JayBird intros Freedom Sprint: the JF3 Bluetooth stereo fitness headset gets 40% smaller

Posted on 29/08/2012 by Joe Pollicino

It's been quite a while since we last heard from JayBird, but now it's back with another set of Bluetooth in-ear headphones for fitness activities. Unveiled and available today, the new Freedom Sprint ($130, pictured right) joins the ranks of the company's Freedom JF3 headset ($99) -- it's essentially the same Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR headset, albeit with 40-percent less of a footprint for the earpieces (33 x 16 x 8 mm vs. 44 x 19 x 9 mm). The petite size naturally means a smaller internal battery (rated for 4.5 hours, compared to the original's six), but JayBird let us know that the Sprint is acoustically identical to the JF3. While size is the main focus, there are also a few other improvements being toted in the Sprint -- it sports a micro-USB port for charging (changed from mini-USB), a softer cable between the buds, an inconspicuous notification LED, enhanced call quality and the multifunction button has been repositioned to the top of one of the earpieces (the JF3's is on the outside). Sounds like the Sprint could be the $130 ticket if Bluetooth, small size and a secure fit are your main concerns for a pair of in-ears. You'll find more images in the gallery below and further details at the source link.

Gallery: JayBird Freedom Sprint Bluetooth headset

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

JayBird intros Freedom Sprint: the JF3 Bluetooth stereo fitness headset gets 40% smaller originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth ‘smartspeaker’ lineup

Posted on 01/05/2012 by Joe Pollicino

We've had a shimmer in our eye for Jawbone's $200 Jambox, the itty bitty Bluetooth 'smartspeaker,' ever since it was released back in late 2010. So, imagine our delight now that the company has just stepped things up to a larger level with its new $300 Big Jambox. Measuring in at well over double the size of the original, the 2.7-pound speaker is still very similar in design and features the familiar perforated metal grill designs by Yves Behar -- starting May 15th, you can pick one up in your choice of Red Dot, Graphite Hex and White Wave. The larger footprint helps it to be more functionally capable than its sibling, yet it's still small enough to carry in one hand. On top, the unit sports playback controls in addition to the requisite volume and talk buttons, while on the side you'll find a USB connection (for software updates), power input 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth-pairing button and a power button.

To pump out the jams, the Big Jambox features an airtight enclosure loaded with a duo of active neodymium drivers and opposing dual-passive bass radiators to handle all the wub wub you can throw at it. A 2,600mAh rechargeable battery will get you roughly 15 hours of totally wireless listening time (500 on standby), but -- as is the case with the original -- you still can't share that juice with your gadgets. Positively, Android users can take advantage of the Big Jambox's exclusive Companion app, which allows the unit to do tricks such like sync up with your G-cal to inform you about your appointments. Lastly, like the Jambox, the Big Jambox features MyTalk voice prompts / app compatibility, along with Live Audio DSP to give your sounds an immersive "3D" feel. Curious to find out more? We spent a full weekend with the new gizmo, and you can catch our full review by clicking here. Full press release after the break.

Gallery: Jawbone Big Jambox (press images)

Continue reading Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth 'smartspeaker' lineup

Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth 'smartspeaker' lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jawbone Big Jambox review

Posted on 01/05/2012 by Joe Pollicino

It was back in February when we first caught wind a beefier version of Jawbone's Jambox, thanks to some less-than-stealthy ninjas at the FCC. Today it's officially here. Dubbed Big Jambox, this $300 Bluetooth speakerphone and "smartspeaker" is unsurprisingly a supersized -- yet still portable -- version of the new-age micro-boombox that the won us over back in 2010. Naturally, there have been some tweaks to go along with the bigger footprint, but all the core features including Jawbone's MyTalk apps and noise-cancelling know-how are in tow. Now that we've used it extensively for a few days, we're ready to answer some questions you might have. Does it follow the old adage that bigger is better? How will it fit into your lifestyle compared to the Jambox? And most importantly, is it worth the asking price?

Gallery: Jawbone Big Jambox review

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Jawbone Big Jambox review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allerta intros Pebble smartwatch, inPulse’s attractive younger sibling

Posted on 11/04/2012 by Myriam Joire

Remember the inPulse Smartwatch? Say hello to its attractive younger sibling, the Pebble e-paper watch. Allerta's latest creation -- which is launching today on Kickstarter for $99 in three colors -- is "the first smartwatch to offer full iPhone and iOS compatibility". It features a 1.26-inch 144x168-pixel black and white e-paper display with backlight, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, four buttons, a vibrating motor and a three-axis accelerometer. The battery is expected to last more than seven days on a charge.

Pebble receives call, email and message notifications from iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth. It supports downloadable watchfaces and activity-specific watchapps for controlling music, cycling, running and golfing. Allerta's even teamed up with Freecaddie to create a rangefinder app for over 25,000 golf courses worldwide. The timepiece can run several watchapps simultaneously -- these can be installed over Bluetooth using the Pebble App for iOS and Android (2.3 or higher) and developed using the Pebble SDK.

Color choices include white, black, red and a fourth hue to be voted on by early backers of the project -- hurray to crowdsourcing. Pricing is $99 on Kickstarter today and $149 at retail later this year. Want more info? Check out the gallery below, then hit the break for the PR details and the Kickstarter link.

Gallery: Allerta Pebble smartwatch PR shots