Intelligence – JAMBOX syncs with MyTALK, Jawbone’s online app platform to download software upgrades and features such as LiveAudio, a three-dimensional listeneing experience. Jambox is beautifully sculpted stainless steel grills and thick rubber casing are works of art that always arouse the curiosity of anyone that sees it on my desk. If it didn’t say Jawbone on it, I would swear that it was Bang & Olufsen.

Functionality – JAMBOX has a built-in microphone that turns a call into a room filling conference call anywhere. One thing to remember is that the JAMBOX mic is where you need to talk. I kept finding myself trying to talk to Siri on my iPhone 4s 10 feet away in the office and wondering why she couldn’t understand my commands. When talking closer to the JAMBOX, Siri voice controls worked flawlessly.

Fun – It was a nice little Wednesday & the Jam Chain are a must see. I’m plugging in now to get my free Jam Chain.

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The Xoom is a 10.1 inch touchscreen tablet with front and back cameras, stereo speakers, and 1280×800 (WXGA) resolution.   It’s all black housing has excellent grip in your hands and the weight feels solid, but not too heavy.  I’ve tested it out this past week and used it in place of my iPad which I’ve been using for the past year.  Apart from specific Apple apps that I’ve become accustomed to using on a regular basis, the Xoom enabled me to be just as productive.  The lack of uniformity between Android device makers means that not every app works on every device.  I downloaded and installed 23 apps from Marketplace and not one of them crashed during this test period.

The power/lock button is on the back next to one of the stereo speakers, 2 led flash, and 5MP HD camera.  Holding down the power button, the Xoom boots fairly quickly.  Holding the Xoom it’s clearly designed so that your left index finger is used to power on and off.  The Speaker grills were prone to catching lint from my carpet, but was easily removed with a piece of sticky tape.  The sound and volume from the speakers was surprisingly louder then my iPad and helped with immersion into games and movies.  Keeping the volume just below maximum produced the best resultstoo loud and tones started to have noticeable distortion.  The 5MP HD Camera  recorded both video and still photos,  the flash worked great in low light settings, but photos had a slight blue-ish tinge to them.  There are apps to edit photos , but I’d much prefer getting as close to true to life color from the start.  Video was comparable to any smartphone out there today but at 9.8inches wide, 6.6 inches tall, and 1.6lbs, it wasn’t the most convenient size for a video camera.  The large size did make for steadier videos then a smart phone or point and shoot compact camera.

Volume up and down buttons nestled in the upper left hand side are easy to find and are recessed slightly into the Xoom to prevent accidental button pushes.

On the bottom is the micro HDMI port for Video out, Micro USB  2.0, and wall charger.  The wall charger reminded me of old school Nokia phones in England with an ultra thin pin that makes you very nervous about breaking it off.  As a personal preference, I would have loved to see USB charging as well.

3.5mm headphone jack in the top center bezel, and Sim Card Tray offset to the right holding a plastic fake sim that says it’s for Verizon LTE 4G Sim card.

To put the form factor into perspective I’ve placed the Motorola Xoom next to an iPad.  Both are on full brightness for comparison.  In marketplace, the Xoom would not rotate vertically.

What’s inside that beautiful black housing?  The Motorla Xoom houses a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processer, 1Gb of DDR@ Ram, and 32GB of internal storage.  WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, and an LTE SIM slot for 4G networks (when available).  Plenty of horsepower to run videos, apps, and the most memory intensive games available.  There is a built in digital compass, gyroscope, GPS, light sensor, accelerometer, and barometer.  Plenty of add-ons for the most creative developer to incorporate into revolutionary apps.   Navigation was incredibly fast and smooth (a testament to the Tegra 2 processor and RAM).  I used the Xoom for 2 days checking emails, watching YouTube videos, playing Angry Birds and other games, and the battery still wasn’t drained.    Honeycomb was an amazing experience upgrade from my old HTC Hero running Froyo.    Gaming again loads of fun and the touchscreen responded to swipes, gestures and taps very quickly.  The front facing 2-megapixel camera was great for Google Talk and produced a video chat experience equal to my iPad2.

Live wallpapers and customization of the 5 home screens with widgets sets this apart from Apple’s standardized menu screens.

Angry Birds, enough said.

Google Mail on the Xoom was incredibly easy to navigate and the on screen keyboard was very easy to use.

The internal GPS was very accurate and locked my position in a few seconds turning a normal walk around the block into and exciting new diversion with Google latitude

Glare from the screen was equal to that of a mirror making it completely useless in direct sunlight.  You’ve got to have shade to use this toy.

