Stylish Bluetooth headset maker Jawbone has announced the new Jawbone Icon HD and The Nerd, a new zero-configuration USB dongle that lets Icon HD owners use their headsets with computer-based VoIP apps like Skype. The Icon HD headset improves on its predecessor with a larger speaker for even clearer HD audio…and, of course, retains its iconic design.
“Users want one headset to aggregate the music, movies, games, and other audio content found in the devices they use every day,” said Jawbone’s VP of product management and strategy Travis Bogard, in a statement. “Our goal at Jawbone is to design mobile products that give you ultimate wireless freedom, and that’s exactly what these new products deliver.”
The Jawbone Icon HD features updated HD-quality wideband speakers that the company says are 25 percent larger than its predecessor, and features NoiseAssassin military-grade noise-cancellation technology. The Icon HD also supports AVRCP play & pause—enabling users to pause playback of recorded material with a single touch of the headset—and is available in a Denim finish.
The new component in the set is The Nerd, a USB audio adapter that user can pop into any USB equipped device, much the same way they might plug in headphones. Using The Nerd, Jawbone Icon HD owners can use their headset with essentially any device that supports USB digital audio—and there’s absolutely no configuration: just plug in The Nerd, and everything works. The Nerd enables Jawbone Icon HD owners to use their headsets with games, movies, as well as things like VoIP calling apps. Users can adjust the volume either on their headset or on their PC. The Nerd works with PCs and Macs, and is about half the size of “other USB adapters” so it won’t stick out of a device like, um, a nerdly appendage.
The Jawbone Icon HD and Nerd are available now on Jawbone’s Web site for $139, and the combination should be hitting stores soon.
