The growing popularity of voice-controlled personal assistants like Google Now or Siri have put headsets with microphones, particularly Bluetooth ones, in vogue. Jawbone, one of the most popular brands out there, has just announced its latest baby, the new Jawbone ERA, with it claim is better and more ergonomic than any of its older models.
Compared to the first ERA headset that went out in 2011, the Jawbone ERA is 42% smaller, making it more convenient to carry around and less straining on the ears. For this model, Jawbone eschewed the earloop that causes some amount of discomfort after prolonged use. But there should be no worries about the earpiece falling off while in use since Jawbone has employed a new earbud design that will keep it in place all times. The new ERA also comes with a new charging case that is equally small but just as powerful. It brings the ERA’s total talk time to 10 hours but is still small enough to even belong on your keychain.
The latest Jawbone ERA also boasts of the latest NoiseAssassin 4.0 technology that more efficiently detects and separates speech from background noise. Such a feature is absolutely essential when it comes to giving out voice commands to your mobile devices. The ERA comes with a dedicated button at the back which can be programmed to immediately activate Google Now or Siri without having to pull out your smartphone. The accompanying software, available from Google Play Store via the link below, lets users select different actions when the button is pressed, double pressed, or pressed and held.
The new Jawbone ERA is now available from Jawbone’s online store for $129.99, or $99 without the charging case. Color options that are available depend on where you buy them. From Jawbone, all four colors of Black Streak, Silver Cross, Bronze Streak, and Red Streak are available but only Black Streak will be offered in Verizon stores across the country. ERA will also be available starting January 24 at Apple, AT&T and Best Buy outlets nationwide.
SOURCE: Jawbone (PDF)
VIA: SlashGear