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Hardware

As is the norm with Jawbone, you get a lot of cool technology in a very tiny package.  The ERA falls right in line with what we are used to seeing in a Jawbone headset and is very similar in look and size to their previous headsets.  In my opinion, beyond the bluetooth headset itself, one of the cooler things that Jawbone does is the way they construct their packaging.  The ERA came as a box within a box and the accessories, such as extra ear buds, a case, and an optional ear hook all come within another small box.  They went all out on the packaging for this headset as you will see in our photo review.

The look of the hardware itself doesn’t bring any major innovations, but for those of us that like Jawbone’s style, you won’t be disappointed with the ERA.  

Comfort

As we’ve seen with so many of Jawbone’s previous headsets, they understand comfort and the ERA is no exception to that.  The headset is very light and after just a little time in your ear, you can easily forget that  it’s there.  Jawbone provides a number of earbuds and an ear hook so you can really customize the way you wear your ERA and find what works best for you.  If you want to maximize your comfort experience, it really is important to test out the various buds to find the ones that fit your ear best.  If you don’t, you’ll never truly appreciate effortless it can be to wear a bluetooth headset.

Sound Quality

Jawbone owns the market when it comes to sound quality.  I’ve been using and testing bluetooth headsets for years and have never come across another headset that can do sound the way Jawbone can.  Their NoiseAssassin technology makes conversation on a bluetooth headset very pleasant and quite for both parties.  Background and wind noise are greatly reduced with this technology.  In almost every case while I was testing the ERA, the person on the other end of the line had no idea that I was talking on a bluetooth headset.  A number of times, I made or received a call while standing outside in light to moderate wind and when I asked if the other person noticed, they all said no.  Even though I can hear the wind blowing around the headset while I was wearing it, the other individual had no idea I was standing outside.

Another area that impressed me with the ERA’s sound quality was in the delivery of their A2DP technology.  I’ve struggled in the past to use a bluetooth headset to listen to music on my computer or to watch a movie on my iPad, but it was simple and provided pretty decent sound quality with the ERA.  I could tell a minor difference in sound quality when using the ERA vs a wired headset, but it wasn’t a great enough difference to turn me off.  The only thing I really missed when listening to music was the depth of bass that you can get from a good set of wired headphones.  The ERA couldn’t match that, but otherwise I was very impressed.

Application Support

Introduced at the release of a previous headset, app support is also available with the ERA.  You can easily change the voice used for notifications and caller ID, you can also add apps that make dialing contacts easier without pulling your phone out of your pocket.  All you have to do to use any of these apps is go to mytalk.jawbone.com, create an account or sign in to an existing account, download jawbone updater the first time you use the service, then decide what you want your ERA to sound like and update away.  It really isn’t complex.  However, on my MacBook, it took me about three attempts of plugging in the headset and unplugging it before the website recognized the device and let me proceed.  It might have something to do with my lack of patience, but more likely it was just acting a little flaky at the time.  I could have been a website, software, or computer issue.  Once it recognized the ERA the first time, I never had another problem.  Updating new voices was simple and only took a few moments.  It isn’t something I would do often, but it is kind of a cool novelty.

Other Features

The ERA has plenty of cool little features beyond the big ones we’ve already listed.  For example, when pairing with an iOS device, you automatically get a battery indicator that visually represents the amount of battery you have left on your Jawbone.  If you are using an Android device, there is an app called Jawbone Companion that gives you the same batter indication, but also gives you the capability of having  voice reminders for calendar events and caller ID can be read to you.  On the web site, you can import contacts from various email clients such as Gmail, then sync your ERA and you’ll have your entire contact list programmed into your headset waiting to be read to you as each individual calls.  Also, with the push of a button, you can hear the time and talk time remaining.  These can all come in handy and I found myself wearing my ERA more knowing that if I didn’t feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I’d still hear what was going on from my Jawbone.

Closing thoughts

Like I said at the beginning, I’m a fan of Jawbone’s hardware.  In fact, I’ve had several Jawbone headsets and have always enjoyed them.  I’m also working on a review of the Jawbone Jambox so stay tuned for that, coming soon.  The ERA’s hardware is appealing, the device is very comfortable, the sound quality is industry leading and the app support is a cool addition.  On those points alone, I would recommend this headset.

Having said that, the headset isn’t perfect.  The maximum battery life available is 5 hours of talk time.  While this should generally be enough for most people, there will be some that might struggle with it.  I found myself charging the headset more frequently than I have with past headsets to ensure that it would be up and running when I needed it.  I never ran into a problem, but it is something worth considering.

Another concern that I had was that for some reason on a few occasions, the calendar and battery indicator notifications were so quiet I couldn’t make out what was being said.  This never occurred on a call or while watching a movie or listening to music, it only happened with notifications, and even then only very rarely.  I spent about an hour trying to figure out if I had missed a setting or if this was a known problem and I was able to find a couple of discussion boards where the exact same problem was mentioned.  Again, this probably isn’t something that would negatively impact most users, but it can be annoying and people should know the problem exists.

