Humane Debuts $700 AI Pin With 'Laser Ink Display'

[sflagel]

Perhaps. However, they generated enough interest to develop a waitlist of over 100K people. We'll see how it goes but with all the employees who are working there and depend on an income to feed their families I hope for their sake this generates enough revenue to develop a second gen.

The average American spends over 7 hours a day looking at screens, and this includes more than just smartphones. Many people (like myself) would love to see a world where technology works for us, rather than for companies that develop apps designed to make a profit from us. What excites me the most about this vision is not the hardware; it's the idea of a future where I can spend more time doing things that make me happy, and where a phone doesn't stand between me and the world I'm trying to live in.

Leave the phone at home and use the Apple Watch. I would love to see this AI included in the Apple watch so I don't have to select and download apps anymore.

(Apple tried this already by selecting the "correct" messaging app when you send messages using Siri, but it is SO BAD! Siri continuously selects WhatsApp to send messages to my family although I have sent 15,000 messages to them using iMessage and 2 with WhatsApp.....)

 

[sflagel]

$ 24 per month includes all apps, stored in the cloud. That's a steal.

 

[AlumaMac]

Ugh, AI marketing buzzword bonanza. Can’t wait for the plethora of “amazing" new products powered by “AI”.

 

[sflagel]

what problem does this even try to solve

The problem of 1,000 apps on your device. It's an AI layer that consolidates all apps. What Siri could have been.

(But Siri is so stupid, I doesn't even know to suggest the Starbucks app when I arrive at my tube station for work, although for the past six years, every Monday to Friday, I have been opening that app, in that location, at that time. You would think that by now, it would not just suggest the app but actively suggest to order the drink I have now ordered 1,350 times in a row).

 

[MisterSavage]

I actually use voice dictation and Siri a lot, but having voice control be the primary interface is a hard pass from me. Sounds like a recipe for frustration.

 

[Capeto]

You know the future is here when AI can give you an eating disorder

 

[TruthWatcher412]

Looks cool but what happens when you don’t notice your shiny new pin has fallen off of your shirt and is lost for good?

 

[DavidLeblond]

I'm not reading all the comments, has anyone pointed out the similarities between this and the Cicret bracelet?

EDIT: I glanced, yeah it's come up.

 

[VulchR]

Kinda cool, but no thanks. Too expensive for what it does, and I already have a iPhone and a watch, not to mention what would happen when I wear black gloves...

 

[avkills]

It is an interesting concept for sure. I believe the $24/month also includes the T-Mobil data/voice/messaging whatever you want to call it plan also.

People thought I was crazy when I bought the first iPod. 🤷‍♂️

Not saying I am buying one; but it is interesting and perhaps a step in the direction of everyone not having their faces buried into their phone and/or tablet screens all damn day.

 

[frifra]

That price is inhuman though.

 

[matthew23]

Things we don't need for $700, Alex.

 

[kevinws]

Give me a color laser projector and won't have to worry about dropping my phone in the toilet when I watch.... oh wait.

 

[votdfak]

DOA Pin

 

[Rogifan]

One of the co-founders of Humane (Imran Chaudhri) has over 1,100 patents with Apple. I believe he was on the original team that developed the iPhone UI.

 

[the future]

Sorry, but a smart watch is a much more natural way to be less “chained“ to a smart phone. You stay connected and still have a screen (which is indispensible), but one that is small enough that you won‘t ever be doomscrolling.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

The general attitude on this thread “No wireless, less space than a Nomad. Lame.”

 

[jmgregory1]

I think the idea of this product has been shown in one form or another for decades in the movies, of what our future interaction with computers could be. The biggest problem in my opinion, is the full voice interaction. I can only imagine what a distraction to my co-workers I would be if I were trying to use this device while sitting in my office. Or on public transit, or even in my living room while my wife was with me. There are just so many times during the day that I want or need to know something, like reading or writing an email or text, looking at the news, etc., that I don’t want or need this information to be broadcast verbally to anyone close to me. Even if wearing a pair of headphones, or a maybe a headset like the one that was ”used” in the movie Her, you’re still having to say what you want out loud, so there would be no privacy.

Today, I can just pick up my iPhone and silently get whatever information I want. When home and I’m wanting to know the weather, or the score of a game, I can and do use Siri on our HomePod mini, but these short interactions aren’t disruptive the way a wearable like this would be where EVERY interaction would require some spoken command or direction.

 

[roar08]

This made me laugh out loud.

 

[FitzSitzQuitz]

I'm very interested to see what some of the tech reviewers - MKBHD and MrMobile (Michael Fisher) specifically - have to say about this. It's certainly a different concept and for some there's an appeal of being able to disconnect from the endless doom scrolling in apps.

Still it's an interesting idea and it's not completely without merit. I just don't think it's as earth shattering as its creators think it will be.

 

[CasinoOwl]

I won't count this out yet, though I certainly wouldn't buy it. However, they better come up with a marketing strategy. That announcement video was dreadful. Mr. Chaudhri should have run the enitre script through AI to make it "sound more exciting".

 

[lovehateapple]

what happens if they get on a crowded train and someone just snatches it

No one is going to steal these because no one is going to want one in the first place. The $24 / month subscription is a good deterrent against purchase AND theft.

 

[lovehateapple]

It is not clear how long each battery lasts.

This might be important information because it would clue consumers in as to how many spare batteries they would have to buy. Nor did the article say how much spare batteries are going to cost. So the device costs $700 + $24 / month + x number of additional batteries (that you have to carry around)! Yikes! DOA

 

[ChrisA]

Finally, I new idea. A new device category really is needed. I can think of a dozen why this might not work well but maybe the company has already addressed them?

What is needed on this is a laser scanner that reads finger gestures so it can be used one-handed. Perhaps this is done already I don't know. And I hope it can project onto different surfaces, like a table or desk top.

I had a couple issues in Italy a few weeks ago. To my ear Italian is kind of like Spanish with a strong accent, so I'd pick up some words and many Italians have at least basic English skills. So we got along just fine with transactional conversation but it fell apart when asking about details of something like cooking. Google is ok for looking up a few words or reading signs but it is slow and awkward to use. A better interface is needed. What is good about this is it seem it could print to a "screen" that two or three people can read at the same time from an arm's length distance.

Reading sigs written in some language you don't know would be good also.

Probably, I would also want this device to support Bluetooth headphones, If a watch can do this, so could this thing.

 

[CloneBB]

Will.Not.Buy.ever.