The Original iPad Jacket

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FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE2,MOSSBERG
2009 SOLUTION | Edited byJones
2010 Dow
© 2009 Walter S. Mossberg
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iPad Fans Face New Dilemma With Tough-to-Tote Gadget

Bluetooth Headsets That Up th
THE MOSSBERG SOLUTION | Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

Bluetooth Headsets That Up the Chic Factor

Better to Use Vest or Robot Backpack? The ‘iMaxi’ Unfolds as a Hit
The cover of Wired maga-
By Yukari Iwatanikane
By
zine’sKatherine Boehret
August issue showed Brad
Pitt wearing a Bluetooth headset
were
A
The made
display
coveronabout
the the iPad
of case
Wired shows name
how
maga-
with the words, “Ditch the head- when it was first revealed in Jan-
zine’s much battery remains both in
August issue showed Brad
set.The cover of pull
Wired maga- the charged case and on the
Chuck Pretto couldn’t figure Pittuary. Orders flew in. Other com-
zine’s
He can
off—and you August
barely it
wearing a Bluetooth headset
issue showed earpiece itself when it’s held in
are not him.”
out how to carry around his newwith
Brad Pitt wearing Fashionable
or not, more
the words, “Ditch the head-
panies are marketing backpacks
a Bluetooth the case.
iPad. So he decided to wear it. set.shaped
headset with the
people are words,
wear-
ing these wire-
“DitchHe can barely
like Star Wars pullrobot it
I liked using this case because
After ordering Apple Inc.’s off—and
the headset. lessHe you are not him.”
canforbarely pull it meant I didn’t have to think

F
it off—and you
headsets
makingarephone
not him.” C-3PO as iPad bags, while
Fashionable
still
so often about charging my
new multimedia tablet last others are developing industrial-
calls in the car
Fashionable or not, more
or not, more headset. It also gave me a place
month, the 52-year-old property strength iron-on pockets to hold
By Katherine and in everyday

O
people
Boehret are life. wearing
This week,these wire- to keep the small Discovery 975
people are wear-
manager realized it might weigh the gadget. ing these wire-
I reviewed two
less headsets for making phone earpiece, making it harder to
that look stylish
down his briefcase. He didn’t Ms. Clark, 33,
calls
enough in
thatthe car and
you won’t in everyday lose in the bottom of a purse or
mind be-
lessthe creator for
headsets of

O
ing seen wearing them: Plan-
life. This week, I reviewed two large work bag. Though people
have another bag or carrier to the iMaxi, fashioned
tronics Inc.’s Discovery 975
that look stylish
(Plantronics.com)
making the
enough that who don’t carry briefcases or
and Aliph’s
phone
$30
cradle the 9.7-inch, 1.5-pound quilted cotton case with wings
Jawbone Prime (Jawbone.com).
you calls
won’t mind being seen purses wouldn’t likely use this in the car

R
These Bluetooth headsets
wearing them: Plantronics
cost $130 each and use the best Inc.’sBy case, and in everyday
Katherine
device. For a time, Mr. Pretto for a laugh and put it up on Etsy
it’s convenient to have the
975 (Plantronics.com)Boehret
technology from their respective life. This week,
considered getting a “man Inc.’s online handicraft mar-
Discovery option.
Dwight Eschliman

companies, including impressive-

I reviewed two

P
and
soundingAliph’s Jawbone
features like AudioIQ Prime None of the Jawbone models
purse” for it. Then he learned ketplace in February.
Plantronics

2, WindSmart, NoiseAssassin 2.0

(Jawbone.com). that look Then she
stylish
come with carrying cases,
about iPad-compatible vests on enough
and an Acoustic Voice Activity
These
Detector. Each Bluetooth started getting thousands of hits
headset aims to headsets that you won’t mind be-
though
The Plantronics Discovery stores
975, left, like
and Aliph’s Best
Jawbone Prime,Buy
right, cost $130 each and aim to combine style, comfort and functionality in a Bluetooth headset.
a blog and immediately bought ingfrom
deliver$130
cost clearer
eachincoming
and and seencurious
use the best
sell somewearing buyers. The
cases them: Plan-
that will atten-
hold
one.
technology from their respectivetronics Jawbone headsets.
Inc.’s In the future,
Discovery
tion, she says, caused her “major 975
companies, including impressive- Aliph says it plans to make its
“People can’t believe this darn (Plantronics.com) and Aliph’s
anxiety” because she hadn’t kept
sounding features like AudioIQ own cases that will hold and
2, WindSmart, NoiseAssassin 2.0Jawbone
thing will fit inside my pocket,” charge
Prime (Jawbone.com).
track of how
its she made
Jawbone the first
headsets.
These Bluetooth headsets
says an
and Mr.Acoustic
Pretto, who now
Voice wears one
Activity and
Aliph’s couldn’t
Jawbone duplicate
has always it.
Detector. Each headset aims tocost $130 each and use the best
the $100 vest every day. The San technology
been one of
from
the
their
most
She eventually figured it out.
stylish
respective
deliver clearer incoming and Bluetooth headsets, thanks
Diego resident has since bought

Dwight Eschliman
outgoing sound. Now “we’re super crazy busy
companies,
to includingform
its compact impressive-
factor
other
After iPad-friendly
using these two apparel, just by sewing,” says Ms. Clark,
head-sounding features buttons.
like AudioIQ
Plantronics

and disguised The

including
sets in an a second
office, vest walking
while and a 2, WindSmart,
Jawbone soldNoiseAssassin
who has Prime more
followsthansuit 2.0
100with
of

!
through noisy city streets andanda an Acoustic Voice itActivity
windbreaker from travel-cloth- the bags and is now looking for a
design that makes appear
as I drove a car with its windowsDetector.
slightly Each
smaller than
headset its prede-
aims to
ing maker Scottevest Inc.
open, I found that I liked thedeliver production firm to help her keep
cessor. It comes incoming
in seven colors,
The Plantronics Discovery 975, left, and Aliph’s Jawbone Prime, right, cost $130 each and aim to combine s
clearer and Scott Jordan, CEO & Founder of SCOTTEVEST
Mr. Pretto’s
Plantronics carrying
Discovery 975conun-
more up with orders. “We’re trying to
including four especially bright than a tech gadget. Like the also said he couldn’t tell I was
drum the
than isn’t unique. Prime.
Jawbone After Apple
It felt stay ahead of the wave.”
“EarCandy” hues: Drop Me a company models,
Jawbone does sell ita looks
$39 black
less uary, Scottevest,
using a headset the travel-cloth-
while I was on
more comfortable and stable in
started selling its tablet in April, Lime, Lilac You Mean It, ‘Yello!
One iMaxiScarlet.
customer iPad case that canbuttons
be usedare to ing Discovery
maker, began
975, touting some
TheisPrime
Mat- geeky because the but definitely
my ear, and its longer boom fit
early adapters were stumped on
my face better than the Jawbone
and Frankly
thew Crowley, a 25-year-old protect the device on the go and
disguised, and it doesn’t emit of its I was
knew existing multi-pocketed
on a headset while I
maintains the original Jawbone’s aprop up it up on a tabletop. Still,
how to easily hold and transport
Prime’s stubby build. I was able aspiring writer.
namesake designThe Dedham,
feature: If
blinking blue light while in travel vests that can hold maga-
used the Jawbone Prime.
use—an improvement for Plan- Next, I walked along the
the glass-screen gadget.
to hear people more clearly while
Mass., resident bought the iMaxi
worn properly, it touches your the company says it is thrilled zines, water bottles and a myriad
tronics. The Discovery 975 comes streets of busy downtown Wash-
using the Plantronics earpiece.
IPad’s unusual size—far big- face near your jawbone and
in March background
because he says he was to see
only inthe bag industry
graphite, thoughthat has
AT&T of gadgets as iPad compatible.
ington, D.C., chatting on each
But on the other end of the call,
ger than a 3.5-inch iPhone but
removes noise. But
popped willup around
it in the gadget. The Sun Valley, Idaho, steps
com-
friends said the Jawbone Prime aimpressed by the care and atten-
new feature also uses sound stores carry silver. headset while standing
much
did smaller job
a better than of most lap-
muffling tion that was put into making
to detect the speaker’s voice and The marketplace
I started for the
testing iPod Plan-
and pany—which
away counts sound
from the squeaky Apple
of
tops—has ramped up opportuni-
noise.
the bag—and
eliminate he actually
extraneous uses
noise, so iPhone cases
tronics “has been
Discover y 975 a great
and co-founder
car brakes Steve Wozniak
and taxis as a
honking.
Jawbone Prime from my quiet Here, the Jawbone did a better
The Plantronics Discovery
ties for enterprising individuals the headset doesn’t always need
it. While his father is a fan of the opportunity for developers, and
office, without any distracting
member of its advisory board—
job of fading that street noise
975 also has something that the to touch the face.
and companies.
Jawbone Prime doesn’t have: bag,
Thehis fiancée
design isn’t.
of the Does he
Plantronics
we’re excitednoise.
background to seeThere,
the same
the markets iPad wear starting from
into the background, compared
a carrying
In Fairbanks, Alaska,
case that holdsstay-
the worry about gawkers? “I’m quite
Discovery 975 ups the compa- enthusiasm for the iPad,” says an
Plantronics headset sounded $75,
to the and has since
Plantronics hired addi-
headset.
at-home mom
earpiece Kate Clark
and charges it on cre-
the
immune in fact.”
ny’s chic factor by replacing its Apple spokeswoman.
better than the Jawbone, tional employees and more than
I also took turns using the
go. This charging case can triple
ated a white, feminine-hygiene- former model’s triangular boom
Although Apple has made
largely In some
making instances,
my voice soundentrepre-
crisper, doubled production.
Jawbone Prime and Plantronics
the device’s talk time from five with an elegant boom of according to the person on the Discovery 975 while driving
product-shaped iPad case called
to 15 hours, and it holds its aceded thethin
single market for accessories
metallic sliver. It
neurs are rebranding existing
other end of line; likewise, his
Scott Jordan, Scottevest’s
through the city with all four car
iMaxi as a play on the jokes that
charge for a week on standby. for its laptops
reminded and phones,
me more of jewelrythe products to suit the iPad. In Jan-
voice sounded louder to me. He chief executive,
windows open tosays
test the
the com-
anti-

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