mode. Nothing incredibly advanced just yet, but the foundation is there to do some really cool stuff later on I think. Available now directly from Jawbone for $129, and at brick and mortar stores in a few days.
Jawbone’s newest Jawbone Bluetooth headset has arrived, the Jawbone ERA, evolving the discrete styling of the ICON and taking its place at the top of the company’s range. There’s more than just good looks promised, though; Jawbone has also slotted in a bigger speaker for HD Audio, together with an accelerometer for more intuitive control. Is it enough to warrant the $129.99 price tag? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
Hardware
The Jawbone ERA is longer than the ICON, which shifts the microphone closer to your mouth, but the physical controls have been streamlined thanks to the addition of an accelerometer. Jawbone call it Motion-X, but it’s basically a way to kick the headset easily into pairing mode – “ShakeShake” – or answer/end calls – “TapTap” – by shaking or tapping the body of the ERA. Power on and shake ERA four or so times and it will automatically go into pairing mode; then, when you’re wearing the headset, a brisk double-tap will answer incoming calls.
Inside there’s Bluetooth 2.1+EDR with headset and hands-free profile support, as well as (mono) A2DP, and Jawbone reckon up to 33 feet range. Multipoint support means the ERA will remember up to eight paired devices, of which two can be simultaneously connected at any one time; that means you can have your cellphone and your laptop paired, and handle voice and VoIP calls with the same headset.
In the box there’s the ERA, four round earbuds for use with the easily-detached ear hook, four different earbuds with integrated rubber hoops for when you don’t want to use the ear hook, a short microUSB cable, carry pouch and a USB AC adapter. Unlike previous Jawbone ear hooks, the loop supplied with ERA is far more flexible which makes for more comfort together with a better fit for those wearing glasses or sunglasses.
Jawbone ERA unboxing and hands-on:
As with ICON, ERA will work with Jawbone’s MyTALK online suite of services to extend the headset beyond merely answering calls. Basically, it’s an app store for your Bluetooth headset, and with ERA Jawbone has boosted the connectivity speed so that updates take seconds rather than minutes. That’s useful, because you can now upload your address book to the headset’s onboard flash storage: whereas on the ICON the caller ID was read out as a number by a synthetic voice, with the ERA you hear the caller’s name (Jawbone ERA’s CallerID Function works with ten contacts that you’ve programmed using MyTALK). read out by a proper voice artist. Jawbone tells us it will be adding further voice artist recordings throughout the life of the headset, so names not initially covered – and which will get the robotic voice – will eventually get the premium treatment. There’s also the usual voice-control, the ability to dictate an SMS or Twitter update by voice, and the ability to send a short voice memo to Jawbone’s Jawbone THOUGHTS app.
Performance
Audio quality lives up to the solid construction of the ERA itself, putting the headset among the best we’ve tested. Jawbone has used a new wideband speaker – supposedly 25-percent larger – for what it calls HD Audio, along with the latest version of its noise-cancelation tech, NoiseAssassin 3.0. The latter adds automatic volume adjustment and intelligent DSP; with normal voice calls and Skype there was little in the way of obvious processing and simply clear, bright sound. When we tested in more noisy environments, however, such as while driving, the processing shifted into gear and was more ruthless at cutting out background sounds. We prefer the ERA’s performance to that of our previous favorite, Plantronics’ Voyager PRO+, and the Jawbone is more discrete in its design as well.
While the ShakeShake pairing system is slick, it’s the tap-to-answer that really makes the ERA straightforward to use. Rather than hunting for a button – or having to press so hard that it hurts your ear or even dislodges the headset – it’s intuitive to gently tap the ERA a couple of times and then start talking. Jawbone tells us that the Motion-X tech on the ERA is simply the first step in how it expects to develop the technology, and the upgrade potential via the MyTALK system means there’s a good chance new motions will be introduced at a later point.
We haven’t had a chance to put battery life to the test properly yet, but will do so over the next week or so. Jawbone claims up to 5.5hrs of talktime or 10 days of standby time.
Wrap-Up
It’s tough not to be impressed by the Jawbone ERA: the HD audio and effective noise-reduction technology take care of the core functionality, around which the solid build quality, innovative use of an accelerometer, and comfortable fit add up to an all-round winner. Jawbone definitely seems to be listening to feedback, and given the upgradable nature of the ERA we’re hopeful the MyTALK platform will mean future software modifications aren’t solely preserved for new headsets.
At $129.99 – available in Shadowbox, Smokescreen, Midnight and Silver Lining finishes – it’s in the premium price range, but the functionality means you’re getting one of the best performing devices for your money. We’d opt for the ERA over the $99.99 Jawbone ICON (which will remain on sale alongside the new flagship) for its boosted HD Audio performance and easier control.
With a fantastic Bluetooth headset on the market and a pumpin’ portable speaker to blast out jams, how could Jawbone improve their product lineup? Well, we still think a stereo headset might be swell… but that’s not what the company delivered today. No, this is the Jawbone Era, the world’s first Bluetooth earpiece with a built-in accelerometer for motion-sensing apps, and plenty more improvements where that came from. There’s a new version of the company’s NoiseAssassin noise-canceling algorithms that adjusts inbound volume and equalization to let you hear better, an extra-large 10mm cone speaker with a larger range of frequencies, two processors, more memory, and an hour of extra battery life compared to the Jawbone Icon, to be specific. With only two motions currently recognized — a double-tap to begin / end / switch calls and a rapid shake to pair — the accelerometer’s a bit of a gimmick for now, but Jawbone suggests more gestures are probably on the way. In the meanwhile, the other advancements might make the Era worth the price of entry — which is $130, by the by.
We’ve spent about five hours with the headset already, listening to music and taking calls, and while the accelerometer seems almost wasted at present, there’s no discounting that new 10mm driver and the audio it can pump out. While no substitute for a set of quality dedicated earbuds, it sounded worlds better than the Jawbone Icon’s tiny, tinny drum, and playing Pandora tracks we no longer felt an overpowering desire to take it out of our ear — making a cyborg existence all the more bearable, we suppose. We’ll bring you a full review soon, but if you’re already sold, you’ll find four different Era designs on sale at Jawbone’s online store… oh, right about now. PR after the break.
