Aliph Jawbone ERA: tap 'n' shake headset

The Gadget Show  Friday 21 January 2011

No ordinary Bluetooth headset

Aliph’s Jawbone series of Bluetooth devices are some of the most distinctive around, combining striking good looks with high-end quality.

In the Jawbone ERA, however, Aliph has added something else: an accelerometer, which allows this clever little earpiece to be controlled in some innovative new ways.

To pair the device with your mobile phone, for example, simply shake it back and forth four times and the job’s done – a feature Aliph is calling ShakeShake. A double-tap anywhere on the headset while it’s in your ear, meanwhile – yes, you guessed it, TapTap – will start or end a call.

The Jawbone ERA has other new electronic goodies on board too. It’s 25 per cent louder than previous models, and audio quality has been refined too. Noise cancellation and wind reduction have been improved, as has battery life, and a new caller ID feature will speak out the names of your contacts in your ear when they’re calling.

The ERA will be hitting the shelves later this month in the US, and has been given a $130 price tag. Nothing yet on local pricing and availability.