Sheathing the 'bone

Russ Mitchell opines: What a difference a sheath of leather can make.

The Jawbone, the Bluethooth headset that looks like a neat little brick, drew accoclades when it was first released for its noise cancelation features that make it easier to hear when conversing on your cell phone in the middle in a crowd. Plus, looks-wise, it didn't resemble like an ugly mutant hearing aid, like most of its other competitors.

One big problem: the plastic earloop cut into the skin behind the ear like Van Gogh's knife, making all the other benefits moot.

The recently released New Jawbone covers those earloops in leather. The difference is significant. Now you hardly know it's there.

The unit is smaller, too, its shape more streamlined, so the New Jawbone looks less silly hanging off your face than Bluetooth headsets tend to look.

Nice to see a company listening to its customers. Now, Apple: how about letting users change the type size on iCal? The problem's been all over the bulletin boards -- for years!