jawbone

Episode 24: Jawbone Up vs. Fitbit One

I've had a lot of great adventures producing Always On, but I've had a lifelong dream to see a space shuttle launch, and with this show, I got to get pretty close: I flew down to Cape Canaveral to watch the Falcon 9 rocket blast off with the Dragon cargo capsule on board. It was, as you might imagine, a pretty spectacular sight: and a pretty exciting start to the future of privatized space flight.

This episode also features another pretty awesome day for me: a spin around Ford's test track in the 2013 Shelby GT500 Mustang. … Read more

Syria goes dark

Early this morning, Syria went offline.

Some more scary news is coming out of Syria early this morning. Apparently the entire country has gone dark, completely vanishing from the Internet over the course of just a few minutes. According to Renesys, a company that operates a real-time Internet-monitoring grid, all of Syria's IP connectivity has become unreachable.

Today Google has announced the acquisition of Incentive Targeting, a maker of coupon programs that tailor to users' behaviors and likes. The company has worked with retailers to design trackable coupons that help gauge their performance and usefulness.

CNET has a review of the Jawbone Up … Read more

Jawbone launches updated Up fitness gadget

Today Jawbone unveiled a new and revamped version of its Up fitness solution. Priced at $129.99, and available now for preorder, the Up says Jawbone has been significantly rebuilt from the inside out for increased strength and greater functionality. … Read more

Jawbone Jambox remixes 100 custom color combinations for $199

The Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker has always offered tinkerers the freedom to choose a custom voice through its MyTalk platform, but the company just announced even more customization down the line. Beginning August 28, you'll be able to build a unique Jambox using 13 grille and nine cap colors on the newly remixed Web site.

The combinations offer more than 100 possible permutations to fit your favorite palette. I recommend using Wes Anderson's cinematic aesthetic as inspiration, but you can start anywhere you'd like.… Read more

Prizefight: Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker vs. Jawbone Big Jambox

It's a Prizefight Punchout! Bose has always had a solid reputation but do they have what it takes to take down the upstart Jawbone and their Big Jambox?

These wireless speakers each cost $300 so let's find out who packs the biggest punch in Design, Sound Quality, Features and Value.

Who do YOU think deserves to be the Prizefight champion? Is it the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker or the Jawbone Big Jambox?

Cast your vote!

Best Bluetooth accessories right now (roundup)

Most smartphone users tend to focus on the sheer processing power, screen quality, and other hard-core specs offered by their handsets. Often overlooked is a phone's wireless Bluetooth capability, a technology found in virtually every modern handset. As someone who uses Bluetooth gadgets daily, I'd frankly feel lost without my handy assortment of hands-free mobile toys.

Bluetooth is also evolving into a respectable consumer technology; Bluetooth 4.0 is beginning to ship in multiple devices, with many more on the way. Gone are the wayward days of tedious setup procedures and pairing problems. But what can you actually do with Bluetooth? In a word: plenty. Take a look at this list of recently reviewed Bluetooth accessories that help your smartphone be all that it can be. … Read more

FCC excavation leaks details for larger Jambox Bluetooth Speaker

The Jawbone Jambox portable Bluetooth speaker is a must-pack item for travelers, but its small size means you're not using it to host dance parties or even as a permanent computer speaker at home.

That may soon change, however, as an FCC excavation from Web sleuths at Wireless Goodness exposed Jawbone's plans for a larger, boom-box-style Jambox.

The code name right now is "Big Jambox," but the filing doesn't unearth much dirt aside from that and its Bluetooth connectivity. Depending on its size, however, the larger speaker will likely compete with larger iPod/iPhone speakers … Read more

Best portable Bluetooth speakers

Editors' note: This post was originally published November 22, 2011. It was updated January 27, 2012, to include the Geneva Sound System Model XS.

The days of blasting music out of a portable boom box are behind us, and while some companies still offer retro stereo wannabes for iPods, the best way to free your music but still keep it in a tight package is with a portable Bluetooth speaker.

Here we've rounded up several wireless Bluetooth speakers for your consideration. They work with all smartphones and tablets meeting the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) spec, including the Apple iPhone, iPad, and most Android devices, but keep in mind that Bluetooth causes limited loss in audio quality. For better sound, these devices can also play music from a non-Bluetooth device using the 3.5mm line-in port and a direct connection.

Any of them are excellent speakers to bring on your next trip, but I'm particularly impressed with the Jawbone Jambox and the Logitech Mini Boombox.

They're tough and portable, but you can also pair them with your phone's calling features to make a travel speakerphone.

… Read more

Putting Nike's FuelBand (and me) through the paces

I have to hand it to Nike for its unique take on the growing fad of fitness-tracking devices.

The FuelBand is Nike's stab at this segment, which others including the Jawbone Up and Motorola Mobility's MotoActv have already tread. But with production of the Up halted for a battery issue, and Motorola's product still a little-known niche device, there's a big opening in the market.

Unlike some of the other devices, the primary crux of the FuelBand is its Nike Fuel reading, a metric that Nike put together on its own that matches a person's movement through the wristband's accelerometer against data collected on how rapidly oxygen is consumed. As with other fitness monitors that rely on an accelerometer, the readings vary greatly depending on how much you move your arm. Cycling and certain kinds of weight lifting, for instance, wouldn't register much as simply sitting on your couch and waving your hands.

But chances are, if you're spending $149 on a FuelBand, you're going to want to pay attention to the Nike Fuel readout.

Following a press conference that Nike held yesterday to unveil the device, the company took the media on a little field trip to test out the FuelBand in a variety of activities. The following are my early impressions after a day with the device. … Read more