[Lots of Bluetooth headsets will be in those gift packages this Holiday season. Cingular is offering the Jawbone from Aliph featuring Noise Shield technology.]

Atlanta and San Francisco -- Noise is nothing with the new Jawbone Bluetooth headset, which is available exclusively from Cingular Wireless--just in time for the holidays.

Aliph, a leading developer of mobile audio products that deliver exceptional quality in any environment, and Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, today introduced the new Jawbone headset for Bluetooth mobile phones. Jawbone is the first adaptive Bluetooth headset with Noise Shield technology, which virtually eliminates background noise so calls are clearer. Jawbone's audio performance is further enhanced by an award-winning design by internationally acclaimed product designer Yves Bohar, which maximizes comfort and functional simplicity.

Ambient noise is often an issue with many headsets and can make conversations difficult in noisier environments. The Jawbone Bluetooth headset with Noise Shield technology uses an advanced, military-grade noise-canceling system that continuously adapts to users' changing environments to deliver unparalleled audio quality.

The Noise Shield technology was originally developed by Aliph for DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to enhance communications in the most hostile and rugged environments. This technology includes an intelligent system of sensors and software, which continuously adjusts at a rate of 500 times per second to improve audio quality based on what it knows about the environment. In doing this, the Jawbone headset will:

1. Identify and isolate your speech: Jawbone is the only headset that has a proprietary voice activity sensor. Its ability to determine precisely when you are speaking is what drives the headset's superior sound quality. Unlike other headsets, Jawbone can easily separate your speech from other sounds nearby.

2. Subtract the unwanted noise: Jawbone's proprietary software continuously samples the sounds in your environment, and then subtracts those sounds from your speech signal. This allows you to speak normally in any environment while still being heard clearly when placing calls.

3. Automatically enhance your audio: Jawbone constantly adapts, allowing you to hear your caller better by boosting the frequencies that increase voice intelligibility to stand out over your environment.

"We endeavored to build the first headset all users will actually want to wear," said Hosain Rahman, Aliph CEO and co-founder. "We've always led the industry from a technology perspective, now we've integrated that adaptive technology into a Bluetooth headset that is simple, intuitive, and easy to use -- the total product experience has been designed around how consumers actually use wearable technology. As an innovator in wireless communications, Cingular is the perfect partner to bring the new Jawbone to market."

"Jawbone is the first Bluetooth headset that adjusts and optimizes both incoming and outgoing sound so you can conquer the problems of a noisy, unpredictable world," said David Christopher, Vice President, Product Management, Cingular Wireless. "Today's consumers may often find themselves having conversations in less than ideal environments. With Jawbone, our customers can now make phone calls comfortably in high-traffic, high noise locations. We are pleased to be the first wireless carrier worldwide to bring this unique, best-in-class product to market."

Jawbone has a perforated shield that curves to match the outline of the face, while the soft and smooth underside provides a comfortable feel on the skin. Only 14 grams, Jawbone feels very light on the head and can be worn on either ear. Earloops in four different sizes and shapes ensure a customized fit and feel while also maximizing stability on the ear.

"With Jawbone, we set out to transform a technology product into a personal accessory," said Yves Bohar, who joined Aliph as vice president and creative director while continuing to lead fuseproject, the San Francisco-based design studio he founded. "Jawbone's ergonomic and clean design enhances all aspects of the product experience: visual, tactile and auditory."

The Jawbone Bluetooth headset was awarded an International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award and an iF Product Design Award. An earlier generation of the Jawbone headset was honored with the 2005 CES Innovations Award, the BusinessWeek Industrial Design Excellence Award, and a DEMOgod(tm) award from the DEMO industry conference group in 2004. The first version of Jawbone has also been exhibited at both the New York Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Jawbone is currently available exclusively at select Cingular Wireless retail stores nationwide for $119.99 and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled handsets. Consumers can also visit www.jawbone.com.

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