With all that in mind, I can very easily recommend this device to anyone that is considering the purchase of a bluetooth headset.  If you’ve never used a Jawbone, you don’t know what you’re missing and you will definitely be able to tell a difference in sound quality when compared to just about any other bluetooth headset on the market.

We really want to hear from you!  What has your experience with Jawbone been like?  Are you thinking about checking one out?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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haven’t been able to part with my Motorola HT820′s. I love the HT820′s

comfort and range but they aren’t your everyday walk-and-talk headset.

Hardware

This super sleek, clean headset is probably the most simple device I’ve ever

used. There’s only one button. After having used it for a while now, I do

wish they would’ve included a volume rockers. However, I’m not sure how that

would compromise the current experience. Which leads into best part of this

headset…

Comfort

The comfort of this device is second to none. The small size and simplicity

of it makes it very lite to carry in your ear. Often when I’m wearing my

Icon, I forget that I have it on! Each Icon package comes with multiple ear

piece attachments allowing the ‘wearer’ to really get the most out of the

experience.

Sound Quality

The Icon comes with Jawbone’s ‘military-grade NoiseAssassin’. While the

name sounds like something out of a comic book, you and whomever you’re

talking with will enjoy agreat conversation. The noise reduction technology

works perfect in all situations. Even with a bit of wind, the sound quality

in and out is amazing.

Application Support

Jawbone has built into their website a hub of sorts allowing you to

customize your Icon. With different personalities and apps, you can make it

sound like Superman is right there in your headset helping you dial your

favorite friend with a quick touch of the button. Along with a few other

paid services, you’re able to tailor your Icon to what makes it ‘yours’.

Miscellaneous

While the Icon has great comfort and sound quality, I really felt like it

was lacking in all the little areas. For example, while using the device at

home, I noticed I was unable to walk around without encountering some sort

of interference. Just being one floor directly beneath the device I noticed

problems with the connection. Also, the built-in functionality isn’t really

comparable to other devices. From my experience with the Icon, I was unable

to do voice dialing or tell it what song I wanted to listen to. And, to be

honest, the custom voice applications you can install on the device get

quite old.

Closing Thoughts

This device is perfect for those that are just looking for a headset that

answer calls, make calls and play a little bit of music with your device at

your side. It’s more for those concerned with comfort rather than

functionality. Being in same price range as other devices like the Blueant

Q2, the limited ranged and built in functionality really limits what you can

do with your Icon and puts it a step behind other devices on the market.

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An installation prototype Emily Gobeille and  Theo Watson put together with the libfreenect Kinect drivers and ofxKinect.  The system is doing skeleton tracking on the arm and determining where the shoulder, elbow, and wrist is, using it to control the movement and posture of the giant funky bird!  Imagine all of the creative applications in entertainment and education.   Amazing  work Theo and Emily,  please pitch the concept to games makers.  If Jim Henson’s Muppets become available in a game, I’ll be the first one to buy it.

Speed project – made in a day using openFrameworks and libFreenect.
Concept and Production by design-io.com

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The pen-like grip feels very natural and comfortable for users to pick up.   Initially it’s such a different grip that it feels a little alien.  After using it a few times that foreign feeling disappears and it becomes such a natural grip that I now think of traditional mice as very uncomfortable to hold.   The only downside of this design is that it’s currently made for right handed users.  Southpaws will have to wait for now, but it sounds like there is one in development.  Connection to my Windows 7 PC and MAC were extremely easy.  No downloads or software installation was necessary.   You just plug it in, wait for the OS to recognize it and you are ready to go.  The best feature of the Swiftpoint Mouse was the scrolling function.  The tilt to scroll function is by far the coolest feature of this mouse.  There is a large scroll wheel on the right hand side.  You simply angle the mouse 45degrees to the right and roll up or down to scroll.  It is fantastic when surfing news sites/blogs or other websites that have lots of content on tall pages.  Range exceeded 20feet which makes this mouse perfect to use during presentations.
The mouse comes with a tiny USB receiver/charger.  It’s got some magnets on top that hold the mouse when docked and complete the electrical connections.  In the past 9 days that I’ve been using it, I have not needed to charge it yet.  Depending on the laptop that you are using, docking the swiftpoint mouse will blocked some of the other USB connectors.  Swiftpoint claim that this design is 30 to 40 percent more efficient than a touchpad.  I’m pretty amazing at using a touchpad after years of practice.  I would not say that I’m 30% faster with the Swiftpoint mouse as it’s a very subjective dependent on the individual user’s skill.  I rate this device as a 5/5 in both design and functionality.  Pick one up yourself,  you will never go back to a trackpad once you have one.

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How would other global industries like Technology, finance & manufacturing change if they operated like the fashion industry?  Clearly this is completely hypothetical, but thinking about it does bring up some very interesting talking points.

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