Overall Impression The stylish Jawbone made by Aliph, a noise reduction headset for mobile phones, relies on the kind of technology pilots use to help them hear over plane engine noise (at much higher cost). This ergonomically designed headset with a cheek sensor employs electronics that actively listen to the background noise and reduce it by subtracting it out of the microphone signals, adjusting to ambient noise at a rate of 500 times per second. The Jawbone model we tested made it easier to hear and to be heard in noisy environments than would be possible with traditional microphones, headsets and speakers. One of the reasons this was possible is that the Jawbone we tried had two microphones (most headsets have one), including a jaw sensor for speech vibrations.

We tested the Jawbone headset with a Sony Ericsson T610 phone in a number of loud environments that have been a source of trouble for traditional headsets. Some of the environments included outdoors (walking), driving a car, at a busy convention center with lots of people talking, and around a powerful steady low traditional electronic fan. Our Jawbone headset performed well in all of these environments and provided improved performance over traditional headsets. The steadier the background noise, the better the headset seemed to perform. In all of these tests the Jawbone helped us hear better and be better heard by the listener on the other end of the line.

The unit was comfortable to wear. The only time we had trouble with the Jawbone was while working out on fitness equipment. In certain non-vertical body positions the earpiece tended to fall off. The over all wiring was long from the earpiece to the phone. The Jawbone control clip, located mid way down the wire between the earpiece and the phone, was able to attach onto a belt or clothing. This clip helped provide strain relief for the earpiece. Instead of clipping near the collar, as many such devices do, the control clip attached far away from the earpiece. It took some time to get used to this feature. At times we wished there was more cable between the belt clip and phone when he was looking for a place to set down his phone. Overall, we were pleased with the quality of the reception and sound. The Jawbone headset we tried reduced background noise. We would recommend it to friends who are having trouble hearing mobile phone conversations or being heard due to noisy environments. It could be a practical tool for everyday use and for trips requiring passage through airports, ports, crowded hallways, driving and other noisy environments.

Colors white/silver

Designer Yves Béhar , the Swiss founder of Fuseproject , an industrial design firm

Made Of brushed stainless-steel and translucent white plastic

Manufacturer-Distributor Aliph

Retail Price $150

Size 2 inches long

Type Of Product noise reduction adaptive cell phone headset

Warranty o ne year limited warranty

Weight 14 grams

Features earpiece ear loop made of soft rubber, Adaptive Noise Reduction Technology, Dual Microphones, Voice Activity Sensor, Action Button which mutes on Motorola phones, and answer/ends on Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones, multiple sensors, 3-point earpiece mounting system and bi-aural spring loaded ear loop to ensure contact of voice activity sensor to the cheek. It is right or left-ear adjustable. It runs in real time with no delay on a Texas Instruments digital signal processor (DSP) with core algorithms unique to Jawbone.

Other Jawbone, based on technology developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), was compatible with a limited range of cell phones. Prospective buyers should check the Jawbone website www.jawbone.com/compatibility , where there were also audio demonstrations; to make sure their phones are compatible with the Jawbone before purchasing it. In 2004, the Jawbone’s design made it part of an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. That same year, Jawbone was recognized by Business Week and Industrial Society of America (IDSA) Silver Medal, ClNet Editor’s Choice, Fortune Best Products of the Year: Electronics, Time Coolest Inventions and Wired Tools 2004.

The Jawbone drew its power from the cell phone it was connected to. It didn’t use external batteries.

Country(S) Tested USA

Date Of Review March 2005

Number Of Days Tested 20

Reviewers Article by Chester Godsy

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression Traveling through Botswana , South Africa and Zambia for five weeks of game viewing adventures, we were thankful to have Iridium connectivity and a Motorola 9500 Satellite phone. It worked almost everywhere we tried it as long as it had clear access to the sky to receive the satellite signal. In remote camps without phones or Internet service, it was the only way to stay in touch with work, family and friends. One of our group members, who had a relative undergoing medical treatment in the U.S. , was particularly thankful for the ability to stay in touch the Iridium Motorola phone provided.

Because most of the camps restricted nighttime mobility for guests for safety reasons (wild animals roamed free), we quickly learned to make calls during the day. Making domestic and international calls was as easy and clear, except for a slight delay, as using a landline or portable phone.

For us, renting the phone in South Africa was the best option. We picked up the phone from a Globalcom representative when we arrived in Johannesburg and returned it just before leaving. This avoided security inspections of the phone and us for having it, saved us the weight in our hand luggage, and kept us from purchasing a phone we would have limited use for when we returned home.

Battery : Lithium ion

List Price $900

Manufacturer-Distributor : Motorola

Release Date November 1998

Rental Fees Costs varied. Favorable per minute charges in Africa started at 99 cents a minute for connect time, some of the least expensive connectivity we found even when compared with cellular phone service.

Satellite Connection The satellite connections for the phone were provided by Iridium Satellite LLC.

