Getting Microsoft Voice Command to work with HTC Touch Pro and a Jawbone New Headset

Fairly simple.

Even if it gives an ‘Unrecoverable error’ on installation, soft-restart your device, and you should see Voice Command in the settings menu, and also as an application that can be assigned to the Long-Hold Talk Button. It should have installed OK.

Now – if you, like me, have been pressing the main button on your Jawbone New / Jawbone 2….

Stop…

Read the manual….

Activate Voice Command by long-holding the Voice Assassin (rear) button for 2 seconds

You should see Voice Command activate, and hear a beep-BEEP on your headset. Say “Help”. And you’re away.

Aliph Jawbone 2 (New) 30 second review

Only had it 12 hours so far, and my thoughts (using it with an HTC TYTN II):

• Beautifully small and light
• Fits very comfortably on my ear – slides on easily, and I really can wear it all day. It’s lighter than my previous favourite, the HBH-610 fitted with an HBH-65 ear loop.
• Mike noise reduction seems at least as good – made a phone call from the train, and the called party had no complaints
• Cool looking, not overstated, very cool LED
• Received sound / speaker sound is at least as bad as the old one – quiet and scratchy, but not as tinny. Apparently this varies by device, so might be better with a Blackberry, etc.
• Charger is very similar to the first Jawbone’s but the magnetic attacher is much easier to use; no more headset-wrestling as you’re trying to detach it.

Also – I remember some complaints on other reviews about having to push the rear (NoiseAssasin) button so hard you have to surgically remove the headset from the ear canal. Top Tip to avoid this: the documentation is misleading – it seems you have to push against the side fascia of the headset, at the rear, but that’s just because all their diagrams are ’side-on’ views. The button’s actually on the end of the headset - so you should press on the end, not on the side, for this button.

It’s a very nice, practical, wearable headset – so far. My two big gripes are:

• Speaker sound still isn’t great
• Only practically usable with one device; you have to repair to use another.

Jawbone Update

Another 24 hours, another few calls.

The Jawbone’s doing OK now I’m used to the tinny sound – something I’ve learnt is handset dependant. However, another shock as I found there’s no Mute function, and it only pairs with one handset/PC at a time. So it’s useless for multi-handset or handset-and-Skype use.

So I’m getting another headset, perhaps to work alongside this one. Updates on the Plantronics 520 to come (once I get one)…