Motorola

Jawbone ERA – Is It Really The Best? – Review

2013-08-13 by QTOOTH

We’re very hard on Bluetooth headsets here at QTOOTH and the Jawbone ERA is no exception. Here’s our take on one of the most universally praised headsets on the market.

The Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset, manufactured by the Aliph company who are also the makers of the Jawbone Up, was introduced as an update from their popular and successful Jawbone Icon. It was meant to have superior audio and to improve on the fit and comfort of its predecessor. Unfortunately in our opinion it didn’t quite do either. Please keep in mind that we have owned several of both models and have used them extensively. It is from this experience that we are drawing our opinions.

First up is the audio quality. The audio fidelity on this might be just fine… except that it is not nearly loud enough. This lack of volume is true for either the user or for the person on the other end of the call. The ERA uses what is known as “adaptive volume” control. That means that the audio level should automatically increase or decrease depending on the volume level of the wearer’s environment. We’re fine with that if the it actually did a good job of matching, or competing with, the surrounding noise. We found that it is lacking in this department. It would be great if there was some way to manually set a base volume level from which the adaptive circuitry could then make its adjustments. Instead the user is stuck with whatever volume the circuit decides it should be. It just didn’t do its job to our satisfaction. We much prefer the quick and easier manual controls that were on the Jawbone Icon.

Second, the positioning of the Voice Activity Sensor is far more finicky than the Jawbone Icon. The Voice Activity Sensor, or VAS (see diagram below), rests on your cheek and turns on the microphones by detecting when you are speaking by the vibrations that are conducted through your jawbone (hence the name).

We’ve found that even small variations on where the VAS is placed means the difference between a normal sounding voice when we speak versus the ERA switching to its conduction mode which essentially makes us sound like a robot. The conduction mode means that the normal microphones are shut off and all audio is picked up only through the vibrations of the voice that are transmitted through the body. FYI: Conduction is the same technology being used for both transmitting and receiving audio with the Google Glass project. It is another of Google’s many feature missteps with Glass’ introduction. Bone conduction just can’t replace normal hearing fidelity experienced by the human ear. However it must be said that bone conduction technology is an absolute miracle when it comes to hearing aids and helping those with hearing loss. Once again, the Voice Activity Sensor feature was far more forgiving and workable in the Jawbone Icon.

Third, we must take issue with Jawbone advertising these as having HD (high definition) audio. HD audio means something very specific and these headsets do not met the criteria. The Jawbone ERA uses the A2DP audio protocol for Bluetooth which is limited to 320 kbit/s for mono and 512 kbit/s for stereo. This means that it is impossible for these headsets to transfer audio information at the rate required to deliver HD audio which is specified as 1,411.2 kbit/s (CD quality) or up to 6.144 Mbit/s (Dolby Digital Plus) or even 18 Mbit/ s. True, there are some “lossless” formats that can be in the 400 – 1,411 kbit/s like FLAC but they are not standards accepted by the industry as being HD. Now that said, 320 kbit/s isn’t bad. In fact, that’s considered to be on the high end for the MP3 format. You know, the quality at which iTunes and similar services decide they can charge you about a dollar extra per track? So, yes, it is good quality audio for the format but to call it HD is very misleading.

And finally, the last thing we want bring up is how they came so close to turning the world of Bluetooth headsets on its ear, so to speak, by the inclusion of motion sensors. Right now they are using this circuitry for a “shake to pair” and “tap-to-answer” functions. Although we find these features fun, they are a bit gimmicky. It would’ve been so cool if it could be used for controlling a cursor, for instance, or for controlling any other type of device by motions of the head. This could also be incredibly enabling for those with motor issues, think quadriplegics or amputees for example. Jawbone says they have plans in the works for a pedometer that utilizes this circuitry and for releasing the API so that other people can develop apps for it, but it’s been close to two years or so and still no word. Maybe they were too busy developing and re-developing their UP Fitness Band. It uses similar electronics and had flaws upon its initial entry into the market. This just seems like a missed opportunity when it comes to the Jawbone ERA.

So, now that we’ve taken Aliph to task for their Jawbone ERA, please know that we are still fans and think that their Jawbone Icon is still one of the very best on the market. There is strong competition from the likes of Plantronics, Jabra, Blue Ant, Motorola and Bose, but Jawbone’s got game. We just look forward to seeing where they might be able to take it next. And if you are going to buy, you might want to go for the Jawbone Icon.