Size 7.6” long x 2.44 wide x 2.66 deep

Stand By Maximum 16 hours

Talk Time Maximum of 2 hours

Technology Connected via 66 low earth orbiting (LEO) Boeing operated satellites at an altitude of 780 kilometers, Iridium provided voice and data connectivity in remote areas. Special satellite telephones were required.

Type Of Product Satellite phone

Weight 16 ounces

Features Visual/audible: 4×16 character illuminated graphic display, 32-digit number capacity, 16-digit name tag, multiple language choice for prompts, key pad cover, illuminated key pad, battery meter, low battery warning, status review of features; 10 dedicated control keys; visual display of volume level settings; clock; and removable satellite antenna

Call related: VibraCall™ alert, selectable ringer tone (10 choices), selectable keypad tone (3 choices), volume adjustment, auto redial notification (system busy), clear last digit/clear all digit, international key sequence (+ key), Quick Access Interphase, and unanswered call indicator

Memory: Phone numbered memory (100 locations), SIM card (155 locations), alpha name storage (recall by name or location), last 10 numbers dialed, memory scroll by location number, and one touch dialing

Usage: Electronic and automatic lock, display/change unlock code, display call timers, programmable audible timer, automatic display call timer, call restriction options and data capability (enquire about software and hardware requirements)

Globalcom Limited Iridium Service Provider/Value Added Manufacturer/Value Added Reseller, Inmarsat & Thuraya Service Provider , Officialsub-Saharan agents for Inmarsat equipment manufacturer Nera, VSATService Provider Iridium repair centrerun byLipton Griffin International, official authorized Motorola distributors and repair centre in Africa.

Other Meetings with customers were possible once an order was placed

Countries Tested Botswana , South Africa and Zambia

Date Of Review June 2004

Number Of Days Tested Five weeks

Service The phone came with 24-hour/7 day a week support service on a toll free line. Charles Barber, our Globalcom Limited customer representative, was wonderful. We coordinated the rental dates and terms with him via email before we arrived in South Africa . When we arrived, he met us at our hotel near Johannesburg International Airport to deliver the phone and explain how to use it. We greatly appreciated his going the extra miles (the company offices are in central Johannesburg ) because we only had one afternoon in town. When we left South Africa , we spent only a few hours in the Johannesburg area. The same day we called, Charles braved Johannesburg ’s horrific traffic to pick up the phone right before we raced to the airport to catch our international flights.

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression Good voice and data connectivity in the U.S. Talking and standby time battery seemed consistent with advertised values. The compact size of the phone and its accessories made it easy to travel with. The phone performed in every country and remote area where we tested it, including Germany, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. Connection quality was good for the majority of the calls. Only one call to the U.S. from South Africa was garbled. We were able to make calls from urban and rural areas; even inside the Kruger National Park in South Africa and while crossing the border from Zambia and Botswana .

Within the United States, we tested the GPRS connectivity and found it to be good quality, allowing a laptop co connect to the Internet via its infrared port. We did not test this in other countries, but did not really expect it to function as GPRS support has a much smaller coverage area.

We enjoyed playing around with the camera and creating our own wallpaper for the telephone. The sound quality on the ringtones was not  great, so the musical ring tones left a bit to be desired. The Samsung software for managing the telephone numbers in the phone could use improvement, but is nicer than manually entering all the telephone numbers into the phone memory.

Battery : Li-ion (lithium ion)

List Price $300 (varied depending on service agreement purchased, etc. )

Manufacturer-Distributor : Samsung

Release Date November 2003

Size 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches or 90 x 45 x 24 mm (with standard battery)

Stand By Maximum of 7 days

Talk Time Maximum of 4 hours

Technology Dual band portable digital Telephone GPRS

Type Of Product Flip cellular phone

Warranty One year for phone and battery

Weight 3 ounces/95 grams

Features High resolution 65,536 Color TFT as the main LCD, and a 16-Gray Organic EL LCD as the external LCD; built-in VGA-level camera; internal antenna. Color display; flip phone style; LED flashlight which provides additional light for camera within a one-half-foot range; Predictive text input for faster text and picture messaging; Download Fun™ (MegaTones®, Wallpaper, & Games) ; vibrating alert; calendar; calculator and alarm clock.

Included In Package From T-Mobile Handsfree headset, battery charger, T-and Mobile smart card

Other Services included in the U.S. include caller ID; customer care; voicemail including message-waiting indicators; call waiting; call hold; conference calling; emergency calls. Optional services in the U.S.:1000 text messaging; picture / video messaging; roadside assistance; Internet; unlimited mobile-to-mobile, WorldClass international service; t-zones and unlimited t-zones.

