Jawbone: The Un-Noisy Headset

The least-techie friend I have in the whole world called me yesterday to announce that she was standing next to her home's generator (which was making a racket), but that wasn't about to stop her from talking on the phone. "My husband bought me this Jawbone Bluetooth headset," she announced giddily, "it sounds like I'm standing right next to you and talking. It's the best present he ever bought me."

This is not the kind of woman who gets demonstrable about much, never mind tech, so I listened.

What makes this headset different than the others is its attractive design and comfort, for sure, but, more importantly, it's the military-grade noise canceling technology that adjusts your call's volume after measuring the ambient noise around you. Jawbone's Noise Shield technology eliminates background noise and at the same time it adjusts the speaker's output to your caller's voice.

The company says that its proprietary voice sensors identify when you're the one doing the speaking, separating your voice from the noise. Because it uses directional microphones and proprietary audio signaling algorithms, you don't have to yell to be heard above the din.

Visit the Aliph Jawbone web site and take a listen to this compelling demo that pits the Jawbone against environmental obstacles including a construction site, a sports arena, and the sound of sirens. Gina Hughes looked at Jawbone back in February, but when a woman and her boiler offer this sort of testimonial, it deserves a second look. Too bad it's only available from Cingular (though it works with all Bluetooth enabled phones), a few trendy boutiques and online. It costs about $120. (Husbands, take note. Mother's Day is fast approaching.)