When Bluetooth headsets appeared, some of us thought they were dumb. Truly, at some point, it seemed that a person just goes there talking to themselves. However, as time passed, more and more people found such headsets very convenient. They allowed talking to someone without having to put a phone to an ear, and the only problems with them were that they could get lost easily and that you had to carry them with you everywhere to have a convenient phone conversation.
image source: www.techthelead.com
Knowing this, people from Innomdle Lab started working on a brand new gadget that could be a great alternative to Bluetooth headsets: Smart Strap SGNL.This project had started as a part of C-LAB program created by Samsung, but later, in 2015, it had spun off. Now Innomdle Lab started a Kickstarter project, wanting to raise funds and bring this technology to life.
What exactly Smart Strap SGNL does and how does it differ from those Bluetooth headsets we’ve already used to? Unlike Bluetooth headsets, you don’t need to attach some gadget to your ear: instead, you put a strap on your hand and then, when a call arrives, you answer it by putting a finger to your ear. You hear everything as your interlocutor’s voice transmits to your ear in the form of vibration and then turns into the sound upon touching an ear.
It sounds amazing, yet it is true! Such technology does exist and, actually, is pretty much funded already. While the funding goal was only $50,000, Innomdle Lab has gathered almost $950,000 by now, so we can assume the project is already a success and this amazing gadget will see the world sometime soon.
Why would you need a Smart Strap SGNL?
We believe that this technology is truly amazing. However, some people might think otherwise: why pay for a gadget that’ll make them look awkward?
Actually, while it definitely takes the time to get used to a concept of using your finger as a phone, we don’t think that it’ll look awkward. Bluetooth headsets were basically attached to the head and sometimes hardly visible (for example, if a person was wearing a hat, had long hair or was simply showing the headset-free ear to someone), that’s why they could seem strange and funny for others. Unlike them, Smart Strap SGNL requires you to hold your hand near your head all the time, so if a person doesn’t look too close, they might think you’re simply holding a phone.
Moreover, it will allow you to have a phone conversation without actually taking a phone in your hand. We can assume that a Smart Strap SGNL will be one of the best modern gadgets for students, along with super-thin MacBooks and portable mobile chargers. While most of the students don’t have enough money to repair or buy new smartphones often, they still drop them sometimes.
Just imagine: you’re rushing to campus and someone starts calling you. You pull your brand new iPhone from your pocket in a hurry and accidentally drop it. Sound horrifying, doesn’t it? Sometimes it seems that the only way to keep your phone safe is to keep it in a pocket while you’re walking, running, and doing other active things, and a Smart Strap SGNL allows you to do so.
Of course, this also means that one of your hands won’t be free, and that’s probably the biggest inconvenience so far. However, it is still not as bad as could be: after all, we have to do the same during an ordinary phone conversation.
It is important to remember that this technology still has some limitation, despite its convenience. People, who’ve already tested Smart Strap SGNL, say these gadgets definitely work, though the quality of sound could be better: it sounds a bit like an old radio now. These are only test models, so it’s safe to assume that the final ones would be much better, but we still don’t know if it would be as good as the sound of traditional hardware (hardly).
And, of course, the main goal of a Smart Strap SGNL in to deliver voice during a phone conversation. This means that it would probably be impossible to enjoy listening to music with the help of this gadget.
“Smart” Strap SGNL characteristics
This gadget works well both with Android and iOS, so you can use it instead of Apple Watch or Samsung Gear. It is surprisingly long-lasting: it takes only an hour to charge it and it’ll work for a week.
It’s early bid price started at $99 but was raised to $139 later. The whole set includes SGNL strap along with remover tool, micro USB cable, a dummy band and connection ports. It is supposed to be shipped in February 2017.
So if you want to try this brand new gadget, hurry up! The Kickstarter project is still going, but it’ll end in a few weeks!