For more details, check out the videos at the bottom of this post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GPYwxvqW7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUjKai_fccM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpN22N3lIaQ

Moto X Phone – Revealed by Google at Last

2013-08-03 by QTOOTH

The Moto X! Finally revealed by Google it represents a bid to revive the once mighty mobile tech giant. We here at QTOOTH remember having several Motorola phones over the years. We loved them. Durable with excellent call quality. Nothing else compared. The ultimate benchmark for quality was a Motorola phone on the Verizon network. We were huge, devoted fans. Remember those days?

And then the smart phone revolution began and Motorola was completely cut out of the loop. How they didn’t see it coming is a mystery. Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, LG, even Blackberry had at least something going on. But not Motorola.

So, after much hype and anticipation, Motorola Mobile’s new owner Google finally rolled out their new offering. The general consensus? Better luck next time. Overpriced, under-performing and laden with curious choices, including NOT including the latest version of the Android operating system. This has to be one of the biggest mysteries, after all, Google makes Android and Google owns Motorola. Why wouldn’t it be sporting you latest offering? Baffling…

The biggest feature that they are touting? It’s ability to come in different colors… after being special ordered… and taking at a few days to get to you. Really? When most people want a phone they want it immediately. They want to walk into a store and by it today. And in the end, who really cares what color your phone is when you are just going to cover it with a case or some type of protector? That’s where the real style choices happen, not with the phone itself.

The phone features a 4.7-inch screen device is aimed at the iPhone and the Galaxy S phones. The Moto X features “all-day” battery life, a choice of colors and materials, and an instant-start camera, the company said today at a press event in New York. The Moto X is priced starting at $199 with a two-year contract and will only be available on all AT&T by the end of August or early September. That’s about the same time that the new Apple iPhone is set to hit the market and will probably make the Moto X completely irrelevant.

The device is the first homegrown smartphone from Motorola since Google acquired the business last year for $12.4 billion, as the Internet giant ramps up its hardware ambitions against Apple and others.

There is some claim to being made in U.S.A. and are hoping to attract fans because of this. The reality is that it will only be assembled in Texas at a former Nokia factory and that this will mostly involve the customizing of the color options. Customers can choose the colors of the front, back and accents of the Moto X on the website Motomaker.com. Motorola guarantees phone delivery in four days. One of the custom options is to have a wooden back made from a choice of ebony, teak, rosewood, or bamboo. Only that last choice is remotely sustainable. So? Not exactly hi-tech and not exactly made in America. Unlikely that they will fool anyone with this ruse.

Here are a few good details:A curved, ergonomic back and 10-megapixel camera. Similar to the Motorola Droids on Verizon Wireless, the Moto X runs on a chip system known as X8. Motorola developed twin lower-powered chips to run alongside the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro main processor.

The multichip system is designed to conserve battery life by letting the processor sleep while the lower-power chips work in the background — sensing location, speed and message notifications, as well as listening for voice commands. As an example, even if the phone is locked, the user can say, “OK Google now,” to create and send a message, or open turn-by-turn navigation through Google Maps. And with two flips of the wrist, sensors will turn on the camera and be ready to shoot in 2 seconds, said Rick Osterloh, product chief for Motorola.

As we see it here at QTOOTH maybe Google/Motorola will make more of their investment back when they introduce it to the international market. Maybe they are just trying to establish value by charging $199 with a two year contract but it should be half the price, or less, for what it offers. We’ll take an iPhone 4s or a Galaxy S3 over this anytime. Also, maybe they have plans to roll out instant upgrades to the latest Android OS. Whatever their plans are, they better move quickly to save this phone from an early death.

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Motorola Rolls Out First Ad for Moto X Smartphone

2013-07-04 by QTOOTH

Motorola has set a patriotic tone for its Moto X smartphone campaign, the company’s first since being acquired by Google last summer.

“What we are doing which is very different is assembling [Moto X smartphones] here in the U.S. in our assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas,” Brian Wallace, Motorola’s VP-global brand and product marketing, said. “What better time than July 4th to come with a message like that?”

The ad will run as a full-page spread in the July 3 editions of The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, Motorola said. It’s Motorola’s first ad for its Moto X smartphone, and the copy and timing emphasize the re-branded company’s emphasis on freedom.

Behind it was Motorola’s new creative agency of record is independent shop Droga5, which won the business without a pitch. Assisting on the creative and strategy for the campaign will be Publicis Groupe’s Digitas.

Moto X will be “the first smartphone that you can design yourself,” the copy says. It promises that users will be able to design phones as unique as their personalities.

“Smartphones are very different than other tech products a consumer owns,” Mr. Wallace said. “They’re closer to shoes or a watch. You carry it with you everywhere you go. Everyone sees what phone you’re carrying and they judge you on it. Yet it’s the one thing you carry that’s the least customizable.”

Mr. Wallace declined to comment on which Moto X aspects will be available for personalization, and the ad doesn’t show the phone, but that its part of injecting what he called a “Googley attitude” into the company’s operations and brand image. The emergence of a (literally) colorful new Motorola started when the company debuted its new logo last week.

Motorola wants to do with phones what Google did with search, Mr. Wallace said.

The smartphone’s marketing will emphasize old-fashioned American patriotism. The ad touts Moto X as the “first smartphone designed, engineered and assembled in the USA.” Some Moto X components will be created abroad, but final assembly will occur domestically, Mr. Wallace said.

The tagline for Moto X is “Designed by you. Assembled in the USA.” Mr. Wallace said that while that may change as the campaign progresses, subsequent work will be in the same vein.

via Digital – Advertising Age.

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New Samsung Galaxy S4 Features Qi Wireless Charging

2013-06-29 by QTOOTH

New Samsung Galaxy S4 Features Qi Wireless Charging and the rapidly expanding Qi ecosystem now includes compatible phones from Samsung, Nokia, LG, HTC, Panasonic, Sony, Motorola, Sharp, Fujitsu, NEC, and Pantech

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 has adopted the Qi wireless charging standard in its optional back battery cover and wireless charging pad accessories, as demonstrated at Samsung Unpacked 2013. The accessories are fully compatible with all Qi chargers and Qi-compatible phones. The announcement further solidifies Qi as the mobile industry’s choice for fully compatible wireless charging.

Qi is backed by more than 130 leading companies of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) like Blackberry, ConvenientPower, Delphi Automotive Systems, Energizer, Haier Group, Hitachi Maxell HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips Electronics, Samsung, Sony, TDK Corporation, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and Verizon Wireless.

Qi cuts the last remaining cord in consumer electronics – the charging cord. Any Qi-certified device wirelessly charges using any Qi-compatible charger, regardless of brand. It’s easy, you just set your Qi-supported device on any Qi charging spot and it instantly starts charging.

The Galaxy S4 is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding Qi ecosystem of mobile devices, charging accessories, charging locations, and consumer electronics with an installed base of more than 15 million units. Recently, McDonald’s began testing wireless charging with Qi-embedded tables in some of its European locations. In addition, Toyota announced that the 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited includes integrated Qi charging in the center console. The universe of Qi products includes over 170 products and Qi is the only wireless power solution directly integrated into flagship smartphones and automobiles.

Qi is an open, fully flexible standard capable of evolving its technology and features to offer the best user experience while maintaining compatibility products that have the Qi logo. It offers the widest range of features to optimize user convenience and product choices: support for both inductive and resonant charging, spatial freedom, and intelligent power management.

For more information, visit: www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com

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Hotel Wireless Access is Top Demand of Guests

2013-06-10 by QTOOTH

Hotel wireless access is the top customer demand of guests in their rooms and throughout the hotel properties, according to a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) in April 2013. This survey includes responses from 500 North American hotel guests, including business and recreational travelers.

KEY FACTS

90 percent wished hotels offered WiFi as an amenity, making it the top priority of both business and recreational travelers.
More than 90 percent of hotel guests surveyed indicated they wanted WiFi in their hotel rooms, not just in common areas.
40 percent of business travelers said they would not stay at a hotel without internet.
#WiFi is becoming the key differentiator for hotel properties, as technology continues to enhance the guest experience.

Good to know we’re not alone in our desire to have access whenever and wherever we need it. These answers are no surprise to us here at QTOOTH!

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