Aliph launches Jawbone ICON bluetooth headset

41925-hi-icon-scatteredBluetooth headsets usually don’t look very exciting, but the Jawbone series is generally a bit more tasteful then a lump of plastic you stick in your ear. Aliph just launched their new ICON line, which adds some extra features to make their headset stand out.

Jawbone ICON is considered to be one of the first of the so called “intelligent” headsets, featuring customization features that you’re not going to find in out products. You can customize the language, access buttons, and other features to access the parts of your phone that you want, rather then just a generic setup. The Jawbone ICON will be available for $99.99 at Verizon stores starting today.

From the press release:

Aliph™ Introduces Jawbone ICON™, The World’s First Truly Intelligent Bluetooth® Headset
“New Icon for Personal Expression” Is Now Accessible to Everyone

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — January 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Aliph — maker of the market-leading Jawbone® Bluetooth headset and inventor of NoiseAssassin®, the world’s first and only military-grade noise-eliminating technology — today unveiled its most sophisticated product yet, Jawbone ICON. Jawbone ICON offers unprecedented ease of use and audio quality as well as an industry-first software platform called MyTALK™ that lets users personalize and update their Jawbones via the web. Jawbone ICON will be available for $99.99 beginning January 18 in six unique design personas.

“In building the next generation of wearable computing, we focused maniacally on creating the world’s best customer experience. We incorporated significant intelligence into the headset and as a result this is the simplest-to-operate Jawbone ever created, with a rich array of design choices to suit any preference or lifestyle. We like to call it a new icon for personal expression,” said Hosain Rahman, Aliph’s CEO.

Industry-first intelligence makes Jawbone ICON easy, convenient and personal

Jawbone ICON offers built-in intelligence and the ability to personalize with the click of a mouse using the all-new MyTALK platform, currently in private beta at mytalk.jawbone.com.

“Each customer is an individual, with unique tastes and preferences. With this in mind, we invented MyTALK as a place where people could go to get a richer in-ear experience. MyTALK is just a hint of the exciting ways people will be able to breathe life into their Jawbones over time,” said Rahman.

“Customers also tell us they don’t want to reach for their phone when their hands and eyes need to be elsewhere, like on the steering wheel and on the road. So Jawbone ICON uses its brains to now whisper important information like caller ID and remaining battery life into the user’s ear,” he added.

New personalization and convenience features include:

* MyTALK AudioApps. Lets users personalize the voice that conveys information into their ear. French, German and Spanish languages are also available.
* MyTALK DialApps. Lets users customize an easy access button linking directly to services of their choice such as free directory assistance, voice-to-SMS and voice dial.
* Simultaneous Multipoint. Lets users switch seamlessly between two calls on different cell phones.
* On/Off slide switch and one-button control. Delivers radical simplicity.
* Visual battery meter. Displays remaining battery life at top of iPhone screen.

Six stunning designs and personas deliver rich set of consumer choices

Jawbone ICON is smaller and lighter than its predecessors, and comes in six designs with lush textures and finishes rarely seen in consumer electronics.

“Design and self-expression have been at the core of every generation Jawbone to date, and now we launch an unprecedented suite of choices to match that personal style that makes you who you are,” said Yves Behar, Chief Creative Officer of Aliph.

“Each Jawbone ICON is infused with a unique and exciting look. Like characters in a film, each captures a different fun-to-wear persona,” he added.

New leaps in sound technology sustain Jawbone’s lead in audio quality

Continuing Jawbone’s leadership in sound technology, Jawbone ICON provides improved inbound audio quality as well as upgrades to its battlefield-tested NoiseAssassin technology. Audio advancements include:

* NoiseAssassin 2.5 with wind reduction continues to provide the best noise elimination available.
* Innovative speaker design and signal processing improves inbound audio clarity and volume.
* Set-it-and-forget-it audio eliminates the need to adjust volume from one caller to the next.