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—CARLSBAD, CA— A revolutionary new headset for mobile phones, designed to perform at a radically higher level, was demonstrated here publicly for the first time today before technology industry and business leaders attending the Wall Street Journal’s prestigious “D: All Things Digital Conference” at the Four Seasons Avaria. The new headset, called Jawbone, from Brisbane, CA – based Aliph, enables mobile users to overcome the challenges of a noisy environment: to hear and be heard more clearly. Jawbone combines advanced technology with breakthrough product design to deliver greater performance, comfort and style for an exceptional user experience that far exceeds anything on the market today. The product was selected as one of the few new products and technologies by Wall Street Journal columnists and conference co-hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher to be demonstrated at the D Conference. Today’s technology demonstration was a sneak preview of the product, which Aliph plans to formally debut and begin shipping in the Fall of 2004. “Mobile phones are increasingly being used in every imaginable situation and as landline substitutes. But there is a major performance frustration separating today’s mobile phone experience from landline use. Although carriers continue to invest in infrastructure to improve network quality, little progress has been made in the realm of voice quality and, in particular, noise management,” said Aliph CEO, Patrick McVeigh. “People want to be heard clearly and consistently anywhere they choose to be on a call, whether it’s walking through a noisy airport or as sirens pass by on a busy street. This was the genesis of Jawbone technology.”
Inside its sleek, highly stylized yet comfortable form factor, Jawbone packs sophisticated proprietary technology to deliver dramatic results in audio quality. Jawbone’s technology:
- Subtracts background noise using a Voice Activity Sensor which detects precisely when you are speaking
- Enhances incoming audio
- Increases intelligibility
Military-Grade TechnologySix years in the making, Jawbone incorporates military-grade audio product development research which Aliph has conducted for DARPA since 2002. Designed with battlefield performance quality in mind, Jawbone’s sound processing technology was developed with built-in intelligence to perfectly detect speech and to rapidly understand changes in the noise environment. This allows crystal clear voice quality no matter what occurs in their noise environment. Additional details about Jawbone’s proprietary technology will be revealed when the product is released in Fall 2004. Jawbone’s creators include recognized industry experts in speech technology, mobile communications and consumer electronics products who hail from Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Motorola Speech Labs, Stanford University, Apple Computer and Palm. The engineering team includes the expertise that developed the voice communication standards now relied on for the GSM and CDMA networks and has more than three dozen applicable patents/patents pending. Jawbone’s cutting-edge design is currently featured in a San Francisco Museum of Modern Art exhibition of the work of its award-winning industrial designer, Yves Béhar of Fuseproject. “Aliph is redefining headsets as we’ve known them, changing the look, comfort and functionality completely,” said mobile analyst and DEMOmobile executive producer Chris Shipley. “This is the first breakthrough in mobile device voice quality in years,” said Mayfield Managing Director Janice Roberts. “Aliph is poised for leadership and will quickly build share in this market which has been an undifferentiated category historically because companies have been assemblers and packagers of commodity components,” she added. Jawbone’s pricing has yet to be finalized, but the company expects it to be priced at less than $150.
About Aliph
Aliph was founded in 1999 by Alex Asseily and Hosain Rahman, two young entrepreneurs who met as Stanford undergrads. The pair shared a belief that voice would be the dominant interface for mobile devices and that creating a noise-free environment was critical to delivering an improved mobile communications experience. They enlisted an expert in speech technology from Lawrence Livermore National Labs and began building a team of recognized experts in mobile communications and consumer electronics products – spanning Apple Computer, Palm and Motorola, among others – to achieve the company’s goals. Since 2002, Aliph’s technology has been optimized for DARPA to maximize communications clarity in the most hostile conditions. Headquartered in Brisbane, CA, Aliph is funded by Mayfield and private investors.
To glimpse Jawbone and the future of headset technology, or to sign up for the product launch announcement, go to www.jawbone.com.
Contacts:Krause Taylor Associates for AliphJennifer Henderson
jennifer@krause-taylor.com
408-918-9085
Betty Taylor
bettyt@krause-taylor.com
408-918-9082