By Andrew Liszewski
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 ERA ]
