I have never been a fan of those Bluetooth headsets, perhaps because I always thought the person wearing one was talking to me when he (notice it’s most often a “he”?) was actually conducting some high-level business meeting. It drove me crazy to turn around to make eye contact, raising my brows in an “I’m sorry, what did you say?” sort of way and meet the side of someone’s head. And don’t get me started on how obnoxious those Bluetooth headsets look. I believe Brad Pitt sported one on the cover of Wired magazine and even he didn’t look cool.

But my perspective on Bluetooth headsets has changed somewhat thanks to Jawbone’s new ICON line. These little pieces of ear candy are seriously cool, cool enough to have me considering one…and I thought that would never happen. Fortunately Jawbone was willing to send me the ICON ACE to review for Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish so I could check out this bejeweled earpiece for our readers.

The Bluetooth headset arrived and even the packaging was cool:

The ICON ACE is a sort of pewter/bronze/ooh-I-love-shiny-things color and comes with a variety of earbuds to ensure a comfy fit. I found a combination of pieces worked best for me (I have funky elf-shaped ears) and made the ICON headset nice and secure. Here are all the goodies you’ll find inside the package:

So you’re pretty much set for life! The ICON is pretty cool—it has all these fun features like a little voice telling you how much battery life you have left and super duper NoiseAssasin, a “proprietary technology that eliminates background noise from mobile phone conversations.” Basically it can tell your voice from the kids screaming for Icees in the background so you come through loud and clear. I know it works because I had an easy conversation with my mom using my new ICON ACE, something that doesn’t usually happen while in the car.

Jawbone’s ICON also comes with MyTALK (personalize your ICON with some free apps) and the ability to manage two different calls from two different phones—at the same time. Oh, and did I mention it’s CNET’s highest rated headset ever?

I gave my ICON ACE a thorough test-run and it passed with flying colors. Of course the headset does get a little warm after extended use and I did get the occasional “are you talking to me?” look from other people while getting takeout from Kneaders Bakery, but the ACE did raise my super cool momness to a new level. I only wish I had a photo of my newfound celebrity status thanks to Jawbone’s ICON but unfortunately I was too busy breaking up fights, wiping sticky fingers and keeping kids buckled while driving to snap a self-portrait. But I promise I was cool. In fact, I looked just like this gal, only with short hair:

P.S. The Jawbone ICON would make a fabulous Father’s Day gift even if you’re husband’s not Brad Pitt!—Emily

Okay, I am about 99% sure this will be the coolest review of 2009. (Hey, I can’t see past July on the schedule so you never know!) I am 110% sure it’s the coolest review so far! And I used one of my Flip Mino—one of my most favorite reviews—to help vlog about how cool the HP Vivienne Tam Edition makes me look amazing the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition is and how much I love it…and my daughter loves it, and my husband loves it, and my babysitter loves it and all my Twitter girlfriends love it… It is THE must-have gift for Mother’s Day!

First let’s judge this notebook by it’s cover. The HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition (I call her Vivi for short) is a digital clutch by award-winning designer Vivienne Tam. The cover features a peony design in scrumptious violets and reds, which you can find throughout her Spring 2009 collection. I only just found out the colors represent happiness, prosperity and good fortune in the Chinese culture. The “Enter” key even features the double happiness symbol! (So that’s what that symbol means!) If the case weren’t yummy enough, the Vivi comes with it sown protective Vivienne Tam silk sleeve…this baby has more silk than my closet!

This mini-me version of a laptop (aka “digital clutch”) is only 10 inches long by 6.5 inches deep by less than 1 inch high and less than 2.5 pounds. The Vivi features a 10.1-inch diagonal HP Brightview Infinity widescreen display, HP Mini webcam, integrated mic, stereo speakers and a 92% full-size keyboard. But would I find substance when I looked beyond its chic and sexy exterior? Do runways have models?

Inside the Vivi you’ll find Microsoft Windows XP, an Intel Atom processor, 60GB of hard drive space, WiFi and Bluetooth. (Yes, I sound like I know what I’m talking about but it’s more my husband telling me all this stuff is super nifty.) There are a slew of other impressive features but I’m all girl and get distracted by pretty things. You’re lucky I looked further than the peonies!

Here are my top five faves about the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition and my top five non-faves:

Love

• Design: Hello! It’s Vivienne Tam!


• Size: Fits perfectly in my Kate Spade knock-off (see photo above).


• Weight: Feels heavenly compared to my diaper bag.


• Windows XP: Beats Vista an ol’ day. (If you want me to convert to Mac feel free to send me an iBook for review…)


• Bluetooth/wireless: I look so cool typing away while noshing at Blue Lemon Bistro (see photo below).

Didn’t love

• Key symbol color: Don’t get me wrong, the red keys are fabulous, but the dark gray used for the key symbols is fine in daylight but makes it really hard to see in darker settings (like Twittering while watching Celebrity Apprentice at night; see video).


• Silk sleeve: Yes, it’s silk, but it is also a bit too large for the notebook. It needs to have a more snug fit and some way to secure it closed.


• Envious people: Everyone wanted a piece of my Vivi and it made me rather uncomfortable.


• Suboptimal handbag: I’m still on the lookout for the perfect handbag to complement the notebook. It may cost me a couple hundred dollars to find one.


• Okay, couldn’t come up with number five, and as you can see numbers three and four were a stretch anyway!

Using the aforementioned Flip Mino I put together a video documenting life with my HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition. I have used it more than the few minutes you glimpse in the video and I’m sure it would’ve been three times as long if this review had been scheduled post BlogHer ‘09. But you’ll enjoy catching almost the entire family involved with Vivi, including my husband. (Should I be worried?)

And the picture below? My daughter, who asks me almost daily if she can use my Vivienne Tam. Her expression, which you might recognize from the video, shows exactly how I feel when I’m typing away in such chic and sophisticated style…even in my pj’s. The runway-meets-everyday HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition is the perfect Mother’s Day gift!

Here’s a great little gaget for all our momprenuers out there today, it’s a wireless keyboard and mouse from Rocketfish and is available for under $100 at Best Buy. “Why wireless?” you may ask, and my answer would be flexibility and convenience (something us work at home moms really can enjoy).

I tested the Rocketfish wireless keyboard and mouse at home. The first thing that impressed me was that it connected right away to my Mac, without needing ANY software disks to get started. I love that! And for those who use a PC, it’s also PC compatible too.

The next thing I adore was the sleek design and the extra space you will discover on your desktop without all those pesky wires. Why do you need to be attached to the computer? This allows you the option to spread out (in fact it works at a distance of 60’ – NICE). This savvy device comes Bluetooth-enabled, so it’s a cinch to transfer your favorite digital photos and MP3’s between your computer and Bluetooth products.

The Rocketfish combo comes in black, silver or red so you can customize your look for your specific office space. The laser mouse offer 4 way scrolling and ergonomic rubber supports for comfort and quality function. You’ll discover the wonder of wireless as your Rocketfish combo acts as a hub for you, making those file transfers a breeze. Lose the Wires, Keep the Performance, with Rocketfish you can do that and more. Oh and did I mention that it comes with batteries so its raring to go? That’s something the mommy in me really appreciates! – Daria