Walk into any store in Hong Kong that sells mobile phones and you'll be greeted by a bewildering array of accessories - especially, Bluetooth headsets. Unusually, the headset creating the most buzz in the United States isn't for sale in local shops yet. It is called the Jawbone and was created by San Francisco-based mobile audio product developer Aliph.
The Jawbone is easily the best-looking Bluetooth headset on the market. Credit goes to Aliph creative director Yves Behar, the founder of renowned industrial design studio Fuseproject, also in San Francisco, for its chic design. People like to joke that Bluetooth headsets are not fashion accessories, but the Jawbone - available in black, silver and red - could be one.
All the right noises The Jawbone's appeal isn't merely its looks. Aliph's marketing slogan, 'Noise is nothing', refers to the company's revolutionary Noise Shield technology, which Jawbone employs, a feature that eliminates all ambient noise when you're on a call.
The Jawbone package includes four different ear loops and the same number of earpiece sets, so all users should be able to find a comfortable fit. It also has a wall charger and a USB charging cable. The earpiece has only two buttons, each of which serves multiple functions, but it's easy to familiarise yourself with these. The volume control, meanwhile, is awkward, as it requires the repeated pressing of a single button. It cycles in only one direction, up to the loudest setting, before returning to the lowest. However, this should pose problems only for someone who constantly adjusts the volume.
Hear yourself think Pairing the Jawbone with my mobile phone was quick and easy. In terms of noise reduction, I haven't made any calls standing next to construction sites or men using leaf blowers but I made a conference call from home, with my dogs barking away in the background, and no one on the other end commented about the noise. For my part, I was able to hear people talking into a speakerphone with excellent clarity. So far, I'm impressed.
