Seattle startup Human Inc. has developed a new brand of ear-shaped headphones that, among other things, translates different languages in real-time.
The headphones, named “Sound” in an apparent effort to make them impossible to find on Google, wrap snugly around the user’s ears in order to “act as an extension of the human body.” In keeping with this anatomical theme, the advertising for these headphone solely consists of a bunch of naked people who look like they’re only one step away from touching each other’s genitals:
The Sound headphones are controlled by swiping the headphones themselves, with users able to access six modes by doing so: Fade, Amplify, Social, Speak, Active and Sleep.
Fade allows for ambient noise control, enabling users to block out the sound of your external environment or increase its volume, all while continuing to listen to their own personal audio. Amplify puts Sound into loudspeaker mode, with both headphones being able to be joined together in order to greatly increase their volume. Social lets users share their audio with other Sound owners using “one-touch sharing,” letting you and your friends all enjoy one track simultaneously. Speak allows for real-time translation of up to eight different languages, allowing users to have a bilingual conversation with other Sound owners. Active makes use of the Sound’s bio-metric monitoring in order to give users accurate real-time stats regarding their physical activity and health. Lastly, Sleep plays peaceful noise-isolating rhythms while also tracking sleep cycles in low-power mode, before waking you up with your preferred playlist or alarm.
The idea behind Sound is that, unlike regular headphones, you will rarely have to actually take these devices off your ears, with them capable of providing your day-to-day life with a continuous soundtrack while also allowing users to utilize their touch controls in order to alter volume and noise reduction on the fly. It’s a neat concept, and with Sound able to survive 12 hours of continuous use before requiring charging, it should effectively allow you to block out reality for at least half of your day, which is an accomplishment in and of itself.
The Sound headphones have already broken their IndieGoGo goal, garnering over $350,000 in backer donations, a 230% increase on its initial $150,000 goal with 19 days still left to go of its campaign. The Sound will retail for $400, though those who pre-order the headphones through IndieGoGo will receive a $50 discount, being able to purchase them for a relatively low price of $200. You can pre-order right here.
