The top of the game

When it comes to Bluetooth headsets Jawbone is at the top of the game.  Their active noise cancellation tech is probably one of the best in the business and from a form factor standpoint they’re as a rule cutting edge.  So how does a company of that sort stay in the game without releasing a brand new product every year?  Simple.  You follow Apple’s model and release a slight iteration of a previous product.  We’re not complaining, even though, because the ICON HD looks to be a justifiable update that gives the end user more bang for their buck.

First off, Jawbone has increased the size of the speaker by 25%, equating to better sound, even though we’re not sure about volume.  They’ve as well made the ICON HD compatible with PCs, allowing users to takes calls from VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or listen to music stored on their machine.  This is accomplished by including a mini-USB plug, something Jawbone is calling the NERD.  Thanks to multipoint innovation it’s able to simultaneously pair with a smartphone and a computer, and can seamlessly switch between audio and calls.

And much like all of Jawbone’s latest headsets, the ICON HD includes their military-grade NoiseAssassin 2.5 research to kill background noise.

THE NERDTM AND COMPANION FOR ANDROID?

JAWBONE® INTRODUCES ICON HD + THE NERDTM AND COMPANION FOR ANDROID? ICON HD + The NERD Lets You Listen to Hi-Def Audio Across Multiple Devices, Mobile & Computer, With One Headset, Wire-Free during Jawbone COMPANION for ANDROID Makes it Easy to Live Hands- Free and Stay on Top of Your Schedule, Battery Life, and Conference Calls ?SAN FRANCISCO - August 30, 2011 - Jawbone®, an innovator of products and services for the mobile lifestyle, today unveiled ICON HD + The NERD and Jawbone Companion for Android, a set of new products and updates to help people get the most out of a mobile & PC hands-free audio experience. Jawbone ICON HD is a headset that offers the richest HD audio and, with The NERD, it brings plug & play connectivity to any USB-equipped computer. Using them at the same time, you can simultaneously connect with any two devices and seamlessly switch between audio and calls. The ICON HD + The NERD bundle sells for $139. Jawbone Companion for Android is available now as a free download from the Android Market.

“Users want one headset to aggregate the music, movies, games, and other audio content found in the devices they use every day,” said Travis Bogard, vice president of product management and strategy. “Our goal at Jawbone is to design mobile products that give you ultimate wireless freedom, and thatʼs specifically what these new products deliver. ICON HD + The NERD lets you wirelessly listen to media from your Mac or PC and transition across multiple devices without skipping a beat. Jawbone Companion makes the idea of being in fact hands-free a reality by automatically notifying and connecting you to meetings and calls throughout the day.”

The companyʼs previous award-winning ICON line

One Headset for EverythingJawbone ICON HD is based on the companyʼs previous award-winning ICON line, and updated with the rich HD- quality speakers that users love from the latest Jawbone ERA line of headsets. ICON HD boasts a 25% larger wideband speaker than the original ICON offering the richest, most life-like and clear sound in Hi-Definition audio as you talk on the phone, listen to music, watch movies and play games.

ICON HD as well delivers on Jawbone?s legacy of unique noise-cancelling expertise with military-grade NoiseAssassin® 2.5 research. For the first time, the headset lets you control your media playback with AVRCP play & pause, allowing you to listen to a podcast on your walk to work and pause it with the touch of a button when the barista is ready to take your morning coffee order.

Wire-FreeTM USB AudioThe NERD is a Wire-Free USB audio adapter that makes connecting the ICON HD to any USB-equipped device as visceral as plugging in headphones, however without the mess of cords. As shortly as you plug The NERD into any USB port, it will automatically register as a USB audio device and connect to your ICON HD headset so that you can listen to music, watch videos, play games or take VoIP calls - no software downloads required, no hassle of Bluetooth setup. It as well allows you to adjust volume on both your headset and via the master volume control on your Mac or PC.

Jawbone Companion for Android is Jawboneʼs latest application for Android users to keep them connected to their mobile devices, completely hands-free, in situations that matter the most. The application allows Android users to view their headsetʼs remaining battery life on their phone, and dial-in to conference calls on their calendar, directly from their Jawbone headset. No more back and forth between emails to find your conference callʼs dial-in number and passcode - Jawbone Companion announces, with a whisper in your ear, when you have a scheduled call, and with the push of a button, enters all your dial-in information.

Previously, Jawbone Companion was in a limited phone Beta with interest and support from over 20,000 testers verifying phone compatibility and providing feedback. With this feedback, Jawbone has released a general available version that provides users with features they want during supporting several Android devices and more on the way. For a complete list of compatible Android devices, please go to Jawbone.com/Companion.

For more information, images and product demos on ICON HD + The NERD as so then as Jawbone Companion for Android, please visit: www.Jawbone.com/Press, MyTALK.Jawbone.com, or follow @Jawbone on Twitter.

Grew up back East, got sick of the cold and headed West. Since I was small I have been pushing buttons - both electronic and human. With an insatiable need for tech I thought "why not start a blog focusing on research, and use my dislikes and likes to post on gadgets."