Countries Tested : U.S.A. , Botswana , Germany , South Africa and Zambia

Date Of Review May 2004

Number Of Days Tested Six weeks

Service Connectivity to and from more than 100 countries with T-Mobile’s WorldClass international service: T-Mobile Coverage Areas

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression In spite of wicked winds (gale force at times), overcast days, sand, rain, rivers, limited hours of access, moving satellites and remote locations in the African bush, we managed to stay in touch with “civilization” during our safari trip thanks mostly to the Iridium 9505A. We were especially thankful for the opportunity because as coincidence would have it our departure was on the heels of Hurricane Wilma. This meant we had to leave in a hurry. We were eager to stay in touch with family and friends to make sure they were all right after the storm. This easy to use and relatively light weight (especially compared with earlier models) phone required clear access to the sky which seemed a simple enough requirement. Being in the African bush meant our tent or room was usually surrounded by a roof and trees to provide shade. Clear access to the sky was almost always a few feet away from our room and lodge.

Although it was not quite like a land line or cell phone and required more patience, determination and effort than regular phones, in remote areas like the bush it was invaluable and the sound quality was often agreeable enough for a conversation, especially if there was no wind. The challenges were inclement weather like rain and strong winds (it was difficult to use during the evenings which sometimes was when we wanted to call to take advantage of the seven hour or more time difference). Sometimes the signal was weak, the connection was garbled or cut off; overall persistence paid off and we were usually able to pick up voicemail messages (and input password codes), make regular phone calls, receive one or two text messages and connect briefly with the Internet using the data kit.

Thanks to the low orbit satellite network, we were able to make (and receive) calls from any place with clear skies (we understand three countries ban the service). Other challenges, were connectivity issues, poor reception, calls dropped, the cost of inbound calls and the public’s refusal to call a satellite phone number. On the plus side there was phone number where we could receive calls when the phone was on and messages after hours, when reception was weak or it was inconvenient to have it switched on. Most lodges and camps we visited had restrictions on satellite phone use. They were only allowed in our rooms and open areas (not on game drives or common areas).

When making calls, the flat rate fees were convenient and easy to keep track of. It was nice to know there was customer support if we ran into trouble. The data link capability was limited. We were able to connect to the Internet several times. However, connections were unreliable and dropped frequently, no Outlook downloads were possible due to the low speed and surfing was so slow as to be almost without benefit. The 9505A is significantly smaller, lighter and more resistant to water, dust and shock than Iridium’s original Iridium 9500. It seemed better suited for the conditions we encountered in remote areas of the bush and worked well in the cities (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth in Africa and Boca Raton, U.S.A.) too.

Colors Black

Complete Kit Content SIM card, High Capacity Lithium Ion Battery, AC adaptor, international plug set, made in Germany cigarette lighter adaptor (input 10-32V, output 6V/800mA), Eastern Pack black carrying case with shoulder strap, leather holster, portable auxiliary antenna, instructions and a data kit which consisted of a short data cable, a software CD and a tripod to stand the phone.*

Made In U.S.A. (future models are to be manufactured in Malaysia)

Manufacturer-Distributor Motorola and Iridium

Retail Price $1899 (available for rent or purchase) or $75 for a week rental plus air time

Size 158L x 62W x 59D mm

Talk Time 38 hours of standby time 3 hours of talk time

Type Of Product Satellite phone

Weight 1 lb with the leather holster on

Features Rotating antenna, resistant to water, dust and shock, data capable (to transmit data with an optional RS232 adapter), 21 language choices, crisis calling, Vibracall alert and 4 x 16 character illuminated display, battery meter in display, signal strength meter, emergency calling, illuminated keypad, low battery warning, status review of features, visual display of volume settings, automatic display call timer, automatic lock, call restrictions, display call timers (last call/total calls), display/change unlock code, electronic lock, programmable audible call timer, and subscriber identity module PIN availability (security code). Also, volume adjustment (earpiece or ringer), volume under 375cc (22.9 ci), operating frequency: 1616-1626.5 MHz, L-band; Link margin: 15.5 dB, operating temperature: -30/+60 degrees Celsius using external power source; 20/+60 degrees Celsius using Lithium Ion battery, multiplexing method: TDMA/FDMA and power: 0.57 watts average.

Calling features: Auto redial notification, call barring, call forwarding, mobile subscriber busy, subscriber not reachable, clear last digit/clear all digits, fixed dialing international access key sequence (+ key) mailbox for numeric and text (120 characters), access interface, selectable keypad tone (3 choices), selectable ringer tone (10 choices), keypad disable and unanswered call indicator.

Other WCC had a 24/7 customer service number (1-800-211-2575 and 6111 from the unit itself). The phone arrived with an instruction sheet which was helpful, especially to know what to dial. There was also a WCC sticker on the side with the number of the phone and on the back with reminder instructions on phone use and requirements: Clear view of sky, outdoors, away from buildings and tall structures; rotate and fully extend antenna; press and hold start button; wait until registration is complete; to dial press 0+ for two seconds, country code and phone number; talk with antenna above your head and vertical to the ground.

*Because we didn’t have a serial port (most new computers don’t) we had to get a USB serial adaptor to connect from the data kit to the Internet.

Country(S) Tested Botswana, South Africa and U.S.A.

Date Of Review October to November 2005

Number Of Days Tested One month

ReviewersArticle by Elena del Valle

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes for the phone, maybe for the data kit