People used to fear the idea of Big Brother watching them. Now they are paying top dollar for it.

Sports wristbands that track every move you make are suddenly having their moment in the sun, partially thanks to the major marketing push made by Nike for its FuelBand at the start of this year. Jawbone had released a similar product previously but consumers weren’t loving it, according to ZDNet.com. But Jawbone isn’t backing down and has just released a new version of its Jawbone UP wristband to compete with Nike, which is now selling FuelBands in Canadian Nike and Apple stores.

Jawbone is pitching its new and improved UP as a “wristband and app system that helps you discover things about yourself that you never knew.” Allegedly, it tracks how you sleep, move, and eat, and then “gives you personalized insights to help you make smarter choices to feel your best.” Hope it at least buys the wearer dinner first.Continue reading...

Talk about a great name for a brand of sleek Bluetooth headset device: Jawbone. But is Jawbone's latest brand-building endeavor on par with the brand's overall character?

Launched by manufacturer Aliph in 2006, Jawbone Bluetooth devices quickly captured the heart of design nerds and technical sticklers with its eye-catching, one-of-a-kind forms and top-of-the-line functionality.

The brand positioned itself as the buffed, image- and quality-conscious Bluetooth-user's Bluetooth device. Its branding continues to perfectly communicate this aesthetic.

That said, we're not convinced by Jawbone's new "Funny Video Contest."Continue reading...