Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 25, 2008 6:36:27 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Bluetooth Gets a Makeover

Posted May 15, 08 2:19 PM CDT in Technology 

(Newser) – As more states push “hands-free” rules on drivers, ridiculous-looking wireless headsets only get more common. But two firms, Aliph and Plantronics, are attempting to address that. While the Wall Street Journal’s Walter Mossberg finds the “jewelry-esque” makeover of both models pleasing, it’s the functionality of Aliph’s Jawbone that most impresses him.

The Jawbone has a feature, dramatically called “noise assassin,” that identifies your voice through vibrations in your skull, allowing the microphone to cancel out extraneous sound. The technology allows for clear calls while standing next to a vacuum cleaner or loud trucks. Lacking any such feature, Plantronics’ Discovery is useless in loud environments.

Source Wall Street Journal

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • iPhone Mania Gets Under Way Across Asia

    Jul 10, 08 9:54 PM CDT
    iPhone Mania Gets Under Way Across Asia The new iPhone model went on sale in the Asia-Pacific region, with throngs at one Tokyo store counting down the last 30 seconds in unison. The celebration is part of a global rollout in 22 nations of the 3G, or third-generation, wireless connecting iPhone, an upgrade of the model that went on sale last year in the US and several other nations. The phone goes on sale in the US at 8am tomorrow in each time zone. More »

  • Cellphone Sales Drop

    May 20, 08 2:35 AM CDT
    Cellphone Sales Drop The cellphone market is experiencing a significant sales slide, with the most serious decline so far among lower-income users, reports the Wall Street Journal. Studies reveal first quarter sales dips ranging from 5% to  22%. Analysts expect growth to slow even further. The market may be reaching saturation with 83% of Americans owning cellphones. More »

  • Parents Get the Text Message

    Apr 11, 08 8:42 AM CDT
    Parents Get the Text Message Moms are leading the charge in taking text messaging beyond the teen set. Adolescents and adults in their forties and fifties are the two most active groups sending texts, the Washington Post reports. In the past two years, texting increased 130% among people 45 to 54, while text-saturated teens saw only a 41% bump. More »

  • Bluetooth to Combine With Wi-Fi

    Feb 11, 08 12:47 PM CST
    Bluetooth to Combine With Wi-Fi Bluetooth companies plan to combine the technology with Wi-Fi to increase speed, an industry group said. The combination could facilitate the speedy transfer of large amounts of data—like music, pictures, or video—between devices, like your laptop and cellphone. The first products with the combined technology should be available in the middle of next year, reports AP. More »

  • Cell Phone Can Read to the Blind

    Jan 30, 08 7:19 PM CST
    Cell Phone Can Read to the Blind A new cell phone can read aloud to people with impaired vision—and at 4 ounces, it's the smallest such device ever made, NPR reports. The $2,000 phone can help with the myriad daily tasks that seeing people take for granted, like identifying a $20 bill. "All you have to do is snap a picture,” said a blind product demonstrator. More »

The new model of Aliph's Jawbone.   (Aliph)
The Plantronics Discovery.   (Plantronics)
A model shows off Aliph's Jawbone.   (Aliph)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

cell phones  • technology  • noise  • Bluetooth  • jawbone


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »