ALIPH INTRODUCES NEW JAWBONE BLUETOOTH HEADSET WITH NOISEASSASSIN
TECHNOLOGY AT AT&T STORES NATIONWIDE
Humanistic and Minimalist Design Has Ten Times Better Voice Clarity than
Competitors
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 15, 2008 – Aliph, the established market leader in
noise eliminating Bluetooth headsets, today introduced the new Jawbone
Bluetooth headset. In the tradition of bringing together science and
beauty, the new Jawbone design is 50% smaller than the original
award-winning Jawbone, and features breakthrough noise elimination
technology to provide even better voice quality than the original in a
smaller and more ergonomic package. It is available today exclusively at
AT&T retail stores and at www.jawbone.com or www.wireless.att.com.
Bluetooth headset shipments are predicted to top 120 million units
worldwide in 2009. With over 60% of new phones in North America shipping
with Bluetooth, and hands-free driving legislation in effect in five states
and the District of Columbia by July 1st, the new Jawbone combines
unparalleled form and function just in time to appeal to a broad and
growing consumer audience.
The Best Just Got Better
The new Jawbone headset is the next step in the marriage of best in class
noise elimination science with a personal design that is both humanistic
and minimal. The new Jawbone features military-grade NoiseAssassin
technology, which is unmatched in its ability to address real-world noise
environments like busy streets, and cars and airports, and has ten times
better voice clarity than competing headsets – meaning it transmits 90%
less noise.
Jawbone’s NoiseAssassin technology literally feels your speech with its
patented Voice Activity Sensor (VAS). The Jawbone headset uses the VAS to
distinguish the sound of your voice from ambient noise with incredible
accuracy and then uses proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
algorithms to subtract the noise so only the sound of your voice comes
through.
The NoiseAssassin technology was originally developed by Aliph for DARPA
(The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which creates and delivers
breakthrough technology for the U.S. military. It is tested and designed
to work in the toughest, most inhospitable terrain, when clear
communication is critical, which means for the average user it is designed
to perform everywhere.
The new Jawbone headset is designed to be simple to use. Two streamlined
buttons are operated by touching the outside shield, and they control all
the functions of the headset, which is extremely lightweight at just 10
grams.
“In creating the new Jawbone we focused on improving our audio performance
beyond the market-leading noise solution that we already had, and elevating
the design to a point where it would appeal to a broad range of consumers
who would love to wear it,” said Hosain Rahman, CEO and co-founder of
Aliph. “Jawbone provides amazing audio quality in a form factor that is a
true lifestyle accessory – it’s a new and complete departure from the
typical gadgetry of the Bluetooth category.”
“When Aliph and AT&T launched the original Jawbone, a new standard was set
for voice quality and design in Bluetooth headsets,” said Carlton Hill,
vice president of Product Management, Voice Products and Affiliate
Marketing for AT&T’s wireless unit. “Given the market response to the
original Jawbone, we are thrilled to work with Aliph again to launch the
new Jawbone – which once again promises to be one of the most innovative
headsets in the marketplace.”
It’s Not a Headset – it’s Earwear
The new Jawbone is designed to look and feel like an accessory along the
lines of jewelry and eyewear. “If it’s not beautiful, it doesn=92t belong on
your face,” said renowned industrial designer Yves Behar, chief designer of
the Jawbone headset.
Made with premium materials, including medical grade plastic with better
cosmetic and health performance, the expressive aesthetic confers a premium
visual and ergonomic experience. The new Jawbone provides a more
comfortable and customized fit with three sizes of earbuds and four
earloops that can be worn on either ear – two sizes of soft, stitched
leather earloops and two sizes of slim earloops, ideal for use with
eyeglasses.
Availability and Pricing
The new Jawbone is available today for $129.99 at AT&T retail stores
nationwide and online at www.jawbone.com and www.wireless.att.com.
Available initially in matte black, it will be coming soon in silver and
rose gold.
The New Jawbone
Compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled phones, the new Jawbone supports more
than four hours of talk time and eight days of standby time. Featuring a
new fast-charge battery that charges up to 80% of capacity in just over
half an hour, the new Jawbone can be charged with the included USB cable on
a computer, or with the wall-charger.
Price: $129.99
Weight: 10 grams
Talk Time: Over 4 hours
Standby Time: Over 8 days
Range: Up to 33 feet (10 meters)
Charge: 80% charge in 35 minutes, 100% charge in ( 1 hour
Colors: Black ? Silver ? Rose Gold
Supports Bluetooth 1.1, 1.2, and 2.0
Additional Information
o 50% smaller than the original Jawbone
o Military-grade noise elimination technology
o Ten times better voice clarity than competing headsets
– meaning it transmits 90% less noise
o Faster processing eliminates unexpected noise bursts
o Unmatched intelligibility – voices sound human, not robotic
o Sophisticated dual microphone array reduces wind noise
o Invisible touch controls
o Three-dimensional texture on shield inspired by noise abatement surfaces
o Premium materials including medical-grade plastic and fine leather
o Magnetic USB cable & wall charger included
o Three (3) earbuds – small, medium, and large
o Two (2) fine leather earloops – medium and large
o Two (2) slim earloops ideal for use with eyewear – medium and large
o Fits either ear
About Aliph
Aliph makes personal technology comfortable, usable and beautiful. The
company’s flagship product, the award winning Jawbone Bluetooth headset
with NoiseAssassin technology, set a new standard for mobile voice quality.
Unmatched in the industry, Aliph’s NoiseAssassin technology was originally
perfected with DARPA for battlefield applications, eliminating background
noise and delivering unparalleled call clarity in all environments. Since
its launch in December 2006, the Jawbone headset has been widely recognized
as the best Bluetooth headset in the marketplace and is a top seller at
Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon and Carphone Warehouse retail stores.
The company was founded by Alexander Asseily and Hosain Rahman, who met as
Stanford undergrads, sharing a belief that better user experiences around
voice and device usability are critical to improving mobile communications.
Aliph is a privately-held company headquartered in San Francisco and is
funded by Khosla Ventures and Sequoia Capital. For more information and a
demo, go to www.jawbone.com